August 21: 90 minutes Bikram Yoga

Totals:
20 days
1330 minutes

Sunday, Aug. 21:

Again, no gym, but once again walking continuously from 10 AM to 4:30 PM, with very few breaks. This day at the antique show was rainy. I got only jewelry: vintage Fiorati bead jewelry made in Murano, probably in 1940s-1950s, and a pair of earrings, maybe Navajo, that look like tiny squash blossom necklaces. That's a lot of walking for just that. Which sometimes brings about an existential crisis, so I wonder what is the point of walking and looking. Also sometimes I get disgusted by all the stuff, so much stuff, why do people need so much stuff, all of it ought to be dumped or sent to outer space just to get it off the planet.

Traveling Michelle and dagmar, thanks so much for your suggestions. I will definitely google info on strength training at home. My BIL is like an adhoc personal trainer and offered to help set me up with a routine though that was when I had a gym membership so now it is a bit different. But I am confident I will work something out, starting right after labor day.in new York this week. No access to treadmill which kills me a bit but wearing my pedometer everyday and counting my calories at maintenance level.

Have a wonderful week.

Monday, Aug. 22:

60 minutes on creaky Star Trac elliptical, resistance at nine, hill intervals
30 minute Pilates mat routine on my own


I should be more relieved to be back in the gym. Such as it is: The long slow but unrelenting decline at the gym in my mother's small Upstate town continues. I got on three ellipticals before finding one that worked. (The two nice Nautilus models were down, though without "Out of Order" signs on them. Maybe they ran out of these signs since there were about three of them on the treadmills.) Even then the working one I was on felt bouncy and not all that great -- I got nowhere near the workout I get on the LifeFitness elliptical at my gym back home downstate. Then Pilates on my own. I then drifted downstairs to check the weight equipment. Here, the gym shines. All kinds of bars and cages & etc. I have never used a Nautilus brand Gravitron (Stairmaster made the one at my gym) and will need one of the trainers or even desk attendants to show me how briefly. But that's for tomorrow.

August 22: 60 minutes Body Pump

Totals:
21 days
1390 minutes

8/22:

40 min. elliptical
45 min. walking the shaggy dog and shaggy hubby (hills and flat)

Tuesday, Aug. 23:

15 minute warmup backward on elliptical, resistance steady at eight
60 minutes back and biceps routine
45 minutes elliptical, steady resistance at eight

August 23: 60 minutes elliptical

Totals:
22 days
1450 minutes

Tonight I hit my 200th day of exercise this year! I originally was aiming for 300 days and then realized I had missed too many days to get there. Rather than being mad at myself , I reset my goal to make it attainable. So, I hit it today. I'm going to see how much further I can get now. I'm going to reset it for 250 and hope to get there.

YAY Michelle! That's a lot of work, and that's also a useful lesson in goal-setting and being practical.

As for me, on Wednesday, 24 August

I ran continuously for 4 miles and walked about another half-mile to cool down afterward. The running part took me about 35-40 minutes, I'm not sure how long.

This is a familiar route, one that I used to walk-run for years when I lived at my parents' house. I was never certain of the distance, though, but that wonderful site MapMyRun shows that, as I thought, there are a lot of runners around here. Many have marked their favorite runs, and many of them run along my old route and worked out the distance.

Did you enjoy the running Saef?

I'm not really in your league but I do keep moving. With the 11 year old pacer, I've been swimming and am now going running & basket balling. Is that a triathlon? (Emphasis on the 'try', I think.)

Michele, it was exhilarating. The air was very cool this morning, even chilly; I'd slept with a blanket over me the night before, and also my mother's cat beside my right knee. I felt reluctant to head to the gym and realized the creaky elliptical held no appeal. But the country road did. So I decided to try my old route. I also ran this on Easter morning earlier this year. I certainly have the breath for it, no trouble there at all. I tried to be lighter on my feet so it felt less like pounding. The blacktop was new and more forgiving than I'd thought. (In my old neighborhood, downstate, the streets are poured cement & that is not at all good on knees and feet.) I did notice a slight discomfort in the small of my back. I don't know if that's due to impact or posture. Other than that, I felt really good. No quad soreness, which I suspect may be from spinning building up my quads.

I won't run again probably for months but it's good to try now and then. A really cool clear & gorgeous country morning in August was as good a time as any. It was like early October. Autumn comes sooner up here than downstate.

August 24: 95 minutes Bikram Yoga

Totals:
23 days
1545 minutes

Thursday, 25 August

60 minutes arc trainer, hill intervals, resistance at nine
60 minutes Pilates class


Back to my gym, appreciating anew the clean and working equipment, the free towels, the free classes in all their variety, and even the voluble, over-sharing Thursday night Pilates instructor. Who really is a gifted teacher.

Glad you enjoyed the run Saef. My back often twinges when I run as well.

August 25: 60 minutes Hip Hop dance class. I'm bummed because the instructor announced that today was the last class. They are replacing it with a Zumba class and making it 30 minutes earlier. At my gym the Zumba and U-Jam classes have been ridiculously full and you have to sign up for them. They keep adding more to try to keep up with the demand. I hate full classes and I'm not sure if I can make it there early. We'll see....

Totals:
24 days
1605 minutes