The 2018 Exercise Motivation Thread

[jtbo]

You still have so much snow jtbo ! Ours is all gone now, it's warm enough to go out and start on the yard work.

90 minutes of yoga on Saturday and Sunday.
1 hour of yoga and 1 hour walk yesterday.
Today I spent about three hours clearing up outside. Raked up huge sacks of dead leaves, cleared a load of branches, did some pruning and weeding and patched up a weak spot in the fence.

So tired now!

We have a plenty, it did snow whole night and supposedly snows until tomorrow, so we are going to have even more.

At least now they try to open roads a bit, but it takes a month or bit more to snow to be gone.


It seems I have gained more than 5kg and 7cm to my waist in 3 months, I don't like winter at all, it will take so long to get rid of this extra. So it is long rides for me now.

 

[Winchester]

Monday -
3.5 miles on the treadmill
11/12 hours with 300+ steps per hour (that last hour I was sitting on my butt in a meeting)
14,607 steps for the day - 7.71 miles

 

[rubysmama]

Still snow around here, sadly. But I see daffodil and tulip leaves poking through the ground. Hopefully that means spring isn't far away.

No walk today, but I've walked 8 out of the last 13 days, so not too bad.

 

[jtbo]

8 inches of wet snow and they had not plowed anything out, pedestrian shoe prints made it kinda rough ride. At times there was slush which gave way and sometimes just deep snow.

Then it started to get colder and stuff froze on my bike, all this is very solid and hard frozen snow:


I did forgot to put chest strap on, so no HR data, but average was somewhere around 145-150bpm, Two hours and only bit less than 20km:


You still remember how hard my 3hr ride yesterday was? Today didn't feel a thing from yesterday, I can keep up this quite well, but at some point I'm starting to get stiff knees and I have to take a break, so I try to moderate a bit now, but it is insane how hard and long I can push without legs getting sore at all.

So keep at it, there will be that day when you can do as much as you want and then some!

 

[Winchester]

Tuesday -
3.5 miles on the treadmill
12/12 hours with 300+ steps per hour
16,021 steps for the day - 8.44 miles

Wednesday -
3.5 miles on the treadmill
12/12 hours with 300+ steps per hour
15,741 steps for the day - 8.25 miles

 

[foxxycat]

It is so nice to read you going gym again, hey spring is slowly winning winter, there might be still new snow, but it is melting already on bright days, so it will be back into books of living for 2018 again, winters are zombie time, would rather have a year without darkness and snow!

We got almost 3 feet of snow. Jon took the yard stick outside. 27" and that was later in the afternoon the day after-was warming up. I took 1.5 hours to clear snow from deck.1/2 hour the first day. hour or 45 min yesterday=by then it's wet heavy from warm temps-worked my back/shoulders/arms. flung it away 10 feet. It's only 1/3 of way cleared-I usually dump all snow over the edge of cliff so cats can run around on bark mulch or under deck. It takes me about a week to clear it all. it's 4 feet deep in some areas so takes a bit. I slice off a foot at a time and push it over the edge. Honeybee didn't like the sound of shovel scrapping on deck so she sprinted back inside last night/afternoon. I do it for the kitties-they are getting cabin fever and Bee doesn't like getting her feet wet LOL. I put down boards in the spring so she can walk across without getting wet. I have to pull them out from under the deck....spoiled cats!

I wanted to get to gym tonight but I am working 12s so not tonight. was going to take bike out but plows didn't push snow far enough off the road.

 

[jtbo]

We got almost 3 feet of snow. Jon took the yard stick outside. 27" and that was later in the afternoon the day after-was warming up. I took 1.5 hours to clear snow from deck.1/2 hour the first day. hour or 45 min yesterday=by then it's wet heavy from warm temps-worked my back/shoulders/arms. flung it away 10 feet. It's only 1/3 of way cleared-I usually dump all snow over the edge of cliff so cats can run around on bark mulch or under deck. It takes me about a week to clear it all. it's 4 feet deep in some areas so takes a bit. I slice off a foot at a time and push it over the edge. Honeybee didn't like the sound of shovel scrapping on deck so she sprinted back inside last night/afternoon. I do it for the kitties-they are getting cabin fever and Bee doesn't like getting her feet wet LOL. I put down boards in the spring so she can walk across without getting wet. I have to pull them out from under the deck....spoiled cats!

I wanted to get to gym tonight but I am working 12s so not tonight. was going to take bike out but plows didn't push snow far enough off the road.

Cats certainly do make us workout a lot more than we otherwise would, weight how much on shovel full weights, then sum up how many shovels you throw and be amazed of how much weight you can move in an hour!

That is really good workout.

Hmm, I have a video for you, it shows how snow is not pushed in our city, it might be bit boring at city climbing part, but I thought you might like to see a bit of the city. Also at the end police did not do anything while taxi run red light at front of their nose, bit after that there was a drunken person with a bottle which I probably should of left bit more space to, but didn't notice bottle enough soon.
All kind of things, tractors, ice, snow, you have to really be alert about your surroundings, when riding out there.
This was my rear tire choice Continental SpeedKing, I call is skin of the snake as it is like that, it is a slick tire, there are no knobs and it grips better than most knobbly tires:


Some random shots, which of some might be bit pretty, but all show varying conditions:


Clear ice:



Oh and I did technically run red light at one point, but I was more of attempting to ride on path, but it was narrow and there were people and I was too impatient to wait, so as no one was on road I just bend a rule a bit and made everyone's life a bit easier.

