A good reminder:
The only way to ensure success is to make sure you keep working at your goals. Every single day.
The only way to ensure success is to make sure you keep working at your goals. Every single day.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Get Fit, Feel Epic Week 1 Summary
I've had a busy, busy day - pretty much non-stop since 4:15 a.m. Apparently 4:00 a.m. is my new wake-up time regardless of what time my alarm is set for. I'm just gonna roll with it and hope that on days I feel really tired I'll get a chance to take a nap.
I focused on cardio at the gym today - a boxing session followed by C25K. I started Week 4 of C25K. I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't complete the 6 min straight run. I'm so disappointed in myself. It's only 6 minutes, what the hell?! I stopped at about 4, walked for a bit (around 35-40 seconds) and then picked up the run. I even had trouble completing the last 4-min stretch ... I did make up the jogging time I missed by doing it even during the cool down period ... but that's not the point. I need to be able to run at a stretch ... it was disappointing.
I experimented with 3 new ingredients tonight for dinner - spaghetti squash (Loved it! Was totally fascinated at how the squash really did come out spaghetti-like!), red snapper (impromptu purchase at the supermarket today, but it looked so fresh - had to try it; it came out quite good sautéed in tomatoes and onions), and finally purple potatoes. I loved the color of the potatoes - I cooked them with mushrooms and they came out quite well. It was a really filling, low-fat, low-carb meal for under 500 calories.
Ok, now for my Get Fit, Feel Epic update.
Week 1 (Sep. 3 - Sep. 9)
1) C25K: No sessions completed
2) Nutrition studies: Haven't started yet
3) Core work: From Sunday I started doing a core workout in the mornings. I've managed to do it each morning since. I do 500 reps of different exercises (e.g. 100 crunches, 60 second plank pose, 30 push-ups - broken into groups of ten - and so forth). The routine varies each day. I plan on doing this 5 times a week.
4) Balance: From Sunday I started doing 15 minutes of yoga first thing in the morning. It feels really good to start the day with some deep breathing and good stretches
5) Gleason's boxing: I completed Week 1, Day 1
Week 1 Challenge - Do something that makes you feel fabulous.
Well, I already wrote about it in my first Get Fit, Feel Epic post -- D and I have really started to invest some time and money into getting healthy. I'm really happy we've taken this step.
So not a whole lot done in week 1, but we're already 2 days into week 2 and I've made progress in some more areas, so hopefully my week 2 update will be better (and on time).
The Week 2 Challenge is to find a way to display our goals so that we stay focused. This is perfect for me as I really need to be more focused and organized with me time -- there's so much going on. I want to do it all, and I know I can, but I need to get organized and be reasonable with my time.
I'm a bit behind with commenting on blogs -- I'll get to them soon!
Will end on a silly/amusing anecdote - was heading out this morning and as I picked up my Everlast boxing bag I noticed that it went perfectly with my outfit for work. Had to snap a shot :)
Fingers crossed for a good night's sleep!!
I focused on cardio at the gym today - a boxing session followed by C25K. I started Week 4 of C25K. I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't complete the 6 min straight run. I'm so disappointed in myself. It's only 6 minutes, what the hell?! I stopped at about 4, walked for a bit (around 35-40 seconds) and then picked up the run. I even had trouble completing the last 4-min stretch ... I did make up the jogging time I missed by doing it even during the cool down period ... but that's not the point. I need to be able to run at a stretch ... it was disappointing.
I experimented with 3 new ingredients tonight for dinner - spaghetti squash (Loved it! Was totally fascinated at how the squash really did come out spaghetti-like!), red snapper (impromptu purchase at the supermarket today, but it looked so fresh - had to try it; it came out quite good sautéed in tomatoes and onions), and finally purple potatoes. I loved the color of the potatoes - I cooked them with mushrooms and they came out quite well. It was a really filling, low-fat, low-carb meal for under 500 calories.
Ok, now for my Get Fit, Feel Epic update.
