Anyways, I am going through withdraw right now. I haven't run since last Tuesday due to my knee injury and am starting to get antsy, restless, and depressed (when I think about running). I am in my last 9 days of school (for the school year) and am incredibly stressed. Usually if I am stressed or upset I go running, it helps me relax and work out the frustrations and emotions and balances out my hormones.
Because of the injury I have been reading up on alternative cardio workouts. Everyone I have talked to suggests biking (which I detest with a passion) or walking (boring). Monday is usually a day that I stay home from the gym and just run, but this Monday I decide to go to the gym for a class since I couldn't run. We did a small circuit with chest presses, resistance band rows, squats with weighted bar, and chops with a medicine ball. Afterwards I rode the stationary bike (yuck!) for 15 minutes and then strapped on my pink gloves and hit the punching bag for another 15 minutes.
Right as I started punching the MMA practice that runs in the evenings ended early and all of the guys started trickling out into the open gym area. I kept going and tried to ignore them, but I felt incredibly self-conscious punching the bag as all of these fighters were walking around (granted, I did know at least half of them, so it wasn't quite as awkward as it could have been. Not to mention my trainer and my boyfriend are in that mix). As I was punching I overheard Matt (the guy I train with) and another guy talking about their upcoming fights (May 3rd, GO MIKE (sorry Tyler)! May 5th, GO MATT!) and then heard the other guy ask Matt if I was a fighter too. Hahahaha! This made me smile and mentally laugh as I continued my punching.
(Mike's face after practice, this isn't even as bad as it gets, the guys generally leave practice with scraps, bruises, blood, fat lips, etc.)
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I am incredibly interested in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) along with circuit training and Cross Fit. They all have similar focuses, which is high intensity workouts in short bursts (generally 1-3 minutes). Research shown is that people who participate regularly in these type of workouts are getting in shape faster than people spending a long duration of time doing one single cardio exercise. Not only does it get your heart rate up, it builds your stamina, makes to pull energy from your body's reserve (to push hard and fast), but also tones and strengthens your body while giving you a cardio workout. Interval Training keeps your body moving and prevents adaptation due to the constant change in movement. Add weights, kettlebells, or medicine balls and you will be torching fat!
Nutrition is better this week than last week. I have been focusing on eating when I am truly hungry and still trying to make healthier decisions. Monday was so-so, I definitely didn't eat enough, but I was up Sunday night due to stress and was so tired on Monday that I just wanted to get through work and go home and nap. I started out great with an apple and whole grain cereal, but only had a few pretzels in the afternoon and then ordered pizza for dinner because I was too tired to cook.
Yesterday (Tuesday) was better, starting off with an apple and cereal, Wendy's chili for lunch, leftover pizza (Mike talked me into it), and then a salad and a smoothie (strawberries, pineapple, and a little soy protein) after the gym.
(My salad and smoothie)
I think I would do better if I planned ahead and did as much pre-cooking and packing as possible, making it harder to have excuses to order pizza and such...although I had been craving pizza for two days.
In honor of my birthday last weekend, I went shopping on my day off and had a little too much fun playing dress up. What do you do for fun on the weekends?
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