So I have been working out consistently all summer...4-5 days a week. I have done a mix of cardio and weights. Usually I do cardio exclusively twice a week and lift the other three. Lately (this week) I have added in some extra warm up cardio before weights..Here's why.....
I HAVE TURNED INTO A RUNNER!!!!!!!
This is big news guys because I have always HATED to run. I HATE HATE HATE to run. Well, I used to. I used to do every machine on the planet before I would straight up run, outside OR on the treadmill. Yuck. So that is what I have been doing for about month. Every other machine on the planet. Unfortunately, my options are pretty limited at my apartment gym ( I can't wait until I'm back home with so many options at my regular gym!!). I know that the consensus on the elliptical is that it's very easy to cheat it. Most people don't burn as much as would normally be associated with their elevated heart rate on it. One day, after I had slept through my alarm and decided once again that I would exercise after work...it was of course PACKED in my tiny apartment gym. As I surveyed all of my options for cardio time...everything was taken except for one elliptical machine and one treadmilll. I stood there for probably about three minutes. I didn't really want to do the elliptical but I REALLY didn't want to do the treadmill.
I opted to try the treadmill with the mindset of "I'm just going to jog for a little bit and I'll get off whenever I want." That day I RAN for 25 minutes ( half of the time on an incline). I nearly peed my pants when I got off. I have never run for more than 5 minutes on my own without a coach blowing a whistle at me and extreme peer pressure.
Here's what I have figured out:
I get easily overwhelmed by certain things. Like unloading the grocery cart on to the belt at checkout. I dread unpacking that whole dang cart. BUTTTTTTT I totally don't mind unloading the groceries bag by bag at home. It seems manageable. I can focus on one little bit at a time. That's kind of how I am about running. I know that serious runners generally prefer to run outside. This seems completely overwhelming to me. I have to run someplace and then I have to run back. Yuck. I know that technically you could run in a circle but still...overwhelming. I can get on the treadmill, completely zone out and pretend like I can get off whenever I want to. And since I spent all of that time building my endurance NOT RUNNING...I don't feel like I am going to die when I start. I finally found that place where after you have been running for awhile, it's kind of like your legs are on autopilot and I keep telling myself..Just five more minutes. Just five more minutes And then I look up and its been 45 minutes.Its manageable.
It is a freaking miracle!! All of you serious runners out there are probably laughing at my measily time on the treadmill but everyone has to start somewhere right??
Right now I would rather jump on the treadmill than do any other machine. I never thought I would say that in my whole life.
(Okay so I did have to bribe myself the first two times I ran with the promise of eating an egg sandwich if I ran for THIS amount of time. But we'll just keep that between us okay?)
Question : What does your exercise routine look like? Do you have a favorite activity?
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