Middle Age Spread

I don't think I'm accepting middle age spread very well.....that's what you call DENIAL! Been working out so hard the last few weeks and the scale hasn't budged. I know, I know, everybody else says that it's muscles but let's not delude ourselves here!I mean, if the weight gain reflects muscles then I'd be Arnold Schwarzenegger by now. (oh by the way Blogger actually has Schwarzenegger in the spellcheck! Amazing.)

I have been pretty careful with my food as well, so I guess all this non weight loss can be attributed to middle age. Sigh! I dread to think what my weight would be when I hit 40...50...60 years. Yesterday my friend at the gym commented, "oh you're so lucky you don't have a tummy"...to which I responded "ya but I have something you call THIGHS".

It's true what they say, when pear shaped people eat, all the food bypasses the stomach and just heads straight for the thighs. Mind you, there's no point having child bearing hips if you aren't going to make use of them..

Yesterday's workout
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Hit the gym at 6.10am yesterday. I always look forward to Mondays, because it's RPM day. Energy level was quite high, from all that carb from the sushi last night. Did:

30 min run on treadmill (max heart rate= 163 bpm)
20 min on elliptical machine

Lats day -I love a sexy back!
Lat pulldown
UPright row
Seated row
Bent over flyes
100 fitball crunches - abs hurt like mad today!
1 minute plank on fitball

After all that, ended with RPM. I think we have a new instructor, Kean is his name. Quite a pleasant personality and quite smiley in the morning - has a Joker smile. He's rather motivating. By then my thigh muscles were all tired, I couldn't really sprint at a high resistance.

Today's workout
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Did my usual 6.6km run outdoor. Always feel knackered after RPM the next day. My speed seems to be reducing also..is this all a part of being middle age? Saw my reflection in the glass as I ran past the bank.

Horrors.

Sunday Evening Fever

Today's one of those rare Sunday evenings that I'd decided to go for an evening run. Did about 5km and boy, I nearly died! How people can jog or run in the evening is beyond me. The air was heavy and stale, I felt "not quite right". And it had NOTHING to do with watching Cloverfield nor the rice wine mee suah I had this afternoon.(which incidently made me woozy but was allright later)

After about 10 minutes I felt like I'd wanted to stop. Half an hour after the run, and after a cold shower even, my body still felt like it's burning hot.

Burn baby burn. I'm sticking to morning runs.

Energy level: low to moderate

Did the usual 6.6km run....first outdoor run since the 20km run. Felt really tired initially, but had an energy surge in the second round.

Sure felt good!

Legs Day

Energy level: Low

Got to the gym at 6am. Left toe still a little sore but could still work out.

Cardio:
30 min walk/run on treadmill
25 min on stairclimber
25 min on elliptical machine

LEGS day!!
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Seated leg curl
Dumbell squats

Reverse crunches

I should never do legs and RPM on the same day..but I'm running every other day so I still need to fit in leg exercises somewhere in the week. And I'd rather do it in the middle of the week than early or late: if i do it early in the week I'll probably wear myself out and get tired, if I do it late in the week it clashes with my long distance running. I do RPM both on Mon and Wed, and even though Wed RPM class is tougher, I'd stil rather do it mid week.

I nearly died during RPM today..felt a bit woozy at the end after pushing myself up countless hill climbs. I think RPM contributes to having a big a** but nevertheless I still love it.

Recovery Run

Oooh..my hip flexors are still a little stiff but decided to do a recovery run today. Since my running buddies are away, I'd decided to run on the treadmill instead. Blister on right bunion still a little sore but all the fluid has escaped as the blister got punctured on its own :P

Got to the gym at 6am, did about 40 mins of elliptical machine followed by 5km run on the treadmill. Left toe felt a bit sore but I took it slow and easy.

Decided to do weights as well since I missed yesterday.

Weights:
Lat pulldowns
cable pullover
bent over lateral raises
shoulder presses

I'm doing 100 crunches now each time I go to the gym. Not like I am getting washboard abs but it sure feels good! I wonder how some people manage to do 500 sit ups a day? Also did 1 minute of plank.

Oh! My Hips!

WOke up early enough to go to the gym this morning...felt quite allright generally except hip flexors a bit sore..decided I'd stay home and rest. I could still go to the gym, but I guess it's best to give these creaky ol' bones a rest to prevent injury...after all I exercised 7 days a week last week so it's a well deserved rest!

Missed my RPM class though..

Good Start to the Year

I can't believe it, I did it! I actually ran the 20km race, finished it..of course in timing worse that usual but considering that the maximum I've run since Singapore Marathon 2006 is 8km, I guess it's acceptable to me! This is my comeback run. Right now my body is still burning..and I hope it's melting all that fat away!

When the alarm rang this morning I thought to myself "Do I really want to do this?" I was still groggy and a bit light headed even though I had enough hours of sleep. But the thought that I hadn't raced at all last year, kind of pushed me to run.We were flagged off at 6:30am. I started really slow as I wasn't sure how I would sustain throughout the entire race. Plus I didnt want to get cramps in the 1st 2 km which I sometimes get when I run too fast without being really warmed up. My body was actually still asleep in the 1st 5km..i don't think I could run a straight line as I was still groggy, and the streets being dimly lit didnt help either!

BY the time I completed 10km, I still felt fine. I'd decided not to take the Power Gel as i didn't think it would make much of a difference. By 15km, I felt a sudden surge in energy and could run with a little more strength but alas, at the 16th km, I felt quite tired already. As we reached Jalan Duta, I felt it was the longest stretch ever!

