Category: exercise ramblings

Posted in exercise ramblings

Later that day…

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

The work out began.  It started off ok.  But soon she was wheezing, and having a hard time even keeping up with Kat, the overweight team member who had to modify the work out.  Half way through the work out, she was gasping for air, got dizzy, and felt like she was going to puke.  She paused the Cardio Fix and shuffled into the kitchen for ice, plopped down in the chair and applied the ice to her neck and pulse points in the hopes it would help the nausea disappear and feel better.

It’s pretty sad when I can’t even keep up with Fat Kat.  She thought.  Then she felt guilty that she nicknamed a probably very nice lady.  At least Kat was doing the work out, right?

QUIT!  

NO!

Knowing her limitations and accepting that next week would be better she got up, found her headphones, put on some jazzy music and modified the plan.  She walked for 15 minutes in the neighborhood.  It’s ok to modify, she told herself.  Don’t give up.  You’ll get better if you keep going.

 

Posted in exercise ramblings

fixing it

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

The box came yesterday.  She carefully pulled everything out.  She rinsed the containers and labeled them.  She calculated her caloric intake and was surprised by how much she would be eating.  She read the instructions.  How am I going to work out EVERY day?  She wondered.  I’ll try.  She decided.

She then went to a birthday party and gave herself permission to eat cake.  Tomorrow would start “the Fix.”  She felt positive about it all, and set her alarm for 6:30am.

When the alarm sounded at 6:30am, she turned it off.  At 7:00am she rose, made her coffee and debated.  Should I lay in bed and check messages while my coffee brews, or pop in the DVD of the day?  She looked.  It was Cardio Fix.  She chose bed and messages.

When her coffee was done, she poured herself a cup and went into her office to read her Bible, as was her habit.  Why was it so easy to keep some habits up, but so difficult to keep/establish others?

Proverbs 13:4 (KJV) “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing:  but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”

I’m tired of being a sluggard, she thought.

Proverbs 13:19 (KJV) “The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul:  but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.”

Hmm.  Diligence=healthy soul.

Accomplishing goals=sweet

Redefine “fat” and “sweets.”

This is my goal, she thought, Strong body, fat soul.

She walked to the closet and put her gym clothes on.

 

 

 

 

Posted in exercise ramblings

What can I even call this day? (Other than Wednesday)

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

So today was a “rest day” according to my couch to 5K app.  But, I will be working 2 12.5 hour shifts Thursday and Friday, and figured I better do the run/jog today.  Since the temps were much too cold for me to walk/jog outside, I knew I would be running on the treadmill at the YMCA.

Oh!  Turns out I looked at my app wrong on Monday.  It DID say 1:00:00… however, it was supposed to be 1 hr of CROSSTRAINING.  (I feel so much better about jog/running for 36 minutes now).

Unfortunately, my day did not go according to my plan.  My plan consisted of housecleaning, laundry, jog then home and start going through years worth of files and purging out unneeded paperwork then clean out and organize my desk.  You know, just BE at home.

I did manage to purge the filing cabinet (it took me 45 minutes), but I was actually looking for the title of the old truck I was scrapping.  I ended up in “town” to sign over the title and took the opportunity to visit the grand babies.  🙂  Then back to Pickens…  16 minutes from home, I stop for gas.  Now the internal struggle gets real.  “I’m so tired!  I really think I could nap.  NO!  You are going to the YMCA and you are running!  Besides, if you take a nap, you won’t be able to sleep and you have to get up EARLY tomorrow.”  I reluctantly drove past the road leading to home and continued on the road leading to the YMCA.

I walk/jogged most of the 15 minutes.   I even took a pic.  See?

20160210_141528

Yeah… the flash did that.  I PROMISE this pic is the screen of the treadmill.

I took the opportunity to do a few arm exercises.  Not a lot.  But enough to feel a tad tender.  I greeted a woman wearing a “Keep calm and get your trauma on” t-shirt, spoke a few words about our respective jobs and then headed home.

I managed to get some laundry done, make dinner, make homemade apple cider and do the dishes.  I FEEL very unproductive when I look around at what still needs to be done, but all in all I did get a lot of things accomplished–they just weren’t necessarily all that was on my list or done in the order I had intended.

But did I do SOMETHING to help me toward my goal?  Yes.  Did I do SOMETHING I had been putting off for years?  Yes.  Did I get to snuggle my grandsons?  Yes.  Did I start my day in praise and thanks?  Yes.  Did I end my day realizing that what I did today was worthwhile and beneficial, and that I had been beating myself up for no good reason–YES.  I can sleep well tonight.

 

 

 

Posted in exercise ramblings, Random

Day 2… the “adventure” continues

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

I’ve been keeping myself motivated since Thursday for my run today.  Then I opened my run trainer app and it said “1:00:00.”  I’m like… mmm, I don’t think so, but I’ll try!  I slowly (not quite dragging my feet, but almost) headed out the back door and through the gate.  I looked down at my app.  It didn’t tell me what my walk/run ratio would be.  There was going to be NO motivation?!  This was my face…  20160208_092127

But I bravely set out.  I chose a different route this time, since I was going to be walking/jogging for an “hour.”  (I’ll be honest, I gave myself permission to do a half hour. This is, after all, only day TWO.)  The new route wasn’t so great.  A lot more traffic, a lot less room at the side of the road.   But I do enjoy learning different roads.  Ask my kids how they feel about my “short cut/adventures.”

