Today I came the closest to rolling over at 5:30am and going back to sleep! GOSH I was tired and my feet hurt before I even got out of bed! I thought long and hard - argued with my self - then turned the "volume" down, and got up, dressed, ate breakfast and hit the road!
It was 70F sunny and a beautiful beautiful day. The work outs are getting harder - guess I thought we might just drift along repeating what we had been doing - but that was just wishful thinking.
Dynamic warm up - cardio - Frankenstein walks - high knee runs, butt kicks - and that was just to get us warmed up! Learned "skull crushers" - then we held in the plank position for 60 seconds - ouch! Then more cardio - then we held plank position for 45 seconds - more curls, squats, and then we held plank for 30 seconds. Did I mention that we held plank position? MY GOSH - the shorter times got harder and harder - as the muscles fatiqued!
Then we did "high / low planks", "Spider" push ups and more more more and more pushups. I was not sure I would be able to get up off my mat! I maintained, rolled up my mat, drank the last of my water, walked to the car - and am exhausted!!!
There is chatter already of signing up for the July Boot Camp - are we nuts or what? The winter cap lady has not been there this week - the older grey haired lady has never returned, and the 40 something lady came today. We also picked up about 5 new people - oh man are they hurting! They are not getting the benefit of what was obviously a "slow start" the first week. One woman has a pulled ham string -
We run "down and backs" but the position of the cones in about 2 x the distance it was when we started - Katie slyly moves the cones a little further every day!
So we continue to lumber along - am glad I went this morning - am hoping the self voices will not return - decided I would "reward" my self for getting this far by getting new 8# weights (have 5# weights) :-)
I have enjoyed being up early - and mostly being outside everyday in the glorious sunshine and daylight - AND feeling pretty darn good after a hot shower :-) If only my FEET would stop screaming at me!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Week 3 - Day 1
Monday - June 21, 2010 -
This is why we put up with the darkness - brilliant blue skies and a sun that never sets! Just finished boot camp this morning - was definitely our hardest workout yet - push ups, pull ups, jump rope, sprints, planks held for 60 seconds - kettle bells - more cardio - band walks - ladder runs, all while the temperature was a great 60F and sunshine! Summer in Alaska is pretty darn good!
Getting up at 5:30am and going to boot camp has fallen into a routine - the weekend rest was good for my knee - my "pain" level has decreased quite abit - although I still have a very very sore left foot/heal - frozen water bottles continue to help keep the pain manageable.
This is the 3rd of 4 weeks - when I started I had serious doubts that I could make it through the month. Attendance is beginning to wain - the grey haired lady that I was sure was older than me, came once and has never returned, the 43 year old comes about once a week - so the 20 and 30 somethings and I are hanging in there. I don't "compete" with them - but hope they think "hey - I hope I can still do this when I am her age"!
Am back doing yoga again - enjoy the calm stretch and the strength I have gained through boot camp sure helps with yoga :-)
So on to the second half! It really is fun - in a odd sort of way!
This is why we put up with the darkness - brilliant blue skies and a sun that never sets! Just finished boot camp this morning - was definitely our hardest workout yet - push ups, pull ups, jump rope, sprints, planks held for 60 seconds - kettle bells - more cardio - band walks - ladder runs, all while the temperature was a great 60F and sunshine! Summer in Alaska is pretty darn good!
Getting up at 5:30am and going to boot camp has fallen into a routine - the weekend rest was good for my knee - my "pain" level has decreased quite abit - although I still have a very very sore left foot/heal - frozen water bottles continue to help keep the pain manageable.
This is the 3rd of 4 weeks - when I started I had serious doubts that I could make it through the month. Attendance is beginning to wain - the grey haired lady that I was sure was older than me, came once and has never returned, the 43 year old comes about once a week - so the 20 and 30 somethings and I are hanging in there. I don't "compete" with them - but hope they think "hey - I hope I can still do this when I am her age"!
