Saturday, April 24, 2004
Running:
It's a gorgeous day here in NYC and I knew it was going to be nice, so I planned to run in Central Park this morning. I came into the Park at Columbus Circle and set off doing my 8-minute intervals around the bottom of the Park and up the East Side hills on the lower loop part of the Park drive. Managed those hills okay, it was hard, but I did it. I then decided that I was going to run up Cat Hill, one of more steep and longer hills in the Park. I just ran up it very slowly, not worrying about speed or my intervals or anything else. I made it. Barely. Had to walk off the road and catch my breath for a minute on the side though, once I reached the top. Afterwards, I walked the remaining distance to the Reservoir and then did another 8-minute interval up there. After that, I did a little intermittent running and some walking to complete my workout. It wasn't a great run, but I got out there and did it AND I did some hills. Plus it was a beautiful day to be out and about in Central Park.
I've actually done pretty well with the running for this week. Ran four times! That's a lot for me, especially at this stage. Also, managed to work out 6 times this week, which is also a very good thing. Would have liked to fit in a second spinning class, or some other kind of cardio class, but still, all-in-all it's been a pretty good week for working out.
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It's a gorgeous day here in NYC and I knew it was going to be nice, so I planned to run in Central Park this morning. I came into the Park at Columbus Circle and set off doing my 8-minute intervals around the bottom of the Park and up the East Side hills on the lower loop part of the Park drive. Managed those hills okay, it was hard, but I did it. I then decided that I was going to run up Cat Hill, one of more steep and longer hills in the Park. I just ran up it very slowly, not worrying about speed or my intervals or anything else. I made it. Barely. Had to walk off the road and catch my breath for a minute on the side though, once I reached the top. Afterwards, I walked the remaining distance to the Reservoir and then did another 8-minute interval up there. After that, I did a little intermittent running and some walking to complete my workout. It wasn't a great run, but I got out there and did it AND I did some hills. Plus it was a beautiful day to be out and about in Central Park.
I've actually done pretty well with the running for this week. Ran four times! That's a lot for me, especially at this stage. Also, managed to work out 6 times this week, which is also a very good thing. Would have liked to fit in a second spinning class, or some other kind of cardio class, but still, all-in-all it's been a pretty good week for working out.
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Friday, April 23, 2004
Running:
Decided to do a second workout today, so after work I ran on the treadmill here in my apartment building. I did two intervals running of 8 minutes each and one of nine minutes. I also did one minute walking at the start, one minute walking between each running interval and two minutes walking at the end. Total: 25 minutes running, 5 minutes walking. I think I'm getting better at this. On the treadmill anyway.
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Decided to do a second workout today, so after work I ran on the treadmill here in my apartment building. I did two intervals running of 8 minutes each and one of nine minutes. I also did one minute walking at the start, one minute walking between each running interval and two minutes walking at the end. Total: 25 minutes running, 5 minutes walking. I think I'm getting better at this. On the treadmill anyway.
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Thursday, April 22, 2004
Spinning:
Tonight's spinning class was a little bit tougher than Thursday's class usually is. We had an unexpected sub. I have had this guy for a class once before and at the time I thought that he gave a pretty good class, and today was no exception. It was tough, but doable. Not as tough as the new Tuesday instructor however (Ellen toughed out her class this week -- she said it was brutal), but I thought it was a good, solid, well-rounded spinning class, so I'm happy. Class was followed by a couple of beers at SkyBox, sports bar across from Madison Square Garden (yes, I've broken the alcohol pact already -- actually, for me, the alcohol pact pertains to time at home and doesn't include social occasions, but whatever).
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Tonight's spinning class was a little bit tougher than Thursday's class usually is. We had an unexpected sub. I have had this guy for a class once before and at the time I thought that he gave a pretty good class, and today was no exception. It was tough, but doable. Not as tough as the new Tuesday instructor however (Ellen toughed out her class this week -- she said it was brutal), but I thought it was a good, solid, well-rounded spinning class, so I'm happy. Class was followed by a couple of beers at SkyBox, sports bar across from Madison Square Garden (yes, I've broken the alcohol pact already -- actually, for me, the alcohol pact pertains to time at home and doesn't include social occasions, but whatever).
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Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Running:
Tonight I decided to repeat last night's running class routine, as I've tried to do the day after class in some of the prior weeks. I think it helps a bit, it more firmly establishes with my body that this is the length interval it is now expected to run, and it more firmly establishes this mentally as well. Anyway, I dragged the "fat-ass pug" with me because she needs more exercise than I've been giving her lately. I did some intervals (as well as some additional running) on the Park Drive and bridle paths of Forest Park (which includes a number of hills) and also an interval on the track inside of Forest Park. So a mix of hills and flat. Later at home I followed up with some upper-body work with the Nike resistance bands I bought recently.
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Tonight I decided to repeat last night's running class routine, as I've tried to do the day after class in some of the prior weeks. I think it helps a bit, it more firmly establishes with my body that this is the length interval it is now expected to run, and it more firmly establishes this mentally as well. Anyway, I dragged the "fat-ass pug" with me because she needs more exercise than I've been giving her lately. I did some intervals (as well as some additional running) on the Park Drive and bridle paths of Forest Park (which includes a number of hills) and also an interval on the track inside of Forest Park. So a mix of hills and flat. Later at home I followed up with some upper-body work with the Nike resistance bands I bought recently.
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Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Running Class:
This time it was intervals of 8 minutes. This was really a weight hanging over my head, I was expecting this to be hard, especially since I had only run once last week, but it was a lot easier than I expected it to be. Not easy, but easier. And what a beautiful, beautiful night for a run! Perfect weather (I even wore shorts -- for the first time this year), AND the fruit trees are all blossoming now in Central Park. It was a good night. Also, did a very fast mile walking up to class (was running late, so I booked it), a mile walking back to the subway and then the half mile or so home from the subway in Kew Gardens. Every little bit helps.
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This time it was intervals of 8 minutes. This was really a weight hanging over my head, I was expecting this to be hard, especially since I had only run once last week, but it was a lot easier than I expected it to be. Not easy, but easier. And what a beautiful, beautiful night for a run! Perfect weather (I even wore shorts -- for the first time this year), AND the fruit trees are all blossoming now in Central Park. It was a good night. Also, did a very fast mile walking up to class (was running late, so I booked it), a mile walking back to the subway and then the half mile or so home from the subway in Kew Gardens. Every little bit helps.
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Monday, April 19, 2004
Lunchtime:
Upper-Body Weights.
10 minutes Elliptical. I cut it short because it is so hot today and I knew I didn't have time to take a shower before running back to work. Between the heat inside my cubicle at work, the heat outside (it's somewhere in the mid-to-upper-80s out there), the intense rushing to get to the gym and back and my workout, I feel like I'm about to spontaneously combust! Sheesh.
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Upper-Body Weights.
10 minutes Elliptical. I cut it short because it is so hot today and I knew I didn't have time to take a shower before running back to work. Between the heat inside my cubicle at work, the heat outside (it's somewhere in the mid-to-upper-80s out there), the intense rushing to get to the gym and back and my workout, I feel like I'm about to spontaneously combust! Sheesh.
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