Thursday, October 25, 2012
testing something
Just testing something because the thing that posts to FB seems to be a bit off....
Week 10
Week 10 was a little like Week 9, sort of. All I managed to do was swimming, because my impromptu road trip kind of kicked my butt. And then swimming kicked it even more.
The problem with swimming was that 1) I went to the morning session on Tuesday because I hadn't been up to going on Monday night after I got back from Chicago/Cincinnati. The morning people are considerably faster than I am and faster than some of the rest of the evening people, so I had to try and keep up. I did, barely. Which is another "problem", because since I could keep up, my coach figured I was ready to push it a bit more, which she did on Wednesday. And I kept up again, for the most part. But, I paid for it on Thursday through Sunday in a big way. My back started agitating (that might have been more from the car trip and my somewhat miserable attempt to do butterfly on Wednesday than anything else, though), I was exhausted (that could also have been stress) and just in case I wasn't paying attention to those two things poking at me, my body sent up one of its bigger SOS's in the form of post-herpetic neuralgia. I had shingles in February 2011 and despite being on the nerve medication for 2 months, I seem to be one of the small percentage of people who still experiences the pain long after the episode has cleared up. Fortunately, it's not constant in my case. It pops up when I'm overly tired or not feeling well or very stressed. Also fortunately, it's uncomfortable, and it doesn't go away with Advil (although Tramadol blunts it somewhat), but it's not incapacitating (high pain threshhold for the win!). And, honestly, I'd rather my body choose that as an SOS instead of making my twitchy airways extra reactive, because asthma attacks are doubleplus ungood.
So, the upshot was, I didn't get any of my other workouts in last week. This was mildly annoying, but there is only so far I'm willing to push through my body yelling at me and last week was too far. Fortunately, a weekend of sitting around and watching football and taking naps has put me back to rights, more or less. And Week 11 has shaped up to be better, thus far.
The problem with swimming was that 1) I went to the morning session on Tuesday because I hadn't been up to going on Monday night after I got back from Chicago/Cincinnati. The morning people are considerably faster than I am and faster than some of the rest of the evening people, so I had to try and keep up. I did, barely. Which is another "problem", because since I could keep up, my coach figured I was ready to push it a bit more, which she did on Wednesday. And I kept up again, for the most part. But, I paid for it on Thursday through Sunday in a big way. My back started agitating (that might have been more from the car trip and my somewhat miserable attempt to do butterfly on Wednesday than anything else, though), I was exhausted (that could also have been stress) and just in case I wasn't paying attention to those two things poking at me, my body sent up one of its bigger SOS's in the form of post-herpetic neuralgia. I had shingles in February 2011 and despite being on the nerve medication for 2 months, I seem to be one of the small percentage of people who still experiences the pain long after the episode has cleared up. Fortunately, it's not constant in my case. It pops up when I'm overly tired or not feeling well or very stressed. Also fortunately, it's uncomfortable, and it doesn't go away with Advil (although Tramadol blunts it somewhat), but it's not incapacitating (high pain threshhold for the win!). And, honestly, I'd rather my body choose that as an SOS instead of making my twitchy airways extra reactive, because asthma attacks are doubleplus ungood.
So, the upshot was, I didn't get any of my other workouts in last week. This was mildly annoying, but there is only so far I'm willing to push through my body yelling at me and last week was too far. Fortunately, a weekend of sitting around and watching football and taking naps has put me back to rights, more or less. And Week 11 has shaped up to be better, thus far.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Week 9
Week 9's recap is a little late- I had an impromptu road trip to take, but all is going to be well.
So, last week, there was swimming, whereupon my coach overestimated my abilities- she forgot that I haven't done anything faster than 1:40 per 50 and went with a time for a set of 300s that put me doing them on 1:30. I think I made the first one of the set, barely, but I definitely didn't get the rest of the set. But, I didn't fall off pace too, too badly- I was making the 50s in about 1:45, which is not awful. I could definitely have curled up right on the pool steps and gone to sleep, though, after.
