2015 Exercise Log/Challenge

[Crankin]

Good spin class this morning. There were only 3 of us, but, still fun. At first, I thought there might be no class because of the holiday weekend, but nothing had been posted, and the instructor just got there a little later than she usually does.
It's going to be warmer out today, but rainy. I do have tomorrow off, am planning to get up early and do my boot camp, but, I won't beat myself up if I don't, as I can go later. DH is going to be staying in the city all week, for his company's annual meeting, so I will have plenty of time to exercise and probably (hopefully) eat a bit less. We are going up to Franconia, NH for nordic skiing next weekend. Very excited.

[Catrin]

I am going to ask a silly question here Cranking - what is Nordic skiing? I looked it up and the definition I found seemed to include every possible type of skiing that I could think of - competition/downhill/cross-country. Regardless, it sounds like fun!

Planning on a home-based KB workout this afternoon - since I will be at the gym tomorrow, today I will have an easier 300 swing/clean workout rather than my usual Sunday 500 swing workout. I worked it out with my coach yesterday so I don't do something stupid and re-injure before my competition. Tomorrow planning on becoming a hamster on some machines at my gym.

[Crankin]

Just another term for x country skiing. Generally any kind of "free heel" skiing. I think it just takes less time to type Nordic, so I use it.
Got our reservation made at the B and B we usually stay at. We have to leave a bit later than our friends, as DH has to get out of the city and home, pack, and I am working a bit later than usual this Friday. We are targeting to leave at 4, and hope we don't hit all of the ski traffic going up north for downhill. We will be skiing at Bretton Woods, most likely, at the Mt. Washington Resort. They have excellent grooming, wide trails, and a variety of terrain. However, one of the restaurants at the hotel has the best onion rings I've ever had... let's just say that you could not continue skiing after eating these onion rings! I haven't had them in 2 years, but we shall see if we can resist.

[Catrin]

Sounds like fun Crankin - and I had wondered that. Part of me would love to learn x-country skiing, but not with my ankle. Have fun...and have the onion rings after your skiing session one of the days you are there

As for me, I just spent a bit over an hour on my back room with my implements of tortu...errrrrr... kettlebells and other toys. Spent longer on mobility work than usual, and tossed in some extra foam rolling plus t-spine and scapula work. Then I did a 300 swing clean (rather than my usual 500) workout. After each round I do a few reps of a selected exercise, then rest 2 minutes between each set of 100. Trying to back off a bit yet still get some good work in for technique. It all felt good! Planning to watch the Colts beat the Patriots - and for once I don't have to worry about my bed-time as tomorrow is a holiday for us. The truth is more likely that I will be reading while the game is on and watch it when it gets my attention. I've never been a football fan at all, it's only been the last couple of years that I've paid it any attention. I do know enough about the rules to recognize what is going on and when my team is winning (or not).

[Crankin]

Meh, I am the only one in New England who is not watching the game. I hate football. If DH was not away, we'd be out at a nice restaurant, that would be dead tonight! Even my son, who is the least football type person around, is going to a party with his wife. I am quite sure, I am going to end up being one of those stereotypical New England ladies who hangs out at the natural foods store in west Concord, reading a book, if DH dies before me! Seriously, I sometimes worry about finding someone who would be as active as I am, at an advanced age... I'm not obsessed with this, but when I look around, I don't feel positive. Yes, I see a lot of older guys in my bike group, but, despite their riding, they don't look particularly fit!
Relax on your day off, Catrin. I am not going to worry if I don't get up for 5:30 AM...

[Crankin]

I went to a later class, which was more weights and core, but had quite a good warm up. I also warmed up and stretched at home for 7 minutes and then for another 15 minutes at the gym, on the treadmill. Thought about going for a little hike on my local trail when I got home, but the sunny, 40 degrees turned into cloudy and very windy while I was at the gym, and it feels freezing out.
Going to meet Hirakukibou for coffee in a bit. We haven't met up in months.

[Catrin]

I hope you enjoyed your coffee with Hirakukibou!

I was good today, I DID got to the gym but limited myself to cardio as I had planned. In order to keep me from turning it into a competition with myself and over-doing things, I won't spend more than 15 minutes on any machine. After my usual stretching and mobility work I did about 40 minutes between the ArcTrainer, Precor AMT, rower and treadmill hill workout (fast walk at a lower incline, I can't run). Tomorrow night is my usual KB training session. 2.5 weeks before our competition!

