Spongeblob Tightpants Goes to the Gym - Episode 1

STARRING:

Chipmunkrock as Spongeblob Tightpants
Chipmunkrock as Fatrick
Chipmunkrock as SquidLard

It's a lazy morning in BIGini BOTTOM and Spongeblob is sleeping again oblivious to the ringing alarm. Spongeblob is awaken by Spongemom, and drags herself to the gym. Spongeblob has been absorbing too much fat now and has to push herself hard at the gym.

Spongeblob gets in the car with Fatrick and Squidlard and head off to Celebrity Fitness. She has to work her gluteus maximus, if not she will become Spongebum soon. Her regime today:

30 min interval (walk-run) on treadmill
25 min on elliptical machine
Smith machine squats
Dumbell sumo squats
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Abs


PS: For the benefit of those who do not watch Spongebob, the original names of the characters and place are Spongebob Squarepants, Patrick, Squidward and Bikini Bottom.

Spongeblob Tightpants

Well you can see that I haven't updated this blog in more than 1 month...And by the title you can tell how I look like now. Yes, a blob with tight pants. Was already told by a customer that I've gained weight. That's it. Just shortly before my Pattaya trip, my exercise regime had become somewhat irregular - cutting down from 5-6 times a week to 3-4 times a week. I know, I know, for some people 3-4 times a week is their max, but this blob needs to burn more calories..MORE!

This year has been an incredibly bad year for running for me. I don't know whether it has anything to do with hitting the veteran category this year but I find my body tiring out quite easily and not being able to keep up at the pace I used to go.

This weekend is already Singapore Marathon, and I haven't joined any races this year! I think I need to set new targets for next year. This year I've had too much distraction - travelling etc.

For now, I have to focus on getting my exercise regime back to usual - 5-6 times a week. I have been struggling since I came back from my trip. There are just some mornings when I feel like Garfield and not feel like waking up. I overslept this morning too but dragged myself out of bed for a 6km run.

My motivation? I have to lose all that excess baggage.

Chicago Marathoner Dies

It was his last run ever. Chad Schieber, a 35 year old police officer kicked the bucket while running the Chicago Marathon last Sunday. The temperature was sweltering, many didn't finish the race and one died. Apparently there wasn't enough water to last throughout the race as well. An autopsy however revealed that he died of heart problems, but I am sure the heat and lack of hydration had something to do with it as well.

As of Monday afternoon, at least 25 people were being treated at local hospitals:

*Five people were in serious to critical condition at Stroger Hospital of Cook County;
two people were in critical condition at Northwestern Memorial Hospital;
*10 people were being treated at Rush University Medical Center, all were expected to be released Monday;
*five people were being treated at UIC Medical Center in various conditions;
*five people were being treated at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, at least three were expected to be released Monday;
*and three were being treated at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, all in serious condition.

So it's a good time to retired from marathons ya?

Disruption

I've been neglecting my exercise blog for a while now. All the travelling has disrupted my exercise regime. Although my travels are only a few days for each trip, nevertheless it is quite disruptive. I have still been exercising though, but there are days that I just wake up and feel really tired. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with hitting the veteran age. I'd like to think that age is only a number, nevertheless I feel like I can't go at the same pace as I did 10 years ago. My friend attributes my fatigue to TOO MUCH EXERCISE but on the contrary, I think it's probably because I am not running enough this year.

Well, I will be going away again for 2 weeks, and it's going to be an exercise-free trip again. I will not have access to any gyms, and I am not sure if I will have time to go to any parks for a quick run. (It also depends if my brother is game to go with me). The only exercise that I will have access to is walking while sight seeing, but I hardly treat that as proper exercise. The most strenuous exercise that I will have throughout the whole trip, which I am looking forward to , is the climb up Eiffel Tower.

Earlier I was thinking of going for the Angkor Wat half marathon, but it's something I have to forgo in view of the high expenditure which I will incur for my Paris /London trip.

I hope that by the time I return, my gym will not reschedule the RPM classes as I am thinking of concentrating on RPM instead of running until the end of the year, for a change.

Lamentation

I am just so sick and tired of people telling me I am fat. I mean hey come on, I am not running any marathons at the moment and am back at my natural size. I am exceptionally slimmer when I am training for races but people just don't understand that. They expect you to be at your thinnest all the time.The minute you gain a bit of weight they just love to poke you about it. No doubt, I do like my body better when I am training for a marathon but hey this is my body size. People are just plain cruel. And it's especially insensitive men who like to remark about women's weight.

They never learn.

Floppy Arm

Woke up this morning and when I tried to lift up my right hand, to my horror it just flopped over! My right forearm was momentarily paralysed, I could not feel the nerves at all! I must have been sleeping on my right arm the whole night, and it wasn't funny when I could not lift it up at all. Now I know how Harry Potter felt when he had the bone removed from his arm!

Embarrassing Moments

Ok, I haven't blogged in a while. Partially busy with life, partially busy with Facebook and partially having a non existent exercise life, and also was away for a few days. In a way it's a good thing that I am not joining any big races this year, as I'll be away quite a bit and will have a disrupted exercise regime. I think I only exercised 3 times in the last 2 weeks, and as usual, the less I exercise, the more fatigue I get. Only started the "real thing" yesterday.

Went out for an outdoor run this morning, about 5km. When I donned my cap this morning, I thought it felt a bit weird, but I didn't think anything.Not until later did I realise that I was running with a clothespeg stuck on the back of my cap...

Here are some embarrassing things which have happened to me while running
1. Running with peg on the back of my cap
2. Running until I look like I jumped into the pool.(This was before I invested in dry-fit clothes: honestly I used to look like I just umped right into the pool!)
3. Getting to the finishing line in an ambulance (Ironicly, I fell down right infront of the ambulance - my knee bled so badly that i was unable to finish the race and had to take a ride back)
4.Wearing an old underwear which slid down while running....I'll spare you from any further details...

Oh Wow

As I turned on the shower this morning, I heard Handel's "Hallelujah" ringing in my ears in full orchestra. Hot water!! Oh wow. I was so excited! For the first time in 5 months I've experienced a hot shower in Celebrity Fitness. I hope it's not the first and last time...

Rain! No outdoor run today!

Ran 6km on the treadmill.

Old is NOT Gold

I am fitting extremely well into the veteran category. Yes my mind is youthful but undoubtedly my body is ageing.. I had 2 consecutive late nights over a week ago, and it took me a week to recover. I really hate to admit it, but my recovery process is a lot slower now. After 2 late nights, I found it difficult to wake up in the mornings to go to the gym or run. Not to mention my left toe, bunion and arch are still aching every time I start running.

I need to get motivated again. I was thinking, this time I need to get motivated not just for myself, but for people around me too. I realise my mood is heavily dependent on exercise - if I don't get enough exercise (ie 5-6 times a week) i get moody, grouchy, depressed. That's not good for the people around me. Now I have to remind myself, that I need to keep fit and stay healthy so that I can serve those around me better.

Started gymming again this morning(Mon).. oh ya, the stupid gym has decided to shift RPM class form 7.30am to 8pm. BAH! That's too late for me. Not only has the gym deprived me of hot water, now they are depriving me from having firm thighs ( I truly swear by RPM, it keeps your thighs from jiggling) and ogling over the *flexing biceps* cute instructor with nice upper body.BAH!

Well since no RPM had to do legs today..

My Favourite Polycore Design

Retirement?

I've recently qualified to be in veteran category. I don't understand why women just have 1 veteran category when men have 2 veteran categories - junior and senior vet. A bit unfair and discriminating isnt it? And not to even mention that women become veterans at 35 while men become veterans at 40.

Anyway, I was thinking maybe I should retire from running. I ran 5km this morning and my left big toe and bunion hurt like nobody's business. So I don't think I will run the Adidas run next week. I've been having this pain on my left foot for a while, on and off - despite getting rest and all that. Maybe my orthotics need to be changed. Maybe my shoes need to be changed. Or maybe my running days are just over.

