Jenny's Thoughts Living and Business.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

What's normal

After reading what some of the members of 12WBT are achieving on the thread NEW smash it up challenge http://www.12wbt.com/forums/viewthread/6228/P45/#41229, it made me wonder if burning 1000cal or over a day is healthy.  I do realise this is a challenge the girls have decided to do for this week, (I think) and of course we are close to the end of this program, so they are really pushing themselves. 


I thought about what I have been achieving and how hard I have to work to burn 300calories. The triathlon I did on Monday took just over 2 hours and my calorie output was about 900.  These girls are burning way over 1000 calories in less time, but obviously putting in more effort.  


One said she had an average heart of 157 and burned 1002 calories in 90min.  My God their muscles must be in good nick to work that well and burn that fuel in that time.  I find all that supper human stuff a little scary and I do wonder what is normal, for a normal person living a normal life.  That is incorporating work, family,relationships, study, illness and all that day to day stuff that we give our time to.  


Today I had to go to work for 3.5 hours in the morning on my day off for an education session and felt my day had been a bit ruined by it.  I like using my days off to plan longer exercise sessions because I can only get short ones in when I’m at work.  I came home tired, probably from boardom, started to do some work on the computer (another part of my life) and before I knew it was having a Nanna nap.  I woke up at 1530 after sleeping for about 2 hours and panicked because the day was running away.  Going to the gym before it got too busy was the best thing to do, so I was there by 1550 and decided to test myself by working toward another triathlon and succeeded.  


I started with the treadmill to do the 5km which I did.  I can’t get to do any running until I have done a minimum of 10min fast walking or else my legs just scream with pain on and off for ages and running gets harder.  So, after the first 10min of walking, I started the 5min on, 5min off jog/run/walk.  I can manage those 5mins of running psychologically well, the timing really helps me stay on track and keeps that negative talk away.  As I went through it I was able to put the running speed up to 8.7 which is a real first for me.  I have never gone past 7.4, so I am feeling the progress and wanting more than anything to become stronger.  


Then I went to the pool, I am really loving the pool now, I am finding it very calming, a stress reliever for me.  It’s slower, but at the same time I am able to think about technique that I can practice to perfect.  I have bought one of those swimming boys, or peanuts to hold between my thighs to improve balance and coordination.  Also, I now have a swimming cap so I don’t get water in my ears anymore and I have also spent some time on u-tube watching “how to swim videos” and have discovered many things to practice.  


So today the focus started on technique and it made it both easier and harder at the same time.  I left my heart rate monitor on today, because I haven’t really known for sure what I burn in the pool.  The 1000mts went by in less than 40min which was a pleasure. 


Then I changed and went back to gym clothes and was off to the 1800 RPM class.  By then I found it hard, but I love the challenge RPM gives me, so by the end of it I was very, very pleased that I decided to do it. 


The total calories used 1146.  It took 2 1/2 hours for this, time I was glad to spend on challenging myself.  I would love to have that time every day, but I don’t.  So I am going to make the effort and start doing 2 short sessions per day on work days.  One in my morning or afternoon before or after work (as I do now) and the other at a 20-30 min time slot to improve strength.  


This is how I will want my life to be after the 12wbt is over.  I don’t want to set myself up for a return to old habits by going at it so hard that I begin to hate it.  I love it now.  


Jenny

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