FITNESS CHECKIN: MARCH: Victory is mine!

Well, I did it!  every day in March 30+ minutes of activity (Officially I missed one planned day, but I made up for it by doing an extra 30 minutes the day before, and an extra 15 minutes the day after.
257+ miles pedaled, 9300+ calories burned, an even 1000 minutes spent pedaling, and I did 496 pushups. (I have an irrational urge to do four more to make it to 500, but I am too geeky to mess up the count!)

I also achieved a personal best-- at the beginning of the month, I was doing around 7.5  miles (or averaging 15 mph. (the first day I did 7.0 miles, but knew I could push myself harder)  By the end of the month, I was averaging 17+ mph.  (and on March 30, did 8.928 miles in 30 minutes, or nearly 18 mph) Adding 3 mph to my time, and  a mile and a half in distance  in the same 30 minute stretch is something to be happy about.

DATE	MILES	CALORIES	TIME				Pushups
TOTALS	257.958	9349	1000	0	0	0	496

Just for completeness, here are my last 3 days of the month.

And you can see my previous March Fitness Checkins here:

Checkin 1 | Checkin 2 | Checkin 3 | Checkin 4 | Checkin final

Thanks for reading!  I'll let you all know what I'm going to do for April!

3.29.16 workout
30 minute incline fat burn workout
8.691 miles, 318 calories

3.30.16 workout
30 minute incline fat burn workout
8.928 miles, 328 calories
PERSONAL BEST!

3.31.16 workout
30 minute incline fat burn
8.793 miles, 323 calories

Fitness CheckIn Week 4: The Light At the End of the Tunnel

I'm almost at the end of this experiment-- just 3 more days to go.

You can see my previous March Fitness Checkins here:

Checkin 1 | Checkin 2 | Checkin 3 | Checkin 4 | Checkin final

  I'd say overall this has been a very good experiment and I'm happy that I've done it.  I'm also going to continue with it, hopefully continuing this very good habit of working out.

So far this month, I've pedaled more than 231 miles, done 406 pushups, and many many more crunches (I'm not counting those!)

I think that I need to continue with the exercise, but also spend some more time getting stronger, and more time on what I'm eating.  The fact that I didn't lose any weight this  month is a little worrying.  I must have overcompensated on food (although I don't think I did)

I'm still deciding what to do for next month.  I've got a challenge going with a health coach to go 300 miles in the 2 months between March 18 and May 18, and I am already well on my way, so I'm going to keep exercising in some form for sure.  What other stuff I might add to that is yet to be determined.

Here are my numbers for this week:

March 22	8.328	301	30
March 23	8.341	301	30
March 24	8.461	306	30
March 25	14.07	653	60
March 26
March 27	10.62	310	45	TOTAL MILES THIS WEEK	TOTAL CALS	TOTAL MINS
March 28	8.637	315	30	58.457	2186	225

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Thursday, March 24, 2016 

Friday, March 25, 2016
In preparation for my Saturday trip, I did a full hour on the recumb. bike.
Ow. Ow. Ow.  But I managed to do it!
This was on the speed setting, Advanced, and the average resistance was 12!

Sunday, March 27, 2016
I decided to overcompensate, so did 45 minutes at a lower manual speed.
10.62 miles, 310 calories burned.
I did this while watching UNC crush Notre Dame.

Monday, March 28, 2016
Back to the grind
30 Minute Fat burn Incline setting
8.637 miles, 315 calories.
My best distance yet for this 30 minute routine.

Fitness Goals for March: Week 3 Checkin-Weight Steady Edition.

Well, here it is week 3 finished.

You can see my previous March Fitness Checkins here:

Checkin 1 | Checkin 2 | Checkin 3 | Checkin 4 | Checkin final

I've now done 21 consecutive days of 30 minutes of exercise.

I've biked 173 miles burned over 6000 calories, and spent 685 minutes (probably twice that, once you figure in my warmup/workout/pushups as well.  (by the way, I've done 231 pushups so far!)

Despite this strong effort, I haven't lost a single pound. I haven't gained anything either, but I haven't lost.

