Golden Words

[threadwalker]

the voicemail that greeted me when I came in this morning started with:

"This message is from VM and going out to (blah blah) .... Well, it looks like Threadwalker was right about ...."

I had to listen to it a few times. What a great way to start your Friday! Better than chocolate.

Also, last night while I was grooving on the stairmaster, sweating bullets and trying to keep my eyes off the clock (and on my heart rate and step rate), I couldn't help thinking of G0atfaces recent entry about exercise. Amen-sista! You just gotta do it if you want the pay out. Some people are genetically gifted and don't need to work as hard as I do, but if I want it, I have to get mean with myself and just put my head down and charge.

I found my mp3 player. I was missing it Wednesday night, but had it last night. Cardio comparison for 30 minute work outs on the same settings on the same eliptical stair machine:

without music:
309 calories
average 125 steps per min (never exceeded 140)
average heart rate: 135

with music
335 calories
average 148 steps per min (up to 162 for first 10-15 min, but drop when difficulty amped up)
average heart rate: 150

I felt the difference, too. I was totally wiped after my music-enabled work out.

I wonder what the long term benefits of an extra 15 calories/work-out is? I'm sure the heart-benefit is good, but if I'm not going to get instant gratification, I want tangible proof or at least mathematical logic that helps motivate me on the days when my inner sloth tries to tell me that backing off is only going to lose me 15 calories. Responses welcome on this question.

Comments

[lifeofglamour.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I don't think there's an immediate gratification here.

Working harder is better for your cardiovascular system, I think that's the only difference there.

I struggle with this same thing, and basically the compromise I've come up with is this: If I'm feeling really sluggish then I don't bother to push myself because it'll just make me hate the workout. If I'm feeling fit and nothing hurts then I try to push a little harder because I need to take advantage of those days when they show up.

But, forcing myself to push any more than I'm already pushing (sheesh, I got out of bed, got the running clothes on and got out here, what more do you want??) would probably have a negative effect for me psychologically - I'm afraid that if know I always have to push reallly hard, I may start resenting the workout and then I might lose whole workouts due to just not wanting to go, due to not feeling up to pushing it.

That was a long way around to get to my point. Anyway, I try to go easy on myself when I need to because I need this to be a lifelong habit. As they say, it's a marathon, not a sprint, so I try to build habits that are sustainable long-term.

[thread-walker.livejournal.com]

hahha! I only mean that if I live life as a couch potato, I'll look like a potato. You get out of it what you put into it. I wasn't even addressing the psychological landscape. Mine is so confusing, I try to not think about it. ahhaha!

OH! Re-read your response.

[thread-walker.livejournal.com]

Oh! read this again without small bossy child yammering at me and it made more sense.

Yes, I see your point. Push + not feel jazzed = resent workout. See, that's math. It has mathematical signs and everything.

I love your insights. True and funny.

I think what I have is a "level" that I work at. In and around my average days, I have good days where I say "wow, I feel fabulous - I'm going to pump it above my level". And then I have "why bother?" days. I start rationalizing why I shouldn't have to work so hard. I want to turn that negative voice off because I'm not sure it's even about how I feel physically, it's the urge to spud out on the sofa. The brain is a tricksy thing!

"Too much mind." (The Last Samuarai)

Re: OH! Re-read your response.

[lifeofglamour.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't know how to turn THAT voice off.

I don't get it much anymore because I have fully and completely accepted the fact that this is my fate. You know the 5 stages of grief? I pretty much had to go through those about my weight until I just accepted that it's unfair that I have to work so hard while other people don't and that's life and I'm a big girl so let's just freakin' do this and get on with our day.
My bad days are usually just my body not feeling good and not wanting to work, and those are when I go a little easy on things.

But, now that I think about it, if I find myself super bored with my workout and not wanting to do it that's when I try something different, like going for a hike in the hills instead of my normal run, or swimming laps or something. Then I actually look forward to my workout for a bit because it's new and different.