Well, it has been awhile since I wrote in my blog, but everything has been great. I'm currently where I left off last week at mile 16 on my trek to better health and eventually a marathon run, but I feel great. I decided to take a week off before school starts to recharge my batteries and try to see how much weight loss I could get in a week just by watching what I eat.
The results were very similar to the type of weight loss I have been seeing since I re-dedicated myself to getting in shape. However, today I weighed myself in at 207.8! That is the lowest I have been in probably four years! I feel great and I'm excited to keep this up by hitting the pavement, weights, books and work hard starting Monday. At my current rate of weight loss, I will reach my "Stage 1" goal of 195 by October 21st—well ahead of my personal December 30th (my birthday) goal date. That would be awesome. Who knows, if I kick it up a notch maybe I could break 185 before my birthday!
In general I am feeling so much stronger and better about myself. I can do pull-ups (well, one at a time) again which has been years for me, and my girlfriend constantly tells me how proud she is of the work I'm doing. My allergies haven't been the best over the past few days, but I'm trying to clear them up so the won't hinder my run for an actual 10 mile week next week.
That's all for now though! Hope you all are doing as well as I am!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Mile 11 — No One Can Take This From Me
Had a great jog today for my first attempt at three miles. Walked more than I wanted to, but I came in just over my time budget so it worked out alright. I'll push harder next time I do a three-miler and see if I can beat my 35 minute target.
In the last half of the first mile though I had another "runner's high epiphany." I found new motivation for my running, and in general for my self improvement. What I gain from doing these things—knowledge from pushing myself to learn, loss of weight, gaining strength in my muscles, gaining confidence in myself—no one can take those things away from me.
I constantly lose motivation for things in life because it seems like—to the people who matter—the efforts I make are never good enough. They are always a "good start" but never quite "there yet." Those kinds of comments take away any motivation to try harder. Why bother if they are just going to keep telling me it isn't enough?
However, they can't take away the feelings of pride I have when I run another mile. They can't take away the drive I feel to "just keep pushing harder around the next bend...and the next one...and the next one." This time I feel that drive from my heart, from inside. I'm doing this for me, not them, and no matter how hard they try, they can't take that from me.
In the last half of the first mile though I had another "runner's high epiphany." I found new motivation for my running, and in general for my self improvement. What I gain from doing these things—knowledge from pushing myself to learn, loss of weight, gaining strength in my muscles, gaining confidence in myself—no one can take those things away from me.
I constantly lose motivation for things in life because it seems like—to the people who matter—the efforts I make are never good enough. They are always a "good start" but never quite "there yet." Those kinds of comments take away any motivation to try harder. Why bother if they are just going to keep telling me it isn't enough?
However, they can't take away the feelings of pride I have when I run another mile. They can't take away the drive I feel to "just keep pushing harder around the next bend...and the next one...and the next one." This time I feel that drive from my heart, from inside. I'm doing this for me, not them, and no matter how hard they try, they can't take that from me.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Mile 3 — Yoga is NoGo
Well, I tried yoga for the first time with mixed results. I only got a few poses in (I downloaded a pretty decent app on my phone) before I realized that it isn't for me—yet. I like the idea and I think it would be great for me because I have back pain—along with just about every muscle in my body being constantly stiff to the point that most people think I'm flexing all the time (including my massage therapist girlfriend)—and I stress far too much. However, it made me frustrated and self conscious because I could barely get into half of the poses. I think for now I'll use the app to do specific poses to target specific areas—and to pick poses that I can actually manage.
So, for now it is back to regular stretches. As for my run, the two miles went well. I still took it relatively easy, but I can see that my strength and running pace will come back quickly—especially if this chronic pain in my neck from the past two weeks finally goes away. The neck pain seems to have been coming from my overhead fan running at night, so I'll brave some warmer nights to benefit me during the day.
Today was a mix of Chopin and The Black Keys Pandora station I created. The Chopin was good, but I feel that is better for a longer distance run and a specifically chosen playlist of his compositions. I have the master collection, so putting that large of a collection on shuffle isn't the best for running. Did love the blues inspired music of the latter half of my run though—even if the cadence of the songs isn't the best for running.
Strength workouts went well. Crunches were too easy and the pushups were too hard, but I'm forcing myself to take a day off tomorrow so that should help. Drank my protein shake tonight—even though my stomach was stuffed after dinner, watermelon and the shake—and I'm about to put some biofreeze on before bed. Time for some sounds of the wilderness and a soft, cool pillow. See you all around the next bend!
So, for now it is back to regular stretches. As for my run, the two miles went well. I still took it relatively easy, but I can see that my strength and running pace will come back quickly—especially if this chronic pain in my neck from the past two weeks finally goes away. The neck pain seems to have been coming from my overhead fan running at night, so I'll brave some warmer nights to benefit me during the day.
Today was a mix of Chopin and The Black Keys Pandora station I created. The Chopin was good, but I feel that is better for a longer distance run and a specifically chosen playlist of his compositions. I have the master collection, so putting that large of a collection on shuffle isn't the best for running. Did love the blues inspired music of the latter half of my run though—even if the cadence of the songs isn't the best for running.
Strength workouts went well. Crunches were too easy and the pushups were too hard, but I'm forcing myself to take a day off tomorrow so that should help. Drank my protein shake tonight—even though my stomach was stuffed after dinner, watermelon and the shake—and I'm about to put some biofreeze on before bed. Time for some sounds of the wilderness and a soft, cool pillow. See you all around the next bend!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Mile 1 — I'm back...
I promised that I would return and here I am. I keep my promises, the problem is that I never make promises that I fear I won't be able to keep. However, I'm making this one to all of you today...I promise I'm here to stay.
It takes a lot to not only recognize a hard truth, but to accept it. My hard truth today: I foolishly push myself too hard early on not for fear of failing but rather to guarantee it. If my knee hurts, I can't go run because I know I can't afford to be handicapped or to have the problem in my knee fixed. So if I push just hard enough to make it hurt without doing damage...well there I have the perfect scapegoat from exercise.
I set out to run two miles today but I knew halfway through the first mile that that was too much and I couldn't have been more right judging by the stiffness in my knee when I got back home after only one total mile.
I've been living on a sine wave for far too long. I start off from zero and gain momentum rapidly, but I inevitably reach a peak and come crashing back down to end up worse off than I started. I'm done with that. Consider this my resignation from my old life. There are too many people I care about whom I keep letting down. Some of them don't see it that way and they all still love me regardless—but sometimes I wish they didn't. Of course I appreciate their love and support of me, but I get just enough of it to be happy.
I am like Dexter (the fictional serial killer). I don't kill people—did you really think that?—but I share his dream for life. I don't hope for riches or fame. I hope to someday be content. I hope some day to feel nothing but simple and pure happiness with the people I love and whom love me. However, this has been stifling me. If I don't dare and dream to be more than average, I will never even have that. I see now that I need to be extraordinary, because the extraordinary—not the ordinary—are the ones who dictate their lives and can provide for the ones they love.
So consider this my manifesto. I'm ready to be more. I need to be more. Not only for me, but for the people I love and for the people who love me. Exercise alone won't get me there. Physical fitness isn't the only aspect here. It's time for a life change. I know I have a lot of people behind me who love and care about me. I only ask that you not be proud of me just yet. I know I'm not average and that I never will be, but please wait for me to be what I should be before being proud of me for being extraordinary. Above average doesn't cut it any more.
So here restarts this blog from the first mile. The counter will keep going until my goal has been reached of completing a marathon. That doesn't necessarily mean a competition marathon, that just means 26.2 miles in one continuous attempt. I know I can make it. And by the end of this blog, I will know exactly how many miles it took me to get there.
It takes a lot to not only recognize a hard truth, but to accept it. My hard truth today: I foolishly push myself too hard early on not for fear of failing but rather to guarantee it. If my knee hurts, I can't go run because I know I can't afford to be handicapped or to have the problem in my knee fixed. So if I push just hard enough to make it hurt without doing damage...well there I have the perfect scapegoat from exercise.
I set out to run two miles today but I knew halfway through the first mile that that was too much and I couldn't have been more right judging by the stiffness in my knee when I got back home after only one total mile.
I've been living on a sine wave for far too long. I start off from zero and gain momentum rapidly, but I inevitably reach a peak and come crashing back down to end up worse off than I started. I'm done with that. Consider this my resignation from my old life. There are too many people I care about whom I keep letting down. Some of them don't see it that way and they all still love me regardless—but sometimes I wish they didn't. Of course I appreciate their love and support of me, but I get just enough of it to be happy.
I am like Dexter (the fictional serial killer). I don't kill people—did you really think that?—but I share his dream for life. I don't hope for riches or fame. I hope to someday be content. I hope some day to feel nothing but simple and pure happiness with the people I love and whom love me. However, this has been stifling me. If I don't dare and dream to be more than average, I will never even have that. I see now that I need to be extraordinary, because the extraordinary—not the ordinary—are the ones who dictate their lives and can provide for the ones they love.
So consider this my manifesto. I'm ready to be more. I need to be more. Not only for me, but for the people I love and for the people who love me. Exercise alone won't get me there. Physical fitness isn't the only aspect here. It's time for a life change. I know I have a lot of people behind me who love and care about me. I only ask that you not be proud of me just yet. I know I'm not average and that I never will be, but please wait for me to be what I should be before being proud of me for being extraordinary. Above average doesn't cut it any more.
