fitness test results

1km time trial: 5 mins 29 secs
push ups in one minute: 7 on my toes and 32 on my knees
abdominal strength: level 2
wall sit: 50 seconds
sit and reach: +15cm

I was so excited to get my 1km time trial completed in less than 5 minutes 30 seconds. I just scrape through to the 12wbt advanced program. My push ups and sit & reach test also place me in the advanced category. I bombed out in the wall sit and abdominal strength wasn't much better. I was so sure I could get a respectable time for the wall sit. Around the 45 second mark my legs started shaking and at 50 seconds I collapsed in a heap.

There are a few other pre-season tasks to complete. I need to buy a hat before I can consider myself properly 'geared up'. And still a bit of work to do on my kitchen clean out. My biggest challenge here will be convincing my partner that reduced fat dairy is the best choice. I haven't yet diarised all my workouts but I think early morning will be the best time for me. My schedule is changing shortly as I wrap up uni exams and begin full time work later this month. During January I will take some time off, but I am still keen to get my exercises done in the morning before it gets too hot outside. And I don't quite know what February will look like yet!

exam meltdown

Three exams down and one to go.

This week started off reasonably well. Each day I either ate well or exercised (but not both on the same day). On the days that I exercised I would have a light breakfast then head out for a run. When I came home, I felt that I deserved something substantial to eat after my workout. So I had a big cooked breakfast. A couple of bad snack choices later and I was left feeling guilty about my calorie intake. Did you know that a Bakers Delight almond and custard scroll is 634 calories? Nope, neither did I until after I ate it and looked up the nutritional information.

As the week progressed I spent more time studying and less time looking after myself. I should have placed good nutrition and exercise at top priority but I did no exercise and ate poorly. I was especially worried about yesterday's exam; the subject has a high fail rate. Beforehand I felt like a lamb going off to slaughter. Luckily the exam wasn't as bad as I anticipated and I did a decent job of it.

I've spent this morning catching up on a few 12wbt pre-season task videos. I've got some work to do! Today will be a bit more balanced than previous days. I am planning to clean out my kitchen and do a grocery shop to stock up with healthy food. I will do some study for my final exam next Friday, but I will also make time to go for a jog.

i commit...

I commit to learning what it takes to lead a healthy lifestyle... and the best way to learn is to do; slowly good habits will form

I commit to trying every 12wbt exercise, challenge and recipe at least once and giving it my all... even if I don't believe I am capable

I commit to running a 10k fun run in the next three months... no excuses

I commit to this blog being a place of 100% honesty... a place where I can record both triumphs and set backs and everything in between

more running

I had been doing the same run for a little while now, always stopping to walk at the same spot. I have been in my comfort zone a little too long. This morning I challenged myself to run the entire distance without stopping for a rest. And I did it! I ran 4.5k without stopping in a time of 26:30 minutes. The last kilometre was awful and my legs felt like jelly. I need to remind myself that it is ok to feel out of breath and uncomfortable and sweaty.

My fiance, C, also joined me for the run. He ran the first 2k slowly with me, then sprinted ahead because he is a bit of an athlete and wanted to challenge himself too. Or maybe I just slowed down? Once he had finished, he ran back to meet me and ran the last 500 metres with me. That gave me a real lift. Mostly I prefer running by myself, as when I am out of breath I struggle to maintain a conversation. It was a nice change to have a running partner.

Another reason for this morning's run is that I wanted to be sure I was ready for the Bridge to 10k phone app training program. I think the requirement for this program is to be able to do 5k fairly comfortably. And while I did a little less than 5k, and it definitely wasn't easy, I think the program is just what I need to push myself.

shopping list

If I am going to do this right, then I need to have the right equipment. Simple.

I plan to exercise mostly outdoors as I am lucky enough to have a footy oval 50 metres from my doorstep. There I can run laps of the oval and do fitness circuits. I am really excited that it is so close to home and I don't need to get in the car! One thing it doesn't have is a staircase to sprint up and down, so I might have to substitute another exercise or find another place for stair work.

My back-up will be exercising at home when the weather is bad or when it is late at night. To make this work I will buy fitness dvd's and a portable step (preferably an adjustable one), as per Michelle Bridges' recommendations. The last time I did fitness dvd's was years ago doing Aerobics Oz Style when it was on free-to-air tv. I enjoyed doing that at the time... hopefully the dvd's I pick up will be good to follow along and will make the time exercising fly by. I already have at home 3kg hand weights, a mat and skipping rope. And I have enough fitness clothes and shoes... but I could do with another workout top and a hat.

I am not sure if I can justify the cost of a heart-rate monitor. Perhaps it will be encouragement to push myself more during training? Perhaps it will just be interesting to observe but not change my training habits a great deal? I am reluctant to buy stuff just for the sake of it and overcomplicate my training. Often I find a simpler approach suits me best. Something to consider at least.

So, on the shopping list for this weekend are fitness dvd's, a portable step, a new top and a hat! And speaking of shopping lists, I am really looking forward to our weekly menu plans which begin in a couple of weeks. I am a sucker for good food photography but the meals look so yummy. And what a timesaver to have supermarket shopping lists ready to go. Can't wait to officially begin!

fitness goals

I was going so well for a couple of days there. It feels as though I took one step forward and two steps back. I've gone back to old habits due to the stress of upcoming uni exams. But today, thinking of my fitness goals, I feel inspired to make better choices. I am sure that exercise will break the monotony of study, too.

I have started with my twelve-month goals, and worked backwards. In twelve months I will...
Have lowered my total blood cholesterol by 10%
Maintain my body weight at 58-60kg
Run the 2013 Melbourne Marathon
Be self-disciplined!

And here is how I will get there...

Cholesterol
Checking my cholesterol means a trip to the doctor and a fasting blood test. I will ask for a cholesterol test at my annual check up. In the meantime I will...
Eat well by reducing saturated fat intake and eating more fruit and veg
Use plant sterol enriched margarine
Eat more omega-3 fatty acids (found in seafood, especially salmon which I love!) and take fish oil capsules

Goal weight
In one month I will have lost 2kg
In three months I will be at my goal weight of 58-60kg
In six months and beyond I will maintain my goal weight
And to get there... I will stick to the 12wbt program.

Run the 2013 Melbourne Marathon
In three months I will run a 10k fun run (with the iPhone app training program, Bridge to 10k)
In six months I will run a half-marathon
In twelve months I will run a marathon

Be self-discplined
I have committed to the 12wbt and now I want to make the most of the experience. I've always gone it alone (with limited success). In three months I hope to look back and be proud of myself for sticking with the program.

For every day that I (1) complete my exercises and (2) stick to my calorie limit (+/- 10%) I will put a gold star on the kitchen calendar. Thank you Jackie who suggested that I track self-discipline by recording how many days I stuck to the program.

A few notes on cholesterol...
The Heart Foundation have tons of information available on reducing cholesterol. It's all very straightforward and easy to understand. My plan to reduce my cholesterol is based upon their recommendations.

progress

I am growing more and more confident in my own abilities in recent days. All of a sudden, I feel that getting fit and changing around my lifestyle are achievable. This morning I did a session at the gym. Rather than look at my watch and find a reason to leave after 45 minutes, I did my complete exercise program and really enjoyed the process (with no excuses). I felt confident enough in my strength and fitness to do another set of reps and to do a cycling sprint for an extra two minutes. When I go for a jog I push myself to run a little further before I take a break to walk. Sure, it's only an extra 500 metres, but I am slowly improving.

My diet is slowly changing too, mainly because my ideas about food are changing. This week I am holding back on the sweet treats... rather than every day, I am having a couple each week only. I am also eating dinner every night at the dining table, rather than on the couch in front of the tv.

I have just watched Michelle Bridges' video clip on setting goals for one month, 3, 6 and 12 months. I am considering what matters most to me and I keep returning to this idea of self-discipline. But how will I know when I get there? How do I break it down? I am thinking of ways to convert this lofty goal of self-discipline (and a goal that can potentially be never-ending) into something a little more measurable. I want to be able to celebrate when I achieve it!

It's really important to me that these goals are well thought out, as I want to stick to them and hold myself accountable. I think I might sleep on it and put up a blog post tomorrow with my goals listed (and how I plan to get there).