Am back doing yoga again - enjoy the calm stretch and the strength I have gained through boot camp sure helps with yoga :-)
So on to the second half! It really is fun - in a odd sort of way!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Week Two - Day 3
Let me start with yesterday - Tuesday. We had a hard day at boot camp - alot of running - and despite the body saying "WILL YOU STOP THIS" and the knee SCREAMING at me - I felt compelled to "Keep Up". So dumb, even at my age! Went to see the orthopedic doctor - the GREAT news is that I did no damage to knee that requires surgery (I believe that was my biggest fear). The swelling has gone done by at least half. She pushed, and strained in every direction - told me I had a pretty beat up knee cap (patella) and that I needed to rest.
The funniest part was when she wanted to know HOW I had injured it - she made me try to demonstrate the "Burpie" - and then said with great emphasis - and WHY were you trying to do that in the first place!!
She offered a cortisone shot - which I quickly agreed to - I know I know - but a week of rest and ice would likely only set me up to fail! I mentioned the plantar facetious pain in my heals and said I had found on the internet the recommendation of rolling your feet over a frozen water bottle. She HIGHLY recommended STANDING on the frozen water bottle. Said it did lot of good things (stretches the tendons, gets greater blood flow to your feet and numbs the pain! As I was leaving she said something like "and stop trying to do military exercises!" I replied "So you really want me to act my age?" She laughed - and said "That would be futile!" LOL
After trying numerous water bottles - a 2 quart juice bottle with frozen water is my recommendation - is big enough for both fit - the ridges feel wonderful and is a bigger mass of ice - so lasts a little longer. Jeff found an aluminum tube - that we are freezing - but am a little afraid it may stick to my feet !
SO all you runners out there - honestly give it try for tired feet - it feels wonderful. SO my heals are in the recover mode - and my knee has stopped hurting - is just a little weaker than it was before!
So totally inspired - I moved the alarm clock back 30 min to 5:00am, and biked to Boot Camp - no mater what, biking is still the most enjoyable form of exercise I know - just LOVE it. Took the more direct route - 8 miles to boot camp. She worked us hard - new circuit exercises - I DID NOT RUN! I almost feel like an adult - not swayed by peer pressure!
Then rode my beloved bicycle back home - about 12 miles - took the bike paths home. Many fond biking memories come flooding back - biking in Belgium with sister Jean - the wind - the panniers (I had to put both panniers on the bike so that I could put one hand weight on each side - didn't want to tip over or anything - and the yoga mat strapped on nicely)
Today was picture day - see if you can find me - we were supposed to look "buff" - hmmm doubt that I am there! The young lady on the far right is our trainer Katie. The lady on the left end in the winter gear is a story all in itself!
I picked this picture because you can barely see me - on the very far right - I was either standing around with my hands behind my back - or coming up from a squat! The ropes were a new rotation - we had to get them oscillating up and down - my gosh what a work out!
I have to start writing some of these down! But I feel SO much better - I can actually walk down the stairs now like a normal person! I feel stronger also - but don't worry have not moved to the "skinny jeans"!
The funniest part was when she wanted to know HOW I had injured it - she made me try to demonstrate the "Burpie" - and then said with great emphasis - and WHY were you trying to do that in the first place!!
She offered a cortisone shot - which I quickly agreed to - I know I know - but a week of rest and ice would likely only set me up to fail! I mentioned the plantar facetious pain in my heals and said I had found on the internet the recommendation of rolling your feet over a frozen water bottle. She HIGHLY recommended STANDING on the frozen water bottle. Said it did lot of good things (stretches the tendons, gets greater blood flow to your feet and numbs the pain! As I was leaving she said something like "and stop trying to do military exercises!" I replied "So you really want me to act my age?" She laughed - and said "That would be futile!" LOL
After trying numerous water bottles - a 2 quart juice bottle with frozen water is my recommendation - is big enough for both fit - the ridges feel wonderful and is a bigger mass of ice - so lasts a little longer. Jeff found an aluminum tube - that we are freezing - but am a little afraid it may stick to my feet !
