A good long Sunday morning jog

After yesterday's jog, I felt accomplished. I jogged 5.5 miles. This is the longest I have jogged in 20 years. I started my jog at a little faster pace than normal, but slowed to my regular pace around the end of the 1st mile.

It was hot and humid, but I managed to not really tire. My warm-down included walking .2 miles home and sweeping part of the carport. You would understand why I did not sweep the entire carport if you could our collection of stuff that needed to be moved.

I also stretched. I have not talked about stretching, but it is really important to stretch before AND afterwards to ward off injuries.

In addition to finishing the jog in good form, I also had some very good thinking time, including thinking of 3 different blog posts I want to write.

Another Good Jog

Today, like Wednesday we started at a faster pace than our usual start. Jeff dropped back a bit, and I was wondering if maybe we were going too fast for him to last all 12 laps. He, however, caught up easily and on the last sprint of the last lap, he was able to keep it well enough to beat me by a step.

Like a typical August day, it was humid, but we performed well. We made the 3 miles in less than 32 minutes. I think it was a best time and slightly better than Wednesday's time. I hope we can keep it up for next week's early jog. I am hoping, before then, to get in a solo, long, thinking jog in on Sunday morning. The Sunday morning jog will depend on Saturday's activities, though.

Jogged Yesterday

Yesterday, Jeff and I had a very good jog on the track morning, despite the humidity. We started our jog a little faster than normal. Surprisingly, we finished with our second best time ever. Neither of us had been keeping the jogging up to the level we should have been so I was surprised we did as well as we did.

We jogged 12 laps in the middle lanes. The first 4 laps are regular jog (faster pace for us than normal). The long straight ways, we run starting on the 5th lap. Starting on the 11th lap, we sprint (our version) the straight ways.

Our time is usually 34 minutes. Yesterday, we finished in 32 minutes. We want to get our time under 30 minutes. In order to do that, we have to pick up the pace in every part of our jog, particularly in the beginning. If we keep challenging each other, we can do that.

Someone asked me "What are you training for?" I am not training for anything specific. I would like to be able to run in a 5K race--the small community fundraiser where nobody cares what your time is. The reason I want to run in a race is just to say I did.

Reasons to train in sprints or heavy bench press or any other technique are to stay fit, look good, feel good, have endurance, be strong, be challenged, etc. At 65, Harrison Ford can still fit into his Indiana Jones clothes. Wow! Isn't that a goal! To be able to wear the same clothes 20 years from now.

In order to stay fit, I have to be fit and continue to work out in various ways. Eventually, exercise gets boring. So I use challenges and goals in order to keep the boredom away. Jeff and I race during the sprints which makes the run fun. Besides, the jog and the run make me feel good--the after-cardio feeling. Using the time as a measurement, I feel accomplished when we finish in a fast time (for us).

Lifting Weights

Monday is bench press day--it's my workout partner ritual. Monday is bench press day. No other workout can be done on Monday. That is just the way it is with him. Monday is bench press day.

Though I did not blog yesterday, the bench press workout was very good. A couple of years ago, Jeff taught me how to bench press and I have pressed very heavy (for a woman). My problem has been that I do not bring the bar all the way to my chest, fearing that I might injury my shoulders or elbows.

In an effort to bring the bar further down, I have lighten the weights and increased the repetitions. The change in training is working. I can now perform 10 repetitions with 65 lbs bringing the bar all the way to the chest. I did not quite bring the bar down all the way for the 8 repetitions at 95 lbs, but I was close.

I went up to 115 lbs (4 reps) and then 135 lbs (4 reps, twice), bringing the bar little more than half way.

I tried another 95 lbs, almost touching the chest, then finished with 95 lbs, with legs up and stretching them out with each repetition. This particular exercise works my abs, much like extended leg crunches.

I performed more bench press repetitions than normal. I finished the workout with a few crunches, flat dumb bell presses, and incline presses. I felt great all day. I am not sure what it is about lifting heavy, but I tend to have a good bit of energy after heavy bench press and leg workouts.

Today, was leg workout, specifically squats. My knees hurt during the warm ups and wrapping them did not seem to help. Although I did a few crunches yesterday, we did about 20 minutes of ab workout to finish this morning. Today was not bad, but not great either.

I was frustrated because I did only a few reps at 95 lbs. I am now wondering how my jog will go tomorrow.

A Hot Jog

I started this morning's jog in my typical slow pace and never sped it up. It was hot, but a clear beautiful day. It is less humid than a few days in the past.

I jogged 4.4 miles, wishing I could jog 5 miles, but I did not make it. While I could focus on what I did not do, I am glad I finished 4.4 miles which will help me finish and push the 3 miles when we will jog later this week.

As usual, this long jog offered me the time to think. One of the things I thought about is how I got to the point I could jog 4 miles (albeit slow). My trek has been an evolution of activities, adjusting when one method or one activity is not possible.

I started in the Summer 2004 with the idea I wanted to lose weight. I drastically changed my eating habits, counted calories, and started walking. I walked everywhere and every chance I could get. I no longer count calories, I probably should since I want to lose a few pounds.

The walking--the moving--has progressed to jogging and lifting weights. I am sure in another post I will describe the progression in detail, but in any case, I am proud I can hold out and my goal is that I continue moving, exercising, and enjoying.

Swimming

It is too hot in late July and August to jog in the afternoon. Swimming is a good alternative to jogging for other several reasons. Swimming is usually easier on the joints, particularly the knees.

I swam more than 70 laps in a 40 feet pool. While this may not seem like much to those who swim regularly, I felt really good for finishing this many laps. Four years ago, before I started exercising I would have never been swam that much.

Ready to jog tomorrow to get back into the regular exercise mode.

When I don't exercise

On Monday morning, I took a jog on the highway next to the beach and through a bay neighborhood. I started slow and finished faster. Keep in mind, my fast is not very fast to most folks. I estimate that the jog was 2.5 miles, maybe a little longer.

These kinds of jogs make me feel really good when I finish. Usually I am hungry and thirsty, but I feel good.

I have not had a chance to exercise since then. It is now Saturday and I missed working out this morning for a family emergency. My body needs to get going...it needs to move. If I don't find time to expend this energy in the next few days, my body gets used to the resting state. So, I want to find time. Tomorrow is Sunday, Sunday mornings always make a good time for a nice slow, long jog. Like I have said before, Sunday mornings are my thinking jogs--this is my time. I thoroughly enjoy the time to think.

Also, when I don't exercise, but my body is telling me to expend the energy, I get grumpy so it is best for everyone for me to find the time to jog and/or lift weights.