Usually when I write posts like I wrote yesterday, they’re half kicking my own ass and half hoping you might find some motivation in them, too.
But they usually work—I can’t, with a good conscience, write some post about how I don’t have any excuses to not work out and then…not work out.
This is what I look like every single time I work out.
As I was finishing up work last night, I got a call from my friend Emily. “Let’s get dinner!” she said.
“But I have to go to the gym!”
“Oh, come on, let’s get dinner!”
I definitely faltered for a second. I hadn’t worked out since Sunday, what was another day? But then I thought of the gym bag I’d lugged to work and the post I’d written in the morning, and I said “what if I work out and then we get dinner?”
“Fine…text me when you’re done,” she said.
So off to the gym I went. I wanted/needed to run, so I hopped on the treadmill. The idea of running at one speed on the treadmill is about as exciting to me as watching paint dry (I take offense with this statement–if you’re painting a room a pretty new color, paint drying can be pretty damn exciting) so I did a sort of pyramid workout.
This took me about 28 minutes and left me happy and sweaty, which is all I can really ask for from a workout. (And when I texted Emily when I was done, she’d already eaten. Lame.)
I’m going out to NJ tonight for a birthday dinner with my parents, so I knew I had to get a workout in this morning. Since abandoning my strength challenge, I’ve been seriously lacking in the strength department, so I knew I wanted to get some strengthening moves in. I tried Tina’s At-Home WOD while I had Today Show on in the background. I googled “home WODs” because I know Crossfit workouts are short and intense (and most of the home ones just include body weight), and that’s exactly what I wanted this morning.
It’s 10 rounds of 10 reps of three moves, and at the beginning, I thought it was so easy. By about 80 push-ups in, my arms were jelly. Perfect.
Hard and fast, or slow and easy?
Workouts. Minds out of the gutter, please.
No idea why I chose Frank Sinatra lyrics to name my last post on this…
As I mentioned in my last post, I've really been going through it with headaches.…
(tw for diet culture talk—mostly how it's BS, but how it's affected me, too) This…
I have been thinking about this post for a while—on why diet culture is unhealthy…
I woke up this morning already feeling anxious. (Yay!) My standard iPhone alarm is set…
I read The Midnight Library over the weekend, and I need to talk about it.…
View Comments
I honestly prefer an easy cardio workout for days I don't so weights. I also never want to spend more than 40 minutes in the gym. I usually do 20-25 minutes of cardio while reading on my ereader, or 30 minutes of weights.
(However I've been sick and not been to the gym for TWO WHOLE WEEKS and I feel so guilty about it.)
I hate the treadmill, so I find myself doing intervals or speed work on it so I don't bore myself to death.
80 push ups would kill me.
I start slow and easy, go hard and fast for a while, then try to wrap up with slow and easy.
Last night I combined 25 minutes of cardio with 20 minutes of strength training for my legs. My legs were like jelly! But I need strong legs to run a 10 miles race!
That's a great idea for a treadmill workout. I usually try to vary the speed or do intervals on the 'mill otherwise I start to go crazy from boredom.
Theodora,
I found your blog via Carrotsncake. Great job on posting very relevant running info as well as fabulous glimpses of City life. I was relieved to know other people are having the same issues with full time jobs and keeping up their exercise routines. I used your blog post to come up with my own action plan.
Thank you so much for what you do!
Ugh I hate running on the treadmill, I'm going to have to try a workout like that. It's so easy to let your friends talk you out of a trip to the gym..good job resisting!
It totally depends for me, some mornings all I literally feel like I'm asleep on the elliptical, others I'm ready for a really challenging workout! I try to avoid running on the treadmill at all costs, but even incline walking I have to vary the speeds and inclines or else I get so bored. I'm definitely going to look up 'at home WOD's', I feel they would be a great workouts to have on hand when the weather is crappy out or I'm running short on time!
Kudos on choosing gym over dinner. It's those small choices that make the difference.
Good for you! Happy Birthday!
It's been awhile since I've been running, mostly for health reasons but I do need to get back into it. I miss my runs...even if they are like watching paint dry sometimes. ;)