SO all you runners out there - honestly give it try for tired feet - it feels wonderful. SO my heals are in the recover mode - and my knee has stopped hurting - is just a little weaker than it was before!
So totally inspired - I moved the alarm clock back 30 min to 5:00am, and biked to Boot Camp - no mater what, biking is still the most enjoyable form of exercise I know - just LOVE it. Took the more direct route - 8 miles to boot camp. She worked us hard - new circuit exercises - I DID NOT RUN! I almost feel like an adult - not swayed by peer pressure!
Today was picture day - see if you can find me - we were supposed to look "buff" - hmmm doubt that I am there! The young lady on the far right is our trainer Katie. The lady on the left end in the winter gear is a story all in itself!
I have to start writing some of these down! But I feel SO much better - I can actually walk down the stairs now like a normal person! I feel stronger also - but don't worry have not moved to the "skinny jeans"!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Week 2 - Monday morning
The group was slow to gather again - but 8 of us got off to a great start with cardio warmup, stretches and then "down and backs" with always a different way of getting there (butt kicks, high knees, lunges, run backwards yada yada yada). At least you get warmed up so that the sweatshirts all come off. The runs around the loops were hard, the knee does NOT like to run at all! So I worked on what I thought was a pretty good speed walk :-)
We did relays - your team does the exercises pulled out from a pile, while one of us ran the loop - planks, squats, jumping jacks, pushups - ok the pressure of that made me run - I couldn't leave my group doing pushups while I WALKED - that just seemed wrong!
Worked up a good sweat - so off to the shower - think I am very interested in what the doc says about my knee tomorrow! If nothing else I am NOT one of the woman that only comes OCCASSIONALLY - 20 days total, 14 left - at the end of Friday I will be half way there!
Speedy Colleen wants us to run the Independence Run on July 4th in Fairbanks - flat "fast" course - anyone want to join us?
Have a great day!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Week 1, Day 5, 25% thru Boot Camp!
This morning was cool, it had rained, and the temperature was a mere 51F. Only the hearty showed up on time - only 5 of us! Ten minutes into our work out - another 5 showed up. Like why show up late and miss the warm-up? Makes no sense to me at all.
So with swollen knee at least I showed up ! We did circuits and running, and more circuits and more running. I ran a little and finally could only walk fast - you do what you can do I guess. We used "kettle bells" today - I actually like them and always wondered what the heck you did with them!
Another of the intervals was resistance bands around your ankles and take steps sideways.
I was like - oh yea - this was one my PT for my knee exercises!
I didn't ride my bike to "bib pickup" was not all that sure that I would make the trip back - so Jenelle and I drove. The T-Shirts are great for the Midnight Sun Run - not sure with this swollen knee that I will be running it - which means I have to give the T-Shirt away if I don't run it! Any takers? Size Medium!
I was sure that she had ended the Boot Camp early today - was surprised that it was over when she ended ~ I think that is good :-)
Here is to two days of rest - my plan is to bike so that my knee does not totally lock up - but no 5:30am alarms - life is good, glad I am doing this!
For all that continue to remind me that "20 years old I am NOT" - like I need to be reminded ~ I have an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon's PA on Tuesday - Alright Already!
So with swollen knee at least I showed up ! We did circuits and running, and more circuits and more running. I ran a little and finally could only walk fast - you do what you can do I guess. We used "kettle bells" today - I actually like them and always wondered what the heck you did with them!
Another of the intervals was resistance bands around your ankles and take steps sideways.
I was like - oh yea - this was one my PT for my knee exercises!
I was sure that she had ended the Boot Camp early today - was surprised that it was over when she ended ~ I think that is good :-)
Here is to two days of rest - my plan is to bike so that my knee does not totally lock up - but no 5:30am alarms - life is good, glad I am doing this!
