Wednesday, 8 December 2010:

45 minute spin class
30 minute Pilates routine on my own

In low spirits tonight, thinking: What is the point of all this frenetic activity? At the gym, at the office, even at home. It's an existential question. Basically: Why bother?

I need to get to bed early tonight.

Hope you feel better tomorrow Saef! I hear you about the emotions-- such a roller coaster sometimes.

I was feeling very deprived today and was getting frustrated. I finally "allowed" myself to go and get a latte (nonfat and sugar free of course). It was just what I needed to boost my spirits!

December 8: 60 minutes spin class

Totals:
8 days
429 minutes

I think some people call them mountain climbers, and if you bring both feet in and out at the same time, they're called mountain jumpers. I call them pretty darn excruciating. Hope your toes are feeling better.

I am officially taking a Week Off From Exercising (that's how I think of it, capitalization and all) but yesterday I went to a Hatha Yoga class thinking it would be a lot of breathing and relaxing. Instead, it kicked my butt, albeit in a non-pounding, non-cardio sort of way.

Wednesday, Dec 8:
60 minutes Hatha Yoga

That's it, exactly, Amy! Thank you! Mountain climbers! That's what we were doing. Also, a few months ago, in a one-hour free personal training session, a trainer told me to do the Mountain Jumpers, though he didn't give them a name at all, just demonstrated & then watched me. (I did not jump that mountain very well. The trainer said I ought to be lighter on my feet.) Yes, they're ****. So it's not just me being a pathetic weakling. And my toe joints recovered, after a good night's sleep, but that wasn't a fun walk home from the gym that night.

I'm in better spirits today than I was last night, thank goodness.

Thursday, December 9:
60 minutes arc trainer, resistance at 8, hill intervals
60 minutes Pilates class, with the instructor having us do some Lottie Burke stuff that focused on different muscles in our butts, so I'm gonna be feeling this tomorrow.

December 9: 60 minutes elliptical

Totals:
9 days
489 minutes

Dec 9 - rest day, 15 min dog walk

Friday, December 10:

15:06 rowing on Concept II, 2:23 500/m, for a total of 2,900 meters, 43 s/m, 6,039 projected
60 minutes weights
45 minutes on elliptical, random, resistance at 8

That's close to what I did when rowing this past Tuesday, so that day was not a fluke.

Michele, thanks, I've recovered now.
I need to find my own personal equivalent of a latte. One idea: I have all these bath tablets, bath bombs, aromatic oils for the bath, etc. And rarely soak in the tub. I need to do more tub-soaking. If only to clear out the bathroom cabinet.

December 10:
60 minute Athletic Yoga class

Tomorrow I run again -- yay! Hoping for more than 30 degrees.

Saturday, December 11:

20 minute warmup on stationery bike, as instructor was late, enough to make us worry about her
45 minute spin class
60 minute Pilates class

December 11:
6.2 mile run
60 minutes

Sunday December 12:

Woke up at 5:30 AM after going to bed at midnight, and my feet were still sore from walking around Midtown and the West Side yesterday from 2 PM - 10:30 PM (with some breaks to see the movie "Company Men" and the musical play "Brief Encounter"). So I was tired. And it was so gray outside & raining very hard. So it was difficult to make myself walk to the gym, but I did it. For the first time, I brought a Poland Spring bottle three-quarters filled with cold coffee, along with my water bottle. And some Stride Sweet Peppermint gum to chew while lifting.

15:07 rowing on the Concept II, 2:28 for 500 meter, 2,832 meters, 43 s/m, for projected total of 5,842 meters
60 minutes weights
45 minute spin class

Some motivation for me: Yesterday the Pilates instructor said that my body shape has really been tightening up & pointed out that my bike shorts (for spin class) have diaper butt in the back. Well, those shorts are relatively expensive, so I'm gonna keep wearing them anyway.

Saef, that's a new one -- "diaper-butt NSV!"

December 12:
6.6 mile run
1:04

Hurray!

Friday - hour-long walk around a reservoir and through a woodland. Almost benighted but got out in time.

Saturday - hour-long walk through an arboretum of Australian trees (lovely, huge eucalyptus), a scruffy bit of British wood and along a beautiful shore.

Sunday - working today but I feel better for the walks.

The plan for the Christmas holidays is that I need a good walk and a bit of stretching every day. This is better than nothing and I recognise that I'm not going to get to the gymn, the amount of work and 'stuff' that's going on. No point in really doing my head in, friends, for the sake of my body. Mens sana in corpore sano and all that stuff. Thanks, Juvenal.

December 10: 44 minutes running
December 11: 60 minutes elliptical
December 12: 60 minutes elliptical

Totals: 12 days
653 minutes