exercise thirty minutes a day, five days per week, for two months (February 28 - April 29, 2006)

even though I didn’t make it to a full two months. I was remarkably consistent for seven weeks, until I had an emotional breakdown that landed me in the hospital. I’m going to try this goal again—this time with an hour a day, five days a week. 5 years ago

Day 34 of 40

9:30-10:15am

• Meditate (10 min)
• Run/jog
  
  • 5 min – fast walk
  • 4 min – brisk run
  • 3 min – fast walk
  • 4 min – brisk run
  • 5 min – fast walk
  • 3 min – brisk run
  • 5 min – fast walk 5 years ago

Day 33 of 40

9:50-10:25am Today was a quick workout after my morning class. I alternated weight training with stretches and ab work. I managed to sprain my wrist sometime in the past few days as well. ouch.

• Weight training
  
  • Dumbbell bench presses (50 lbs) 12/12/12/13
  • Combo Dumbbell Curl/Shoulder Press (35 lbs) 8/6/6/8
  • Abs (4×10reps)
• Intensity 7.5/105 years ago

Day 32 of 40

9:00am-9:45am I meant to do a more involved workout, but my body was exhausted from the day before, so I settled for a long walk around the neighborhood after I dropped the recycling off. I also meditated by the pool for ten minutes. Intensity 4/105 years ago

31 out of 40

8:00am-8:45am Today was cool and sunny. Meditating in front of the pool was nice—the sky reflected off of the waves from the waterfall and I could see the clouds moving across the sun at the top of my field of vision.

• Meditate (10 min)
• Run/walk (2 miles in 17:46)
• Walk to and from the workout room (10 min)
• Intensity 8.5/105 years ago

Day 30 of 40

9:30-10:45pm I started out with a 12 minute meditation. Then I did very slow stretches, concentrating on form and fluid motion. Then I relaxed in the hot tub for a half hour. I’m very lucky that our apartment community has one—luxury living on a budget. Intensity? 2/105 years ago

Day 29 of 40

• Meditate (5 minutes)
• Weight training and slow kicks (28 minutes)
  
  • Dumbbell presses (50lbs) 12/12/12/12
  • Abs—Weighted knee-ins, side crunches, etc (5×20)
  • Combo Dumbbell Curl/Shoulder Press (35lbs) 6/6/6/6 5 years ago

Day 28 of 40

10:15am-10:45am I did a martial arts workout in the gym at school today, before Kim got out of class. Mostly high kick combinations. Invigorating stuff. 7/105 years ago

Day 27 of 40

11:00am-12:30pm It was a gorgeous, cool day with vivid blue skies and a slight breeze. My workout was long and intense.

• Meditate (11 minutes)
• Stretching and slow kicks (5 minutes)
• Weight training (25 minutes)
  
  • Dumbbell bench presses (50 lbs) 10/12/12/12
  • Combo Dumbbell Curl/Shoulder Press (35 lbs) 6/6/6/6
  • Abs (10/10/20/20/20)
• High kicks (5 minutes)
• Intensity 8/105 years ago

Day 26 of 40

7:30am-8:15am I walked 3/4 miles to the drug store to fill a prescription, and walked back. This has been an off week for exercising. I’ll try again next week. 5 years ago

Day 25 of 40

• Running to the grocery store to buy Kim bananas for her breakfast shake (6 min)
• Running on the treadmill (1 mile in 8.5 minutes), and
• Walking back to the apartment (5 minutes)
• Intensity 7/105 years ago

Day 24 of 40

• Pushups with long intervals b/n sets (100/70/100/70)
• Abdominal moves and leg stretches (4 sets)
• Meditation (11 minutes)
• Intensity 4/105 years ago

Day 23 of 40

• Meditation (10 min)
• Slow kicks and stretches (8 min)
• Fast shadowboxing (10 min)
• Weight training (standing curl-press-fly combo (25 10/6 35 6/6) and ab work) (12 min)
• Intensity 8/105 years ago

Day 22 of 40

11:40pm-1:15am An hour of ^ahem vigorous physical activity with my workout partner, Kim. I hear that this kind of exercise is as good for your heart as it is for your body, and that it bolsters your immune system too. Intensity = 15/10 :-) 5 years ago

Day 21 of 40

11:15am-12:00pm I walked on the treadmill for a half hour while reading Gottlieb’s The Dream of Reason. Then I did dumbell presses (50 lbs 10/10/10) and leg curls (110 lbs 10/10/10). This did a lot to improve my mood. 5 years ago

Day 20 of 40

8:10am-8:45am I walked on the treadmill. 2 miles in 32 minutes. 5 years ago

Day 19 of 40

6:15-6:45am I walked to the gym (5 min), did dumbell presses (50lbs 10/10/10/10), leg curls (110 10/10/10), 1 ab exercise (35lb crunches), and a little stretching. Then I walked back to the apartment (5 min). I’m climbing the hill to 40 workouts slowly and steadily. 5 years ago

Day 18 of 40

6:35am-7:05am I did a leg and back routine today. Lunges (Two 50lb dumbells 10/10/10/10), overhead shoulder presses(20 lb dumbells 10/10 and 35 lb dumbells 8/8), lat pull-downs (90lbs 10/10/10/10), and some ab work. This workout was an intensity of 7/10 5 years ago

