This is really fun

[vivalasvegans]

I need to start a workout log. I want it to focus on the good stuff, to keep me motivated.

 

I've been getting most of my cardio at the gym from elipticals, cross trainers, and bikes sometimes but the bikes don't do much for me. I've been throwing ten minutes of fast treadmill walking on top of it and yesterday YESTERDAY...

I ran on a treadmill for the first time since I got injured.

Time: 2 minutes.

Got my quads strong enough to compensate for my injury. Gonna try more really high ramp height on the cross trainer to increase strength.

Go me

Edited September 7, 2009 by vivalasvegans

[VeganDeVil]

go you!

 

Keep posting, let us know how you're doing.

[Karmacharger]

Congrats!

[Richard]

HUR! Let's do this

[vivalasvegans]

OMG thank you so much for the support.

 

I don't think I'll get to the gym for a few days - only bike commuting. So here's today for the record:

I used higher ramp height in the cross trainer.

Added 30 seconds to treadmill running (running!)

My idea for next time is to do 5 intervals of one minute run, one minute walk. I just want to take it really slow so I don't re-injure again. I'll probably drive the people next to me crazy but they will just have to deal.

Music that worked good for running today:

I Woke Up Today - Port O'Brien 3:21

Jumpin' Jack Flash - Rolling Stones 3:44

[vivalasvegans]

I did make it to the gym today with some intricate planning and some trickey wardrobe magic.

 

Treadmill progress: one minute walking then running intervals for ten minutes. After the first minute of running my leg started hurting and then got kind of gimpy but i did the whole ten minutes that way. Yay! It will be good to take a few days off and just bike around for a change.

 

Potential ways to talk myself out of keeping this up:

I will reinjure myself.

Solution: Be brutally honest with myself. Go slow, make slow increases. Baby steps! (litterally.)

I don't have enough time.

Solution: Make this a top priority. If I absolutely can't make it to the gym, do fast sprints on the bike. At least maintain on the weekends.

I'm too tired.

Solution: I'm always tired. No excuse. Remind myself that running increases energy. Don't be afraid to drink coffee in the afternoon. Don't stay up late to hang out with you-know-who.

 

 

Good music for the treadmill today:

Captain Bligh - Filter 5:12

 

Rock on.

 

 

PS: think about adding more weight to lateral raises.

[Richard]

I think another good way to make sure you go to the gym is to schedule it in advance if possible, or have a routine. That way, when you wake up on that day, you know it's a gym day, that's what you have scheduled. Rather than waking up and then deciding if you want to go to the gym that day; if the decision is based on whether you want to or not, then that may cause a dilemma

[vivalasvegans]

Yeah very true. I'll be more likely to pack my gym gear if I'm scheduled to, I'll be more likely to go to the gym if I'm exhausted if I have my gear with me. The stress and energy levels at my day job can go crazy without warning. Thx Rich.

 

 

Progress: Increased resistance on the eliptical and immediately felt pain, backed off, then raised again slightly, it was fine. ran treadmill at minutes 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, upped it to speed 5.7 from 5.5, only pain and gimpy feeling on the first minute. Maybe that was endorphins kicking in. I don't think so though so yay

Good running music for today:

Jackass Ginger - Poi Dog Pondering

 

Intake

2 tsp miso

coffee

splash of soymilk

a cucumber

15 carrot stubs

4 rice cakes

coffee

2 veg burgers (100 cal 10g pro each)

3 cups of broccoli

maybe will eat a tomato tonight or a rice cake

 

I am beat... but happy

[vivalasvegans]

Yesterday was a ridiculously sucky unexpected 11 hour work day, but I still dragged my sorry butt to the gym. Only 40minutes of medium exertion cardio -no lifting. By 9 pm I just had it, I had to get out of there and come home. Still, yay for me for doing at least something.

 

Today, ran 6 out of ten mins on that treadmill, on top of the regular cardio! Also added 5 pounds to lateral raises.

