Last Week's Workouts

Last week's workouts were pretty ho-hum.  I wasn't really feeling it most days, so I just tried to get something in each day ...  Which I still managed to do, so I guess that's not too shabby. 

 

Monday - 60 pull-ups with the green band

 

Tuesday - 20 pull-ups with the green band plus 2 mile walk to library and early voting! Yay for participation, right? :)

 

Wednesday - 30 minutes on the exercise bike on manual level 7

Thursday - 30 minutes on the exercise bike on manual level 7 plus 30 pull-ups with the green band

 

Friday - 23 pull-ups green band plus 30 minutes on the exercise bike on manual level 7

 

Saturday - 2 mile run outside - gotta enjoy the weather when you get the chance!

 

Sunday - back outside for a 1 hour and 45 minute hike in Rock Creek Park.  I took a different route than usual and quickly learned that change is bad.  I bushwhacked a lot of the way on overgrown, buggy paths that didn't even offer much elevation change to challenge me.  Oh well, back to my usual circuit next time I guess!

Last Week's Workouts

Last week I was all about hiking in Rock Creek Park.  It's got a lot going for it ... close to my house, good elevation mix (not straight up hill for long periods), and not too crowded - but just crowded enough that you feel safe.  There's one looped trail in particular that I like to hike.  I generally prefer loops so you don't have to backtrack over what you've already done, and a short-ish loop like this one makes it easy to extend your hike by just going around the loop again.  It gives you a nice stop by your car if you want to grab water or a snack, but doesn't force you to bring everything with you.  Unfortunately, I don't know exactly how long my trail is, only that it consistently takes me 50 minutes to go once around the loop - so maybe 2.5 miles? 

 

Last week's workouts:

 

Monday - 1 hour and 40 minute hike in Rock Creek Park (two times around the loop)

 

Tuesday  - off

 

Wednesday - 45 minutes on the exercise bike at level 6 manual

 

Thursday  - off

 

Friday - 30 minutes on the elliptical at level 5 manual plus 30 minutes on the exercise bike at level 6 manual

 

Saturday - 50 minute hike at Rock Creek Park (once around the loop) plus 2 mile walk to library

 

Sunday - 50 min hike at Rock Creek Park (once around the loop)

 

I love hiking as opposed to hitting the gym for a lot of reasons.  For one, I get a little sunshine (hello, vitamin D!).  I also genuinely love experiencing a bit of nature - smelling flowers, watching birds and squirrels run around (some days I even spot a chipmunk or a deer), and feeling like I'm breathing fresh air (even if that's just an illusion and I'm still breathing smoggy DC air).  A lot of times I hike by myself and don't listen to music or a book and just take it all in.  But if I do listen to anything, I prefer to listen to audiobooks rather than music.  Hiking alone with basically no one around and few distractions, you can really get into an audiobook and sort of melt into that world.  Last week I took "Frankenstein" on all of my hikes, which was a particularly good book to lose oneself in while out in nature.  It might be too creepy to take on a night hike, but for broad daylight it was just perfect. 

 

Do you ever listen to audiobooks?  What book would you recommend listening to on a hike?

Very Belated Workout Recap

So another casualty of my failure to blog before I left for my trip last week is that I never got a chance to post my workout recap from the week before I went to California.  And what a week it was!  I managed to do something almost every day of the week, only caving into my laziness on Wednesday. 

 

Monday - 3 mile hike in Rock Creek Park

 

Tuesday - 30 min interval workout on the treadmill

 

Wednesday - off (it's good to rest sometimes, right?)

Thursday - living room arm workout:

5-lb weights

Bicep curls

Shoulder press

Wide bicep curl

Tricep extension

Deltoid fly

3 sets of 20 for each

Friday - 30 minutes on the elliptical machine

Saturday - short walk to library (about two miles)

 

Sunday - 5 mile hike at Sugarloaf Mountain.  I followed the Northern Peaks Trail, shown on this trail map.  Don't you just love it when there's a trail map online?! - In fact, this trail map was available for free at the trail head too!   Hiking Sugarloaf was a friend's suggestion, and it turned out to be a great one! It was pretty easy to get there (not too far from Silver Spring), but it still felt remote and natural. 

I even saw real, genuine wildlife!  See my deer pic?  If you didn't take a picture, you didn't see it ... :)  It was pretty crowded, but the park is big so I didn't see too many people along the way.  The trails were blazed clearly and the elevation change on my particular trail was enough to make it a hike and not just a walk, but not so difficult that I felt like I wouldn't make it all the way around.  I'll definitely be heading back to Sugarloaf a lot more now that I've been reminded of it!

