I had to take a rest day yesterday. Meetings which required car time, then chained to my desk until almost midnight. This too shall pass!
Even though I missed my lifting session yesterday, I’ll get to it today, and that extra day of rest is going to make me ready and strong today.
@sabaray Good luck embracing your rest days and enjoy mixing it up. Sounds like a good challenge!
@abasket – responding late to the very good “moderator or abstainer” comment. I remember a long time ago I was trying to give up smoking (!) in my 20s, and I was having success cutting down from 5 to 4 to 3 cigarettes a day, and someone admonished me and said I’d never quit that way – I had to go “cold turkey” – that was the only way to quit. Well you know what? That was the only way for her to quit. Her way was not my way. I quit and haven’t smoked since.
Ha, @Sushiritto! Love that joke. I don’t think I go on and on–gosh, I hope I don’t give that impression! Honestly, I don’t initiate these conversations, and lately I’ve realized that I should just say very little in response to questions.
I did have a good conversation with a neighbor at a July 4th block party. She’s seen me run past her house and asked how I got into running; she’s been trying but she just hates it. So we talked about the run/walk method and how that changed my thoughts about what successful running looks like. And she’s only been running on a treadmill at the gym, so I suggested she try it outdoors. Haven’t seen her out running yet, but it’s been really hot.
@sabaray One of the mottos of my exercise regimen aka CF 
is “Routine is the enemy.” If you ask me, one should not only vary the type of exercises, but also vary the length, intensity and repetition(s) of those different exercises.
@FrancescaBennett I prattle on myself, with the best of them, if I don’t watch myself. If the subject of my shape or exercise comes up, I’ll just say that I exercise almost every day, eat right, at which point, one of kids will say “ya and he orders and eat two meals.” That may require some follow-up discussion. =))
After mobility work and a strength/lifting session, last night’s HIIT consisted of the Air Bike and rope climbs. Total time was almost right on the 10-minute mark.
Tonight is probably my rest night, since I have an evening function to attend. Thursdays would normally be my rest day, but I’ll probably switch them around…unless I can sneak into the gym a little early today. [-O<
@FrancescaBennett, I’m pretty sure you don’t give that impression! I think it’s human nature to want to talk about something we’ve been successful at - at least that’s what I keep telling myself as I am prone to droning on. I have done the Galloway walk/run method and enjoyed it. I’m not sure what made me stop doing it regularly. It’s usually a fall-back for me when a run is going exceptionally poorly!
Well, in the vein of routine is the enemy, there was some variation this morning. As I mentioned, I took a rest day yesterday. Today’s lesson was an upper body assessment which I completed after a 3.2 mile hill run and two classes at the gym - one a 30 minute HIIT workout and and the next a one hour yoga flow to keep my body from locking up. HIIT workout included all kinds of squats and squat jumps, shuffles, burpees, skaters, pushups…it was hard but fun, reminiscent of a circuit class I used to attend and enjoy. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow!
When talking about exercise to new people, you never know how they will react. Some will be critical and full of warnings about destroying your knees or using up your lifetime allotment of heartbeats (a certain elected official) or your uterus falling out (seriously! from an old Russian woman). Others will be curious and looking for guidance, like your neighbor. Now and then you will meet someone more into fitness than you are, someone who will make you look like a slacker. I enjoy meeting people who fall into those latter two categories. The rest? I’ll change the subject.
That’s pretty much everyone I know. This morning was typical for most of the women. We were reviewing the weekend run with a woman who wasn’t with us and I found myself almost apologizing because I cut the run short with “only” 8.2 miles. Mr. Sabaray commented that he didn’t know anyone who thought an 8 mile run was short! Clearly he doesn’t know any ultrarunners.
When I was in a boot, I did chair cardio and exercises I found on youtube specifically for, you guessed it, people in a boot. I maintained my weight and frankly improved my strength and conditioning. I am realizing that I can’t just run and do Pilates and yoga and be happy with my physical appearance. I guess I’ll take my chances on running out of heartbeats or having my uterus fall out!