Finally, just before the finish line, my Adidas running belt became loose! My power gel dropped, but I left it on the road as I had wanted to sprint to the finish line. (It was also expired!:P) Alas, my plan was still thwarted, as my water bottle dropped out!! I had to run back to retrieve it as it was the Adidas bottle and it's quite hard to find a replacement. Finally when i reached the finish line, the photographer told me that he hadn't snapped my picture, so i had to reverse and have my picture taken!! So the picture of me will be one of walking and not running..aiya. THought I could have some glamour shot.

I completed in 2:32 which is longer than usual. But I'm glad I did it.

Sheer Stupidity

I am untrained. Like pretty untrained...although I have been working out heavily in the gym, I haven't achieved 10km in 1 year!! And I've made up my mind to go for the race on Sunday. (Unless I feel really horrible..) I've decided I will encourage myself by pinning the number to my shirt! I've selected my famous fluorescent yellow shirt for this Sunday. Hopefully I will have the impetus to run!

This will be the first race that I will be doing since last year. This time last year I was just recovering from a cough, therefore I didn't complete the race...I signed up for 30km but took the escape route after 10km!! After that it was downhill on the way and it was extremely, extremely difficult to regain momentum and stamina.

I've decided that I will take it slow and just enjoy the race.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

Slow & Easy

Was up late last night watching American Idol....hence i woke up late for gym this morning! Got to the gym at about 6.50am. Decided to go slow and easy today since I woke up late and punished myself the last 4 days already. Also decided not to go for the Power Dance class...when I was younger I used to love dance classes, but my preference has changed. I'd much rather do something like kickboxing or RPM...nothing of the free flow type.

Cardio: 40 min brisk walk on treadmill

Weights:
Push ups
Dumbell bench press
Dumbell flyes
Dumbell shoulder press
Tricep dip
Tricep kickback (need to get rid of all that flab)
Crunches
Plank (65 seconds)

Energy level: moderate

Hurrah!

Got on the weighing scale yesterday. Hurrah! Lost that 1.5kg which I had gained in a short period of time. I seriously hope it was water retention!Hmm now I am not even sure what my normal weight is!

Ran 6.6km today...Energy level: medium.

I'm wondering if I should join the POwer Dance class tomorrow...have 2 left feet but the class looks pretty interesting..although i am still NOT convinced the instructor is male..

Great workout

Pushed myself at the gym today. Being hyper = endorphins + coffee

Was at the gym at 6am and finished at 8.45am.

Cardio:
30 min interval walk -run on treadmill
25 min on stairclimber
35 min on elliptical machine

Weights
Dumbell squat
Dumbell alternate lunges
Sumo squat
Decline bench crunch
45 sec plank

Marcos conducted RPm class today. Boy what a tough workout! Did mostly hills and interval sprinting. To complement my exercise, I had coffee today. THere's and Ah Kua at my usual coffee place, and i've noticed he has a very nice body shapy - curvy at the right places, tall and slender. Not fair! No wonder there are still so many single women out there!

Stick Insects Have More Fun

My gym friends contorted their faces when I told them I needed to lose 5 kg. "5 kg???? From WHERE are you going to get 5kgs to lose??" I pointed to my lower belly and hips. "If you have to lose from your belly we have even more to lose!" they said.

I still think stick insects have more fun , no matter what people say. Come on, look at all the boutiques in KL. Only designed for anorexic people. And it doesn't help that I am short also..it's so difficult to buy slacks these days. Everything comes in drainpipe cut. Where are all the clothes that fit J-Lo type of body shape??

When I was in Paris admiring all the Renaissance paintings, rounded and rotund women were the "in thing". Maybe I'm just born in the wrong era. Even as there have been some movements to create awareness that size isn't everything, and even with women like Beyonce, Shakira and J-Lo...society still favours stick insects somehow. If you don't agree with me, then why are people so driven to want to lose weight or desire to be skinny?

I for one have double standards. I don't think anorexic girls look very nice, but I DON'T MIND looking anorexic myself. Strange huh. Better to look anorexic than be a hominis robustus.

Ran 6.6km today.

Another kg!

Good grief. Stepped on the weighing scale and I weigher ANOTHER kg heavier. I seem to be gaining weight progressively. Got another comment from a relative that I could do with some weight loss.

Ho hum, got to get serious.

Today I did:
30 min run
25 min elliptical trainer
Lat pulldown (narrow and wide grip)
bent over flyes
DUmbell row
Pulley row
Ab crunches
Plank

Completed my exercise with 45 mins of RPM. It was a tough one today, we mostly did combinations of sprinting and uphill climbs, seated and standing sprints.

Knackered.

Motivated or Stupidity?

Ran 6.6km outdoor today. Definitely a struggle after an intensive RPM class yesterday! My legs felt like lead today. I've actually signed up for the Great Eastern Run (20km only) next week but I am so untrained, the furthest distance I have trained is 8km!!

My running buddies wont be around next week, so let's see how motivated or how stupid I am to decide to run next week!

Setting Targets

I think I'll need to set targets for 2008. Last year has been such a lazy year...you've probably heard enough of that. Got on the weighing scale this morning.....I've 3-3.5kg to shed! I was actually very disciplined in early December..until Christmas and New Year came along and I succumbed to those chocolates!

SO, it's time to get serious. Spent nearly 3 hours at the gym today, hence I am still wide awake now! I can't believe I am still running high on endorphins for the entire day! Here's what I did today:

30 min walk /run interval training on treadmill
25 min on stairclimber
25 min on elliptical machine

Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Dumbell squats
Seated leg curl
Fitball crunches

45 mins of RPM

It's running day tomorrow....boy my butt is going to hurt!!