July

“Some days it’s not about speed or miles, it’s just therapy… “

I cannot believe how fast June has gone. As I sit here updating my blog, I can’t believe it is time to look back at June and figure out what I want to change in July. To be honest, I am pretty unimpressed with my running and gym routines from this past month. I did not apply myself nearly as hard as I should have. I could sit here and make excuses about it being finals week, Alex graduating from WWU, or the gym not being open for the week of intercession. These are all valid concerns, but at the end of the day it has been my decision to not get out and go for an extra run or get creative in how I work out.

This is something I will change this month. I have a feeling being back on a set schedule will help with this. I will have access to the gym everyday of the week and will be on the same class schedule, which should help me figure out when the best time to go to the gym will be. I am thinking around 4 when my last class gets out will be the best option. Below is the schedule I have made for myself for the month of July. Unlike last month, I didn’t end up printing out a copy of this calendar. For July, I am hoping by printing out the weekly calendar below as it will motivate me to get out and workout each day I assign to myself.

Here is what I came up with for the month of July:

Monday- Long Run (3-4 miles if not longer)
Tuesday- Gym day (Arms, Abs, Cardio, Legs)
Wednesday- Run (2.5 or more miles)
Thursday- Rest day when Alex is here OR gym day (Arms, Abs, Legs, Cardio)
Friday- Abs and Arms
Saturday- Run (2.5 or more miles)
Sunday- Gym Day (Arms, Abs, Cardio, Legs)

I know this will change throughout the month, especially when I go on vacation and will have to alter what I do, but I do hope it gives me a good outline of what a “normal” week should look like.

Let’s hope July brings more results and motivation than June did and bring on that summer bod!!

Monthly stats

July saw my worst week so far this year with week 28 of seven rest days. Luckily this has not been a recurring habit and I don’t think it will be for the remainder of the year. The rest of July saw a good spread of gym, run, and rest days.

April

March was not too successful with the whole gym workout thing. As sit here and browse through my March weekly reports, two weeks of March were spent trying to recover from the flu and before I knew it, March was over and spring break was here. I only worked out about a week or two in March, but I am hoping to change that this month. With that being said, I need to work on a few things:

This month, I want to make sure I apply myself when I go to the gym. I need to make sure I continue to work hard every time I go to the gym and get the most out of the workouts I do.
Another thing I want to work on this month is staying motivated and making sure I make it to the gym 6 days out of the week. While this might seem like overkill, going to the gym acts as a stress reliever and this is something that will come in handy as classes start to pick up and midterms draw closer.

Here is my plan for the month:

Monday– Long run (at least 3.1 miles)
Tuesday– Full body circuit
Wednesday– Run
Thursday– Full body circuit
Friday– Rest
Saturday– Run/ bike
Sunday– Full body circuit

I am excited to see what this month will bring and the results that will follow!

Monthly stats

April looks like it was consistent across the board. There was a good mix of gym, run, and rest days, meaning I’m starting to find a good schedule to these workouts in each week. I wonder if the warmer weather has anything to do with this…

Week 6

February 4- Snow day!

This morning I woke up to a 7:30am text stating classes were cancelled for the day due to snow. It was the best feeling rolling over knowing I had no where to be and a whole day to study for my marketing midterm on Tuesday morning.

I laid in bed, finally got ready for the day and headed out with Alex and his roommates to Lake Padden and Boulevard Park. We spent about an hour out and about enjoying the snow and all the white ambiance that engulfed the trees and ground. I’m hoping to get around to posting these photos sometime this week, depending how busy classes get!

Before I knew it, it was about 1pm and time to study for that midterm tomorrow… Because campus was closed for the day, that meant the gym was too. I didn’t feel comfortable running outside not only because it was so cold out, but it was also pretty icy and not a challenge I wanted to endure for a long distance run. My hope is to hop on the treadmill tomorrow at the gym for a mile and a half and then start my full body circuit. I also might cut out the bike on Friday and make sure I get my mileage in for the week. I don’t want to lose the progress I’ve made so far endurance wise by not keeping up with 3.5- 4 mile runs. We will have to see how I feel as the week goes on, and it may also depend on the weather and access to the gym.. I’ll keep you updated!

February 5- Prolonged rest day

I didn’t make it to the gym today. Between all my classes and having to volunteer tonight from 6-7:30, I wasn’t able to make it to the gym.

Instead, I opted for an in-home workout. I did a little bit of core with planks, bicycle crunches, and regular crunches. I also did 10 push ups with 3 sets. For me legs, I decided to a wall sit. I haven’t done these for a while and I could definitely feel the burn run through my calf and up to my thighs.

I’m hoping to get back in a solid routine tomorrow!

February 6- Continued rest day

Man, I am not doing well this week on the whole hitting the gym thing. Today I ended up not going to the gym either… I really need to break this cycle tomorrow after my marketing class.

I am for sure going to hit the gym tomorrow around 10am to do my full body circuit. I need to make sure I also run at least a mile to keep up with my endurance.

February 7- Full body circuit

I MADE IT!!! I finally made it to the gym this week. I feel guilty for it taking me so long, but between midterms and the cold weather I just couldn’t bring myself to get out of my apartment and make time for the gym.

It is really interesting how much my motivation has changed with the weather. I think the winter blues are starting to hit, making me more lethargic than usual and not motivated to get out and be active.

I am happy I made the time in my day to go to the gym and complete the body circuit. As mentioned above, I still felt really unmotivated- almost like I was just going through the motions to get the workout done. I didn’t feel like I was really enjoying it… maybe it’s time to switch up the routine?

I think next week I will switch up the order I do my workout in. I will start with arms and then move to legs. Hopefully this little change up will help get me in the right mind set again and get my motivation back.

February 8- 3.8 mile run

I couldn’t believe how good this run felt. I hopped on the treadmill with my headphones in listening to reggae. I just started running and continued until I felt I had run a long enough distance. Without looking at the mileage, I decided to stop and noticed I had gone over my anticipated 3.5 miles!

My head was in the game and my body was feeling well rested from not running earlier this week. It felt really good finally getting a run in. I think I broke my funk of not wanting to go to the gym! Can’t wait to get on a solid routine again next week.

February 9- Full body circuit

I spent about 45 minutes at the gym today and got my full workout in. The gym wasn’t too packed, so I got to take my time and complete a really good workout.

It feels good being back at the gym and wanting to go. I’m glad I broke my negative mindset. I’m excited to get back into the full swing of things next week. It seems like midterms took a lot more time than I thought they would.

Now that they are over, I am looking forward to focusing on the gains to be made at the gym.

February 10- Rest day

This day was full of studying and getting ready for classes this week. I have one more midterm and can’t wait to get it over with this Wednesday.

I need to remember when I’m feeling stressed to not make excuses and go to the gym. This will help me stay focused, but also give me the mental motivation I need to study and retain the information at hand for the finance test.