One-on-One Training With Jackie DVD

Last week's workouts were mostly centered around the Workout One-on-One Training with Jackie DVD I borrowed from Netflix.  I watched a few episodes of "Workout" back when it was on Bravo years ago, and had put this DVD on the queue probably several years ago but never got around to bumping it to the top of the list.  I don't normally get workout DVDs, but I decided it might be a nice way to shake up my workout routine a bit, and I just might learn some new fitness tricks too.  And then I realized getting the DVD by mail was really the only way to get them - Netflix won't stream workout videos (probably because that would be excellent for the consumer but then no one would ever buy the DVDs). 

 

The One-on-One DVD has three twenty-minute workouts: one focused on the upper body, one on the lower body, and one on abs.  I really liked that this DVD let you customize your workout by choosing which routine(s) you wanted to do before hitting play, so you could just sail through the routines you'd chosen without fiddling around with the menu in between.  (The top Amazon review, linked above, has a run down of all the exercises featured in each segment.)

 

I received the DVD on Monday and got right to work by trying out the lower body routine that day.  Unfortunately, the routine wasn't all that unique or difficult - mostly lots and lots of squats and lunges.  I did like that the weight-baring exercises were broken up with short bouts of cardio to keep your heart rate up and at least make you sweat just a little.  But I definitely wasn't the least bit sore the next day, and the meager workout didn't make me eager to try the other two routines.  In fact, it was Friday before I went back again. 

Tuesday - Bike 30 minutes
 

Wednesday  - Elliptical 30 minutes

Thursday - Off

Friday - I finally got back in front of the One-on-One DVD by doing both the upper body and abs routines.  Since I was in my living room without access to all the different weights of a gym I just used a set of 5-lb weights for the upper body exercises.  Maybe if I'd gone up in weight it would have felt tougher and my arms would have been sore the next day. 

 

The real winner of the DVD was the abs routine.  I actually had to stop a couple of times because I just couldn't keep doing reps and my abs were definitely feeling it the next day ... and the day after that.  It really showed me that I'm not working my abs like I should be and that I should be focusing on that area more in the future. 

 

Saturday - Short walk to library and grocery store (about two miles) plus 1 hour hike at Wheaton Regional Park.  Like so many of my other "hikes" recently, this was also more of a nature walk, with paved trails almost the whole way. 

Sunday - Hike at Rock Creek Park (about 4 miles).  This park is only about a mile from my house, but I've been avoiding going there because I thought I'd need to go further afield to find a real "nature" experience.  Fortunately for me I was wrong.  While I didn't exactly spot any deer, I also couldn't see any cars or too many houses.  And the trail was an actual trail!  I didn't have a trail map, and the trails didn't appear to be blazed anyway, but I managed to figure out a loop that was easy enough to follow (and you're never far from civilization anyway if you do manage to get lost) and did two laps of it in about an hour and a half.  This may just be my new go-to hiking destination. 

Microwave Fluffernutter and the Results of the Birthday Pushup Challenge!

I guess since my birthday was coming, I used it as a bit of an excuse to be pretty indulgent all week.  I've also been pretty busy with work and other things, so it's an extra excuse to slack on the food choices.  For example ... Monday night when Josh announced he was going to make himself a PB&J for "dessert", I thought I might as well join along by making myself a fluffernutter.  After all, I had the vegan marshmallows from s'mores making anyway ...

 

I microwaved two marshmallows on a slice of toast until they got fantastically giant and puffy in the microwave (marshmallow monsters!).  The gooey marshmallows spread just like the fluff from the jar - maybe even better. 

 

And once I added on the peanut butter, it was a truly indulgent mess.  And really, it was way more dessert than I needed.  For future reference: an entire sandwich for dessert is a bad idea.  Half-sandwich next time! 

 

But fortunately I counterbalanced all the goodies by continuing to work hard at pushups all week to be ready for today!  My goal was to do 30 "real" pushups on my 30th birthday (today!).  Technically, the goal was to do 30 in a row, which I didn't manage to accomplish, but instead I did 18 pushups, 1 minute break, and another 12 pushups. 

 

I won't claim they were the most perfect, nose-to-ground pushups ever ... but they were up off my knees and with at least a significant bend in my elbow.  And though I couldn't do 30 straight, 18 at once is still a huge improvement from where I started.  And doing another 12 without much of a break isn't half bad either.  Plus I've definitely seen an improvement in the muscle definition in my arms since I started.  Which means the challenge doesn't end today.  I plan to keep going, trying to do as many pushups as possible (maybe not every night, but on a regular basis).  And if I keep going, maybe I'll do 31 straight next year!