 

I do think that keeping this journal online is helping me focus. I'll have to see if that holds true as work gets more hectic.

 

 

Eaten so far today:

4 tomatoes (2 biodynamic)

4 cute little summer squash (biodynamic, yeah i love saying it)

6 rice cakes

2 tsp of miso

splash of soy in coffee

[vivalasvegans]

Ran a total of 5.5 minutes in one minute inervals except for a two minute (YAY!!!) running interval. I can feel it getting easier. I did feel a little pain but ran through it and it went away. I'm wondering if this could be a function of heating my joints up. Kicked ass on the rest of the cardio.

 

I tried stripping weight off with no rest after my regular sets on a tricep machine and OMG I was surprised at how much I could do! It made them a bit more pumped than I wanted them to look. Will def try this for deltoids, it will be pretty.

Good 4 the treadmill today:

Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall 3:21 and a new cut from Ice Cube?

 

Food so far today:

Some cherry tomatoes

2 tsp of miso

splash of soy in coffee

mock tabouli (parsley, tomato, mint, onion, lime, salt)

3 rice cakes

veg burger

will probably steam some zuccinni later and maybe eat another veg burger

 

 

Planning to take a day off from the gym tomorrow so my quads can catch up to their training, I'll try (I'm feeling pretty lazy) to go some extra miles on the bike or pack more weight.

[vivalasvegans]

Eleven mins on the treadmill, ran 6 in two - 2 minute intervals and two 1-minute intervals. It felt good, but - my leg got pretty draggy. I want to use this as an excuse to back off. I will not use this as an excuse to back off. Forward. Maybe with baby steps, but forward.

 

Food for today:

1 tsp of miso

coffee with a splash of soy

passion tea (a meetng this morning and this tea killed my appetite till noon)

1 cup of jicama

1 small dill pickle

7 carrot stub things

2 tomatoes

5 rice cakes

coffee

1 dill pickle spear

2 baby cukes

green salad with hot sauce

2 veg burgers

[vivalasvegans]

Yesterday: Same thing on the treadmill as last time: 11 mins, with 2, 2, 1, 1 minutes of interval running. Worked triceps yesterday, it is time to add more weight! I won't be afraid to make them more muscly because now they just look bleah.

 

Food:

Breakfast - a cup of jicama and 2 baby cukes, 2 tsp of miso

Lunch - a patty pan squash, 5 cherry tomatoes, 3 rice cakes

Snack - 10 carrot stubs

Dinner - 2 cups of spinach and two veg burgers

Drinks - 2 cups of coffee (stumptown!) and a splash of soy

[vivalasvegans]

food today:

2 tsp of miso 6am

1 cup of coffee, 1 splash of soy 8am

3/4 cup of jicama 9:30am

2 baby cukes 10am

12 oz of chopped up tomato and parsley 12:15pm

4 rice cakes 1pm

(aha looking at the gap in here, it makes sense to me why i get so tired in the afternoon)

coffee at 5

*Workout start 5:30*

2 100 cal veg burgers and 200 cals of mixed veggies 9:30pm

2 cups of popcorn 10:30 <-- carbotreat

 

The same cardio as yesterday, but my leg was very gimpy after the second 2 minute run. Afterwards my thighs (quads? femurs?) were absolutely killing me. I don't know if this is because of me increasing the resistance on the crosstrainer or because the running is actually so draining or hurting me. I upped the resistance a few days ago so maybe it's that. Gonna try and get new running shoes this weekend and see if it helps. (And maybe get some new stuff to work out in, the stuff I have now is literally falling off me!) Go me!

[Richard]

LET'S DO THIS

[vivalasvegans]

Doing it!

 

I got really mad at myself yesterday. I got new running shoes (very cute ones) and decreased the resistance on the crosstrainer, but I still can't run on the treadmill the way I want to. My legs were killing me again and my lungs were even burning. Yesterday there was a guy next to me who was running like he was floating through the air, and he kept it up for about an hour. I was jealous. I felt betrayed by my body. It's always done what I've asked it to do.

