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.

Week 26

June 24th- Rest

It’s my last rest day for awhile. I have come to that conclusion in the past few days. I have taken over a week off and tomorrow it is time to get back into a solid routine.

This routine will consist of going to classes Tuesday- Thursday and hitting the gym Monday- Sunday. I am going to deter from my original June calendar and make up a new routine for this week. I want to incorporate longer times at the gym and doing more than one activity.

My goal for Tuesday is as follows: Run at least 2.5 miles, dumbbell arm workout, and end with a quick core workout.

June 25th- Gym Day

Here’s how my Tuesday gym day went: I started off with a 2.5 mile run, did my full arm workout with dumbbells and ended with a 5 minute ab workout. I wanted to do a little bit of everything today at the gym to see how I liked it.

After completing the entire gym routine, I actually wasn’t a huge fan of it. The run was fine, but everything after that seemed a lot harder than normal. I think from now on I will only do these run days if I do a shorter distance run around 1 mile or so. If I do this, I have a feeling I won’t be as tired and skip out on arms and abs.

June 26th- Gym day

Alright, I tried the same thing I did yesterday but ended up focusing more on arms. I actually ended up using most of the arm machines, including doing my dumbbell workout. By the end of doing all the arm machines my arms were shaking and I could tell I wasn’t going to be able to lift anything else.

To help spread out the arm workouts and give them a rest, I ran a couple of laps around the track. I liked putting this in here because it gave me a break from lifting, allowed me to move around, AND I got to get some cardio in!

Towards the end of my gym routine, I also used the stair climber for a bit to help tone my legs. I was on there for about 10 minutes and could feel the burn after about 5. I ended with another 5 minute ab workout. With swimsuit season here, I thought abs should become another main focus of mine while I am at the gym!

June 27th- Rest

Today Alex came back up to Bellingham for the weekend, so I decided to try and spend as much time as I could with him before he goes back home Monday.

June 28th- Gym day

Instead of going to the actual gym, I downloaded a few different workout apps and tried them out. The one I decided to use today included abs, arms, and butt. I was actually really surprised at how hard these workouts are. I did a 5 minute timed session for each and was sweating a lot by the time I was finished.

These apps are something I need to keep in mind when at the gym! They have a lot of good routines and they actually go by pretty fast since you are switching what you are doing every 30 seconds.

June 29th- Rest

Today was another rest day. My abs are actually really sore from my workout yesterday, which is a good thing but it definitely put me in a not-so-motivated mindset.

June 30th- Abs

I used the app again to get a good ab workout in. I did another 5 minute session and could feel the burn. The ab workout is something I want to try and do almost everyday during July.

I am still in need of making a July calendar, but am hoping to get to this tomorrow (as tomorrow is already July 1st!) Where has the time gone?? It feels like June flew by!

Week 16

April 15- 3.17 miles

Treadmill running is starting to get old. I feel myself not pushing as hard and not motivated to even get on the thing!

So, today I decided to try a 2-1 workout. This means 2 minutes uphill at a faster pace and 1 minute recovery. At first this seemed easy, but about a mile in it started to get increasingly harder. I followed the 2:1 workout until I hit mile 2, where I ran flat at a faster pace until I hit 3.1 miles.

It feels good being able to switch up my runs like this. It makes them go a little faster and the uphill is a great way to train instead of always running flat.

I am longing for the sunny and dry weather to be able to get out and explore Bellingham!

April 16- Full Body Circuit

By 4pm the gym is packed and trying to maneuver around all the other people working out starts to become a chore. I was able to get a couple reps in on the dumbbells, using the 12.5 pound weights. These seem way heavier than the 10 pound ones I am used to… but the burn felt really good.

It is an important reminder to not get stuck in the same routine on the same weights. I need to make sure I am increasing how heavy the weights are when my workouts start to get easier. I have the form down, so now it is time to put in work and see how much progress I can make this month!

April 17- 2.72 mile run

Guess what?!?!? It was sunny out today! Meaning I was finally able to get a solid run in outside. I decided to take a new route through Fairhaven, cut over to Fairhaven Park, and run the trails through the park back to my apartment.

I still need to take time and figure out where all the trails lead, as I somehow ended up straying from the trail and ran through residential neighborhoods instead… It felt really refreshing getting outside and breathing in the fresh air.

My lefts were still a bit sore from my run on Monday, so I tried not to push it too hard on the hills during this run.

I couldn’t believe how refreshed and happy I felt after completing this run. It put me in a positive mindset and I was able to focus and get a lot of homework done.

