Real talk. I did not want to do this run. But I did it, like a boss. It helped that I made myself only focus on form and not on any sort of speed or anything.
Stats:
Distance: 1.93 mi
Speed: 15:33 min/mi
Animals: dogs being walked, dog having his ball thrown
I’m back at it! I started the Couch to 5K training app over at day 1 since it’s been so long since I’ve been running. But I did it! Good work, self!
The back of my left leg is a bit weirdly sore still, probably from yard work this weekend, but it didn’t seem to interfere with my run once I got going.
Stats:
Distance: 1.91 mi
Speed: 14:50 min/mi
Animals: 1 orange cat hiding under a dumpster, many dogs being walked
It’s been too long since I worked out, so here’s getting the week off on the right foot. I did ~1mi walk yesterday night, which was nice. Just cool enough to need to bundle up slightly, but still pleasant once I got warmed up.
Probably because I haven’t had breakfast yet, but 2 rounds is plenty for my legs this morning.
| Exercise | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 squats | X | X | X |
| 5 knee pushups | X | X | X |
| 20 lunges (walking) | X | X | X |
| 10 milk jug rows | X | X | X |
| 15s plank | X | X | X |
| 30 jumping jacks | X | X | X |
ETA: I did it! I sat around for a while and decided fuck it, time to finish that third round!
This week has been very busy and very unfocused. But I got in a solid 2 rounds and did some civic participation, so I’m calling it a win.
| Exercise | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 squats | X | X | |
| 5 knee pushups | X | X | |
| 20 lunges (walking) | X | X | |
| 10 milk jug rows | X | X | |
| 15s plank | X | X | |
| 30 jumping jacks | X | X |
So that was a week. In addition to the massive upheaval of the election, a good friend hit a major professional milestone and also had to put down one of her dogs. In light of everything, and my stated goal of habit building before substantial physical fitness improvements, I’m cutting this workout a bit short.
I technically started the workout on Wednesday and also made it through the first round, and then my roommate got home and we had to yell about the election.
| Exercise | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 squats | X | ||
| 5 knee pushups | X | ||
| 20 lunges | X (walking) | ||
| 10 milk jug rows | X | ||
| 15s plank | X | ||
| 30 jumping jacks | X |
In light of recent events, I really have no idea what to do. So I went for the run I was planning on not doing because of the new weight training I started yesterday. whelp.
Stats:
Distance: 1:84 mi
Speed: 15:49 min/mi
Animals: 1 dog being walked, lots of rain
A thing I have not been updating on is my current overall skin care routine. Lets check it out!
Evening:
1. Oil: Argan or jojoba oil
2. Cerave foaming cleanser
3. Cosrx BHA
4. Cosrx AHA
5. Missha FTE
6. Mizon All in One (brown jar)
7. (sometimes) CeraVe PM
Notes: I’ve been applying the BHA and AHA basically on top of each other. On days when I’m exercising, and thus starting my routine earlier, I’ll hold off on the rest of my routine until I’m brushing my teeth and going to bed. Otherwise, I try to wait for them to dry, then go right into the rest of my routine. Some folks suggest that wait times can be important in maximizing the effectiveness of active ingredients like acids, but my current schedule just doesn’t support it.
You will also note that I’m really not wearing any makeup these days. Again, primarily a time issue. Also, since my skin has greatly improved, my job doesn’t require it, and I’m lazy, it’s nice to not ‘have’ to.
Morning:
1. Rinse with water or Cerave hydrating cleanser
2. Missha FTE
3. Mizon All in One (brown jar)
4. Sunscreen
I’m still not 100% satisfied with my sunscreen choice, and I blame my impatience and also the really opaque product descriptions. I like the Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence sunscreen, it really has a very nice finish. Since it’s been cooling off, I’ve been reaching for it more often and I am less concerned with the fact that it isn’t sweat/sebum/water resistant. In the hot sweaty stick southern summer though, I think it’s probably a joke, given that I can’t walk to my car without sweating, which I why I picked up the Nivea Sun Protect Plus UV Milky Essence. Unfortunately, it tends to leave me shiny, except on rare occasions and I’m not sure what I’m doing differently on those days. :( I’m excited to try a Biore Milk sunscreen soon.
My legs were starting to feel the running a bit more than I really wanted, so my current plan is to slow that training down a bit and get started with a weight workout, which I’ve been meaning to do. Since I don’t really own any working out/weight lifting equipment and don’t have or want a gym membership, I’m starting with the Beginner Bodyweight Workout from Nerd Fitness*. I like the idea of bodyweight workout since it doesn’t require a lot of monetary investment, and I have lots of milk jugs to fill with water!
| Exercise | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 squats | X | X | |
| 5 knee pushups | X | X | |
| 20 lunges | X (regular) | X (walking) | |
| 10 milk jug rows | X | X | |
| 15s plank | X | X | |
| 30 jumping jacks | X | X |
This is a good illustration of how not-great shape I’m in, despite the running going well. My legs are in the best shape, so I started with the ‘hardest’ squats with my arms over my head, and for round 2, I did the hands behind the head. I probably could have done a third round of squats, but I’m giving myself credit for doing the workout at all in the first place, and calling it a day. My goal is consistent workouts, not super hard workouts. I’m also quite weak in the arm department, so I’m starting with 5 pushups from my knees instead of the 10 regular pushups. Hilariously, the 10 dumbbell/milk jug rows were no problem. I probably can plank for a little longer, but I’m ok with starting at 15 seconds and working up to my three full rounds of exercises first before making them harder.
I am severely unmotivated to be running right now. Also, my runs are mostly getting harder. I’m still making good progress, but uuuugh.
Stats:
Distance: 2.21 mi
Speed: 15:26 min/mi
Animals: dog walking hour
I ended up hanging out and getting dinner with friends, so I didn’t run on Friday, but got it in today instead! This was my first day of Week 3 of the C25k, and I was pretty nervous about the whole ‘run for 3 entire minutes no breaks’ bit. As it turns out, I’m slow af but once I get in that groove, I don’t really want to die toward the end of those three minutes! This is pretty great since it is a really tangible and visible improvement since I started running regularly.
Stats:
Distance: 2.29 mi
Speed: 15:22 min/mi
Cats: 1, hanging out in the shadows in the middle of the road