I'm Getting Back in the Game: Readers Workouts (1)

Readers’ Workouts is a weekly event hosted by Joy @ Joy's Book Blog where book lovers share workout stories, goals, successes, and challenges.

Welcome to the wonderful world of my fitness life. I have been wanting to do this meme for weeks but never got around to it. There are five forms (is that a term) of fitness I want to do a week, I'm pretty good at four of them....but the fifth could rally use some work.

Running: I love running and have been doing it for over two years now but didn't get into races until about nine months ago. Anyway running was temporary on hold for the last two months because I injured my knee. There was a time six months ago where I would run three or four times a week for anywhere between 3 to 6 miles. I'm still recovering from my injury, and the most I have done since then has been 3.5 miles. I have a 5k next Saturday which will formally integrate myself back into the running community (says myself). What's really cool is that I did the same 5k last year so now I can get the same metal, but instead of it being the 36th year, it will be 37th!

Strength Training: I know a lot of runners hate this, but I actually think of Strength training almost as a break from all the heavy lifting that my other sports require. I would list which machines I do....but because I have no idea what they're called I would be naming them 'leg pusher' and 'arm puller'. I work out my upper and lower body on around eight machines with several repetitions of 10-25 depending on which one it is. 

Cycling: This is one of my favorites because I can read while cycling and the only thing that would make this better is if the darn YMCA would open the gym doors so I could get a little corssbreeze. Anyway, I usually cycle for 40 minutes total with a 20 minute, rest/drink water for 2, another 20 minutes and I get 10 miles in. 

Swimming: This is the sport which I really should be doing more of because of all it's good qualities and benefits for different muscles, but I don't. I think the last time I swam was a month ago. It's not that I don't like swimming, on the contrary, I love it, but I HATE the wet hair, the cold after I get out of the water, and (this sounds gross) but I feel slimy afterwords. Anyway, I usually swim for 30-60 minutes just for the sake of swimming, I don't have a certain number of laps I do. 

Tennis: This shouldn't really even count for Reader's Workouts because I only play once a week with my dad, but we still get about an hour of it in. We play purely for fun, and I have only taken about five lessons in my entire life. 

Last Week:

3/25~Running- 1 mile: I had had a bad headache and that day and it was just not my day last Tuesday

3/26~Strength Training: I dutifully completed my time on all the machines with proper repetitions and 

everything so I consider this workout a win.

3/27~Running- 3.5 miles: My mom almost had to pry me out of the house with the jaws of life because of how unwilling I was go go running. I ended up doing the most distance I had done since my injury, and felt high (off of endorphins....don't worry) afterwards which is always a good sign.

3/28~Cycling- 10.3 miles: This was a really good workout because I usually only cycle 10 miles, but I think Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg really pumped my adrenaline (by the way I CAN'T WAIT for this review to go live).

3/29~Tennis

3/30~Nothing, I know every athlete should have a rest day, and mine is Sundays although I really have Saturdays as a rest day as well because Tennis doesn't take much effort.

3/31~Cycling- 10 miles: This was a fantastic workout although I had to use the other stationary bike where you are sitting down on a chair almost instead of a stationary bike that is exactly like a normal one except that it's not moving. Like I said, I can't explain or describe a single one of the exercise machines correctly.

This Week's Goals:

4/1~Run- 4 miles: I'm just going to see if I can do more than the race distance, but if I start to feel pain, I will obviously stop.

4/2~Strength Training

4/3~Run- 3 miles: I know it isn't the best to do the race distance two days before the race but three miles isn't that much at all

4/4~Swim: Yes, I will force myself to swim before the race, you have my word Blogosphere

4/5~ RACE DAY!!! I'm competing in my race since December! There will probably be an extra long Reader's Workout next Tuesday because I want to brag about my victories. I will also 75% chance play tennis.

4/6~Day Off

4/7~Cycle- 10 miles