April 18- Full body workout

I was feeling very sluggish today at the gym. Classes are starting to pick up in pace, and group projects are beginning to take up a lot of time. I completed my workout, but it didn’t feel as rewarding as it used to.

I need to figure out a way to have fun at the gym, so it doesn’t start to become a chore. I think I may need to start switching up my routine and see if that will help. I’ve been doing the same workout for almost 3 months now and I think it is starting to get a little old… this weekend I will do some research and find some new things to add to my routine.

April 19- Rest

I had to meet with a few groups today, which seemed to drag on. By the time I was finished with everything it was close to 4 and I was not wanting to go to the gym.

It seems like the days I don’t have classes are the busiest days out of the week. These are the days where I meet with groups, get ahead on my homework, and I often forget to take a break long enough to do something I want to do.

I need to make sure I have a healthy balance of stress and stress relief on these days!

April 20- Rest

Today is my moms birthday and also the funeral of Alex’s grandpa. We spent the whole day down in Renton and Seattle celebrating two very different things with both sides of our families.

It was really good to see so many people. Before we knew it, it was already 10pm and time to head back up to Bellingham. The went super fast, but it was also very tiring. I honestly done know the last time I was that social for so long!

April 21- Easter

Happy Easter! Today I spent the day catching up on homework, meeting with a group, and hitting the gym in the afternoon.

Again, today I felt very sluggish at the gym. I went through and finished most of my routine, but there was no urge to push myself harder.

I really need to come up with a new routine that will help keep my motivated to push myself harder.

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 11

March 11- Starting to feel better

Today I woke up to my alarm for my 8am. I still feel pretty sick, but I pushed myself to get out of bed and go to class. Not sure if I really learned anything, but took notes that I can read over later for the final. My cough is getting worse where my chest and back ache from the strain.

Going to the gym hasn’t even crossed my mind, as I have been focusing on getting healthy again and making it through my project and presentation that are both tomorrow. I’m hoping maybe on Thursday I will be able to go to the gym? I want to make sure I give my body enough rest to get fully better. I am starting to feel a little pudgy from not keeping up with running and weight lifting, so I know the second I feel 100% better I will make my way to the gym.

March 12- Slowly getting better

My presentation and project went well, finished both without getting into too long of a coughing fit. I am feeling way better than I have this past weekend, but I am still wanting to get rid of this cough! I took an hour nap earlier and that seemed to help.

My goal is to continue going to bed early and making sure I am getting better! I am optimistic I will be able to kick this thing by Thursday!

March 13- Feeling even better!

Today I am feeling better, not 100% back to normal yet though. I still have a head cold going on, so I don’t think I will be able to make it to the gym today. I am hoping tomorrow I will be feeling even better to try and make it.

March 14- Almost back to normal

I am feeling fairly good today! I decided to skip my 8am and sleep in instead. The extra sleep really helped and I woke up feeling a lot better today.

I am still a little nervous to go to the gym. I really don’t want to make my symptoms worse by over doing it too soon. Instead, I think I am going to wait until next week to get back into my workout routine just to make sure.

I did an ab workout tonight and will continue with this through the weekend. I am starting to feel a little unhealthy by waiting so long to go to the gym, but I really don’t want this sickness to return.

March 15- Rest

I am finally feeling very close to normal and it feels really good! I am starting to get the yearning feeling to go to the gym. This must be a good sign that I am getting back to normal!

Who knows, maybe I will end up getting to the gym before Monday… only time will tell.

March 16- Full body circuit

I did it! I got up to campus and completed my full body workout. I could tell my muscles haven’t been used in while. Everything seemed really heavy! I did my normal routine with 10 pound dumbbells and 75 pounds for squats. I was able to complete everything, but I could tell my body was feeling weak from being sick.

I am hoping I can get outside tomorrow to complete a 2.5 mile run. I don’t want to push myself too hard so I get sick again, but it does feel good to get out and begin being active after being cooped up for so long.

My only fear is not letting my body fully recover from being sick. I am going to take it easy leading into next weeks workout, with the hope of being back on a normal schedule by the end of next week!

March 17- Rest

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! I wish I was able to go out and celebrate, but with finals being next week and being sick all last week, it is time to cram. I spent most of the day indoors trying to study and prepare for my finance final tomorrow.

I was going to go for a run, but ran out of time with trying to retain everything I have learned this quarter in finance. I am hopeful for being able to go to the gym the rest of the week (Tuesday through Thursday), as my finals are all on Monday and Friday.

