Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Where's My Sticker?

Because I know you guys are on the edge of your seats regarding my new commitment to exercise, I wanted to let you know how my I'm doing. Yesterday I dug out a pair of old Swedish goggles (the only goggles I like to swim with and not because they're Swedish -- well, not just because of that, they're also the only ones that have ever felt good on my eyes and don't leak. Plus, fun colors! and cheap!), a cap from high school that has my maiden name emblazoned on the side, and a training suit and headed to the pool. I told JP my goal was to swim 1,000 yards and he scoffed and said I could do at least a mile. After I yelled at him and told him how hard it was to swim 9 years out of competitive training and how bored I get swimming by myself, I secretly resolved to do a 2,000 just so I could come home and proudly announce my total.

Once in the pool I felt much better than I anticipated- the water is still home to me and my stroke technique came right back. However, I had NO endurance and by the end of my 200 warm-up (8 laps, for the non-swimmers) my arms were shaking. Shaking! In high school we warmed up with a thousand every morning. But I persevered and made some sets for myself and then vowed to stick with them. I know the limits of my self-discipline so they were all short sets of 10 x 50's, mixing things up with kicks, drills, and different strokes. I was done in a little less than 40 minutes and I felt really good - tired, but good, and it felt even better to triumphantly announce my 2000 yards to JP when I walked in the door.

Then, while I was still riding on my post-swim high, I saw yesterday's Groupon for a local yoga studio. It was $49 for a month of unlimited classes and I bought it. For those who don't know me, that was a huge leap in my path to physical fitness. I hate yoga- completely hate it. In theory I think it's fantastic, and I appreciate that is is great for your body, but I am so inflexible and get so impatient that it has very much NOT worked for me in the past. But I have been told by multiple doctors that I need to try it, that it will help my headaches, and that I will continue getting more and worse back injuries if I don't start stretching. So I'm excited about trying it out- and because I just invested $49, I WILL be going on a frequent and regular basis for at least those 30 days. I love group classes, so it will have that going for it and hopefully it will be okay that I don't know anything about yoga and I can't touch my toes (or my ankles, or my lower shin) without pain.

Today I skipped the pool and popped in Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I turned on Level One and OH. MY. GOD. I was begging for a break after about 45 seconds. How is that workout only 18 minutes long? It is at LEAST an hour. Claire had a tummy ache and was a little more needy than usual. I had her all set up in her play gym will mommy worked out, but I have to admit I was very grateful for her need to be held every 5 minutes or so. Jillian kept telling me I didn't get any breaks, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her and my in-home gym doesn't come with childcare (JP was out). Even with my breaks it was still a good work out and I don't know how any one moves on to Levels 2 or 3. I'm not even sure I can do Level One again tomorrow. Has anyone done all 30 days in a row? How long did it take to not want to die by minute 6? Right now I'm thinking of alternating it every other day with my swimming.

It's back to the pool tomorrow- now that I've started out with a 2,000 I feel like I have to do at least that from here on out. I'm hoping I can start really pushing myself, I'm just so bad about doing just enough to be tired without pushing past it. Practice was never something I enjoyed about swimming- I just like racing (and winning), but I'm trying. I'll just picture my favorite work dress at the end of the lane- I'm determined to fit into it by the time I go back!

14 comments:

  1. Oh I am the most inflexible person ever -- I was the only kid in my 5-year-old gymnastics class who couldn't touch her toes! -- and I love yoga! Hopefully the studio has a good mix of students and teachers and you won't feel pressured to do anything you aren't ready for. I had one great teacher who used to tell the show-off bendy people in class that just because they were bendy didn't mean they were "getting it" and that always made me feel better. :)

    (Also, the 30-day shred never gets easier. The only way I was able to progress to Level 2 was to not actually use weights. And it still killed.)

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  2. Once you start feeling good in the water again and can actually push your speed to meet some goal times, you'll be hooked again. It feels so good to get a nice swim in during lunch and then having the entire evening to take care of other things. I agree, swedes are the best.

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  3. Ok, I am OBSESSED with Jillian's DVDs, so I know what you're going through. I practically praise her DVDs on my blog, sad but true. However, I HATED her book...it's all about cleansing and getting toxins out of your body, etc. That, personally, isn't my cup of tea.

