I am happy to report that my podiatrist has cleared me for all activity, as long as it feels comfortable, he said. That happened Jan. 18, and I went out for a run the next day. I went slowly because it had been three months since I had done the physical work of running but also because the roads were spotted with ice. While my time for the 2.2 miles was no big deal, my cardio capacity did allow me to run the entire time. I'm guessing that the swimming I have been doing these last four weeks can be credited for that.
While I was recovering I purchased several Living Social/Groupon deals to local fitness centers, Fitness & Dance of CNY Pilates & Yoga, as well as Champions Fitness Center. The former gave me five classes of my choosing and I selected pilates, since I wanted the core work and yoga is familiar to me. Champions' deal is for 10 classes, and they have impressive offerings--Zumba, group cycle, yoga, core, water fitness. I took a cycle class yesterday, and plan on trying out Zumba.
I thought these would be good transitional fitness opportunities until I could start running again. And they are. But quite honestly, I'm not really loving pilates. I'm not sure why, exactly; yoga is just more my style, I guess. The ab/core work of pilates is impressive, and I enjoy the simplicity of the moves that can be quite challenging physically. But it's just not my thing.
Which leads me to my point--there are so many fitness options out there, that folks really have no excuses. Not everyone has to swim-bike-run-lift-yoga as I do, or get on an elliptical, or do pilates. The important thing is that you look into the options, try out a few classes, and see if they're for you. If not (as in my case with pilates), then you just try something else.
Now that I can run again, I am thinking about which race to tackle first. I'm contemplating the Skunk Cabbage 10K, in Ithaca on April 1. I'll keep you posted as to my progress.
More than running (but not much more).
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Goals for 2012
Here we go again. Remember, I don't believe in resolutions, which I feel feed on the negative and tend to be vague. Instead I prefer the term "goals," which focuses on positive changes that can set you on the path of your choosing.
Last year, I succeeded in achieving five of my 10 goals. Here are another 10 (some duplicates from 2011) that I will work toward in 2012.
1. Reduce the amount of processed food I eat. This includes: frozen anything (except vegetables and ice cream), boxed items, snack mixes, baked goods not made from scratch. These are full of sodium and sugar and strange chemicals that I can't even begin to pronounce. Not healthy.
2. Remember to take my vitamins--Vitamin D and calcium, that is.
3. Run another marathon--since I'm scheduled for the Empire State Marathon in October, I'm already one step toward meeting that goal!
4. Read more.
5. Just like last year, lose 5-10 pounds. Foot surgery forces you off your feet, so weight gain is hard to avoid. Last year I lost 6 pounds, well within this goal.
6. Try to relax completely every 10 days. So very hard to me to do--I equate sitting on the couch with being lazy. (See #4).
7. Throw out/donate the stuff I don't use or don't need. All that extra stuff takes up space; I want to clear the decks!
8. Balance my weekly workouts, meaning pay attention to frequency of strength training, cardio, stretching/pilates, etc. Don't try to do too much of any one discipline. Getting older means sometimes realizing I can't run 8 miles two days in a row. It's OK to mix it up.
9. Realize I'm getting older.
10. Continue to pay down/pay off credit card debt. Every monthly payment is a minor victory. Keep it going!
I suppose these are modest goals, I don't know. Still, they're goals. Like last year, I will check in from time to time to see how I am progressing. Putting this in writing, posting it where my friends can see, keeps me moving forward.
Happy New Year!
Last year, I succeeded in achieving five of my 10 goals. Here are another 10 (some duplicates from 2011) that I will work toward in 2012.
1. Reduce the amount of processed food I eat. This includes: frozen anything (except vegetables and ice cream), boxed items, snack mixes, baked goods not made from scratch. These are full of sodium and sugar and strange chemicals that I can't even begin to pronounce. Not healthy.
2. Remember to take my vitamins--Vitamin D and calcium, that is.
3. Run another marathon--since I'm scheduled for the Empire State Marathon in October, I'm already one step toward meeting that goal!
4. Read more.
5. Just like last year, lose 5-10 pounds. Foot surgery forces you off your feet, so weight gain is hard to avoid. Last year I lost 6 pounds, well within this goal.
6. Try to relax completely every 10 days. So very hard to me to do--I equate sitting on the couch with being lazy. (See #4).
7. Throw out/donate the stuff I don't use or don't need. All that extra stuff takes up space; I want to clear the decks!
8. Balance my weekly workouts, meaning pay attention to frequency of strength training, cardio, stretching/pilates, etc. Don't try to do too much of any one discipline. Getting older means sometimes realizing I can't run 8 miles two days in a row. It's OK to mix it up.
9. Realize I'm getting older.
10. Continue to pay down/pay off credit card debt. Every monthly payment is a minor victory. Keep it going!
I suppose these are modest goals, I don't know. Still, they're goals. Like last year, I will check in from time to time to see how I am progressing. Putting this in writing, posting it where my friends can see, keeps me moving forward.
Happy New Year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)