Run & Skunk

Today began with me actually waking up nearly on time. A muffin and some granola cereal for breakfast then I was off to the gym.

I had been arguing with myself all night as to what I would do for cardio today and I hadn't come up with an answer when I stepped onto the treadmill. I decided I'd just start running and stop when I got tired, train legs, then run some more. I ran nearly 6.7 miles before I stopped. I finished 6 miles in ~51 minutes then slowed a little at the end and walked a little to cool down. Legs began with 3 sets of leg presses, then 3 sets of true squats, followed by 3 sets of leg extensions. Hamstrings consisted of only 2 exercises. 3 sets of seated leg curls & 3 sets of weighted hyper-extensions. While at the gym I took in 4 pounds of water.

Back at home I had a protein shake, rested a little, then got ready for Insanity. Today was Max Interval Circuit. I did decent with the workout. Towards the end I was quite tired, but pushed through as best I could. The full body drill at the end kills me. It's a combination of 4 various drills in the plank position, done in one big set, 3 times each interval. After that I'm just spent.

Once I finished up with Insanity for the day I cooled off yet again, I decided I had time to get on the spin bike before Kim got home. I made it 15 minutes. I gave up on any more cardio and decided to eat some turkey as a snack. I was trying very hard not to eat too much during the day.

We went out for dinner this evening. Sitar in Chattanooga. It's our favorite little Indian place. Kim had fish tikka masala and I had chicken tikka masala. Of course I had to have a mango lasi and some chai tea. We also ordered some garlic naan and puri. I also ordered some chana sag to bring home and eat tomorrow. Dessert was a few bites of Ice Cream back here in Ctown.

Just as we were pulling in the driveway on our way home, the horrible, powerful, sickening smell of wet skunk hit us (in the car with the windows rolled up!). We got out of the car and were greeted by our Jack Russell. Yep, he'd been sprayed by a skunk again. This is the second time in as many weeks. You'd think he'd learn to leave skunks alone....

Max Cardio

Today began much like yesterday, with me oversleeping. I guess I'm just exhausted and need the rest. I have been staying up a little late as Kim works on her computer, but not much past midnight. Anyway, once I got up and had some coffee I had my first meal of the day, a muffing and a half, and a cup of yogurt. I think it was around 400 calories total.

My workouts for the day began at the gym with a flat, faster paced run. I varied the pace constantly and finished 3 miles in 24:25. Not bad considering I'm only doing quicker paced runs once or twice a week. After the run I cooled down by walking for the rest of my 30 minutes of allotted treadmill time and then got ready to train shoulders. 3 sets of hammer strength military presses, 3 sets of cable upright rows, 3 sets of Bodymaster's machine side lateral raises, 3 sets of shoulder shrugs, and finally 3 sets of Bodymaster's rear delts.

After the gym I returned home for a protein shake and some rest before having to help my family move more furniture. After loading a moving van/trailer full of furniture (in 95 degree/105 degree heat index temps) I came home and had a turkey sandwich. Once I finished my sandwich I began pacing the floor, trying to get motivated to start today's Insanity Workout, which is Max Cardio & Conditioning. It was AWFUL. I failed out on every exercise following the warm up. Some were kinda easy, but because of the other KILLER exercises, I failed out on the easy ones as well. I hope I react to it like I did after the first time I did the Pure Cardio workout. I had a lot of trouble at first with Pure Cardio, but it ended up being my favorite workout from month 1. I don't know that Max Cardio will ever by my fav. Following the workout I collapsed onto the floor where the Pug attacked me with her incessant licking of my face (she loves sweat). Once I was able to stand I grabbed a cold bottle of water from the fridge, drank a few long gulps, and thew up. Cool, I know. I actually kinda almost passed out during one of the water breaks in the middle of the workout. I had to grab the side of the sofa and hang on for a sec. Like I've always said, if you're vomiting and passing out during/after a workout, that's a sure sing of a decent workout.

