Cardio - 45 minutes of running out on the (National) Mall

Song of the Day - “Milquetoast” by Helmet

- Tim

Weeks Goal:  Curves 3 x’s a week
Walking Daily 10, 000 steps

Yesterday I read an article online. I swear I don;t even get the paper any more except for the coupons. WOW I sound like a grandmother. Oh well. I read all my news online. And yesterday there was an article about a couple who took a 100 day sex challenge. It was an interesting read, and after it was over they required a month off. Gotta love that!!

Anyway, as I read it something struck me, what about a 100 day excercise challenge. FOr me it would be like saying, “I haven’t smoked in 32 days, or had a drink for an alcohalic”. For me I am addicted to NOT exercising. I’m overweight, but not huge, though I feel it sometimes. I HATE going to the gym, but I am sure I should. I hate feeling unattractive and a hate loathing myself. (well aren’t hate and loath the same thing, yes they are.... and FYI it is not a good place).

So I GOT ON THE INTERNET, and googled the words “100 day excercise challenge” and voila. Here I am. I am not going to lie, I need this site. I need the accountability. I need the support. WHen it comes to this part of my life, I am a complete and total wuss. It isn’t pretty let me tell you.

WHAT DO I WANT OUT OF THIS!

1. I want to be happy about myself for the first time in about 25 years.

2. I turn 30 (OMG) at the end of the year, and frankly, no lying or skating my the truth, I want to be SMOKING HOT. I have never been hot in my life. I have bee cute, I;ve dated some nice guys. But I have never felt comfortable with myself. And I think if I don’t feel comforable with myself I am never going to be truly happy. And I definitely want to be happy.

3. I want to be healthy. I would like to be able to run 5 miles without stopping (EVENTUALLY). I would like to be able to put on a bathingsuit and not freak out. I would like to go to the gym and not feel like the ugly step sister next to the gym chicks. Gyms are a very strange animal and they scare the hell out of me.

WHERE I AM TODAY.

29 years old
170 lbs
size 10-12

WHERE I WANT TO BE

Well i guess I can’t stay 29 so I am going to have to give up that notion.
120 -125 lbs
size 6

I WANT TO DO THIS, I NEED TO DO THIS, I HAVE TO DO IT. TODAY HAS TO BE THE FIRST DAY OF A NEW BEGINNING.

BECS

PS: I really hope I post this in the right spot. If not I am terribly sorry!

I will get to 22% body fat. I’m currently at 30%. My current weight is 145, I’m in a size 6. I have no idea what I’ll weigh, or what size I’ll be when I reach my body fat goal. It really doesn’t matter.

I will do this by running at least 4 times a week, 3 short runs, 1 long run. And I will eat like a person who is at the size I want to be. More fruits and veggies, less starches, only the best sweets when I really want them.

I will have muscle tone and flexibility unlike I’ve ever had before.

I will do this by doing yoga and calisthenics at least 4 times a week.

I will run a half marathon in October. I am currently running 3 mile long runs and am ready to increase my distance.

I will increase by .25 miles a week until I reach 6 miles, as long as my HR stays in the target zone the duration of the run. I will get to 6 miles by Mouse’s 6th birthday (in April). I will then evaluate the best way to proceed to reach the half marathon distance by October.

When I reach my goals, I will feel strong, capable, and proud. I will wear the clothes that make me feel and look good only. I will hold my head high knowing that I achieved my goals through hard work and determination.

Thank you all for coming with me, and this is going to be one awesome year!

Bree

I’m not doing the multicolored thing anymore.  That got annoying, for me anyways.

This 100 days starting at 239. My next goal is 230 lbs. And to be much healthier.

I will post the workout when I’m done.  So if you will excuse me, there is a bench and treadmill with my name on them.

Cheers!

My weight goal is to lose 25 pounds by September 9th.

Thanks to Cleda for the kick in the butt to get me over here.
You all can look for me consistently on this board. PROMISE!

