May 14: 40 minutes stair climber after flying back home-- better than nothing!

Totals:

11 days
620 minutes

May 15: 65 minutes U-Jam class

Totals:

12 days
685 minutes

Wednesday, May 16:

45 minute spin class with a distracted instructor, who didn't push us as hard and curtailed class by a few minutes. Apparently I like to be challenged. Well, tomorrow is the 90-minute endurance class, so it may be good to rest up
15 minute Pilates routine, with me feeling awkward and heavy due to time of month. The fluid retention came on late, but it's definitely happened now.

Tue. May 15:
-nothing, but I managed not to eat dessert.

Wed. May 16:
-2 miles in 17:17 on treadmill.
-6 minutes Stairmaster (how can anyone tolerate this for >10 minutes?!) in "hill" mode, resistance 10/12.

Thursday, May 17:

90 minute endurance spin class, with different kinds of sprints and climbs, jumps, "holds," changes in position. This class, which started at 5:30 AM, was very small: Me, a guy who does lots of distance rides on the weekends and a woman training for triathlons, and I kept pushing myself to keep up. No matter how much better my conditioning gets, it seems I have a long, long way to go.

May 16: 30 minutes Turbo Kick class, 30 minutes Amped up Abs class (ow!)

Won't get any exercise in today :mad::devil: because dh and I are going to our first scuba lesson today-- but it's all in the classroom from 5-10 pm. I've got to pick him up at 4 so exercise will be out of the question unfortunately.

Totals:

13 days
745 minutes

Friday, May 18th:

15 minutes Stairmaster stepper, resistance at eight, aerobic intervals
60 minutes back and biceps routine, the usual lat pulldowns and dumbbell work
45 minutes back on the stepper, resistance dropped to seven, aerobic intervals

An excellent morning to be in the free weight area, as it's nearly unoccupied, and the brilliant sunshine is putting me in a good, summery mood in spite of myself. My winter of work with free weights has really helped my arms, and just in time for the bare-arm season.

I remember when I used to dread the warmth of summer, which meant exposure, showing publicly the parts of me of which I was most ashamed.

Of maintenance, I ask myself sometimes: Is all this work worth it?

A thousand times yes, when I think of how it used to feel. Once, I endured two "sad" seasons: Deepest, darkest winter and the muggy heat of summer. I still don't like a hot, humid climate, but I'm used to sweating hard, since I do it every day, and I feel ... acceptable ... in shorts and sleeveless shirts.

Thursday, May 17:
-15 minutes elliptical at resistance 5, incline 10.
-3 x 10-12 arms routine. My bent-over dumbbell row is getting stronger FINALLY!
-3 minutes running on treadmill. Forget that!
-20 minutes HIIT on elliptical. Almost died but did not.

May 17: none

May 18: 60 minutes approx swimming, treading water, snorkeling...

Totals:

14 days
805 minutes

Saturday, May 19th:

Nothing, as I took a bus at 6:15 AM and spent the day in Manhattan and Westchester County, not getting in until 1:30 AM Sunday. More walking than I've been doing Upstate and more subway stair climbing. For the first time, I noticed how many people have a very hard time on the subway staircases. Particularly those with strollers, let alone the handicapped.

Sunday, May 20th:

Not many people in the gym on what feels like the first real day of summer that's fallen on a weekend. I'm sure we're going to flirt with the 90s today.

15 minutes Stairmaster step mill, aerobic intervals, resistance at eight
60 minutes shoulders, biceps and triceps with dumbbells, trying to keep to 15 lbs. as much as possible
45 minutes back on the Stairmaster, same setting, pouring sweat despite low expenditure of calories on the machine, likely due to humidity in the gym. Well, maybe this is good, as my legs ballooned insanely with retained fluid last night during the bus trip back from NY, and any shedding of that has to be good.

