Archive for March 23rd, 2010

Welcome back “Last Chance Workouts”!  The competition might have looked like it was on a break or over but it was just hibernating.  Or something like that.  Either way, …its back!  Tomorrow morning I will leave the house a little before 5am to go weigh-in.  Its already WEEK 7, can you believe it?!  Part of me feels like it should be week 10 and another part of me feels like its only week 3.  I guess it just depends on my mood.

I know I’ve said it before but gosh darn it, I had better have good results!  I earned it these last 3 weeks.  I never missed a workout and even added some extra yoga and pilates to the routine.  I know I’m down from 3 weeks ago but I’d really like to be UNDER 200 lbs.  Being under 200 lbs will make my total weight loss to date – 50 lbs!  Those are my mini-goals.  I know my ultimate goal is still another 40 or 50 lbs away but being under 200 lbs is a big accomplishment.

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Today’s last chance workout with Kevin was the worst yet!  It was SO hard.  I don’t think that I’ve been short of breathe like this since the first month that I started training.  I thought I was dying!  The weather was sunny and 70 today so we spent half of the time outside.  The sun made it feel much warmer than it really was.  I sweat bad enough as it is but today was ridiculous.  I was dripping sweat everywhere!

*  Started with a 7 minute run – little over 1/2 a mile on the tredmill.

*  Then ran a lap on the track in between doing dumbbell exercises.  I did squats with 40 lbs in each hand.  Dumbbell swings with the 35 lbs.  Plank touches with the 30 lb dumbbell.  Renegade rows with the 25 lbs.  Curl and press with a 20 lb dumbbells in each hand.  Walking lunges and arm raises with the 15 lbs.  Walking curls with the 10 lbs and lastly walking overhead presses with the 5 lbs.

–>  I might have mixed a couple of those up.  Once I got to the lighter weights it all started to run together in my mind.  <–

*  Then we headed outside for the remainder of the workout.  First we jogged from the back door to the side stairs.  There are about 9 stairs and then a little landing with a metal railing.  I would run up the stairs as hard as I could, touch the back railing and then run back down.  I did this 5 times in a row!

*  Still using the stairs, I ran up – touched the railing and back down again.  In between running the stairs, I used them to do push ups.  Started with 10 push ups and then up the stairs and back.  Then 9 push ups and another set of stairs.  Then 8 push ups and more stairs…I think you get the picture.  I did it again and again until I got down to 1 push up and one last set of stairs.  Those crazy stairs were nuts!  There might only be 9 of them but it felt like 900.

*  The gym is located in somewhat of a strip mall so we ran around the gym section.  Kevin ran with me and in order to make me go faster, he would run in front of me and then I’d speed up to pass him and then he’d pass me and so on.  Until we were completely around the building.

*  Then I used the curb to do 50 toe-touches.  I did this twice for a total of 100 toe-touches.

*  In between the toe-touches I ran the straight of the parking lot – somewhat down hill.  Then ran backwards, up the hill, as fast as I could.  Sometimes it wasn’t super fast so Kevin would pull me to go faster and keep up with him.  After the 2nd round of toe-touches it was my turn to pull Kevin.  Yes, that means that I had to run even faster so that his long legs wouldn’t get tangled.  It was quite the sight, I’m sure!

*  Then I geared up for the grand finale!  We ran the entire perimeter of the strip-mall, including the gym.  Again, we were to pass each other on Kevin’s command.  I know he wasn’t running at full speed but his long legs made it look easy.  Either that or my legs were SO tired that I felt like it was a sprint.  He tried to bribe me to do the entire thing without stopping – - if I did, I would win a massage!  Well, about 1/2 way through, I LOST!  I had to breathe.  But don’t worry I only got about 3 seconds of rest.  He grabbed my shirt and pushed.  He wasn’t about to let me quit.  The end was in sight and I finally made up my mind to just “get it over with”!!!  Thank goodness this was the end.  I was out of breathe and exhausted.

Today, Kevin pushed me to give everything that I had and then some.  If I don’t break 200 lbs tomorrow, its not because Kevin didn’t try to help me!

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To help me clear my mind and wind down, I decided to jump in on a yoga class.  It was a wonderful hour and really made me feel refreshed!  My heart rate was still pretty high after my intense training session so I burned well over 250 calories in my hour of yoga!  That’s awesome.  Every little bit will help.

Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes as planned tomorrow!  Good Night