frida so, so, so, soooooo very much enjoys running with me, especially as the temps get colder. she can easily do 10 mile and under runs and gives me a “wait – what? we’re stopping?” look every time ( no surprise really since malamutes frequently make best running breeds lists ). i’m pretty sure she could easily do a marathon. it makes me wonder what sort of training regime she’d have to do to not get injured.
i was dragging it a bit on a 13 mile run and thought i could use some easy energy so i made a pitstop at the house and grabbed what i thought was a bottle of honey from the pantry. downed a tablespoon and thought, “oooooh what delicious artisan honey is this? and how did it get such strong vanilla notes?
i turned the bottle over. aaaahhhhh, not honey after all.
she could run forever. longest one so far. she and i could easily have gone 13 miles.
i’ve been having some hip flexor issues and if i feel fine in the morning, i’m going to be cautiously optimistic that i’ve worked through it.
new separate but related research indicates exercise epigenetically alters expression of genes involved in energy metabolism, insulin response and inflammation within muscles and appears to alter to the brain’s metabolism to counter elevated genetic risk for dementia.
that seven minute workout plan is so last month. the the 4-minute workout is the new hotness for people who don’t need to lose weight and are looking to answer the question, “how little exercise can i get away with while maximizing my fitness gains?” fitness gurus and gyms with fancy equipment will be disappointed. according to the researchers, “…the workout can effectively be practiced anywhere, Dr. Tjonna says. Sprint uphill for four minutes or race up multiple flights of steps. Bicycle, swim or even walk briskly, as long as you raise your heart rate sufficiently for four minutes.”
i’m still working on meeting my 100 consecutive push-up and 200 consecutive sit-up goal. it’s hard to believe i’ve done almost 4,000 push-ups and 7,000 sit-ups over the past 12 weeks! it might be a few more weeks before i actually hit the goal, but then i’ll definitely be looking for a “maintenance” fitness routine that fits my original requirements:
“i’m looking for something that doesn’t require a lot of expensive equipment ( maybe a few dumb bells), that can be done a few times a week for relatively short periods of time ( 30-60 minutes ) that will play well with running ( i.e. not looking to bulk up )”
with perfect timing, this new york times article, “the scientific 7-minute workout”, caught my eye. the article covers new research published in the american college of sports medicine (acsm) health and fitness journal , high intensity circuit training using body weight: maximum results with minimal investment, which claims to whittle down the benefits of a long run and a gym routine into a 7 minute workout with “…12 exercises deploying only body weight, a chair and a wall.”:
“The following is an example of a 12-station HICT program. All exercises can be done with body weight and implements easily acquired in almost any setting (e.g., home, office, hotel room, etc.). The exercise order allows for a total body exercise to significantly increase the heart rate while the lower, upper, and core exercises function to maintain the increased heart rate while developing strength.
Exercises are performed for 30 seconds, with 10 seconds of transition time between bouts. Total time for the entire circuit workout is approximately 7 minutes. The circuit can be repeated 2 to 3 times.
1. Jumping jacks Total body
2. Wall sit Lower body
3. Push-up Upper body
4. Abdominal crunch Core
5. Step-up onto chair Total body
6. Squat Lower body
7. Triceps dip on chair Upper body
8. Plank Core
9. High knees/running in place Total body
10. Lunge Lower body
11. Push-up and rotation Upper body
12. Side plank Core
while it’s only 7 minutes, as the nyt article points out, intensity is the key:
“The exercises should be performed in rapid succession, allowing 30 seconds for each, while, throughout, the intensity hovers at about an 8 on a discomfort scale of 1 to 10, Mr. Jordan says. Those seven minutes should be, in a word, unpleasant. The upside is, after seven minutes, you’re done.”
( via kottke )
4 weeks after hitting the hundred pounds lost mark, i’ve lost 6 more pounds which means, through the magic of math, i’ve lost 106 pounds!
according to the BMI calculators, at 189 pounds i have a body mass index of 23 which puts me in the the 23rd weight percentile for my 6’4″ frame and also means i weigh what most other people my height wish they weighed. it also means i’ve erased 23 years of weight gains and now weigh what i did in high school.
truth be told, i haven’t really been trying to lose any more weight. in fact, i’ve been trying to not lose any more! i guess i’ll have to try a little harder. after running clear across the country i’ve been gradually cutting back my miles and have been averaging 25 miles a week, down from 45 a week. alas, it’s going to be tough but i’ll just have to eat a little more 🙂
and, yes, i’m still working on phase II fitness towards the goal of doing 100 consecutive push-ups and 200 consecutive sit-ups and am making steady progress.
after 5 weeks, i’m heading into the last week of the training and did 175 push-ups today, 480 for the week and 1,308 total. and i did 261 sit-ups today, 698 for the week and 1,970 total which is all a little mind-blowing since i could barely do 10 push-ups and 30 sit-ups when i started. progress! just one week until the test to see if i can do 100 consecutive push-ups and 200 consecutive sit-ups!
i guess it’s probably time for a before and after picture 🙂