I've been so busy trying to get used to my new schedule that Week 1 kinda passed me by. I didn't get much done in terms of working towards my goals ... I'm a bit late writing this post, but here's my update:
Week 1 (Sep. 3 - Sep. 9)
1) C25K: No sessions completed
2) Nutrition studies: Haven't started yet
3) Core work: From Sunday I started doing a core workout in the mornings. I've managed to do it each morning since. I do 500 reps of different exercises (e.g. 100 crunches, 60 second plank pose, 30 push-ups - broken into groups of ten - and so forth). The routine varies each day. I plan on doing this 5 times a week.
4) Balance: From Sunday I started doing 15 minutes of yoga first thing in the morning. It feels really good to start the day with some deep breathing and good stretches
5) Gleason's boxing: I completed Week 1, Day 1
Week 1 Challenge - Do something that makes you feel fabulous.
Well, I already wrote about it in my first Get Fit, Feel Epic post -- D and I have really started to invest some time and money into getting healthy. I'm really happy we've taken this step.
So not a whole lot done in week 1, but we're already 2 days into week 2 and I've made progress in some more areas, so hopefully my week 2 update will be better (and on time).
The Week 2 Challenge is to find a way to display our goals so that we stay focused. This is perfect for me as I really need to be more focused and organized with me time -- there's so much going on. I want to do it all, and I know I can, but I need to get organized and be reasonable with my time.
I'm a bit behind with commenting on blogs -- I'll get to them soon!
Will end on a silly/amusing anecdote - was heading out this morning and as I picked up my Everlast boxing bag I noticed that it went perfectly with my outfit for work. Had to snap a shot :)
Fingers crossed for a good night's sleep!!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Moving Along
Last night I took a swig of NyQuill before going to bed. To be honest, it wasn't really for my cough. I was just desperate for some decent sleep. I know this could be a slippery slope I'm headed down, but for now, I'm just pleased I got a solid 3 hours, plus another 1 1/2 tossing and turning a bit. I was wide awake half an hour before my alarm, tried to relax, but only managed to stay in bed for another 15 minutes before getting out of bed.
The early start to my day (4:15 a.m.) meant that I had plenty of time to do my yoga and abs workout this morning. The yoga feels so good. Just taking a few minutes for some deep breathing helps relax me. Of course a lot of that relaxation is out the window as I'm trembling doing the plank pose or stiff during push-ups, but I'm hoping for improvement and balance over time.
I met my class today - 32 students (all female) cramped into a classroom that really should only have 22 students ... I feel bad for them. It must be so uncomfortable, but we'll have to make the best of it. Easy stuff for the first day ... I finished early enough to head straight to the gym for Body Balance class.
I love Body Balance. I haven't been to a class in months, and I was definitely feeling stiff ... but all that stretching was much needed. I'm hoping that going to the class at least twice a week will release some of the stiffness/soreness from CrossFit as well as help me gain flexibility and balance to help me with CrossFit (and other exercises). It was a great hour.
I thought about doing C25K after the class, but with CrossFit in the evening ... I thought I'd be pushing it. Hopefully I'll manage a session tomorrow.
I only stayed for the strength & conditioning portion of CrossFit today coz' I had to go pick D up from work. I asked the coach to text me the WOD so that I can complete it on my own either tonight or tomorrow.
For our warm-up we jumped rope and I got quite a few double-unders. I have yet to get any consecutively, but I'm pleased each time I do one.
Strength training today was 5x5:
Cleans - I only managed to get up to 35 kg. (I have a LOT of difficulty with these; I just can't seem to get the shoulder shrug right)
Front squats - I went up to 55 kg though it wasn't my max
Sumo deadlifts (my first time doing these) - I ended at 60 kg without any problems.
So that's it for today. I didn't get in all the exercise that I wanted but at least I managed quite a bit.
The early start to my day (4:15 a.m.) meant that I had plenty of time to do my yoga and abs workout this morning. The yoga feels so good. Just taking a few minutes for some deep breathing helps relax me. Of course a lot of that relaxation is out the window as I'm trembling doing the plank pose or stiff during push-ups, but I'm hoping for improvement and balance over time.
I met my class today - 32 students (all female) cramped into a classroom that really should only have 22 students ... I feel bad for them. It must be so uncomfortable, but we'll have to make the best of it. Easy stuff for the first day ... I finished early enough to head straight to the gym for Body Balance class.