 Now, I haven't been tracking my eating with the same kind of precision, and I guess I'm eating enough to cover, but it sure doesn't feel that way.

At the same time, I definitely feel stronger, and I feel like I look stronger, slimmer, skinnier.  In fact, one of our cleaning ladies said that she thought I'd lost a lot of weight.  I'll take it!

On the plus side, I also in general feel stronger and more fit. I am thinking about continuing this challenge in some fashion, and maybe (when the month is up) changing it to shine some focus on my eating as well.

It did not take me a month to get heavy and lethargic, and it won't take me a month to get super fit either.  But these are important steps in the right direction, I am pretty sure!

March 15	7.533	272	30
March 16	8.060	292	30
March 17	9.586	416	45
March 18	8.44	305	30
March 19	8.534	310	30
March 20	7.767	266	30	TOTALS FOR WEEK MILES	CALORIES	MINUTES
March 21	8.044	288	30	57.964	2149	225

Tuesday March 15 2016,
7.533 miles, 272 calories
30 minute fat burn
I was just tired, so couldn't push.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016
8.06 miles, 292 calories
30 minutes Fat Burn.
Just pushed harder.

Thursday March 17, 2016
9.586 miles, 416 calories, 45 minutes
45 Minute rolling hill intensity
I missed the morning workout, so did this while watching a show.

Friday March 18, 2016
30 minutes Intensity Fat Burn
8.44 miles, 305 calories
Different strategy:  I went 17 mph or so, normally,
 and 15's on the sprint moments.

Saturday March 19, 2016
30 minute Intensity Fat Burn
8.53 miles, 305 calories
16-17 mph all the way through!
Last one I sprinted for 30 seconds

Sunday March 20, 2016
10 minute Intensity Fat Burn
I was interrupted!
2.649 miles, 91 calories

Sunday March 20, 2016 part 2
20 minute incline rolling hills
5.118 miles, 175 calories
While watching tv

Monday, March 21, 2016
30 minute Intensity Fat Burn
8.044 miles, 288 calories

Fitness Goals For March: Week 2 Checkin HALF-BAKED IDIOM edition

I'm still trucking along!

You can see my previous March Fitness Checkins here:

Checkin 1 | Checkin 2 | Checkin 3 | Checkin 4 | Checkin final

If showing up is half the battle, or genius is mostly perspiration rather than inspiration, and winning is a game of inches, then I am well on my way to winning the game of inches with perspiration.

But let's not put the cart before the horse-- after all my goals are only half-way realized, and it would be terrible to put all my eggs in one basket, and then have to cry over spilt milk all the way to the bank.  I'm two weeks in, and I'd hate to be one of those guys who is all hat and no cattle.  Of course, I wouldn't buy a cow if I got the milk for free, that wouldn't make dollars and cents.  But money is the root of all evil, so you know, Don't Get Me Started!

Let's get down to brass tacks, and run a comb through the numbers with our fingers, as we examine my body of work shall we?

March 8	7.55	274	30
March 9	7.607	275	30
March 10	11.521	376	50
March 11	7.674	278	30
March 12	7.582	275	30
March 13	7.564	237	30	TOTAL MILES THIS WEEK	TOTAL CALS THIS WEEK	TOTAL TIME THIS WEEK
March 14	7.785	282	30	57.283	1997	230

And this makes my grand total for the month so far: 115.125 miles, 4045 calories, 460 minutes. 

I'm averaging just about a 4 minute mile (3.9956 , but who's counting)

Not too shabby!

I also managed (somehow) to do 1 pushup for each day-- I did 14 this morning, and I was surprised.  Somewhere around 20 I might have to break it into 2 sets.  (These are still the knee pushups.  Maybe someday I will be able to do a real pushup!)  And of course situps, and stretching, and candlesticks.

I stopped writing in my sprinting.  I am trying to do it at 22, 16,10, and 4. It's difficult to keep it going above 20 miles an hour though.  I just have to keep pushing!

Tuesday March 8, 2016
Incline Fat Burn 30 minutes
7.55 miles, 274 calories

Wed, March 9, 2016
7.607 miles, 275 calories
30 minute incline fat burn
sprinted at 22, 16, 10, 4 (the top numbers of intensity)

Thursday 3/10/16 #1
20 minutes beginner fat burn
5.044 miles, 171 calories
Still a 4 minute mile pace!

