How to kick your own ass

Yep - I kicked my own butt today for cardio. Rob rewarded himself with a Guinness at Kells (I used the stairclimber at the station, therefore he is responsible for my cardio workout today). I did TWO BigClimbs (that would be 70 floors each ... I know, the Big Climb is actually 69 - I rounded up) and 12 floors to "cool down". One hundred and fifty two flights of stairs. Nice... I love that Stairclimber.

H O W E V E R ... the big gigantic fantastic news for the week was ONE AND A HALF MILES OF PAIN FREE RUNNING ON THE TREADMILL !!!!! SOOOO very excited about that. But, everyone (and I mean everyone) while happy about it, said I needed to 'take it easy'. So I listened. And I haven't run since. The next day I was a little sore, nothing major and certainly no breath stopping sharp knife in my hip/pelvic region. Just muscle sore. I'll try again this upcoming week. Happy happy joy joy :)

And check out my snazzy new tank that I did 45 minutes on the wind trainer with and then the Stairclimber Sunday. It's mighty snazzy... even though it's Nike, it's LiveStrong and it was a gift and I will admit, in writing, that it's pretty freakin nice. It feels like a regular ribbed cotton tank, but it wicks the sweat away and stays super comfy.

Negative news for the week : Shrek toe needs surgery and a shishkabob pin thru it. Apparently, because I whined about wearing the boot thingy to keep the break (back in Oct of 08) from wiggling and moving, well whatdaya know ? The bone wiggled and moved. It actually twisted from the joint (where the break was) on up... great. I have three options: a) ignore it .. not really an option as it freakin' hurts b) a shot to see if that will help at all. Gotta say the dr wasn't confident in that and I felt like he was just throwin' it out there, or c) surgery to slice it open , un-twist it, and throw a pin in there to keep it straight . Alrighty then... let's talk recovery time please. Dr. was AWESOME about this - and he truly listened to what I want - he was thorough as well. He had me run barefoot and said my feet were great, no major pronation, no major issues at all. So, surgery is easy, just no anything for three weeks, then I can do "no impact" cardio (I'm a damn PRO at that) for another 3 weeks and he said I'll be running on it in 6 weeks. STELLAR. Now, I just gotta figure out when to schedule it and get it over with :)

To top off my cardio filled Sunday (StairClimber, walk all over downtown and the Market), we took a walk to the waterfront with the dog. Could it get any better ?

Cardio Cardio Cardio - While I'd rather be doing some weight training (did a little on Saturday), cardio is what gets the weight off the quickest (weight training is needed to maintain that weight loss remember !) FITT FITT FITT FITT

How Much Aerobic Exercise Should You Do?
When considering the guidelines for aerobic exercise, keep the FITT principles in mind (Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type).

• Frequency: Number of aerobic exercise sessions per week
  Aim for a minimum of 3 days per week with no more than 2 days off between sessions. Gradually work your way up to 5 or 6 days per week. Frequency is especially important when it comes to weight loss since more cardio sessions will help you burn more calories. Give yourself at least 1 to 2 days off from aerobic exercise each week.
  
  
• Intensity: How hard you should exercise during each session
  Aerobic exercise should take place at a “moderate” intensity level (not too easy, not too hard). This intensity is ideal for the general health benefits that come with exercise, and for weight loss. Exercise intensity is most often measured using heart rate. The recommended heart rate range is 60%-85% of your maximum heart rate. This range is called the target heart rate (THR) zone. Click here to calculate your Target Heart Rate. Other methods for measuring intensity exist, including the "Talk Test" or Rate of Perceived Exertion also work well.
  
  
• Time: How long each exercise session should last
  Aim for a minimum of 20 minutes per session. Gradually work up to about 60 minutes over time. The further you go over 20 minutes, the more calories you’ll burn and the more endurance you will build. Of course, you might not start an exercise program with a lot of endurance, but you'll slowly build up. Time can be cumulative. You don't have to do 60 minutes all at once. You can do several 10-minute mini-workouts each day and add them up for pretty much the same benefits. (this is one of my fav tips... because really, sometimes it's hard to fit in 60 minutes a day all at one shot !)
  
  
• Type: What counts as aerobic exercise?
  Any activity can count as cardio/aerobic exercise as long as it meets the 3 requirements above (frequency of 3-5 days a week, moderate intensity, and lasts at least 20 minutes per session). It’s important to not confuse “activity” with “exercise.” Not everything you do that’s activity is the same thing. Bowling, fishing, playing darts, and similar “activities” aren’t necessarily cardio just because you’re up and moving.