I love Body Balance. I haven't been to a class in months, and I was definitely feeling stiff ... but all that stretching was much needed. I'm hoping that going to the class at least twice a week will release some of the stiffness/soreness from CrossFit as well as help me gain flexibility and balance to help me with CrossFit (and other exercises). It was a great hour.
I thought about doing C25K after the class, but with CrossFit in the evening ... I thought I'd be pushing it. Hopefully I'll manage a session tomorrow.
I only stayed for the strength & conditioning portion of CrossFit today coz' I had to go pick D up from work. I asked the coach to text me the WOD so that I can complete it on my own either tonight or tomorrow.
For our warm-up we jumped rope and I got quite a few double-unders. I have yet to get any consecutively, but I'm pleased each time I do one.
Strength training today was 5x5:
Cleans - I only managed to get up to 35 kg. (I have a LOT of difficulty with these; I just can't seem to get the shoulder shrug right)
Front squats - I went up to 55 kg though it wasn't my max
Sumo deadlifts (my first time doing these) - I ended at 60 kg without any problems.
So that's it for today. I didn't get in all the exercise that I wanted but at least I managed quite a bit.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Mishaps are Routine
I think one of the only ways I made it through the past nine months is by finally accepting the fact that no matter how well thought out or planned my routine is, some sort of disruption will happen.
Before, I used to want to control my day so rigorously that I would have major anxiety attacks or get incredibly frustrated, irritated, and angry that things weren't going my way. That feeling of no control was terrible. However, I found myself in that situation often. It's during those times that I found my fitness and nutrition took a back seat.
As I went through my final year of my PhD, I realized that I had to give up that control. Just because I made my PhD a priority didn't mean that I was giving up or ignoring my fitness and nutrition goals. They could go hand in hand - my routine may not go exactly as planned, but there were still ways that I could get around it.
I think that was one of the biggest breakthroughs I had in terms of working taking care of my health as part of my lifestyle and not just something that happened 'when the time was right.'
There was never a perfect time. Errands always had to get done; the house always needed to be take care of; friends and family always need to be given some time ... that's life. In the middle of it all, there's the constant care that needs to be taken towards my health.
Indeed it is constant. I believe I make better choices now, but they do not come naturally (yet). I have to pay attention to what I eat, and I know that just watching my food alone won't work for me - I have to exercise if I want to see a difference.
Since the beginning of this month I've been trying to come up with a schedule that will reasonably accommodate all the things that I want/have to do. This past week was a bit of a trial run - getting timings right, figuring out more efficient ways of doing things, trying not to procrastinate so much ... There's still a lot of tweaking to do, but there's no more time to try - I've got to get on with it.
I started my new morning routine today.
I slept a bit better last night but still not nearly enough. I was up before my alarm went off at 4:30.
I weighed in the same as last week (frustrating!), but my body fat percentage was already down 1% from last Saturday. While I'm definitely happy with that, I really need to work on seeing both numbers go down. I don't want to stay at the same weight even if my body fat % is going down and muscle mass going up. I have to make some big changes to lose this extra weight!
The main change that I'm implementing in my morning routine is doing 20 minutes of yoga followed a core workout. It felt amazing to do yoga after such a long time. The ab routine was tough, but it just reminded me of how much more practice I need to do in order to build strength.
Mishaps of the day:
- D's car is in the garage so I had to take him to work and pick him up
- We had some new furniture delivered today which involved me moving out our old furniture, disconnecting all our media stuff, waiting for the delivery people, and then reorganizing everything ... it took 3 hours. I was exhausted. By the time I got everything in the house done it was time for me to get D from work ...
I was hoping to have made it to the gym but it didn't happen. That's just the way things go but I gotta make the best of each situation -- mishaps are definitely part of my routine.
Before, I used to want to control my day so rigorously that I would have major anxiety attacks or get incredibly frustrated, irritated, and angry that things weren't going my way. That feeling of no control was terrible. However, I found myself in that situation often. It's during those times that I found my fitness and nutrition took a back seat.
As I went through my final year of my PhD, I realized that I had to give up that control. Just because I made my PhD a priority didn't mean that I was giving up or ignoring my fitness and nutrition goals. They could go hand in hand - my routine may not go exactly as planned, but there were still ways that I could get around it.
