I hate running. But as cardio goes it's basically the least bad of a series of options. The bike hurts my butt and the elliptical makes my toes go numb and the stair climber can only be used for, like, ten minutes max. At least I like the way I feel after I run.
Intervals make this all easier. And as I am determined to become a runner (for some foolish reason) I have developed a new system that makes heavy use of them.
This all started when my trainer added the intervals to my weekly session. I alternate 30 seconds jogging with 30 seconds of walking for somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes before lifting. I decided to extend this on my own time.
The ultimate goal is to run for an entire episode of the Gilmore Girls, during which I think I would travel somewhere between 3 and 4 miles. Walking I cover just over 2.5 miles, and with my intervals I haven't managed to go farther than 2.7 miles. But this is baby-steps. And a long-term goal will help keep me motivated an on-task. The seven seasons of Gilmore Girls should also help.
The problem is that I'm super out of shape (when it comes to running, I'm actually in pretty decent shape generally). My calves do not like all of this running and they complain loudly after just a few intervals. So I made a deal with myself. I can always take a minute off from the intervals if I increase the incline during that rest minute.
This ultimately results in me running with the incline set at 5 or 6. Or, if I really can't run one day, I end up walking up a rather steep hill for ten or twenty minutes instead. Which is certainly better than nothing, and probably nearly as good as running.
I'm hoping to stick to doing this 2-3 times a week moving forward. Once I can do intervals the whole way through, I'll start lengthening the running portion and shortening the walking portion. Like my own custom "couch to 5K", but on a longer timescale. I don't want to injure myself again by pushing too hard too fast, so I'm giving myself room to go slow. And I'm staying on the treadmill. Partly because it's getting cold and wet outside, but also because I'm way less likely to twist my ankle on the flat surface.
Let's see how long I can stick with this. It'd be great to get to a point where I can run a mile again. Or even further, if my ankle cooperates. I should probably start doing some ankle exercises more frequently, too.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Weekend in New England
Kevin and I traveled up to New England last weekend with his mom to spend some time visiting family and friends. We were there for almost three whole days, and we managed to cram in a whole bunch of people. Some were out of town, but it's probably for the best. We might not have gotten any sleep if we'd really attempted to see everyone we know who lives in that area.
We landed in Providence mid-morning on Friday. We actually had some time to kill before we could visit Kevin's great aunt, so we spent some time exploring Roger Williams Park and downtown Providence. The city is adorable, much smaller than cities I'm used to. We got some great burgers for lunch, then found a brewery and had a few beers.
In the late afternoon, we headed over to the rehab center where we spent some time visiting with Kevin's great aunt, who will soon turn 100. Everyone caught up on the family gossip and we shared our wedding pictures. Then it was out to dinner with some cousins at a delicious Asian restaurant. After dinner we drove up to Massachusetts to spend the night with Kevin's aunt.
Saturday was mostly devoted to visiting with Kevin's grandmother. We took her out to lunch then showed her our wedding and honeymoon pictures. In the evening we drove in to Boston and got dinner with an old friend of mine who just started graduate school there. Then we met up with other friends for beers and went back to their place to play board games. Of course, I only made it halfway through the first game before I fell asleep. All that traveling takes it out of me.
The next morning we got up and went to brunch at a cute little restaurant with live jazz music. Then it was more board games and the beginning of the Patriots football game. We finished watching that game back at Kevin's aunts before heading back to Providence to fly home. Everything worked out perfectly timing-wise, and we made it home shortly after 10:00.
While we were gone, the cat tore into a brand new loaf of bread and ate some of it. This is the third time a loaf of bread has been eaten by one of the animals, and I've always blamed the dogs before (either Kina or Lily). But this time it was definitely the cat. They must all be in on it together, with the cat initiating and the dogs finishing off the loaf.
We landed in Providence mid-morning on Friday. We actually had some time to kill before we could visit Kevin's great aunt, so we spent some time exploring Roger Williams Park and downtown Providence. The city is adorable, much smaller than cities I'm used to. We got some great burgers for lunch, then found a brewery and had a few beers.
In the late afternoon, we headed over to the rehab center where we spent some time visiting with Kevin's great aunt, who will soon turn 100. Everyone caught up on the family gossip and we shared our wedding pictures. Then it was out to dinner with some cousins at a delicious Asian restaurant. After dinner we drove up to Massachusetts to spend the night with Kevin's aunt.
