Talk about your exercise experience today

[Gráinne]

Yay for me . Still at my 25-minute mile, but it seemed "faster" today, somehow. Then, arms and back, and the weight ActiveTrax assigned for most of the exercises was too light! Oh, revealed shoulders at Prom, here I come!

[Rockinonahigh]

I was rereading my post then realised I have lost 80 pounds down from 330 to 250.It totaly shocked me when ran the numbers..I am doing a happy dance.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by Mopsie

First let me say that I think it's awesome that you are taking advantage of your surroundings to work out.

But when I was reading this I started having math class word problem flashbacks.

LOL. Yes, I can see how that could happen. Sorry for the flashback.

And although this has nothing to do with what you said about math or my post, I noticed upon rereading it, I could have gotten away with half as many words, easy.

I imagine a goodly amount of people would have just said they used their stairs on a whim, got a good workout, plan to keep it up for awhile and left it at that. Ah if only I could be one of those people.

I do understand the concept and the usefulness of being succinct, but it’s in the practice that I fall short. I don’t know why I can’t just give the short version and leave out the entire process, but I don’t seem capable. Clarity is a bit of an obsession for me. I want to understand and be understood, but also I want to know why. I want to understand motivation and I forget other people don’t necessarily feel the same. And I also seem to lack the ability to discern what merits an obsessive degree of examination and what is just not worth the time or the words to explain. It’s rather important this. It’s the difference between having an interesting conversation and putting people to sleep.

Well, I should probably stop now cause, I’m doing it again, too many words. And it’s not even on topic. In a world of twitters and ten second sound bites, surrounded by ever shrinking attention spans, chances are I will go the way of the dinosaur. Unfortunately not soon enough.

(Speaking of flashbacks i'm having one now, flashing back to the many times in my life where people were glaring at me, tapping their feet and growling "is there a point somewhere.")

But anyway in a valiant attempt to bring this back around to topic, I did do the stairs again today. Good workout.

[nycfem]

I love to hear all the details, Miss Tick. I'm a stair enthusiast and love it all.

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

LOL. Yes, I can see how that could happen. Sorry for the flashback.

And although this has nothing to do with what you said about math or my post, I noticed upon rereading it, I could have gotten away with half as many words, easy.

I imagine a goodly amount of people would have just said they used their stairs on a whim, got a good workout, plan to keep it up for awhile and left it at that. Ah if only I could be one of those people.

I do understand the concept and the usefulness of being succinct, but it’s in the practice that I fall short. I don’t know why I can’t just give the short version and leave out the entire process, but I don’t seem capable. Clarity is a bit of an obsession for me. I want to understand and be understood, but also I want to know why. I want to understand motivation and I forget other people don’t necessarily feel the same. And I also seem to lack the ability to discern what merits an obsessive degree of examination and what is just not worth the time or the words to explain. It’s rather important this. It’s the difference between having an interesting conversation and putting people to sleep.

Well, I should probably stop now cause, I’m doing it again, too many words. And it’s not even on topic. In a world of twitters and ten second sound bites, surrounded by ever shrinking attention spans, chances are I will go the way of the dinosaur. Unfortunately not soon enough.

(Speaking of flashbacks i'm having one now, flashing back to the many times in my life where people were glaring at me, tapping their feet and growling "is there a point somewhere.")

But anyway in a valiant attempt to bring this back around to topic, I did do the stairs again today. Good workout.

[EmJay]

I have been walking all over Vegas. My feet and legs are feeling it way more than my 2 hr work outs at home. And it has been so much more enjoyable! *heres to another few miles going to be walked today*

[Cin]

Originally Posted by nycfem

I love to hear all the details, Miss Tick. I'm a stair enthusiast and love it all.

You think you do but I'm not sure you fully grasp my potential. I have a talent for causing people's eye's to glaze over. It's not a useful talent like painting awesome pictures or refinishing fabulous furniture but I gotta work with what I got.

[Gemme]

Today was my around the world of cardio day and it went well. My goal was to introduce and/or re-introduce myself to these pieces of equipment and do a comparison on what I like, what I don't and what I will include in future workouts.

