2015 Exercise Log/Challenge

[Catrin]

Hit the gym after church today for some "active" cardio recovery. New treadmills with really steep inclines (though I don't do that), but they ALSO have maps and videos from different parts of the world. So I "pretended" that I was on a trail in Hawaii that ran along the coast for 25 minutes - varied the incline but kept my pace the same (fast walking - running isn't an option). Then I hit the ArcTrainer for 15 minutes in the cardio "wave" program - it is like hill intervals but the inclines aren't as steep - my legs were still a little fatigued so didn't want to push it TOO hard. Now I need to avoid entering my kettlebell herd's den - I can hear them back there. They want to "play"

[Crankin]

Sounds like some fancy machines there!
Boot camp this morning. There was a sub, someone who also teaches spin. Her class is nothing like Krysta's, but I am going to be sore. Hopefully, this will reverse the upward trend of my weight. I know only cycling will take care of this. First group ride will be Wednesday. Weather looks good.

[Catrin]

Sounds like some fancy machines there!
Boot camp this morning. There was a sub, someone who also teaches spin. Her class is nothing like Krysta's, but I am going to be sore. Hopefully, this will reverse the upward trend of my weight. I know only cycling will take care of this. First group ride will be Wednesday. Weather looks good.

Mixing up different instructors is good for the body I think.

My gym is unique, probably in the country, or so I've been told by fitness professionals. My knee is SO sensitive that I can't use most cardio machines. Thankfully we have 2 I can use without worrying, and a third that I can use if I stick to less than 10 minutes. I make myself switch machines every 15-20 in order to prevent my turning it into a race, my coach came up with that approach to prevent over use injuries. Soon I will be able to take it outside though :-)

[Crankin]

I rested yesterday and today I went for my first outdoor ride of the season. With the weather looking good, I will get close to my goal, but I am not sure I will be doing 3 hour rides during the weekend!

[Catrin]

Resting continues, I must be feeling better because I went and looked at my kettlebell herd....and walked out again. Being good now = being able to train next week. Or so I hope!

[Crankin]

My back and groin are not doing well... it started after I went skiing last Saturday. I know what I did, but I keep hoping all of my correctives will work. Cycling did not make it worse, thankfully.
Today I got home from the high school a bit later than usual, quickly ate my lunch and then ran off to meet a friend for coffee. When I got back at 3:30, DH was home, not a motivator for me to go upstairs and work out. Got myself up to the torture room (to use Helene's words) and did about 15 minutes of my correctives and then one of my yoga for road cyclists programs. I haven't used this in a long time; it moves more slowly than I like, but the poses are good. So, I got in just under an hour.
Looks like Saturday is out for riding, but I may be able to get in a long walk.

[Crankin]

OK, I did not get to boot camp yesterday... sigh.
It seems I had one of my weird reactions to riding, sort of like when I was having all of this stuff 7-8 years ago. The pain in my groin/hip morphed into almost stomach-like issues, I felt a little dizzy in the AM, and I kind of had a very high level of anxiety. I've had all of this stuff before, but if I didn't know any better, I'd think I was dying, but I am not! Sometimes this happens after I've been sick, and it's only been a week since I finished my antibiotics. I just laid low, went to work, had my hair cut, and relaxed last night. I am much better today, which is good, as definitely going to ride tomorrow. Yesterday, I did do 15 minutes of my PT correctives, which I gave myself credit for. Today, I did a 20 minute hill interval walk on the treadmill, followed by a 15 minute core DVD, and a 15 minute stretch DVD. I didn't want to do too much.
All this stuff is what all of my doctors decided was Fibromyalgia, but I clearly do not have any of the cognitive or exhaustion features. But, whatever it is, I deal with it.

[Catrin]

Hoping tomorrow is a better day!

I did go to my KB training class today, thankfully my dr said I could do upper-body work for now. I would be climbing the walls if I couldn't do SOMETHING. So I can do whatever doesn't make my knee hurt - which is pretty much limited to strict overhead presses (no push presses or competition lifts), single arm swings, single arm cleans, and TRX rows. Gotta avoid knee flexion. Pretty sure that I could to a snatch or half-snatch without pain but am waiting to try that for a few more days. My coach is keeping his eagle eye on me, and I am SO glad to be able to do something that I am not even tempted to do other things. Of course this means that I can't do anything cardio related - and while I COULD do that with kettlebells I am not about to try it until we know what is going on.