Happy to be feeling back to normal again! I’m sure I will take advantage of this feeling by hanging out with friends and hitting the gym.

Week 9

February 25- 3.45 mile run

It was so nice out today! It was about 40 degrees and sunny, so of course I decided to run outside. It is so easy to get in the rut of running on the treadmill so being able to get outside was much needed. I did my favorite route from my apartment to Boulevard Park.

The route seemed shorter than I remembered. Maybe I’m just more in shape this time around while running it? It was almost 3.5 miles, and it felt good! It makes me yearn for spring and summer where I can go run outside everyday!

February 26- Full body workout

I hit the gym and was able to successfully complete my entire workout. I ran a mile around the track, did my arms, and finished off with my legs. I am still working towards doing a pull up. It is taking longer than I thought it would to build up to it. It is a little disappointing, but I know with more training I will be able to get there! I am hoping to keep the motivation to keep pushing myself to work towards this goal.

I can’t wait to see the progress I will make in March!

February 27- Rest

I didn’t take the time to get out and run today. Instead, I spent the time catching up on class work. It is that time in the quarter where classes start picking up again with finals and prep for finals in three weeks. It felt good to take time to get on top of my classes.

February 28- Full body circuit

Today I got to the gym around 5pm. It was a little busier than I thought it was going to be. I was able to finally get the dumbbells and complete my arm workout. This is starting to feel easy with the 10 pound weights, I am thinking I might need to increase to 12.5 soon! I also got a solid leg workout in with a few of the machines. I am still working towards a pull up and decided to push myself a little harder and complete another rep than I normally do. This means I did three sets of five instead of two. I know this doesn’t sound like a lot, but I am making progress and working towards a full pull up.

March 1- Run 3.62 miles

It was hard to get motivated to run today. I pushed myself to head to the gym and was really glad I did! I hopped on the treadmill, got into a good rhythm, put on a Netflix episode, and started running. This was the first time I have ever watched something on my phone while running and it made the time go by really fast. Before I knew it, I had already run 3 miles!

I was amazed at how easy this run felt today. It proved to me how important it is to train your mind when running. Many times I end my runs with the idea that I went far enough because I am out of breath and tired. In reality, it seems like I should be pushing myself further knowing my body can handle it. If I change this mindset, I believe I will be more happy with how far I am running and the results I am achieving.

March 2- Rest

Today my parents came up to celebrate my birthday a day early with me. We spent the day stocking up on food, celebrating with champagne, and going out to dinner at the marina in Bellingham.

It was a fun day spent with my family, and because of that I decided to take the day off from running. With my 21st birthday being tomorrow, I think I may take tomorrow off as well. It will be my cheat weekend, but come Monday I will be at the gym running off all the food and drinks acquired over the weekend!!

March 3- Birthday rest day

It’s my 21st birthday and it was a day well spend with Alex and friends. I went got coffee with some friends and had dinner with Alex at Boundary Bay (one of my favorite restaurants in Bellingham!)

We spent the night eating good food and tying a bunch of different kinds of beer. I’m excited for next weekend to continue the celebrations next weekend!

Week 8

February 18- Full body circuit

It’s Monday and my workout schedule has been flipped due to skipping my rest day yesterday. I added walking on the stair climber to my leg workout and it felt really good! I could feel my legs burning and I loved the little motivational blurbs the machine gave. By the time I was done, I had climbed the equivalent of the Pyramid of Giza! It was cool to compare my progress to a real life equivalent.

February 19- Bike

Today I opted to bike instead of run. I biked for about 20 minutes and called it a day. I was sweating, got my heart rate up, and the legs were burning. Overall, I would call this a good enough workout for the day.

I am looking forward to having a rest day tomorrow. My body is starting to feel like it needs one. I also can’t wait to get this finance midterm over with tomorrow and have the rest of the week to relax and catch up on other class work.

February 20- Rest day

I was happy to choose today as my rest day. I got through my midterm, got some other class work done, and took some time to relax.

February 21- 3.4 mile run

Today I went to Lake Padden to run. The sun was shinning and I couldn’t wait to feel the crisp air on my face and in my lungs.

I was a little disappointed about half a mile into this run. The trail turned into an ice rink. For the next two miles I was forced to walk, as it was way too icy and dangerous to try and run. There were a few time times where I almost fell and when finishing my run I could tell my left knee felt strained from the ice.

