Wow, Plantmom! Way to get it done while traveling!
Thanks! I just took my resting heart rate like you suggested and it was 66 so maybe my estimates are off!
Started the day off at 6 am with a really fun class - mix of barre, Pilates, circuits and strength. It was very challenging but is definitely a lot of the things I need to work on. I informed the instructor I would be the most improved next week!
Michael, those are great, easy to understand guidelines. One of the features I like about Strava is the fact it will tell me at the end of a run what my “pace distribution” was - I realize it’s not scientific, but one of the categories is “VO2 Max” - and I’m rarely there. Most of my runs are categorized as endurance or tempo and I’m okay with that!
On runningahead log you create types of runs to pick from on a drop down menu. I have “easy” “not very easy” “tempo” “trail” “race” “track” “long” and maybe another one or two. Most of mine are easy or not very easy (that’s really when it was supposed to be easy but I pushed too much and it wasn’t).
Plantmom, shoveling heavy show = A+ effort! What is a tabata class???
A fast 3.3 mile very early morning run in the rain. It feels good to start the day with a run accomplished. There were a couple new guys in the group and they definitely were faster than what we usually run! It was good, though.
Plantmom-when I was travelling to China so much last year, I spent a lot of time walking in O’Hare. It was always a 2 1/2 hour layover on the way over there and so my goal was always to at least get my 10K steps in before I got on the 14 hour flight. It crossed the international date line and I would be in the next day when I arrived and no more chance to get my steps in! I made many laps of the B and C concourses and that tunnel between them.
When I have done tabata workouts with my trainer they are very tough but fun - I would guess the tabata class is the same kind of thing. How long was your class? A 30 minute session with my trainer is enough to make me want to collapse in exhaustion! And great job with the snow shoveling - that is hard work!
sabaray - your class this morning sounds really challenging! I don’t mind running in the early morning because it doesn’t take any thought or coordination, but a tough class like that would be really pushing it for me. You and PizzaGirl are great role models for those early morning classes!
PizzaGirl - a belated congratulations on your retirement! Have you enjoyed this first week of the year not having to go in to work? Sounds wonderful to me!
20 min on elliptical, which isn’t bad for me since it’s not my favorite machine. Will try to do more later but have lunch and dinner plans. Uh oh.
When I go to the gym I stay an hour or so. I guess I need to try harder at home. But there is more variety there. Maybe I’ll do a few more min on the rlliptical
Thank you, c3baker! I am still part time - 3 days a week - for the first 6 weeks (so til the middle of February). I’m still doing a lot of clean-up / knowledge estate work – just at home in my jammies, or at Starbucks on my laptop in between workouts :-).
I was not a role model on early morning classes though this morning! I had slept poorly so cancelled my 6:15 am - but I’ve go the whole day to fit something in, the nice part about coming into this stage! So don’t admire my dedication just yet, LOL.
“Plantmom-when I was travelling to China so much last year, I spent a lot of time walking in O’Hare. It was always a 2 1/2 hour layover on the way over there and so my goal was always to at least get my 10K steps in before I got on the 14 hour flight. It crossed the international date line and I would be in the next day when I arrived and no more chance to get my steps in! I made many laps of the B and C concourses and that tunnel between them.”
Good for you! You are a better person than I ever was with international travel (though I was very proud that once I “ran” a 5K I had missed on a treadmill in a hotel in Shanghai …) And on one trip I actually lost my Fitbit (it was a zip) because they made me put it on the conveyor belt and it never made it through the other end, but I didn’t have time to put up a stink, argh!
Everyone here is so impressive. I just added 5 min more on the elliptical.
Jym, just like people who can or can’t muster up the motivation to work from home, maybe exercising at home is not a good fit for you. Maybe you need the space between the exercise machine and all the other stuff that needs to be done at home (mail, laundry, dishes).
You might be more satisfied to just spend that hour at the gym 3-4 times a week (if you have the time) than to dilly dally at home and not feel like you were productive. I’m sure there is evidence to show that while it’s true that “some movement is better than no movement at all”, your body will reap the benefits of more minutes/more sustained exercise time by dedicating a block of at least 30 minutes of consistent exercise rather than a few minutes here and there.
For whatever it’s worth, exercising at home just doesn’t work for me. Whether it’s the exercise bike, videos, light weights … for me personally, I need to get into a mindset of “this is what I’m dedicating my time too,” get dressed for it (no, seriously - NOT just cruddy t-shirt and shorts, but true exercise wear) - and go someplace and do it.