Monday, May 21st:

45 minute spin class, getting my butt kicked, as I was surrounded by fit, tanned runners, and I am pale, and don't look like a greyhound
15 minute Pilates routine afterward, working from memory, as I forgot my little piece of paper with my routine. I am always carrying little pieces of paper with routines written on them, usually on weight-training days.

Something about Mondays brings out people to the gym. Atonement for the weekend, I'd imagine, or a desire to start the week well. I don't know, but it's one of the busiest days in every gym I've ever belonged to.

May 19: 90 minutes hike with Dewey while meeting up with a Doxie group.

May 20: 100 minutes Bikram Yoga-- different instructor and he went at least 10 minutes over-- he apologized saying he couldn't see the clock without his glasses!

Totals:

16 days
995 minutes

Saturday, May 19: 12 mile mountain hike in Petersburgh Pass on the Taconic Crest Trail. Less challenging than the other 12 mile hike, and faster - we finished in 6 hours flat.

Tuesday, May 22:

15 minutes Stairmaster stepper, aerobic intervals, resistance set at eight
60 minutes chest, biceps and triceps, with a scary moment bench pressing when, on that last lift to failure, I set down the left side up on the higher hook but couldn't get the right side further up than the lower hook, so it was sort of slantwise over me. This is why people have spotters. There was no one in the free weight area but a trainer working with another woman. I did not want to yell and interrupt the lesson, but would have if the situation was scarier.
45 minutes Stairmaster stepper, same setting, getting wiped out by the end.

May 21: 30 minutes Body pump class, 30 minutes strength training class
This instructor scares me. I know she has young kids. I sure would be afraid to live with her! She is tough.

Totals:

17 days
1055 minutes

Monday, May 21:
-15 minutes elliptical, resistance 5, 1.73 miles.
-Upper body weights routine. Added 3x10 superset for bent-over dumbbell row, graduated to 80 lbs on lat pulldown machine
-5 minutes treadmill x 2
-2 x 10 dumbbell squats with two 25-lb dumbbells.

May 22: 60 minutes U Jam class

Totals:

18 days
1115 minutes

Wednesday, May 23:

45 minute spin class with the tough instructor, and me feeling remarkably good, like I could ride and ride
15 minutes Pilates routine afterward, again feeling pretty good. I don't understand these days, though I love when they happen -- maybe it's a matter of getting more sleep the night before.

Tuesday, May 22:
-1 hour Zumba class. The second half was taught by a VERY buff instructor who incorporated a lot of tae bo esque moves. Much more challenging, I liked it way better!

May 23: 30 minutes Turbo Kick class, 30 minutes Strength Training class

Totals:

19 days
1175 minutes

Thursday, May 24th:

45 minute spin class, with the instructor who dislikes long, steady rides and prefers to change it up every four minutes or so, with lots of changes in position. Doing six sprints in a row nearly at the end pretty much wrecked me.
15 minute Pilates routine, which doesn't get easier, even the Hundred, which you'd think I'd be improving at.

May 24: 60 minutes Zumba

Totals:

20 days
1235 minutes

Friday, May 25th:

15 minutes Stairmaster stepper, aerobic intervals, resistance at eight
60 minutes back & biceps routine, ending up with the Gravitron, which I dislike and like at the same time
45 minutes back on the stepper, same setting, and this one killed me so badly that during the final 10 minutes, in a 3-minute interval at max resistance, when I thought I might not make it, I grabbed onto the side rails. Otherwise hands-free. Earlier in the week, I was able to do this without holding on, so there was some extra fatigue today, probably from the lifting part of my workout.

The humidity in the gym is such that I've moved over to my summer wardrobe of a tank over my sports bra, and now I see for the first time what my winter of upper body work has wrought. My back, shoulders, arms and abs look better. I think. I don't trust my perceptions of my own body. Wish I'd taken measurements, but I didn't. My weight is up, though.