So here restarts this blog from the first mile. The counter will keep going until my goal has been reached of completing a marathon. That doesn't necessarily mean a competition marathon, that just means 26.2 miles in one continuous attempt. I know I can make it. And by the end of this blog, I will know exactly how many miles it took me to get there.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Best 2 Miles of My Life
First things first—I've decided that I don't care what "day" it is in my fitness plan. The fact is that the only day that matters is the day I reach my goal. Every day until then is just another new beginning. That being said, today was a great way to start over. Got a lot of homework done—though there is still a lot to do—and then went for my run.
Before my run I was really dragging. I was lazy last week and didn't run as much as I would've liked; and that's on top of overindulging over the weekend with my family. However, I'm restarting the weight loss goal from today starting at 220 and shooting for 185. According to Lose It!, if I net 1,827 calories a day intake (after my workout of course) I should be losing weight at a rate of two pounds a week. I am not expecting that, but I'm shooting for that calorie goal anyway. Today I'm 633 underbudget—or will be after I do my weight lifting and such—and I'm debating about having a little treat or just "saving" those calories for the indulging I know I will do this weekend. It won't be as bad as this weekend, but I know I will eat my fair share.
On to the best two mile run of my life. Well, not much to say about other than it was the first time on this route that I have completed one mile without a break. At the top of the big climb about half a mile in I just decided that I was going for it. Then Pirates by Jenny Owen Youngs kicked in and that driving beat just took over my legs as I reached the crest of the hill and started the descent back down to "lake level" at the mile mark.
However, the best part was how I just willed myself to keep going after passing that first mile. I took a short 15 second break to catch my breath partway back up the steep climb and one slightly longer break when I was back at the crest of the long hill, but then Wake Up by Jenny Owen Youngs came around on my running playlist and I just pushed through.
Then I finally experienced a "runner's high" or so I think when I had a bit of a life epiphany coming down the crest of the hill, and that sealed it. I never even thought about slowing down again and actually gained speed slowly as I went. It was a great run and a great way to re-motivate myself.
That's all for today, back to NHL watching! Hope everyone had a great day too!
Before my run I was really dragging. I was lazy last week and didn't run as much as I would've liked; and that's on top of overindulging over the weekend with my family. However, I'm restarting the weight loss goal from today starting at 220 and shooting for 185. According to Lose It!, if I net 1,827 calories a day intake (after my workout of course) I should be losing weight at a rate of two pounds a week. I am not expecting that, but I'm shooting for that calorie goal anyway. Today I'm 633 underbudget—or will be after I do my weight lifting and such—and I'm debating about having a little treat or just "saving" those calories for the indulging I know I will do this weekend. It won't be as bad as this weekend, but I know I will eat my fair share.
On to the best two mile run of my life. Well, not much to say about other than it was the first time on this route that I have completed one mile without a break. At the top of the big climb about half a mile in I just decided that I was going for it. Then Pirates by Jenny Owen Youngs kicked in and that driving beat just took over my legs as I reached the crest of the hill and started the descent back down to "lake level" at the mile mark.
However, the best part was how I just willed myself to keep going after passing that first mile. I took a short 15 second break to catch my breath partway back up the steep climb and one slightly longer break when I was back at the crest of the long hill, but then Wake Up by Jenny Owen Youngs came around on my running playlist and I just pushed through.
Then I finally experienced a "runner's high" or so I think when I had a bit of a life epiphany coming down the crest of the hill, and that sealed it. I never even thought about slowing down again and actually gained speed slowly as I went. It was a great run and a great way to re-motivate myself.
That's all for today, back to NHL watching! Hope everyone had a great day too!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Day 2 (again)—Reboot, Re-motivation and Plyo Circuit
Well, I decided to restart Insanity, but let me explain. About twenty minutes into my first MAX workout in month 2 I realized that I was not in shape for this yet. Not even remotely ready for it. Sure, I could plod through them, but they will be demoralizing, possibly injurious and I feel that I will get more out of the regular month one workouts. I do fear I will become bored with them, but that's alright, I'll push through. My goal right now is to complete both months and then move on to my marathon distance training. However, depending on the weather and how much better shape I am in when month two rolls around, I may put Insanity back on the shelf until the winter again and move to running for my daily exercise. I do miss it, and I know that it is better for me mentally and discipline-wise than Insanity. I like some of the workouts, and I really like the Plyo one, but I just prefer to go out and run with music in my ears and the wind in my hair—as it were.
Also, my initial goal is to run the Chicago Marathon this year. Not the half marathon, the full monty. I know that is going to take more dedication than I have put into it as of late, but I really believe I'm seeing myself change mentally. I started Insanity this time so that my off day is on Tuesday so that my one physical class—the rest of them are online—doesn't affect my workouts or prevent me from doing them.
Well, everything just changed. I just looked at the website and the registration for the marathon is closed. There are still ways of registering, but those are all based in running for charity organizations, so I'm not really sure this will be possible. I'll still look into it. However, if I can't get registered, I will keep on with my training as planned and I will map out a 26.2 mile course somewhere else and run that on the same day. If nothing else, this will be a lower pressure situation come "race day" and I can just relax and go the distance.
This is turning into a bit of a live blog! I looked deeper and I can run for some teams—I would personally go for the American Red Cross—but I have to get over $1000 in donations, which in my current physical state isn't too likely. People aren't going to look at me and think, "yeah, I'll give this kid money to run the Chicago Marathon for the Red Cross!" So, I'll keep my head up and hope I can get in shape in time to get money to run, but if not I will plan my own route like I said earlier and run a marathon on my own that day.
So here we are, starting all over again. But this is a good new beginning. Two down (again)—fifty-two to go!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Day 50—Fit Test
Well, I'm getting this one out quick because there isn't a whole lot to say. By the time I got done with the fit test today I was so broken that there wasn't a chance that I was doing my first Max Interval Circuit as well. I feel my motivation slipping after skipping all but one of my recovery week workouts.
However, I am determined to make this work, so I am heading to bed now so I can get up early and crank it first thing in the morning. I'll still have time to make up all my workouts...somehow...
However, I am determined to make this work, so I am heading to bed now so I can get up early and crank it first thing in the morning. I'll still have time to make up all my workouts...somehow...
Monday, February 13, 2012
Day 43—Second Rest Day
Well, I want to start with the fact that I finished all my workouts last week and I felt great. Sorry for the no-blog-posting over the weekend, but I was busy. I had an...emotional weekend, and I'm not in the highest of spirits now, but I'm pushing through.
This is my recovery week. Not a whole lot to say today as I didn't do Insanity today, but that was because I took the chance to go snowboarding. However, I'm going to hit the ground running early tomorrow morning and I can't wait. And even if it means doing it this Sunday, I will do all six of my Core Cardio & Balance workouts, so I'm not skipping, just postponing. I'd like to do it on Wednesday, effectively doing it twice, but worst comes to worst I will do it Sunday. I also have a Cardio Abs from last week I have to throw in somewhere. I'll figure it out.
Otherwise, I'm doing alright. I'm trying to up my motivation level for working out and better scrutinize what I eat and drink so I can start finally seeing the numbers I want on the scale. However, I know I will get there if I keep doing my workouts and being true to you all and true to myself.
No updated countdown for today. :( Wednesday I will count down two though!
This is my recovery week. Not a whole lot to say today as I didn't do Insanity today, but that was because I took the chance to go snowboarding. However, I'm going to hit the ground running early tomorrow morning and I can't wait. And even if it means doing it this Sunday, I will do all six of my Core Cardio & Balance workouts, so I'm not skipping, just postponing. I'd like to do it on Wednesday, effectively doing it twice, but worst comes to worst I will do it Sunday. I also have a Cardio Abs from last week I have to throw in somewhere. I'll figure it out.
Otherwise, I'm doing alright. I'm trying to up my motivation level for working out and better scrutinize what I eat and drink so I can start finally seeing the numbers I want on the scale. However, I know I will get there if I keep doing my workouts and being true to you all and true to myself.
No updated countdown for today. :( Wednesday I will count down two though!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Day 38 — Plyo Circuit and Dedication
Rarely has a movie ever moved me in the way that Senna did. I mentioned Ayrton Senna, the late, great, three time World Champion Formula One driver in yesterday's blog. Thinking about him again led me to finally watch the Sundance Film Festival award winning documentary about his life—which is available for streaming on Netflix for anyone who is interested. If you like racing, documentaries or just witnessing sheer will and determination of the human spirit as it pushes the limits of what is physically and mentally possible...watch this movie as soon as possible.
That being said, today was a rough day. Didn't work much sadly because I need money, but I started finally receiving the disbursement of my student financial aid, so I can finally take a breather and not be so worried about how I will pay my bills week to week.
However, after spending some time with my ex—which really helped me relax as her and I have been great and close friends since before we dated—I dropped her off at the bar, had a beer, came home and pushed play. I didn't sit down at my computer and log into Star Wars: The Old Republic, I didn't start reading Gizmodo or Facebook. I simply filled up my water bottle, pressed play on the last bit of Senna that I had to finish while I put my workout attire on and just did my Plyo.
Frankly, I love the Plyo Circuit. I will definitely keep that routine in my back pocket on cold and rainy days when I don't feel like running long after I am done with Insanity. It avoids boredom, I can crank through the warmup, and I just find the first rotation fun. I am terrible at the second rotation as it is almost pure upper body and core which are much weaker for me than my lower body, but I pushed through and really feel like I made improvements today.
As I mentioned yesterday, I stopped using my phone to time how much of my workouts I was resting. That helped a lot today. The times I did rest didn't make the workout feel as choppy as they normally do, and it forced my to mentally push myself farther without being able to look at a clock and think, "well, I'm on pace to beat my previous time already, so I can take it back a notch and relax." It was a great tool early on in Insanity to see improvements day to day, but now I think I can rely simply on listening to my body, knowing how I look and feel, and the fit tests every two weeks.