Laughing at the uterus comment. A risk we’ll just have to take…
I’m trying to figure out what falls out or off for men.
Men clearly aren’t at risk! If you think a uterus is going to fall out because of exercise clearly you also subscribe to the theory that only men are capable of vigorous exercise. The heartbeat thing - you’re on your own there!
A Facebook friend recently posted the argument about using up your heart beats.
This is how I responded:
“My resting heart rate before I started running was 77 bpm. My resting heart rate now is about 60 bpm. So a low estimate of my total heart beats in a day before exercising: 77 * 60 24 = 100,800. My total heart beats in a day after running an average of 20 minutes: 60 * (6024 - 20) + 160 * 20 = 88,400. Total beats reduced by 12%. THAT’S why I exercise. And it seems to be my sedentary relatives who end up needing hips replaced. (Sorry, I’ll get off my soap box now…)”
Men aren’t at risk? OK, I gotta stop those “men and women are equal” thoughts. 
Ya, but you squat and do burpees and pushups. Can they?
:-bd
Yes, @Lizardly, I hear those dire warnings, too. I told my mother’s 80-year-old gentleman friend that I’ve been lifting weights for two years. He very sternly warned me to be careful or I’d hurt myself. Maybe he missed the “two years” part
“…or your uterus falling out (seriously! from an old Russian woman).”
OMG, I need to show it to baby kiddo. Laughing so hard. You wouldn’t belie how many times she has heard that line while she was working abroad. A marathon would leave you infertile! A nautical mile swim in the lake is dangerous for the ovaries or something like that. Lifting weights is OMG so bad for your female guts. 
What a crock.
Long read, but interesting.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/magazine/big-business-gwyneth-paltrow-wellness.html
I am guilty of the following: organic produce at Whole Foods and Whole Foods in general; hemp hearts; acai and antioxidants; meditation; kombucha, chai, almond, cashew and coconut milks, and TRYING to live my best life. I’m getting better at the last part! I’m a long way from being Gwyneth though!
This morning was Pilates for me, where I can count on my instructor to vary my exercise and intensity every week. Slight changes in position can really introduce new elements of difficulty. Today we did footwork on the chair with added hand weights which requires a lot of core control. No residual discomfort from yesterday, so it seems I am capable of that extended workout.
Another long frustrating day at my desk yesterday.
The bright side? Before starting my modest strength training, my neck, shoulders, and back would have been howling at the end of a day like that.
I feel no pain this morning, besides mental fatigue. That’s remarkable!
Goop. Never heard of it. I live a much simpler life.
The only Soul Cycle near me that I’m aware of is located at the Stanford (Palo Alto) Mall, which is one of the most expensive malls in the Universe. And that tells me everything I need to know about Soul Cycle. No offense to those that love Soul Cycle, but it’s not for me.
Maybe it’s all in my head, but my body always seems worse off after a day off, then I do if I had just worked out. :-?? After some deadlifts and upside down pushups, tonight’s HIIT is 30 minutes of planks, pull-ups, rowing and wall balls. Yee haw. Nothing too techincal there. Really looking forward to it. Not.
I’ve been to a Flywheel class, but no SoulCycle. D “treated” me when I visited her. Not something I could afford on a regular basis, physically or financially. There’s a spin class offered at the gym but new bikes are desperately needed. I’m always interested in reading about how consumer behavior is driven but I’ve never heard of 90% of the stuff Goop promotes!
New workouts start next week and that will be good for me.
Beyond the financial aspect, I kinda have to chuckle when these spinning classes call their workouts “full body workouts.” Not by my definition. But hey, whatever floats one’s boat.
I actually attended a charity event at the Soul Cycle in the Stanford Mall and it’s kinda like going to a dance party in the morning/afternoon/evening. :))