Criminal Ascent
First off, it was REALLY great to read everyone’s comments to yesterday’s post. What a wonderful collection of good news from everyone. Thanks for putting your thoughts out there. It’s nice to share our little personal pats on the back, eh?
Today, after doing another wacky session of calisthenics mixed with jumping rope, and after another 10 rapid minutes on the bike, I switched to the treadmill and tried something new. I tried fastwalking while raising the incline.
Because I’m a goober, I kept raising the incline every minute. So, by the end, I was at 12.0, and feeling like I’d flip off the back of the treadmill at any moment. But man, what a neat change of efforts. I really enjoyed the way it attacked my quads, and that even just by walking at 4.5 MPH, I was breaking a hell of a sweat.
You gotta try that. I mean, if you’re outdoors and running and stuff, great for you. I’m still not feeling the vibe to get out there and run around, and the gym’s still a nice retreat for me. So, if you’re hiding in the gym still like me, try that incline. I think you might find it interesting and challenging.
I bet that’s even better on an elliptical. Too bad I’m afraid of ellipticals. I look like Bill Murray in Lost in Translation when I use them.
In nutrition news, I’m still doing well on the “no sugar” week. I have until Saturday before I’ve completed a week. Man, did I want sugar yesterday. I was aching to have some M&Ms. But then again, it was neary 6PM and I was still at work, so between stress and not having a sit down dinner with my family, I was doomed to want them. But, I licked it.
(Mind you, I had drive thru burger food for supper, due to the hour and the circumstances, but the occasional burger hasn’t hurt my success, so whatever).
Water. Are you getting enough water? I’m always trying to stay on top of that one. The rule of thumb I learned was to take your bodyweight in pounds, divide it by 2, and drink that many ounces. For me, that’s practically a gallon of fluids a day. Not easy, but do you know WHY people tell you to drink all that water?
* Water helps you feel more full.
* Water helps keep your muscles and skin supple.
* Water works with your metabolism on flushing fat.
* Water processes your micro and macro nutrients.
And no, I don’t just mean water. I mean fizzy water like seltzers and sparkling waters (provided they don’t have sugars), teas (especially green tea), and pretty much anything besides soda.
I’m really staying on top of my Inner Coach right now, ensuring that I’m saying the right things to myself. It’s so easy to slip back into picking on myself for little failures, or mistakes. Amazing how often my Inner Critic wants to call me a dumb fuck for this or that transgression. But with Coach, I put a lot of effort into breaking it down to what’s real, what’s acceptable, and where I’m headed.
Let me ask you something: what got you started on your personal quest for fitness and excellence? What got you off the couch? Were you ALWAYS this athletic? What drives you?
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