I didn't eat the best, but it was by no means terrible. The biggest problem I have is getting caught in the trap of skipping breakfast which leads me to gorge at lunch because I am starving and thinking, "hey! I didn't eat breakfast, so that is a whole other chunk of calories I can eat now!" That is a terrible way of thinking about my diet and I am determined to fix it.
That's all for now though. I am determined—with some new tools I found online—to get up and out of bed at 6 AM tomorrow morning to do my workout, eat a good breakfast, and start my day off right. I have a fun day tomorrow seeing one of my favorite indie artists, Jenny Owen Youngs, tomorrow at Schuba's in downtown Chicago. I haven't seen her perform in years and I used to have a bit of a friendship with her, so I'm excited to 'rekindle' that if you will. Plus, now I am old enough to sit and drink with her after her set is over! Not too much of course though, in moderation.
Also, I fixed the numbering of days for my blog posts to match the days since we started this regime and group as opposed to how many days into Insanity I currently am. Twenty-one down—thirty-two left to go!
P.S. Good song to help you relax and enjoy the evening—though since most of you are likely sleeping, maybe save it for tomorrow—New Slang by The Shins. Great song, especially for you Coach. Head out on a solo walk down the beach with that in your ears on a day when you are stressed towards your limit and I assure you will come out the other side a new woman!
That being said, today was a rough day. Didn't work much sadly because I need money, but I started finally receiving the disbursement of my student financial aid, so I can finally take a breather and not be so worried about how I will pay my bills week to week.
However, after spending some time with my ex—which really helped me relax as her and I have been great and close friends since before we dated—I dropped her off at the bar, had a beer, came home and pushed play. I didn't sit down at my computer and log into Star Wars: The Old Republic, I didn't start reading Gizmodo or Facebook. I simply filled up my water bottle, pressed play on the last bit of Senna that I had to finish while I put my workout attire on and just did my Plyo.
Frankly, I love the Plyo Circuit. I will definitely keep that routine in my back pocket on cold and rainy days when I don't feel like running long after I am done with Insanity. It avoids boredom, I can crank through the warmup, and I just find the first rotation fun. I am terrible at the second rotation as it is almost pure upper body and core which are much weaker for me than my lower body, but I pushed through and really feel like I made improvements today.
As I mentioned yesterday, I stopped using my phone to time how much of my workouts I was resting. That helped a lot today. The times I did rest didn't make the workout feel as choppy as they normally do, and it forced my to mentally push myself farther without being able to look at a clock and think, "well, I'm on pace to beat my previous time already, so I can take it back a notch and relax." It was a great tool early on in Insanity to see improvements day to day, but now I think I can rely simply on listening to my body, knowing how I look and feel, and the fit tests every two weeks.
I didn't eat the best, but it was by no means terrible. The biggest problem I have is getting caught in the trap of skipping breakfast which leads me to gorge at lunch because I am starving and thinking, "hey! I didn't eat breakfast, so that is a whole other chunk of calories I can eat now!" That is a terrible way of thinking about my diet and I am determined to fix it.
That's all for now though. I am determined—with some new tools I found online—to get up and out of bed at 6 AM tomorrow morning to do my workout, eat a good breakfast, and start my day off right. I have a fun day tomorrow seeing one of my favorite indie artists, Jenny Owen Youngs, tomorrow at Schuba's in downtown Chicago. I haven't seen her perform in years and I used to have a bit of a friendship with her, so I'm excited to 'rekindle' that if you will. Plus, now I am old enough to sit and drink with her after her set is over! Not too much of course though, in moderation.
Also, I fixed the numbering of days for my blog posts to match the days since we started this regime and group as opposed to how many days into Insanity I currently am. Twenty-one down—thirty-two left to go!
P.S. Good song to help you relax and enjoy the evening—though since most of you are likely sleeping, maybe save it for tomorrow—New Slang by The Shins. Great song, especially for you Coach. Head out on a solo walk down the beach with that in your ears on a day when you are stressed towards your limit and I assure you will come out the other side a new woman!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Day 23 — Confessions, Rededication, and 2/3 of a CP&R
Where to begin? I am now officially two days and two (kinda) exercises into Week 4 of Insanity. The Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs that is supposed to be on the Monday of Week 4 I did on the actual Week 4, two weeks ago. I failed yesterday to follow my gut feel and do my workout when I know I should have. However, I still hold that I have not skipped one workout...technically.
As for today's Cardio Power and Resistance...that is an interesting story. A bit of preface here, I watch these DVDs on my computer and do these workouts in my room. I don't like being watched—both in general and when I workout. I still very much fear how people see me which is a huge part of why I wanted to embark on this journey. I wanted to build my confidence through hard work, discipline and a self respect for accomplishing something truly difficult. For those of you whom have read my blog up until now, I wanted the same feeling of accomplishment that I got at the end of my long BWCAW trip—especially after that nine hour paddle out—only multiplied by about ten.
So, my computer desk is the obvious place for my water glass which I obviously need for hydrating during my workout. By now, it may be obvious where this is going. In my haste to reach for my water glass during the last warmup rotation, I knocked it over and onto the very expensive gaming keyboard that my ex girlfriend got me for my birthday last year. So in the midst of using my electronics knowledge to try and save this very cherished possession—it is one of the most thoughtful and sweetest things anyone has ever given me and also the only item in my life that makes always makes me think of my ex while also always making me smile—I am going through the emotional turmoil and anger of possibly losing one of my favorite things in the world. After all, I love to write, but typing is definitely my medium, and this is the best keyboard I've ever used, and I use it for hours every day.
Anyway, I came back to my workout after putting my keyboard into the oven (on dehydrate at about 100 degrees (This, along with placing the electronic item in a bag with raw rice, is the best way to revive items that have come into contact with water (water doesn't instantly damage or kill electronics, but the electricity to them needs to be removed as quickly as possible and then they need to be dried thoroughly))). However, I was very emotional, though at that point mostly angry and frustrated. So, in the last warmup rotation I pushed a bit too hard on the vertical jumps. I banged up my knee snowboarding a two weeks ago—during my original Week 4—and it still hurts some. Well, after thirty seconds of jumping so high, hard and fast that my dad heard my palms pounding on the ceiling from upstairs...let's just say my knee wasn't happy. I ended up skipping the majority of the latter half of the workout, though I did cool down and stretch. I was just so angry and frustrated and in some decent pain and worried about injury that I just gave up.
However, as I listen to Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons—which right now is at exactly the same point it was when I was doing those vertical jumps :)—I know that I am truly rededicated this time. I will redo today's workout next Tuesday during the recovery week just so that I can say I completed every single Insanity workout, but I'm not going to dwell on it.
To that point, I'm making three changes this week starting today and tomorrow. The first one is that I'm ditching my chess clock for my timing my workouts. I know that it has been useful to motivate me to keep pushing and to beat my old times, but the times that I didn't beat past times it was really deflating to not see progress every day. Along with that, I'm only weighing myself once a week. I don't think it is discouraging me, quite the opposite. I think when I don't see improvement in my weight I am using the day-to-day fluctuations of body weight as justification for the lack of change as opposed to what the reality is. So finally, the last change is meant to fix that: I will start tomorrow logging everything I consume—including water because I know I'm not getting enough.
So, I won't make ya'll read any more today—though from your comments about my blog maybe I should write even longer posts every day—but I will leave you with a quote that motivates me every day by legendary Formula 1 driver, the late Ayrton Senna:
"By being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver because we are competing, competing to win. And the main motivation is to compete for victory, it’s not to come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. I race to win as long as I feel it’s possible. Sometimes you get it wrong? Sure, it’s impossible to get it right all the time. But I race designed to win, as long as I feel I’m doing it right."
To me, this quote is the embodiment of not only what we all are doing, but what I am trying to do right now with not only my life, but specifically this workout regime. I am rededicating myself to win, and I am betting on myself to win. Too often I settle for 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. It is time for me to not only know and believe that I can win, but to push through that ever closing 'gap' between my desire to finish and my desire to quit. There is no doubt in my mind that I can do this. I have the recipe and ingredients for success, now it is time to put them together.
Thanks everyone for all your support. Twenty down—thirty-three more to go!
As for today's Cardio Power and Resistance...that is an interesting story. A bit of preface here, I watch these DVDs on my computer and do these workouts in my room. I don't like being watched—both in general and when I workout. I still very much fear how people see me which is a huge part of why I wanted to embark on this journey. I wanted to build my confidence through hard work, discipline and a self respect for accomplishing something truly difficult. For those of you whom have read my blog up until now, I wanted the same feeling of accomplishment that I got at the end of my long BWCAW trip—especially after that nine hour paddle out—only multiplied by about ten.
So, my computer desk is the obvious place for my water glass which I obviously need for hydrating during my workout. By now, it may be obvious where this is going. In my haste to reach for my water glass during the last warmup rotation, I knocked it over and onto the very expensive gaming keyboard that my ex girlfriend got me for my birthday last year. So in the midst of using my electronics knowledge to try and save this very cherished possession—it is one of the most thoughtful and sweetest things anyone has ever given me and also the only item in my life that makes always makes me think of my ex while also always making me smile—I am going through the emotional turmoil and anger of possibly losing one of my favorite things in the world. After all, I love to write, but typing is definitely my medium, and this is the best keyboard I've ever used, and I use it for hours every day.