I've been battling fatigue for quite a while now, my phlegm still hasn't cleared from last time, I find it incredibly difficult to run now.

Is it time to hang up my running shoes?

Grouses

Ran 4.5km outdoor today. Felt really good (maybe that's coz the distance is short), felt like I wanted to carry on, but alas, had to stop after the 2nd round as I had to rush off to send my car for servicing.

Hopefully I can do a decent run on Saturday morning, and have enough time to collect my Harry Potter book (that means I won't be first in the store!) before going to church.

Finally Celebrity Fitness called me. Every person who joins is entitled to 2 free personal training sessions. However some of us decided to join in a group, and they gave us additional 4 free PT sessions each. When we joined, we gave our names to one of the sales/marketing personnel, who eventually left the company. Thereafter, Celebrity had no records of the free training sessions. It was so difficult to even lodge a complaint because:

1. No floor managers in morning. They insist I go and see the manager after 10am. I said,"No way, I am working, I am at your gym at 6am and there should be a manager in charge"

2. Staff won't even disclose manager's number. Hello???? I just need a point of contact, not like I am getting their number for personal use. How idiotic.

3. It's even hard to get anyone to pick up the phone even.

If not for the location, I am sure not please with such shoddy attitude of the staff. Their managers also "one kind".

I have been experiencing COLD showers every morning, and have not had a single hot bath. The stupid manager had the cheek to tell me I am the only one who complained about this. He definitely lied through his teeth because I just found out from my friend this morning that she HAD already made a complaint earlier to the SAME manager. On top of that, he asked me "did you turn the lever the right way?" Hello??? Bobo the monkey also would know how to turn the lever. It doesn't take much intelligence. Which explains the type of managers they have. Besides, I don't think my nerves are damaged to the point that I can't distinguish hot from cold water.

I think even B grade actors get better treatment, talk about Celebrity.

Tough

What s struggle to complete 6km run today. It's been 11 days since I did any outdoor running. I felt like I was very low on energy, not drained yet not enough reserves to push myself. On top of that my left foot hurt a little, and I had some phlegm stuck in my throat. I never fully recovered from my last cough, nearly about 3-4 weeks ago. It was so difficult to breathe, especially uphill, trying to cough up the phlegm yet unable to.

I don't know how i'll fare in the Adidas run.

Booster

It's my first day of exercise after 11 days of fatigue and being away. It was horrible, I found I was not able to get up or drag myself out of bed. It was a catch 22 situation - i felt like I needed more sleep, yet when I get more sleep I felt even more lethargic. My body's so used to exercise that not exercising is detrimental.

Doing RPM has paid off. I think it has built a lot of lower body muscles to the extent that even when I ate a lot and didn't exercise, the weight gain wasn't significant. I just feel a bit rounded but at least not roly poly.

Today's cardio:
30 min run on treadmill
20 min on elliptical machine
45 min RPM class

Chest
Push ups
Dumbell bench press
Dumbell fly
Assisted tricep dip
Chest press
Fitball crunches

It feels good to be back in the gym!

A Recipe

Recipe for Depression

* No exercise for 10 days
* No bible reading for 14 days
* No Starbucks coffee for 5 days

Toss them all together and voila! You get the perfect recipe for depression.

Overtraining?

Woke up this morning feeling drained again. I seem to be having symptoms of overtraining: depression, fatigue (but alas, no loss of appetite). Then again, I haven’t been running as much as before, how can I be overtraining? But the fatigue is very real though. And I wake up with a mild depression every day, but it goes away when I start to exercise.

Yet, I managed to get to the gym at 6.05am. My left big toe and bunion were hurting like crazy though. Did:

Cardio:

30 min interval training: walk/run

25 min on stairclimber

30 min on elliptical machine

Weights:

Squats, full range & mid range

Adductor machine

Abductor machine

Leg curl

A friend of mine borrowed my Pilates book. Just before I lent it to her I had a good look through it. I think I should start Pilates again. It’s been ages since I’ve done it.

Decisions!

This is the month I have to decide whether I want to run the Singapore marathon this year. Try and register after July and you'll not get a place at the starting point. Yes, there are that many crazy people out there. My mind wants to do it, but often my body fails me. Every evening I think of running Pantai Hills again, but everytime I wake up in the morning, I feel like something the cat dragged in.

Every morning I've been battling to wake up(yes, I still manage to get to the gym at about 6.05-6.10am, but I am not bubbling with energy). This morning it was a struggle to do 5km even. And I didn't even do RPM class yesterday as it was cancelled. (Where did my cute instructor go??)My legs felt like lead and my upper body was so so sore from doing chest yesterday. I ran so slow I didn't even break into my usual sweat.

How? Should I, should I not?

New Inspiration

Watching this video made me cry. Nemo (paraplegic dog)looked so happy running around with just 2 legs. The next time I'm struggling with my run, I'll remember Nemo..

5.5km outdoor run. It's always tough to run the day after RPM!

Calories! Calories! Calories!

Exercise counts: How much energy are you using? Check out the amount of calories burned in an hour for some common exercises and daily activities, based on a 150-pound person.

Activity Calories burned Sleeping 45 Sitting 81 Typing 102 Stretching 180 Walking (3.5 mph) 280 Bicycling ( <> 290 Light gardening/yard work 330

Activity Calories burned Weight lifting (vigorous effort) 440 Walking (4.5 mph) 460 Aerobics 480 Swimming (slow freestyle laps) 510 Bicycling ( > 10 mph) 590 Running/jogging (5 mph) 590 Jumping rope 750

Sources: CDC, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society

Maybe time to switch activities...

3rd run

It's my 3rd run of the week! Still very tired but pacing myself. Need to get back in shape or else I'll be the court jester.5.5km run today..

Back in action

Arrived at the gym at 5.50am. Beginning to feel a bit re-energised although I still have a bit of cough. Did about 85 mins of cardio, burning over 600 calories. Used all the different types of cardio machines today:

30 min run on treadmill
30 min on stairclimber
15 min on eliptical machine
10 min on bicycle

It's quadriceps femoris and biceps femoris day:
Squats
Sumo squats
Seated leg curl
Adductor machine
Abductor machine

Court Jester of the Road

I've done it again - signed up for another run. Only this time I hope I am actually running the race and not just collecting the T shirt. As I've said in my previous post, this year has been a write-off in terms of my running career. Injury, illness, you name it, I had it. My next race (hopefully) is Adidas King of the Road. This year they have incorporated a half marathon in addition to the 1okm, 7km and 5km runs. And yes, of course I've done the silly thing and signed up for the 21km. I always go for maximum hit! I don't believe in signing up for the minimal! The run will be held along the NPE.

At the rate I am training, I think I will only end up as Court Jester of the Road.oh well...die die also I think I need to complete this run. Oops, I think I need to START this race even.

Desperately Trying to Get Back on my Feet

This first half of the year has been a real write off for me in terms of physical health. I was supposed to be running the full marathon this weekend, but I had to slow down on training earlier due to injury. So I guess my run at Singapore last year was my very last before I hit the veteran category. I am currently now recovering from a flu, this is my second in 6 months. Life really really sucks when one is not physically tip-top, and I am the type who gets easily demotivated when I am not physcially healthy - it's easy for me to run into depression.

I am currently trying to get back into the swing of things...once I fall ill my momentum for everything goes haywire. Did not gym much last week as I had no choice but to let the body recover. Woke up this morning feeling lazy, but I pushed myself to do an outdoor run, lest my body feel more lethargic from not exercising.

Managed to do a 5.5km run today, without feeling too exhausted. The little pleasures in life!

Ruddy Dose

By ruddy dose started late Sunday. Think it bust be because I got caught in sub April showers in the park. Good thig I wasn't caught in the flood. Adyway I badaged to gym yesterday and run today. It was very difficult though. I had doh itention to join RPM yesterday but got dragged into it and ended up pushing myself. Suffered a great deal this borning after running 6km. BUt they say it's ok to exercise when your flu affects areas above the neck.

