Monday, June 23, 2008
An off day. My plan for the week is to push a bit harder in two ways. First, I'm going to try to speed up a bit more while riding the stationary bike. Second, I return to running this weekend.
Tuesday, June 24 through Thursday, June 26, 2008
I did 10 miles on the stationary bike in 27:01, 27:13, and 27:00 (my personal best), respectively. Good effort on all three days. Stargate SG-1 progresses to Season 10.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Another day off. Tomorrow, I plan to run a mile combining walking and running.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
I started out with the intent to run and walk a mile. As I started running, I realized I was feeling fairly good physically with no more "jolts" abdominally. I decided to run both laps and only stopping to walk if something was wrong. I was able to complete the mile in 12 minutes without walking. I'm thrilled!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
DOMS... Yuck!
I again started running with the intent of stopping to walk if necessary. However, while I was sore, I wasn't in serious pain. I not only ran the entire mile but I finished in 11 minutes or so (the iPOD only has whole numbers...).
Mental Skills Used for the Week: As usual, associative and dissociative thinking. I'm focusing more on associative thinking and am paying very close attention to how I'm feeling as I run.
There's been an active adjustment of goal setting as I move forward. Motivation is a hell of a lot easier when you're seeing progress. The fact that I could finish a mile was a big deal for me. The fact that I could do it again the next day was bigger still. Persistence and commitment are also easier with steady progess.
I'm thrilled as things get a little easier in some ways, such as getting up to run or setting aside time to ride the bike, and harder in others, such as deciding to continue running instead of walking.
My plan is to continue to ride the stationary bike during the week and to run on the weekends. I'll stick with 1 mile runs for the next week and then will increase to 1.5 mile runs in two weeks.
Until next week...
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Week 6 - Still Healing...
Monday, June 16, 2008
A rest day. Still recovering from the abdominal strain.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Back to the bike. 10 miles in 28:17. Not my best but not too bad. Stargate SG-1 enters season 9.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Biking leads to a time of 28:40.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Another 28:30ish time. Gotta push a bit more.
Friday, June 20, 2008
An off-day. I’ll push hard tomorrow by adding another half-mile to the walk.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
I walked 2.5 miles in 40 minutes while listening to Pet Sounds from The Beach Boys. I need a faster beat to walk to I think.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Another 40 minute, 2.5 mile walk. This time while listening to 10cc’s The Original Soundtrack. Today will be my last walk day. Next weekend, I’ll restart trying to run.
Mental Skills Used for the Week: Same group as usual – dissociative and associative thinking, goal setting (and tweaking), and motivation.
I’m spending more time than before paying attention to my body (associative thinking) to make sure I’m pushing myself but not foolishly harming myself. Injuries will do that to you I guess.
In addition, I think I can add being committed to the list now. I’m obviously sticking to the plan and, while I’m being cautious, I’m still pushing myself to improve.
Given that I’d not exercised regularly for many years, I’m very happy with my progress. Next weekend I’m going to restart the running sllllllooooowwwwwly! I’ll be back to Carolyn Miller’s advice of combining running and walking.
Until next week…
A rest day. Still recovering from the abdominal strain.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Back to the bike. 10 miles in 28:17. Not my best but not too bad. Stargate SG-1 enters season 9.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Biking leads to a time of 28:40.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Another 28:30ish time. Gotta push a bit more.
Friday, June 20, 2008
An off-day. I’ll push hard tomorrow by adding another half-mile to the walk.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
I walked 2.5 miles in 40 minutes while listening to Pet Sounds from The Beach Boys. I need a faster beat to walk to I think.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Another 40 minute, 2.5 mile walk. This time while listening to 10cc’s The Original Soundtrack. Today will be my last walk day. Next weekend, I’ll restart trying to run.
Mental Skills Used for the Week: Same group as usual – dissociative and associative thinking, goal setting (and tweaking), and motivation.
I’m spending more time than before paying attention to my body (associative thinking) to make sure I’m pushing myself but not foolishly harming myself. Injuries will do that to you I guess.
In addition, I think I can add being committed to the list now. I’m obviously sticking to the plan and, while I’m being cautious, I’m still pushing myself to improve.
Given that I’d not exercised regularly for many years, I’m very happy with my progress. Next weekend I’m going to restart the running sllllllooooowwwwwly! I’ll be back to Carolyn Miller’s advice of combining running and walking.
Until next week…
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Week 5 - Back To Basics
Monday, June 9, 2008
A day off - weird but I need to get back into the routine I was previously using. Plus this gives my abdominal muscles more time to recover.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Back to the bike - 10 miles in 28:50. A little sluggish but it feels good to resume exercise. Stargate SG-1 hits season 8.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Stationary bike - 10 miles in 27:44, my personal best (so far). No DOMS which is a bit of a surprise considering last week's break. My abdomen is not hurting as much and I hope to resume running within the next week or so...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Stationary bike - 10 miles in 28:31, the times are fairly consistent. I'll work to speed this up a bit next week.
Friday, June 13, 2008
A day off.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Walked 2 miles. 33 minutes. Listened to The Beatle's Magical Mystery Tour. As with the biking, I'm pleased that I didn't lose too much time from the week off.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Walked 2 miles in 32 minutes (personal best so far) while listening to 10cc's Deceptive Bends. My abdomen is feeling better and I'm not getting the sharp pains as I move anymore. I'm going to be cautious and hold off one more week before I start running again. I will also increase to 2.5 miles for the walk next weekend.
Mental Skills Used for the Week: All the old standards: both dissociative and associative thinking, goal setting (and adjusting including making the goals more challenging), and motivation.
On a side note, I've lost about 6.5 pounds since starting this and have gained a new appreciation for water (I'm drinking tons - thanks, Tammy!).
Until next week...
A day off - weird but I need to get back into the routine I was previously using. Plus this gives my abdominal muscles more time to recover.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Back to the bike - 10 miles in 28:50. A little sluggish but it feels good to resume exercise. Stargate SG-1 hits season 8.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Stationary bike - 10 miles in 27:44, my personal best (so far). No DOMS which is a bit of a surprise considering last week's break. My abdomen is not hurting as much and I hope to resume running within the next week or so...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Stationary bike - 10 miles in 28:31, the times are fairly consistent. I'll work to speed this up a bit next week.
Friday, June 13, 2008
A day off.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Walked 2 miles. 33 minutes. Listened to The Beatle's Magical Mystery Tour. As with the biking, I'm pleased that I didn't lose too much time from the week off.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Walked 2 miles in 32 minutes (personal best so far) while listening to 10cc's Deceptive Bends. My abdomen is feeling better and I'm not getting the sharp pains as I move anymore. I'm going to be cautious and hold off one more week before I start running again. I will also increase to 2.5 miles for the walk next weekend.
Mental Skills Used for the Week: All the old standards: both dissociative and associative thinking, goal setting (and adjusting including making the goals more challenging), and motivation.
On a side note, I've lost about 6.5 pounds since starting this and have gained a new appreciation for water (I'm drinking tons - thanks, Tammy!).
Until next week...
Monday, June 9, 2008
Week 4 - More obstacles...
Monday, June 2, 2008
Not good - My back is still hurting and I'm beginning to wonder why it's not getting better. My physician, Dr. Arthur Williams, fits me in. He tells me that he believes that I've strained muscles in my abdomen which is leading to the pain that I'm experiencing. He advises me to take a week off to recover. My wife and I are heading to the beach later this morning so I will tone it down a bit but I'm reluctant to stop altogether as I don't want to lose the gains I've made. Today's an off-day regardless.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Still sore, hotel's on a busy street, nothing today.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
We drive from Pensacola to Ft. Walton (our final destination). Still sore, I'll resume walking tomorrow.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
I'm still sore but I decide to resume walking - I don't have mileage marked out like at home but I decide to walk on the beach for 30 minutes (15 minutes one way and then 15 minutes back). Walking on sand is very different and tiring. Listening to In the Realm of a Dying Sun by Dead Can Dance helps. I found a very impressive blister on my big toe afterwards. I'd forgotten just how much resistance sand affords...
Friday, June 6, 2008
The blister is a mess and the soreness is back (thank you, sand). I bandage up the toe and decide that I should take my physician's advice. I'll resume my previous schedule when I return home.
Saturday, June 7 & Sunday, June 8, 2008
No activity - just healing...
Mental Skill Used for the Week: Not many opportunities...
Dissociative Thinking - As usual, this is my best friend.
Associative Thinking - I can't help but pay attention to my body. With both my abdominal pain and the blister on my toe, it would be ill-advised to ignore the signals I'm getting.
Motivation - Going backwards makes staying motivated difficult but my intent is to resume the 10-mile stationary bike ride on Tuesday.
Goal Setting - Adjust, adjust, adjust as indicated...
Until next week...
Not good - My back is still hurting and I'm beginning to wonder why it's not getting better. My physician, Dr. Arthur Williams, fits me in. He tells me that he believes that I've strained muscles in my abdomen which is leading to the pain that I'm experiencing. He advises me to take a week off to recover. My wife and I are heading to the beach later this morning so I will tone it down a bit but I'm reluctant to stop altogether as I don't want to lose the gains I've made. Today's an off-day regardless.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Still sore, hotel's on a busy street, nothing today.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
We drive from Pensacola to Ft. Walton (our final destination). Still sore, I'll resume walking tomorrow.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
I'm still sore but I decide to resume walking - I don't have mileage marked out like at home but I decide to walk on the beach for 30 minutes (15 minutes one way and then 15 minutes back). Walking on sand is very different and tiring. Listening to In the Realm of a Dying Sun by Dead Can Dance helps. I found a very impressive blister on my big toe afterwards. I'd forgotten just how much resistance sand affords...
