I hate to run. I’ve never been one of those people who got a runner’s high. In fact, I was the 4.0 gpa student in high school that almost blew it with a P.E. grade because of running.
It isn’t that I’m not active. I wear a pedometer every day and get my 10,000 steps in. We do swing and country western dancing at least three days a week for two to three hours. If you think it’s easy, try doing swing for an hour or two solid. It’s serious cardio.
We are the family on vacations who come back more tired than we left. Beaches are made for walking and playing in the water. When we go to Disneyland or WDW, we easily do 15-20 miles a day just walking. On cruises, the entire activity crew knows us because we go to everything. We hike, we zipline (what a rush) and just about anything else that we can find to do, we do.
However, I really dislike actual exercise. We bought a treadmill and Total Gym because at least we’ll do it if it is here. I won’t go to a gym. It takes way too much effort to get there so I just don’t. We get up at 5 so we get the workout done before Snake goes to work. In general, I exercise because I figure that it will help me live longer to torment Snake. 🙂
Last month we joined a group on Fitocracy and accepted the first challenge. That one was relatively easy because it was all point-based. Any exercise that we did counted towards the total and the person with the most points at the end of the month got bragging rights. I was one of a few women in the group so that just pushed my competitive buttons. I ended up in second place. Of course, a couple of the guys were fighting off injuries and were sick a couple of weeks, but I still did a pretty good job. And weight lifting as a woman ends up with quite a few points.
This month, the challenge is an Army boot camp one. So, push-ups, pull-ups, crunches and running. I can do the crunches. The rest are not in my wheelhouse. I’m not even certain if I could do one pull-up. I also know that I can’t even try to compete if I don’t run. I could have decided to skip the month. No harm, no foul. However, again, competitive buttons. I decided to join and if I’m going to join, I have to get serious.
So, my challenge to myself is to be able to run without taking walking breaks by the end of the month for 30 minutes. Hey, maybe I’ll even figure out this runner’s high thing.
My zombie plan has always been to push other people into the path of the zombies so I could get away. Trip them if necessary so I could just walk away. Maybe by the end of May I’ll be able to just outrun them. I’ll keep you posted. 🙂
Keep it up and good work!
Hee! Good for you!
Ferns
I used to hate running. If someone had told me a year ago that I would willingly run, without being chased, on a regular basis, I would have laughed and shoved another handful of potato chips in my face. Now, I do it at least three times a week, “just because,” and thoroughly enjoy it (I still shove the potato chips in my face, though). Give it two weeks, and you’ll be addicted.
Yesterday (the third “real” day) I was super sore and almost didn’t run. But I pushed myself and just went for a shorter distance. I’ll keep at it for the month. Worst case, I will still hate it but everyone keeps telling me that I will start to like it. The jury is still out. 🙂
Listen, you kicked ass last month. I worked so hard keeping ahead of you that I need a week off.
The tiny competitive streak in me has actually made me think about running… but we finally got some spring in New England, and I’m way behind on yard work. I’ll just pump iron and watch you run, okay?
Lol. You and I rocked last month. 🙂 I’m starting the weight lifting again next week along with the running. I need a week to get somewhat used to running. Not sure that I am but I’m willing to give it a month. We’re sliding into summer quickly, which actually means less yard work for us because everything just sighs and goes dormant until it cools down a little. Besides, you’ll be cycling and doing your cardio that way.
When I’m into cycling season, I don’t really lift, so my points will drop considerably. It’s funny, but a good 2 hour ride only nets about 1,200 points, while I can easily rack up close to 2,000 from lifting. But every hour of lifting is an hour that I can’t spend riding, so…
I have exercise ADHD. If I don’t switch up routines regularly I just stop exercising completely. We actually do different weight lifting routines every day. That’s why I love our dancing. We are working on seven different routines so it keeps my interest.
Actually, in general, I am constantly going from one thing to another. One of the reasons that I work from home even though we do have an office. Luckily my job lets my mind move from thing to thing so I am good at it. I come from a long line of “putterers.” That was my grandmother’s word for the way she was. My mother was always “busy.” This is also why we don’t sit on the beach. I drive Snake insane after about five minutes. What do you want to do? Do you want to go for a walk? 🙂 I don’t like to sit still unless I’m engrossed in a really good book. 🙂
I like the routine of lifting. I’ve settled into doing certain big lifts – pullups, squats, deadlifts, bench press – and my variety is adding one or two assistance lifts for a few weeks. I like the same routine because partway into it, I’m so zonked that I can’t think about anything different anyway.
Cycling is another matter. I have several different routes that I take, depending upon my mood. Even though I’m riding too fast to be sight-seeing, I do like a little variety in the type of riding. I can take the hilly route, the really hilly route, or the OMG hilly route. In my area, we don’t have “flat” routes.
I like lifting. My problem is that I’m always looking for “more,” and I have a tendency to get frustrated when my upper body wants to act like I’m female. 🙂 I can keep upping reps and weights on lower body but not so much on upper.
I’m the same way with walking. I like going on different routes. So far with running, I just want it over with. Lol.
There are two or three good progressive loading programs for women. If you’re really serious, spend some time on this Reddit group:
http://reddit.com /r/xxx fitness
The xx stands for your chromosome pairing, not anything sexual.
I’ll check it out. Give me some good bicep porn. 🙂