Go to the gym

I have pretty much stopped going to the gym since I marked this goal as done. How lame! My excuse is that I got very busy with grades and end of term stuff and holiday parties… which is a pretty lame excuse. I’m going to go get a milkshake.

Today at the gym I ran for 1.6 miles and walked as a warm-up/cooldown for .4 more. My goal was to run one and a half miles but I made my playlist a little too long – just one tenth of a mile. I think I could have run more but I kinda gave up because I wanted to go use the free weights. Next week I’m going to run 2 miles.

I went to the gym nine times in November and I really see a change. I feel a lot better both physically and mentally. Plus I’ll be able to play rugby in the spring if I’m in good shape. This goal is done!

Today I wore a skirt I haven’t worn since August and it fits looser now than it did then. (Which for this skirt, is actually kind of a bad thing, but it’s a good thing overall so I don’t care.) I felt actually foxy in my yoga-stretch gym pants today. I did some killer ab crunches and I’m only 20 pounds away from bench pressing Nicole Richie (at her skinniest – I’m glad the girl is gaining weight but it’s going to make it harder for my bench pressing celebrities goal).

I’ve been to the gym 9 times this month, and I probably won’t go again until Friday which is a different month. But I might call this goal done… and then come up with a different goal so I can keep writing about my gym trips, because it makes me really happy.

I went two more times this week (pretty good, considering I had only 2 days of school and I went on my way home both days). I’m still working on the perfect running mix and on Tuesday I upped my run to 1.25 miles. That’s still pretty pathetic, but getting better. What frustrates me the most is that I keep doing sit-ups but my abs never hurt (perhaps I am doing all the work with my neck again?) and whenever I weigh myself I have gained weight. I hope it’s muscle. But even if it is, I don’t seem to be dropping any fat. Maybe I’m not working hard enough. I need a gym buddy for motivation.

I went to the gym three times this week! And I switched from the stationary bike to running on the treadmill, and ran a mile non-stop on Wednesday and today. It’s not very far, or particularly fast, but it’s a start. I’m working on the perfect running/workout mix, but I have no clue where my little ipod clip is and none of my workout pants have pockets, so it’s kindof a pain to carry everything (ipod, exercise sheet, pencil, paper towel, and drippy water bottle) from machine to machine.

but dude, I love going to the gym. I come home feeling pumped up but tired, and all of my stress from the day just disappears when I do incline sit-ups until I have to lie on the bench panting.

So I only made it to the gym once this week – that’s twice so far this month. This is not very good for keeping my goal of going ten times in November. But I had a busy week, with the Latin Festival and chaperoning the dance on Friday night. Next week I’m going Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I did all my laundry this weekend so I have tons of clean gym socks and t-shirts. I’m ready!

So I’m trying really hard to make this a routine, but there’s always something else (grades due, parent conferences, people visiting) that keep derailing my plans. If I go every few days I feel really good, but if I take a week off I feel really bad when I go. I used to be such a gym rat and now I’m really out of shape, I have no endurance for running, and I can hardly lift. But it will get better if I keep going.

November goal: go at least ten times (2-3 times per week).

If I lift my arms above my shoulders my left tricep starts to ache, and I’m so excited. I went to the gym Friday and Monday, and I’m trying to make this a routine. Friday’s gym trip kinda sucked as I just felt out of shape and stupid – I hadn’t been to the gym at all in almost two years. But Monday was awesome. I used the free weights and even bench pressed, and I didn’t get intimidated by the big burly guys bench pressing next to me.

I joined a gym.. but it doesn’t open until late September! However, it’s really convenient to my drive home from work so I have high hopes of going.