 

I guess I have to be more patient as I get older. Lessons in humility, patience, and self-love. (there's a dirty joke waiting to happen.)

 

Food:

2 tsp of miso

coffee, splash of soy

coffee

Forgot to eat till 5:30pm

2 veg burgers and 180 calories of mixed veggies

2 corn chips

some kind of gross salsa from a bottle

2 BIG shots of tequila

some kind of margarita drink

handful of popcorn

[vivalasvegans]

12 noon: 2 veg sausage patties, baby spring greens, a tomato

1pm: coffee with a splash of soy

5pm: coffee

WORKOUT

9pm: 2 veg burgers and 200 calories of mixed veggies

 

Ran the same schedule on that treadmill (2, 2, 1, 1) but not gimpy at all! It was tiring, yes. When I got done, I hurt, but not as much as the past few days. Good news! Now to figure out why. Possible causes

• I ate protein earlier in the day before workout.
  I slept late.
  I carbo loaded with tequila last night.
  New shoes. (I really doubt this, they allow me to pronate too much)
  Effect of serious stretching of quads and hams after yesterday's workout.
  I'm injuring myself and killing my nerves and making them numb.
  My tolerance to this particular discomfort is increasing.
  My muscles are actually adapting.

 

The rest of my cardio and lifting was pretty strong today, so I'm inclined to think it has something to do with rest and nutrition. If only I could get enough sleep to do this every day!

[vivalasvegans]

It was a "special" day today. I got to the gym, tired, but all ready to go. I just couldn't go. I still did my regular cardio, a little less intense - only one minute of running on the treadmill, it hurt everything to run today. Lifting went ok, but I didn't do any abs cause the gym was so gross and smelly and crowded to me tonight. I'm exhausted. Plan: take a day off the gym tomorrow and bike commute to both workplaces.

 

Intake:

coffee w/ a splash of soy

4 celery sticks

1 zucchini

1 tomato

A couple leaves of spinach

2 rice cakes

A couple carrots

Coffee

WORKOUT

Baby greens, broccoli, tomato and 2 veg burgers

2 more rice cakes

[vivalasvegans]

No gym today, half a day of work, napped, blew off an evening work meeting. I feel really good. On the bike commute today I massacred a hill. Happy with the way my strength and coordination are improving.

 

Food:

2 tsp miso

1 cup jicama

4 sticks celery

baby greens and broccoli salad

4 rice cakes

150 calories of mixed veggies

2 veg burgers

2 more rice cakes

[vivalasvegans]

Back at the gym today. I really needed that day of rest. I wasn't even tempted to fall asleep in the staff meeting, and I had decent energy to work out with. I even added another minute interval of running with no problem. (2, 2, 1, 1, 1) Baby steps, baby steps... My thighs do not hurt at all right now. Way to rock that workout

 

 

Maybe it was due a little to a change in my food schedule:

6am 2 tsp miso

coffee

1 cup of jicama

12:15pm 1 zucchini, 1 tomato, 1 veg sausage patty (80 cal, 10 g pro)

2 rice cakes

12carrot stubs

5pm coffee

WORKOUT

1 veg burger, 1 cup cooked collards, 1/2 pepper, 6 carrot stubs

4 rice cakes

1 tomato

[vivalasvegans]

Thurs & Fri workout and food: I went to the gym with all intentions of working out hard. I won't explain why here, but both nights I had to bail after 30 mins on the elliptical. They were good 30 minutes both times, although my leg was sore. Thurs night a did a lot of abs work when I got home. It was good to shake up that routine for sure. Fri night I was gonna use free weights on deltoids when I got home, but I ... ... ... forgot. I wasn't feeling good, for real. So on the way home I got some ground flax seed, gonna add 1-2 tsp per day to my diet. Probably 1. Maybe 2 to prime myself then down to 1. Also got some dandelion/milk thistle/oregon grape root compound to at least help my liver detox from losing weight. My skin and the rest of my body are doing weird things which I am almost ready to go visit the GOD of naturopathic health care about.