May 25: 90 minutes bikram yoga

Totals:

21 days
1325 minutes

Saturday, May 26th:

20 minutes Stairmaster stepmill, aerobic intervals, resistance at eight, till someone wanted the machine and pointed to a new sign on the wall: "Limit of 20 minutes." That's because the other identical machine has been busted for four weeks.
40 minutes Cybex arc trainer, resistance at nine, hill intervals
15 minutes Pilates routine afterward

The woman who wanted the Stairmaster had an attitude. I was sorry. I'd missed the sign on the wall. (Signs proliferated over the past week with the Memorial Day weekend holiday hours and special class schedule, so I was blind to it.) At least there are other machines that I like, so I can change up my routine if I need to.

Sunday, May 27th:

15 minutes Stairmaster step mill, almost entirely with my hands behind my back
60 minutes shoulders, biceps and triceps routine, mostly with the 15-lb weights. My bumping up from 12-lb to 15-lb dumbbells has seemingly coincided with greater strength gains and visible changes in my body.
45 minutes arc trainer, 2:1 intervals, resistance at nine, a long, hard slog. I think as I handle higher weights, I'm going to have to reduce my cardio on lifting days, as I can't think why else it's harder to get through these bouts.

May 26: 60 minutes boot camp and 60 minutes hike

Totals:

22 days
1445 minutes

May 27: 60 minutes Zumba

Totals:

23 days
1505 minutes

Memorial Day, Monday, May 28th:

4 mile run on my regular counterclockwise route, feeling fabulous on a beautiful sunny but breezy morning for the first third in my new Reebok DMX running shoes, and then managing the rest despite a stitch in my right side.

Michele, are you taking Zumba classes or do you use a dvd?

I take classes at the gym. I'm lucky that my gym is close by and has tons of classes so I can take a variety.

Tuesday, May 29th:

We're in the midst of summer heat, and though the gym had airconditioning going, and fans, it's a cavernous two-level space, with the cardio machines up in a loft area that traps the heat. So this was my sweatiest workout in many months.

15 minutes Stairmaster stepper, resistance at eight, aerobic intervals
60 minutes shoulders, chest and triceps, with bench pressing, which I am getting better at
45 minutes on Stairmaster stepper, same setting, and I was a hot mess. I mean, literally, because of the humidity levels in the gym, and probably the weights, I lasted 20 minutes hands free, then grabbed the side rails for the rest of the workout, showering the machine with sweat, until about the last three minutes. I'm just glad I made it. Wondering which is the lesser of two evils: Dropping the resistance to seven, and staying hands-free, or keeping the resistance at eight and grabbing the handlebars or rails?

I don't know how you do it without holding on! I always have to hold on otherwise I start tripping. You must be more coordinated than I am!

May 28: 90 minutes Bikram Yoga in the morning, home for a quick shower and some food, then...
85 minutes Zumba

had hoped the double exercise would have helped my fluid retention, but I think I ate too much salty stuff yesterday and the scale was up even with all of the exercise.:o

Totals:

24 days
1680 minutes

Friday, May 25:
-Hungover upper body weights routine + 20 squats with two 20-lb dumbbells.

May 29: 60 minutes U-Jam class

Totals:

25 days
1740 minutes

Wednesday, May 30th:

45 minute spin class with the very young, short-songs-and-lots-of-sprints instructor, with me envying the tan on the woman immediately in front of me in class
15 minutes Pilates routine, at which I see a definite improvement. I keep saying this but I can't wait to get back to my weekly Pilates mat classes to have an instructor watching my form.

May 29:
-20 minutes on arc trainer elliptical at resistance 30-50
-Upper body lifting routine - pulled/pinched something and had to stop halfway through. :(

Thursday, May 31st:

45 minute spin class that went pretty well, perhaps because I got to bed early last night -- in fact, while it was still light outside and the birds were still partying down
15 minute Pilates routine

I've still got a knot in the center of my right calf that feels worse when I am not moving and working it. Pressing on it makes it ache but also it feels better afterward, so it seems like something that a masseuse could work out. Or if I could get my hands on a golf ball and roll it around while pressing hard ...

5/31 - 25 minute sprint intervals program on elliptical before work.