I think that was one of the biggest breakthroughs I had in terms of working taking care of my health as part of my lifestyle and not just something that happened 'when the time was right.'
There was never a perfect time. Errands always had to get done; the house always needed to be take care of; friends and family always need to be given some time ... that's life. In the middle of it all, there's the constant care that needs to be taken towards my health.
Indeed it is constant. I believe I make better choices now, but they do not come naturally (yet). I have to pay attention to what I eat, and I know that just watching my food alone won't work for me - I have to exercise if I want to see a difference.
Since the beginning of this month I've been trying to come up with a schedule that will reasonably accommodate all the things that I want/have to do. This past week was a bit of a trial run - getting timings right, figuring out more efficient ways of doing things, trying not to procrastinate so much ... There's still a lot of tweaking to do, but there's no more time to try - I've got to get on with it.
I started my new morning routine today.
I slept a bit better last night but still not nearly enough. I was up before my alarm went off at 4:30.
I weighed in the same as last week (frustrating!), but my body fat percentage was already down 1% from last Saturday. While I'm definitely happy with that, I really need to work on seeing both numbers go down. I don't want to stay at the same weight even if my body fat % is going down and muscle mass going up. I have to make some big changes to lose this extra weight!
The main change that I'm implementing in my morning routine is doing 20 minutes of yoga followed a core workout. It felt amazing to do yoga after such a long time. The ab routine was tough, but it just reminded me of how much more practice I need to do in order to build strength.
Mishaps of the day:
- D's car is in the garage so I had to take him to work and pick him up
- We had some new furniture delivered today which involved me moving out our old furniture, disconnecting all our media stuff, waiting for the delivery people, and then reorganizing everything ... it took 3 hours. I was exhausted. By the time I got everything in the house done it was time for me to get D from work ...
I was hoping to have made it to the gym but it didn't happen. That's just the way things go but I gotta make the best of each situation -- mishaps are definitely part of my routine.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Much Rest Needed
In addition to the 4 points mentioned by Ryan about improving performance, I'd like to add a 5th:
5. Get a good night's sleep!
I would have thought that after yesterday's very successful CrossFit session I would have slept like a log -- but I barely clocked in 2.5 hours. It was horrible. I just could not get to sleep. I was tired, had no worries, had just had a good day ... why couldn't I sleep. Screw you insomnia!
I was busy doing errands etc. for most of the day but did try to take a nap in the afternoon - I think I dozed for 20 minutes ... definitely not the type of sleep I wanted before going to CrossFit, but oh well. You gotta make do.
I could definitely feel the impact of the lack of sleep on my workouts. We worked on overhead squats - I only managed to get up to 35 kg. I am pretty sure I could have gone up to 40, but my mind wasn't in it and my shoulders were so achy. We also did the split jerks. I got up to 40 kg - tried 45, but failed. Again, I was just fatigued.
Our WOD completely drained me.
4 rounds, 1 min each
- thrusters
- burpees
- pull ups (just did the best I could)
- box jumps
- tire flips (love those!!)
I was totally knackered. I think I could have fallen asleep whenever I hit the floor doing those burpees.
Oh well. I'm just hoping for a good night's sleep tonight before the start of a very long week.
5. Get a good night's sleep!
I would have thought that after yesterday's very successful CrossFit session I would have slept like a log -- but I barely clocked in 2.5 hours. It was horrible. I just could not get to sleep. I was tired, had no worries, had just had a good day ... why couldn't I sleep. Screw you insomnia!
I was busy doing errands etc. for most of the day but did try to take a nap in the afternoon - I think I dozed for 20 minutes ... definitely not the type of sleep I wanted before going to CrossFit, but oh well. You gotta make do.
I could definitely feel the impact of the lack of sleep on my workouts. We worked on overhead squats - I only managed to get up to 35 kg. I am pretty sure I could have gone up to 40, but my mind wasn't in it and my shoulders were so achy. We also did the split jerks. I got up to 40 kg - tried 45, but failed. Again, I was just fatigued.
Our WOD completely drained me.
4 rounds, 1 min each
- thrusters
- burpees
- pull ups (just did the best I could)
- box jumps
- tire flips (love those!!)