It’s Memorial Day weekend and I have a lot more time on my hands than usual.
My goal for the 3 day weekend is to get 100 miles cumulative on the bike.
It’s suppose to be gorgeous, weatherwise.

Today was 35 miles outside. YEAH ME!!!!

And since it’s a goal. . . . if I fall short, I’m not beating myself up.

This is a good way to start off my 100 days.

I’m serious about taking the plunge and staying accountable.
I have to see a difference in 100 days if I plod along and I’m more gooder than badder.
Really. Seriously. I do.!!!!!

Cleda

Day 1

30 minutes rowing on my Concept 2 rower. ( I use a heart rate moniter and like to keep my heart pumping between 145-150 bpm)

I’m Delpha and I am an American living and teaching in Istanbul Turkey.

LONG STORY SHORT:
This is my 2nd and a half year of living in Istanbul.  I’m now 29 years old and I made a promise to myself!
“I will be my best and sexiest ever by the time I’m thirty!”
****(Okay, this is going to be a challenge because I used to be a semi-professional belly dancer and fire dancer a few years back (that’s pretty sexy, right!) I was feeling great then and I looked good...well good enough for someone who had never danced before.  I gave up fire dancing about three years ago.  I am not sure why...maybe it was the toxic fuels getting all over my body and the vapors I breathed...maybe it was just that I didn’t like the people I found myself spending time with....or lost of interest in getting better and learning new “tricks”.  I also gave up belly dancing (stereotypes and cultural realities made me give up this one).  I still dance, but I am more interested in folk and traditional dances.  I don’t want to make money doing it anyway. )

Well, in Spring last year I herniated two of my lower lumbar discs.  I just woke up with a backache one day.  I tried to stretch it out.  Then I went to a dance class, was still sore, so did more stretching.  After all that, I had a long walk at night (carrying a heavy dance bag) and when I woke up in the morning to nature’s call I fell down and couldn’t walk.  I couldn’t walk for days.  I got better and then it happened all over again about 4 months ago.  This time I took two weeks and lots more “therapy” to get better.  Doctors warn of surgery/chronic back pain.  I hate them!  I can’t understand why a girl who has never weighed over 145 pounds, has always been active with dancing, bicycle riding, yoga etc., could have this problem.  But, between both hernias I became depressed, gave up physical exercise, became a workaholic and ate a lot of delicious Turkish pastries!  I was feeling AWFUL.  The worst I have ever felt physically and emotionally.  My clothes didn’t fit, my students commented that I was gaining weight and I couldn’t take it anymore.

I started walking 28 days ago, but today will be my day one because it was today that I felt the need to make this official.  TODAY is the day when it “clicked”.  TODAY feels like a big change in my feeling and motivation.

TOOLS:
A new pair of walking shoes.
My Ipod and various tempos of Podrunner loaded onto it.
A long stretch of concrete along the side of the Marmara Sea.
Free “machines” in the park that use your body weight for resistance.
YouTube for fitness vids.
Website to log my food + estimate my calories burned in exercise
Thinking of the gym (must overcome a fear of sweaty arrogant Turkish men)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TODAY:

60 minutes walking at 3.5 miles per hour with 2 light jogging spurts (each about 5 minutes)+ Upper body machine at the park and one 75 second sitting squat against the light pole when I was waiting for the walk signal.
I felt so good after my walk today that I did 2 sets of 10 reps:
upper ab crunch
middle ab crunch
lower ab crunch
(no obliques - trying to get some shape back after over training them and becoming a brick!)
lower back - reverse crunch

and some stretching!

Caloric intake 1,800 (150 cals over my limit today!)
BMR - 1,388

Needless to say, I’m anxious to regain my previous level of fitness.  Starting a new 100 Day Challenge seems like the way to go.  I’ll post here what I do to get moving each day and what I am doing to achieve my fitness goals in 2008.

Day 1 Tuesday - Walking 30 minutes