Here's my progress:

Treadmill: 80 cal, .82 miles, 15:00 minutes
Arc aka THE BEAST: 138 cal, .63 mi, 15:00
Recumbent bike: 69 cal, 2.38 mi, 15:00
Elliptical: 117 cal, .86 mi, 15:00
Upright bike: 70 cal, 2.59 mi, 15:00
Treadmill: 99 cal, .86 mi, 15:00 + 3:00 cooldown

I did one 2 minute running interval on my first go round with the treadmill and just tried to maintain a steady pace on all the pieces of equipment without going too crazy.

The Arc is super tough and even the back of my hands and wrists were sweaty after only 15 minutes. I definitely earned those calories on that machine! When I'm in a time crunch and want to maximize my burn, that's where I'll be. My main beef with this piece of machinery is that there is a cup holder but I tend to come with quite a bit of paraphernalia and that's not enough room for my 'stuff' so I would have to adjust somehow to that as well as making sure to bring a water bottle with a nozzle on top that I would not have to take off to drink from.

My calves do not like the bikes AT ALL. The only real trouble I had with them today was when I got off of both bikes and they were tight, tight, tight! It may be an angle thing or just that I'm not a fan of bikes in general for exercise. I prefer a classic style Schwinn for tooling around town and good ones can be difficult to find so no bike riding for me.

Jennifer said something earlier about the Arc being more stable for her feet....less slippage...and I wanted to check that out because my experiences with the elliptical were similar to hers...I had to readjust my footing on a fairly regular basis. I agree that the Arc helps keep the feet in place better but I must have super slippy slidey feet cuz I still had to readjust my tootsies, but not nearly as much as when on the elliptical.

I found myself a bit bored on the upright bike and I zoned out watching music videos. I could probably have had a higher calorie count on that one but at least I didn't fall asleep on it.

My last round on the treadmill included incline work and no running intervals. I steadily increased the incline from 0 to 8.5 by the 15 minute mark and then finished with the cooldown and some stretching.

All in all, 573 calories burned and 8.14 miles covered. Not too shabby!

Alex treated me to some Only 8 frozen yogurt in a partial celebration of my progress (the othe part is cuz he just plain wanted some ice cream). For those that haven't heard of it, you can find more info HERE. It's super yummy, smooth, refreshing and good for you. Score!!!

[Cin]

Originally Posted by Gemme

Here's my progress:

Treadmill: 80 cal, .82 miles, 15:00 minutes
Arc aka THE BEAST: 138 cal, .63 mi, 15:00
Recumbent bike: 69 cal, 2.38 mi, 15:00
Elliptical: 117 cal, .86 mi, 15:00
Upright bike: 70 cal, 2.59 mi, 15:00
Treadmill: 99 cal, .86 mi, 15:00 + 3:00 cooldown

All in all, 573 calories burned and 8.14 miles covered. Not too shabby!

That is really awesome. Very impressive indeed. I never know exactly how many calories I'm burning. I look it up online and try to calculate but...

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

That is really awesome. Very impressive indeed. I never know exactly how many calories I'm burning. I look it up online and try to calculate but...

Well, Kelt kind of popped my bubble some time back with stats that the machine settings are off by as much as 42% (ellipticals, I think it was) but I still post what my machine tells me. Sometimes, I know it's off a little but when it's been a really hard workout and I know I kicked ass, I'll take every one of those digits and claim them proudly.

Online sources are a good way to get a general idea of how a person 'this age' and of 'this' stature and who has 'this' much activity in their day to day will do on 'this' activity, et cetera.

I used to use a site called the daily plate to input my food consumption and exercise and it calculated everything for me, letting me know when I went over on fat or sodium and when I was under in protein or calories, etc. That worked really well for me in TX, when portion control was one of my top three main issues with food.