8 Random Facts About Me

Ok..I have been tagged by jesscet. The rules of the game are:

• Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
• Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.
• Players should tag eight other people and notify them that they have been tagged.

SO here are 8 random facts about me:

1. I used to hate running in school and would suffer fom chest pain after 2 laps round the softball field (which incidently is very tiny)
2. I was quite a gangster in school. My friends and I formed a "Samseng International University" and made other girls do silly things to gain membership.
3. My first love was a 10 year old boy called Azman(ex-neighbour in Kuantan). I was 3 then.
4. I first started doing push ups when I was 12
5. My first movie in the cinema was "The Deep"
6. My left shoulder is higher than my right shoulder
7. My first "Game & Watch" owned was "Helmet"
8. I used to be a skinny child....look what happened to me...

Ok then, here are the people I am tagging:
Mien, HL, Weefishy

ermmm..ok I am cheating a bit..don't have 8 ppl to tag! (Plus there's something wrong with my blogger, it seems to take forever to tag through the comments...so i am lazy..heh)

Strong!

Most people think I'm very strong (physically). I think not. I have been put to shame by one of my staff(notwithstanding the fact that she is also 17 years younger than me - gosh technically she can be my daughter..). Yesterday she came to collect a gas tank from my place and to my shock, she heaved the tank up with one arm and then carried it as though "la la la la, i'm carrying a tray.."

She's one chick I'd like to be with when confronted with muggers!

Jiggle-o no more

Was at the gym 6.10am. Running buddies not running outdoor today so decided to go to gym instead. It;s legs day!

Cardio:
Running on treadmill (4km)
30 min on stairclimber
15 min on elliptical machine
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Dumbell squats
Split squats
Leg curl

After doing RPM once a week for 6 weeks, my thighs haven't really slimmed down. But they do feel a lot firmer and don't jiggle when I walk up and down the stairs. Hurrah!

Slack...

Been pretty slack at exercise – only manage to workout 3-4 x a week the last 3 weeks. Somehow, my exercise seems to be disrupted with certain responsibilities plus also lack of energy. About time to whip out Brand’s Essence of Chicken. The less I exercise, the more lethargic I feel. Ironic huh? Imagine, 3-4x a week of exercise is considered bare minimum for me while it is some’s maximum quota for the week!

I hope to be able to pull up my socks soon, and focus on a run. Maybe Singapore Marathon again. (Ok I am a boring creature of habit). I just enjoy Singapore so much that I would always choose it over Bangkok. I’ve been told that Bangkok is really really hot. Speaking of Bangkok, I’ll be there next month. Again disruption to my exercise..sigh. According to the website, the hotel that I am staying at has a gym. I really do wonder. I’ll bet their definition of a gym is 1 rusty bicycle and 1 multi station. Oh well. Beggars can’t be choosers right? I really do have to get some exercise while I am there.Otherwise I’ll just lose momentum (which I already have, but I can’t afford to let it spiral downwards)

My exercise today:

30 min run on treadmill

20 min on elliptical machine

Upright row

Assisted chin up

Bent over lateral raises

Low row

Also did 45 mins of RPM today. 1 of those days that I just could not push myself.. Legs felt like lead!

Outrun

Ran 5km outdoors today. The last 2 weeks have been quite a writeoff for exercise. I have only been running on the treadmill and barely doing any outdoor running. In fact for my first lap today, my friend who recently had an angiogram done outran me. How embarrassing can it get?

Need to pull up my socks..

98%!

Today I worked out at 98% of my maximum heart rate! I wonder if one can collapse if she pushes to 100%? Did a quick burst on the treadmill - 4km. To calculate one's maximum heart rate, you use this formula:

220 - age

(Ok, so this is a dead giveaway of my age..)

So my max heart rate is 185 (ok go caculate yourself and find out how old I am..)

The maximum I hit was 183bpm today.

So that's actually 98.91% of my max heart rate! My training zone should be about 111 - 157bpm (60-85%) I didn't feel exhausted or anything...but my heart rate dropped pretty fast soon after I stopped running. I hope that means I am fit!

Tergendala Sebentar

My blogs are tergendala sebentar. Haven't really had the mood to blog for a while, as many people around me have been swamped with illnesses and sickness... I've just lost the mood. Also, last week, I only exercised 2 out of 7 days. It was horrible, lack of exercise also gave me lack of energy and it sent me straight to a depression. There's nothing like a good exercise to perk one up.

Speaking of illnesses, for the last week I've been experiencing this pain in my chest. At first I ignored it, but knowing that so many people around me are falling ill, I got a bit worried. What's more the pain was on the left side of my chest. The strange thing was I could still run without feeling tired or out of breath...so I thought, if it's not a heart problem then maybe it's a lung problem. So off I went to the doctor's. After a series of questions and some easy tests, it was only diagnosed as a muscle tear...phew...the reason why I felt the pain was because everytime I breathed, my chest expanded and therefore it stretched the part where the muscle was torn.

Relieved I am..

Hopefully I should be back soon to post more 6am gym stories.

6 weird things about me..

I've been tagged! Well here are 6 weird things about me...

1. If I ever get blisters from running, I love to prick the blister and then trim off all the skin..Then I'd go running again, to harden the blister...Hurts like crazy but I like...

2. I find it hard to exercise beyond 7am

3. Unlike Leymondcha who likes warm cars, I love cold beds..

4. I love squeezing blackheads and drying them..

5. When I get agitated or stressed, I start tearing the skin around my fingernails..

6. I like to consume my food separately and taste them individually. I would normally finish all the vege first, and meat last. I also prefer to use a fork instead of a spoon..oh, and despite the fact that I am quite a banana, I normally eat with chopsticks..

Lazy to tag others la..

Broken Door!

Got to the gym at 6.05am. There was a sign on the side entrance of BVII which said “please Use Other Door”. It pointed to the back of the building, but when I walked to the back, the door looked like it was shut. So I went back to the side entrance and saw the door slightly ajar. I pulled open the door and whoa! The whole door came out. I was so embarrassed, I think the security officer saw me. I know the door was probably broken already, but I practically yanked it out of the hinge. I’d like to say that working out in the gym has made me so strong that I managed to yank the door out but actually , the door was broken…:P

Did an incline walk on the treadmill, then 30 minutes on the stairclimber and 20 minutes on the elliptical machine

It’s lower body day today:

Adductor machine

Abductor machine

Dumbell squats

Alternate lunges

Dumbell split squats

Leg curl

Abs curl

I’m gonna suffer tomorrow’s outdoor running.

By the way a friend of mine sent me this article….just as well I am not running the Penang Bridge! That’s what you call sour grapes! :P

How A Marathon Affects The Body

More RPM

I love Mondays. I always feel refreshed over the weekend and ready for a good workout to start the week. Not to mention also to burn all that extra calories loaded during the weekend…

Got to the gym at 6am. Unfortunately Aunty already beat me to it. The gym seemed rather quiet this morning, and the crowd only started trickling in after 7am. Oh yes, and it’s RPM day too! Here’s what I did today:

30 min run on treadmill

20 min on stairclimber

Lat pulldown

Front pulldown

Upright row

Assisted chin up

Sit ups

Did my 2^nd RPM class today. Quite a number of participants in class today, but really, these people should learn some gym etiquette. About 75% of the class came in late and the instructor spent the first 2 tracks helping them to adjust their seats. Really annoying. Anyway, as usual I was admiring his rippling deltoids. Gosh, I’d kill to have delts like that OR have a man with delts like that! Drool! Heh even my girlfriend thought he was cute. He was telling us how he cycled 160km yesterday for 8 hours. Wow. Wish I could cycle outdoors. My last attempt was in university when I rode into 3 different trees. I’ve only ever cycled in Australia, as there are no proper places to cycle in Malaysia. Well, I’ve just only ever cycled with training wheels here..