Will Run For Burgers

Saturday morning Josh and I slept in incredibly late, and found ourselves waking up just in time for lunch.  Feeling (crazy?) spontaneous, we decided to head out to BGR "The Burger Joint" in Bethesda.  But rather than do something silly like drive the 4.4 miles to get there from our apartment, we decided to run there instead.  Since we hadn't eaten anything, I had a quick piece of peanut butter toast to fuel me for the endeavor, and we headed out. 

 

I did not feel like running at all.  My legs felt heavy, and I complained basically every time we started going even slightly uphill.  But eventually we made it.  By the time we got there, I didn't even really want a burger, but I was certainly happy to get a giant Mellow Yellow - I don't think I'd ever had one before ... it tastes like Mountain Dew, but perhaps slightly less intense (more mellow?). 

 

We each got one of their veggie burgers, and I topped mine with lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeno, pickles, and their mushroom mix - which all made for one giant burger.  There was no way to eat this without making a huge mess.  I tried to pile my toppings back on as they fell off, but ultimately it was a losing game.  And I couldn't finish the whole thing anyway.  I'd say I got about 5/6 of the way through ... not too shabby.  Fortunately, after the giant burgers we opted to take the bus home rather than run or walk 4+ miles.  Extra win: the machine that accepts cash on the bus was broken, so we got a free ride! 

 

BGR's definitely not the cheapest place around ... $27 for two sodas, two burgers, and a cookie for Josh ... but I would definitely be interested in going back.  Maybe I'll even run there again.  It's a good way to earn yourself a giant burger.  Especially if there's a bus to get you home again! 

Brookside Gardens and Another 50 Burpees

Last Sunday afternoon (very delayed post) Josh and I continued our exploration of all the wonderful things the DC area has to offer by heading to the Brookside Gardens - only slightly north of Silver Spring in (not) lovely Wheaton.  We actually thought about living in Wheaton, but quickly nixed that idea after visiting it.  We thought all it had to offer was lots of Mexican food and a pub with vegan sausage. 

 

But it turns out they've also got a lovely (and free!) botanical garden.  The photo above is an amazing gazebo on the water, with roses (still blooming now) and all sorts of other flowers.  I could definitely see people getting married right there.  (Though the people who were actually getting married at the gardens on Sunday were using one of those big white circus tents instead ... to each his own.) 

 

We actually parked at Wheaton Regional Park, where we intended to go for a hike that day, but when we realized we were only a short walk from the gardens, we opted for that instead.  With all sorts of discrete garden areas - azalea garden, rose garden, butterly garden, etc. - it was definitely beautiful and amazing, and the kind of place we will probably be visiting again and again. 

 

A few more pictures from the afternoon:

After walking the gardens for a while, we stopped by Wegman's for some groceries and a late lunch at their prepared foods bar.  I always seem to get way more food than I actually want when I go there.  I need to be better about surveying my options and then grabbing food.  Otherwise, I think the one thing I'm putting into my box at that moment will be my entire meal and I get a ton of it.  This time I got falafel with vegan tzatziki, Gardein sesame chick'n, delicata squash with red onions and fennel, and shaved roasted brussel sprouts.  The squash wasn't great - I just got it because I thought I should get more veggies.  And I really should have gotten one falafel ... live and learn. 

When we got home I forced Josh to join me in a 50-burpee timed challege.  I wanted to beat my previous time of 6:32 ... and I did!  That's right, 50 burpees in 5:58!  (Beating my first try's time by more than 30 seconds!)  Of course, last time I'd already done an entire WOD first, but that's just semantics.  

 

For dinner we made vegan tuna sandwiches with my favorite ... Asmar's tuna.  I always make mine with just tuna and pickles, but Josh likes to make a tuna melt with melted sharp cheddar too. 

With dinner I sipped on a pumpkin pie soda I'd picked up at Wegman's earlier.  Hey, it's fall ... let's put pumpkin in everything!  The first taste was really odd and I thought I didn't like it at all, but since I hate to see things go to waste I kept chugging along, and about 1/3 of the way into the bottle I decided I really liked it.  It was really sweet (but I guess no sweeter than a Coke), and you have to get used to the flavor, but once you do it's kind of a nice treat.  I definitely won't be wanting one everyday, but I might get one or two more this fall ...

Where Does The Time Go?

I can't believe it's already October?!?!?  Seriously, where does the time go?

