Day 211 (day 1 / week 31)

Today I went out for my usual 2 mile walk, but decided to have some fun. One thing that I have learned, some 200 days into this journey is that things are how you make them. Exercise is work, but you don't have to make it "work." Make it fun! I do little things throughout my workout to make it fun and to keep my interest peaked. I may look like a dork doing it, but in the end it doesn't matter what people think of me as I am exercising. It matters what I think of myself...and I already know that I am a dork :-p.

I noticed yesterday that I am starting to slow down. I don't know if it's because I lost momentum on the day that I gave my shins/calves a rest, but I've slowed down to a 17-18 minute mile (from 15-16). On my way home today, I remembered this episode of Malcolm in the Middle that I saw the other day, where the dad, Hal, took up race-walking (episode 70: Malcolm Holds His Tongue). This episode was funny and I decided to try it. It is so much fun! Wow! I thought I was flying yesterday, I was gliding today! So much fun I am going to have to do it again. It got my HR up well into the 140's too which is nice, since I have been trying pretty hard to keep it in the 130s (guess my body is adapting!). I wonder if those aerodynamic hats are easy to come by? (if you haven't seen the episode you probably won't understand).

I walked 2 miles and including my cool down it took me 40 minutes (445 calories).

I waited until 8am and then went and mowed the lawn so that I didn't annoy the neighbors. That took me 25 minutes (252 calories).

THEN I did my my own quickfire challenge for the day....concentration curls with 10lbs (my 5lb weights doubled up) in sets of 10 for a total of 50. This was tough!

Hope you all have a great day! Make it count!

I can do this. I am a star.

Day 196 (day 7 / week 28)

Today I wanted to take it easy because my legs are still a little sore, but I didn't. It's not my fault though, I swear! I went for a 2 mile walk this morning, and I set my HR zone (133-152) alarm, and it would beep at me if my HR dropped below 133. I really like this feature. It made the time go by fast (33 mins 461 calories burned).

When I got home, I mowed the lawn. I fought with that lawn mower for a good 10 minutes before it started! I had my HRM running at this time because I didn't think I would have problems starting it. Anyway it took me 32 minutes, including the time it took me to start it, and I burned 383 calories. Man, my HR was up in the upper 150's! I had no idea I was getting this kind of exercise mowing the lawn!

After I mowed the lawn I came in and did my Quickfire Challenges for the day. This is where I probably killed it--I think the day would have been pretty easy on my legs if I had just left it to walking and mowing the lawn. Today's QFCs were Reverse Lunges, 100 in groups 10-20, but I only did 50 in groups of 10. The other is a Calf Raise with Chair and I did 100 of those, in sets of 25. These took me 15 minutes and I burned 228 calories according to my HRM. I hope I don't regret this decision to do these tomorrow. If my legs hurt (bad pain) tomorrow, then I am going to pull out Slim in 6 and do the stretch and abs, and maybe the Ab portion of The Firm as well. We will see.

Hope you all have a great day! Go spaz out and dance! Dance and skip... and mow your lawn at the same time! That would be a great workout!

Make it count.

I can do this. I am a star.