Week in Review

Here's a summary of my fitness-related activities this past week (today being Sunday). I exercised 4.5 days this week, which is pretty good.

Monday: 75-minute walk, maybe a bit longer. (I really should time these better.)

Tuesday: Hour-long bike ride on the W&OD trail.

Wednesday: Had my first physical therapy session for gimpy left knee, then went to DSW and bought new gym shoes (I'll post a photo later). By the time I got home it was after 7pm and I was starving so I ate dinner and... didn't exercise. I knew I could still make my target of exercising five days a week so I wasn't too worried.

Thursday: Walked to a friend's house for a movie night after work, taking the long way and stopping to buy a smoothie for dinner en route, then walked home afterward. I think I totaled about 50-60 minutes of walking at a brisk pace.

Friday: This is where the .5 (from 4.5 days) comes in. I had physical therapy in the morning and left all pumped to work out later and do my PT exercises before bed. I intended to exercise after work before my evening activities. I also needed to go to the store. I futzed around for a bit after work, then walked to the store and back (a 10-minute walk each way). When I got home, my mom called, so I talked to her for awhile and made a salad for dinner. By the time I got off the phone, I had to get ready for my evening plans. So, I got a little exercise walking to/from the store, although that doesn't count as a work-out because it was just me running an errand. Hence, I gave it a .5 on the exercise tally. I also made a bad food choice in that I ate a bowl of cereal when I got home at nearly 10pm because I was feeling peckish and my salad was definitely no longer in my stomach, which is how I justified it as being "eating only when legitimately hungry." I should have just gone to bed! I didn't even do my PT exercises. Yes, yes, best laid plans.... I am human.

Saturday, part 1: I made up for Friday's lack of a true work-out with lots of activity and exercise on Saturday. After staying in bed reading waaaay too long in the morning, I got dressed and walked to a local food bank, where I participated in a service project with some Mormon church congregations from the area. We painted three rooms in the building and cleaned out one of the big freezers. (I was on the paint crew.) It was great to feel that I was contributing to my community and making the food bank brighter and prettier for those it serves. Afterward, I walked back home, for about an hour of walking total.

Saturday, part 2: The weather was gorgeous and I was determined to overcome my own lethargy and go for a bike ride. Why is it that I have such trouble motivating myself to do things that I know are good for me and will make me feel good too? It's completely illogical. Even though I wanted to go for a bike ride, I still had to sternly discipline myself to actually put on my bike clothing and get myself out the door with The Precious. (I guess this goes back to my previous entry, asking how much I want to be fit.) I rode for just under two hours, I think--somewhere between 90 minutes and two hours--and I really pushed myself to go faster and ride in higher gears and keep my heart rate up. I felt fantastic when I got home!

Sunday (today): Today is my day of rest, although it is absolutely gorgeous outside and I might have to go for a leisurely walk later.