I was totally knackered. I think I could have fallen asleep whenever I hit the floor doing those burpees.
Oh well. I'm just hoping for a good night's sleep tonight before the start of a very long week.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Feeling the Power
To say that I'm on a high is an understatement -- I'll get right to it.
I hit two personal records today:
I am SO happy and proud. I can't explain the exhilaration ... all I know is I want more.
I left our CrossFit session today with a new sense of determination.
All of the advice I got yesterday about pull-ups (so valuable by the way - thanks Ryan and Marion for your tips) has been on my mind all day today -- The bottom line is, if you want it, you gotta work for it ... and boy do I want it.
I still have to improve in every area. It feels overwhelming, but sitting here and only focusing on the difficulties will not make it any easier. It's a challenge and bit by bit it'll get better. I just have to remind myself that each action will have a consequence. It's up to me whether that consequence will be positive or negative.
The better you eat, the easier it'll be to exercise.
The more you exercise, the stronger you'll get.
With each achievement the desire to improve will intensify -- so I know that I want to eat even better so that the exercise can get easier and I can increase my strength.
Tonight was the first night I came home and thought - I'd so much rather do a pull-up than have a piece of chocolate. {I never thought I'd say that!}
I hope this determination lasts. Conceptually it all sounds good, but practice takes more time and effort -- still, it's in my hands ... plus I have an amazing CrossFit team inspiring me and cheering me on! {You guys are awesome CrossFit Q8!}
I hit two personal records today:
80 kg (176 lb) for my squats
and
120 kg (264 lb) for my deadlifts
Deadlift - 120 kg (September 7, 2012)
I am SO happy and proud. I can't explain the exhilaration ... all I know is I want more.
I left our CrossFit session today with a new sense of determination.
All of the advice I got yesterday about pull-ups (so valuable by the way - thanks Ryan and Marion for your tips) has been on my mind all day today -- The bottom line is, if you want it, you gotta work for it ... and boy do I want it.
I still have to improve in every area. It feels overwhelming, but sitting here and only focusing on the difficulties will not make it any easier. It's a challenge and bit by bit it'll get better. I just have to remind myself that each action will have a consequence. It's up to me whether that consequence will be positive or negative.
The better you eat, the easier it'll be to exercise.
The more you exercise, the stronger you'll get.
With each achievement the desire to improve will intensify -- so I know that I want to eat even better so that the exercise can get easier and I can increase my strength.
Tonight was the first night I came home and thought - I'd so much rather do a pull-up than have a piece of chocolate. {I never thought I'd say that!}
I hope this determination lasts. Conceptually it all sounds good, but practice takes more time and effort -- still, it's in my hands ... plus I have an amazing CrossFit team inspiring me and cheering me on! {You guys are awesome CrossFit Q8!}
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Not Just Practice
I recently commented on Ryan's blog about still struggling to do one chin-up. I think the obvious answer that most people would give is - just keep practicing.
His response reminded me that it's actually about so much more than just practice. This was his reply:
2. Be seriously committed
3. Eat very well
4. Exercise hard
I wish that just one component was the key to success, but that's not reality.
I know I workout hard. I'm definitely committed to that though I think I need to take it up a notch (i.e. complete all my scheduled workouts each week) to display serious commitment. I've been faltering a bit - partly coz' of travel, partly coz' of illness, and partly coz' things have just happened (excuses). I want to focus on minimizing/eliminating that faltering. The plan has been set, now I just need to follow through.
I'm not too worried about the exercise; my biggest worry is FOOD.
I'm just still struggling with the eating part. I've really cleaned up my eating over the past 2 years. I'm not doing horribly, as I've steadily been dropping tiny fractions of weight each day ... but I know I could be doing better. I know I could be eating cleaner. I should be eating cleaner.
Ryan's comment just reinforced what I already knew but needed to hear again -- all these components work together. My workouts won't improve unless I eat better, and I do want them to improve. Having a fitness goal has actually been great motivation to be more vigilant about what I'm eating. I have to think - If I eat that, will in make doing a pull up easier or harder?
