Ups and Downs

UP: So the week started off awesomely! The workout with Tyler on Monday was grueling - but I felt so great afterwards.  We did a double whammy of a workout - the 10 lbs vests + the Bee Street Garage! It was another workout, where 1/2 way through I thought I was going to lose my lunch! Tyler says this means I'm getting a great workout... hmmm....

So we went up the 8 flights of stairs - I really pushed myself and got my best time ever (2 minutes), which is pretty incredible considering the 10 lbs vests... then we did lunges, side shuffles, and running up and down an incline in the garage.  Then another 8 flights of stairs - this time around, my time was 2:15 minutes.  Then at the top, after a brief core exercise, we did another 8 flights! I didn't do as well this time around - I was closer to 3, but I also was having trouble with this one coming so close to the 2nd time around.  For the sake of comparison, I usually average around 4 minutes without the vests... I've decided recently that I need to push myself farther and harder... so overall, pleased with times from all 3 rounds!!

DOWN: Tuesday I got pink eye and was sent home from school and couldn't do the workout on Tuesday night! I was SO bummed!! Not only because this is the last week of workouts with our team, but also because Tuesday was to be the last fitness test, and I was all geared up to race through my times and finish with a bang! But you can't make the fitness test up, so I was out of luck :(  Wednesday I had to stay home from school and was a little on the sluggish side... amazing how missing that workout on Tuesday night affected me on Wed! I was productive with school work, but not with working out...

UP: Wednesday night we did a Cooper River Bridge Run workout! We did a stations workout first near the parking lot. The stations were: abs workout/pull knees up to chest while hanging from a bar (harder than it sounds!), pull-ups while sitting on ground and pulling up to a bar (again, harder than sounds!!), squats with a 20-lbs kettle bell, 1:30 minute plank, dips, and situps (all stations were for 1:30 minutes).   Then we jogged up to the bridge and going up from the Mt. P side, it was running from lamp post to lamp post, then doing walking lunges to the next lamp post, then running, then lunging, etc.  Then after doing that for 3 sets, we ran the rest of the way up the bridge. There is a reason I like running on FLAT ground!! My calves were BURNING!! But I kept running - I stopped to power walk twice, but only until I realized I was losing my lead, and then I ran again :)  I always run faster if I choose someone I want to beat on my team - yesterday I chose 2 people, so I had to push it!  And I saw two friends - Brad & Adam - running on the bridge and that gave me a little yay moment followed by a surge of energy to run harder!

UP&DOWN: Tonight is the last HCC meeting and weigh-in :( but I'm also happy to be free of some of the people on my team.  I will continue to weigh-in weekly after this week and there's a prize for the biggest loser post HCC - I will be pushing for that one :)

I already have a group training program in place and will start doing workouts with a new team of people on MWF at 6AM - quite the switch from evening workouts, but I prefer it! It will help me regulate my food/snacks in the evening better. The training group is with Kelsey (my new fave spin instructor) and I'm excited for life after HCC.  I will be joining the gym at MUSC - if I join before 4/4, I will get 1 month free.  The gym membership is steep ($60/month), but this gym is worth it - I'm not intimidated to go by myself, and after having a team that is not quite the ones for coming to workouts, I'm glad I can go and not have to depend on someone else... I tend to get intimidated at other gyms and put off going - so I might as well pay for the best and have my support system at the gym in place for my life after HCC! I have a lot more to lose and a long journey ahead of me - but I'm excited about what it will bring!!

I will get on tomorrow and let you know what tonight's weigh-in brings :)
Thanks for the continued support - from 'following' my blog and keeping up with me! I really appreciate it!! I will be continuing to blog as the journey continues! :)