Episode 26

Another fantastic week in the exercise department. I'm feeling good about the progress I'm making at Crossfit - I'm doing things I never dreamed of doing and each week is an adventure in forcing my body to do things it would rather not!

On the sidebar there is a link to a workout called 'Fight Gone Bad.' We did that on Tuesday and I was ready for the basket by the time I finished. That workout is done in every Crossfit gym all over the world at least once every 6 weeks or so, and it kind of makes me happy to know that I can do the same workout that a working soldier in Iraq is doing - albeit with a lot less intensity. There is something very validating about pushing your own limits.

Canadian Thanksgiving was a blast for Reg and I - we spent time with our grandchildren, and there isn't anything better in my mind. We had a lot of laughs - a lot of food - and I thought of several new things to be thankful for this year. If you have good health, you have everything, and we could all spend a bit more time making sure we keep our health.

Free health care is great - I'm thankful that I rarely have to use it.

Episode 25 - Believe in Yourself

I don't usually title these episodes, but this one deserves one. I learned a valuable lesson last week - it is a huge mistake to discount your own ability until you try. If you try and find out you can't do something - fine. BUT - don't decide in advance of trying that you can't do something. If you don't try you will never know.

Thursday's daily workout (WOD) at Crossfit was to row 2 kilometers, and then push press a weighted bar for 5 sets of 5 reps with a one minute break between sets. As soon as I saw the 2k thing on the board I started to panic. Oh no! I can't do that! The most I'd done before was 500m at a time - take a break to do something else, and row another 500m. That was tough. So I just knew I would never be able to row 2k. Why that's...that's...wait 'till I get my converter - that's 1.24280 miles! Never gonna happen. Said I.

I groused around about it for a while, and finally Coach Dave said - OK - how about this - we'll set the timer for 10 minutes and see how you do. I agreed to that.

At the 10 minute mark I had rowed 1,875m - 125m short of the 2k. I could have easily done the 2k (and did finish it outside the time) but I made up my mind before I started that I couldn't do it.

That is not going to happen again. I will never assume that I can't do something until I try it. (Except bungee jumping - I'm never going to try that.)

One thing I have learned since I started doing Crossfit is that the human body is capable of way more than we think it is. I have done some things that I never dreamed possible, and I know there is a lot more to come.

Nike says Just do It. I say - Just Try. ( I don't run any sweatshops so who you gonna believe?)

Episode 24

This is the CrossFit gym that I work out at, and the guy is Dave - my trainer. He doesn't look so scary does he? He isn't really, but he will rarely take no for an answer. He's an excellent motivator, and he knows how far he can push.

I thought he was letting me off way too easy this week with the WOD (workout of the day.) It involved a lot of situps, situps with medicine balls, leg raises, and knees to chest maneuvers, as well as overhead squats. I really didn't feel like I had done enough when I finished. I really didn't feel anything the next day - in fact I did more situps and a bunch of squats.

On the third day I rested because I had no choice. I couldn't walk upright. It hurt to stand up and it hurt to cough. Everything from my shoulders to my hips was tight. My abs (yes, I know there are abs under that roll of fat) feel tender to the touch. I definitely did enough.

I am no longer a vegetarian. I have been eating chicken and fish regularly since I started working with Dave, and while I can't say that I love it, I'm getting used to it and I'm recovering from workouts faster than I used to. I was never into it because of ethics - I just don't like meat. My mind is open to almost anything, so on we go.

Major accomplishment of this week - I cut Dexter's toenails and we're both alive to talk about it.

Peace out.

Episode 23

This was a pretty fantastic week. Great weather - lots of sun and blue sky, and nice warm temperatures that we never got all summer.

The photo is my poor elbow after I fell again on the trail at Fanshawe Lake. I wasn't even running at the time, but standing at the top of a steep gravel-coated downhill, trying to take a picture with my Crackberry. I lost my footing and couldn't stop the slide. My elbow, knee, and left hip got the worst of it - especially my hip which is now a lovely shade of black/green.

I came home and promised Reg I wouldn't go running out there alone anymore. I have other options for trail running, and once Thanksgiving is over and the main park closes for the season, I can run the trails there without fear of falling over the cliff.

I'm going to be making a big announcement on next week's show - so stay tuned. It's big for me - won't be for any of you. HA!

Fifty Counting Down Episode 22

This is the Killally Road Hill. I have ridden my bike down it several times, but I always take an alternate route home because it's VERY steep and since I have been afraid to try to change gears on my bike I knew I would never get up it in the gear I normally use.

Sunday - I rode the hill and conquered it. It wasn't anywhere near as difficult as I thought it was going be, once I got into the right gear. I practiced changing gears for a while before I got onto the hill road and then just decided to let 'er rip and get 'er done.

Somehow, this photo doesn't do the hill justice - it really IS steep at the top end, and my poor old heart was pounding like it never has before. I stopped to let it come back to sort of normal, even though I might have been able to continue without stopping.

I feel like I really accomplished something this week by riding that hill, and from now on I'm not going to be afraid to push myself a lot harder than I have been at running.

My heart can take it.

Episode 21

This has been a good week for me - a few stress-related food issues, but that's on ongoing problem that I may never be rid of.

I had two great sessions at Crossfit - one with just me and Dave doing running drills, and one with 6 other people in a group class. I love/hate the group for various reasons, and I'll definitely go back. I think twice a week will be good for me for now. Nobody leaves a Crossfit class thinking they didn't work hard enough!

I ran 3.5 miles this morning using the Pose method - I still have to concentrate on making sure I'm not heel-striking, but it's coming along and it's definitely a lot less tiring than the way I have been running. I expect it to come naturally before too long!

Episode 20

I never really thought I would make it to 20 episodes, but here I am, sharing experiences and trying to keep myself accountable. This has been another really good week - I'm feeling better than I have in a long time and I know my running mojo has returned.

I got up Monday morning and made a conscious decision to spend more time running and less time talking about it. Since I started Crossfit, my mileage has suffered because I've been afraid to get myself too tired out. That, my friends, is a big ole cop-out excuse.

So...I ran 2 miles of intervals on Monday, 5k yesterday with a killer hill in the middle, and 4.32 miles this morning, interspersed with bench dips and squats. Making myself understand that it's ok to take breaks while running is hard - but I'm working at it. My actual running time is still hovering around a 13 minute mile (curses on you extra damn 30 pounds) but I do have spurts of 11 and 12 minutes. My goal has never been to run fast - it has been to run far. I want a marathon before I'm 65. The photo is of the river this early morning - so beautiful and peaceful. I wanted to sit down and just watch fish jump for a while, but then two kingfishers got into a very loud squabble over a fish - so I moved on.

Check out the links on the sidebar of Good Mornings, and air squats - two of the exercises I'm doing at Crossfit that are really making a difference in my overall fitness. On to kettlebell swings next, and tomorrow I am going to CRUSH my previous time for a 500m row.

Peace out.