Joining Gold's Gym

I joined Gold's Gym. *collective groan* I know, they're the evil empire of 'health clubs.' Numerous friends of mine have regaled me with horror stories about their abusive, money sucking business model and their meat market layout. About the fight you ultimately have to go through to cancel your membership early, and the clause that states if you're 25 miles (or some ridiculous distance) from a club you can't. Seriously, who's going going to drive 30-45 minutes to workout?

I don't really care about that stuff at this point. The bottom line for me when joining a gym was the cost benefit analysis based on the classes the gym offers. The Gold's is within walking distance of my home and work (supremely convenient), and offers a ton of classes. Every hour, on the hour, there seem to be at least two to choose from. From yoga, to strength training, to spinning, and the best part is the instructors are generally pretty good. I used to go to Bikram Yoga, and at a minimum cost of $10 per class my monthly $39.99 at Gold's is a much better deal. Granted, I'm not getting the Bikram experience, which is fantastic in my opinion, but I am getting access to reasonably new equipment and a far greater variety of classes. If I'm absolutely craving Bikram, I can do a drop-in.

I went in thinking I was going to low-ball them, negotiate like a pro. Twist the screws. Hit 'em where it counts... I ended up taking the package deal they have set up with my employer. I didn't even know it existed until I went in. It wasn't bad, a bit more than I wanted to pay, but it's only a year commitment, and I'll probably be around the area for at least that, so it's worth it. Plus, Lis gets a referral bonus of $50 in gift cards to spend on their massively overpriced gear and smoothies. I also brought up the fact that she never received her other referral bonuses from the roomies she recruited, so those should be in the mail too. Pretty sweet deal - of course that's how they engineer it.

There's already been one annoyance - no complementary towels. Seriously? That's just nasty. I know they have paper towel dispensers throughout the gym, but no towel stack to grab from? I come to find out you can add large towels onto your membership, for a nominal fee, of course. Still, for $40 a month I can bring my own. And, it's been cold and rainy the past three days and I've still fit in three treadmill runs rather than skipping out. I guess that means it's working. I'm also looking forward to hitting a class or two this weekend. I think for my reasons for joining a gym, and the added bonus of being able to workout with Lis on a more regular basis, it was a good decision. We'll see how it plays out.

Four Weeks - Wedding in three days

First, a week three summary: I've maintained my running distance of approximately 3.5 miles per run, and have increased the weight I'm lifting slightly. The Power 90 Sculpt 1-2 routine is pretty simple, but I enjoy it. I've also maintained the overall frequency of my workouts. I ended up taking two rest days instead of one due to a weekend trip to the mountains. On Saturday rather than run, I hiked for about 2.5 miles at a brisk pace over a rather aggressive amount of elevation change. Max, my fearless beagle, couldn't handle it. We started out the hike with him pulling me to go faster, and ended with me coaxing him up the mountain while attempting to maintain our initial pace that he had set.

I've slacked off a bit into week four. My left shin has been aching following the weekend camping trip. This is nothing new. When I began running and increasing my distance back in 2008 I would frequently have to ice my shin post-run. It's strange that it's cropping up now, since I'm not pushing any abnormal amount of distance when I've been running. I think perhaps it's due to the age of my running shoes. I've ordered a couple of new pairs of the ones I love (Saucony Progrid Guide) off of Amazon. This release of the shoe is no longer in production, but two more pairs should keep me going for about a year. Come to think of it, I've been running in the same pair for a year, so it's a good thing I'm replacing them now. I'll be sure to recycle my old pairs at my local running store so the materials don't go to waste.

UPDATE: The shoes came! That was fast - two days of turn around? Way to go UPS and Amazon.

I didn't want to run until I got my new shoes. I'm going to ease into it and not push my pace too hard when I do. Today might not be the day for a break-in run. While I'm not opposed to running in the rain, I'm just not feeling it right now. I'll try to sneak in a weight routine, and get a run in tomorrow before leaving Friday for the wedding weekend. I double checked, and the hotel has a gym, so I should be able to continue to keep up some semblance of my exercise regimen this week. Then I'm going to reevaluate. I've been thinking about training for a race...and while the wedding has kept me reasonably on track, I'm much more excited about the prospect of pushing towards an athletic goal.

