Damn It's Cold

Image via WikipediaThe title says it all. While I have gotten out to run once this week, and hope to do so again this afternoon, the icy rain, sub-freezing temps and general holy c40p it's cold type stuff, I am extremely happy that EA Sports Active II allows me to do all of my cross-training at home, in sweats, with heaters blasting.

So, for half marathon training, what does EA Sports Active II offer the lay (or lame) non-athlete like me? Well, it has kick butt work outs. It offers multiple yoga, core, upper body and crunch options. Also, thanks to their "create your own workout" area, you can put together your own favorite routines that can change as often as you want. That includes the length of those workouts and what your avatar wears. Pretty cool.

In between the stretching, sweating and crunching going on in front of one's TV, road work still

requires some attention. This calls for good cold weather running clothing. While I am a novice with this sort of thing, I already know that I'm looking for stuff that wicks my sweat away and - need I say it - keeps me WARM. I'm starting to doubt whether those things are really possible given the amount of sweat I'm producing and the low temperatures outside. My go-to brands right now are LuLuLemon, Under Armour and SportHill. The switch from barefoot running shoes to Nike Vomeros (+6) keeps my feet much toastier during the hard winter months. While sometimes, the temps only require two layers on top, on some runs I'm layering pieces from all of those brands and more.

What do you wear outside during the coldest months? Email me and let me know!

Goals

Targets are generally important in any endeavor. They help us sketch out in our mind’s eye where we are and where we want to go.

Some people like making generalized visions of themselves at a next stage. Examples of this are statements like I’d like to lose five pounds and I’d like to learn the piano.

Others have date related goals they’re meeting. Examples of this are statements like I’d like to lose five pounds by Cindy’s wedding and I’d like to learn the piano before Christmas.

For me to accomplish things, I look at an action, like running a half marathon or doing all the laundry in the house. My generalized vision is being someone who runs a half marathon or has no dirty laundry. Please note that these two goals are probably self exclusive. The date related to such goals are the date of the half marathon or the date I’d like to have the laundry totally done.

I’m relatively compulsive once I’ve fixed on a project. I read the blogs, I peruse the free sites, I sometimes read magazines, I query friends and strangers who know more than me, and I always read far too many books on the topic. Dear Husband still jokes that my pregnancy prep resembled my prep for the bar exam. Honestly, some friends of mine (CBS & ML come to mind) who will probably read as many or EVEN MORE books than me on that topic. They’re compulsive lawyers too. J

So here I am in week one of half marathon training. On the cheap. Recognizing that I am a novice. And I’m loving it.

Today, day three, I worked out with EA Sports Active II. I didn’t use their 21 day or 9 week programs, both of which I love. Oh NO. I went hard core and clicked right to the Crunch & Core workout. Welcome back mountainclimbers! Hello again plank position!

Because here’s a lovely secret about well thought out exergames like EA Sports Active II – they take many different fitness plans into account and offer you options. So I’m able to do my half marathon cross training by using their OTHER fitness workouts, filed away in the “My Workouts” Box on the upper right hand corner of my home screen. Crazy right?!?!?

Well, I’m lovin’ it…and that’s all that matters as I look ahead to tomorrow when I go on a nice 4.1 mile run in the mountains in 40 degree temps….oh, and there might even be rain. Yippee. Bring it ON!

What’s The Plan, Sam?

Image by marichica88 via FlickrSo, I never did a year end wrap up on weight loss and results, nor did I post specifically about this year ahead….until now.

As some of you know, the autumn was a particularly intense season for me personally and professionally, which was so jam packed with goodness that it slipped right through the holidays. In fact, due to freakish global weather patterns that have encouraged all squirrels across the globe to become obese, I have been able to not only continue to exergame, but also to run into January. I even ran today.

Which all brings me to my lack of blogging. I didn’t so much. There was simply way too much stuff going on.

Quick Year End Update:

After exergaming consistently all year, and added barefoot running for the last third of the year, I lost a grand total of 58-61 pounds. Pretty good. Could have been better and could have been worse. It even stayed off last week when I totally fell apart with exhaustion and only worked out once – a four mile jog.

I’ve lost 3-4 dress sizes and generally look better in what I’m wearing. My shoe size has remained the same.

My endurance is generally much better and I can whip off a Zumba workout, an EA Sports Active II hill workout, or a 10K any day of the week without worrying about feeling pain afterward – or even the following day.

What’s Up In 2012:

I’ve committed to, and registered for, running my first half marathon (ever) on April 15^th. I hope to run another in the fall. This means that my present training has to be fine tuned and thrown up a notch. Other than the long distance running piece, exergames, specifically EA Sports Active II, will be my only cross training crutch, at least for the first half marathon.

A lot of people ask me how I keep all the moving parts straight and get things done across platform. I generally find that quite funny. I feel that I barely keep things together and moving cohesively (and keep our family in clean clothing!), so I’ve also decided to express a year of gratitude. One has an awful lot of goodness in one’s life, and one doesn’t always think about it or write it down or acknowledge it as it’s happening. So my plan, which is totally ripping off a friend of mine, is to take a few moments each day and write at least one “I’m thankful for…” statement. I’m keeping them all together, so that at the end of this year, I can look back and see some small pieces of what’s been going on and that keeps me centered. I’ve already looked at the list a couple of times, and it does help centre oneself.

So there we have it campers! How did your 2011 projects turn out? How are your resolutions going?

Related articles

• Exergaming: Can Exercise Games Help You Get Fit? (webmd.com)
• ExerGames & Weight-loss (gamiconnection.wordpress.com)