From the 3.4 miles, I probably only ran about 2.25 and walked the rest. It still felt good to get out, but I do wish I was able to have run the whole thing without all the ice. Below are some photos I took as I made my way around the lake.

February 22- Full body circuit

I got through my arms and legs workout. It feels good being back on a solid schedule after last weeks snow days. I was a little sore after my run yesterday, but it still felt good to go to the gym.

February 23- Rest day

Alex and I took and hour and a half road trip over to Fort Casey today. I am hoping to post some photos this upcoming week. Because of this day trip, I wasn’t able to go to the gym before it closed. I will be going tomorrow instead to get my last run in for the week.

February 24- Full body circuit

In order to get my workout routine back on track, I decided to make today another full body circuit. I believe this will help keep me motivated as well to go to the gym each day this week and complete the task laid out before me.

Today I focused more on arms, I have been trying to get to the point where I can do a pull up on my own. As of now, I am using an assist machine and can do it with about 90 pounds on my own and 40 pound assist.

I also utilized the stair climber, man was that a workout! I like being able to use different machines every now and then to get a good workout in. I’m a fan of the stair climber and want to try to start using this more often.

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.

Week 5

January 28- Run 3.5 miles

It seems like the longer the month goes on, the more I fall away from the calendar I put together for myself. More specifically, the mileage I am supposed to increase by each day has seemed to be a longer-term goal than I thought. Today I ran 3.5 miles and it felt fairly easy.

I want to make sure I’m increasing mileage to maintain that distance, not just a goal I hit once or twice a month. So, I think for February, I need to make my goal to run 4 miles two times a week and bike on Fridays to recover from the longer distances.

There’s so much to add to the February calendar, and I only have three days to do it! Wish me luck.

January 29- Full body circuit

I ended up going to the gym around 8pm tonight… what a mistake. The place was PACKED! Every time there was a machine open I needed to use, I would hurry up and clean the one I was on. Before I could get over there someone else had already claimed it.

This was super annoying, so instead I modified my workout: stairclimber for 10 minutes, bicep curl machine (10 reps, 5 sets on 25 pounds), shoulder press machine (10 reps, 4 sets on 25 pounds), and finally bench press machine (10 reps, 3 sets, 50 pounds). I opted to do my core workout at home, due to lack of space on the mats.

Although this isn’t my normal routine, it felt like enough to get a decent workout in. Glad I was able to compromise and come up with another circuit to try!

January 30- Run 3 miles

Today I got strategic with my schedule, and actually think I might change it for the rest of this quarter. I ended up going to the gym around 5:20 tonight and got in a 3 mile run while waiting for Alex to get done with his class around 5:50. I usually pick him up from campus anyway, so it was nice to still be able to pick him up but squeeze a run in after homework and before dinner.

I took this run a little slower, with a mile pace of 9:13. It felt good to slow it down a bit and feel in control of my breathing. I was surprised how much easier the first couple of miles were. Usually I start off with an 8:40 mile time and am winded about a mile and a half in. I’m really bad at pacing myself, especially when it comes to running longer distances. But tonight I felt in control and it felt good!

January 31- Full body circuit

After my 8am marketing class I hit the gym and got an hour workout in, focusing on arms and legs. I tried a few new arm machines this time around, working on pull ups with an assist. It’s always really intimidating to try new machines, I always seem to think “what if I mess up and do it wrong, everyone’s going to notice and judge me…” This mindset KILLS me! I hate getting in my head like that, but somehow it happens every once in awhile. I was able to talk myself out of that negative mindset and actually really enjoyed using the new machines. I’m going to continue to use these and work on my pull up form.

February 1- Bike

I am so sore from my workout yesterday. I can barely lift my arms above my chest and my legs feel so sore. After my test this morning I made a quick stop at the gym to bike for 20 minutes and used the stair climber for about 5 minutes. I can’t believe how tired my body feels!

Today was definitely an easy workout day, as I want to make sure I’m giving my body enough time to recover and heal itself. Hopefully I’m not too sore tonight for The Green concert!! Can’t wait to head down to Seattle and see them at the Showbox later.

February 2- rest

Today I ended up taking a rest day. My arms were so sore I had a hard time sleeping last night because of it. I haven’t been this sore in such a long time! I’m definitely not complaining, but I was a little worried about how sore I was.

I need to start making sure I stretch after my workouts, hopefully this will help aid in the shorter recovery period. I can’t wait to hit the gym again and try the new machines I used last time!

February 3- Rest

Today was a rest day as well, with so much homework to catch up on and balancing meeting with a couple different people to study I wasn’t able to make it out to the gym. Not to mention the snow down pour all day today, making it a little harder to get to and from campus.

It felt really good taking an extra day to recover and rest from the gym. Can’t wait to get back at it tomorrow and run for a bit!

Week 4

January 21- Run 4 miles

One of the worst feelings is not meeting your goal for the day. Unfortunately, that was me. I planned to hit 4 miles on the treadmill and ended up only hitting 3.2 miles. I got this really bad cramp in my lung around mile 2. Usually I can dig them out or work through the pain, but this one was different. It was too high up to dig out and every breath I took I was in so much pain. I tried to brush it off for another mile or so, but eventually had to stop because it was so hard to breathe. I have never had a cramp like that.

Although the run I wanted didn’t pan out, I was still able to hit 3 miles and know I could have pushed through another mile if the circumstances were different. Can’t wait to hit the treadmill again Wednesday to meet that 4 mile goal!

January 22- Full body circuit

Tonight was a great night to go to the gym. I got to see a friend from my chem and bio classes whom I haven’t seen since last spring quarter. It was great catching up and before I knew it, I had been at the gym for about an hour and still hadn’t started my workout!

I powered through a quick arms and legs workout and finished up with abs at home. It was great catching up, but I noticed how much it changed my motivation to complete a full workout. I only finished one and a half sets, half of the amount I normally do. On the days I lack motivation, these are the ones where I need to make sure I stick with my routine and push through the mental mind block.

I came across this quote on Pinterest and I really liked how it resonated with me. I hope it influences you as well.

“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action becomes reality.”

This, to me, is what my calendar and dedication to try to hit the gym everyday is all about. I can’t wait to see what my reality will look like within the next six months are so!

January 23- Run

Wow! Today was PACKED. I got out of classes around 2pm, had to meet with a friend to study finance, and then had a meeting for a club (MISA- management information system association) from 6-7:30. Needless to say, I have been on the go since 8 this morning.

After getting back from the club meeting, I made a quick dinner and then dedicated myself to studying for a marketing quiz I have tomorrow.

So, I guess long story short, above are a bunch of excuses I listed off as reasons why my run didn’t happen today. I’m hoping to get a mile or two in tomorrow before doing my full body circuit routine. Hopefully this will help fill in the gap of not being able to make it to the gym today.

January 24- Full body circuit

This workout felt so good! I took a lot of time to complete my circuit. Usually when I come to the gym I feel like I’m on a time crunch. I try to rush though my arms and legs workouts. Maybe this is the runner part of my brain? Trying to push through and get done as quick as I can knowing this mental push will pay off in the end.

Instead I took more than enough time, allowing myself to not only enjoy my workout, but also feel successful that I was using the correct form. I am going to continue to try this trend of taking my time and making sure that I do block out enough time in my schedule to carry this out!

After doing this workout for about a month, it feels good to take time and reflect on what is working and things I need to change to help me get in the best workout I can. I am excited to redo February’s calendar and add these things in as reminders.

January 25- Bike

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Immediately it seemed like nothing was going to go my way. To change this mindset I knew I had to hit the gym to get my mind off all the negative things.

The hardest part about getting to the gym was finding the motivation to hop on the treadmill to run at least 3 miles. So, instead I decided I would get my cardio in a different way! As I sit here typing this blog post, I am also currently biking in the gym and jamming out to some reggae music! I don’t think life could get much better, I’m currently doing three of the things I enjoy the most!

After talking yesterday on here about changing up my workout for February, I am going to include a bike day instead of long distance running. I have currently been biking for 18 minutes and it feels great. I can feel my thighs burning and heart rate up, but the stress on my knees is totally gone! Yes, I know that is the whole point of biking, but I can’t believe how good it feels.

I can’t wait to include biking into my weekly routine! I have my work cut out for me in trying to revamp my entire week workout, but I also know this will pay off in the end both mentally and physically!

January 26- Full body circuit

I decided to increase the weight I use on the dumbbells, increasing to 10 pounds on each side. I could defiantly feel the burn after two sets! Although three sets are harder to get through, it feels way better than the 7.5 pounds I am used too.

This must be a good sign, I’m starting to get stronger and needing to increase the weight more often! Can’t wait to see how long it will take before I need to up the weight again to 12 pounds.

January 27- Rest

Always feels good to have a day to rest and reflect on the week. Can’t wait to modify my February schedule and catch up on other posts!