Refresh Myself, Refresh My Goals

It's a new month.  It's time to look back at the last one and plan for the next one.

I've seen the biggest improvement in my weight training.  I have chosen a combined approach of light weights with high repetitions and heavy weights with slower and fewer repetitions.  It seems to be working for me.  I'm seeing a difference.  I have what used to be called a circuit trainer.  I don't know if they still call it that, but it has three stations that I can perform several exercises at.  At this time, I'm only working out my upper body.  But strength has never been my weakness.  Cardio workout are my challenge.

I set some pretty lofty goals for myself due to the fact that I want to run another race in August.  This one will be in North Carolina.  I am not accustomed to the hills.  Believe it or not, there is a knack to running on inclines both up hill and down.  I found some great tutoring on YouTube.  So I set my sights on the treadmill at 4.2 mph at the steepest incline.  I started with a meager 30 seconds and hoped to add 30 seconds every other day.

I made great progress until the one minute 30 second mark.  I had to hold on, so I did and I continued while holding on to the rails.  I was devastated.  Two days later, I got back on the treadmill started the time and met the same spot of one minute and 30 seconds.  It was horrible.  I wanted to grab those rails so bad at one minute 45 seconds, I regretfully did. and completed the remaining time holding on to the rails.  I made five minutes and one quarter mile "uphill" this month.  Only one minute 46 seconds of it was without holding on.

I have a decision to make.  I don't want to hold on and I want to be running at 4.5 mph.  It would appear I need to take smaller bites, but that would definitely mean that mathematically, I will not be ready for the race in August.  So this afternoon, I guess I will re-evaluate some of my goals and forecast some new results.  As I've been typing this, I've decided that out there on the course there won't be any rails to grab on to when I get tired.  I have to be able to do this standing up. Back to the drawing board.  I am going to take even smaller bites.  Go back to the magical moment at one minute 46 seconds and try to go from there.

So for the month of February I am logging in a loss of three pounds, 1:46 "uphill" and positive results on the circuit trainer.  I guess we'll see what comes at the end of March.  I'll check back next Fitness Tuesday with some of the results of recalibrating my goals.