How I Exercise

I also posted this on my waffling blog madiantin.blogspot.com

I thought I'd do a post on how I exercise, since I've actually started again and seem to be somewhat of a routine. Although it appears to be causing my weight loss to slow DRAMATICALLY and IRRITATINGLY, I shall persevere and see what happens. But it still makes me mad.

Anyway, I've been using a running programme from
coolrunning.com
It's the couch-to-5k programme you can see there on the main page.

The version I use is the one put together by Robert Ullrey. It's awesome because he tells you exactly when to start and stop so you don't have to think about it. You can find the podcasts here:
http://www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/page4/files/category-7.html

There are also some other programmes here:
http://c25k.com/index.htm,
but I prefer Mr. Ullrey.

Also, there are many people who love Mr. Ullrey and thank him for helping them put the tennis shoe to the road. You can find a conversation here:
http://c25k.com/forum/forums/18238/ShowPost.aspx,
where someone posts his email. Not sure how Mr. Ullrey would feel about that.....=D Maybe he gets sick of people writing to him saying "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Or maybe he gets sick of writing stuff like Dizziblonde wrote,
"Think I owe this man more than a drink for the amount I've mentally insulted him, cursed his entire existence and told him to shut up and tell me I can stop running lately!"

Hahahaha! That's so how it is! Whenever I hear him say "You should be able to carry on a conversation and not be too out of breath" I want to scream "What PLANET are you on??????" while I'm gasping and wheezing, and I want to smack him upside the head or something..... =D

Robert's website is here:
http://web.mac.com/robert_ullrey/iWeb/Robert/Running%20Blog/Running%20Blog.html
but I don't think he's updated it lately.


Learn out loud.com also covers Robert's running podcasts here.



ALSO!!!! For those of you who suffer from shinsplints, I have some wonderful news. =) I, too, used to suffer from shinsplints, Crippling ones. Awful ones. When I ran the 5k turkey trot last Thanksgiving day, I could hardly walk for a couple of months afterwards. Oh my good gracious gravy, it hurt. When I woke up in the morning I would have to shuffle around for the first five minutes, not lifting my feet off the floor, because it HURT!! This caused me to stop running, and I've only just started again.

This time around (though admittedly, I'm only about three weeks in....) things are much better. What's different this summer???

No flip-flops.

No kidding. I bought another pair of athletic shoes. I wear one while I'm running, and one when I'm not...and my legs and feet feel SOOOOO much better. I am really really hopeful that this will nix any shinsplint pain I have.


Another thing I've purchased recently which has made my life sooo much better: a sports bra. It's wonderful to be running and not have to hike up my irritating bra straps.


Next to buy: Socks. My socks are years and years old. At least ten years. They're worn thin and some have holes. The elastic is gone so as I'm running they slip down my ankles and end up under my feet. GAH!!! I believe today I will buy more socks.

Also, at some point in time I may start saving for a new ipod. Mine is the first generation original Ipod. Yes. The ORIGINAL one. The first one that came out. Yes, that one. It's fabulous! It still works! There's nothing wrong with it!

But it would be nice to have a smaller one. Mine's so heavy. I have a holder thing that you put on your arm, but the original ipod is so heavy it drags the holder down, so I've ended up tucking the ipod inside my bra. I know. Sorry. That's probably tmi for you. But it keeps the ipod safe and I don't have to expend irritation and energy hiking up the ipod holder on my arm all the time.

Also, I need some kind of sweat-wiping thing. My arm/hand/shirt just doesn't cut the mustard.


So anyway, enough waffle! Here's my exercise programme
I exercise Tues, Thurs and Sat because I work Mon, Weds, Fri.

I am currently (as of today) on Robert Ullrey's week 2 podcast. I was on week 1, off and on, for SEVERAL months. I kept starting and then stopping because of shin splints. With my new athletic shoes on my feet I've been able to get to week 2.

I have to say, week 2 isn't so bad. I've heard that when you reach week 4 or something like that, the pace picks up considerably and it gets exponentially more difficult. But right now, week 2 is ok. I like it because although it's a 90 second rather than a 60 second run, there's only 6 intervals rather than 8.

Except when you're in the middle of the penultimate 90 second run on the week 2 podcast and your ipod spontaneously decides - in the middle of your run - to switch to the beginning of the week 6 podcast instead. GAH!!!


Well, I could probably waffle on forever, but right now I need to take Andrew swimming.