Friday, June 6, 2008
The blister is a mess and the soreness is back (thank you, sand). I bandage up the toe and decide that I should take my physician's advice. I'll resume my previous schedule when I return home.
Saturday, June 7 & Sunday, June 8, 2008
No activity - just healing...
Mental Skill Used for the Week: Not many opportunities...
Dissociative Thinking - As usual, this is my best friend.
Associative Thinking - I can't help but pay attention to my body. With both my abdominal pain and the blister on my toe, it would be ill-advised to ignore the signals I'm getting.
Motivation - Going backwards makes staying motivated difficult but my intent is to resume the 10-mile stationary bike ride on Tuesday.
Goal Setting - Adjust, adjust, adjust as indicated...
Until next week...
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Week 3
Monday, May 26, 2008
Ahhh, sweet relief! A day off. My back still hurts as do both ankles/heels.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008.
Since my back is still hurting whenever I make a "jolting" move (such as running) I'm regrouping until things calm down. I decide to switch to riding the stationary bike when I'm supposed to run. So, tonight, I rode 10 miles in around 28:15. I'm a bit frustrated with the back, but with the riding time, I feel that I'm at least pushing myself. Stargate SG-1 remains a nice distraction.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Back is still sore. Bike ride runs 28:28. My wife is in the entertainment room (I'm still up in the air about whether exercise constitutes entertainment or not but the bike and the DVDs are there...) so we watch The Rockford Files.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
I'm beginning to be concerned about my back. Since the bike riding does not make the back worse, and since I'm noting some endurance improvement, I continue on the bike. I finish 10 miles in 28:31. Rockford again.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Another rest day. The ankles/heels still are sore but improving.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
A walking day. I'm feeling fairly good (except for the back) so I increase my walk to 4 laps (roughly 2 miles) to the sounds of Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans. I finish in 33 minutes. I'm noticing that I'm starting to sweat sooner in the process which I recall from my exercise physiology class is a good thing.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Another 2 mile walk, this time to Todd Rundgren's Todd. I finish in 33 minutes again.
Mental Skills Used for the Week: Dissociative Thinking - This is still my best friend, especially as I start to push myself a bit more.
Associative Thinking - I'm continuing to learn to relisten to my body. The back is bothersome but based upon the feedback I'm getting from my body, I'm adjusting my workout so that I'm still moving forward and not making the back worse.
Goal Setting - I'm trying to adjust goals (performance goals, specifically) by changing both what I think my body can handle and the times I'm trying for. Keeping the goals attainable (i.e., challenging but not ridiculous) is helping with motivation. Again, I'm not stubbornly sticking to goals and am adjusting them as appropriate.
Motivation - I'm maintaining my motivation by noting the goals I'm achieving and making sure the goals are doable (as I note above).
Flexibility - Gotta have it...
I'm out of town next week but plan to adjust my exercise schedule to accomodate the temporary situation.
Until next week...
Ahhh, sweet relief! A day off. My back still hurts as do both ankles/heels.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008.
Since my back is still hurting whenever I make a "jolting" move (such as running) I'm regrouping until things calm down. I decide to switch to riding the stationary bike when I'm supposed to run. So, tonight, I rode 10 miles in around 28:15. I'm a bit frustrated with the back, but with the riding time, I feel that I'm at least pushing myself. Stargate SG-1 remains a nice distraction.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Back is still sore. Bike ride runs 28:28. My wife is in the entertainment room (I'm still up in the air about whether exercise constitutes entertainment or not but the bike and the DVDs are there...) so we watch The Rockford Files.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
I'm beginning to be concerned about my back. Since the bike riding does not make the back worse, and since I'm noting some endurance improvement, I continue on the bike. I finish 10 miles in 28:31. Rockford again.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Another rest day. The ankles/heels still are sore but improving.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
A walking day. I'm feeling fairly good (except for the back) so I increase my walk to 4 laps (roughly 2 miles) to the sounds of Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans. I finish in 33 minutes. I'm noticing that I'm starting to sweat sooner in the process which I recall from my exercise physiology class is a good thing.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Another 2 mile walk, this time to Todd Rundgren's Todd. I finish in 33 minutes again.
Mental Skills Used for the Week: Dissociative Thinking - This is still my best friend, especially as I start to push myself a bit more.
Associative Thinking - I'm continuing to learn to relisten to my body. The back is bothersome but based upon the feedback I'm getting from my body, I'm adjusting my workout so that I'm still moving forward and not making the back worse.
Goal Setting - I'm trying to adjust goals (performance goals, specifically) by changing both what I think my body can handle and the times I'm trying for. Keeping the goals attainable (i.e., challenging but not ridiculous) is helping with motivation. Again, I'm not stubbornly sticking to goals and am adjusting them as appropriate.
Motivation - I'm maintaining my motivation by noting the goals I'm achieving and making sure the goals are doable (as I note above).
Flexibility - Gotta have it...
I'm out of town next week but plan to adjust my exercise schedule to accomodate the temporary situation.
Until next week...
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