[Crankin]

I do hill walking intervals on the treadmill, also. I really can't run, either, even though I want to.
Went to spin this morning, even though it's a rest day, usually. I didn't get up early yesterday, so it made it easier to get up today! The class was OK, I just look at the instructor in amazement when she is pedaling with a super high cadence (at least 110+) and telling us to increase the resistance. I just can't believe her resistnce is up that high... but, at least there's one other person in the morning who comes in bike clothes . The rest are tri-athletes, or just the same people who do boot camp on the other days. I do notice a lot about group behavior, patterns with these classes. The group of tri people tend to follow some of the instructors like groupies and tend to take tons of classes, do training at several different gyms. They usually are runners first, some swimmers first, but never cyclists. They are definitely faster riders than me (they once asked me to come on a ride and when she told me the average, I laughed and declined), but seem to think the cycling I do is "amazing." Not really. Some of them remind me of the people in the Athleta catalog!

[Helene2013]

Wow! You gals are way more into training then me, at least lately. hihi

I've just started back last Saturday (got the ok to start slowly after the baker's cyst rupture). So I only did an hour of bike/treadmill on Saturday, muscle strengthening on Sunday and my bike trainer again yesterday. I won't be training 6 days a week like last winter/spring as it was to get ready for a 135km bike ride last June. I have a goal of 110km for this June but my "condition" is better and knowing what to expect, we'll work out differently. So 3 training per week on a planned program and the other nights or weekends I am free to do what I want as far as gym is concerned.

I'm not allowed to run (probably never) for now but I will be able to do hill on treadmill. Better than nothing. For now, treadmill is only 15 minutes, on flat, walking. It will increase in intensity but now for now. I follow my PT/Kine advice as I don't want to go back to square 1. Nah.

[Catrin]

Helene, it sounds like you are on the right track - yayyyyy! It is about doing what our bodies are ready for, it sounds like you've some good advice.

Last night I hit my usual KB training group. He kicked our butts with a non-competition based conditioning workout that featured KB deadlifts/swings/snatch/pushups/rows. A 25 minute long competition Long Cycle would have been easier, but it was a great workout. He is pulling us back a bit so we don't over-do things before our competition in 2 weeks.

[Crankin]

You must be getting excited, Catrin.
So, I went to an AMC bike committee meeting last night and then stayed up way too late reading. No way I am getting to step class, which starts in 45 minutes. There is also a local bike ride this morning, and one of my older guy riding friends was encouraging me to come (he does a lot of volunteer work for both clubs), but I just cannot ride when it's 19 out now, and the ride starts in an hour. I think I am going to go do a hike, maybe just in my neighborhood, because I will get in a steep climb that gets the HR up. I feel disconnected from the outdoors, I've been at the gym so much. Think I will give myself a bit of a spa day today, go get a cheap manicure after the hike, to force myself to do all of the paperwork I have!!!

[Crankin]

I ended up hiking, it was nice out by the time I got out there. My friend, Jack, chided me for not riding. I guess I am just not tough enough like those grizzly New Englanders. Got the manicure, avoided my paperwork, and made a nice lentil stew for dinner.
It's exam week at the school I usually go to on Thursday, so I only am going to the office for one client later. Guess I'd better do that work now. Rest day.

[Catrin]

I am getting excited Crankin - as long as I can prevent from doing something and reinjuiring my bicep in the next two weeks

I am headed out of town for a funeral. I did a KB workout at home this morning, and I am taking one with me though I don't know if I will have a chance to use it. At worst I will be taking a few days off until my return - and I hate to do that this close to the competition. I KNOW I can do it however, and the break might do my body some good.

[Crankin]

It always works out... when I went out to CA to see my dad last June, my hip and back felt the best that it had in years. Five days of no exercise except a couple of walks after dinner with my brother. Eating good food and no snacks. And, my weight actually went down.

[Crankin]

Went to boot camp this morning and it was really hard for me to get up out of bed. My alarm woke me up, which never happens. Whenever DH goes away, I always seem to fall asleep with the TV on, or watching the news, and then when I actually shut out the light, I can't sleep. I am exhausted, my hip hurts, and I have to sit in the car for 3 hours this afternoon, to get up to Franconia. Hopefully, I'll sleep well tonight. Here's to good x country skiing!