Tag Archives: challenge

Orangetheory Week 4 (or I Can’t Believe I’m Halfway Done!)

Posted on July 28, 2014 | Comments Off

I’ve completed half of my Orangetheory challenge! I can’t believe it! I remember before I started the challenge I wondered how I could manage to do this. Now, I’m to the point where I’m starting to miss my workouts on days I’m not there (but I know my body probably can’t handle more than 3 Orangetheory workouts a week yet). I’m also starting to think long-term about this. Right now, I’m thinking about getting the top-level of membership at Orangetheory after my challenge is done so I can continue my Monday, Wednesday, Friday workouts.

I’m starting to feel much stronger and powerful and even one of the managers at Orangetheory said that he’s noticed me looking more agile. While my weight loss is slow, it’s going the direction it needs to go. And I know that muscle weighs more than fat, but I’m not going to use that as an excuse. But losing 2 pounds a week is good and maintainable.

Last Monday, I had a friend join me for my class. It was the first time I had a friend there, and it was pretty awesome! I’m still hoping that more people will join me (if you are in LA and want to come please let me know!), but having a friend there this past week really helped give me a boost after feeling a little frustrated.

On Wednesday, I was having a bad hip day (technically all week last week was a bad hip week). I wasn’t too happy to be on the treadmill, but I pushed through it the best I could. I had to take a lot of breaks, but I always got back on the treadmill.

I think the highlight for me on that workout was that we did a little rowing race. The group that started on the rowers (I started on the treadmills) did a race and the person who rowed the farthest in 1 minute rowed about 330 meters. So the challenge was set for my group to have someone beat that. Prior to Friday, I was averaging 250 meters in about 75 seconds. But I wanted to see how hard I could push myself.

I didn’t win the challenge, but I did manage to row 313 meters in 1 minute! It was really hard and I thought I might pass out for a second, but I did it! I did have some time before we starting rowing to rest, so that helped. But I now have a new benchmark for the next rowing challenge.

Friday marked the end of my first month of my challenge. It was an exceptionally bad hip day and I had also worked the graveyard shift the night before. It was a recipe for disaster and in the past, I would have tried to find a way to get out of the workout.

But I still showed up and I did as much as I could. It wasn’t my best workout and it wasn’t pretty, but I was there. And that’s what counts.

To celebrate the end of my first month of my challenge, my trainer for that day Ashley wanted to take a photo that proves how tough I’m getting. So she decided to have me plank and then she would balance her plank on me (so I was supporting her as well). I used to be great at planks when I was skinny, but I’ve lost a lot of core strength and I’m working on getting it back. And I think this picture proves that I’m getting my core strength back.

My hip issues are still bothering me now and I’m taking more painkillers than I used to. I’m not doing anything bad for my hips, but technically almost anything I do is potentially bad for me. Part of the annoying part of my problem is I have to allow things to get back so they can be fixed (there’s no reason to fix things before they hurt).

I’m trying to remember that fact and I’m going to do the best I can in week 5. Even if that means taking breaks on the treadmill again.

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Posted in Celebrations, Fitness, Fun Stuff, Health, Weight Loss

Tagged challenge, fitness, Orangetheory, strength, weight loss, workout

Week 3 Of Orangetheory (or Pushing Myself Even In Extreme Pain)

Posted on July 21, 2014 | 1 comment

I’ve successfully completed week 3 of my Orangetheory challenge. And this week was definitely a challenge for me. My body is starting to realize how tough it is to work out really hard 3 days a week. Hopefully my body will adjust to that soon (I think it was in shock for the first 2 weeks).

This week, I had the same trainer every class, Ashley. I think Ashley is pretty awesome. She does push me hard, but she understands that there are times that my body is just not able to do it. And she’s more than happy to give me modifications for all the strength workouts (sometimes without me having to even ask for them).

Monday’s class went really well. I had a great calorie burn that day and I didn’t hurt too much during the workout or after (which is a victory for me). I post photos on Instagram, twitter, and Facebook after every class and I want all my pictures to be different, but I’m starting to run low on ideas. After Monday’s class, Ashley suggested that we show off how crazy my calorie burn really was in those 60 minutes.

It’s a little hard to tell from the picture, but I burned almost 500 calories in that class!

Wednesday’s class had a really tough cardio segment. It was another run/row day. In my case, it was a walk/row, but that really didn’t make it much easier. I have a tough time with the transitions between the treadmill and the rower. I have to take a minute to step down from the treadmill (I feel like I’m going to fall off) and when I stand up from the rower my legs are a little shaky. I’m hoping that there will be some more run/row days soon so I can work on feeling more comfortable with that.

But I am feeling much better on the rower now. In the beginning, that was a challenge for me. It was uncomfortable and I had weird leg pains while on it. But with Ashley’s help, my form is getting much better and I’m really starting to enjoy rowing now.

My Friday class was a big challenge for me. Typically in class, we split into 2 groups and one group does 30 minutes of cardio (typically treadmill) while the other group does strength work (plus rowing) and then half way through we switch. I always do the cardio part first because when I’m tired and walking, I’m much more likely to have hip issues. So that plan has been helping.

But on Friday, things were switched up. I started in the cardio group. We did 15 minutes of treadmill time and then we switched with the strength group. Then after 15 more minutes, we went back to the treadmill. And after 15 minutes on the treadmill, my group finished with 15 more minutes of strength.

I was fine for the first 30 minutes. But as soon as I stepped back onto the treadmill for my second treadmill time, my hip popped out. And what that means is my femur bone is not where it’s supposed to be. So instead of things feeling okay in my hip joint, my bones were grinding against each other (it feels similar to when you grind your teeth but much stronger). I tried to walk the best I could, but it hurt so bad. Every few minutes I stood on the side rails of the treadmill and attempted to pop my hip back (I can do it on my own, but I need to have a good wall to brace myself against). I wasn’t able to pop it back during class, but I was able to finish the workout. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t my best day, but I did it.