Thursday 3/10/16 #2
30 minutes intensity pyramid
6.47 miles, 205 calories
Went slow (watching TV

Friday 3/11/16
30 minutes incline fat burn
7.67 miles, 278 calories

Saturday 3/12/16
30 minute incline fat burn
7.582 miles, 275 cal

Sunday 3/13/16
30 minute intensity (pyramid)
7.564 miles, 237 calories

Monday 3/14/16
30 minute fat burn (incline)
7.785 miles, 282 calories

Fitness Goals for March: Week 1 Check-in

This is my first check in on my March fitness goal to do 30 minutes of exercise everyday.

You can see my previous March 2016 Fitness Checkins here:

Checkin 1 | Checkin 2 | Checkin 3 | Checkin 4 | Checkin final

I have a recumbent bicycle and I'm not afraid to use it.

This is not actually my bike, but
something relatively close.

Well, I managed to do it every day!  I had one moment when I thought about quitting, but I didn't.  (That was Thursday.  I only had time to do 20 minutes in the morning, and I had a fight with my wife in the morning, so I didn't feel like doing it.  But I managed to do it anyway. That day I did 20 minutes.  And then did my stuff I did another 30 minutes while watching TV.   So at least there's that!

Before I start, I'm doing a warmup, trying to remember my work in dance class from like 25 years ago, and Yoga, and all that other stuff.  I've lost so much strength and flexibility.  I'm doing ab work, and also doing 1 pushup for each day of the month it is (On March 7 I did 7 pushups)  My pushups are currently knee worthy.  I'm also stretching my hamstrings, and doing work towards getting a back roll into my repertoire again.  The ultimate goal is to be able to do actual pushups without dying, be able to do a back bend/ back roll, and not feel like my hips are so tight that they are going to explode.

I'd also like to activate my small toes, which seem like they have no strength at all.

Overall, I'm pleased with where I am.  I enjoy doing the workout.  (Well, I mostly enjoy HAVING done the workouts.)   When I finish, and I've got a ring of sweat around my shirt, I am feeling pretty good about that.  I just have to keep on keeping on, and not get derailed by my  laziness or my life.

NO EXCUSES!

I've been watching what I eat, and trying not to eat sugar and junk, and am MOSTLY succeeding.  I've dropped about 4 lbs in the last week (Of course, on me, I could probably sweat 4 lbs.  Still, it's something, and it's in the right direction.)

Here are my numbers for this week:

DATE	MILES	CALORIES	TIME
TOTALS	57.842	2048	230
March 1	7.022	268	30
March 2	7.571	273	30
March 3	11.922	410	50
March 4	7.555	271	30
March 5	8.027	253	30
March 6	7.992	289	30
March 7	7.753	284	30

57 Miles in a week is nothing to sneeze at!

March 1: 7.02 miles,268 calories.
This was on the 30 min INTENSITY setting

March 2: 7.571 miles, 273 calories
This was on the 30 min. FAT BURN setting

March 3, 2nd workout.
6.463 miles, 225 calories.
30 minutes on the Incline fat burn setting.
Not at a particularly fast pace.
(I watched a show while pedaling)

March 3, 5.549 miles,  185 cals, 20 minutes.
I didn't have enough time to do 30 minutes
in the morning, so I did it in the evening.
This was the beginner Intensity 20 minute

March 4 7.555 miles, 271 calories, 30 minutes.
Incline 30 min beginner.
I sprinted on minutes 24, 14, 4 (counting down)

March 5 Saturday 8.027 miles, 253 calories
30 minutes Beginner Intensity Pyramid
I sprinted on the 4's (24,14,4)

March 6 Sunday 7.992 miles, 289 calories
30 minutes Beginner Incline
I sprinted at 25,16,4, and 1 (counting down)

March 7, Monday 7.752 miles, 284 calories
30 minutes Beginner Incline
I sprinted when the resistance was highest (4 times)
 4,9,15,21 (counting down)