Ok...here we go. A new month....a new year. Time to get off our collective butts and push ourselves a little bit. This isn't about weight loss so much as it's about living/breathing/moving more...feeling better....improving the quality of our life through fitness. Not to mention pushing ourselves to do a little more than we thought we could.

As always....set a goal for yourself. Something that you know will be challenging. State what your goal is....then come back every chance you get to update your progress.

Make your goal something specific and measurable. XXX miles walking/running/cycling/ellipticing/swimming/crossfitting/weightlifting. Or XXX hours working out this month.....XXX times going to the gym this month....whatever you want.

Here's mine....120 miles running and 12,000 meters swimming. Plus I'm doing the pull up challenge every other day, hoping to work my way up to being able to do a pull up sometime soon.

Everybody join in. This is a new year. Exercise and fitness will make you feel better, help you sleep, speed up your metabolism, increase our strength and stamina, lengthen your life....and make you look better naked. Face it, we could all use that.

Edited January 1, 201412 yr by Butterthebean

Fiddle - is it normal to be "up" almost a pound the morning following a brutal lifting session? Is that water in the torn muscles?

2 mile walk today with hubby and working on getting in some miles on my exercise bike at work, 2 miles so far. 27.5/100

Seela did you like Zumba? :-)

Fiddle - is it normal to be "up" almost a pound the morning following a brutal lifting session? Is that water in the torn muscles?

Yes, that is most likely water being drawn into the muscle to assist the rebuilding of muscle fiber.

Seela did you like Zumba? :-)

Omg... I love it! Just can't seem to find a big enough block of time to do it! So after my discussions the other day I remembered I had a rebounder (mini trampoline) and some resistance bands in storage. I went and got them and I've been doing little 5 min sessions on the rebounder several times a day( which my kids think is hilarious)! And so far mostly just playing tug of war with the bands with my son. ... I can find time to do little mini things throughout the day.. like a quick walk around the block or some calestetics here and there but a full out work out routine is just few and far between right now. Thanks:)

Just checking in, I'm still getting in my walking, and also the eliptical and recumbent time, but work has been so crazy that I've had to cut back on my yoga and strength training sessions. I don't know how you all do it. I get up at 5:30 every am to get in the walking and I've been doing some fast intervals to keep up the heart rate(trainer says intervals are the way to go!) I'm so glad that I have my gym equipment set up in the basement because I have no excuse not to use it. It's harder to block out the time to go to the gym, but have promised myself I will go twice a week to get in one yoga class and one strength session. My trainer is so cool, she says just do what you've got to do and don't stress about the rest. MTD-52 miles walking, 4yc, 3 ss, 20 min/day either eliptical or bike.

Butter - the foot is no bueno, i think your original assessment is probably accurate or at least mostly the case, plantar f. Every step hurts, even though I spend quality time every night rolling out the arch with a tennis ball, not a happy camper!!

Ouch. Sorry globe. I'd also try making fists with your toes, on carpet preferably. Really strengthens the tendons of the arch. Also, lots of calf stretching.

Lastly.....I dunno if you can get these while you're deployed.....but my wife swears by these. The look like toe less socks, but they are super tight....almost like compression socks. I recently got a pair and I do like them.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CF3AUPA/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Did a last long run of 11 miles before next weekend's half marathon. Took an ice bath when I got home. My knee and hips are hurting!

Run: 36 (Goal: 60)

Walk: 28 (Goal: 60)

Bike: 9 (Goal: 30)

Total: 73 (Goal: 150)

How did you like that ice bath? It's no fun is it? But it does wonders for inflammation. Is your half marathon this weekend? Congrats. I'll be running a half marathon this weekend too. Best of luck to you.

How did you like that ice bath? It's no fun is it? But it does wonders for inflammation. Is your half marathon this weekend? Congrats. I'll be running a half marathon this weekend too. Best of luck to you.

It was no fun at all! Thanks for the suggestion though, I did feel better afterwards.

Half is on Sunday. Can't wait! Good luck to you as well!

Butter - I do all of those things, the foot-clenching, the ball-rolling, and the toeless foot wrap, I have them from dancing. Tonight my trainer and I will be doing cardio for the first time since starting the compound lifting, we'll see what my foot is able to do....

update: about to go do cardio with the trainer, be end of night will have only consumed 650 cals, I went a little berserk last night with some cashews so I think it's okay, plus everything at the difac tonight was highly delicious and highly inedible - buffalo chicken bites, fried mozzerella sticks, GRILLED CHEESE ... D:

Edited January 14, 201412 yr by Globetrotter

BTB - how is your sprained / broken toe doing? Are you going to manage for the 1/2 coming up next weekend? Hope it is getting solid again.

BTB - how is your sprained / broken toe doing? Are you going to manage for the 1/2 coming up next weekend? Hope it is getting solid again.

Doing fine fiddle. It's tender but it has not stopped me. I did 5.5 miles yesterday and 5 more today. I'll do the 1/2 this Saturday, the only question is whether or not I'll wear the vibrams. I did wear them today and they felt great. I just have to be careful not to stub that toe right now cause it's hilly sensitive.

So far 57.6 miles running for the month.

Reporting on Week One of January Fitness Challenge..........

GOALS:

Gym: 5-6 days a week...... CHECK .... Went 6

Elliptical: 30-36 mi/wk.... CHECK.... Went 34

Weights: 2-3 days a week.....CHECK.... 3 days

MET GOALS FOR JANUARY, WEEK ONE !!!!!!!!

Reporting on Week Two of January Fitness Callenge:

Gym: 5-6 days a week..... CHECK....Went 6

(Total for Jan. 12 out 14 days)

Elliptical: 30-36 mi/wk...... CHECK..... 34.69mi

(Total for Jan. 68.69 miles)

Weights: 2-3 days a week...... NO CHECK.... Just once this week

(Total for Jan. 4 days)

MET MOST OF MY GOALS FOR JANUARY, WEEK ONE AND TWO

added another 4miles, and another 30 minutes on the recumbent. MTD-56 miles on the treadmill, 5 yc, 3 ss

5 miles tonight at work. 58.5/100 mtd

Arms day yesterday with the trainer - it was so .... cathartic that I actually welled up! Lifting releases all my toxins/emotions, anyone else experience that? We did this one, a bar with a rope attached to the center and a donut weight at the end of the rope. You hold your arms at a 90 deg angle, or straight down, or out, whtever works, and you slowly roll up the rope till the weight is at the bar. I did those overhand and then underhand, arms straight down, and my .... inability, my ... weakness, actually choked me up, wierd...

Ab day was three days ago and I sneezed this morning and it hurt like a mutha :/ So far, "up" 2 lbs ... When does the swelling go down?