Once the sun began to set a little Kim and I called for JJF and took off on a walk. Did I mention it's crazy hot here? Just a little humid too. I was soaked (my 3rd change of clothes on the day) after about 1/2 a mile. I can't wait for some cooler weather. I may jog all day long once the temps stay in the 60's.

Dinner tonight was feat. Fake meat mixed into hamburger helper. Plus a small salad and some pineapple. Dessert this evening was a muffin and a NS cookie!

Tomorrow is arm day and Max Recovery. I feel like I need some recovery....

Recovery Week

Sunday = Rest Day (still burned almost 3400 calories).

Today begins my Recovery Week on the Insanity Workout. 6 days of Core Cardio and Balance before starting month 2 of the program next Monday.

My actual training today began with a 3 mile run on the Random program on the treadmill. Following the treadmill I trained chest. 3 sets of machine presses, 3 sets of incline machine presses, 3 sets of decline machine presses, and 3 sets of cable flies. Back at home I rode the spin bike for 30 minutes and then washed our old 4runner we use in lieu of a 4wheeler. Insanity followed later in the day. No walk this evening (due to thunder storms and torrential rain), so I may end up spinning again late.

Good day with my food intake. Breakfast was a low fat blueberry muffin, & post workout meal was a protein shake. Post spin was 1/4 of a protein bar, a NS chocolate chip cookie, and a turkey sandwich. Dinner tonight is fake meat steak (fake steak), mashed potatoes, and later on a little NS granola bar.

Tomorrow will be an altered day. I'm headed out with my father for a long day of looking at some properties. My job? Navigation. I'm the only one who can operate a GPS device. So I'm planning on running and training at the gym early (for me that's around 8) and then spinning and Insanity whenever I make it back home. Don't know what I'll do about eating while gone. I need to plan that out tonight.

Sick of Sushi

Thursday I had to catch up a missed shoulder workout, along with my normal arm workout while at the gym. After a breakfast of granola and a low fat muffin I arrived at the gym. First off was of course a 30 minute run. For a little change I set the pace to 6mph, and ran the Random Hill program on the treadmill. I actually enjoyed it this time. The last time I ran the program I had to lower the intensity a little just to complete it. Once my cardio was over and I cooled down for a sec, I began my workout with 3 sets of shoulder shrugs, moving on to 3 sets of hammer shoulder presses, and then onto 3 set of side lateral raises to finish off shoulders. For arms I began with 3 sets of triceps press downs, followed by 3 sets of rope press downs. My biceps work began with 3 sets of seated incline curls, and ending with 3 sets of heavy standing hammer curls.

After an early afternoon of some bookwork, a trip to the recycling center, and finally a stop by the grocery store, I returned home with enough time to eat a sandwich and get in an Insanity workout. Luckily it was the recovery/stretching workout, so I didn't feel so tired afterward.

I had to work a little late in the evening out of town, so I took the opportunity to drag mom along with me (Kim was working late) to eat dinner. As luck would have it, Dad was finishing up on the golf course just as we were making our way to Mt. Fuji for dinner, so he joined us. Bad news for me. I'm finally sick of sushi. I don't know what happened, but about 1/2 way through my sushi deluxe dinner, I just couldn't eat another bite. Ugh. What am I supposed to do now? Sushi was one of my last safe havens of healthy food that I could get outside of home. I'm very troubled. I love sushi. Only now I don't. AAAHHHH!!!! I hope this doesn't carry over to oysters.....I'll have to test that out soon.

After I got home I nibbled on a protein bar before going on a walk with Jumping Jack Flash before Kim got home from work. Good burn of 4300+ calories on the day. I'm back near 200 even now. Couple more weeks and I'll be hitting new lows every day.

Leg day tomorrow. First a run, then legs, then a bike ride, next Insanity, and finally a nice warm walk around the lake. I usually eat sushi after a leg workout to make me feel better. Maybe I'll grill some chicken instead...