The truest way to tell how much you're burning is to get one of those monitors that strap to your arm or chest but I don't have a couple of c notes to spend on that right now, so I go by how I feel the workout went and what the machine says, although I do take it with a grain of salt.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by Gemme

Well, Kelt kind of popped my bubble some time back with stats that the machine settings are off by as much as 42% (ellipticals, I think it was) but I still post what my machine tells me. Sometimes, I know it's off a little but when it's been a really hard workout and I know I kicked ass, I'll take every one of those digits and claim them proudly.

Online sources are a good way to get a general idea of how a person 'this age' and of 'this' stature and who has 'this' much activity in their day to day will do on 'this' activity, et cetera.

I used to use a site called the daily plate to input my food consumption and exercise and it calculated everything for me, letting me know when I went over on fat or sodium and when I was under in protein or calories, etc. That worked really well for me in TX, when portion control was one of my top three main issues with food.

The truest way to tell how much you're burning is to get one of those monitors that strap to your arm or chest but I don't have a couple of c notes to spend on that right now, so I go by how I feel the workout went and what the machine says, although I do take it with a grain of salt.

Ah so the machine settings are off. I was feeling like maybe i should do more of my workouts in the building gym cause they have a treadmill and an elliptical that would give me an idea of how much I'm burning but i imagine I can do as well as 42% with online sources. And right now I am liking the ease of interval training I'm getting with the stairs and the hallways.

I doubt I will ever want to spend that much money on a monitor. Besides I think you are right. I think you can tell when you've had a really good workout. And you should claim each and every digit. I know from now on when I do use the gym and get a reading on a machine I'm going to think that maybe I should add 42% to the burn. I mean who can say what direction the settings are off.

[cinnamongrrl]

I'm putting this out there so I have to follow up.......

I have a new later start time for work (830am) and I now have time to go to the gym before work...which is my preferable time....

I'm up at 5 or 6am daily anyway (involuntarily) so I may as well make the most of my time...

SO...

Tomorrow, when I get home from work for the day (around 1045pm) I will be posting here about my morning at the gym. This is my accountability! I need to seriously train if I'm ever going to hike anything bigger than our paltry hills...much loved as they are to me...I need to be challenged or I get bored...

[Kelt]

I am back from my little road trip.

I knew it would be a good idea to get off my ankle for a few days, and that I did. I also went pretty well stir crazy. Being used to being active for 2 to 4 hours a day and going straight to zero just about did me in.

I didn't keep detailed records like Gemme did (because there was nothing to keep track of), but I did get out a little bit.

I spent the first two days driving, and they were long days, but every couple of hours I tried to find someplace nice to get out and stretch my legs for a few minutes. Usually a nice park next to a river or lake, or some nice little 1 or 2 mile quick scenic spot. I took all of my own food so that I would not be subject to "road food" and that helped a lot. I picnicked.

I was visiting with my folks, and after sitting there staring at each other for two days, I put us into "day-trip" mode. We spent one day driving up to and lunching at a very nice lake in the Cascade foothills where I was able to stick them in a pretty spot and take myself on a quick little walk. They love the outdoors as much as I do, but being in their mid-80s they just don't get around too well anymore. The next day I dragged them off to the lower reaches of Mt. Rainier, up at the tree line, where we went and lunched at one of my favorite little alpine lakes. Again, they moved at their pace while I sort of darted around taking pictures and making sure no one fell down. My last day there (the 5th) we went off and followed a river into the foothills again in the Cascades. Repeat of the previous two days. I got in maybe 1 or 2 miles per day. That last day was a pretty good ankle test, I did several river crossings on logs and a fair bit of boulder hopping. The ankle held up well.

After the visit I headed back home again. At the beginning of the second day of driving, I tucked in a little 4 mile hike at Crater Lake. While the trip left me mentally exhausted, I was so fidgety physically I just about went nuts.

This morning, after thankfully sleeping in my own bed again, I got the beach early. Not wanting to undo the good I had done by resting my ankle, I capped it off at 3 miles. Then, around noon time I headed off to the pool and spent 90 minutes exhausting myself. It was great! I had a fabulous time playing around in the shallows, doing handstands and somersaults, then plowing through laps with my fun snorkel. I wrapped it up with a good soak in the hot tub.

It is good to be back in my routines. I am nothing if not a creature of habit.