Anyway, I came back to my workout after putting my keyboard into the oven (on dehydrate at about 100 degrees (This, along with placing the electronic item in a bag with raw rice, is the best way to revive items that have come into contact with water (water doesn't instantly damage or kill electronics, but the electricity to them needs to be removed as quickly as possible and then they need to be dried thoroughly))). However, I was very emotional, though at that point mostly angry and frustrated. So, in the last warmup rotation I pushed a bit too hard on the vertical jumps. I banged up my knee snowboarding a two weeks ago—during my original Week 4—and it still hurts some. Well, after thirty seconds of jumping so high, hard and fast that my dad heard my palms pounding on the ceiling from upstairs...let's just say my knee wasn't happy. I ended up skipping the majority of the latter half of the workout, though I did cool down and stretch. I was just so angry and frustrated and in some decent pain and worried about injury that I just gave up.
However, as I listen to Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons—which right now is at exactly the same point it was when I was doing those vertical jumps :)—I know that I am truly rededicated this time. I will redo today's workout next Tuesday during the recovery week just so that I can say I completed every single Insanity workout, but I'm not going to dwell on it.
To that point, I'm making three changes this week starting today and tomorrow. The first one is that I'm ditching my chess clock for my timing my workouts. I know that it has been useful to motivate me to keep pushing and to beat my old times, but the times that I didn't beat past times it was really deflating to not see progress every day. Along with that, I'm only weighing myself once a week. I don't think it is discouraging me, quite the opposite. I think when I don't see improvement in my weight I am using the day-to-day fluctuations of body weight as justification for the lack of change as opposed to what the reality is. So finally, the last change is meant to fix that: I will start tomorrow logging everything I consume—including water because I know I'm not getting enough.
So, I won't make ya'll read any more today—though from your comments about my blog maybe I should write even longer posts every day—but I will leave you with a quote that motivates me every day by legendary Formula 1 driver, the late Ayrton Senna:
"By being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver because we are competing, competing to win. And the main motivation is to compete for victory, it’s not to come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. I race to win as long as I feel it’s possible. Sometimes you get it wrong? Sure, it’s impossible to get it right all the time. But I race designed to win, as long as I feel I’m doing it right."
To me, this quote is the embodiment of not only what we all are doing, but what I am trying to do right now with not only my life, but specifically this workout regime. I am rededicating myself to win, and I am betting on myself to win. Too often I settle for 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. It is time for me to not only know and believe that I can win, but to push through that ever closing 'gap' between my desire to finish and my desire to quit. There is no doubt in my mind that I can do this. I have the recipe and ingredients for success, now it is time to put them together.
Thanks everyone for all your support. Twenty down—thirty-three more to go!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Day 17 — Pure Cardio, Cardio Abs and Calisthenics
I really don't like this combo workout. I never seem to get a very good core workout from it and Pure Cardio is rough. However, I do feel myself getting stronger mentally and physically in Pure Cardio, and I am doing extra workouts on the side to improve my core and upper body as I don't feel I'm getting much improvement there from Insanity.
The problem reason why I get so little upper body work from these workouts is that my cardio and lower body are still not up to snuff, so by the time I get to the upper body portions, I am typically way too gassed to do much of it. So I have added push ups and barbell curls every other day and regular old situps—which I don't mind and don't understand why everyone complains about them—every other day.
On the improvement front, I completed the entire warmup without resting for the first time today. I was close yesterday, but I didn't want to mention it and jinx my chances for today. That is a big milestone for me mentally and I am very excited about it.
A question I have found myself having is about the deep lunges: How exactly should I be doing these? The muscles stretched by that stretch are flexible enough in me for me to go into a deep lunge, but there are two problems. The first problem is that I can't find a balance point where I am flat-footed—only pertaining to my bent leg of course—and my knee is behind my toe. How important—I fear the answers coming in screams and yells—is it that my knee is behind my toe and that my toes and heel are on the floor? The second problem may be due to my form—see the first problem—but I feel an interesting, though not painful, tightness in the calf and sometimes shin muscles in my bent leg in the deep lunge...any ideas why?
Anyway, enough of that, on to my workout 'equipment' suggestions. Today's suggestion is a series of calisthenic workout apps for Android (maybe for iPhone, I didn't check). In truth, they are simply algorithms, but very helpful ones. You tell the app how many reps of a given workout you can currently perform in a row to exhaustion, and then tell it how many you would like to be able to do in a row. It then does some figuring and creates workouts for you in multiple sets along with timed rest periods between sets. You can even tell it if the workout was too easy, too hard or just right after you have completed it and then it tells you your progress towards your goal. I'm not sure what happens when it thinks you should be able to complete your goal, maybe it gives you a workout that is simply an attempt at your goal and you tell it if you completed it or not. I'll report back about that when I get there.
Either way, the apps are nice too look at, simple to use, and really make the task of improving muscular strength through calisthenics a much less arduous task. And since these are simply algorithmic workout generators, you don't even have to use them for the workout they were "made" for. I use the squats app for my barbell curls, for instance.
Well, that's all for now. Hope you all are still reading and enjoying these, I still enjoy writing them. Fifteen down—thirty-nine more to go!
Links:
Push Ups App (See the "More from developer" section for others)
The problem reason why I get so little upper body work from these workouts is that my cardio and lower body are still not up to snuff, so by the time I get to the upper body portions, I am typically way too gassed to do much of it. So I have added push ups and barbell curls every other day and regular old situps—which I don't mind and don't understand why everyone complains about them—every other day.
On the improvement front, I completed the entire warmup without resting for the first time today. I was close yesterday, but I didn't want to mention it and jinx my chances for today. That is a big milestone for me mentally and I am very excited about it.
A question I have found myself having is about the deep lunges: How exactly should I be doing these? The muscles stretched by that stretch are flexible enough in me for me to go into a deep lunge, but there are two problems. The first problem is that I can't find a balance point where I am flat-footed—only pertaining to my bent leg of course—and my knee is behind my toe. How important—I fear the answers coming in screams and yells—is it that my knee is behind my toe and that my toes and heel are on the floor? The second problem may be due to my form—see the first problem—but I feel an interesting, though not painful, tightness in the calf and sometimes shin muscles in my bent leg in the deep lunge...any ideas why?
Anyway, enough of that, on to my workout 'equipment' suggestions. Today's suggestion is a series of calisthenic workout apps for Android (maybe for iPhone, I didn't check). In truth, they are simply algorithms, but very helpful ones. You tell the app how many reps of a given workout you can currently perform in a row to exhaustion, and then tell it how many you would like to be able to do in a row. It then does some figuring and creates workouts for you in multiple sets along with timed rest periods between sets. You can even tell it if the workout was too easy, too hard or just right after you have completed it and then it tells you your progress towards your goal. I'm not sure what happens when it thinks you should be able to complete your goal, maybe it gives you a workout that is simply an attempt at your goal and you tell it if you completed it or not. I'll report back about that when I get there.
Either way, the apps are nice too look at, simple to use, and really make the task of improving muscular strength through calisthenics a much less arduous task. And since these are simply algorithmic workout generators, you don't even have to use them for the workout they were "made" for. I use the squats app for my barbell curls, for instance.
Well, that's all for now. Hope you all are still reading and enjoying these, I still enjoy writing them. Fifteen down—thirty-nine more to go!
Links:
Push Ups App (See the "More from developer" section for others)
Monday, January 16, 2012
Day 15 — Fit Test and Biweekly Wrapup
Well, the first two weeks are over and the results are in. My lowest improvement over my initial fit test was 7% in Power Knees, with my largest improvement being 50% in Suicide Jumps. Now to be fair, these are statistical outliers because I started with 100 Power Knees—which makes every percent of improvement harder to obtain—whereas I started with merely 8 Suicide Jumps, improving to 12—in which case each additional rep was worth over 10% improvement.
However, one that was nice to see and a general baseline was Power Jumps. I started with 20 of those and did 30 in today's test—another improvement of 50%. The good news here is that each additional rep was only worth 5%, so this 50% is worth get excited about. The other satisfying things are the bar graphs which are all larger for today's date, and to see that most of the lines are either linear, or concave up since my "initial" fit test in November at the beginning of my last Insanity attempt. The concave up denotes that I am not only improving compared to the fit test on the first day of this Insanity attempt, but also that I am improving faster than I did over a nearly two month span of time beforehand—during which I wasn't exactly idle.
So, I'm sold. I know that I need to eat healthier and I have a long way to go, but that improvement was great to see in cold hard numbers. I'm ready for the second half of month one to get going! That's thirteen down—forty-one left to go!
Links:
Friday, January 13, 2012
Day 12 — Cardio Power and Resistance...Again
Not much to say about today really. The workout was good. Large improvement over Monday. Again, it is getting a bit repetitive, but I know that will happen. The nice part about that is that I can zone out and do some soul searching during my workout.
No aches or pains to report. I'm worried about my double workout tomorrow and snowboarding for only the second time in three years, but I'm sure it will go great.
Anyway, that's all for now. Things are going great and I feel fantastic. Eleven down—forty-three left to go!
No aches or pains to report. I'm worried about my double workout tomorrow and snowboarding for only the second time in three years, but I'm sure it will go great.
Anyway, that's all for now. Things are going great and I feel fantastic. Eleven down—forty-three left to go!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Day 11 — Recovery Day
Today was likely one of the most important days of my life. Little back story: I was attending Purdue University starting in 2007 and due to my emotional problems I failed out in the spring of '09. I have been working hard to transfer down to UIC (I was back at Purdue once but it was killing my bank account so I came back), and I just found out today that I would need five semesters of straight As to meet their new standards.
So, UIC is out and Purdue is back in. I've decided today that I'm applying for readmission there and hopefully I will get back in and finish up there. It is good in a way. I'm not tied here as much after this weekend—and I've always felt I left business unfinished there. I know I can avoid the financial issues I had before and I'll be a much better study and much harder worker, partially due to my Insanity driven discipline.