For all that continue to remind me that "20 years old I am NOT" - like I need to be reminded ~ I have an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon's PA on Tuesday - Alright Already!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Day 4 - a little set back
The morning started wonderfully, waking at 5:15am, knowing I had 15 more minutes to just breath deep, stretch and turn the alarm off before it went off (I LOVE that!). The sun was already high in the sky burning off the morning moisture, and the temperatures were well in the 60's. A GREAT day to say to myself - yes, you can do this!
Filled my water jug, jumped in my new car and off I went to BOOT CAMP!
We started out with fewer participants - only the hardy I thought - as we set off for a warm up jog. I ran stronger, no walking, and felt great. Then came talk of Dr. Izumi Tabata ~ ohh that sounds like a great name, bet he does wonderful stretching yoga and play Enya to keep you relaxed. HA HA HA - silly oblivious Schedler!
We started a "Tabata" after stretching and some light cardio - and I am thinking Tabata - that has to be easy - it was worse than the "ring of fire" - by orders of magnitude! It is interval training for the ill informed such as me - 20 seconds "Maximum intensity" followed by 10 seconds of rest only to be repeated EIGHT TIMES !
ONE of the Intervals was a "Burpie" - oh I hate those, only to be followed by "Mt Climbers" - and somewhere between the Burpies and the Mt Climbers my right knee yelled YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!! What - you think you are 25 years old or something?? I kept pushing through the rest of BOOT CAMP - two more runs, more squats, more weights (hey Colleen we did the "empty the beer steins" and the "dip the weight to the back of your shoulders" - actually we did most of Colleen's arm exercises with weights that she taught me!) - then a little "build the core" - my body felt like a furnace as I stripped off 3 outer layers of clothes ~ no worries fans, I still had 2 layers left and was completely covered! I KNOW I am not 25!
THEN the surprise, just lay on your back - bring your knees to your chest and breath deep. My right knee was so swollen it barely bent! I looked down and thought - wow - look at the water balloon that is there in place of your right knee! CRAP - ok ok, I actually said worse - I do not need excuses I thought - I am going to do this!
Had to race home to shower and get to a meeting - so downed the Ibuprofen and tried to ignore it - I am icing the knee now.
Today is bib pickup for the Midnight Sun Run - so am going to try and bike to bib pickup and then may try more ignoring - Will let you know in the morning how that goes - wish me luck!
Filled my water jug, jumped in my new car and off I went to BOOT CAMP!
We started out with fewer participants - only the hardy I thought - as we set off for a warm up jog. I ran stronger, no walking, and felt great. Then came talk of Dr. Izumi Tabata ~ ohh that sounds like a great name, bet he does wonderful stretching yoga and play Enya to keep you relaxed. HA HA HA - silly oblivious Schedler!
We started a "Tabata" after stretching and some light cardio - and I am thinking Tabata - that has to be easy - it was worse than the "ring of fire" - by orders of magnitude! It is interval training for the ill informed such as me - 20 seconds "Maximum intensity" followed by 10 seconds of rest only to be repeated EIGHT TIMES !
ONE of the Intervals was a "Burpie" - oh I hate those, only to be followed by "Mt Climbers" - and somewhere between the Burpies and the Mt Climbers my right knee yelled YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!! What - you think you are 25 years old or something?? I kept pushing through the rest of BOOT CAMP - two more runs, more squats, more weights (hey Colleen we did the "empty the beer steins" and the "dip the weight to the back of your shoulders" - actually we did most of Colleen's arm exercises with weights that she taught me!) - then a little "build the core" - my body felt like a furnace as I stripped off 3 outer layers of clothes ~ no worries fans, I still had 2 layers left and was completely covered! I KNOW I am not 25!
THEN the surprise, just lay on your back - bring your knees to your chest and breath deep. My right knee was so swollen it barely bent! I looked down and thought - wow - look at the water balloon that is there in place of your right knee! CRAP - ok ok, I actually said worse - I do not need excuses I thought - I am going to do this!
Had to race home to shower and get to a meeting - so downed the Ibuprofen and tried to ignore it - I am icing the knee now.