Oh yes, and there was special guest appearance at the gym today. You know who you are ;)

More body image obsession stories

Got to the gym at 6.05am today.Had quite a good night’s sleep, so I felt recharged for today’s workout. Here’s what I did:

Cardio:

30 min walk on treadmill

30 min on stairclimber

20 min on elliptical machine

Weights: back

Low row

MTS Row

Lat pulldown

Upright row

Fitball crunches with medicine ball

I had a really good workout on the stairclimber, so much so that when I increased intensity, the whole machine started whirring and vibrating, sounding like it was very exhausted! Oh well, somebody needs to test the equipment to the maximum right? Brought my heart rate up to about 165, which is beyond the 80% heart training zone of a 20 year old… Someone had spilled water on the floor at the free weights section, and when my friend saw the puddle he asked me,”That’s not your sweat right?” Very funny…

Anyway yesterday’s NST Life & Times featured an article on Body Image Obsession, something which I can very much relate to. Evon Lim, a fitness instructor was interviewed and here’s what she said:

“You can’t deny that some really fit and energetic people in the gym or the park are disciplined as they feel like they have to measure up to something good. But when they go home and nobody’s around, they binge because they lose the control they feel when being watched by everyone else and seek comfort in food.

Some of them don’t eat much during the day because the feel elated form the exercise or the attention of others and it’s a nasty cycle when they binge and workout hard to get rid of the calories and guilt the next day. This is not only binge eating but excessive exercising to make up for it and it affects both sexes”

Well, that is SO true for me. Even though I’ve been a fitness instructor in the past, and I know all the do’s and don’ts, and that fitness is really more important than body shape, I myself have become a slave to this body image obsession. And it’s true what she said, the more you exercise or considered an athlete, the greater your obsession becomes. This is because of the idea that people think, how come you work out so much but you’re not thin? I get that question a lot from others. I try and explain that different bodies have different shapes and muscle composition, some are just more muscular, some are more predisposed to fat and so on. But some people just don’t understand that. I have this particular friend who asks me really rude questions like, “How come you’re still so fat” or if I am wearing something which makes me look a bit rounded she bluntly asks me “you haven’t been running is it?”

Although I know that I am fit and healthy, I can’t help but get sucked in to what she says. I still believe I am fat. This may sound insensitive to some of you, but really, it’s not funny and it’s hard to just erase 17 years of insecurities about your body shape. All these also stemmed from the fact that I used to be told I am fat even when I was just merely chubby and not excessively fat.

Believe it or not, I am also a victim of binge eating disorder, As what Evon says, most times I am seen not eating a lot, but there are times I go really extreme and binge, like I would be able to finish a whole can of Pringles at one go, or a whole bar of chocolate. Then after that I go to the extreme of cutting back a lot.

I can though, say that even though I have these insecurities, I am SLOWLY beginning to let it go..this has something to do with allowing God into your life and transforming you. I wish I could just shake off my insecurities just like that but hey, like I said, you can’t just erase these thoughts overnight. Although, I do wish I could overcome it quicker so I don’t’ have to punish muyself physically and mentally. But I guess it will have to be in His perfect timing.

Goodbye, Penang Bridge Marathon

I think I’ll have to say goodbye to my dreams of doing Penang Bridge this year. First of all, the massage I did last week did me more harm than good. The area above my left ankle became very tender, that when I put on a new pair of socks, I could feel the gutter pressing on the tender injured area. That’s BAD, when you hurt from just wearing socks. Had to give the 20km another rmiss last Saturday.. Strangely, I did not feel the pain when I had the massage done. My theory is that I had it done right after a run, therefore my endorphins were still pumping and therefore I could not feel the pain. Moral of the story is, never have a massage right after a run. Sigh, my injury seems to be shifting from one area to another area..

Also, I woke up feeling totally exhausted today. Had an incredibly long day yesterday, I seem to be having church meetings every weekend, save for last weekend, but I worked last weekend anyway so in a nutshell, I haven’t had enough rest. I can still muster the energy to wake up for an exercise (I am one of those that feels MORE tired if I don’t exercise – strange but true) but it really bothers me that I don’t get Sundays completely off to myself. And the horrible part is, I can’t say no to these meetings because of my commitment and involvement. I have yet YET another meeting this weekend, and the following weekend I have a bridal shower for good friend ( which in this case I am looking forward to). Well anyway enough of my grouses. Just feeling a bit demotivated and discouraged at this point because I had my sights set upon doing the full marathon in Penang which I have to give up now. I guess I’ll just need to take a break and perhaps try Singapore again.

Anyway, as I’ve said, as tired as I am, I’d still get a bit of exercise done, just a light one; if not I’d be even more lethargic and get more depressed. Got to the gym at 6am (OK, I know you’re all thinking, this girl is nuts…getting to the gym at 6am – you call that taking it easy?) Felt quite lousy, and only felt like doing 1 hour’s worth of cardio instead of the usual 80 minutes.

Cardio:

30m min walk on treadmill

30 min on elliptical machine

Weights:

Leg extension

Seated leg curl

Calf extension

Adductor machine

Abductor machine

Was planning to go upstairs to do some squats, then Jenny popped over and said that RPM class was on. Had not planned to do it actually, but since Jenny was going and I had company, plus it’s the only early RPM class they’ll ever have, I decided to join….with the intention of not pushing myself. The instructor was this really athletic guy, he looked every bit a cyclist or runner. He was very muscular, had really nice deltoids, but I found the rest of him too skinny…you know, that sinewy kind of look. I much prefer a bit of flesh like Lee Hom : ) Anyway, there were a few other who were new to RPM so he taught a very basic class..which was good for me since I had no intention of pushing myself. What made it particularly enjoying was the tracks he played, there was an R n B version of “Sweet Home Alabama” and a Donna Summer hit (it’s an Italian title – cant’ remember it but it’s actually an opera song made upbeat) He has my approval, because I’m particular about instructors – they have to do it correctly. He gave some safety tips plus he was quite observant with the participants’ posture. I still remember there was a Brazilian instructor who could not teach RPM for nuts, he gave no instructions whatever besides increasing and decreasing intensity, without any safety tips. However his classes were always flooded with people JUST BECAUSE he had the looks. Nope. It has to be a properly trained instructor for me.

As exhausted as I was, I felt somewhat perked up after RPM, it really got my heart rate up. On other normal days I would have pushed myself even harder.Right after the exercise it was extremely difficult for me to walk up the stair, any my thighs felt like an anvil…then I remembered..i had done weights on legs before that! No wonder! Looks like I have to change legs day to Wednesday.

Cardio & fitball

Arrived at the gym at 6.15am today. The attendant at the counter said, “you’re early today” and I told her, “No, actually I am late..”

It’s purely cardio day today since I did weights yesterday. For some reason, Astro wasn’t in working order today..I wonder if Celebrity hasn’t paid the bill? Well it definitely wasn’t raining this morning.So far I’ve been choosing cardio machines according to which program I fancy watching. My usual picks are MTV (for brainless days – love it when they play 80s videos), ESPN (English Premier League) , Animal Planet and National Geographic. I’ve had enough of Discovery Travel & Living, that was the resident channel at Lifestyle before. CNN – only when I want to get news updates. IN any case, the music is always blasting so it’s always easier to watch something which doesn’t require thinking.

Did:

30 min walk on treadmill

30 min on stairclimber (ok, I am going to suffer trememdously running uphill tomorrow..)

20 min on elliptical machine

Did some fitball exercises as well….gosh how I miss teaching fitball. Fitball used to be my favourite class to teach because it was low impact and I didn’t need to jump around like a monkey, unlike Hi-Lo and Step in those days. I miss my fitball. I need to get a pump and use my new fitball..hope the rubber hasn’t disintegrated. I punctured my favourite fitball about 3 Christmases ago..I was wrapping presents and left the tape dispenser on the floor…Then one fine day when I was using the fitball (usually use it when I am at the computer – it’s great for the back) I accidently pushed the ball back then I heard a piercing sound..didn’t know what it was then but only realized it when I felt the ball getting flatter!