 

It seems like just yesterday that it was the start of summer.  It was definitely a busy summer for us, which I guess always makes it seem like it flies by.  But now that fall is officially here, I've realized a few important things:

 

1.  I'm way behind on my blog posts.  I have all these started posts that I need to catch up on writing ASAP. 

 

2.  My birthday is less than three weeks away!!!  And, more importantly, I've been totally delinquent on my birthdady pushup challenge training.  For a while I was going strong, but then life (moving, traveling, etc.) got the better of me and I started slacking off.  When we got back from Scotland I took it up again, but I still haven't been consistent about doing pushups every day.  I've definitely got to get back in the habit or I won't be able to meet my 30 pushup goal. 

 

3.  We've been in our new apartment more than a month and there are still boxes everywhere.  I know the fact that we've been out of town literally every weekend since we moved is a pretty good excuse for our lack of settling, but even on free evenings I've opted for TV watching, reading, baking, or pretty much anything other than unpacking.  I've got to start plugging away or it will never get done. 

 

4.  Beyond my pushup challenge, I've got to get back in the habit of working out in general.  Josh and I have gone for a couple of outdoor runs and visited the clibming gym since moving, but I've only used the building's gyms three times since we moved.  And the convenience of two on-site gyms should mean that I workout more, not less.  I started trying to turn things around this morning by waking up (not bright - it was still dark) early this morning and hitting the gym for a quick 15 minutes on the treadmill followed by a gym-modified version of Fran.  I used 15 lb free weights for thrusters and the lat machine set at 60 lbs for "pullups".  I finished my "Faux Fran" in 11:21.  Not too shabby.  It beat my previous Fran time of 13:09, though that was done with 35 lb thrusters.  (Not sure how the lat machine vs. pullup band compares?)  This will definitely be a good benchmark to use to compare with future Frans.  Hopefully there will be many :) 

Run + Pizza = 0?

Thursday night I was feeling a bit tired of cooking dinner, plus we had both been feeling like pizza for a while, so we decided to take advantage of the Papa John's located right on the ground floor of our new apartment building.  To help even out the bad effects of a pizza dinner, we placed a delayed order for pickup and went for a run around the neighborhood.  Beyond the health benefits, this also gave us a great opportunity to explore our new surroundings a bit more. 

 

We ran nowhere in particular for about forty minutes (probably 2 1/2 miles) before returning to grab our pizza and watch "Batman Returns" - the 1992 Batman movie with Danny DeVito as Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.  Josh was not excited about watching it, but the movie really wasn't as bad as either of us expected it to be.  (Though I really could have done without all the black drool coming from Danny DeVito.) 

 

And yeah, we ate that whole pizza ...  Unfortunately, when you go for a run and then eat an entire pizza, you pretty much cancel out that run, plus the next two or three runs you take after that ...

Thai Tofu Salad

I came across this video tutorial on making a Thai-inspired vegan tofu salad, and it looked so good I had to try it.  But if I wanted my boyfriend to eat any, I had to tweak the recipe a bit because it called for a healthy amount of celery, which my boyfriend wouldn't touch with a ten foot poll.  I subbed out carrots for the celery to keep the crunch factor, and it turned out great!  It was sweet and crunchy, with wonderfully fresh flavors.

We enjoyed the Thai tofu salad while picnicing in Druid Hill Park on July 4th.  It was pretty warm out, but at least we weren't trying to eat hot food!  We snacked on the salad like a dip using black pepper flavored Triscuits - yum! 

After our picnic we played a bit of tennis.  And when I say "play" I mean we tried our best to hit the ball back and forth while not worrying about such silly technicalities as "scoring points" or "out of bounds".  Even though we weren't playing a real game, we still both ended up nice and sweaty and it seemed like a workout. 

Since we were all sweaty anyway, after tennis we decided to head to the track at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute to run some intervals.  We switched off sprinting four 400-meter lengths, followed by four 100-meter lengths.  By the end we were both a completely sweaty mess.  It was a great workout! 

The Birthday Pushup Challenge

My 30th birthday is only three and a half months away.  Eek!  I wanted to come up with a goal to mark the big occasion.  I'm guessing I won't manage to become a millionaire, so there's no sense fretting about that one.  And there aren't a lot of milestones I'm eager to hit by then (I don't want to have a kid and I already have a job and a wonderful partner).  So I decided to set the much more manageable but still significant goal of doing 30 pushups on my birthday.  That's real pushups, no "girl" substitutes! 

To get a baseline, I did as many "real" pushups as I could last night ... which was 5.  Not so great.  But I followed it up with 15 "girl" pushups.  My plan to increase my pushup numbers is to continue doing as many "real" pushups as I can each night, and then follow that up with "girl" pushups up to 30.  (Which means last night I should have done another ten "girl" pushups ... oops.) 

With any luck, by the big day (Oct. 18) I will be doing 30 "real" pushups in a row. 

I may have to get older, but I can get stronger too!