60 minutes elliptical, resistance at eight, half peddling backward
60 minutes Pilates class
Friday, July 15:
Just about 10 minutes rowing on Concept 2 for 2,000 meters, not a good time today
60 minutes back & biceps routine
45 minutes arc trainer, hill intervals, resistance at nine
I'm putting up two days because last night, when I got online, this site was down for maintenance.
Yesterday my head was spinning from working on three assignments, sometimes simultaneously. I was recovering from one of my 12-hour days on Weds. but still had a great deal to do. I sent back to Taiwan the long report I'd rewritten for an ESL analyst. I do find that heading for the gym afterward is the best way to come down from that heightened state of alertness & stress & clockwatching.
This morning was my second time doing the Back & Biceps routine. I'm getting better at the move, but have to look up the corkscrew curls & the back flys again to check the form. The pullups are quite awful, even on the Gravitron with the setting at 14. I manage maybe five to eight before conking out. Maybe 10 with the last one looking quite shaky & uncertain if the pullup is the easiest one in the routine. Also I'm in a transitional stage where doing 16 reps of, say, an in & out bicep curl is not hard for me with 10-lbs. but I can't complete it with 12.5-lbs.
This morning I used youtube for my pilates routine and stumbled upon http://www.blogilates.com . . . she is way more energetic than your typical zen pilates instructor but I enjoyed her routines. Haven't had much chance to look at the blog yet. I was encouraged to keep working hard when I had been in a bridge so long that my legs were shaking, because she was saying in the video that hers were shaking too.
On the other hand, I had a lot more trouble with rollovers than I am used to and I am guessing it's because I haven't been exercising much lately. I guess I just need to go do some more pilates work.
In other discouraging news, while I was out riding my bike yesterday, I got passed by a big group ride. That in and of itself was fine, although I was a little scared when the first guy coming up said, "Bikes passing on your left . . . there's about 60 or 70 of us." I'm not used to riding in any sort of crowd. But the discouraging part was that some lady who was in the group must have thought I was part of the group, but since I was going so much slower than all the people passing me, she called out to me, "Are you okay?" Yes, I'm fine, I'm just slow as molasses. The worst part was that I was going pretty fast for ME, and my average speed over the whole ride was also fast *for me.* But I already knew that I am too slow to participate in even the "beginner" level group rides. Kind of like how I always ran to slow for any kind of group running. What's up with that anyway?
Jessica In Toronto everyone in the "beginner" levels seems to be competing and really fast. I went on a beginner kayaking thing when I was an intermediate (in my mind) and could barely keep up with the group. And everyone paddling obviously had paddled before.
My biking is no longer speed oriented. I went for an hour long ride today and covered 20K at a comfortable speed that allowed me to see, smell, and hear all the nature around me. Nice! And I got chatted up briefly by a young (30ish)hottie on his bike. I have forgotten how to flirt - it's been so long.
I think as long as you are moving and breathing at a slightly elevated level any ride will be of benefit.
Back online after my laptop froze up early Saturday morning. I called the help desk in Bangalore tonight & they got me going again with the simplest fix imaginable. (I had to remove the battery, hold down the power button for 30 seconds, then reinstall the battery.)
Saturday, July 16:
60 minute spin class
60 minute Pilates class
Sunday, July 17:
10 minutes stairmaster, resistance at seven
60 minutes weights, arm& shoulders routine
45 minute spin class
In an effort to make myself feel better about being so slow, I went on a bike ride this weekend and tried to keep my speed over 15mph as much as possible (thanks to my new bike computer, I know how fast I'm going!). Ended up with an average speed of 14.6mph, which is super fast for me but still under 15. Oh well, at least I got close!
Saturday 7/16:
- walking around a living history museum all day
Sunday July 17:
- 42 min ~10 mile bike ride, 14.6mph average. I like how my bike computer stops the clock when I stop at red lights, or when I had to stop since my chain fell off when I was shifting.
- 8 laps in the swimming pool. I didn't have my watch but I was aiming for about 10 minutes.
45 minutes arc trainer, intervals, resistance at nine
60 minutes circuit training with some abs work afterward
My laptop conked out when I got to the office this morning. Fortunately I walked down to the lab & they swapped my hard drive into another machine, which seems to have taken care of the problem. Interesting to see the guy use a screwdriver, remove something like a deck of cards, and simply install it into another "shell." (That's what I thought of, a crab that has to find another shell afterward when it gets too big.)
Today was quite busy & I thought of taking my rest day tonight, but realized what I'd do when I got home was probably eat to get rid of the stress, not rest. Bingeing instead of resting would be sort of counterproductive.
So, Michele, I'm still watching to see what day feels "right" for a day off. If not for some social occasion, then probably the last day of the month.
10 minutes on the Stairmaster as a warmup, aerobic setting, resistance upped to eight
60 minutes back & biceps routine
60 minutes spin class with weight intervals
My shoulders & arms are sore from all this work with weights. I can practically *see* them changing from week to week now. It's freaking me out. I've become a narcissist, always looking at them in mirrors & feeling them sometimes. Thank goodness this FINALLY happened in time for tank tops & sleeveless tops.
And yet for all that, I've still got some jiggle, and if I hold my arms straight out , level at the shoulder, there's a slight visible looseness. This has got to be skin. Just like the skin that puddles off my abdomen in plank pose sometimes. I'm saddened by this, but hey, I made myself that fat. And am remaking myself now. Backwards thinking is not helpful.
45 minute spin class, with weights
30 minutes Pilates mat routine on my own
My arms did not have a lot left to give during the two brief intervals in 6 AM spin class when we use the weights while peddling. They're not injured or aching any more than the usual slight post-exercise stiffness. They're just tired. Well, they will get a break till Friday.
Monday 7/18
20 min pilates (abominable abdominals)
Tuesday 7/19
20 min pilates (outer thigh routine)
Wednesday 7/20
27:42 6.75 mile bike ride, 14.6mph
Exercising in the morning is both good and bad. It's good because I like to get it out of the way and do it first thing in the morning, and it's not as hot outside. It's bad because due to the timing of my thyroid meds, I can't eat anything before I work out and I tend to crash afterward. I felt like I was going to pass out this morning when I got back from my bike ride, and I wasn't allowed to eat for another 20 mins after I got back. I did drink a couple big glasses of water though -- it's extremely humid and hot outside here!
I guess I just need to go do some more pilates work.
I'm not used to riding in any sort of crowd. But the discouraging part was that some lady who was in the group must have thought I was part of the group, but since I was going so much slower than all the people passing me, she called out to me, "Are you okay?" 
Yes, I'm fine, I'm just slow as molasses. The worst part was that I was going pretty fast for ME, and my average speed over the whole ride was also fast *for me.* But I already knew that I am too slow to participate in even the "beginner" level group rides. Kind of like how I always ran to slow for any kind of group running. What's up with that anyway?