Gosh I think my legs are still sore from the massage!

A nice massage

Today feels like a lovely breezy summer day. It's blazing out there but there's a nice warmth to it. I could do with a nice chilled orange juice! Since I started work later today, I did the tai tai thing this morning. Went for a 5km outdoor run this morning (ok perhaps this isn't so tai tai la..). Didn't want to push it so I went really slow. My muscles were still tight, so I had made an appointment for a full body massage at 11am. After the run I had a nice cuppa at Starbucks. Finished Starbucks about 9.15am, so since I had a bit of time left I decided to go to gym to workout (some more). Went on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes, burned about 21o calories I think....Then I saw the RPM instructor. Oh good! Finally. THe instructor never showed up on Mon and Wed mornings this week. But alas! The class was only at 10am, which meant that I could not go for it since my massage was at 11am.

So I'd decided to do weights instead, so that I can rest and stretch tomorrow to prepare for the run on Saturday.

It's upper body (chest) day today:
Push ups
Dumbell bench press
Barbell clean n press
Assisted tricep dips
Tricep kickback machine
Reverse crunches

After my shower I popped over for my massage. Boy, my calves were extremely stiff! The lady did a good job with my calves and feet. My left plantar fascia was hurting, and she gave it a good knuckle.It was so relaxing that I almost fell asleep despite the fact that I could feel the pressure of her hands, But for some strange reason my upper body felt really ticklish, as if I had a funny bone all over.

My muscles feel all relaxed and all ready for Saturday!

30 min walk on treadmill (incline)
30 min on elliptical machine
20 min on stairclimber

Front pulldown
Lat pulldown
Bent over fly
UPright row
Assisted chin up

Fitball double crunch

My Visual DNA

Finally got to it...

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

On Target!

Look what Adrian and Chor Hon did to my Halong picture! Quite well done I must say!

Heart of the Matter

Last night I went to visit my friend in the hospital – he was hospitalized for a clogged artery. In his peak he used to run half marathons, infact he was one of the pioneers in my gym group to do half marathons. He was also the one to spur the rest of us to complete a full marathon, but he has not achieved one himself. He had always been active but for the last 3 years, with heavier responsibilities at work, we began to see less of him at the gym, and he had also developed a huge paunch.

He was alright when I saw him, he had just had an angiogram done. What they did was to put a stent in his artery, to open up the passage. He should be discharged by today.

Today I ran 5km outdoor, it’s my first run in 10 days. I think it was psychological, but since last night after I visited my friend, I felt like I had a tight chest. While running I also felt like I had a clogged artery..i felt as though I had the same symptoms as my friend did before he was hospitalized. He said after walking a few hundred metres he just felt like he had done a 10km run…not out of breath but a heavy kind of feeling. He said it was hard to describe but he knew something was wrong. That was what I felt this morning…I wasn’t particularly out of breath but I felt somewhat heavy…anyway I think it’s psychological. I did feel good after the run though, gosh I missed running so much. I didn’t get any aches or pain in my knee, I reckon my muscles are very tight and require a lot more stretching.

Also, I feel a bit spiritually high as well. And now that I am physically improving I feel a bit more motivated. I always am at my peak when I am spiritually AND physically healthy!

Heart rate and some other disgusting stuff

Broke another record. Was at the gym at 6am, I was the first one there. It’s been 10 days since I layed off from running. My right lateral kneecap doesn’t hurt anymore but the area around the right inner knee feels a bit tight.

Here’s what I did:

30 min slow jog on treadmill (185 calories)

25 min on elliptical machine (285 calories)

Jenny came and told me that they were starting RPM classes at 7.30am so I decided to do weights after my cardio so that I’d have time to do RPM.

Did:

Glutes machine

Adductor machine

Abductor machine

Calf extension

Dumbell squats

Crunches

While waiting for RPM to start I decided to use the elliptical machine for a while. After waiting for a bit the instructor never showed up, and the gym attendants also could not locate him. SO I continued on the machine. I noticed that this particular model of elliptical machine never picks up my heart rate no matter how hard I work. My 2 friends beside me were happily working out with their heart rates displayed on the panel but mine still didn’t pick up anything. I later asked one of the Rapid Results Coach (Brian) why, and he said either I wasn’t holding the sensor properly or I’m sweating too much. I’ve tried holding it in different angles and it still didn’t work..so I guess it was the latter.

Did another:

30 min on elliptical machine (210 calories) so a total of 610 calories

Today there was a Caucasian man, and he was wearing a singlet with 3 quarter tights. It was a bit disgusting because his breasts were spilling from the side of the singlet and he had bigger ones than most women. Disgusting. Ew. One should also dress appropriately for gym. Speaking of dressing, last Saturday there was this girl who wore a white tube with a flimsy white blouse with flared sleeves. And what was she wearing on her feet? Sandals with butterfly designs. Please girl, you’ve come to the wrong place. I think since I’m rattling on about things which disgust me, I might as well tell you about my friend who is so tiny and she tells me she is fat and wants to look like Jessica Alba. All I can do is roll my eyes and say, get real, get a life.

Running Out of Time

It’s a lazy day today. Got to the gym at 7.30am, only did a minimal workout:

35 min walk on treadmill

10 min on elliptical machine

After that did my usual singleton thing, sat at my favourite haunt, Starbucks in BV1 and had a nice cuppa and read Runners World.

Although I’ve been kind of demotivated with my injury, I was somewhat inspired after reading an article about getting back in shape after a long layoff. So I’ll have to change tactic. In the past month, I’ve been doing the following regime weekly:

• 3 short runs a week
• 1 interval training
• 3 x weight training
• 1 long distance run

Now I’ll have to change to the following:

• 2 short runs a week
• 3 x weight training
• 1 long distance run

(Another thing which inspired me was watching Lee Hom’s “Ai Cuo: video where he was seen training for kickboxing, and he was doing his crunches hanging upside down – check out those abs man…DROOL..)

Anyway,….I guess more importantly, I’ll have to go for my next race with lowered expectations. This has been a bad running year for me and I really really want to get back in the swing of it. I am running out of time for my Penang Bridge training so it’s best to take is slow.

According to Robert Fitts, PhD, an exercise physiologist and chairman of biological sciences department at the Marquette University in Milwaukee,

1. Once you’re in shape, you can work out less and still maintain your fitness level and performance (hurrah!)
2. If you “detrain” but have been training for years, you”detrain” slower and come back faster (yayyy!)
3. Ignore weekly mileage total and ease up on your pace (yes, that’s what I need to do!)
4. Resist temptation to go out hard on race day (another thing which I need to do)

Lastly, Tony Ruiz, a coach in a New York track club said, “Consider the race as a stepping stone to future personal bests, not a climactic event in itself”

Sounds hopeful.

Butch

Gosh, just realised I am more butch than the male instructors in my gym!

S T R E T C H E D!

Decided not to do outdoor today since I wasn't going to run. Arrived at the gym at 6.20am. I realised I've been having withdrawal symptoms from not running. I have been grouchy and highly irritable the last few days. Anyway, am still resting for the rest of this week. Active rest, that is. I can't imagine not exercising at all..

Today's workout:
40 min on elliptical machine
10 min on bicycle
10 min walk on treadmill

And then
S T R E T C H E S

Ah the body felt good after doing all those stretches. Guess my muscles were really stiff from all that running. Still remember the good ol' days where I used to be able to do a pancake and do a split on my back...

Better today!

Got to the gym at 6.20am. Felt a little bit more motivated today, as some of the soreness had subsided. Yesterday my lower half of the body was awfully sore, one of those where your bones also ache (“fong sap”). By yesterday night however, I felt slightly better..at first I thought it was the painkillers which I took in the morning for my headache, but it could not have lasted the whole day.

It could have also been the alkaline water which I have been consuming, thanks to Jenny, but then again probably not. I think it’s only a placebo. It’s really ironic, on one hand I’m gulping something like 2 litres of alkaline water daily, but on the other hand I’m still drinking coffee, which probably offsets any alkalinity in my body.

