Sweatuary

Well. It's been awhile. I am happy to report, though, that it is only my nightly check-ins here that have subsided, not my adherence to Sweatuary. Though I will say that my enthusiasm for it has waned. Amid a stressful week at work and 11 days into this challenge, I started to find myself slightly less motivated and slightly more draggy. But I did it. I won't recount each day's workout here, because they're variations on jogging, weights, and multiple rounds of the Seven-Minute Workout (today I got up to three in a row! woot!), but I'm hoping to double down this week and get back to classes, yoga, and meeting my 10,000 daily steps. I fell off that a bit this week. And, for accountability's sake, I should say here -- I did have one day when Sweatuary didn't happen: Valentine's Day. It was unplanned, as I expected to be done with work by 4:30pm or so and to head home and get a quick workout in before going out to dinner with Josh. But work happened and I ended up not leaving until after 7pm -- and was 30 mins late to din with Josh. BUT all in all, I'm still pretty proud -- these things happen and you've just gotta roll with it and start up again the next day -- which I did! Onwards!

Today was a 20-minute warmup on the bike followed by some intense arms weights. I definitely need to incorporate more weight training into my routine to make sure I'm changing things up and making sustainable improvements. It's a busy week at work and beyond so I'm trying to find ways to squeeze Sweatuary in -- but I'm definitely looking forward to having more time to do classes, espeeecially yoga, as it's been awhile. Summary: 20-min bike Arms weights 1-min plank (gotta start doing these daily!) Fitbit stats: 13,838 steps 5.97 miles 52 active minutes

I didn't mean to go this long without posting! The last few days have been a lesson in moderation; ie, I didn't practice it, and I really need to. Friday I had plans to celebrate a friend's birthday that led to a very, very late night out. I did manage to get to the gym before the bday celebration, which was good. The problem was the utter exhaustion that set in Saturday -- so much so I worried I wasn't going to make it out for the evening's plans, OR be able to do much of a workout. In the end I rallied and was able to get in a 7-minute workout (info about it here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/the-scientific-7-minute-workout/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0). I don't plan to make that too regular of a thing, because I think it's kind of a cop-out, but I did work up a sweat and at least got moving a little. Today I got back on the horse, rocking a three-mile run and then some uphill walking/jogging to make sure I hit my 10,000 steps (I didn't yesterday. Sadface). I've started watching The Biggest Loser while I jog on the treadmill, so if you're ever in the gym and see somebody tearing up or cheering (sometimes simultaneously) during their workout, it might be me. I just love that show. Tears, every time. The best thing about this challenge so far is it's shown me how much I like being regularly active. That seems crazy that I'd forgotten that (and I still don't always relish the idea of starting a workout) -- but feeling like I'm in better shape and working toward more improvement is an awesome feeling. And this weekend reinforced the importance of making sure I take good enough care of myself to get good sleep and work out well on the daily. Ok, the last three days' stats below! Day 9 Summary: 3-mile run plus 15-min walk/jog Fitbit stats: 10,835 steps 5.3 miles 58 active minutes Day 8 Summary: 7-minute workout Fitbit stats: 7,283 steps 3.1 miles 21 active minutes (womp) Day 7: Summary: 20 minutes rowing 10 minute run Fitbit stats: 12,729 steps 5.6 miles 37 active minutes

Tonight, on Day 6 of this Sweatuary challenge, I tried out a new studio that had offered a great deal on Gilt City. It was part spinning, part yoga, which was pretty fun. I had thought it was a total 45-minute class, but it turned out to be closer to an hour or more, so that was more intense than I anticipated. But I'm feeling like the consistent working out is all leading up to better endurance, which is kind of awesome. And inspiring to keep it up. AND my friend Beth and I did it together, which was so much fun -- I'm really digging this whole socializing through exercise thing (it did not stop us from getting a glass of wine afterwards). If I seem totally exhausted in this post, it's because I started work at 7am today and I'm about ready to pass out. I'll post more next time we hit up this new studio (Studio 360, which Beth and I have two more classes to attend on our Gilt deal), and will definitely mention the black light portion of the evening. That was something different. For now, the stats! Summary: Spinning + yoga class Fitbit stats: 16,409 steps 7.1 miles 73 active minutes