I had fun reading through all of your posts earlier today, and I'm glad to be back in here. Consider yourselves all 'repped' multiple times.

[nycfem]

30 minutes of stair sprints while lifting weights.

Saw Jill and her trainer friend running about, very cute.

[cinnamongrrl]

Originally Posted by cinnamongrrl

I'm putting this out there so I have to follow up.......

I have a new later start time for work (830am) and I now have time to go to the gym before work...which is my preferable time....

I'm up at 5 or 6am daily anyway (involuntarily) so I may as well make the most of my time...

SO...

Tomorrow, when I get home from work for the day (around 1045pm) I will be posting here about my morning at the gym. This is my accountability! I need to seriously train if I'm ever going to hike anything bigger than our paltry hills...much loved as they are to me...I need to be challenged or I get bored...

I went to the gym somewhere around six (it opens at 5!) and did 30 minutes on my favorite treadmill with intervals of elevations. Not as high as I was previously, but I will work on it.
I also did upper body work on the weight machines...some ab work, and basic leg work. AND...I stretched after. I always mean to and don't and then I hurt...so I'm making it a point...
It felt good to get it done early and sets the tone for the day ( I took the stairs at work)
I have an early night at work so I COULD Possibly go after work. I don't think that's excessive....?

[DapperButch]

My dog is nothing short of brilliant. He has now learned the difference between my workout shorts (nylonish) and cargo shorts (cotton). You may or may not remember that he has a treadmill. He doesn't like it. There has been a couple of times that I have put him on it for his 15 minutes while I am on the eliptical right next to him.

Anyway, today I am going to use the eliptical at home today so I just changed. I came down the steps. My ever present shadow was not behind me. Nope, he was upstairs hiding...

He waited until he heard me sit down in the recliner, then came swooping down the steps, feeling all safe and shit.

[DapperButch]

I'm back. Did my 45. The dog did his 15.

He hasn't been on his treadmill for a while for a couple of reasons:

1) I took Kelt's information to heart about how we are not really increasing our exercise intake if we cut back on our normal activity on exercise days. Therefore, I went back to walking the dog even on my exercise days.

2) He hates it, so I feel bad for him.

However, I selfishly want the guy to be healthy and live as long as possible, so on the treadmill he must go from time to time!

[nycfem]

I did my 30 minutes of stair sprints while lifting weights. I like how much it makes me sweat and how much water I need to drink. That's one of the ways I measure how intense a work-out is for me. Since I go on the stairs at the gym, it's a bit like being in a character in a video game trying not to bump into texters. People who happen to be using the stairs (not specifically for exercise but in order to get somewhere) while texting have no sense at all of what is going on around them. You should see the look on their face when they see they have narrowly missed impact by a red faced fat woman wearing a fanny pack and hoisting weights wildly

[Koffeelvr]

Originally Posted by Rockinonahigh

I was rereading my post then realised I have lost 80 pounds down from 330 to 250.It totaly shocked me when ran the numbers..I am doing a happy dance.

Congratulations!

[Koffeelvr]

I worked out on the treadmill and lifted weights.

Great thread. Thanks for the push.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by cinnamongrrl

I went to the gym somewhere around six (it opens at 5!) and did 30 minutes on my favorite treadmill with intervals of elevations. Not as high as I was previously, but I will work on it.
I also did upper body work on the weight machines...some ab work, and basic leg work. AND...I stretched after. I always mean to and don't and then I hurt...so I'm making it a point...
It felt good to get it done early and sets the tone for the day ( I took the stairs at work)
I have an early night at work so I COULD Possibly go after work. I don't think that's excessive....?

I know some who do both a morning and evening workout. I think that as long as you're not doing two really intense workouts and if you make sure you're doing different things (no arms twice in one day, for example) and it's not a regular thing (because your body needs recovery time), then I don't see the harm in it once in a while.

Today's an off day but I really think I should have gone anyway. Pretty soon, I'll be doing 6-7 day weeks for a month or so, up until the reunion basically, so I need to enjoy the evenings when I actually have some energy left over at the end of the day.