All in all, I think it’s really the rest from running. Feeling a bit stronger now…I’ll just have to rest few more days and then hopefully I’ll be back on my feet again.

Today’s exercise:

35 min walk on treadmill (150 calories)

40 min on elliptical machine (285 calories) TOTAL: 435 calories

Back day!

Assisted chin ups

Pulley row

Upright row

Bent over fly

Front row

Double crunch with medicine ball

A Wannabe's Denial

Yes I am a wannabe runner. I have been in denial and still am in denial. My denial is 2 fold, the first is that, I was not made to be a runner, and the second, is that I’m ageing but I just refuse to accept it.

I’m suffering from chrondomalacia and iliotibial inflammation right now. It’s an old and recurring injury which I suffered from previously due to my flat feet and wide Q angle. I was relieved from these injuries ever since I got my orthotics but they came back to haunt me due to overuse. In a nutshell, I just wasn’t made to be a runner. I was made to bear children, obvious from my child bearing hips. But since bearing children is not a viable option right now (ie some element is missing from the whole procreation process, ahem..) I have no choice but to stick to running. Oh but not for now I guess.

The other problem is also that my whole body is ageing and deteriorating while my mind doesn’t think so. I still remember the time when I used to workout 2x a day, 7x a week without any problems. Well that was a good 10 years ago. Obviously, my body takes a longer time to recover now, and while I have a strong will to push myself harder, my body usually gives up on me first. This is a strong reminder again that this life is temporal..and I’m just waiting for the day that my body will be renewed without all these aches and pains. Speaking of which, I wonder if I’ll do any running in heaven? Will it be necessary? Or will I be like Bionic Woman, where I can run all day without feeling tired?

My friend asked me a question this morning, “Why do you want to run when you keep getting all these problems?” And she’s an ex-marathoner too, now retired from running due to injuries. She’s into yoga these days. I looked at her and said, “well, you know the high you get from running right? And you know the feeling after a marathon right?” I thought about it. Why DO I want to run? Well, firstly that’s that feeling of euphoria after a run, and secondly, I think it’s a weight issue that drives me to run. As I mentioned earlier, I suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, and for as long as I live, I think I’ll always feel like there’s a need to lose weight. And running is such a great way to lose weight. But I am “out of order” now.

Although it feels a little miserable, I have to say that in the past I would get tremendously depressed about it.Now? I guess I just have to be thankful and grateful to the Lord that I’m even fit enough to walk.

I often wonder, what if I had to amputate my leg? Although I still love running,I guess there is more to life than just running.

Today’s exercise:

4.4km outdoor walk

Broken Wings

Got to the gym at 6.15am. Not so chirpy this morning as knees still a bit sore.

40 min walk on treadmill
30 min on elliptical machine
Glutes machine
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Leg extension
Seated leg curl
Alternate lunges
Lower back exercises
FItball crunches

S T R E T C H E S S T R E T C H E S S T R E T C H E S

I need to S T R E T C H a lot..I feel like a bird with broken wings.

Miserable..

How miserable it is. Missed my LSD last weekend as my knees were still sore. I haven't started my Penang Bridge Marathon training and I am already out of action. I think I pushed myself too hard last Tuesday, I was already tired and still continued to run.

Sigh..looks like I have to rest from running for a while.

It's a miserable feeling.

Disappointment

Could not do much today. It's outdoor day. Was going to do the usual 3 loops of Terasek, but after 1 loop (2.2km) my right outer knee began to have a dull pain...it's in the side of the kneecap so I had to walk the 2nd loop. Stopped by Starbucks for some ice and i had ice my knee.

Hopefully it can recover by Saturday if not I'll have to give my 20km another miss. SIGHH

Sweat Factory

Got to the gym by 6am!Hah! Beat Aunty Audi to it. Infact she was late, she only got to the gym at 6.20am. And then she went and chose the treadmill next to mine...I say she smelled of jasmine. I don't know which is worse, working out next to a person who has body odour or who reeks jasmine. Eugh. Today only burned 610 calories. Here’s what I did:

36 min walk/run on treadmill (225 calories)

30 min on elliptical machine (255 calories)

20 min on stairclimber (130 calories).

I don’t have obsessive compulsive disorder, but I did notice that the treadmill I was on was not aligned to the other 2 beside it. I perspired buckets again, which was TRULY embarrassing because I was totally drenched, really as though I came out of a pool. IT was so embarrassing that I was beginning to leave puddles. Infact, I had to even SLOW down my workout so that I didn’t perspire so much. It’s so unheard of. Most people I know work so so hard in order to break out a sweat and here I am, a walking radiator. It’s really sad that I had to slow down my workout in order to prevent further embarrassment. And it’s definitely not attractive for a girl to perspire like that..sigh, and yet a few people around me wished they could perspire like me!

So far none of the personal trainers have approached me to sign up for a program. So far all my other girlfriends who joined have been approached, even my friend who’s in her 50s. I’ve deduced the possible reasons why they haven’t approached me:

• I look androgynous
• I look very garang
• I look like I know what I am doing
• I look like I have “Get out of my way, I just want to exercise” written on my forehead
• I sweat too much

Anyway, it’s upper back today:

Lat pulldowns

Low row

Assisted chin ups

Dumbell row

Bent over fly

Double crunch

Pant!

Nearly died today. Only ran 6.6km but my legs could not move. My thighs felt really sore..I don't think it's from 20km but more from the Smithy. Ok I should not be doing weights on legs on the days before a run, but then I run every other day, and I still need to strengthen my legs, so I guess it's better to do it earlier in the week than later, when I do my LSD.

Signed up for New Balance 15km run.

Record breaking!

Arrived at the gym at 6.03am, record breaking time. Can you believe it, the Audi was already there. I suspect this aunty lives in the gym and probably doesn’t go home. She probably sleeps on those benches near the free weights section. Even the air conditioner was just turned on and it was rather warm. Burned a record breaking 650 calories today! Ok I am allowed to have a roti canai today.

Cardio: (80 mins)

35 min run on treadmill (285 calories)

45 min on elliptical machine (365 calories)

Weights:

Adductor machine

Abductor machine

Seated leg curl

Leg extension

Smith machine squats

Fitball crunches

By the time I finished my exercise, I was drenched with sweat, as though I jumped in the pool. A bit embarrassing, as I had to wipe the sweat of the machines…euughh

I'm beginning to feel my thighs reducing in mm...but imagine how hard I've had to work just to slash off a few mm..sigh..life is unfair.

Getting Back in Shape

Got to Bukit Aman by 6am. Having enough sleep the night before really is fantastic, it makes one ready to run. Was in bed by 10:20pm last night. Woke up fresh and nice at 5am and rolled around in bed for a bit before I got ready for my run. Had a bottle of Brand’s Essence of chicken..I’ve always believed in it as I’ve noticed I get an extra boost of energy every time I take it before a run. Managed to convince my brother and Hsiung to run as well.

As usual, I was the last of the pack….well I’ve already qualified that I’m a wannabe athlete right..Being heavier set, I’ve a lot more weight to carry as I run. Eric Liddell once said that God made him to be fast, and when he runs fast, He can feel God’s joy. Someone asked me if I’ve felt the same way as Eric Liddell. Though I wish I could say that, the truth is, I am not fast at all no matter how hard I try – I think God infact, made me to be slow so I’ve nothing to boast about.But I do feel God’s joy when I run, that’s about it.

I did the usual Hartamas 20km route. Surprisingly I felt like I had a lot of energy, even though I only had 2 sandwiches for dinner last night. For lunch I only had a few pieces of Yong Tau Fu, so that wasn’t much carbs to sustain me really. I felt strong even as I ran the hills, especially that slight slope near Plaza Damas. When I arrived at the Petronas station , I still felt good. Nevertheless I decided to be safe and take a power gel just incase I died halfway going up the hill towards the mosque. My legs did feel a bit sore, I think it’s from the stair climber yesterday, but I persevered and ran all the way. On the way back, I even felt good going up the hill, and even at Tijana I was still going strong. In the end I finished my run in 2 hours 20 minutes which is ok by my standards..considering I haven’t run 20km in 1 month, and I didn’t feel I had the need to walk.

It was a great run today…I feel as though my tummy as deflated a bit and I feel less Serna Williams-ish now.

Cardio & Abs

Got to the gym at 6.15am. There’s always an Audi car parked there. Must be one of the aunties, she’s usually there before me. Today’s workout is light, only did cardio and abs today:

Cardio:

30 min walk on treadmill (125 calories only..)

30 min on stairclimber (200 calories(

15 min on bicycle (100 calories) TOTAL: 425 calories

Apparently the stairclimber, the model that they have is rare – there’s only 2 machines of this sort in the whole of Malaysia and it’s sitting in Celebrity in BVII. So far it only looks like my friends and I are the only people using them – I’ve not seen anyone else in the morning using it. Probably it’s because it’s pretty tough. It’s a combination of a stepper and a glider, therefore there’s a lot of resistance everytime you step. I love it though, it makes me feel like I have buns of steel.

Today they played rather retro music, stuff by Real McCoy, M People, Bronski Beat, The Cure and several others. But the part I enjoyed most was Rockwell’s “Somebody’s watching me”. Wow that song is soooo old! Speaking of songs, I heard an interesting song in the changing room...don;t know what it's called but the chorus goes like this:

People are all the same
We only get judged by what we do,
Personality breeds its name (??)
If I'm ugly then so are you.

Ended the workout with abs:

Crunches

Reverse crunch

Double crunch

Plank

I employed Pilates technique while doing it, so I got a really good workout on the abs today.

How to have a good workout for your heart

In my earlier post, I mentioned that I was in good form today while running. I pushed myself beyond usual, and I think my heart rate probably went beyond my training zone. (According to calculation, my heart training zone should be between 120-150bpm for my age group, but I think I usually hit about 160's. I guess I still THINK i am in my 20s and behaving as though I am in my 20s). Nevertheless I didn't feel exhausted.

I'll tell you what will increase your heart rate even further. Earlier this afternoon I was being not very wise and went and installed some Google toolbar. I even made sure I chose the "Enhanced protection mode". Right after I installed it, I could not access any browsers! I usually use Firefox but even my Internet Explorer did not work. Strange thing was, I was stil connected to Yahoo and MSN messengers. First thought that struck my mind was virus!So I did a virus scan and SURE enough, there WAS a virus even though I had all my anti virus programs activated. I deleted it...but even after deleting it, I could not use my browsers! So ok, I rebooted it, and after rebooting my laptop I realised that I could not access Messengers at all even though I was connected online!!!

PENGSAN.

I was all ready to cry. My window to the world had been snatched right before my eyes. All because of my idiocy of downloading something silly. I tried countless time but alas, nothing worked. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling programs. Tried to go on browers again. Didn't work. Was almost giving up, I had damaged my new laptop. Then suddenly, I tried going on to MSN again...and to my DELIGHT I could access it! Started messaging my friends to test. And then I tried my browsers...IT WORKED!!!!Yabbadabbadooooooo! It looks like all this while, I could not perform any online actions (after deleting the virus) was because there was a connection problem.......Cheh......

But what a horrible horrible scare. I've learnt my lesson.

BUt my heart was definitely pumping a lot harder during this time than when I was running.

Oh, did I mentioned that while I was incredibly stressed, I did some "retail therapy" and spent some $ for my company?

It's outdoor day!

Hurrah! No rain this morning! Did my usual 6.6km 3 loops around Jalan Terasek. One of my best runs. Felt fit and fast this morning, especially going uphill. I think it's from the pistachio nuts yesterday.

Also hurrah that all my Almond Rocas have finished and won't have any more goodies to binge on.

450 only today

Was at the gym at 6.20am. It’s a rainy morning again. Ok I think I’m beginning to hate the rainy mornings, because if this continues tomorrow then I won’t be able to do my outdoor run.

Only burnt 450 calories today after a 70 minute cardio workout:

30 min interval training walk/run on treadmill(only 185 calories)

20 min on elliptical machine (only 165 calories )

20 min on stair climber (only 100 calories)

Push ups

Pectoral fly

Chest press

Shoulder press

Lower back exercise

Crunches

An aunty came up to me as she was fascinated with the lower back exercises that I was doing as she’s had back problems before. She said she noticed how hard I workout in the gym. Sigh…it looks like only aunties will take notice of me..so sad..Anyway not being sour grapes but on the
flip side, I haven’t met any cute guys in the gym yet!

PS> A normal cheeseburger is about 563 calories, according to The Calorie Counter. What can I eat for 450 calories? 2 slices of Gardenia bread with a slice of cheese?

Yoga today

I love rainy mornings, and I also hate rainy mornings. I love rainy mornings because it always reminds me of winter and I hate rainy mornings because it disrupts my outdoor runs. Today was one of the days my outdoor run was foiled, nevertheless I was only too pleased to go to the gym. Woke up at 5.30am and realized it had been raining all night since I knocked off at 12.15am last night. Was pretty sure the rain wasn’t going to stop, plus the roads would be extremely wet. Sms’ed 4 of my running buddies and told them I’d be at the gym instead. The scary part was that they were all awake and replied (no I don’t think I woke them up, they are early risers).Arrived at the gym at 6.15am and decided I had to run extra hard to clock in my usual distance, as I had wanted to attend yoga class at 7am. (Ok I know I should not be doing yoga for spiritual reasons, at the same time I wanted to check out the class, but in the words of someone I know, never mind about that..)

Ran 6km on the treadmill. I feel that the button panel is too high, as there have been several occasions where my elbow came into contact with the emergency stop button. Or maybe I am too short! As a result, the machine came to a halt just as I had completed 4.65km so I had to restart. Therefore I could not measure my calories burnt today, but I estimate it’s about 500 calories.After my run and sweating buckets, I joined the yoga class. Good thing they switched off the air cond in the yoga studio or I would have been frozen to death.

The class was conducted by a Dr Dilip, and his approach to yoga was more scientific than spiritual. (But I do wonder at which point the spiritual element starts creeping in, as they say that you can’t progress in yoga without adding the spiritual element). We started by doing a series of progressive movements, which included poses like “mountain”, “cobra” and what seemed to be parts of “sun salutation”. First we had to do it really slow, repeating the whole sequence about 8 times, balancing between beginning on right and left feet. Then we had to do it fast, also repeating the sequence 8 times. The fast/slow movements are to improve the systolic/diastolic pressure of the heart.

Next we had to rub our palms together to create heat, and place them on our eyes. I wonder if that will do anything to reduce my dark rings? Next we had to lie on our backs, bend one knee while the other leg was straightened, and pull our chin towards our bent knee. This is supposed to improve the digestion in the stomach. Dr Dilip said it’s supposed to expel wind from our body, so we should not be shy to release some air, whether from the mouth or from the other end. Halfway performing it, I did feel like their was a great deal of air expelled. But I thought I’d spare the class from any distracting sounds or smells.And then after that, to massage the internal organs, we were to bend both knees (still on our backs) and pull our chin towards our knees, and then roll side to side. It’s a good thing I am well padded, because after a while I began to feel my hip bones pressing on the floor (even with the mats) and it was rather uncomfortable. So, this is the time I snigger at those anorexic looking women who don’t need to exercise. Haha! Too bad for you. Skinny people should also share in some sufferings.

Next, we got into one of the asana positions, which looks like this:

We had to hold for 1 minute each side, and ultimately we should hit 3 minutes each side. I felt like a got a really good stretch, especially on my hamstrings. Plus I usually tend to be more supple after a good run because the body is still warm. The only problem I had with doing this move was that I was already sweating buckets earlier, so everything became slippery and it was hard to hold the position and resist sliding.