Random things were swirling about in my head during my 2.17 mile, 35:04 minute run/jog (rug? jalk?).    Why was this farmer’s grass patch green and everyone else’s is brown?  Why do people throw beer bottles on the side of the road?  What was a ReWa truck doing here?  I AM going to run up that hill, and then I can walk!  Hello, mister farmer man in the tractor on the road….

I was thinking about my devotions this morning.  I Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” I was thinking how doing the right thing (in this case, exercise) isn’t always enjoyable.  Sometimes you DON’T feel better after doing them.  Sometimes it’s cold outside and your ears hurt.  Sometimes your muscles hurt and tighten up after you sit for a few minutes.  But it’s still the right thing to do.  It’s part of stewardship.  Taking care of something/someone that has been entrusted to your care for a certain amount of time.

I was also reading about King David tracking down Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan. Remember how Jonathan and David were best friends?  closer than brothers.   The Bible said their hearts were “knit together.” King David wanted to honor his friend by taking care of what remained of the family Jonathan had left behind.  David found Mephibosheth and brought him into his household.  The Bible says “As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons.” (II Samuel 9:11b) “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem:  for he did eat continually at the king’s table;” (v13)

I was asking the Lord what he wanted me to meditate on today, and he brought this to mind:  What does is mean to eat at the king’s table?  What privilege does that bring into a person’s life?  Earlier in the chapter, David restored to Mephibosheth Saul’s lands.  Saul was Jonathan’s father, Mephibosheth’s grandfather.  Saul had been the king before David; he had made himself the enemy of David and had tried to kill him multiple times. Yet David extended kindness to Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake.  How like our Lord Jesus, the King of kings!  He went to even greater lengths to restore us… “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) He died on the cross for our sins so that he may restore us to our rightful inheritance, that we might sit at His table continuously.  Fellowship with God.

Being fit is not my purpose in life.  But being a good steward of those things that God has given me IS.  Walking in fellowship with the king, sitting at his table IS.

Posted in exercise ramblings

So it’s Thursday…

Posted on by fromthebrainofsarah

I’ve been struggling with the knowledge that I really need to get back in shape.  My clothes don’t fit.  I’m tired all the time.  My job is high energy.  I can’t get anything done when I’m at home. Magically, when I work out and keep in shape, I am able to do SO much more!  But for months, I’ve been procrastinating –and the pounds are creeping up.

I keep pinning these 6 minute workouts on Pinterest… Today, I was scrolling down my Pinterest feed and read the 21 day NO JUNK FOOD challenge.  Out of morbid curiosity, I clicked on it to see what it was.

THE NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE (already I’m thinking, NOPE)

The Rules (RULES???? losing me)

  1. no chocolate
  2. no candy
  3. no biscuits or cookies
  4. no cake, donuts, or muffins
  5. no pastries
  6. no white bread
  7. no chips
  8. no fast food
  9. no soda
  10. no ice cream

Yeah.  Right.  I LOVE junk food.  I love chocolate and candy and cookies and pastries and chips and fast food…. HOWEVER.  I am gaining weight.  What if I just eat fewer of these things?  Could I manage that?  Perhaps.

But still.  I know I need to work out.  But what?  I already joined the YMCA.  I don’t go. My friend from church wants me to run the color run with her in April.  I already said yes. Let’s look at my schedule… oh dear.  It’s Thursday.  You know you never start something on a THURSDAY.  Logical me kicked in.  That’s stupid.  Of COURSE you can start something on a Thursday because if you don’t start today, right now, right where you are, you will not start.  Suddenly I knew.  Just throw on your sweats and your running shoes and GO outside and walk-jog.  Don’t shower first.  Don’t do your hair.  Throw on a head scarf, and go.  Isn’t there a verse in the Bible about running???  (There are.  Lots of them.  One of them is I Corinthians 9:24 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?  So run, that ye may obtain.”)

I ALMOST got derailed from this new-found determination to start jogging TODAY by my inability to find my ear-buds.  I managed to kick myself in the rear and get downstiars.  But wait.  I need to eat something before I go.  But what?  It’s got to be light, don’t want to cramp up.  AHAH!  1/2 c plain yoghurt, 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon.  Surprisingly quite delightful.

Whilst (like that old word?  me too) I was eating I found an app “Run Trainer” and selected “from couch to 5k” and installed it.  It popped up with “1st jog: 15:00” it sounded do-able so I read on… walk for 2:00 jog for 3:00 (repeat) for the 15:00 duration.

I headed out the door with my new app for 15 minutes in the damp outdoors, and I did it! I’m NOT going to take the NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE but I am going to challenge myself to greatly reduce my junk food consumption and challenge myself to choose healthy eating options.  I am going to challenge myself to some kind of exercise at least 3 days a week.  In addition, I am challenging myself to meditate on Biblical principles on eating and exercising.