Dammit!

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Coco

Last September I had an unfortunate run-in with our coffee table that necessitated a painful “procedure” at the podiatrist’s office that resulted in the loss of the toenail on my big toe. (We’re you reading this while eating? I’m sorry!)

I recovered in time to run the Army Ten Miler a few weeks later and finally was able to get a pedicure this summer, so I thought all was well.

A few weeks ago, though, I noticed that my toenail was tender–any pressure was uncomfortable–so I started Epsom salt soaks and hoped for the best. Although the soaks helped temporarily, the overall situation has gotten worse–even the pressure of a snug-fitting sock can be uncomfortable. 🙁

I finally broke down and called the podiatrist this week. As it turns out, he is on vacation, so it will be another week before I get it checked out.  (Since there is no swelling or redness in my toe, the nurse thought it would be OK to wait).

I think I dread the podiatrist more than the dentist–and that’s saying something. I will try to put it out of my mind until my appointment August 15. At least for now it doesn’t bother me when I’m running–that would be a real emergency!

Have you ever been sidelined by a silly household accident?

Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Three Things Thursday: Fitness Fallacies

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Coco

Now that I’m on “the other side” of the fitness divide, I am amused by some of the things I used to believe about fitness.

  1. Exercise video “stars” stay in shape by doing their 30 minute video a few days a week. I’m not sure where I got this idea, but I totally believed that I could get as fit as Kathy Smith just by doing her fat-burning workout a few days a week.
  2. Fit people are “naturally” fit and blessed with a better metabolism. I have come to realize that many of the people whom I assumed were “naturally” fit actually work really hard at staying in shape, they just don’t talk about it in every day conversation.
  3. You shouldn’t have to worry about raisins. I distinctly remember picking up a “diet” magazine in my pre-diet days and being instantly turned off by a meal plan that required the portioning of raisins. I thought it was ridiculous that you would have to worry about eating too much of such a “healthy” food. I had no idea about calories, or how quickly calories could add up. I still don’t worry about raisins, but I do stick to the small, pre-portioned boxes so I don’t accidentally go overboard.

What “fitness fallacies” have you debunked?

Posted in Fitness | Tagged | 7 Comments

Working At Weights

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Coco

I used to reluctantly squeeze a weight workout into my schedule once or twice a week. Now I usually look forward to doing weights three days a week, but it’s still not easy. As I was doing my weight routine Monday, it struck me how certain moves always seem harder than others. I noticed this while doing my military-style push-ups. They seemed particularly hard yesterday, but they never seem easy.

Here’s a breakdown of my routine.

Group 1: deadlifts (15 lb wts)/military presses (15 lb wts)/push-ups
I do three sets of 15 reps each, cycling through without a rest.

Group 2: plie squats (single 20 lb wt)/tricep dips
I do three sets of 15 reps each, alternating without a rest.

Group 3: lunges (10 lb wts)/bicep curls (10 lb wts)
I do three sets of 15 reps each, alternating legs, and doing the bicep curls in alternating sets. (So, I do three sets for each leg, but only three sets of bicep curls.)

Group 4: squats (15 lb wts)/lateral raises (8 lb wts)/front raises (8 lb wts)
I do three sets with 15 reps of squats and 12 reps of each of the lateral and front raises, cycling through without a rest.

Group 5: bent-over rows (15 lb wts)/hamstring curls (Bowflex)/leg extensions (Bowflex)
I do three sets with 15 reps of rows, 12 reps on each leg of curls, and 15 reps of extensions, cycling through without a rest.

Group 6: chest press (15 lb wts)/crunches/tuck & pike (on fitball)
I do three sets with 15 reps of chest presses, 20 reps of crunches, and 8 reps of tuck & pike, cycling through without a rest.

Group 7: side-lying leg lifts (5 lb ankle weights)/crunches (on mat)
I do three sets with 15 reps of leg lifts (alternating legs to work adductors and abductors), and 20 reps of crunches, cycling through without a rest. (So, I do a total of six sets on each leg–three sets of adductors and three sets of abducotrs–and a total of six sets of different types of crunches.)

I find that the push-ups are always challenging (if not during the first set, definitely by the last!), as are the lateral and front raises.  The tuck & pike move was ridiculoust at first (I could barely do four reps without falling off the ball) but I’ve worked up to almost eight reps with almost-good form.  The side-lying leg lifts are just boring, but seem to be effective so I keep doing them.

What “staples” of your weight routine am I missing?

What moves always challenge you?

Posted in Fitness | Tagged | 11 Comments

Too Much Technology

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Coco

No, this is not a post about how I spend too much time on-line.

I do, but I’m OK with that. 🙂

This is a post about how too much technology is ruining us in other ways.

  1. We rely on technology to tell us things we already (should) know. This weekend my daughter ran out of gas because the “gas light” in the Tahoe that she was driving didn’t go on. The thing is, the Tahoe doesn’t have a gas light! She is so accustomed to relying on the gas light in her car that she didn’t pay attention to the fact that the gas gauge needle had dropped below “E.”
  2. We rely on technology to do things we should do for ourselves. Most but not all of the restrooms in my office have toilets that flush automatically. I always almost forget to manually flush when I’m in a restroom that isn’t quite so hi-tech.
  3. We trust technology more than we trust ourselves. I can be having a great run until I see a slow split time on my Garmin. For some reason, I think that external number (which may or may not be accurate) is more meaningful than how I feel.

How about you–are there ways you are over-reliant on technology?

Posted in Fitness, Life | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Respecting Privacy

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Coco

I had a whole blog post written, but I just deleted it because it is about a family member who would feel violated and betrayed if s/he ever discovered the post. I know people like it when bloggers are honest in their writing and don’t only write about positive things, but I think we owe it to friends and family members to respect their privacy. So, I will just say that Sunday was a bit rough emotionally, but has ended well.

As a good friend whom I am not referring to says: Onward!

Is there a privacy line that you won’t cross in your blog?

Are there certain people who are off-limits?

Posted in Life | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments