It Feels Good to be Back in the Groove

So I've been consistently going to the gym three days a week for the past month and a half or so.  I think that I've gone to the gym more in the past six weeks than I did for the two years previous.  It feels great to be back in a groove again.

Results are slow, but I've definitely been seeing and feeling them. It feels good to have the post-workout muscle pain and tension, to break a sweat and feel that burn that comes when you're finishing off a workout.

Today I did another leg workout with a buddy from work.  Today I did:

Burnout
225lbs - 10 reps
205lbs - 10 reps
185lbs - 10 reps
165lbs - 10 reps
155lbs - 10 reps
145lbs - 10 reps

Box Jumps
4 sets for 10 reps

I wish I had more time to work out at lunch, but grateful to have any time at all.  Working out my legs feels good again.  I was a volleyball player in high school and it's a great to feel the strength coming back to them.

I've still got a long way to go however.

Man Am I Hurting. Feels So Good.

I did a leg burnout workout yesterday, and my legs are killing me.  Here's what I did:


Squats (with about 15 seconds rest in between sets):
225 - 10 reps
205 - 8 reps
185 - 8 reps
165 - 8 reps
145 - 8 reps
135 - 8 reps


Lunges (4 on each leg with about 15 seconds rest in between sets):
140 - 8 reps
130 - 8 reps
120 - 8 reps
110 - 8 reps
100 - 8 reps
95 - 8 reps


My legs feel like Jello today, but it's great to have that feeling again.

Progress Update: Feeling Good

It's been about a week since I posted last.  It's been a busy week and much has been going on.  Here are some highlights:

1. Found a work out partner - A buddy of mine at work is feeling the same need to get back in shape and get healthy.  We've set some goals for how often we're going to go to the gym, and it's been a good motivation for me to have someone else to work out with.  It's been a long time since I've had someone to work out with consistently (probably since my freshmen hear at BYU in 2001), so I'm excited.  It's good to have someone else that you feel accountable to, you know?

2. Great work out today - I had a pretty good workout today.  Well I should say good for me anyways.  I ran a mile and a half and then decided to mix in some other workouts.  After the first 1.5 miles, I did 20 push-ups, 15 ball crunches and 10 squats, then ran .25 miles.  I did that four times.  It's not a major work out, but probably one that I couldn't do four weeks ago or so.  It felt good to be able to complete something like that.

3. Noticing a difference - I haven't lost a lot of weight, but I am noticing a bit of a difference in muscle definition and size (particularly in my legs).  I'm going to be starting a much more strict diet this week, so I'm hoping to see much better results over the next few weeks. 

I'll have more about the diet and such in a post next week.

A Long Road Ahead. Well 10K To Be Exact

My wife and I successfully signed up for the Moab Winter Sun 10K yesterday.  We're both pretty excited to have something to work towards and love spending time in Moab.  

I went for a run today.  The second run outdoors that I've done in about six months.  I learned a few things on my run today:

1.  I do not run well by myself.  I need someone to run with me to keep my attention and provide motivation.

2.  I've got quite a road ahead if I'm going to do well in the 10K in December and also the Half Marathon in March...a really long way.

3.  I need to get Nike+ again.  A few years back I used Nike+ quite a bit, then my running band broke.  It's time to invest in a new one.  

If you've got any tips that will help me prepare for the events that lie ahead, I'd love to hear from you.  Thanks!

Do I Really Want to Get Myself Into This Again? Of Course I do!

Today at noon you'll be able to sign up for the Moab Winter Sun 10K.  If you haven't run a race in Moab, it is definitely a must.  I did the Moab Half Marathon in 2009 and loved it.  Beautiful race, great race crew and they really do a stellar job.  Now granted, it's the only race I've run so far, but glad that it was my first.  I wasn't in the best shape because the early arrival of my first son totally through off my training schedule.  Despite being in bad shape, getting passed by a pregnant women who was about seven months along and feeling like I was going to die, it was an amazing experience.

My wife and I decided that we wanted to run both races this year.  Wish us luck.

By the way, the first 100 to sign up for the Winter 10K get a guaranteed spot in the Moab Half in March.