2009 Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure

10:09 AM | 0 Comments

I did it! Four days in one week! I have a new goal now. Next year my friend Dre and I will enter the 2009 Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure. The run takes place Sunday, October 4, 2009.

With the race in mind I've decided to start training. I've got 309 days until the race and I want to make the best of that time. Plus, the extra incentive will help me achieve my overall goal of weight loss.

Treadmill: 1.83 km (1.14 miles) /23 minutes
I'm proud of myself. I alternated between walking/jogging/running. I jogged at a steady pace of 3.6 mph and when I wanted to push it I increased the speed to 5.5 mph. Like the Elliptical I did the interval training ad pushed it hard for about 20 - 30 seconds.

Thursday

10:40 AM | 0 Comments

Elliptical: 23 minutes. This one has an aerobics mode that tells you to push/pull with your arms or to only use your lower body or to go at a specific pace.
Fit Fix Circuit:
back extension: 180 lbs
leg extension: 90 lbs
leg curl: 100 lbs
leg press: 200 lbs
seated row: 75 lbs
lateral pull down: 75 lbs
chest press: 75 lbs
shoulder lateral raise: 40 lbs
shoulder press: 35 lbs
biceps: 65 lbs
triceps: 70 lbs
sit ups: 25 lbs (2 sets of 12)

Tuesday

11:41 AM | 0 Comments

I don't feel much like writing but I wanted to at least enter what I did yesterday.

Elliptical Trainer: 13 minutes
Fit Fix Circuit:
back extension: 180 lbs
leg extension: 90 lbs
leg curl: 100 lbs
leg press: 200 lbs
seated row: 75 lbs
lateral pull down: 75lbs
chest press: 75lbs
biceps: 65 lbs
triceps: 65lbs
sit ups: 25lbs (2 sets of 12)
Fire Alarm: 21 flights of stairs down (399 steps)
Walking: 1.7 miles

Reality Check

1:10 AM | 0 Comments

Okay, it is time to truly do something about my weight loss, because holy crap I'm big. The picture below was taken Saturday on my girl's night out at Boston Pizza.

I'm going to step up my work-outs, more time, more often. I've gotta be serious about making this a priority in my life.

This morning I procrastinated leaving, I went to bed late because I was trying to get some laundry washed. I decided since I cut myself short on time to do a cardio workout today.

I used an elliptical trainer today and really worked out my legs. I did interval training and pushed it hard for 15 seconds and went at a normal pace the rest of the minute. After a while I pushed it for 45 seconds and back to normal pace for 1-2 minutes. I'm surprised I made it to 30 minutes, but I'm glad I did.

I will be going Tuesday, Thursday and Friday as well.

Sick

10:44 AM | 0 Comments

So I've been sick for the past week. I did go to the gym last Monday. Today I went downtown, now that it's cold out biking has lost all its appeal. I wasn't able to push as hard as I've been previously. This cold has really thrown me for a loop, but at least I still went this morning. Oh we had our annual fire drill on Thursday and I went down 399 steps.

Monday, November 10th
Biking: 3.8 miles Barrhaven
Elliptical Trainer: 10 minutes
Fit Fix Circuit: Since it's been a week I can't remember what weights I used on each machine. I know I did less than usual because I wasn't feeling well. I did however manage to do 1 set of 12 each.
back extension: 180 lbs
leg extension: 90 lbs
leg curl: 100 lbs
leg press: 200 lbs
seated row
lateral pull down
chest press
shoulder lateral raise
shoulder press
biceps
triceps
sit ups

Today - Queen Street
Cybex Trainer: 9 minutes
Fit Fix Circuit:
back extension: 180 lbs
leg extension: 90 lbs
leg curl: 100 lbs
leg press: 200 lbs
seated row: 75 lbs
lateral pull down: 75 lbs
chest press: 75 lbs
shoulder lateral raise: 40 lbs
shoulder press: 35 lbs
biceps: 65 lbs
triceps: 70 lbs
sit ups: 30 lbs (2 sets of 12) I've noticed that even with the added weights here I haven't been feeling the burn. Before I learned the recommended way to do the Fit Fix Circuit I used to do 3 sets of 12 but with less weight and I felt it in my abs, so I'm going back to that.

Fog

1:49 PM | 0 Comments

The alarm goes off at 5 and I reset it to 5:30. The alarm goes off at 5:30 and I am vaguely aware I hit snooze and it will go off again in 10 minutes, but I don't care. Roughly 9 minutes later I remember the kids need diapers and decided to get up. Man, my back hurts. I have a kink in my right shoulder blade, such an annoying place to have a pain in the back. I must have pulled something last night while teaching my GEMS girls Creative Movement.

Oh I'll just bike today that will be my workout. Then I realize I usually don't leave till close to 6 anyway so why not just go to the gym and buy diapers on the way home. Go downstairs try to haul my bike out of the garage that has become a winter storage dumping ground. I get on my bike and look outside...it's foggy town! As I start biking down the road I swear it's like being in a dream. It's warm out at least and it's really cool to ride through fog so thick I can't see five feet in front of me. I make it to the gym around 6:20.

So I'm determined to be able to do this gym thing without a personal trainer. The plan is to push myself even if no one is there to push me.

Biking: 3.8 miles
Elliptical Trainer: 14 minutes Distance 1 mile. Interval training - pushed it hard for 20-30 seconds every couple of minutes.
Fit Fix Circuit:
back extension: 180 lbs
leg extension: 90 lbs
leg curl: 100 lbs
leg press: 200 lbs
seated row: 75 lbs
lateral pull down: 80 lbs
chest press: 85 lbs
chest fly: 55 lbs (only 8 reps)
shoulder lateral raise: 45 lbs ( I lowered this by 10 lbs so I could actually finish 12 reps)
shoulder press: 35 lbs
biceps: 65 lbs
triceps: 70 lbs
sit ups: 50 lbs

Last Personal Trainer Session

4:26 PM | 0 Comments

Today was my last session with Terry the Trainer. I enjoyed my 6 sessions with him and I learned a lot. Since he knew I would not be continuing with a personal trainer he gave me ideas to keep my workouts from going stale.

Today he explained interval training and how to do it. It can be applied to any workout. Basically at the beginning of every minute push as hard as possible for about 20 seconds and then go at normal pace for the rest of the minute or for a couple of minutes. You won't start burning fat right away but the effects last much longer than a steady workout.

The other thing he showed me was how to use this machine that gives you support for doing bench press squats. WOW! That is a whole workout on it's own!!

He also showed me a couple more of the hammer machines. They work each side independently of the other so it's a lot harder to do than the regular machines.
So I am on my own now, but I know I can do it. Anytime I start to feel intimidated I go through it anyway, except for the class. I haven't made it to actually joining the BodyFlow class yet. I will get the nerve to go, but I like doing my own thing.

On my own

9:19 AM | 0 Comments

Queen Street Gym

Fit Fix Circuit:
back extension: 160 lbs
leg extension: 80 lbs
leg curl: 90 lbs
leg press: 180 lbs
seated row: 70 lbs
lateral pull down: 70 lbs
chest press: 75 lbs
chest fly: 60 lbs (8 reps)
shoulder lateral raise: 45 lbs
shoulder press: 30 lbs
biceps: 65 lbs
triceps: 65 lbs
sit ups: 40 lbs

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