Am I having fun yet?

Trying to take off the weight I gained on my last diet.

This one goes to eleven!

Three months ago when I started at Horizon's Gym I could barely do situps on a flat surface.

Each week, we'd move it up a bit or add some weight.

At my last session, the crunch board had been moved up for someone who was doing some serious work. I asked to leave it there. Why? 'cos it was set to "11," of course.

It hurt, but I managed.

Okay, doing situps at a steep angle isn't a skill one needs to use frequently, but it's still impressive.

Going out in a blaze of glory

Saturday morning, September 22.

10 am.

I get on the treadmill and suddenly it all comes together for me. I just start running and don't stop.

2.04 miles in 20 minutes. That's 6.12 mph.

I made it to the Gold board!

I can has cardio, indeed!

Ruby Sneakers

It's got to be the new Mizuno Wave Riders. After 2 weeks of painful running with no gains in speed or distance, I flew past the old record.

Cardio Thursday

I totally blew away the 1.69 from the other day.

Problem is, I get more and more tired out after each session. When the hell do I start feeling better, feeling all that energy that they keep telling me that I'm supposed to having?

Cardio Saturday

This was from Saturday morning. Somehow, I always feel "lighter" on the weekend, and now that I'm on vacation, everything seems a little bit easier. Saturday marks the end of three straight weeks in the "Body for Life" program. Normally they want you to go for 12 weeks, but I've only got the 8 weeks of July and August. I'm seriously considering, though, continuing this for another four, through the end of September.

Not sure how much faster I can go on that stupid treadmill, though.

20 minutes of cardio is only how far?

Three times a week I ask myself this question:

"What? I've been running my butt off for the last twenty minutes, and I've only gone a mile and a half?"

Ok, not record breaking, but pretty good for a beginner.

I've been doing this diet and resistance training for the last two weeks, and ever other day is a cardio workout. 20 minutes of running on a treadmill, first slow, then more quickly, then fast, then a slowdown, and the cycle repeats.

It's kind of like being at work.

A few months ago I had to do a "stress test" at the hospital, and I could barely run for ten minutes. Of course, I was carrying around 20 extra pounds, and the stress test was designed to work the hell out of you. As it happened, I was pegged at "normal" on that test. I think I'd do better now.

Anyway, I've got six weeks to go. Don't even ask me about the weight and resistance part. The program is designed to push you until your muscles give out. I do this right after work every day, and usually I consider myself lucky if I can drive home.