So I promised myself that if…er… I mean, “when” (ahem) I got under 220 lbs that I would start weight training in addition to my cardio workouts that I’ve been doing. So today was the first day of a 3-Day-Split. Outside of P90X, it’s been a long, long time since I’ve done any strength training. So heading into YouFit this morning I felt a little intimidated.
I took a quick survey of the lay of the land to figure out where all the equipment is that I would need. I may be a “newbie” but I definitely didn’t want to look like one. I’m sure I failed at that, but oh well. Day 1 of my 3 day split was to focus on Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps. I wanted to keep my workout brief (45 mins max). I did dumbbell bench press and basic push ups for Chest. Dips and Tricep Rope Pushdowns for Tris, and some dumbbell side lateral raises and military presses for shoulders. I threw in 3 sets of knee raises for some abdominal work.
Over the past month or so, I can definitely tell that my endurance has increased exponentially. But with weights, it was a whole different world. I started each set with a low enough poundage that I would be sure I could handle with proper form. For the two additional sets per exercise, I bumped up the weight to pose more of a challenge. When I was done, I definitely wasn’t sweating like I do after my cardio routines, but I felt slightly nauseated. So I guess I pushed myself enough to be beneficial. I’ll do Day 2 on Tuesday during my lunch break, and Day 3 on Thursday during the same time frame.
To still get in some cardio today, I’ve decided to run in an impromptu race today at 5p. It’s called Run 5 For Boston, and it will be a 5.2 mile loop. Why 5.2 miles? After the bombs went off during the Boston Marathon last Monday, most of the remaining runners were stopped at mile 21. The 5.2 miles represents the unfinished distance from the race.
Now, I can’t guarantee I can run the entire distance. The most I’ve run has been 4 and quarter miles. But I’m going to give it my best shot. I’ll keep my pace very slow, likely between 12 to 12 1/2 minutes per mile. If I have to walk, so be it, but I’ll go as far as my body will allow. There is no entry fee, but they will be accepting donations which will all go to the Boston Red Cross and to The One Fund, the official charity set up by the Governor to benefit victims and families. All runners will get a bib, but no numbers will be issued. The bib will simply have the Boston Skyline. After the race, I’ll post some pictures if I can.
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