Asking that type of question helps, but I'll be honest, it's doesn't always guarantee the right decision. An extra tablespoon of cottage cheese, another handful of almonds, a second or third square of chocolate ... they creep in. As one off incidents, they're not disastrous ... but they add up. Anyway. In preparation of the Whole Life Challenge I've been a lot more careful. I haven't made all the changes yet, but I'm gearing up for it - slowly cutting out or at the very least minimizing my sugar, dairy, and wheat/starch intake. The whole premise of this challenge is vigilance, and it's coming at the perfect time for me (but more on that in another post).
While things are starting to fall into place, it's still not anywhere near second nature yet. I'm constantly evaluating, reassessing, and planning. Now I've got to focus on implementing!
- Today's exercise:
Today my goal was to get ease back into cardio. I wanted to finish 5km within 50 minutes and not stop because of my bronchitis. I'd throw in a jog or two if I felt up to it.
Result: 5 km in 47 min - it included a few 1-minute jogs, 1 3-min jog, and 1 4-min jog. Plus, no coughing fit or breathing difficulty! Yay! I'm relieved because next week I'll be continuing the C25K program and I did not want to redo any of the previous sessions. I'll definitely pick up from Week 4. A few more cardio sessions to warm-up and I should be good to go!
- Today's dinner:
Poached plaice (my first time poaching fish) with a side of a vegetable stew (made with sweet potato, tomato, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and chick peas + a few raisins). Will post the recipe later.
His response reminded me that it's actually about so much more than just practice. This was his reply:
Keep working at those chin ups and they will happen!1. Keep practicingIt took me more than 3 months of serious commitment, eating very well, exercising hard, just to be able to do 1… After you get that first one, they start to come a lot faster!
2. Be seriously committed
3. Eat very well
4. Exercise hard
I wish that just one component was the key to success, but that's not reality.
I know I workout hard. I'm definitely committed to that though I think I need to take it up a notch (i.e. complete all my scheduled workouts each week) to display serious commitment. I've been faltering a bit - partly coz' of travel, partly coz' of illness, and partly coz' things have just happened (excuses). I want to focus on minimizing/eliminating that faltering. The plan has been set, now I just need to follow through.
I'm not too worried about the exercise; my biggest worry is FOOD.
I'm just still struggling with the eating part. I've really cleaned up my eating over the past 2 years. I'm not doing horribly, as I've steadily been dropping tiny fractions of weight each day ... but I know I could be doing better. I know I could be eating cleaner. I should be eating cleaner.
Ryan's comment just reinforced what I already knew but needed to hear again -- all these components work together. My workouts won't improve unless I eat better, and I do want them to improve. Having a fitness goal has actually been great motivation to be more vigilant about what I'm eating. I have to think - If I eat that, will in make doing a pull up easier or harder?
Asking that type of question helps, but I'll be honest, it's doesn't always guarantee the right decision. An extra tablespoon of cottage cheese, another handful of almonds, a second or third square of chocolate ... they creep in. As one off incidents, they're not disastrous ... but they add up. Anyway. In preparation of the Whole Life Challenge I've been a lot more careful. I haven't made all the changes yet, but I'm gearing up for it - slowly cutting out or at the very least minimizing my sugar, dairy, and wheat/starch intake. The whole premise of this challenge is vigilance, and it's coming at the perfect time for me (but more on that in another post).
While things are starting to fall into place, it's still not anywhere near second nature yet. I'm constantly evaluating, reassessing, and planning. Now I've got to focus on implementing!
- Today's exercise:
Today my goal was to get ease back into cardio. I wanted to finish 5km within 50 minutes and not stop because of my bronchitis. I'd throw in a jog or two if I felt up to it.
Result: 5 km in 47 min - it included a few 1-minute jogs, 1 3-min jog, and 1 4-min jog. Plus, no coughing fit or breathing difficulty! Yay! I'm relieved because next week I'll be continuing the C25K program and I did not want to redo any of the previous sessions. I'll definitely pick up from Week 4. A few more cardio sessions to warm-up and I should be good to go!
- Today's dinner:
Poached plaice (my first time poaching fish) with a side of a vegetable stew (made with sweet potato, tomato, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and chick peas + a few raisins). Will post the recipe later.
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