Tag: February

More Snowy Photos

Below are some more photos I took when Alex and I ventured out into the snow on our extra days off.

Two weeks ago, we got 3 extra days off from classes due to snow. Of course this means we got extra time to go play in the snow… Alex and I did just that! We walked up to campus and ended up have a huge snowball fight in an empty field. We also were able to get out and walk some the trails near my apartment.

Here are some of the compiled photos from our extra three day vacation:

February

Here’s to completing my first month of my new years resolution of staying in shape! Below is a personal reflection on how I thought my first month went, and the things I want to change  in the following months.

Going into this workout challenge, I thought it was going to be really hard to stay on track and push myself everyday to complete the workout I had planned for myself. It is one thing to create a plan on paper and have it seem fail proof, but it’s another to accept that I got ahead of myself in my goals. I think this was one of the hardest parts of this first month. It felt like a dry run of what I want the rest of the year to look like in terms of workouts, millage, and weights. I feel like I am constantly finding new machines to try at the gym, or modifying my workouts depending on how I am feeling a certain day.

I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing, but something I need to remain conscious of. It is easy to walk into the gym and say “I went hard yesterday, I’ll do a light workout today.” This, in my opinion, is a common mind block I need to get over, pushing myself to complete the workout listed on my calendar and make sure I complete the entire thing. Overall, I know there are days where I need to push myself harder, but for the most part I feel ecstatic about all the work I put into January and can’t wait for February as well.

Here’s a quick recap of how January went, and the accomplishments I made:

  • I can consistently run 3.5 miles without feeling strained or super out of shape.
  • I increased the weight of the dumbbells from 5 pounds, to 7.5 pounds, and then increased them again to 10 pounds (which is the weight I am currently using).
  • I found out how useful biking can be, especially when sore from the long runs on Monday’s and Wednesday’s.
  • I also learned how important it is to stretch, more specifically after my runs, so I am not as sore for my full body circuit the next day.

Here are some things I could improve on for February:

  • CORE- I definitely didn’t do well on completing my core workouts. I would tell myself that I was going to do them at home before getting in the shower, but most times this didn’t happen. I need to make an effort to integrate this permanently into my circuit.
  • Hydrating- this is very important and something I want to continue to get better at, as to avoid fatigue, cramping, and headaches.

I can’t wait to see what results February brings! Below is a PDF version of the calendar I made. Laying out the month ahead in a more realistic fashion than January did. Feel free to click on the link and see what my plan for the month is!

february-calendar-1Download

Monthly Stats

February was a good workout month. I had a consistent schedule throughout the month, with weeks 6 and 7 possibly having a few more rest days than I should have.