Run Ellen, Run!

My body didn't like turning 40. Once, I had the metabolism of a meerkat. Now it's more like that of a mastadon. You know, extinct. I need to take out my Girl Scout kit and light up my mitochondria by hand to get the thing burning. That doesn't happen with my bum on my chair.

So, I've turned to running. Not just random running, either. Running with goals. 5Ks, 10Ks, that sort of thing. I work well with goals and deadlines. If I don't have a goal, then "run" will just be another one of those items on my to-do list that is left unchecked at the end of the day. And when I set a goal, I like to meet and preferably exceed it. Otherwise, it's just embarrassing. And I very much dislike being embarrassed.

To help with running and the general "getting fit" agenda I've taken on, I signed up for three personal training sessions. A Try Pack, as they call it at my gym. You do these three sessions with a trainer, and you get so much off when you continue training. My vitals were taken at the outset (5'4", around 29% body fat and weighing in at 130.2 lbs) about three weeks. The three sessions are over now, and I somehow gained 2 lbs. Oh, right, Thanksgiving.

I have three workout routines under my belt and plan to sign up for at least four more training sessions. My near-term goal is to get to the gym every day between Nov. 30 and Dec. 24 and run at least 2 miles and complete one of those workouts. Long-term goal is to get down to 120 and run a half-marathon in June.

I can do this.

The one day I will miss the gym is Dec. 12. That's because I'm running in the Boston Santa Speedo Run. It's a fundraiser, and as you can visualize from the name of the run, I may need these few extra pounds on me to keep me insulated. I can handle that for now.

Okay, so ... why the blog? I figure it's the easiest way for me to track my daily workouts—my memory also became extinct with turning 40.

June. Half marathon. Hold me to it.

It's Dec. 2, so I'm backtracking two days here. Today's workout will be posted later (if I remember, of course).

November 30
Run 2 miles
Workout #1
Deadlift w/30lb bar into Calf Raises--12 reps
Mountain Climbers---12 secs
Dumbbell Snatches w/ 7.5lbs---12 reps
Plank on Stability Ball---20 secs

Repeat this circuit 2 times, no rest in between the workouts!

Single Leg Balance Rows w/7.5lb dumbbells---8 reps per leg
Stability Ball Single Arm Rows w/7.5lb dumbbells---8 reps per arm
Jumping Lunges---16 jumps
Stability Ball Trunk Twists with 10lb plate---16 twists

Repeat this circuit 2 times.

December 1 (third personal training session)
Run 1 mile before session
Farmer's walk across gym (lunges w/7.5lb dumbbells)
Ugly farmer's walk back across gym (lunges w/overhead press of dumbbells)
Work on Freedom Trainer machine
Lunge w/35lbs? into a fly - 12
Squat w/65lbs? into a fly - 12
Repeat

Oh, hell, I forgot what we did next. Stew still needs to send me the whole workout.