healthworks bootcamp

healthworks!

back bay.

bootcamp.

jane.

her most recent epistle:

Good morning Bootcampers,

I hope everyone is feeling alive and well on this fine Thur. morning. We are half way through the 4 wks already if you can believe it. My how time flies when you are having fun and getting fit at the same time:) That is the best 2-fer that one can ask for.

Just wanted to reiterate some key factors for your success:
1. If you are sore and tight today, do some light cardio to get your heartrate up and then spend 10-15min stretching all major muscle groups. Don't just focus on the areas that are sore, but all major areas. Remember, the body is a bunch of muscles all strung together, so if the hamstrings are tight, chances are the calves need some love. You get the idea.
2. Try to get 2 more days of exercise in b/f Monday. Focus should be on A) high-intensity anaerobic intervals or B) high-intensity aerobic intervals. A=short hard bursts of 95-100% effort for 1-2:00min with low-intensity recovery (walk, slow jog) of 1-2:00min. Try for a total time of 20-30min of WORK. B=short hard bursts of 85-90% effort for 4min with 2:00min of walking. Try for 5 sets. Remember, warm-up for 5min b/f each and make sure to properly cool-down. You want to gradually bring your heartrate down and then STRETCH.
3. Proper rest and nutrition are the keys to training with intensity and to train EFFECTIVELY. Rest can be active and nutrition should be wholesome, whole grain, fruits/veggies, lean protein, and minimal fats. But let's face it, life is short and we are not beating ourselves senseless so we can eat more broccoli:) We are working this hard so we can eat a treat of our liking. Anything in moderation is fine. Moderate.


That's it for the Thursday morning advice. You are all doing a fantastic job so keep it up. This hard work WILL pay off. Just keep reaching beyond your wildest expectations and you will be duly rewarded!!!

Have a great weekend. See you Monday, 07:00.

j

great sweaty start to the weekend :)

ran on tuesday after the weekend going home, where i ate plenty of good chinese home-cooked food. nothing extreme, but something about roaming suburbia automatically makes me feel lethargic. same route as the previous: up broadway into arlington and back via mass ave.

i made myself promise to run today, and i did it! YAY! (despite nightmares that i slept through the whole day until 5, 6pm; also couldnt ride a bike nor steer a wheelchair properly, but that's just my subconscious being anxious i suppose)

the body knows. *nose*

route for this morning:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1402170

5.4376 miles
not timed, but somewhere between 45 min and an hour
it was a bit challenging on the inclines but i just took it easy; speed wasn't key. i just was in a lower gear, ok? :)

feeling like i pulled myself out of the funk the last few rainy days have been sustaining. go team go!

sunny, leafy, lots of traffic intersections + morning commutes.
i made it all the way to arlington! huzzah. there's even a fancy monument...
popped a blister. do i need new shoes?

route:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1377942
4 miles
35 minutes

had to push myself a little harder today, but i kept going. i know moderation is key, but at least it keeps me feeling less guilty after enjoying an exceptional meal with high-class meals, wine, good company. they shall go hand-in-hand!

i cant wait til the bsc opens in davis sq. i know they're the walmart of gyms or whatever, but it'll be super convenient. considering splurging for a personal trainer, even for a few months to start out.

onwards and upwards! :)

back in the saddle again

there once was a girl named liu
who saw dust on her running shoe
she picked up the pace
with rain in her face
and ran with full gusto anew

a rainy route:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1375844
4 miles
40 minutes

system reboot

no apologies, no shame, just moving forward.

i ran this morning for the first time in a while, resurfacing from a workout hiatus of a few months. yes, i walk at least two miles a day (probably close to five on lengthy city assignments), bounce about in gleeful energy, and have the occasional (ok, often) bus-catching sprint and grocery schlep, but nothing close to formal activity. i love integrating it naturally into my lifestyle, but it's critical that i latch onto something routine and strenuous! at least as long as i want to keep consuming such delicious things, as i am wont to do. and, plus, i'm a professional. :)

after a refreshing dip at the beach on sunday, i realised i really missed swimming (and the big, now extremely expensive as an alumni, MIT pool). stopped making excuses for not having my fitness wear handy (*^_^* perhaps it's still at the back bay gym locker room?) and got the necessary stuff yesterday. i find it kinda hot that i purchased my first black sports bra.

here's the route today:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1124629

4 miles, 45 minutes, and intense elevation from going up to the prospect hill tower. going up there is not only a physical, but mental, challenge: it's where i badly sprained my ankle in october 2004 from falling on uneven concrete. but i'll tackle it anew. not to be super sappy, but you can only control so much in what happens; you can get hurt by anything, but you can't let that stop you from (sometimes, stupidly) trying again and again. especially being around union square and prospect hill... there's uneven concrete everywhere, so to speak.

it wasn't nearly as tough to get back into the swing of things as i thought. to be honest, it felt like i had never even taken a break. i'll probably feel it much more acutely tomorrow morning :) but it feels so great to push myself in these directions again.

could a triathlon be in the future?

thank you for challenging me.

i want the sunshine to never end

so, tuesday was bar method in the a.m. and rock climbing in the p.m.

wednesday was lots of city-sidewalking but i didnt formally workout.

thursday was busy running errands and getting dear niknak to the airport. i was tempted to go swimming but i just slinked (slank?) around lab and got stuff done but didnt formally workout. my triceps were pleasantly aching all day. not sure what it was but it still felt alright, like i wasnt completely slacking. :)

and this morning i went for a run. went down cambridge street into harvard sq, turned into the law school area, went north on mass ave, swung around porter sq, and returned back to inman via beacon. lovely run except for one weird thing that's happening -- my toes start cramping / going to sleep. i dont know if it's my gait, my shoes, or my socks, but it's so frustrating and i have to stop, take off my shoe, shake my foot for a few seconds, and then keep going (it holds for about 10 minutes, when i have to do it again). i wonder if this is a common problem -- and how to fix it! maybe a different way of lacing or something? i've never had this before...

this weekend i'll be playing and swimming and cavorting in maine. yay!

p.s. yesterday i ordered a scale -- the tanita bc553, which does fat composition and water composition. i also got the lotte berk 4-dvd set. gotta keep going...

metrorock

yesterday morning i did the fatfree bar method workout, and last night i went to metrorock climbing gym with my roommate who's a regular. climbing really is a physical and mental challenge -- plus you use your whole body, from the tips of your fingers to the ends of your toes! i went up 3 or 4 climbs, each challenging in different ways (usually it's the question of 'where do my feet go now?') and i have to say reaching the top and coming down is one of the most euphoric moments. no wonder it's so addictive!

too bad it's really expensive, like $75 a month, not to mention gear and stuff. there are a couple conditioning bikes/treadmills but for the most part it's just climbs as far as the eye can see. so fun! so really far away if you dont have a car!

this morning i slept in and plan to go swimming later this afternoon. however, i know myself -- working out first thing in the morning really suits me because then i can just carry on the rest of the day without worries. minus the whole dragging out of bed thing, which is fine if one gets enough sleep!

too many exclamation marks to handle. intense!