[vivalasvegans]

Workout:

Treadmill was hard at first, but I got through it, not too winded! I stopped after 11 minutes and only 6 mins of running (back to 2, 2, 1, 1) just so I don;t overdo it. More will happen. It will. My legs are not sore at all, and no pain or gimpiness. Cardio went easy. I added 10 more pounds more to one of the deltoid machines too.

 

Harder, better, faster, stronger

 

Food:

Coffee with a splash

Baby greens & tomato with lime, veg burger, tsp of flax

1 Cup of broccoli

6 rice cakes

Veg burger and 150 cals of mixed veggies

[vivalasvegans]

Fast cardio today. Lots of reggaeton on the ipod! The treadmill went well. instead ot 2, 2, 1, 1, I went 2, 2, 2, 1. I wanted to do more, but I am holding myself back. I know I have to go slow. BABY STEPS! I was thinking today how bummed I would be if I re-injured myself yet again. I would probably give up completely. I am finally finally coming back and I like it.

 

Food so far:

2 tsp of miso

Big coffee with a splash

spinach, a tomato and a veg burger

4? rice cakes

1 tsp of ground flax

1 cup of green beans, veg sausage

maybe another tsp of flax in a sec

[vivalasvegans]

Lots of energy for a Monday... although C told me I looked ragged and tired. Cardio went fast, and I increased treadmill intervals to 3, 2, 2. I'm going to hold it there for a bit or maybe even decrease it, so my muscles can catch up. I'm really happy though!

 

Food:

The usual, no earthshattering changes.

[vivalasvegans]

Yesterday:

Only bike commuting. It went fast.

Yesterday food:

The usual, plus 2 diet sodas at work, which made me feel like a hippo

Added an extra cup of veggies, I think the cold weatheris making me really hungry!

[vivalasvegans]

Yay, today was awesome! Even though it was a busy work day, and there was a 2 hour staff meeting after work, and i didn't get to the gym till 6, it went well! Strong, fast cardio, and more treadmill running! It went: 1min walk, 4 mins run, 1 min walk, 4 mins run. It's hard for me to believe that just a few weeks ago I was struggling to go 1 minute with a gimpy leg. I am not going to push myself to do this again too soon, I'm just going to let it come to me (within reason.) I would die if I got injured again.

 

This week is the beginning of the time of year when I will most likely have one day, quite possibly two per week where I can't do any workout or training at all. I'm thinking I should be ok if I keep my food intake like it's been, and I amp the training up a bit on a day after I miss.

 

The hazards are going to be

if I get over tired and flake off a day or two after my off days. I don't know how to combat this, I know I'm going to be really tired. I guess I can always bike to work except for thosedays... but I'm gonna need more... more cardio, more access to weights (and more sleep!)

Possible solutions: sleep every chance I get (that will be great for my social life) drink more coffee (that should be great for my complexion) better time management (I can't even imagine what that would look like) or just don;t sweat it and don't miss a beat in training even though I miss a day or two a week. I can think of this total physical down day as recovery time, not a missed opportunity.

me going slow and carefully will turn into an excuse to slack off

Possible solutions: knowing that I am a pro at rationalizing laziness, and fully understanding what drives my fear to succeed. On the other hand I need to completely understand what is motivating me to get fitter, celebrate it, and find even more reasons.

 

Ok maybe I missed my calling as a shrink.

 

Food today:

2 tsp of miso

coffee with a splash

1 cucumber

1 cup jicama

1 veg sausage, 1 zucchini, 1 tomato

couple rice cakes

coffee with a splash

WORKOUT

1 veg burger, 2 cups artichoke hearts, 1 cup collards

couple more rice cakes

 

NOTE TO SELF:

DON'T FORGET YOUR FLAX

GO TAKE IT RIGHT NOW!

ok, ok self, I am going!

Edited September 27, 2008 by vivalasvegans