    As for the 30 Day Shred, it isn't easy. I did the whole program and it REALLY works, so keep with it. I did it about 6 times a week. This sounds nuts, but by the end of it, Level 1 will be your "break day" compared to the other 2 levels. Some words of advice: she says to go to level 2 around Day 7...if Level 1 was that hard, I would wait til Day 10. Level 2 is a HUGE jump from level 1 (bigger than from Level 2 to level 3 in my opinion).

    For some variation, cause it's nice, I do her other DVDs too, particularly the Boost Your Metabolism and Trouble Zones one.

    Hope these words of advice helped some! Good luck! I'm losing the baby weight too and I moved up to level 2 already...that was TOUGH since we don't have abdominal muscles after getting that baby out!

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  4. I completely echo Cristy's advice re: 30 Day Shred. I did it (almost) every day in May and I wanted to die in the beginning. After 6 minutes I just was exasperated that I was wheezing on the floor like I'd just run a marathon! I waited 10 days to go to Level 2 (I had never ever been able to make it to Level 2 prior to this) and by Day 11 I was ready for the variety. It's a lot of work, but the change is nice.

    Unless you're tied to the idea of doing it all in 30 days, I would just do Level 1 until you start to feel it becoming easy and then switch to Level 2 and so on. My meager words of advice :)

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  5. I tried, really tried to do 30 days in a row. I think it's impossible. I'd like it to be part of a regular workout schedule, though, rotated with other stuff like yoga and walking. (HA! Like I HAVE a "regular" workout sched.!)

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  6. I also recently started the 30 day shred, and was shocked at how hard it was. I never made it to level 2, though, because I had an outpatient procedure that precluded upper body workouts for a couple of weeks. I plan to go back to it as soon as get the all clear from my doctor. As hard as it was, I loved the way it made me sore ALL OVER. Felt like it was really working.

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  7. I'm so glad to read these comments. I tried the 30DS a few months ago and also nearly died by minute 6. I ended up watching the rest of it from the couch. Unfortunately, I just gave up, thinking I was the biggest wimp in the world. Knowing that others have had the same reaction and have persevered and it has gotten easier might give me the motivation to pull it back out. She's brutal.

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  8. I agree and love Amanda's "meager words of advice" on 30 day shred. I did level 1 for about 10 days (that's 5 days for 2 weeks). When I moved on to Level 2, I just about gave up. The ridiculous first moves where you stand, go down to do a push up and then stand up again....come on! What the freak is that about? My 40 year old self is missing those low impact videos of years long gone! Do you know what those low impact videos are called now?....'walking' exercise videos. ROFL God, I'm old!
    Desimom

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  9. I agree that the 30 Day Shred is killer at first but by day 4 or 5 you'll be sailing through it. Personally, I'd rather go through 18 minutes of hell than slog through an hour at the gym!

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  10. I got a Groupon for $50 for a month of yoga at another yoga studio in town the day prior to yours (it must be "yoga-week" on Groupon in our city). This was right on the heels of last week promising my best friend (and accomplished yogi) that I would do thirty days of yoga in a row to give it a fair chance and decide once and for all whether I liked it or hated it (it's a fine line for me - always has been). I'm on Day 7 today, and going to a Yin Yoga class this evening. If you ever need moral support, let me know and I'll come along and show you just how good at yoga you really are (I'm pretty unflexible!) Good luck!

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  11. The 30 Day Shred should never be done in the company of minors...at least not in my house. There are some pretty nasty words shouted at Jillian during those sessions and little ears shouldn't have to hear them. At times, my husband has feared for the safety of his big screen TV while I've been doing that workout. He thought I might throw a weight at Jillian's head!

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  12. Jillian is evil. 30 Day Shred is a total killer.

    I hope you enjoy the yoga class. Keep with it. It's tough at first, but you'll get better and it's great for building core strength.

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  13. After day 5 or 6 of the Shred I was doing better.

    At the height of my exercise routine just before I got pregnant, I would do Level 3 then Level 1. Lost 30 pounds, shocking. Of course, having had a c-section 5 weeks ago, it will take me awhile to do that again. haha.

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  14. I never got past level 1, but I shaped up anyway. I also only did the Shred 5 days per week; maybe that has something to do with it?

    Yoga is really good exercise. I am not terribly flexible,but it keeps me stretching and I know it's a goog workout (my back lloks more muscular now, which makes me happy!). If you ever can manage it, Bikram yoga ("hot yoga") is great for helping flexibility--though I'll be honest, it makes me feel like I'm going to be sick sometimes.

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