Today I wasn't able to get the workout in until about 9:30pm, so I headed downstairs for a run on the treadmill. I'm pretty proud of myself -- I did another 3 miles at an ok pace, no stopping! Woo! Despite definitely being tempted to stay out later and continue socializing, I knew I needed get home and get the Sweatuary on.  This challenge has made a huge difference in showing me I can incorporate working out into my daily life. And I'm really hoping all this work -- and perpetual soreness, ow -- will yield some results. That seems kinda silly after five days, but 28 is a whole 'nother story. Right now I'm grateful that I'm sticking to my plan and remembering how it feels to be athletic, something I was for most of my life til I left college and didn't quite master a "real life" that involved as much activity. So, all in all, yay. Five days down, 23 to go. Tomorrow I am excited to try a new spinning/yoga class with my friend Beth, which should be a fun change of pace. Here we go! Summary: 3 mile jog Fitbit stats: 11,071 steps 5.32 miles 49 active minutes

Because today I did my first ever FlyBarre class. (Check out FlyBarre here: http://new-york.flywheelsports.com/why-flybarre) It was pretty much a product of circumstance that I ended up there at all (awkward amount of time between work and rehearsal, and no running shoes with me) and... whoa. I discovered, and may have pulled, muscles I didn't even know I had. Ow. So it's only Day 4 but so far, so good. I'm really glad I undertook this challenge as it's showing me I can make this work if I make it non-optional. And I'm feeling a lot better as a result. Tomorrow I may have to go easy with some kind of very stretchy yoga or something of the like, but I'm looking forward to it. And I know I'll fit it in and get 'er done regardless of what the day brings. Onward! Summary: 45-minute FlyBarre class Fitbit stats: 15,078 steps 6.41 miles 62 active minutes

Today was the kind of day I designed this challenge to cope with. The kind of day where things don't go according to plan, but you still make it happen. (Also the kind of day where it blizzards less than 24 hours after being 54 and sunny. What the heck, Mother Nature?) I had planned to go to a spinning class at Equinox tonight after work and before meeting my lovely friend Candice for dinner, but by the time I needed to leave I hadn't wrapped up everything I needed to get done for the day. On top of that, I'd forgotten a lock for my locker -- and I guess if I'd reeeeally wanted to make the class, I could have left and figured something out, like being that girl who brings a huge bag and coat into spin class with her, and just finished up my work the next day. But that's not how it went. Instead, I finished up work at a relatively non-harried pace and made it to dinner early, which is kind of amazing for me because I suffer from chronic lateness (a new year's resolution to cure). And then dinner turned into a delicious culinary event involving a glass of red wine, a salad containing fried goat cheese (heck yeah), and a ridiculous ice cream sandwich (among other things). And that was ok (I mean it was way more than ok. It was awesome). Because when I got home, despite being stuffed, despite it being 9pm, I headed down to the gym and Sweatuaried it out. Thirty minutes on the bike and a pretty intense arms weight workout. And then a minute-long plank that nearly killed me. I'm pretty sure I didn't breathe for the last 5 seconds. So, maybe not the most incredible workout or healthiest day in the world... but a day in which not everything went according to plan, and -- to quote Tim Gunn -- I still made it work. Summary: 30 minutes bike Arms weights 1 min plank Fitbit stats: 11,706 steps 4.95 miles 91 active minutes

Happy to be on a two-day streak and looking forward to implementing this new plan into the workweek ahead. Here we go! Summary: 3-mile jog Fitbit stats: 14,821 steps 7.05 miles 59 active minutes

First day: check. It would be pretty sad if I fell off the wagon this early, but still, I'm feeling pretty accomplished that I didn't (especially considering the usual lethargy that characterizes my Saturdays). Today's workout was a power yoga session at a studio I've just discovered here in downtown Brooklyn. Their prices are amazing -- $13 a class -- and the teacher, and her playlist, are awesome. She played an amazing cover of "Higher Love" toward the end of class by James Vincent McMorrow, which is pretty much the most amazing thing to listen to when you're in a crazy stretch and feeling awesome that you're at a power yoga class in the first place. Check it out:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c__noWWtdZg I've also got a Fitbit that I've become fairly obsessed with, and I want to double down on efforts to hit the daily 10,000-step goal. Despite the 15-minute walk to and from yoga and walking to dinner with Josh (which included a little too much in the wine and cheese categories to be considered truly nutritious... but it was delicious!), I still fell short. So after dinner I downloaded James Vincent McMorrow's album and headed downstairs to the little gym in my building and walked 20 minutes on the treadmill listening to it. It's fairly awesome. Another favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR3HRMO7nZg Music, for me anyway, makes such a difference in workouts of all kinds. What classes do you guys take that inspire you? Or favorite workout playlists/songs? Summary: Power yoga 20 mins walking Fitbit stats: 12,140 steps 5.28 miles 54 active minutes

Winter is here, and my couch potato tendencies are out in full force. So as a way to counteract my cold weather-induced inertia, I'm committing to 28 days of sweat -- doing something active every day of February. I'll check in every night to recount the day's workout, plus other health-related (or other) reflections. Here we go! Day 1: Power yoga.