My workout today was great. I felt relaxed and empowered. Definitely feeling more flexible and much stronger. Rested two whole minutes less than last week's Cardio Recovery, so I am very happy with that and I'm back down to 214.4 which is exactly where I should be to meet my goal of 205 by March 3rd.
Didn't really eat anything today. I just woke up, started looking at school info and my day kinda spiraled from there. I ate chicken parmesan for dinner, but that was it. It was fantastic though and I treated myself to a Pepsi. I think my total intake for today will still be okay. Of course I am in no way thinking of or suggesting a starvation diet. It wasn't on purpose, it just worked out that way. Normal diet service tomorrow.
Now, I mentioned the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) yesterday. It is one of my favorite places on earth and I have barely spent three weeks total there. It is as untouched as wilderness gets nowadays other than remote parts of Alaska. The whole Wilderness Area is protected by federal law which means that there are no motors allowed anywhere inside, and the amount of people allowed in at any given time is regulated. It is a beautiful place for camping—obviously—and the fishing is unbelievable. Admittedly, it would be a tough trip for a vegetarian as you have to carry in everything you will need, but the BWCAW has permits for everything from day trips to two-week excursions.
I'm hoping to go again this year. My dad, my uncle, and a long-time family friend went last May and it was an amazing trip. Typically my Uncle Steve and Keith—the family friend—take a tow boat (a specialized power boat that carries canoes) right up to the edge of the wilderness which makes the trip into their favorite lake much shorter and easier. However, that tow service is expensive and neither my dad nor I could afford it. So, we took the longer fourteen hour paddle route with six portages along the route. It was a huge personal challenge for me. We didn't make it all the way in the first day which I was bummed about, so the whole trip I was determined to make it out in one day.
When we awoke on our departure day, it was clear and cool, a perfect day. However, as we broke down camp, the wind picked up—directly opposite of the direction we were headed. We paddled into the wind for most of the journey, but we persevered and made it out that same day. The shower, pizza and Jameson on the rocks that awaited me had never tasted sweeter. I hope to feel stronger this year, especially over the portages. I was the youngest on the trip by far, but I really didn't pull my own weight carrying our gear. In the canoe I made up for it, but that isn't going to cut it for me this year.
Well, that's all for today. I fear I had a typo yesterday on this line, but today is ten down, fourty-four left to go! Keep pushing everyone!
P.S. For anyone interested in seeing where my trip was, you can view a decent map here. We started at entry point 16, went north into Nina Moose Lake, then to Agnes, then into Lac La Croix at Boulder Bay, north around Tiger Bay, into Bottle Lake into Iron Lake and then from Iron Lake to Crooked Lake. We camped in the relative middle of Crooked Lake at Camp 1880 just north of Saturday Bay. Not a short trip by any means. Never did figure out the mileage. I'll have to do that at some point. Anyway, if that doesn't make any sense but you are still interested in the route we took, let me know and I'll try and get a better description together. Thanks!
So, UIC is out and Purdue is back in. I've decided today that I'm applying for readmission there and hopefully I will get back in and finish up there. It is good in a way. I'm not tied here as much after this weekend—and I've always felt I left business unfinished there. I know I can avoid the financial issues I had before and I'll be a much better study and much harder worker, partially due to my Insanity driven discipline.
My workout today was great. I felt relaxed and empowered. Definitely feeling more flexible and much stronger. Rested two whole minutes less than last week's Cardio Recovery, so I am very happy with that and I'm back down to 214.4 which is exactly where I should be to meet my goal of 205 by March 3rd.
Didn't really eat anything today. I just woke up, started looking at school info and my day kinda spiraled from there. I ate chicken parmesan for dinner, but that was it. It was fantastic though and I treated myself to a Pepsi. I think my total intake for today will still be okay. Of course I am in no way thinking of or suggesting a starvation diet. It wasn't on purpose, it just worked out that way. Normal diet service tomorrow.
Now, I mentioned the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) yesterday. It is one of my favorite places on earth and I have barely spent three weeks total there. It is as untouched as wilderness gets nowadays other than remote parts of Alaska. The whole Wilderness Area is protected by federal law which means that there are no motors allowed anywhere inside, and the amount of people allowed in at any given time is regulated. It is a beautiful place for camping—obviously—and the fishing is unbelievable. Admittedly, it would be a tough trip for a vegetarian as you have to carry in everything you will need, but the BWCAW has permits for everything from day trips to two-week excursions.
I'm hoping to go again this year. My dad, my uncle, and a long-time family friend went last May and it was an amazing trip. Typically my Uncle Steve and Keith—the family friend—take a tow boat (a specialized power boat that carries canoes) right up to the edge of the wilderness which makes the trip into their favorite lake much shorter and easier. However, that tow service is expensive and neither my dad nor I could afford it. So, we took the longer fourteen hour paddle route with six portages along the route. It was a huge personal challenge for me. We didn't make it all the way in the first day which I was bummed about, so the whole trip I was determined to make it out in one day.
When we awoke on our departure day, it was clear and cool, a perfect day. However, as we broke down camp, the wind picked up—directly opposite of the direction we were headed. We paddled into the wind for most of the journey, but we persevered and made it out that same day. The shower, pizza and Jameson on the rocks that awaited me had never tasted sweeter. I hope to feel stronger this year, especially over the portages. I was the youngest on the trip by far, but I really didn't pull my own weight carrying our gear. In the canoe I made up for it, but that isn't going to cut it for me this year.
Well, that's all for today. I fear I had a typo yesterday on this line, but today is ten down, fourty-four left to go! Keep pushing everyone!
P.S. For anyone interested in seeing where my trip was, you can view a decent map here. We started at entry point 16, went north into Nina Moose Lake, then to Agnes, then into Lac La Croix at Boulder Bay, north around Tiger Bay, into Bottle Lake into Iron Lake and then from Iron Lake to Crooked Lake. We camped in the relative middle of Crooked Lake at Camp 1880 just north of Saturday Bay. Not a short trip by any means. Never did figure out the mileage. I'll have to do that at some point. Anyway, if that doesn't make any sense but you are still interested in the route we took, let me know and I'll try and get a better description together. Thanks!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Day 10 — Cardio Circuit
First things first...Is there a typo on the Insanity calendar because I don't see a DVD for "Cardio Circuit" anywhere. All I see is the Plyo Cardio Circuit, so that is the one I do, but I want to make sure I am not missing anything.
Second of all, doing the Plyo Circuit again today is starting to get tedious, but I suppose that will happen eventually and is why there are different workouts for the second month. At least I am done with Plyo for the week I suppose.
On to the workout itself, not much to report. The 7:30 rest time was a bit more than the last time I did Plyo but only by a few seconds and I'm starting to level off at around 14.6% rested so I'm happy that it is becoming more consistent and that I am lasting longer in both strength and cardio endurance.
I definitely am feeling stronger, quicker and more flexible. I have noticed that the last two days. Also, no back pain today and my right Achilles wasn't even too bad now that I can stretch farther.
Today was the first time I have seen my ex since we split so that took some motivation from me to go home and work out and I was fried when I got home, but I pushed play because I don't want to let you all down. I'm going to push through and make this dream and resolution happen. I'm going to run that Chicago Marathon. Who knows, maybe I'll meet someone there!
My last order of business today is shoes. I get asked a lot about my shoes because my primary shoes a Vibram Speeds. They are fantastically comfortable and surprisingly warm if you wear socks with them—though the wind goes right through them so sometimes they don't work so well in winter.
For those of you who don't know what Vibrams are, they are shoes that have individual "pockets" for each toe. They are considered minimalist shoes and intended for runner who want the benefits of barefoot running technique without a piece of glass or a nail going straight through the bottom of their feet.
I also have a pair of TrekSports for working out, running and general outdoor activities. They aren't as comfortable—though not by much—and they are great for running, hiking, canoeing or any other type of outdoor activity. I originally bought them for a trip to BWCAW (more about the BWCAW tomorrow) this past May because I wanted a water shoe that I could wear all day when in the canoe without my feet being uncomfortable. I also wanted something I could use other than just on the trip, something I would walk long distances in and I wanted to experiment with the walking/running style. I knew that I walked too hard on my heels—so I wanted to fix that—and I love walking around barefoot but my dad gets angry with me because he worries about me stepping on something.
You can feel the blades of grass between your toes with these shoes. I promise you, if you have the money and like your shoes thin, extremely light, have issues with foot fatigue and want a solution, here they are. They take some getting used to because in your stride you need to land on the balls of your feet, tap your heel to the ground, and then push off from there, but they are great for strengthening your calves and top quadriceps. They also strengthen muscles in your feet that make walking or standing for long periods of time much more enjoyable no matter which shoes you are wearing. Any runners out there? Seriously consider these. Do note however that you won't be able to run your normal distances in them right away. Sure, you could run with a heel-strike-stride in them like normal shoes, but they don't have the padding to cope with it. Get a pair, run on your midfoot and enjoy the progress and results. Great way to find more if you have plateaued.
Well, that's all for today, hope everyone had a great day and have a great tomorrow. Nine down, forty-five left to go!
Links:
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Day 9 — Plyo Cardio, Cardio P&R, Pure Cardio and the Weekend to End All Weekends
Where to begin? Well, first off I haven't slipped. I almost forgot about yesterday entirely but I pushed through a semi-full stomach to get my workout in. Saturday was rough—really bad back pain almost crippled me—and I nearly quit that workout in the middle but I safely pushed through.
The last two days have been pretty standard. Small improvement today in Pure Cardio over the last one so that is a plus. From Saturday to Sunday I gained effectively four pounds which was frustrating, but that wasn't surprising given the weekend.