There were other relaxation moves in between, plus breathing. Overall I felt very relaxed. Dr Dilip said he usually ends the class with some motivational message, and today’s message was “to give thanks in everything”.Sounds a bit New Age to me. I felt the stretches were really great for my body but again, I am not sure how often I’d do this,or whether I’d do it again, because I am only purely interested in the physical aspect of it..and who knows when it will dabble into the spiritual realm?

PS. Dr Dilip said 1 roti canai is equivalent to 600 calories, so there, I can only eat 5/6 of a roti canai today.

PACM

Mention PACM to me and one thing comes to mind: Pacesetters Atheletic Club Malaysia. And that's the only PACM that I am familiar with. However, try googling PACM and here are the diverse combinations you'll get:

Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics
Pennsylvania Association of Court Management
Paedophiles Against Child Molestation
Presumed Asbestos Containing Material
Pulse Amplitude Code Modulation
Phoenix Alive Christian Ministries
Phillipines Association of Catholic Missiologists
Peruvian American Club of Michigan

What a mouthful!

483 calories only!

Got to the gym by 6.20am. Still payback time for not doing marathon yesterday. Bumped into some people whom I used to see at Lake Club gym. Rather crowded in the gym today. At last they did something to counter the effect of the midday heat – they’ve laminated the glass with a tinted coat.

My workout today:

35 min run on treadmill

25 min on elliptical machine (Hurrah! Did 1 hour cardio)

Assited chin ups

Seated row

Lat pulldown

Dumbell upright row

Double crunches

Only burned 483 calories for cardio..after all the hard work. That’s only half a meal or probably equivalent to 3 Almond Rocas, which I had countless number last week.

When I run tomorrow, I shall use the mantra “once on the lips, forever on the hips”. That should encourage me to run faster.

Morning person

Since I missed the marathon today (due to poor training), I felt somewhat guilty and decided to go to the gym. Usually Sunday's my rest day, but I also feel the Almond Roca piling on my hips. Sunday's a different crowd alltogether. Saw a number of exhibitionists, who are just in the gym to be seen. And then there are those women you just hate. Why do they even bother exercising?? First of all, their torsos are so flat, they don't even need to exercise. Secondly, they just flash their torsos at you almost reminding you that no matter how hard you workout, it will never be as flat as theirs. Don't you just hate them? Most of these exhibitionists are seen on the second floor, where the aerobics studio and weight machines are. Most of the aunties just gravitate to the first floor as that's where all the cardio machines are. I guess these aunties also need to seriously do more cardio to lose weight.

I'm just a morning person. I found it tremendously difficult to workout in the afternoon - too hot. As it is, under normal conditions my body radiates a lot of heat, hence it makes me perspire more..what more working out in the hot noonday, Plus, it also gets very hot on the rooftop. Even though the air cond is blasting, one can still feel the heat from outside. Decided to do legs today:

25 min walk/run on treadmill
20 mins on bicycle
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Seated leg curl
Leg extension
Alternate lunges
Reverse lunges
Dumbell squats
Fitball crunches

I'm still more comfortable with the morning crowd. At least they are normal people who just want to exercise for fitness.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Got to the gym by 6.15am today. Needed to do a bit more cardio. My thighs still feel a bit Serena William-ish..if you haven’t guessed by now, I’ve actually got body dysmorphic disorder. That’s when you have a distorted perception of your body. Yup, I think I’m fat. (Actually I don’t just think I’m fat, I’m really fat, but then again if I’m really fat then I DON’T suffer from body dysmorphic disorder) It’s something I’ve battled with since my teenage days… I was chubby in college (not to the point of obesity though) and guys used to take the mickey out of me. A friend of mine asked another guy friend, whom I liked very much to take me to the prom, and that guy said , “NO way, I don’t want a flat tire”. Then other guys would say things like I might get stuck between desks.

SO, please be kind to those who are chubby, especially when they are in their impressionable years…it STICKS with you for a long time. That’s why I still think I am fat until this very day. Anyway, here’s what I did today:

25 min on elliptical machine

30 min interval walk/run on treadmill

10 min on stair climber

Assisted chin ups

Lat pulldowns

Low row

Bent over flys

Shoulder press

Double crunch with weight ball

On the rooftop

Ok, so I didn't get to the gym by 6am yesterday...nevertheless I got there by 6.25am. Just had to shed off that roti canai. Did:

40 min run on treadmill
15 min on elliptical machine
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Dumbell squats
Dumbell alternative lunges
Leg extension
Leg curl
Abs

What's really nice about Celebrity Fitness BV2 is that it's on th rooftop and you get to see a lovely sunrise from there. Makes you feel on top of the world!

Today's exercise:
6.6km outdoor run

My Affair with the Roti Canai

I did it. I did a sinful thing. My lips came into contact with a roti canai. Not only that but I devoured the whole thing. Before today, I had not touched roti canai for a year now. I think in the last 5 years I've probably only consumed 3 , or something like that. For that short moment of satisfaction, I'll have to wake up at 5.30am tomorrow to get to the gym by 6am. As they say, once on the lips, forever on the hips.

To my amazement, some of my friends had never even been to mamak stalls all their lives until they were in their 20s/30s. On the other hand, I grew up on roti canai..it was the most affordable meal as a student. I still remember paying 40 sen for a roti those days. Where can you get a meal for 40 sen now? You'd be lucky if you can buy 5 Hacks sweets.

Friday's workout:

Cardio:
45 min walk/run on treadmill

Weights:
Push ups
Chest press
Machine flyes
Machine assisted tricep dips
French press

My back is still sore from last Wednesday. was guilt ridden today because i had several slices of smoked ham (yoke korn) yesterday. No wonder I have Serena WIlliams butt. I should start a food diary again. Today they had taichi classes and they actually had an auntie leading the class, which was a bit strange because I thought image was important to Celebrity.

6.6km outdoor run

New Program

Checked out myself in the gym mirrors today ( ya ya i know, vanity...) I swear, the circumference of my limbs seemed to have increased, espeically my thighs. I seem to look more rotund, and my butt feels like Serena Williams'. What I mean is, i think they stick out like hers but definitely not as firm as hers. Sigh, I have this perennial weight problem. And it seems to be even more difficult to shed the pounds between end of last year to this year..and it's not like I have been bingeing so much....I've been quite careful over Chinese New year.

I've decided to switch my exercise regime for a bit. Since I quit Lifestyle last year I haven't really worked out properly in the gym. Was going to the gym only 2x a week, and the Lake Club gym hasn't got so many equipments...and whatever they do have is probably half my age. SO I thought, perhaps my body is used to the current exercise regime, so i'd have to switch it round to trick my body. Have decided to do the following for this month:

Mon : Legs
Tues : Outdoor run
Wed : Back
Thurs : Outdoor run/ RPM
Fri : Chest
Sat : Long distance

ok, i can't switch too much because of my running..still need to maintain it. But i thought i'd concentrate on these body parts so that I can get acquainted to all the machines. After which I have decided to do a total body circuit on Mon, Wed and Fri to give the body a good blast. Hopefully my body will respond. Have also got to start at the gym earlier, so that I can maximise my time and get some stretches done too. i need that...been pretty still lately. I still remember the time I used to be able to do a "pancake" on the floor. Gone are those days.

I don't think I am that old, yet my metabolic rate has slowed down tremendously the last 4 months...I dread to think what it would be like in 10 years..SIGH.

Work it out

There used to be a time when my tummy used to be concave. Now it's convex. Yup, as much as I hate to admit it I think it is middle age spread. Last week I had a stomach bug, which prevented me from eating much, but I didn't lose much weight either. Now with the new gym, I need to work harder. Must attend some of the classes too to change my regime.

Ran 6.6km today. Didn't feel as strong because of lack of reserves due to the stomach bug.

Yesterday I did:
30 min run on treadmill
12 min on elliptical machine
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Seated leg curl
Leg extension
Dumbell squat
Abs

After not utilising my adductor and abductor muscles for a long time, my inner thighs were sore today! Probably why i found it hard to run today. Could not take big strides.