Then, on Tuesday, Dad and I moved the vast majority of my belongings out of the storage locker where they've been hanging out for the last year. Since that was a lot of lifting and carrying, I didn't do an additional workout. I was pleased, though, that my back held up really well. It's getting stronger!
Wednesday was more swimming, and that went better. We also practiced flip turns, and I found out the right way of doing them, as opposed to the not-quite-correct way I've been doing them for years. They might be a little easier for me now. We'll see this week. I'm hoping to do them at least during warm-ups.
Thursday was a Not Good Day. And working out didn't happen. But, Friday, I hit the treadmill, whereupon I "ran" (I say I ran. Mom keeps saying it's not running if you were only going 2.6 on the treadmill. Whichever) for 8 minutes. Which was actually the goal for the week- 8 run, 22 walk- and it felt reasonably good. My ankles keep getting cranky after a little while, but it's not sharp pain, and it walks off, so it's probably that they need strengthening more than an actual problem. So, I've more or less caught back up on the running plan. I'm going to go for the goal of 10 minutes "running" this week and see what happens. If it works, then, yay, I'm on schedule. If I have to do it again next week, then, well, whatever. It's fine.
This week I also hope to make it to a spinning class. I got my bike shorts a few weeks ago, but there was that week I was sick, so it put that back a little. But it's all good. Things are going well, and hopefully they'll continue that way.
So, last week, there was swimming, whereupon my coach overestimated my abilities- she forgot that I haven't done anything faster than 1:40 per 50 and went with a time for a set of 300s that put me doing them on 1:30. I think I made the first one of the set, barely, but I definitely didn't get the rest of the set. But, I didn't fall off pace too, too badly- I was making the 50s in about 1:45, which is not awful. I could definitely have curled up right on the pool steps and gone to sleep, though, after.
Then, on Tuesday, Dad and I moved the vast majority of my belongings out of the storage locker where they've been hanging out for the last year. Since that was a lot of lifting and carrying, I didn't do an additional workout. I was pleased, though, that my back held up really well. It's getting stronger!
Wednesday was more swimming, and that went better. We also practiced flip turns, and I found out the right way of doing them, as opposed to the not-quite-correct way I've been doing them for years. They might be a little easier for me now. We'll see this week. I'm hoping to do them at least during warm-ups.
Thursday was a Not Good Day. And working out didn't happen. But, Friday, I hit the treadmill, whereupon I "ran" (I say I ran. Mom keeps saying it's not running if you were only going 2.6 on the treadmill. Whichever) for 8 minutes. Which was actually the goal for the week- 8 run, 22 walk- and it felt reasonably good. My ankles keep getting cranky after a little while, but it's not sharp pain, and it walks off, so it's probably that they need strengthening more than an actual problem. So, I've more or less caught back up on the running plan. I'm going to go for the goal of 10 minutes "running" this week and see what happens. If it works, then, yay, I'm on schedule. If I have to do it again next week, then, well, whatever. It's fine.
This week I also hope to make it to a spinning class. I got my bike shorts a few weeks ago, but there was that week I was sick, so it put that back a little. But it's all good. Things are going well, and hopefully they'll continue that way.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Revolutionary
This post on the Fat Nutritionist blog* really resonated with me this week. Not in the least because I got a dirty look waiting for the elevator to go to the parking garage at the gym. Given the quality of the look and the mumbling under the person's breath, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if I were thin, I probably wouldn't have gotten that look. And I refuse to defend my choice to take the elevator instead of the stairs. I have good reasons, but they're really no one's business but mine.
But really, I'm mostly lucky. People at the gym I go to don't usually give me dirty looks or act condescendingly towards me, as though it were the first time I've ever attempted to work out. I've heard stories from other fat people where such things have happened. I've gotten my own looks at other facilities. So, I am lucky in that I don't face significant harassment at any of the three branches of my gym that I frequent, occasional dirty looks at the elevator notwithstanding. It's generally a very welcoming place, and the employees I've interacted with have been nothing but kind and respectful.
