harder than it looks

Yesterday, for the first time, I actually managed the 50 pushup goal - mostly because after a couple weeks of intermittent bursts of pushups, I got to the point where I can knock off sets of 10 instead of sets of 5, and it's a whole lot easier to remember to do 10 pushups 5 times in a day than it is to remember to do 5 pushups 10 times in a day.

Today I'm adding in a new thing - Get-Ups. Basically, hold a weight above your head in one hand, while lying or reclining, and then stand up, holding the weight up the whole time. Then lie down again, but keep the weight up. There are refined versions of this kicking around on some of the kettlebell sites, usually called "Turkish Get-ups" but I like the one illustrated on stumptuous best (it's about halfway down the page). It looks like she's using a sissy weight, but really, not so much. I used my 7-lb LDC and that was sufficient for 5 on each side to feel like I was doing something. Actually, it was kinda hard. Getting up once is easy, and usually it's sufficient for whatever purpose - but getting up from lying down over and over, and holding a weight over your head at the same time is challenging. I won't lie and say it's *fun* but it's technically easy enough and quickly enough accomplished that it's a good little "while the kettle's coming to a boil" exercise, if you get bored of pushups.

(Um, and on the weight front, I have to admit that I totally fell off the wagon while my mom and my sister were visiting and I actually put on 3 or 4 lbs. Bad me. I'm back on the wagon now and experimenting with intermittent fasting - I will post on that if it turns out to be actually a good thing. One of those "evolutionary biology theory predicts this will be good for you but let's see how reality works out" things. I will say at this point that it is entirely possible - based on one data point - to go for 24 hours without food and be hungry without feeling any decrease in energy or mood.)

I was sick, but now I'm doing 50 pushups a day

Well not really. Today I've managed 30, but I forgot to start until well after noon. See, you don't do the pushups all at once, you do them as many at a time as you can, and then you just do them as frequently as you need to in order to hit 50 a day. I just made this up, but it seems like if I do this every day, it'll do me some good.

Anyway, it was the first day I've done any kind of intentional exercise in the past week or more because last Friday (the one before this past one... er, the 11th?) I started to feel a bit squiffy in the back of my throat, then Saturday I had a raging fever (but still dragged my butt around town with my mom because it was our planned dinner/theatre night out), then Sunday I developed a wretchedly nasty sore throat that lasted most of last week. But I'm better now. I still got some exercise throughout the week, coughing and wheezing through a couple "why did we walk this far without the stroller, and my GOD that child is heavy" sessions... but this week I should be back on the real exercise.

dogs are good for you

When I can, I like to take Daisy out for a good hike, because the vet said she's not allowed to chase balls anymore - it's bad for her joints and eventually she'll tear her ACL - but she still needs a good amount of exercise. So I found the nearest park with a lot of vertical space and forest to play deer in - Mt. Doug Park - and I take Daisy there a lot. It's also very close to the in-laws, so when I drop Rowan off there to play with them, it's easy to take Daisy for a hike.

Yesterday we did a good one - about 45 minutes, most of which was a slow climb, then a steep descent. That seems best, exercise-wise. Anyway, it was a lovely day and a nice hike. Then in the evening I went swimming with the husband and the child, they played while I swam lengths. I need googles so I can do a proper front crawl - my eyes just won't tolerate being open under water anymore. I should probably LEARN to do a proper front crawl too, come to think of it. This doesn't really fit in the "cheap" range, because it's $4 something to go to the pool, but it's a nice family outing. And swimming is awesome for your arms.

actual decent workout

Yay I managed a real workout today!

5 rounds of:

10 burpees
10 shoulder presses (using 25-lb LDC)
8 table pull-ups
10 squats, holding the LDC

It took me about 20 minutes, and my burpees were in no way as jumpalicious as the ones in the video, and I remembered after about 3 of them how much I'd hated them in elementary school. But I persevered, finished the workout, stretched a bit, then the child woke up. Excellent timing today!

it works if you can actually do it

Yesterday I was feeling bloated and totally gross, partly from the Chinese food pig-out (er, make that "wedding feast") for Stirling's cousin on Saturday night, and partly from PMS, which doesn't usually afflict me but it is about that time.

Stirling and the child took off to the pool, and the dog started casting longing gazes my way, and I really did want to feel better... so I put on my stylish jogging outfit (even better than the other day - I wore a hot pink hoodie on top of my maroon & taupe pants) and took the hound for a jog. I didn't go the full 5K and I didn't jog the whole way, but I did make sure Daisy had to trot briskly to keep up with me the whole way.

I felt better when I came home, so I did some pushups and table pull-ups and some lower back exercises.

Oh, and my gym sent me a "you don't *really* want to break up do you?" letter and apparently although my last payment was April 1, I still am entitled to work out there until June 4. Huh?

So this week I'm going to try to work out every day. And I'm going to inflate the tires on the jogging stroller and see if I can manage that... errrggghhhh