That was around 2 hours and 2200kcal, it really does not show on video how hard riding is, but I do huff and puff at times. Also I did try to politely inform elderly lady with flower package that she was walking on bicyclists side, left side (or closer to road side) is bicycle side on those separated paths, then there was combined paths where bicycle should ride on right side, but people that walk don't often pay attention to, pretty much anything at all.

Up to 20 minutes was that part in video, those stops after 20 minutes are traffic lights near the end of the video:

 

[foxxycat]

I love it jtbo

Yesterday did 20 min of medium level strength training. today i am paying the price. soreness=so I know i did something right-soreness on front of chest and upper back from pushups, thighs from squats, shoulders from shoulder press with 7lbs-I start all the way back to the beginning since it's been so long. worked 12s yesterday so didnt get to gym. tonight i am exhausted-need to grocery shop, cook dinner, fall in bed. tomorrow another 12 hour shift-it's only temporary-until march 26.

anyways keep up the good work folks! Oh and might stop at gym just to use their hydrochair massage thingy...

 

[jtbo]

Bit easier pace today, still 1600 calories did say bye bye:


I'm quite proud of this week of mine, still two days to go and I try to get good amount of riding done on both of them.

 

[Winchester]

jtbo I found your video interesting! You really do book along on your bike. I liked seeing the buildings and people. Were you listening to music? I think I heard some music playing. Man, there's just snow everywhere. Thank you.

We have a Rail Trail around here (used to be a railroad, but the tracks were torn out and it became a favorite for walkers and bikers); it goes for about 13 miles or so and there are plans to continue it further. On Saturday mornings, in the summer, Rick and I will take The Beast out on the Trail for a good walk. And I walk along the Trail to get to various stores, the farmers' market, the library, and such during my lunch break at work. But in the winter, once there's snow, it's not plowed or anything, so I don't use it. Some people will bike on it, but it's hard when it gets really deep. And then it gets really icy, too. But we're pretty rural here, so it's hard to maintain stuff sometimes.

Thursday -
3.5 miles on the treadmill
12/12 hours with 300+ steps per hour
15,022 steps for the day - 7.82 miles

 

[jtbo]

jtbo I found your video interesting! You really do book along on your bike. I liked seeing the buildings and people. Were you listening to music? I think I heard some music playing. Man, there's just snow everywhere. Thank you.

We have a Rail Trail around here (used to be a railroad, but the tracks were torn out and it became a favorite for walkers and bikers); it goes for about 13 miles or so and there are plans to continue it further. On Saturday mornings, in the summer, Rick and I will take The Beast out on the Trail for a good walk. And I walk along the Trail to get to various stores, the farmers' market, the library, and such during my lunch break at work. But in the winter, once there's snow, it's not plowed or anything, so I don't use it. Some people will bike on it, but it's hard when it gets really deep. And then it gets really icy, too. But we're pretty rural here, so it's hard to maintain stuff sometimes.

Thursday -
3.5 miles on the treadmill
12/12 hours with 300+ steps per hour
15,022 steps for the day - 7.82 miles

I had music playing on my backpack, I don't use headphones as I need to hear the traffic, so I'm being socially rude and let everyone suffer from my lack of musical taste

Camera records quite quiet volume, so you need to really bring volume up to hear much of anything.
It is this camera EKEN H9 WiFi Sport Action Camera DV Car DVR SPCA6350 4K 25fps 1080p 60fps 720P 120fps New Version
With latest firmware update it works fine now, but waterproof case muffles sound quite a lot.


Columbia in South Carolina is roughly similar size and density than this city, so not very big, but we don't really have that much people to fill any big city, which is kinda good actually, there is enough slalom as of now


We have lot of trails here, but I haven't found access to them yet for winter time as they make ski paths and it is not allowed to walk or cycle on ski path, most of the trails are such that you would have to go over ski path, which many do, but I haven't done such as it is really forbidden and for a good reason.

I have heard that they would be really nice to bike on as people with dogs walk a lot out there making trails wide and hard, so with studded tires you get pavement kind of surface, but it might be I run out of winter before I can get to test those.

Yesterday something snapped on upper back, I did not thought much about it, there was not much of pain, so I did go for bike ride and today I feel the pain, barely can move. Feels similar to right side bicep when there was a snap and it has been broken since October, still pains, now it was upper back on left side so have to keep left arm in harness to be able to move, otherwise pain is too much.

It feels like muscles snaps off from their attachment points or something, really painful and pain seems not to disappear entirely even after long time.

I was hoping to ride a bit today, but I guess not.

 

[jtbo]

Last ride of the week:


This is whole section (almost 75km + 14 seconds is full) of the ride, there was tunnel at the end part so altitude is not showing so well:


So totals of the day:


Totals of the week:


Bit less than what I hoped for, but shoulders and upper back issues took one day out from the week.