At the same time, though, I am aware that putting on my swim suit and hitting the pool for practice is something of a revolutionary act. I'm a size 22 and I have no qualms about wearing a swimsuit. Part of that is because I love to swim, I love my water time and I'm coming to believe that it just might be a necessity for my mental health and sanity. So, those things outweigh any body consciousness I might feel. Part of it is that after being on swim team in high school, I don't have a whole lot of body consciousness in a swimsuit anyway. Once you've spent 15 hours a week or so in a suit as a teenager, you kind of don't care too much anymore.
The thing is, however, it shouldn't be a revolutionary act for me to go swimming. It shouldn't be a revolutionary act for anyone to put on a swimsuit. Or to get on the treadmill, or walk outside, or go to Zumba, or do yoga, or do whatever type of movement makes you happy. Everyone should have the ability to do any of those things without fear of ridicule or harassment. And the fact that this is not true is wrong. It is just plain wrong.
*The Fat Nutritionist is one of my favorite Heath at Every Size blogs. It was where I was introduced to the concept and the concept of Intuitive Eating. I recommend it for anyone.
But really, I'm mostly lucky. People at the gym I go to don't usually give me dirty looks or act condescendingly towards me, as though it were the first time I've ever attempted to work out. I've heard stories from other fat people where such things have happened. I've gotten my own looks at other facilities. So, I am lucky in that I don't face significant harassment at any of the three branches of my gym that I frequent, occasional dirty looks at the elevator notwithstanding. It's generally a very welcoming place, and the employees I've interacted with have been nothing but kind and respectful.
At the same time, though, I am aware that putting on my swim suit and hitting the pool for practice is something of a revolutionary act. I'm a size 22 and I have no qualms about wearing a swimsuit. Part of that is because I love to swim, I love my water time and I'm coming to believe that it just might be a necessity for my mental health and sanity. So, those things outweigh any body consciousness I might feel. Part of it is that after being on swim team in high school, I don't have a whole lot of body consciousness in a swimsuit anyway. Once you've spent 15 hours a week or so in a suit as a teenager, you kind of don't care too much anymore.
The thing is, however, it shouldn't be a revolutionary act for me to go swimming. It shouldn't be a revolutionary act for anyone to put on a swimsuit. Or to get on the treadmill, or walk outside, or go to Zumba, or do yoga, or do whatever type of movement makes you happy. Everyone should have the ability to do any of those things without fear of ridicule or harassment. And the fact that this is not true is wrong. It is just plain wrong.
*The Fat Nutritionist is one of my favorite Heath at Every Size blogs. It was where I was introduced to the concept and the concept of Intuitive Eating. I recommend it for anyone.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Week 8: Mostly Swimming
I feel considerably better this week, which is good. So, I went swimming on Monday and Wednesday. Monday was a little rough- I was still pretty tired and still had a lot of crud messing with my throat, which sometimes made it a little hard to breathe. But Wednesday was much better. And then, yesterday, I felt pretty good, so I went to the gym and hit the treadmill. I figured I'd try for running for 4 minutes, which was where I was on the plan before I got sick, but I hit 4 minutes, still felt pretty good, so I went for 6, which is what I was supposed to be doing last week. And that went just fine, so clearly taking about 10 days off while my immune system protested the coming of fall didn't have a huge effect on my cardiovascular endurance. Good to know.
Next week, I'll be doing my swimming and adding back in my strength training and walk/running. So, almost back to normal. I have to redo my calendar for the running, because I'm now a week behind where the calendar says I am, but that's all right. I'm definitely making progress!
Next week, I'll be doing my swimming and adding back in my strength training and walk/running. So, almost back to normal. I have to redo my calendar for the running, because I'm now a week behind where the calendar says I am, but that's all right. I'm definitely making progress!
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