<p>I really INTENDED to walk on the beautiful Perkiomen Trail in the Philadelphia suburbs where I am visiting family (and WildChild). I didn’t MEAN to run- I just thought I would try it out for a minute and see how it felt. I did most of the 5 miles running- a slow run, but running. It ranged from medium tightness to “this might not have been a good idea”. Yes, I know… But it sure helped my mental state. The bottom line is that I can’t go to a running route, dressed in running gear, and walk. I’m going to have to be in trail or walking shoes. Tomorrow I’ll pay $12 guest fee and go to the Y.</p>
<p>Ahhh, MOWC…wish some of your determination and love for running would rub off on me! At least everyone here is keeping me motivated and accountable! Take care!</p>
<p>Damn that smoking.</p>
<p>It’s frustrating. I’m no longer heart rate limited on these iPod nazi workouts – or even on my steep hill walking. It takes all-out intervals on the Airdyne to get my heartrate up to 90%. </p>
<p>I can even do all the iPod exercises for the full 45 seconds. I feel stronger at them. More control. Better form. All good. But, I still hit a breathing wall where I am panting like a dog – after, for example, 45 seconds of stepping up and down onto a step while doing dumbell curl and press. It’s better. I only needed to hit the PAUSE button once during each circuit today, so that’s good. But, it’s still frustrating to accept the price of smoking.</p>
<p>Oh, well. I promised myself when I quit that I wouldn’t whine about it. The good news is that my max oxygen intake does continue to improve. For example, I went an extra five mintes on the bike after the intervals today (at 80% heart rate) just because I liked the 9 minute song on the iPod, breathing fine at that exercise level. I’ll just keep at it and see where it takes me.</p>
<p>Neither: multi grain cereal and processed sausage are both faux healthy foods.</p>
<p>idad- You are doing great. You are gradually reversing all that smoking damage. Dr. Cooper (Kenneth Cooper- pioneer of the concept of aerobic exercise for cardiovascular health) claims the single most important thing you can do for your health is to stop (or not start) smoking. And then MOVE, which you are.</p>
<p>Started doing the Jillian Michaels “Thirty day Shred” DVD this week. level 1. It is hard, but not impossible, and since it’s only a 20 minute workout, maybe I can do it every day. Sore legs, tho!</p>
<p>We got killed by taxes this year, the dread AMT kicked in. Half our deductions and credits flew out the window. I’m not getting enough exercise except walking around on campus tours!</p>
<p>Though I did make us walk back from the deep dish pizza back to the hotel - two mile walk.</p>
<p>I don’t think that multigrain cereal is a “faux” healthy food. The cereal I eat has 9 g of protein, 9 g of fiber, and 2 grams of fat in one cup (7 of sugar, though). I had it today with low-fat Greek yogurt, blueberries, and a blood orange. Very satisfying and filling.</p>
<p>I went to my first Pilates class yesterday, after I did jazz dance. I didn’t like the Pilates as much as dance exercise classes, but it is a good workout in a different way. I’m sore in some very strange places today.</p>
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<p>I don’t think you ever completely reverse it, but I am definitely improving what I have left to work with. I can see that week to week and actually feel the change in my ability to deeply fill my lungs. Interesting that heart rate is no longer the gating factor. I’ve now got to work really hard to get my heart rate to 90% of max. I can also stabilize my breathing and go “indefinitely” at decent clip walking or on the exercise bike. That’s a major improvement. </p>
<p>The things that kick me in the butt are still the full body weight large muscle exercises: the step up with dumbell curl and press, push ups, lunge walks with dumbells, ball squats with dumbbell extensions, walking up a steep hill, full-speed on the Airdyne, etc. My improved breathing curve and weight loss curve have not yet intersected.</p>
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<p>I can think of some college tours with some serious hill walking. UVa was one, combined with an afternoon walking around Monticello.</p>
<p>I remember being just completely pole-axed walking around Swarthmore’s campus, like during graduation weekend. I did the Google Gmap-Pedometer on a couple of those cross-campus hikes where I remember panting like a dog. No wonder. They have some steep elevation changes for someone who wasn’t doing any exercise.</p>
<p>Chicago, unfortunately, is flat as a pancake! Vassar as I recall about the same. Tufts might give me a little more exercise!</p>
<p>You can get pretty good walking workout in Williamstown, too. The last time I walked up the Mission Park hill, I was huffin’ and puffin. Of course, I was still smoking then.</p>
<p>Wouldn’t that be fun. Putting together walking (or running) routes at some of America’s prettiest college campuses. Nice walkways, no traffic, pretty surroundings, and landscaping.</p>
<p>^^When I was business traveling a lot and running a lot, I always tried to find a college campus to “tour” on foot. It was fun. I put in my time back in the day at Texas Tech (when I went to Lubbock on business), Arkansas, Ursinus etc.</p>
<p>Probably find some good scenic (and hilly) walking/running routes at the Air Force Academy and at Pepperdine.</p>
<p>Colgate, too. It’s completely uphill. I did that on a college/recruiting visit with WildChild- not a business trip. Not sure there IS business in that town other than the college and the food to support it!</p>
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<p>Well then, somewhere there’s gotta be a downhill.</p>
<p>Nope- uphill in all directions and into the wind! :)</p>
<p>Just returned from 4 days out of town. I don’t want to weigh myself. Did lots of walking but it seemed like all the eating places were unhealthy.</p>
<p>Still rainy and cold here so my “light” cardio day was on the Airdyne exercise bike. A nice little 35 minute set of intervals.</p>
<p>*Warmup at about 60 watts.</p>
<p>Then 10 intervals of 10 seconds as fast as I can pedal (250+ watts) followed by 20 seconds at warm up. That’s five minutes of hell. The 20 seconds of recovery are nowhere near enough.</p>
<p>Five minutes at warm up to recover.</p>
<p>Then five intervals of 20 seconds at 120 watts followed by 40 seconds of recovery. That 20 seconds gets the legs burning.</p>
<p>Five minutes at warmup to recover.</p>
<p>Then three intervals of 40 seconds at 120 watts followed by 80 seconds of recovery. Legs feel like they will fall off.</p>
<p>Finally five minutes at warmup to recover.*</p>
<p>I hit the highest heart rate I’ve ever seen in my workouts – 96% of max. All three sets of intervals were above 90%. Interestingly, only the max speed intervals at the start had me completely snookered on breathing, so that’s a good sign. All told, 35 minutes at an average of 82% max heart rate. A nice hard cardio workout in a little over half an hour.</p>
<p>I did free weights today (my typical Sunday workout) and half an hour on the treadmill. I’ve been trying to do 2.5 miles in those 30 minutes, but I’m concluding that a comfortable 2.25 miles in that 30 minutes is all I’m gonna do for now. Maybe in a month I’ll ratchet it up. And maybe not.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all of you who are now moving when you didn’t used to.</p>