Personal Best
This week has been a great week for fitness and at the same time, it's been hard to get motivated.
After the last update, Andrew and I had both bought and started working on our own new "Green" diet programs. Every morning, before work, I take 1 tablespoon of this organic green powder (just a concoction of veggie stuff) and mix it with a 250mL glass of orange juice. It's filling; doesn't taste great but I don't find that it tastes bad either (Andy begs to differ). I'm supposed to work up to 3 tablespoons per 250mL glass; I'll get there eventually.
As Andy puts it, "it's tastes awful but I know it's healthy and just want to keep going that way for the rest of the day". I agree with that; I want to keep eating healthy during the day as I've already started off well (ie. no muffins or other garbage during the morning or rest of the day).
Anyway, Andy has been sick all week; his hike up in Pemberton last weekend gave him a bad bug and pretty much laid him out. I was mentioning to him today that this week has been hard for getting motivated to go the gym. I still go but that little voice in my head starts to complain about driving over to the North Shore; it even complains the whole time I'm on the treadmill. I need to get that voice to change and be more positive!
One of the good motivators that I have had and now want to keep maintaining is my new personal best on the treadmill. Here's what my routine has been so far for a 30min. stint on the treadmill:
1. 2.5min - warmup walk (almost speedwalking)
2. 20min - run (without stopping)
3. 5min - fast walk to bring the heart rate down (almost speedwalking)
4. 2.5min - cooldown walk (just a brisk walk)
Why this routine? To control my heartrate.
1. The speedwalking warm-up is to get my heartrate up to about 120-130bpm (this is a fat burn zone; at least for my age).
2. The 20min run keeps my heartrate between 175-180bpm (cardio zone).
3. The 5min walk is to bring my heartrate down slowly to 120-130bpm (again, fat burn zone). This also helps me to manage bad things for the body such as blood pooling and stress on the heart.
4. The final 2.5min cooldown is to help me bring my heartrate down below 120bpm (so it's not so far from my resting heartrate).
In the past, my fast walk for 1 and 4 above would be at a level 3 setting on the treadmills at my gym. This has since progressed to 3.5, then 4, and now to a 4.5 setting on the treadmill; it's a very fast walk, almost speedwalking).
My run has also increased from a level 5 setting, to 6, to 6.5, and now to a level 7 setting. Level 7 is a very good setting for me right now and it's keeping me challenged to keep running at this pace for a full 20mins (and the best part is that I'm doing it!!). As my fitness level keeps getting better, I'm hoping to keep increasing the pace and hit my goal of leaning out and in increasing my running time and distance.
Christine, Ronnies wife, mentioned that she goes to yoga now and then. A few folks at work mentioned they have been going and have been loving it. I might tag along with Christine sometime to see how it is; if it helps me with doing proper stretching and toning, it can only be a good thing. Maybe next weekend or something; I'll see if Emmo wants to go if Christine is busy.
Harvey
After the last update, Andrew and I had both bought and started working on our own new "Green" diet programs. Every morning, before work, I take 1 tablespoon of this organic green powder (just a concoction of veggie stuff) and mix it with a 250mL glass of orange juice. It's filling; doesn't taste great but I don't find that it tastes bad either (Andy begs to differ). I'm supposed to work up to 3 tablespoons per 250mL glass; I'll get there eventually.
As Andy puts it, "it's tastes awful but I know it's healthy and just want to keep going that way for the rest of the day". I agree with that; I want to keep eating healthy during the day as I've already started off well (ie. no muffins or other garbage during the morning or rest of the day).
Anyway, Andy has been sick all week; his hike up in Pemberton last weekend gave him a bad bug and pretty much laid him out. I was mentioning to him today that this week has been hard for getting motivated to go the gym. I still go but that little voice in my head starts to complain about driving over to the North Shore; it even complains the whole time I'm on the treadmill. I need to get that voice to change and be more positive!
One of the good motivators that I have had and now want to keep maintaining is my new personal best on the treadmill. Here's what my routine has been so far for a 30min. stint on the treadmill:
1. 2.5min - warmup walk (almost speedwalking)
2. 20min - run (without stopping)
3. 5min - fast walk to bring the heart rate down (almost speedwalking)
4. 2.5min - cooldown walk (just a brisk walk)
Why this routine? To control my heartrate.
1. The speedwalking warm-up is to get my heartrate up to about 120-130bpm (this is a fat burn zone; at least for my age).
2. The 20min run keeps my heartrate between 175-180bpm (cardio zone).
3. The 5min walk is to bring my heartrate down slowly to 120-130bpm (again, fat burn zone). This also helps me to manage bad things for the body such as blood pooling and stress on the heart.
4. The final 2.5min cooldown is to help me bring my heartrate down below 120bpm (so it's not so far from my resting heartrate).
In the past, my fast walk for 1 and 4 above would be at a level 3 setting on the treadmills at my gym. This has since progressed to 3.5, then 4, and now to a 4.5 setting on the treadmill; it's a very fast walk, almost speedwalking).
My run has also increased from a level 5 setting, to 6, to 6.5, and now to a level 7 setting. Level 7 is a very good setting for me right now and it's keeping me challenged to keep running at this pace for a full 20mins (and the best part is that I'm doing it!!). As my fitness level keeps getting better, I'm hoping to keep increasing the pace and hit my goal of leaning out and in increasing my running time and distance.
Christine, Ronnies wife, mentioned that she goes to yoga now and then. A few folks at work mentioned they have been going and have been loving it. I might tag along with Christine sometime to see how it is; if it helps me with doing proper stretching and toning, it can only be a good thing. Maybe next weekend or something; I'll see if Emmo wants to go if Christine is busy.
Harvey
posted by Harvey at
10:05 PM
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