Getting Hot - Week One Progress

I've worked out six out of the past nine days. I'm just starting to feel myself coming out of the, "What the hell are you doing to me, ramping up physical activity like this?" phase. After that I'll start entering the, "you need this to feel normal," phase. I love that phase, and I hope it gets here in full soon.

As mentioned, I'm incorporating elements of Tony Horton's Power 90 and running for at least four days a week. I plan on incorporating cycling when I acquire a gym membership (spinning!), or when it stops raining, whichever comes first. I can deal with running in the rain, but cycling is just too much. I ran 3.5 miles last night in a cool drizzle, continuously wiping my glasses with sweaty wet fingers, changing the blurriness of my surroundings from a hazy prickled star field to twin murky smudges. It wasn't a bad run, my time was 31:48. That's a pretty respectable pace for me, and I wasn't pushing myself that hard. I need to keep my heart rate in the ideal fat burning zone if I want to see more immediate physical results, but I tend to enjoy running at slightly above that rate. Either way it's a great workout. At a higher cardio zone I'll be burning sugars instead of fat, but also increasing my muscle mass, lactic threshold, and cardio endurance. I'm okay with that. Muscle burns more calories than fat.

I've lost just under two pounds so far. I'm taking weight readings about every other day, at the same time of day. I control for added clothing weight and meals by weighing myself in the morning right after I wake up, right after my morning shower. Two pounds a week is a pretty healthy amount. Any more and it is more likely to be water weight, or has more potential to return. Weight should be taken with a grain of salt since it can fluctuate so much naturally. Most experts agree that the best way to see results is to take measurements of the various parts of your body. I tend to lose weight from the top down. That pesky belly and love handles are the last to start to go. The way your clothing fits is a good indicator without all of the measurement work. I measure my success using the holes on my belt. We'll see how long it takes to move that buckle one more notch! I'm sticking with it.

Running in the fall

Last night I went for what could be said to be my first real, true run this fall. I really love running outside this time of year. I've noticed many people almost immediately switch to a treadmill as the temperature drops, but I think they're robbing themselves of something special. The air is so crisp and cool, and the light in the evening is almost ethereal. The lower light enables me to really look around and absorb my surroundings. Wearing glasses instead of contacts and sunglasses when running really limits your ability to observe a lot in the summer, when the sun is shining so brightly. The cool temperature allows me to push myself without worrying about overheating, and the drop in humidity can be said to be glorious. Running in the summer in Northern Virginia can be compared to swimming in a hot tub. Running in the fall is the opposite of this. When I step outside it's almost too cool; I'm almost cold, but as soon as I start my workout my body temperature rises and all thoughts of the temperature just fall away, and I find my rhythm.

I ran approximately 3.4 miles at an easy pace, putting my total run time at 35:16. Not too bad for not having run any true distance in a couple of weeks. I felt fantastic afterwards, which is exactly what I want when it comes to maintaining a positive attitude towards a workout plan. When I returned home I did the Tony Horton Ab Ripper 100, which is basically the most painful series of ab workouts I've ever done, and I know that isn't saying much. Afterwards I cooked a quick stir fry dinner with Lis and we relaxed with friends. It was a great evening.

So far so good.

Get Hot Pre-Weddings Plan - GO!

Laziness is a pretty horrible thing.

I'm not saying I'm lazy, just that it's a horrible thing. A lot of wonderful things that can take the place of laziness in derailing a workout plan include the following:

Video games
Beer
Video games and beer
Television series on DVD
Hot girlfriend
Sleep
Cuddles

So, like I said, I'm not lazy. What I am is distracted. That ended yesterday (as of now). This doesn't mean I'm giving up any wonderful things. On the contrary, I'm embracing all wonderful things, and pushing working out into the wonderful things category again. I used to thrive on working out. I used to need it almost every day. It centered me. It's fallen a bit to the wayside. I haven't stopped, it's just become a bit infrequent. As opposed to my usual four or more times a week, it's become two to three, if that. Last week didn't even make that cut.

