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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Resolutions, Part 1





Aaaaaaaaand we're back! Sorry for the disappearing act. We had a guest for Christmas, as you can see in  my last entry, and just a few days after we left for San Diego, where we spent the New Year. By the way, if you really want to usher the year in right, do it while sipping mimosas in La Jolla Cove at a cozy breakfast spot on a cliff overlooking the Pacific. That, my friends, is what we call perfection.

I'm not normally big on resolutions because hello, no one ever really keeps their resolutions, do they? But this year, I've decided, is the year. This year I have two sets of resolutions - not just two resolutions, mind you, but two sets. One is a fitness set, and the other is a creative set. Let's talk about this fitness set.

It's actually relatively straightforward. I don't need to lose weight, but I certainly do need to tone up. Things have gotten awfully jiggly around here, and I do not find that amusing. I'm also not getting any younger, and the healthier I can stay now the better. Where does today's modern woman turn for fitness motivation? iPhone apps, of course! Couch to 5K, 100 Pushups and 200 Squats are my fitness resolution set monitors.

Couch to 5K is awesome, by the way. I started it last year and got about halfway through before my gym closed in the heat of the Arizona summer when running outside is a suicide mission. It basically gears you up from being a lazy slug to being able to run a 5K in nine weeks. Part of my fitness resolution set is to not only finish the Couch to 5K program, but actually run a 5K race sometime this year. This is a HUGE deal for me. I have never, ever been a runner. In fact, I often used to joke that I would only run if someone was chasing me with a knife. However, I hear this rumor that running is one of the best ways to  firm up a jiggly hindquarters, which is motivation enough for me at this point in my life!

100 Pushups and 200 Squats are programs that work in a similar manner... You gradually work your way up to the prescribed number after completing a baseline strength test. I'll end up doing 100 Pushups twice, I think. The first time I'll do it with girly pushups, because frankly I can't even do two regular pushups. Once I complete it that way, gaining tons more strength, I'll do it over again the regular way. 200 Squats should be less challenging. The other day I did the baseline test, then followed that up with my Day 1 set, and wound up totally 90 squats that day! Of course, directly before I had completed my Week 1 Day 1 of Couch to 5K, so as you can imagine walking has been rather difficult for the last two days. All three of these programs have very user-friendly iPhone apps that are easy to use at the gym.

And that gym that closed last summer? A new gym has opened in its place. I'm really happy about this because the other gyms in the area were either crappy or a further drive than I would be motivated to make (or both), and also more expensive. This gym is a 5-10 minute drive from my home, depending on traffic, has beautiful brand new equipment, a gorgeous studio for fitness classes, a huge pool and two saunas. Hopefully they will offer more yoga classes soon - the one they have now is very basic and beginner, and after practicing for ten years I want more of a challenge! Plus, this gym is in the same plaza as my hairdresser, the spa where I get my monthly facial and tanning salon. One stop shopping!

Next up: the creative set of 2010 resolutions!

1 comments:

drollgirl said...

you've got some good resolutions here! i am trying to be healthier and happier, and that is a LOT of work but it is worth it. :)