Today is bib pickup for the Midnight Sun Run - so am going to try and bike to bib pickup and then may try more ignoring - Will let you know in the morning how that goes - wish me luck!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Day 3 - Boot Camp
Last night it rained and stormed, but this morning there was moisture in the air and cooler temperatures but no rain for our 6:30am work out. We picked up a "gaggle" of women, as our group suddenly grew from 14 to 22 - holy cow, someone must be saying how "FUN" this is! LOL
Katie (our trainer) is a master of finding a new group of muscles that I never knew I had - as each day she has pushed us just a little harder - first day all exercises were with "body weights" - just your own weight, yesterday we added our 5-8 pound weights and today we did alot of both!
As sore as I am - of course I Googled "SORE MUSCLES" The vote seems to be that Tylenol offers more relief than Ibuprofen - so my "Breakfast of Champions" is now 1/2 whole wheat bagel with peanut butter - a cup of tea, and 2 Tylenol! Having that in my tummy makes the work out much more tolerable!
Today we were introduced to the "Ring of Fire" - need I say more? 12 stations, 12 cardio exercises for 45 seconds each. You tell yourself, I can do anything for 45 seconds, right? I can TRY to do it for 45 seconds - am still struggling with the lung capacity - keep hoping I will find my wind before the will dampens! My right knee is holding up well, even with the running.
Getting up at 5:30am is not a problem and I love how I feel at about 10am - I hate the High School ish dynamics of the group - it reminds me why Jean and I never want to go on a bike tour with a group again - the age group is about mid-20's to mid 30"s, plus me :-) There was a woman that I heard say she was 43 - but she has already stopped coming - my GOSH !
Onto Day 4 - before I know it it will be Saturday and I will be 1/4th the way through! I got so excited yesterday that I signed up for two runs - the Midnight Sun Run 10K on June 19th and a 5K on June 26th - I figure why not put all this pain to good use : -) And then there is water skiing with Shaun in Tennessee in July!
Katie (our trainer) is a master of finding a new group of muscles that I never knew I had - as each day she has pushed us just a little harder - first day all exercises were with "body weights" - just your own weight, yesterday we added our 5-8 pound weights and today we did alot of both!
As sore as I am - of course I Googled "SORE MUSCLES" The vote seems to be that Tylenol offers more relief than Ibuprofen - so my "Breakfast of Champions" is now 1/2 whole wheat bagel with peanut butter - a cup of tea, and 2 Tylenol! Having that in my tummy makes the work out much more tolerable!
Today we were introduced to the "Ring of Fire" - need I say more? 12 stations, 12 cardio exercises for 45 seconds each. You tell yourself, I can do anything for 45 seconds, right? I can TRY to do it for 45 seconds - am still struggling with the lung capacity - keep hoping I will find my wind before the will dampens! My right knee is holding up well, even with the running.
Getting up at 5:30am is not a problem and I love how I feel at about 10am - I hate the High School ish dynamics of the group - it reminds me why Jean and I never want to go on a bike tour with a group again - the age group is about mid-20's to mid 30"s, plus me :-) There was a woman that I heard say she was 43 - but she has already stopped coming - my GOSH !
Onto Day 4 - before I know it it will be Saturday and I will be 1/4th the way through! I got so excited yesterday that I signed up for two runs - the Midnight Sun Run 10K on June 19th and a 5K on June 26th - I figure why not put all this pain to good use : -) And then there is water skiing with Shaun in Tennessee in July!
Boot Camp 2010 - will I survive?
Beginning on June 7th I rose at 5:30am, put on work out clothes consisting of many many layers - and showed up at Boot Camp at Pioneer Park at 6:30am. A group of similarly crazy women joined me, led by our trainer - there are about 14 of us. The crazy part is that there is a class of 20 women that meet an hour before us!
The plan is to go five days a week (M-F) for a total of 20 days, with the last day being July 2nd. My goal is to make it through the month!
The plan is to go five days a week (M-F) for a total of 20 days, with the last day being July 2nd. My goal is to make it through the month!
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