Next week I guess is easier one as I can't keep up this pace quite yet.

 

[jtbo]

foxxycat Here is how my fitness improved up to last autumn, this is one hill which I used as a benchmark:


Since then I have had different benchmark location, but I'm bit faster already and when snow clears out I can test for real:

Thing here is that despite winter laziness slows you down, once body picks up as you keep punishing it, you will get all of sudden faster, something happens during long rest, sure initially you are slower after lazy period, but very quickly body gets up and running and it will be magically faster.

So it is not really so bad to be a bear during the winter, all the work done will be there, it takes a little while for the bear to wake up, but it seems it will wake up faster after the winter!

 

[Kieka]

I am trying to get back into exercise. Went up the local mountain trail today for the first time in months. It's a 3 mile loop with about 400 feet elevation gain.

 

[jtbo]

I am trying to get back into exercise. Went up the local mountain trail today for the first time in months. It's a 3 mile loop with about 400 feet elevation gain.

View attachment 223246 View attachment 223247

Hmm, I think that I might be tad envious now, after my ride I had no feeling in my toes, my socks were soaked wet 30 minutes on my 4 hour ride, temperature was around freezing, so my feet were pretty red and blue with lots of pain.

Legs and butt were frozen too as pants were soaked wet, road salt stripes on my pants, few cars threw slush on my face that had road salt on it so that my face was white from road salt after ride.

Did I mention there were only those wheel rails cars had made on road to ride on and there was streams of melt water which got lot of road salt from the road and bike tires threw that up on the air?

Snow and ice, lots of snow.

Even at summer we get mostly just gray muddy conditions, except for few days.

So envious of SoCal weather now!

But it is great job for you to get up again, hopefully it motivates you to know how horrible it is in other places, enjoy from your perfect weather!

Oh, I'm feeling sore throat, probably getting a flu from all that freezing, again.

Frozen feet (you can see only one, but other one was same):


Road salt stripes on my pants, this is just what salt water flew off from the road and end up to my pants, soaking them wet of course as wind from riding fast dried up outer layer salt dried up like that:


2x merino wool socks and goretex shoes, now I'm wondering what I try next, maybe overshoes or shoe protectors, I'm not going to stop riding, or riding less, no matter the conditions I will work towards making me better.
If nothing else, then I wrap plastic bags on my shoes

 

[furmonster mom]

I was a bit embarrassed to tell my trainer yesterday that I hadn't done a lick of exercise last week.

Not that I was exactly inactive...
I did haul about a dozen boxes of LPs out out of our loft and down into the garage.
I also sealed the sub-floor, which entailed moving desks and file cabinets and bookshelves.
I also ran all over town in search of a shoji screen... which apparently are only available online. Failing that, we built a room screen and divider with wooden lattice and curtain panels.
All in an effort to turn the loft into a temporary second guest room for my cousins that came up for a soccer tournament over the weekend.
Oh, and I also moved a monstrous old TV (cathode tube circa1998) from the guest room to our bedroom, and got a very colorful bruise on my upper arm for my trouble.

So there was plenty of lifting and paced walking overall...

Today I tried to get back into the groove with a short 3.5 mi. walk/run completed in 55 minutes.

 

[Furballsmom]

Holy schahmohley!! too bad you didn't have a pedometer and a way to weigh all that - I KNOW how heavy a box of LPs is!! I sure hope your trainer had a clue about all this

we built a room screen and divider with wooden lattice and curtain panels.

I'll bet this turned out attractive!

 

[furmonster mom]

Holy schahmohley!! too bad you didn't have a pedometer and a way to weigh all that - I KNOW how heavy a box of LPs is!! I sure hope your trainer had a clue about all this
I'll bet this turned out attractive!

LOL Yes, my trainer is also a bit of a music geek and a drummer, so he knows how heavy a box of LPs is.

The loft turned out kinda boho, which is fun, but I think I can make it look a little nicer. Right now there is a lot of black stagehand tie-line involved.

We did have a little scary moment with Loki... He decided to investigate the new configuration. The screens are attached to the loft/room side of the banister, leaving the banister side to the great room (about a 14 ft drop). Loki took a trip along the banister and couldn't get himself turned around. We had to reach through the lattice and manhandle him a bit to get him turned around and headed back to the hallway. Yeesh! Yes, he earned his name.

 

[Furballsmom]

gracious sakes, not only did you get some out of the norm exercise, your cat helped add a couple years to your lifespans (I read that one time, that a really good adrenaline rush adds a year or two)!

 

[Norachan]

You've all been doing so well!



That's a gorgeous trail @keika

furmonster mom Shoji screens? Really!? We used to have them in our old place. The cats can't resist playing "Tiger through a paper hoop" once they've worked out how to do it.

I hurt my hand a few days ago, so I've been taking it easy. I did 1 hour of hand free yoga on Thursday, nothing at all on Friday and Saturday, another hour of hands free yoga on Sunday and a 90 minute walk today.

Hoping to get back into some more vigorous yoga soon.