Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Fitness Challenge Report Card: May 2011

Interested in joining the Fitness Challenge? Please visit the Sign Up post for more information, including the challenge rules. You may leave a comment there or on this post if you'd like to join. Be sure to include your fitness miles goal in your comment.

So how did everyone do with their fitness challenge miles* this month?

*ONE fitness challenge miles = 1 mile walked or run for fitness OR = 15 minute increments of other exercise for fitness such as cardiovascular or strength training exercises.

I set my goal once again for 115 fitness miles and I ended the month short at 108.2 fitness miles as of today. I guess I should have kept my goal at 100. ;)

Here's a breakdown of what I've been doing to workout this month:

spin class ........... 27
strength training... 24
swim .............. 16
kickbox class ...... 15
bootcamp class ... 15
bike ................ 7
run ................. 4.2

If you want to see what I did to keep moving all month long, check out my May Workout Log.

I finally got out on my bike this season. Finally! At first I put off getting out there because of all the post-winter pot holes out there. Pot holes are terrifying on road bike. A hybrid or mountain bike can handle them, but a road bike has those skinny tires. Catch a bump the wrong way and splat! Yikes. I also procrastinated getting out there because my faithful biking partner, a.k.a. my husband, hasn't been able to ride with me due to shoulder surgery on a sports related injury. It's not even that I mind riding alone. I did that a lot last summer, but I guess that first ride of the season after a six month hiatus can be daunting. Finally, I went out this past Sunday thanks to my friend Maureen who invited me out on a ride with her. We rode about 24 miles in under an hour and forty-five minutes with an average pace of 14.1 miles per hour. Not too bad considering the route consisted of rolling hills with a few tough climbs and we also took the liberty of riding side by side at times to chat when the road allowed it so of course, we our pace was a bit more casual. It felt good to finally get out there and I'm already looking forward to my next ride. Plus Maureen came up with a few goals for me to work on by the end of the summer including this killer hill that gives even cars a workout. Just another added bonus from having a friend who's a personal trainer! ;)

How did you do with your fitness challenge goal for May?

What kinds of activities did you do to keep moving this month?


Are you finding this fitness challenge helpful? I'm thinking of giving it a rest after next month, but will continue it if there's enough interest. I know some of you have been very dedicated at keeping track with me (Thanks, Brandy!), but I know we're all super busy with a myriad of other things in our lives and we just don't have the time to keep track of the hours spent exercising. I personally think keeping a log of your workouts is helpful and will continue to do it. I'm just a little geeky when it comes to lists and stats , what can I say? Plus, it reinforces what I've accomplished, which helps motivate me to keep it up. But I realize this method isn't for everyone. The most important thing is that you exercise every day. Let me know if you want me to continue the challenge. I'm glad to do continue it if you find it helpful, and I promise my feelings won't be hurt if you don't.

:)

9 comments:

  1. Look at you go!

    I did well this month. I was at the gym 3-4 times each week, running and lifting (and stretching). I still haven't lost a single ounce. Seriously. But my clothes are fitting just a tiny bit looser (and why aren't they falling off yet?), and I feel better. Also, my BP was back to normal at my last doctor appt, so that's the most important piece anyway.

    I've decided for next month to mix it up a bit and start doing the elliptical every other visit rather than just the running. I'm hoping that mixing it up will jump start a little weight loss.

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  2. Awww, I feel like such a slacker. I don't think I've exercised at all in the last month. :(
    I need to get back on track.

    But I applaud how constant you are :D

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  3. I had a good month! I don't know how, but I did. *g* (125 Fitness Challenge Miles.) I like doing/tracking my Fitness Miles. It keeps me honest and actually makes me work harder. I thank goodness you started this challenge! I still haven't lost any weight, but am getting lots of comments on how my appearance is changing. I don't see it myself, but hey, I'll take it. *g* Please may we continue the challenge? Pretty please? *G*

    I hope you and your family had a fabulous weekend!

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  4. I'm so impressed with your fitness workouts! I am trying to make working out a habit but I just hate it so much it's hard! lol Keep up the great work!

    Did you get an email from me? I think I sent it to a defunct email address now that I look at your profile. lol I'll resend. :)

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  5. Great work, Lori! That's fantastic about your BP!!! And that you notice your clothes fitting a bit looser is equally fantastic. I'm sure you've gained some muscle and lost some fat.

    Will it make you feel better if I tell you that I never lost weight when I first started running, either? I only started to lose weight when I cut calories and started exercising almost every day. Even though running is high intensity and burns a lot of calories you still have to be able to run a long time to burn lots of calories. I'm usually only good for 20-30 minutes of straight running before I'm fried or hurt somewhere between my shins and my hips. At that rate, most of us would still have to cut calories from our diet in order to shed pounds.

    On a good day, I run a 10 minute mile... so running 2 miles takes about 20 minutes and I only burn approximately 225 calories. If I did that four times a week, that's only a 900 calorie deficit for the week and you need a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1 lb. So as you can see, if you ate only the calories that you need to maintain your weight and ran four times a week, it would still take you a month to lose one pound.

    By the way, I have a heart rate monitor that I wear while exercising that calculates the calories I burn by monitoring my HR the whole time. There is also a great online calorie calculator that I've used at fitday.com that is pretty decent. You can find it at http://fitday.com/WebFit/burned/calories_burned.html

    I hope that helps! :)

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  6. Alex, no better time than the present to get back on track! What do you like to do for exercise?

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  7. Brandy, WOOO HOOO!!! Check you out! Congratulations!!! That was your personal best, right? Awesome. :)

    I am going to keep doing the challenge. :D
    Thanks for your input and enthusiasm.

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  8. Tracy! omg I DID get your email. In fact, just this morning I was in the shower thinking about what I wrote back to you and then had that moment when of "I wrote her back, right? Or did I just dream that I did?" ... Seriously. I was SURE that I replied until that moment of doubt jumped in and I was second guessing myself. SO sorry. No other excuses other than my mind is sometimes a sieve. *sigh*

    I have three or four email addresses, I think. They all go to the same Mail app on my laptop and iphone. I get them. : )

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  9. Go you! I for one love your posts as it inspires me. And, I'm happy to say that I'm back on the healthy eating and exercise plan and have been for the last 2 1/2 weeks. No idea how I am going - I had a blow out last week, but have been very good since - I'll find out in 10 days. I'm aiming to lose 2 kg (4.4 lb) in 4 weeks, and if I do that over the winter I'll reach my target goal.

    Just been watching 30 Seconds To Mars' Kings & Queens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTMrlHHVx8A) and I feel like getting on a bike. Will need to save for one first though :)

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