My girlfriend and I broke up this past Sunday. I don't want to go into a big long ordeal because I'm not here to whine and moan for support. I guess if anything I'm hoping to give some inspiration. Sort of a, "if I can push through this, you can push through some muscle soreness."
Anyway, back to the workouts, I've had a lot of tightness in my lower left back recently. It has gotten better over the last day, but it still hurts bad in the workouts so if anyone has suggestions for extra stretches I can do, that would be great to know.
However, the more pressing tightness is in my right Achilles tendon. No pain per say, just tightness. I'm trying to stretch that more every day, but again if anyone knows any really good stretches for that region, let me know.
Anyway, no equipment suggestions today. Just know that I'm still with the program and that I'm in with all of you! Haven't missed a workout yet and I don't plan on it. Eight down, fifty-four left to go!
The last two days have been pretty standard. Small improvement today in Pure Cardio over the last one so that is a plus. From Saturday to Sunday I gained effectively four pounds which was frustrating, but that wasn't surprising given the weekend.
My girlfriend and I broke up this past Sunday. I don't want to go into a big long ordeal because I'm not here to whine and moan for support. I guess if anything I'm hoping to give some inspiration. Sort of a, "if I can push through this, you can push through some muscle soreness."
Anyway, back to the workouts, I've had a lot of tightness in my lower left back recently. It has gotten better over the last day, but it still hurts bad in the workouts so if anyone has suggestions for extra stretches I can do, that would be great to know.
However, the more pressing tightness is in my right Achilles tendon. No pain per say, just tightness. I'm trying to stretch that more every day, but again if anyone knows any really good stretches for that region, let me know.
Anyway, no equipment suggestions today. Just know that I'm still with the program and that I'm in with all of you! Haven't missed a workout yet and I don't plan on it. Eight down, fifty-four left to go!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Day 4 — Cardio Recovery
Well, Cardio recovery was interesting. It definitely pointed out some specific areas of muscles in my legs that need work, but otherwise there isn't much to report from this workout. It was tough. I'm not very flexible—or apparently strong enough to support my own girth for the entire time he asks for—but I did alright. The key is that I did my workout, I sweated and felt good about completing another day.
Today I want to talk about two things. The first is dieting. A lot has been mentioned about what people are eating and I certainly feel like the defiant teenager just eating whatever I want. Well, for one, I don't determine what I eat, my parents do. Secondly, we eat fairly healthy as it is because my dad has high cholesterol, blood pressure and heart disease. He doesn't east quite as well as he should, but we eat much better than most.
My thing about any diet is that it will only work if you are willing to either give up the foods you love or can find a diet that incorporates the food you love. I go for the latter. I choose to watch what I eat—and namely how much of it I eat—in exchange for eating the things I like.
For example, right now I am eating a few spoonfuls of Chunky Monkey ice cream. However, I have tracked what I ate today and I conservatively am at a 1000 calorie deficit today after this little dessert. I know calories aren't everything, but I never come even close to my "daily value" of fat, I eat quite a bit of carbs—but I am careful about which ones (ie not soda for one thing)—and I get high protein for building up those muslces I am working so hard.
Could I lose more weight in the same amount of time if I ate a very specific meal plan and gave up most of the food I love? Sure. But I doubt I would go very long on that tack. Call it lack of will, call it mental weakness, call it what you will. I love food, I sadly love fattening foods like cheese and carbohydrates of every kind, and I love my alcohol—not too much though, but those are completely empty calories and carbs. I would rather take another half as much longer to reach my goals while enjoying my meals every day. Call me crazy, but that's my philosophy. I'm in this for the long haul, so I need to find a diet and exercise combo that is sustainable for the rest of my life without depressing me every time I sit down for a meal.
Also, I'm not trying to say that anyone who chooses to be vegetarian, low/no-carb, etc is wrong. All I am saying is know what matters to you, prioritize, and be realistic with yourself. Losing 30 pounds in a month means nothing if it is due to a diet that you give up on and just put all those pounds back on.
My other two things are about little pieces of equipment for active lifestyles that I love. One is the Blender Bottle. It is great for mixing up any sort of powdered supplements. Even with some peanut butter, yogurt or other goopy things in there it works like a charm without having to get out the blender! Plus, if your drink separates, you can easily mix it back up again, way better than a regular sports bottle. Also, it works wonders for quick scrambled eggs!
The other thing that is a must have for anyone who likes to run, jog, walk, bike, skip, hop, jump, while listening to music is Yurbuds. Now, I'm a bit of an audiophile, and I'll be honest, the audio quality of these headphones isn't the best. However, the key to these are the silicone inserts, not the headphones themselves. With a little bit of work, the silicone inserts can work with most earbud headphones, and they are worth every penny. I can tell you firsthand...these do not fall out. I was skeptical at best about these, popped them in after just buying them (didn't even have them in right) and ran two miles without them slipping or moving at all in my ears. They are worth their weight in gold to anyone who prefers earbud headphones for running but hates that they always fall out.
The one thing I will say about them is that while their bass is great because they make such a good seal with your ear, please be careful if you run with these in your ear. It is very hard to hear anything going on in the outside world, even if your music is turned way down. If you are aware and keep your eyes open and scanning it isn't an issue, but if you know you are scatterbrained when out for a jog, maybe reconsider this purchase.
Anyway, didn't mean to sound like a sales rep there, but I have found some things that I love for fitness along my quest to get in better shape and I want to share any knowledge I can. Tomorrow you will be hearing about my love for Vibram Five Fingers shoes, so stay tuned for that!
Anyway, thanks for reading as always and today is officially 4 down—50 to go!
Links:
Blender Bottle
Yurbuds Website
Today I want to talk about two things. The first is dieting. A lot has been mentioned about what people are eating and I certainly feel like the defiant teenager just eating whatever I want. Well, for one, I don't determine what I eat, my parents do. Secondly, we eat fairly healthy as it is because my dad has high cholesterol, blood pressure and heart disease. He doesn't east quite as well as he should, but we eat much better than most.
My thing about any diet is that it will only work if you are willing to either give up the foods you love or can find a diet that incorporates the food you love. I go for the latter. I choose to watch what I eat—and namely how much of it I eat—in exchange for eating the things I like.
For example, right now I am eating a few spoonfuls of Chunky Monkey ice cream. However, I have tracked what I ate today and I conservatively am at a 1000 calorie deficit today after this little dessert. I know calories aren't everything, but I never come even close to my "daily value" of fat, I eat quite a bit of carbs—but I am careful about which ones (ie not soda for one thing)—and I get high protein for building up those muslces I am working so hard.
Could I lose more weight in the same amount of time if I ate a very specific meal plan and gave up most of the food I love? Sure. But I doubt I would go very long on that tack. Call it lack of will, call it mental weakness, call it what you will. I love food, I sadly love fattening foods like cheese and carbohydrates of every kind, and I love my alcohol—not too much though, but those are completely empty calories and carbs. I would rather take another half as much longer to reach my goals while enjoying my meals every day. Call me crazy, but that's my philosophy. I'm in this for the long haul, so I need to find a diet and exercise combo that is sustainable for the rest of my life without depressing me every time I sit down for a meal.
Also, I'm not trying to say that anyone who chooses to be vegetarian, low/no-carb, etc is wrong. All I am saying is know what matters to you, prioritize, and be realistic with yourself. Losing 30 pounds in a month means nothing if it is due to a diet that you give up on and just put all those pounds back on.
My other two things are about little pieces of equipment for active lifestyles that I love. One is the Blender Bottle. It is great for mixing up any sort of powdered supplements. Even with some peanut butter, yogurt or other goopy things in there it works like a charm without having to get out the blender! Plus, if your drink separates, you can easily mix it back up again, way better than a regular sports bottle. Also, it works wonders for quick scrambled eggs!
The other thing that is a must have for anyone who likes to run, jog, walk, bike, skip, hop, jump, while listening to music is Yurbuds. Now, I'm a bit of an audiophile, and I'll be honest, the audio quality of these headphones isn't the best. However, the key to these are the silicone inserts, not the headphones themselves. With a little bit of work, the silicone inserts can work with most earbud headphones, and they are worth every penny. I can tell you firsthand...these do not fall out. I was skeptical at best about these, popped them in after just buying them (didn't even have them in right) and ran two miles without them slipping or moving at all in my ears. They are worth their weight in gold to anyone who prefers earbud headphones for running but hates that they always fall out.
The one thing I will say about them is that while their bass is great because they make such a good seal with your ear, please be careful if you run with these in your ear. It is very hard to hear anything going on in the outside world, even if your music is turned way down. If you are aware and keep your eyes open and scanning it isn't an issue, but if you know you are scatterbrained when out for a jog, maybe reconsider this purchase.
Anyway, didn't mean to sound like a sales rep there, but I have found some things that I love for fitness along my quest to get in better shape and I want to share any knowledge I can. Tomorrow you will be hearing about my love for Vibram Five Fingers shoes, so stay tuned for that!
Anyway, thanks for reading as always and today is officially 4 down—50 to go!
Links:
Blender Bottle
Yurbuds Website
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Day 3 — Cardio Power and Resistance
Today was hard, and not just because Cardio Power and Resistance is not my strong suit. My day started at about 5 AM, started work at 7:30 AM and it didn't stop until I got home at 7:30 PM. Most of that time was spend in a 16" slot between a wall and a very hot boiler—while doing some very precise and tedious work.
Did I mention that I was doing body origami in that 16" slot and on my feet all day? Needless to say, I probably worked out harder in any given two-hour span just working today than I did during my 39 minute Instanity workout.