Saturday was mostly devoted to visiting with Kevin's grandmother. We took her out to lunch then showed her our wedding and honeymoon pictures. In the evening we drove in to Boston and got dinner with an old friend of mine who just started graduate school there. Then we met up with other friends for beers and went back to their place to play board games. Of course, I only made it halfway through the first game before I fell asleep. All that traveling takes it out of me.
The next morning we got up and went to brunch at a cute little restaurant with live jazz music. Then it was more board games and the beginning of the Patriots football game. We finished watching that game back at Kevin's aunts before heading back to Providence to fly home. Everything worked out perfectly timing-wise, and we made it home shortly after 10:00.
While we were gone, the cat tore into a brand new loaf of bread and ate some of it. This is the third time a loaf of bread has been eaten by one of the animals, and I've always blamed the dogs before (either Kina or Lily). But this time it was definitely the cat. They must all be in on it together, with the cat initiating and the dogs finishing off the loaf.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Branching Out
I've gotten a good rhythm going when it comes to weight lifting. I know lots of exercises. I understand about focusing on arms or legs or core, and I know how to mix it up. I can do long workouts and short workouts. I can try out new things. Most importantly, I like it. I have fun lifting weights, watching myself get stronger, mastering new exercises.
But cardio has fallen by the wayside. Lifting all the time leaves me sore all the time, which I definitely don't like. Besides which, cardio is good for you and variety is the spice of life. So I'm trying to reincorporate some other things into my routine.
Last Friday, I decided to give running another go. I haven't attempted to run at all since I hurt my knee over a year ago. But the bike hurts my butt and the elliptical makes my toes go numb and jacking up the incline on the treadmill is only going to get me so far. So I put on an episode of Gilmore Girls and gave myself permission to just do intervals for as long as I could before resorting to walking for the rest of the episode.
All in all it wasn't so bad. I managed to travel about 2.7 miles in 43 minutes. Not spectacular, but better than if I'm just walking. On Monday I tried again, but it was way harder. I could only do 4 intervals (minute jogging, minute walking) before my calves started screaming at me. Whether that's because I haven't run in so long or because I did a bunch of calf raises on Saturday is difficult to say. I bumped up the incline and walked instead, to give my calves a bit of a break.
I also decided that while I was trying (or retrying) new (okay, technically old) things, I would give yoga another go. There was a class at my gym on Sunday morning that I could make it to, so I went.
It was awful. The class was way above my level (and all the beginning classes are at 6 in the morning which is why I didn't go to them). The first ten minutes or so was fine, because it was just breathing and stretching. Then we spent ten minutes on our hands and knees, and that's not something I can do, apparently. My knees were hurting so bad from the pressure that I was near tears. Then, because I wasn't paying proper attention, I did something that caused my old back injury to flare up. I left, walked stiffly to my car, drove painfully home, and spent the next two and a half hours laying very still on my couch.
So. No more yoga.
I think that's okay though. If I can make the running work (and I will get better. Slowly but surely.) and intersperse my lifting with that, well that will be fine.
But cardio has fallen by the wayside. Lifting all the time leaves me sore all the time, which I definitely don't like. Besides which, cardio is good for you and variety is the spice of life. So I'm trying to reincorporate some other things into my routine.
Last Friday, I decided to give running another go. I haven't attempted to run at all since I hurt my knee over a year ago. But the bike hurts my butt and the elliptical makes my toes go numb and jacking up the incline on the treadmill is only going to get me so far. So I put on an episode of Gilmore Girls and gave myself permission to just do intervals for as long as I could before resorting to walking for the rest of the episode.
All in all it wasn't so bad. I managed to travel about 2.7 miles in 43 minutes. Not spectacular, but better than if I'm just walking. On Monday I tried again, but it was way harder. I could only do 4 intervals (minute jogging, minute walking) before my calves started screaming at me. Whether that's because I haven't run in so long or because I did a bunch of calf raises on Saturday is difficult to say. I bumped up the incline and walked instead, to give my calves a bit of a break.
I also decided that while I was trying (or retrying) new (okay, technically old) things, I would give yoga another go. There was a class at my gym on Sunday morning that I could make it to, so I went.
