Category: Exercise

  • Progress!

    Yesterday I had my weekly appointment with Armand, my personal trainer. I told him I was getting frustrated and discouraged by my lack of progress. He begged to differ, saying he could tell a big difference since I started working with him two months ago. I wasn’t convinced, so Armand decided to take all my…

  • My First 5K Run…Ever!

    My first 5K event took place in January of 2009. I signed up to run in the Chilly Dawg because it  was sponsored by my employer.  The plan was to walk it, but I quit before I even reached the half way point. This morning I ran in the Sleighbell.  Having failed miserably at my…

  • A True Convert

    This week I’m attending a conference in Jacksonville,  Florida.  Earlier in my career–back when flying was a pleasant and enjoyable experience–I wouldn’t have even considered skipping.  But the last few years its been held in locations too far for me to reach by car, so I stayed home. It’s great catching up with colleagues I…

  • Slow & Steady

    I’m happy to report that the bathroom scale shows I lost a pound and a half this week. That’s still about a pound and a half more than six weeks ago when I hit my low weight.  Still, after a month of gaining a pound or so every week, I’ll take it. Coincidentally, I joined…

  • Cool Running

    As you know, for the last eight weeks I’ve been using the Couch to 5K (C25K) app on my Android to run three times a week. My partner did the same program on his iPhone. I’m not totally up to speed on the differences between the two versions, but it’s obvious to me that the…

  • Just Do It!

    For the last fifteen years, I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time on my ass. I blame my desk job, the weather, television, genetics, my partner, friends, pets, the way I was raised, and the crime rate–just to name a few. Coming up with good excuses is my true gift, as easy for me as…

  • The Zumba King

    Honestly, there are few things I dislike more than exercising.  One of them is sweating. Getting hot enough to sweat is another. As you might imagine, these dislikes pose quite a challenge to my desire for an active lifestyle. In truth, I abhor an active lifestyle. If I had my druthers, I’d spend every available…

  • On Becoming A Gym Rat

    I never saw it coming. Nobody who knows me or who has ever known me would have predicted it, either. I have become a gym rat. According to the Urban Dictionary, a gym rat is: One who spends entirely too much time partaking in muscle building, strength training, cardiovascular, or aerobic activity. Specifically, one who…

  • Countdown to the Big Event

    I started getting ready for my 35-year high school reunion six months ago. Thursday I’m driving up to Lexington. Friday is the big day. The first major preparation was to get off the couch where I’d resided for most of the last five years. You could say I was working on my abs, or maybe…

  • Week One @ The Gym

    As of today, I’ve belonged to a gym for one full week. I did some kind of rigorous exercise every day but Monday–my one exercise-free day of rest. I’ve been to four Zumba classes, a spin class, and had a thirty-minute session with my personal trainer. When I weighed in Monday morning, I’d lost two full…