However, you all kept me going. I came home and I put my dinner off—which meant eating reheated pot roast alone—just so that I could do my workout. My lower back was so tense for half of it—and for all of the stretch—that for 10-15 second periods, I couldn't move at all and my legs and feet were sore from last night's workout and work today. I knew there was a reason I woke up with the distinct feeling that I didn't want to do my workout before work today.
But! I did my workout, pushed through and I only rested for 6:30 of today's workout. That said, it is a higher percentage of minutes than yesterday's workout...but I'll take victories when I get them. Another small victory—according to Libra I will reach my weight goal of 205 a full three weeks before the end of my Insanity program! I know it is early, but I have been weighing myself daily for months so I believe in the data and I believe the trend, so that is good news. Even if that trend is skewed right now, I know that my weight has gotten off the plateau again so that is all I need to hear to keep me going.
My diet was messed up today. Had some 'fried' potato skillet my mom made with 'lean' breakfast sausage and a sprinkling of cheese, two eggs and two pieces of whole wheat toast for breakfast. Not low fat, but mostly good stuff. However, I had no lunch to speak of because I didn't have time to stop working, so I didn't eat again until 6:15 when I had a small peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an orange Cutie. Drank over two litres of water today, and then had altogether too much pot roast for dinner.
My problem with eating too much is that I hate wasting food. I will gladly stuff myself to avoid throwing food away. I know that isn't good for my weight loss, but I feel so selfish wasting food when so many people don't have the luxury of even eating every day. So I have talked to my parents—you know, the people who cook around here—and they are starting to understand that I don't eat as large of portions as I did in high school when I was at baseball practice for 3-4 hours a day. Sure, my metabolism will go up some, but I don't have a 15 year old's bottomless pit of a stomach anymore. Hopefully they are starting to get that.
My short rant today is about the fact that I understand why these workout DVDs only have people in them who are in great shape, but it actually detracts from my motivation some. I would love for there to be an average guy in the back who is taking 12-15, 20-35 second breaks during each workout because he is getting into shape, not looking to shave off another .25% of body fat. Maybe that wouldn't work for everyone, but I'd believe Shaun T saying "you can do it" a bit more if I could see someone else struggling like me to feel like I'm not the only crazy person using these DVDs to get into shape from being vastly out of it.
One last bit before I go—why do they put body fat percentage "estimators" on scales and state your body fat percent like it is fact? It is total bull! I weighed myself this morning, 216.4 lbs, 34.5% body fat according to my scale. Weighed myself for giggles after my workout—216.0 lbs but 44.0% body fat. What? How did I barely eat all day, lose .4 pounds, but gain 10% body fat? Not sure how that happens exactly.
Anyway, I'm out for the night. Hoping to get my first morning workout in tomorrow since work will be low key tomorrow with the boss man out of the office. Three down—51 left!
Did I mention that I was doing body origami in that 16" slot and on my feet all day? Needless to say, I probably worked out harder in any given two-hour span just working today than I did during my 39 minute Instanity workout.
However, you all kept me going. I came home and I put my dinner off—which meant eating reheated pot roast alone—just so that I could do my workout. My lower back was so tense for half of it—and for all of the stretch—that for 10-15 second periods, I couldn't move at all and my legs and feet were sore from last night's workout and work today. I knew there was a reason I woke up with the distinct feeling that I didn't want to do my workout before work today.
But! I did my workout, pushed through and I only rested for 6:30 of today's workout. That said, it is a higher percentage of minutes than yesterday's workout...but I'll take victories when I get them. Another small victory—according to Libra I will reach my weight goal of 205 a full three weeks before the end of my Insanity program! I know it is early, but I have been weighing myself daily for months so I believe in the data and I believe the trend, so that is good news. Even if that trend is skewed right now, I know that my weight has gotten off the plateau again so that is all I need to hear to keep me going.
My diet was messed up today. Had some 'fried' potato skillet my mom made with 'lean' breakfast sausage and a sprinkling of cheese, two eggs and two pieces of whole wheat toast for breakfast. Not low fat, but mostly good stuff. However, I had no lunch to speak of because I didn't have time to stop working, so I didn't eat again until 6:15 when I had a small peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an orange Cutie. Drank over two litres of water today, and then had altogether too much pot roast for dinner.
My problem with eating too much is that I hate wasting food. I will gladly stuff myself to avoid throwing food away. I know that isn't good for my weight loss, but I feel so selfish wasting food when so many people don't have the luxury of even eating every day. So I have talked to my parents—you know, the people who cook around here—and they are starting to understand that I don't eat as large of portions as I did in high school when I was at baseball practice for 3-4 hours a day. Sure, my metabolism will go up some, but I don't have a 15 year old's bottomless pit of a stomach anymore. Hopefully they are starting to get that.
My short rant today is about the fact that I understand why these workout DVDs only have people in them who are in great shape, but it actually detracts from my motivation some. I would love for there to be an average guy in the back who is taking 12-15, 20-35 second breaks during each workout because he is getting into shape, not looking to shave off another .25% of body fat. Maybe that wouldn't work for everyone, but I'd believe Shaun T saying "you can do it" a bit more if I could see someone else struggling like me to feel like I'm not the only crazy person using these DVDs to get into shape from being vastly out of it.
One last bit before I go—why do they put body fat percentage "estimators" on scales and state your body fat percent like it is fact? It is total bull! I weighed myself this morning, 216.4 lbs, 34.5% body fat according to my scale. Weighed myself for giggles after my workout—216.0 lbs but 44.0% body fat. What? How did I barely eat all day, lose .4 pounds, but gain 10% body fat? Not sure how that happens exactly.
Anyway, I'm out for the night. Hoping to get my first morning workout in tomorrow since work will be low key tomorrow with the boss man out of the office. Three down—51 left!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Day 2 — Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Just took out the trash and sipping my cheap protein shake (definitely getting Shakeology in my budget as soon as work ramps back up). Finished my workout before dinner today (dad brought home gyros...he isn't really helping my diet.) and it was tough, but good.
Surprised to find that my leg strength is my weakest link still. I assumed my cardio would be—and it certainly holds me back—but my legs just couldn't keep going. I rested a total of 8:29 in today's plyo circuit of the 44 total minutes, but 6 of those were during the second circuit, namely the second and third rotations of that circuit. My mind and lungs wanted to keep going, but my legs literally wouldn't respond. That's okay though, I feel them getting stronger every day and I know that the bulk of my torso fat doesn't help me at all. Not to mention that my core is weak, so my legs are working even harder than they should.
On to the problem now. I still can't figure out any of the hip flexor stretches other than the Warrior Pose one with arms straight up, sitting into the stretch. The one he does with the leg contractions standing one one leg makes me want to stop the DVD and walk away. How am I supposed to even attempt that when I cannot put my palms on the floor with my front leg straight? Not to mention that I don't know if I'm too tight, but I can't extend my leg straight back on those (after I give up and use my desk to support myself instead of the floor), I have to "twist" so that my toes end up pointing away from the centerline of my body when I complete the extension of my leg. Not sure if any of that makes sense, but any help would be nice. (For anyone who has the DVD, the stretches I am talking about start at 29:47 left on the 'timeline' at the bottom of the screen. The leg extension ones start at 28:24. That's where I make my torso parallel to the floor and hold the desk in front of me to support my body because I can't touch the floor.)
On somewhat of the same lines, the "in and out abs" and the "ski abs" are annoying, but for different reasons. The "in and out abs"...I have large thighs. They are mainly muscle (that isn't hubris, that is true). I cannot get my knees between my arms in a pushup position. My thighs do not allow that. So any tips for that would be appreciated.
The issue with "ski abs" is feeling a twinge on the outside of my right kneecap when I do this exercise. So, how far should I be 'traveling' from the center of my body? On the DVD, it seems like fairly far, but the seemingly imminent feeling of injury gets worse the farther I go out. For now I have been limiting it to where is comfortable, but I don't know if I should be pushing farther to improve or if improvement will come even in my comfort zone.
Not trying to turn today's blog into a rant or complaints, so here is the good from today. I love dubstep—among many other kinds of music—and I'm not crazy about the music on the Insanity DVDs. Solution? Play a dubstep Pandora station in the background with the DVD. That made my workout so much more enjoyable today, I actually had fun. I don't think I will ever like these workouts more than just pure, elegant, relaxing distance running, but they are a good alternative right now to the freezing cold outside my door.
Anyway, that's my workout, on to the story about the name of this blog. The title is 26.2/365 because the goal was to train for and run the Chicago Marathon in a year. I am not convinced that is a practical goal for me, but I am committed to the half-marathon at least. In lieu of that, this blog has been adapted from a concept about training for a marathon in a year into simply a daily blog about improving physical health, the things I learn along the way, and my personal journey leading to completing a marathon—and possibly an Ironman in a few years.
Lastly, for anyone doing Insanity, I suggest getting a Chess Timer app for your phone (or get an actual chess clock if you don't have a smartphone). You can use that to easily track how much of the workout you are "resting" for giving you more data on your progress than just the fit test as the days and weeks go by.
That's all for Day 2. Two workouts down...fifty-two left to go!
Surprised to find that my leg strength is my weakest link still. I assumed my cardio would be—and it certainly holds me back—but my legs just couldn't keep going. I rested a total of 8:29 in today's plyo circuit of the 44 total minutes, but 6 of those were during the second circuit, namely the second and third rotations of that circuit. My mind and lungs wanted to keep going, but my legs literally wouldn't respond. That's okay though, I feel them getting stronger every day and I know that the bulk of my torso fat doesn't help me at all. Not to mention that my core is weak, so my legs are working even harder than they should.