Day 17 of 40

6:40am-7:21am I meditated in silence for ten minutes, counting my breaths slowly in and out. This is going to take some time to learn well. After that, I did an eight minute stretch and slow kick warm-up routine, followed by ten minutes of vigorous shadowboxing 6/10. I finished with a ten minute calesthenics circuit of pushups (100/50/60/50) standing kick lifts, spread eagle ab lifts, and high leg swings 8/10. 5 years ago

Day 16 of 40

8:00am-8:30am Earlier this morning I did a meditation exercise with Kim, from her Shakti yoga DVD. My concentration was poor, but it was very relaxing. Later on, I ran down to the gym and did dumbell presses (45lbs 10, 50lbs 10/10/12), leg curls (110 lbs 10/10/10), and dumbell squat-curl-presses (25 lbs 10/10). Then, I ran back to the apartment. I’m feeling stronger, and I enjoy the constant tension I feel in my muscles as they respond to the increased loads. I’d like to improve the martial arts focus of my daily routines. For now, though, I’m satisfied with just working out every day in any way possible. Intensity 6/105 years ago

Day 15 of 40

6:15am-6:45am I walked and ran for thirty minutes this morning. It was an accomplishment, since I was groggy and more than slightly depressed. Yay! 5 years ago

Day 14 of 40

8:45pm-9:20pm I walked two miles in thirty-one minutes while I read my “Writing Philosophy Papers” primer. Then, I did push-ups (100/33/50/40) with very short rests between sets and a few sets of abdominal workouts. I did not change into workout clothes for any of this, since I was on my way to the university to work on my paper. 5 years ago

Day 13 of 40

6:50am-7:15am I did a leg and back routine today. Lunges (Two 50lb dumbells 10/10/10/10 with two minute rests), bent over rows (20 lb dumbells 10/10/10 and 25 lb dumbells 15), lat pull-downs (110lbs 8/5/ 90lbs 10), and some ab work. This workout was an intensity of 5/10. 5 years ago

Day 12 of 40

9:50pm-10:30pm It was late in the evening when I got around to working out so I didn’t want to do anything too strenuous. I walked down to the gym and practiced footwork for twenty minutes on the deck 4/10. On a whim, I decided to do some stretches in the hot tub. There wasn’t anyone around and the pool lights were off, so I stripped and hopped in. The air was warm and the stars were a handful of pearls scattered across the sky. It was very relaxing, until I opened my eyes and saw a woman standing there in her robe, bending over my pile of clothes. It was so dark that she didn’t see me until I said “Hi there!” She jumped several feet into the air and yelled. I guess I startled her, but only slightly more than she startled me. She went over to the pool and waited for me to finish. 5 years ago

Day 11 of 40

7:25am-8:00am I meditated for five minutes to the Ginger Baker Trio playing “Straight, No Chaser.” It was really tough to maintain an “empty” mind and just experience the music. Thoughts and impressions were always jostling for my attention. I should get a book on meditating. Does anyone have suggestions for techniques?

After meditating, I did a twentry-five minute brisk workout. Starting with a shadowboxing warm-up 6/10 and ending with a brisk calesthenics circuit 7/10 I did pushups (100/30/40/40) at a rapid clip and with short breaks between sets, combined with some mid-section moves. The location? I worked out on the deck by the community pool. It was a gorgeous morning. 5 years ago

Day 10 of 40

7:30am-9:00am I started out by meditating for ten minutes. Then I did weight training for twenty minutes. Lunges (two 50lb dumbells 10/10/10) lat pull-down machine (160lbs 2 reps/ 150 1 reps / 120lbs 8/10/10) dumbell rows (35lbs 8 / 25lbs 10/10). Then I went on a half-hour leisurely walk at the nature center with Kim. Intensity: weight training 7/10, walk 4/10. 5 years ago

Day 9 of 40

6:30am – 6:10am I started out by meditating to “Free For All” by the Dave Holland Quintet. It was very hard to clear my mind of thoughts and sense impressions and completely absorb the music. This will take some practice. Then I did a shadowboxing kicking and stretching routine (intensity 5), push-ups (100/40/60/50 modified), and some interesting ab training moves that involved kick preps and jumps. Fun! Especially since I used good music to keep time. 5 years ago

Days 9 through 12

Saturday, March 115:45am – 6:30am
Meditate (10 minutes) Stretch and kick routine (15 minutes) slow kicks (10 minutes) Pushups (100/50/50/50)

Sunday, March 12
Run two miles

Monday, March 13
Weight training (Legs and back)

Tuesday, March 14
Run/interval shadow boxing (30 minutes)

5 years ago

Day 8 of 40

6:25am-6:55am I woke up groggy and never worked my way out of it. My workout was disorganized today, but the important thing is that I did it. I ran down to the gym (5 min), then did a sporadic upper body weight training routine (20 min) and ran back to the apartment (5 min). I have a feeling I’m going to be sore tomorrow.

press machine 160lbs 1, 120lbs 8/6/5
dumbbell presses 45lbs 10/10,
dumbell shoulder presses 25lbs 10/10,
ab work 30/30/30 5 years ago

Day 7 of 40

8:03am-8:28am I missed a day yesterday and I was sad about missing it. I will soldier on though. Today I got out in the sunshine and ran through our neighborhood for twenty-five minutes. I alternated between running and walking and kept a brisk pace throughout. The intensity today was around 6 out of ten. 5 years ago