Don’t Have a Keg…

I tried a new piece of equipment today - well, the equipment wasn’t actually new, just new to me - an Elliptical Trainer. I’ll admit I did try one once upon a time, many moons ago and found it difficult because the stride was too short. However, these machines have come a long way since that time and this time I kind of liked the workout I got. It certainly required more effort than the treadmill, but I felt no pressure on the joints. Granted, I really have never had any joint problems - but why take chances?

Also I ran into a young man that I used to work with a couple of years ago. He has clearly been hitting the weights hard in the meantime and has put on (according to him) 25 very solid pounds. It really is amazing to see what dedication can do for body. I let him know that I was impressed with what he has accomplished and I hope that I gave him further encouragement to continue. I think we all like it when our efforts are noticed - whether it’s related to training or not - it’s funny but it seems sometimes we tell everyone but the person who has done the work when noticing good things (and bad, too).

Oh, and it looks like I’ve lost a little weight this week…as well as increased my cardio time!

Okay, is there anyone who really likes to do cardio? If so, I wish you could share with me the secret of learning to love it.

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that cardio is the weak link in my training regimine. But, I can’t ignore the benefits of doing it (healthy heart, greater fat loss, increased lung capacity, etc.) so I’ve decided to rededicate myself - again - to staying regular on the bike or treadmill. My new tactic is to add at least one minute each workout - okay, I started with adding 5 minutes, but believe it or not, I’ve hit a "wall" at 10 minutes…so I modified to be sure to add 1 minute since I pretty much do cardio everyday. Doesn’t sound like a lot but over the course of the month the time will add up.

I’ve only been doing a brisk walk on the treadmill right now - I have a problem from my old high school track days that still haunts me, shin splints, or at least what I think are shin splints. A pain that pretty much covers the front of my shins after walking or running for any length of time. I’m doing some stretches and massage to conteract the problem, but if it doesn’t get better I’ll be going back to the bike…or figure out how to use the ellipticals… 

Well, even though I was still sore from my workout Monday (must be getting old) I went to the gym for a little bit to try and get the kinks out. Not sure if I succeeded in that - but I noticed that even though I was eating my regular meals (plus snacks - gotta love a mid-afternoon protein bar break) I felt hungry all day long today. Surely my metabolism couldn’t be speeding up again already. I won’t be making any dietary adjustments like adding calories yet - at least not until my bodyfat is back down!

Well, wouldn’t you know it - after a great work out yesterday I wake up today having trouble moving my arms! I guess there’s a payback to everything. But, it’s that good kind of soreness - the one that tells me that I did really work out and wasn’t just fooling myself. Guess it’s time to add a little more stretching into my routine.

I don’t know why, but today’s workout just felt better than usual. I’m sure that everyone else has the kind of workout where nothing seems to go wrong, you have energy and the weights almost seem to lift themselves. I hope this is a sign that things are on the upswing for me workout wise - I’m sure that sticking to my diet is a big part of the reason that things are going well.