Sleeping on the Porch

Yesterday I had a WEAK arm workout. 12 sets total. 3 sets of triceps press downs, 3 sets of overhead presses. 3 sets of incline dumbbell curls & 3 sets of standing dumbbell curls for biceps. I guess I was a little tired from running before the workout. 26 minutes of 1 minute intervals between 6 & 8 mph. Then I walked for about 15 minutes to cool down. That's 4 decent runs I've had this week! So happy now with the new running style and resulting zero pain!

After the gym I got in 30 minutes on the spin bike late in the afternoon before Kim got in from work. After the ride I decided to go out on the front porch and have a seat while I cooled off. I fell asleep. Slept about half an hour in the late afternoon Georgia heat, sitting straight up in a chair. Lovely. Once Kim got home and changed clothes we put in the Insanity DVD and went through the day's workout. It was the same workout as the first day. Hard, but I did better. Almost made it through the second work circuit before having to stop during an exercise for rest. I don't know if I'll ever make it through an entire workout with out failing out during a set. I'm really enjoying the workouts and stretches. Kim loathes it. Anyway, after Insanity we rested a minute and then walked JJF around the lake.

Food was decent on the day. Breakfast was cereal and yogurt, post workout I had a protein shake, lunch was a chicken salad sandwich, during the afternoon I had a handful of almonds and a protein bar, dinner (late) was a turkey sandwich. Not sure on the calories in for the day but I burned over 4300.

Friday is leg day, and thank goodness it's also Insanity's rest day. So all I gotta do is run 3 miles, train legs, maybe spin 30, and walk the dog. Yay!

Freaky Sore

I woke this morning to find some new soreness as a result of yesterday's Insanity workout. Most notably strange places in my feet and calves. I've very quickly learned that the things I need to work on the most are my balance and my flexibility. I used to have plenty of both. Not so much now. The balance issue is very odd. At the end of the workout I had trouble standing on one leg as I stretched the other. Gotta work on that.

My workouts began at the gym today. I started with running 3 miles (the best run I've had in a month) of intervals, varying speeds from 6 to 8. I then walked about 20 minutes uphill, and finally finished up with about 10 minutes on the elliptical. I didn't mean to do quite so much cardio, but I got to the gym early and then had to wait on mom to finish up her fist treadmill work since she got her new pedometer. Next we trained chest. I was rather tired when we started, so it was a machine only workout. 3 sets seated chest press, machine incline presses, hammer strength decline presses, and machine flies. I retired to the house immediately following our last set.

Kim and I had our second Insanity workout after she got home from work. 40 minutes of bouncing and jumping around and we were exhausted. Kim said she's sore all over. She claims even her hair is sore. This workout was a little different than the first. More squatting and jumping than the first, along with some triceps and shoulder exercises.

After dinner Kim, JJF, and I walked around the lake. We got a free light show off in the distance as a massive cloud rolled towards us, filling the sky with almost constant lightning.

I had a decent day with food. Cereal and yogurt for breakfast, protein shake after the gym, two turkey sandwiches scattered throughout the afternoon, and cereal for dinner. I also had a serving or two of almonds (I tried some new habanero bbq flavored nuts & some buffalo flavored too) & munched on a chocolate muffin over the entire day. More calories than I had intended, but still well under 2000. I burned 4055 according to the BB. I really think the BB under-counts the Insanity workouts. 400 or so calories during a 40 minute workout. During the same time frame we take our nightly walk and burn 230. I'm usually barely sweating at the end of our walk, and that's from the heat more than from exertion. At the end of an Insanity workout, I'm trembling, on the verge of vomiting, soaked with sweat, and my heart is racing. I really think the BB is off with this type of workout. Maybe if I count all of the calories burned until I cool down to a resting burn rate it is more accurate. If that's the case I'm burning somewhere around 700 calories as a result of an Insanity workout. Either way, it's a good burn, just kinda messes with my mind thinking that a leisurely walk can burn more than 1/2 the calories as all that craziness.

Tomorrow is a back workout at the gym (switching shoulders and back since the Insanity workout had a little shoulder work today), some intervals on the treadmill, Insanity, walk around the lake, and maybe even a quick ride on the spin bike.