On to the problem now. I still can't figure out any of the hip flexor stretches other than the Warrior Pose one with arms straight up, sitting into the stretch. The one he does with the leg contractions standing one one leg makes me want to stop the DVD and walk away. How am I supposed to even attempt that when I cannot put my palms on the floor with my front leg straight? Not to mention that I don't know if I'm too tight, but I can't extend my leg straight back on those (after I give up and use my desk to support myself instead of the floor), I have to "twist" so that my toes end up pointing away from the centerline of my body when I complete the extension of my leg. Not sure if any of that makes sense, but any help would be nice. (For anyone who has the DVD, the stretches I am talking about start at 29:47 left on the 'timeline' at the bottom of the screen. The leg extension ones start at 28:24. That's where I make my torso parallel to the floor and hold the desk in front of me to support my body because I can't touch the floor.)
On somewhat of the same lines, the "in and out abs" and the "ski abs" are annoying, but for different reasons. The "in and out abs"...I have large thighs. They are mainly muscle (that isn't hubris, that is true). I cannot get my knees between my arms in a pushup position. My thighs do not allow that. So any tips for that would be appreciated.
The issue with "ski abs" is feeling a twinge on the outside of my right kneecap when I do this exercise. So, how far should I be 'traveling' from the center of my body? On the DVD, it seems like fairly far, but the seemingly imminent feeling of injury gets worse the farther I go out. For now I have been limiting it to where is comfortable, but I don't know if I should be pushing farther to improve or if improvement will come even in my comfort zone.
Not trying to turn today's blog into a rant or complaints, so here is the good from today. I love dubstep—among many other kinds of music—and I'm not crazy about the music on the Insanity DVDs. Solution? Play a dubstep Pandora station in the background with the DVD. That made my workout so much more enjoyable today, I actually had fun. I don't think I will ever like these workouts more than just pure, elegant, relaxing distance running, but they are a good alternative right now to the freezing cold outside my door.
Anyway, that's my workout, on to the story about the name of this blog. The title is 26.2/365 because the goal was to train for and run the Chicago Marathon in a year. I am not convinced that is a practical goal for me, but I am committed to the half-marathon at least. In lieu of that, this blog has been adapted from a concept about training for a marathon in a year into simply a daily blog about improving physical health, the things I learn along the way, and my personal journey leading to completing a marathon—and possibly an Ironman in a few years.
Lastly, for anyone doing Insanity, I suggest getting a Chess Timer app for your phone (or get an actual chess clock if you don't have a smartphone). You can use that to easily track how much of the workout you are "resting" for giving you more data on your progress than just the fit test as the days and weeks go by.
That's all for Day 2. Two workouts down...fifty-two left to go!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Day 1 — Post Fit Test
That never gets easier, does it? The Fit Test isn't even considered a "workout," and yet I was dripping with sweat and my leg muscles are certainly shaky from stretching and the workout. However, I did improve on all my scores from November (except Globe Jumps, but I did the same as last time), so it is good to see that my minimal effort has at least kept the holiday fitness drop off at bay.
Having said all that, I will keep this post short. To my coach, I wish I had a pregnancy to "blame" for me being out of shape. That is one of the depressing things that makes it so hard to dig out of this hole. I thought so little of myself that I got this out of shape, do I really have the strength to get out? With the help of my lovely girlfriend over the last few months, and any of you reading this as I go forward, I believe I will.
Also, I think that being open and vulnerable and having people invest even 5 minutes of their day into me—a total stranger—and my experiences will keep me honest with myself and motivated. Plus, the thought that maybe my success could inspire someone—whether they are close to me or I've never met them—to make any kind of change in their life should be all the motivation I should need. We'll see however if that theory is true.
So, to cap it off, I hope everyone's New Year of 2012 has started off great! Off to dinner, then bed so I can get my first real workout—and maybe a little sports writing—in tomorrow before work. Good luck to all of you in the challenge!
P.S. For anyone curious about this blog's name or web address...I'll explain in tomorrow's post.
P.P.S. My fit test results and daily workout timings can be seen here...riveting stuff I know, but the graphs are pretty and show improvement pretty effectively.
Having said all that, I will keep this post short. To my coach, I wish I had a pregnancy to "blame" for me being out of shape. That is one of the depressing things that makes it so hard to dig out of this hole. I thought so little of myself that I got this out of shape, do I really have the strength to get out? With the help of my lovely girlfriend over the last few months, and any of you reading this as I go forward, I believe I will.
Also, I think that being open and vulnerable and having people invest even 5 minutes of their day into me—a total stranger—and my experiences will keep me honest with myself and motivated. Plus, the thought that maybe my success could inspire someone—whether they are close to me or I've never met them—to make any kind of change in their life should be all the motivation I should need. We'll see however if that theory is true.
So, to cap it off, I hope everyone's New Year of 2012 has started off great! Off to dinner, then bed so I can get my first real workout—and maybe a little sports writing—in tomorrow before work. Good luck to all of you in the challenge!
P.S. For anyone curious about this blog's name or web address...I'll explain in tomorrow's post.
P.P.S. My fit test results and daily workout timings can be seen here...riveting stuff I know, but the graphs are pretty and show improvement pretty effectively.
Day 1 — Intro Time
Well, today might be the second day of January, but it is the first day of my exercise program and the first day of my 60 day INSANITY challenge. My coach Ashley and all the other members of the challenge will surely help me along the way and I can't wait to get to know them.
However, this is an intro to me. My name is Robert T Ivaniszyn II, and I'm from northern Illinois. I have lived here all my life, and up until January of 2011, I had been getting heavier and heavier until topping out at 250 pounds. When you consider that I am only 5'7.5", that is way too heavy. Since then, I have seen a low weight of 209 in November of 2011 after a bit of working out, a few failed INSANITY attempts, discovering a love for running, and watching what I eat.
However, 2012 is my year to step up and finally get my weight into the range I have wanted it to be in for years. So, as part of this challenge, I will be blogging every day that I can about my workouts and my eating habits, and I will be changing my lifestyle overall.
Also, for those of you who like sports, poems or short fiction, I will be offering links to my daily writing for BleacherReport.com or one of my many other blogs.
So, that being said, my goal at the end of the first round of INSANITY (9 weeks from now, March 5th 2012) is to weight under 205 pounds (preferably for a few days in a row before the end of that week because I know weight can fluctuate quite a bit from day to day). I don't care so much about what the scale says because of the fact that I have large legs and a lot of muscle mass (though not very toned muscle) below my waist, so I'm more concerned about how I look and feel. However, I am a Physics major, so I work in numbers and data, so I'll be tracking that as well.
Lastly, I will be using Libra weight tracking app for Android to track my weight (it is a fantastically designed free app, I recommend it to everyone) and iMapMyRun.com and its app to track my caloric intake/output. Also, since this seems to be a 90 day group and INSANITY is a 60 day program, I may do some running for the last 30 days, all of which would be tracked on iMapMyRun.com.
So, there is my intro! Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you all later after my fit test. Hopefully this will be one of my last fit tests without completing the program. I have failed so many times, I am ready to get over the hump and do this! I'm a strange case because I'm not a "health nut," I'm not looking to be single digit body fat, or any of that. But I accept the high blood pressure and heart disease that run in may family, I believe that my girlfriend deserves a better looking me, and I want to be able to enjoy myself physically in any way that I desire (running, snowboarding, canoeing, etc) without my strength, endurance or cardio limiting me. I'm 23 years old now and I'm ready to be in the best shape of my life—and stay there!
MapMyRun App
Libra Weight Tracker
However, this is an intro to me. My name is Robert T Ivaniszyn II, and I'm from northern Illinois. I have lived here all my life, and up until January of 2011, I had been getting heavier and heavier until topping out at 250 pounds. When you consider that I am only 5'7.5", that is way too heavy. Since then, I have seen a low weight of 209 in November of 2011 after a bit of working out, a few failed INSANITY attempts, discovering a love for running, and watching what I eat.
However, 2012 is my year to step up and finally get my weight into the range I have wanted it to be in for years. So, as part of this challenge, I will be blogging every day that I can about my workouts and my eating habits, and I will be changing my lifestyle overall.
Also, for those of you who like sports, poems or short fiction, I will be offering links to my daily writing for BleacherReport.com or one of my many other blogs.
So, that being said, my goal at the end of the first round of INSANITY (9 weeks from now, March 5th 2012) is to weight under 205 pounds (preferably for a few days in a row before the end of that week because I know weight can fluctuate quite a bit from day to day). I don't care so much about what the scale says because of the fact that I have large legs and a lot of muscle mass (though not very toned muscle) below my waist, so I'm more concerned about how I look and feel. However, I am a Physics major, so I work in numbers and data, so I'll be tracking that as well.
Lastly, I will be using Libra weight tracking app for Android to track my weight (it is a fantastically designed free app, I recommend it to everyone) and iMapMyRun.com and its app to track my caloric intake/output. Also, since this seems to be a 90 day group and INSANITY is a 60 day program, I may do some running for the last 30 days, all of which would be tracked on iMapMyRun.com.
So, there is my intro! Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you all later after my fit test. Hopefully this will be one of my last fit tests without completing the program. I have failed so many times, I am ready to get over the hump and do this! I'm a strange case because I'm not a "health nut," I'm not looking to be single digit body fat, or any of that. But I accept the high blood pressure and heart disease that run in may family, I believe that my girlfriend deserves a better looking me, and I want to be able to enjoy myself physically in any way that I desire (running, snowboarding, canoeing, etc) without my strength, endurance or cardio limiting me. I'm 23 years old now and I'm ready to be in the best shape of my life—and stay there!
MapMyRun App
Libra Weight Tracker
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