Goals are important when it comes to keeping on track in a workout regimen. The hardest I ever worked out was training for my triathlon, and it paid off. I beat my personal time goal, and I felt and looked better than I have since high school. What I've been yearning for is a goal. It occurred to me the other day that maybe I don't need a race in my future to be my goal...maybe my goal could be... to look as good as possible for the two weddings I am attending in November!

The plan developed quickly into a very basic principle: Workout as hard as I can as often as I can until the weddings. Focus both on strength and cardio training, and don't drop the ball. Keep it up, if I stumble, just keep pushing through. So that's what I'm doing.

Yesterday I did strength training in the form of Sculpt 1-2 in the Power 90 series. It's the precursor to what you find on late night infomercials, P90X. It's not as advanced or time consuming, but it's still a good workout, and I can definitely feel it. I'll supplement it with running, cycling, and the ab ripper series that is also a Tony Horton product. I tried the cardio included with the Power 90 package, and somehow jumping in place, jogging, and jumping jacks just don't keep my interest...

Hooray workout plan! Stay tuned.

Cologne

Not the place. The substance. It can be a fantastic thing. Eau de man; the Irish shower. Keeping you smelling fresh, masculine, alluring, pungent, and down right tangy. It has its place.

That place is not work.

Women need also take note. When navigating your bread winning day of productive social pandering, of pretend grindstone sniffing, of breaking rocks, striking keys, and collating copies, it is not necessary to douse yourself in even two sprays of any substance that could potentially eviscerate the mucus membranes of a small percentage of humanity. I'd like to point out that this percentage is larger than those who have peanut allergies. It's true, I'm quoting a non-scientific study here, and I am thoroughly pro-peanut.

I ask, I implore, nay, I beg of you: if you do use cologne or perfume, one sprit, one shake, one pat of pungent Old Spice aftershave. One sensual drop of Chanel numero sinko. One single smear of budget minded Brut-ish masculinity. One faint mist of Tommy, but for the love of all that is olfactory, please keep it at that.

Bikram

This post race week has been pretty great. There wasn't any feeling of having been flogged, but I've been taking it easy in the interest of a REALLY good recovery, and have been eating more delicious food than usual (read: melty cheesey sandwiches, pasta, pizza, etc.). Alcohol consumption has increased, delightedly, and the fun quotient of the week was pretty high. Not to say that there weren't drawbacks, but overall, it was solid. Now it's time to get back to it...

Yesterday marked my return to Bikram Yoga. It's been a while since I've practiced, what with my training focusing primarily on the elements of the triathlon. Yoga (whether Bikram or not I can't tell) really helped me increase my running ability. When I'd first begun running my shins and legs were an issue. I started yoga, and it helped me get over the challenge. I'm going to try reincorporating it, while focusing primarily on running, to see if I can improve my ability further.

The class was fun. It was packed, and insanely hot. You could describe the smell as a cross between hampster cage and musky beach towel. A friend of mine went with me; it was her first time, and she was a freaking rock star. We'll see if she braves it again, but I'm always up for a yoga/workout buddy. The post sweat shakes are always interesting, but the unsuspected surprise came when I was commuting to work today. Car-yoga-funk! The thought process goes a little like this:

::breathe::
::sniff sniff::
/nose scrunches
::SNIFF SNIFF::
Me to Peter (we carpool): "Is that antifreeze, or rubber?"
Simultaneously ::DEEEEEEP BREAAATH::
Me: "...wait, wait a second..."
*LIGHTBULB*
...some laughter and comments about other gross bodily fluids.

The lesson to learn here is never, and I mean never, let a sweat soaked yoga towel chill in your car, even if it says it won't touch anything, and swears it's honest.