Here we are, in the second month of the year, with some of the newness of writing and saying "2012" wearing off. And perhaps some of our good intentions for the new year are also running into reality.

Nevertheless, let's keep on moving during February.

Returning to the thread, which I had to leave to write something on the Facebook initial public offering for, like, oh, a couple tension-ridden hours.

And I'll start it off by catching up here, myself:

Wednesday, Feb. 1:

45 minute spin class, in which I got the second-to-last spot, thank goodness. I'm going to have to start calling ahead at 5 AM to reserve a bike. I was exchanging IMs with an analyst in Bangalore till 5:15 AM & had he kept me on even a few minutes later, there would have been no spin class.


Thursday, Feb. 2:

15 minutes Stairmaster stepper, resistance at eight on this unloved machine.
60 minutes back & biceps workout
45 minutes recumbent bike, resistance at a steady eight

There's a bespectacled, round-faced gentleman who lifts weights on the same days at me. I am a little worried about his blood pressure. He's one of those individuals whose face floods with scarlet color during strong exertion, until he looks like a cartoon devil. Really though he has the appearance of a mild-mannered programmer of some kind. (I work near quality control for my company's website & know what they look like.) He's very nice but we barely say a word to each other during our lifting sessions. I'm always glad when he's there, though. He's one of the men in the free weight area who has a welcoming aspect. Some of them give off a more "what're you doing here?" kind of vibe. This is the least progressive gym that I've ever worked out in, in that respect. Wouldn't you know this has to be in my hometown.

Thanks for starting the thread Saef.

For me:

February 1: 95 minutes Bikram Yoga

Totals:
1 day
95 minutes

Feb 1: 45 min yoga class
Feb 2: wog, w/u, c/d, plus 20 mins of 3:30 run 1:30 walk

Feb 1: Walked 4 miles in about an hour
Feb 2: Day 2 Week 1 of Couch-to-5K - I have no intentions of finishing this program; I'm just adding the running as an alternate exercise to keep warm when it's cold out and so I can run/walk my half marathon in May.

I did yoga every night this week except Wednesday which is my night out. Just 20 minutes before I go to be so nothing spectacular. The secret? I turn on the heated blanket and then do yoga while it warms my bed. Works like a charm.

The weather is turning so getting to walk every day this week (save today) was an unexpected blessing. Now we're back to staying indoors since we're expecting up to 12 inches of snow this weekend.

Onward!

Feb. 2: 60 minutes Zumba

Totals:
2 days
155 minutes

Friday, Feb. 3:

45 minute spin class, completely full, despite a fairly quiet and low-key atmosphere in the gym this morning. The word has gotten out here about spin classes being a tough and excellent workout. I called ahead to reserve a bike at about 5 AM and was glad I'd done so.

Saef-
At my gym you can't sign up for a class until an hour before and then it has to be in person. They give out passes and you have to give the pass to the instructor when class starts. The policy is only for the popular classes like spin and Zumba. I wish I could call ahead!

Feb. 3: 30 minutes elliptical. Went to the gym with dh. He said he would take an hour, but he was ready to go after 30! I couldn't complain though since it's his birthday though.

Totals:
3 days
185 minutes

Saturday, Feb. 4:

60 minutes arc trainer, resistance at nine, hill intervals, which felt endless at some points. Each time I spend a solitary session on a machine, I'm relearning what I can't seem to experience often enough. That a task looks daunting at the beginning. But that, if I keep working at it, the fractions of work completed keep accumulating. ("Okay, I'm now one-sixth of the way through ... I'm one-third done ... Halfway point ... Three quarters ... Almost there.") Same thing with the pile of work I'm facing this weekend.

Now I need to go shower and tackle it.

Feb. 4: 90 minutes bikram yoga
Dh went for the first time and survived! He said he would go again. It was my least favorite instructor so he should like it even more next time.

Totals:
4 days
275 minutes

Sunday, Feb. 5:

20 minutes Precor elliptical, most of this backward, resistance at seven and set on the program called Gluteal 1. ;-)
40 minutes on the Stairmaster, which is the machine I was waiting for, at six, aerobic intervals
60 minutes arms, shoulders & biceps routine


My big decision today was not to take a yoga class on top of all that work. I was thinking, "Why three hours? I've got other things to do, really." This is major. At one time in my life, three hours still wouldn't have been enough.

Feb. 5: 60 minutes elliptical

Totals:
5 days
335 minutes

Monday, Feb. 6:

90 minute endurance spin class, which is held twice a month. It's not an easy class, but since I routinely work out for more than an hour, I'm okay with going for the whole length.

And I have to say that I don't at all mind being surrounded by extremely athletic young males. The one just ahead of me had that very lean bike rider build, with the rock-hard quads, and I kept wondering at the circumference of his waist and hips. Except for the breadth of his shoulders, the guy was a snake. He had that beaky, shaved-head Teutonic blond look. The guy who was on my right is so good-looking that he makes me slightly nervous. He's got thick dark hair, a triathlete's build, which is rather like a football player's, and very clear blue eyes. Like the young Mel Gibson. And on top of that, both these guys ride like bats out of he11. So I definitely want to keep up and compete. These are guys whom 250-Pound Saef would have averted her eyes from, knowing that they were probably Kings of their High School, and they were the kind who'd crack fat jokes and who wanted blond cheerleaders and had Cheryl Tiegs posters on their locker doors. (Yeah, that's how far back I go -- way back in the day.) It's very strange to be fit enough to keep up with these guys and to be seen by them as an athletic female. Very strange to look at life from both sides now.

Nice to have lots of "eye candy" to keep you distracted while you rode!