@abasket, Tabata classes are classes that use a protocol of high intensity interval training based on the research of Dr. Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Japan. The protocol is based on doing 7-8 intervals consisting of 20 seconds maximal intensity, all you can produce, blow yourself up effort, followed by 10 seconds recovery and then repeat 6-7 times more! It’s a very popular form of HIIT in classes because of its time efficiency, because it lends itself well to different exercise formats and because it can be presented as a very challenging but fun “game” in a class… You can apply it to interval training on cardio equipment or to performing body weight or light dumbbell exercises. If on a cardio piece, you just do the intervals as prescribed. In an exercise class, you do as many repetitions of an exercise as you can in the 20 seconds (maintaining good form) and then take 10 seconds rest. Then do the next interval in one of 2 fashions. You can do 7-8 intervals for a single exercise and then move on to another exercise for about 5-7 exercises or you can do 1 interval for an exercise, move to the next, continue through all the exercises and then start over for 7-8 cycles. It’s intense stuff, particularly in Tabata interval exercise classes where you are doing compound movements using multiple large muscle groups.
When I was doing some heavy business traveling and had an Ohare layover, I would go the airport Hilton fitness facility. Once in awhile they would let me in for free with my Hilton loyalty card but I didn’t mind paying.
Ran 6 miles today. Just right in my Lululemon pullover, which I only own because of this thread.
When I travel overseas with my husband, I usually have him bag sit while I do laps around the terminal. A couple of times I found a somewhat quiet area and did the 7-minute workout. My husband once posted on Facebook a photo of me doing planks in an airport.
Here’s a link to an interviewer with the author of a new book that promotes a diet that many of us would agree with: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/07/rethinking-weight-loss-and-the-reasons-were-always-hungry/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Eat%20Well&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body
Any of you heard of Crane & Lion? A friend of mine loves their fitness clothing. I looked at their website and some of the stuff is cute, but with no reviews I’m hesitant to buy anything. (Not that I need anything…)
The Crane & Lion stuff looks cute- very Luluish and Athleta-ish. I had not heard of it (shockingly).
I just got some Oiselle tights that I love. The website seems to be down right now or I would post a link. I think they are the KG tights (as in Kara Goucher). They have zippers at the bottom and are high waisted. I wore them this morning for the first time and I really liked them. I am trying to have a shop-free January, for the most part. I really overdid it for the holidays with all the discounts and sales.
" I am trying to have a shop-free January, for the most part. I really overdid it for the holidays with all the discounts and sales."
I hear you! Dropped a small bucket of $$ at Lulu, too. Shop free January is ruined by a pair of Manolos, but there’s still February. 
We are up to 7,000 steps according to kiddo’s Fitbit, and all we did was walking around the Main Street looking for aqua socks for Mr. God forbid Mr. steps on sharp rocks or gets bit by a mosquito! My vacation would be ruined. Kid did a surf lesson and caught 6 out of 7 waves that came her way, so she was super happy about that. There is still more time in the day to do fun stuff!!
Meniscus repair seems to have gone well. Did 7500 steps today, 24 hours post-op. That was just walking around the house. Am sore, but not in agony. Took tramadol yesterday, but have gotten along with tylenol today (no anti-inflammatories allowed due to cardiac meds). I can only bend the knee about 25 degrees at this point, so the Airdyne and elliptical are out for the moment. PT starts Monday morning, and I hope to be back at cardiac rehab in two weeks.
My resting HR is 58-60. If I can get it up to 130 when I’m exercising, I have really pushed it. All the cardiac meds I’m on keep my HR suppressed because I had so much damage. My normal calculated rate is 131-151, and the rehab folks tell me that with my meds, I should expect my HR to be about 30 points lower than that.
MnK described the Tabata workout perfectly. In the class I attended, there were maybe 20 women, and the whole thing took about 30 minutes. It kicked my butt–at least that’s how it feels the day after. Mountain climbers, squats, shuffles, ayyyy! I used light weights for the arm segments–that’s all I could handle.
Today I went back to the Y and walked/jogged on the tiny indoor track for 5K. Added time for some arm/shoulder/ back exercises on the weight machines. It’s been a soggy grey day here. So much for our plans to go X-country skiing tomorrow. All that snow I shoveled is melting away. Crazy weather for January.
CD, fingers crossed for a speedy recovery! Take it easy!!!