It was awful. The class was way above my level (and all the beginning classes are at 6 in the morning which is why I didn't go to them). The first ten minutes or so was fine, because it was just breathing and stretching. Then we spent ten minutes on our hands and knees, and that's not something I can do, apparently. My knees were hurting so bad from the pressure that I was near tears. Then, because I wasn't paying proper attention, I did something that caused my old back injury to flare up. I left, walked stiffly to my car, drove painfully home, and spent the next two and a half hours laying very still on my couch.
So. No more yoga.
I think that's okay though. If I can make the running work (and I will get better. Slowly but surely.) and intersperse my lifting with that, well that will be fine.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Baseball
I have this weird love/hate thing with baseball going.
On the one hand, I hate the way it just saturates my life. The season starts in March or something and it runs through September (or October). During that time, there's a game on nearly every day. And these games typically last 3-4 hours. I just don't understand how any one person can keep up with that. Football I get, because it's only once a week. But baseball is just everywhere.
I've been to two baseball games in my life. The first one was when Kevin and I were still long-distance, and he was heading to the airport right after the game. I drank too much beer and spent the last several innings in tears and trying not to be in tears. Not fun. The more recent game was long and hot and, instead of getting drunk I was sobering up and trying to stay awake.
On the other hand, the presence of baseball in my life has some definite upsides. I love that Kevin loves it as much as he does. He's been umpiring for over a decade, which is a nice way for him to get out of the house. I do like that, when the season is going, I'm guaranteed to have a couple of afternoons or evenings to myself every week. Sometimes it gets in the way of other life stuff, but mostly I like the ready excuse to have some introvert time.
I also really like walking by the baseball fields in the park with Kina every day. The little league games are often cute and the adult rec leagues that don't take it too seriously tend to seem fun, too. Of course, these impressions are based on the five minutes it takes me to walk past the field.
Moreover, the lights on the fields are pretty great. We're heading into the part of the year when I'm walking Kina after dark more often than not, and those lights help out a lot while they last. Just before sunset, when the artificial light begins to take over from the sun, the whole park looks idyllic and a little fake. Like I'm in a movie or a memory of middle America. It's one of my favorite parts of the day, and baseball is definitely a part of that.
I just wish the games didn't last so long. Kevin has explained to me all the stats and the strategy behind wearing out the pitcher, which is responsible for lengthening games. I'm starting to wonder why the fans are so willing to put up with it. Is there going to be a tipping point, where they start cutting innings out to get games back into the 2-3 hour range? Or is everyone really okay devoting so much of their life to this sport year after year?
On the one hand, I hate the way it just saturates my life. The season starts in March or something and it runs through September (or October). During that time, there's a game on nearly every day. And these games typically last 3-4 hours. I just don't understand how any one person can keep up with that. Football I get, because it's only once a week. But baseball is just everywhere.
I've been to two baseball games in my life. The first one was when Kevin and I were still long-distance, and he was heading to the airport right after the game. I drank too much beer and spent the last several innings in tears and trying not to be in tears. Not fun. The more recent game was long and hot and, instead of getting drunk I was sobering up and trying to stay awake.
On the other hand, the presence of baseball in my life has some definite upsides. I love that Kevin loves it as much as he does. He's been umpiring for over a decade, which is a nice way for him to get out of the house. I do like that, when the season is going, I'm guaranteed to have a couple of afternoons or evenings to myself every week. Sometimes it gets in the way of other life stuff, but mostly I like the ready excuse to have some introvert time.
I also really like walking by the baseball fields in the park with Kina every day. The little league games are often cute and the adult rec leagues that don't take it too seriously tend to seem fun, too. Of course, these impressions are based on the five minutes it takes me to walk past the field.
Moreover, the lights on the fields are pretty great. We're heading into the part of the year when I'm walking Kina after dark more often than not, and those lights help out a lot while they last. Just before sunset, when the artificial light begins to take over from the sun, the whole park looks idyllic and a little fake. Like I'm in a movie or a memory of middle America. It's one of my favorite parts of the day, and baseball is definitely a part of that.
I just wish the games didn't last so long. Kevin has explained to me all the stats and the strategy behind wearing out the pitcher, which is responsible for lengthening games. I'm starting to wonder why the fans are so willing to put up with it. Is there going to be a tipping point, where they start cutting innings out to get games back into the 2-3 hour range? Or is everyone really okay devoting so much of their life to this sport year after year?
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