So the workout is at a much lower intensity than I am accustomed to, but I will take it. Hopefully I will be able to get back after it soon...but am paying close attention to my body. Perhaps I have finally learned...

[Crankin]

Had a short, 16.5 mile, but good ride this afternoon. Bright sun, 40 degrees, not wet on the roads. First ride this season on my Silque. It still feels like a dream. For some reason my left hand was hurting and I can't figure out why, as I have the same bars I've had for years. I also got to try out the heated gloves we bought on sale at the end of winter. Not bulky, so now I am satisfied with all of my winter riding gear.
I am going to miss my goal by about 2 hours... if I could stay home and exercise tomorrow I'd make it!

[Catrin]

Sorry to read about your hand hurting, glad you enjoyed your ride on the Silque

As for me, no cardio right now, so I played (gently) with my kettlebell herd at home. Since I can't go after it with my usual level of intensity, I decided a short workout after my usual mobility work would be safe. I chose my exercises and weights carefully, things that would raise my heart rate but not put undue pressure or force on/through my knee, and also doesn't require knee flexion. There are a couple of things that meet those restrictions. At least I got to move for about 45 minutes, and I will take it, all things considered.

[Crankin]

That sounds like a good compromise, Catrin. I know how I would feel if I was in your healing situation.
My body feels incredibly good this morning, after riding yesterday and boot camp this morning. Boot camp was mostly cardio, with some good strength stuff in between. My back is the best it has felt in a couple of weeks. Off to do my PT correctives and unfortunately, to go to work and sit on my azz all day. I do get up in between clients, stand while I write my notes, walk around, and even close my door and do up dogs! Going to commute tomorrow and Wednesday do a group ride. I am being good and not attempring the longer length one, 37 miles. I will do the 26 mile ride, which includes a stop at the Butterfly Place museum. This is a very hilly ride, which goes by the first house I lived in when we moved back here. It is not an area I ride in very often. Of course, as now, the house was at the top of a hill.

[Catrin]

Sounds like fun plans tomorrow!
My knee is more cranky today so I obviously overdid things yesterday. Going to draw back to only mobility work, strict presses and TRX exercises that involve NO knee flexion at all. Just light work for movements sake...at least until after the MRI when we will know what is, or isn't, wrong with the knee.

[Crankin]

OK, I made 120.3 hours... not 125. I am happy. Hey, my commute was slow, so I actually got more than I thought.
120 hours in 4 months is a lot. No wonder I am bored when I am not exercising.

[Catrin]

I made almost 99 hours in, less than 2 hours before my goal. My original goal was 125 hours but I dropped it down to 100. In previous years my average workout was several hours long, but I don't do that much any more except when I go hiking. Believe me, you don't NEED to go that long with an intense kettlebell workout :-) I am not unhappy with how things went, though sadly my weight is the same as when I started. Perhaps that isn't a bad thing, to have maintained the same weight over the winter. The only reason it sounds like I am grumbling is that I gained 3 pounds right before this started. Then I have to laugh at myself that I am quibbling over an entire THREE pounds.

Really hoping that I get cleared after we see the results of today's MRI, I don't want to get de-conditioned.

[Crankin]

I hope you get cleared, too. Yes, my winter workouts are not as long as endless hours of cycling. Sadly, my weight seems to have shot up at the end of this challenge. However, this is my pattern in past years. It takes until June for it to be where I want. However, this year, I see changes in my body that I am not quite happy with. I can't be any more disciplined than I am! Maybe eat smaller portions, but since I am hungry most of the time already, not sure how that would work.
Of course, as I sit here, I have already bagged the group ride, again. I still will ride, but when it gets warmer, this afternoon. I have a lot of preparing to do for Passover, and I don't like feeling stressed that I "have" to ride at a certain time. I am still in my ramp up phase, which is always painful and takes about 3-4 weeks. I felt like every little rise is hurting. I'll get over it, usually by a long ride where the suffering is prime and then the next ride it's all fine.