BLOCK 2: JANUARY 11TH - 20TH

I feel like a cursed sophomore album... first time around goes swell, then the second effort is pure crap.

I've decided to evaluate my progress in 10 day increments-- this makes it more like a tri-monthly update, which is less laborious and keeps things straight in my head.

So, BLOCK 2.

This was a tough ten days, full of highs and lows. It seems like I either ended up doing a LOT of exercise, or none at all. I ended up with a BAD average this block-- only 5 - 5. Not exactly bad, actually... but certainly not on par with my goals. I am not deterred, however... I still have plenty of time to get my average back up where it should be.

This ten days I noticed a lot more of "life" getting in the way... being tired, having plans, going out of town. But I did learn that even with these obstacles, it is possible to fit exercise into my routine, although it's not easy. And it is during these busy times that I really need to set a time to exercise, and stick with it. I also realized that I'm much more successful when I exercise in the morning... then for the rest of the day I enjoy a sense of accomplishment. Just completing that 30 minutes or so of exercise makes me feel better. I feel like I enjoy the day more, knowing that I can change plans and be flexible since I've already made time to exercise.

Ben & I did go on a gorgeous, spontaneous hike up Larch Mountain (only about a half hour away from us here in Gresham). The road was closed (I think they close it for the winter, regardless of whether there's snow or not), but we parked and started walking up the road just to "check it out" (quoting Ben). We had our CamelBacks in the car, ready to go, but we didn't bring them with us since we figured we wouldn't be able to find the trailhead (not the best idea). Long story short, we ended up hoofing it all the way up to the top of Larch Mountain, and even though we were hungry, cold, and tired, the view was worth it! Eight-and-a-half miles later we made it back to the car, vowing to do the "real" hike again (one way from Multnomah falls, with water and food!)

Also, we had a wonderful weekend at Newport beach with friends. It is HARD to tear yourself away from all the social activities going on and make yourself exercise, but I did manage to squeeze in a 30 minute walk/jog on the windy, windy beach. It was gorgeous, but I did not feel very good. I kept getting side aches, and could really feel all the heavy food I'd been eating those couple of days. Blecchh! I did realize, though, that friends are supportive and understand when you need to check out for awhile to exercise.

Well, let's go Block 3. I'm ready to try for a better average. In other good news... I really feel like I'm getting stronger! I notice this especially while doing Pilates... moves that were really challenging a few weeks ago now feel quite a bit easier. Hooray for noticeable progress!

1.11.10 *REST*
1.12.10 *REST*
1.13.10 2.75 miles on the treadmill. Walk, jog, run!
1.14.10 8.5 mile hike up Larch Mountain w/ Ben. Yikes!
1.15.10 *REST*
1.16.10 30 minute walk/jog on the beach. Very windy. Crampy. Too much junk food @ the beach.
1.17.10 *REST*
1.18.10 30 minutes of Pilates
1.19.10 *REST*
1.20.10 30 minutes of aerobics

The First 10 Days

I've never really been one for New Years Resolutions. I always took the "well, everyone always craps out on their resolutions after a month anyway, so why bother?" stance.

HOWEVER... I realized that if you set yourself reasonable goals, with the proper reinforcement, the start of the new year is a great time to go after them. It's the opportunity for a fresh start, etc., etc. I don't think people are any more or less likely to successfully bring about changes in their lives at this time of the year versus any other time. The prospect of a new year, a fresh start-- these can give us a push in the right direction, but I'm willing to bet that people who don't stick to their resolutions do so not because they are "New Year's Resolutions", but because they are unreasonable or poorly planned out goals in the first place.

That being said, it is VERY difficult to change aspects of our own lives. Perhaps I have found it especially hard to make New Year's Resolutions because of all the hype-- if you announce to everyone that you're resolving to do or not do something, and then you fail, it's almost expected!

Considering all of the above, I am setting myself a somewhat reasonable, somewhat difficult, but totally attainable and awesome goal for 2010:

260 days of physical activity
105 days of rest

That's it.

More or less. It's simple, straightforward, easy to remember.

Here are the very basic rules I've given myself:

1. Minimum requirements: must last AT LEAST 30 minutes."Physical Activity" is pretty loosely defined in my mind. It can be as rigorous as running or aerobics, or as subdued as a long walk or a half-hour of yoga or pilates. This loose definition is actually one of the biggest reasons I think my crazy scheme is going to work: I know myself well enough to KNOW that I won't keep up with 5+ days a week of aerobics or running. The easier days will STILL incorporate physical activity and strength building into my life, while giving me the opportunity to "actively rest". One of the most important aspects of this whole thing is to build physical activity into my (almost) daily life, so that it becomes a well-formed habit. It's something I just need to DO, and it won't do any good to set myself a regiment I don't think I'll be able to keep up with.

2. Keep a record of what I eat. This is something I've already gotten in the habit of doing over the last couple of months on a nifty iPhone app. By all accounts, this is one of the best ways to help you shed a few pounds or maintain your weight-- simply being aware of what you eat day in & day out helps you make better food choices.

3. Reach my goal weight by March. I have a reasonable eight pounds or so to lose in order to be at my goal weight. I think I can reach this by mid-March, although I'm not really sure how putting on muscle will affect this goal. We'll see. But the ideal is to reach my goal weight by the Shamrock Run (8k) I'm running on March 14th. That being said, I don't want to be overly fixated on weight-- the main goal is to be healthy, strong, and active.

4. Keep a running total of days of activity / lazy days. Pretty self-explanatory. It will be helpful to know where I'm at.

4. Don't give up if I slip up. This is huge for me. It is easy to get discouraged, easy to feel like the whole thing has fallen apart if you have a few unruly days. BUT, the beauty of this whole plan is that I DO have "free" days built in-- 105 of them. And I have a feeling I'm going to need them.


SO..... it's JANUARY 10th, and I already have several days of exercise completed! Here's how I've been doing so far... (this is mostly just to keep myself accountable).


1.1.10 30 minutes. Aerobics. Tough. Killed my hammies!
1.2.10 1 hr. 50 min. walk w/ Ben.
1.3.10 40 min. walk w/ Ben.
1.4.10 20 min. on the elliptical machine. 5 killer minutes on the stairstepper. 5 minutes cooldown on the bike.
1.5.10 30 minutes of pilates @ home.
1.6.10 *REST*
1.7.10 *REST*
1.8.10 45 minutes of aerobics. Still tough, but not AS tough.
1.9.10 30 minutes of pilates @ home. I feel like my abs are getting stronger already!
1.10.10 30 minutes of aerobics.