Beck80’s Journey to Better Health

I accomplished todays goal of strength training and getting some cardio in. I worked legs, hamstrings to be exact, then went to the treadmill and managed to last for 15 minutes and went a mile. I’m not too pleased with that, but at least I got on there right? My goal for tomorrow morning is to do an upper body stregth training session then going for a run around the neighborhood. My block is exactly .5 of a mile, so I am going to aim for 3-4 laps.

I am also going to go to bed before 1am. John is on nights now and came home this morning all chipper and trying to encourage me to go for a run, but since I went to bed at 1am, it wasn’t happening. And I know it was my own fault, but I still made time to work out today even if it wasn’t first thing this morning and got almost all the other things I needed to get done accomplished (except laundry).

Besides that, I am also trying to reign in my junk consumption and up my water intake. I found out my parents were trying Slimfast, and checked out a can they had and I couldn’t believe the amount of sugar it had in it. And hardly any protein! So I volunteered to help them figure out what they should eat, which of course motivated me to be an example. So hopefully I’ll be able to help them,

So I attempted a USMC-style PFT (with the help of my wonderful hubby) this morning and these were my results.

• Flexed arm hang: 17seconds
• Crunches (really sit-ups) : 10 in 2 minutes (I didn’t even think I could do 1 so I was happy)
• 3 mile run: 1.5 miles in 25 minutes was all I could get out today. So if I had kept up the same pace for the rest, it would have been 3 miles in 50 minutes.

So this is my starting point and I’ll be able to tell my progress. I’m excited! I feel like I have a better plan than I’ve ever had, and not only that, but my sister is getting on board (at least with running)! So I am having an impact on someone else! How awesome is that! I heard a quote today that was pretty neat: ‘It’s always to early to quit, but never to late to start.’ That is so true, especially with fitness.

The next 5K I want to run in is on Dec. 22 so I’m a little less than 2 months out and I’d really like to be down to doing 3 miles in 31 minutes.  I'’m going to try to be better about posting my progress, but life is pretty busy, especially gearing up for the holiday season! But like I said in my last blog, I’m making fitness more of a priority this time!

And nothing to show for it. My sis-in-law left Thursday, so the house is quieter and life is less chaotic…slightly! lol

I was sick Thursday, so nothing happened that day. I had a horrible migrane which made me feel nauseous. All I could eat (and keep down) was a tube of crackers and some 7-up. So Thursday was pretty much wasted. John ordered pizza and siad yesterday he never wants to eat it again cause it made him feel bloated.

Friday wasn’t much better with me having a Dr. app. and doing grocery shopping from the day before. I felt normal then. NOw my kids all have a cold and are CRANKY!! No fun.

So we are recommiting to eating clean and working out. I guess he hasn’t been working out either. He can work out at work, so I never know when he does or doesn’t. Anyway, I am still planning on doing strength Monday - Friday morning followed up with 30 minutes on the treadmill. I have a 5k run scheduled for Dec. 22 in Pasco Wa and I am hoping to get John in on it. That is the same day that I want to do my USMC PFT. So Saturday’s are going to be my day to gage my progress, starting tonight when I will time how long I can do a flexed arm hang, see how many crunches I can do in the alloted time (which  I have to look up again) and see how long it takes me to run 3 miles. I will also be training to do a one-arm push-up.

So once again recommitting and we are really looking at it as a lifestyle change, not merely a way to lose weight, but a way to be healthy and be an example for our kids. My parents and John’s parents are unhealthy and have illness’s that are related to their choices to not be healthy. They are starting to make some better decisions, but my parents are in their 50’s and his are in their 60s & 70s, so while it’s never too late to change, it is just a little more difficult to change habits and we dont want to have that problem. So better to make and manage the decision now than in 20 or 30 years.

took a walk with my sis-in-law today on the hills behind my house. Our route was 3 miles. Didn’t take too much effort so I am thinking of running it sometime.

My race partner suggested another race and I took her up on it. Haven’t done so well with my plan. My sis-in-law is here from California and has been here for 2 weeks, so I’ve been off. Also finished the wall in the living room, so I am finally CLOSE to finishing my projects and my house is back to normal! Yeah! I’m so happy about that…but need to get back on the wagon. I got my new Oxygen mag today and flipped through it and it looks very helpful. I am also going to be getting Tosca Reno’s cookbook that goes with her book ASAP. I think I have gained some weight and bodyfat %.

I’ve been trying out some new shake recipes. I found a pumpkin one that is awesome!! Yummy! And a Tropical one that has pineapple & coconut. So trying to be better about everything. Gonna keep up the work.

I have not been working out much since my race. We’ve been doing a small remodel project that has taken a lot of time and my sister-in-law came to visit for a couple weeks. So I am just now getting back into it. I ran 1 mile sometime last week and today did a quick strength training workout using resistance bands and my kids for weights. Then I ran fo 20 minutes on the treadmill.

So My plan is the same as my last blog with the alteration of adding 30 minutes of cardio immediately following lifting and then also 3x a week doing a distance run to try to get up to 6 miles. My hubby says that will help get my 3 mile time down to where I want it. Also I am going to be doing a more specific abs program  (prescibed to me by our friend who is a 67yrs old bodyuilder) to try to meet my goal for that and working on my flexed arm hang time. So far I can do 15 seconds, but I want to get to 90 seconds by Dec. 22. I also want to be able to do a 1 arm pushup sometime, maybe by Dec. 22 also.

So that is what I am doing now. I am also going to try to get my measurements taken and new pictures done at the beginning of November. It’s been awhile since I’ve done it so I need to update that stuff. But I am waiting so I do it at the same time.