Fortunately, as soon as I got home on Friday, I was able to pop my hip back in and took some painkillers right away. It helped, but I was still pretty sore all weekend (which is typical for when this happens to me).

I’m excited to see what the next week brings, Ashley will be my trainer on Monday and Friday and JZ will be my trainer on Wednesday. And after next week is done, I’ll be half way through my challenge! Time really has flown by!

1 Comment

Posted in Fitness, Fun Stuff, Health, Tough Stuff, Weight Loss

Tagged challenge, hip, hip issues, Orangetheory, pain, workout

Second Week Of My Orangetheory Challenge (or I Guess I’m Tougher Than I Thought I Was)

Posted on July 14, 2014 | 2 comments

Last week was week 2 of my Orangetheory challenge and I feel like I rocked the week!

I went to my usual Monday, Wednesday, and Friday class. Which if any of you want to join me for a workout, I’d love to have some blog readers there with me! Anyone who comes with me to a workout gets to go for free! Let me know in the comments if you want to come!

Anyway, back to my week. Monday was interesting. I was a little tired from the week before. My body is getting adjusted to working out so much in a week (but I know that this is good for me to go through). I’m still not loving the treadmill, but that’s why I know I need to do it.

I was able to increase my incline on the push and all out sections of the treadmill time this week. So during those times, I was at 10% or 15% incline instead of 6% and 10%. I consider that a major improvement. I’m also getting more comfortable with the TRX straps, which as I mentioned before, I had never done before going to Orangetheory. And of course, I had to take an awesome photo after my Monday workout.

Wednesday was a crazy tough workout, but I loved it! The class was small so instead of having us workout in 2 different groups, we all worked out together. I actually liked that a bit more, but I know that that won’t be the norm.

The cardio section of the workout that day was so tough. We went from treadmill to rower and back again several times. My heart rate was so high and I was dripping sweat the entire time. But I did it and even though I felt that I might pass out from trying so hard, I didn’t.

I wish I could remember the strength section that day, but the cardio section wore me out so much that I don’t remember too much after that. I also got a picture with the cardio workout of the day so that helped me remember a little too.

What that board means is we ran (I technically walked) .1 miles and then did a 100 meter row. Then we went .15 miles on the treadmill and rowed 100 meters and so on. Then after that we did a 200 meter row and 30 seconds on the treadmill (with me walking at 15% incline). Rowing is so hard, but I’m really starting to like it. I remember at my first class how difficult rowing was for me and how my body just didn’t want to go the right way. Now, while I’m still not perfect (my weight does affect that a little), my form on the rower has gotten so much better!

Friday was a big incline day on the treadmill. We did so many hills that I thought I would pass out. I would say a majority of my 30 minutes on the treadmill were spent at at least 6% incline. I was only down to 3% for brief breaks from the crazy incline. I’m working on getting my speed up as well, but that’s going a little slower than I’d like. I’m able to do a lot of the workout at 3mph and occasionally I kick it up to 3.1 or 3.2, but toward the end of the 30 minute treadmill section, I have to go down to 2.7 or 2.8. My goal is to do the entire 30 minutes at 3.0 or faster. Ultimately, I’d like to get it to 4.0, but I know that that is going to take a long time.

For my workout picture on Friday, I decided to put it out on social media to see what shirt people think I should get when I lose enough weight.

Everyone except one person voted for the orange shirt. Anyone else want to vote on it? I don’t know when I’ll be able to fit into one of their shirts, but I hope it’s before my 8 week challenge is over!

Overall, I think I had a pretty amazing week at Orangetheory. The best part about it for me is I’m starting to realize how tough and strong I really am. At SoulCycle, while there is a weights portion of the workout, I never felt like I was really strong. Now when I’m lifting 16 pounds while doing squats or when I’m doing pull-ups on the TRX straps, I can really see what my body is capable of. And I know that with time I’ll continue to get stronger and stronger.

I’m a quarter of the way done with my challenge and to be honest, time is flying by! I can’t wait to see how I’m able to push myself this week!

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Posted in Fitness, Fun Stuff, Health, Weight Loss

Tagged cardio, challenge, Orangetheory, rowing, strength training, transformation, treadmill, workout

Week 1 Of Orangetheory (or Wow, I’m 1/8 Of The Way Done With My Challenge!)

Posted on July 7, 2014 | 2 comments

Before doing my recap of my first week at Orangetheory, I want to mention that today is the 8 year anniversary of my hip surgery. Each year that passes is a huge milestone for me because since my surgeon discovered the same defect in my left hip, he said I wouldn’t make it more than a few years without needing my next surgery. While I’m definitely in more pain this year than I was last year, I’m still not to the point where I need my next surgery. And I think that my first week of my Orangetheory challenge proved that I’m tough and my hip is still strong!

I was very nervous going into the first week. Like I had said before, it’s been a while since I’ve done 3 tough workouts in one week. Honestly, I haven’t done that since I was skinny. But I tried to go into the week with a positive mind and think that this is a challenge and I need to prove to myself that I can do it.

Before going to my first workout, I took a series of before pictures (part of my deal is to have before/after photos as well as photos after each workout). I shared my before photos on social media and got a pretty positive response from people. They were proud of me for starting a challenge and they were cheering me on.

Fortunately, that first workout was similar to the other workouts I had done at Orangetheory. So that helped with the nerves and I was able to get a good strong workout in for my first day.

My workout on Wednesday was a bit tougher. I was still a little sore from Monday (although nothing like my very first workout). So I took a painkiller and went to class. I was able to really do some good work on the rowing machine (something I had never used before going to Orangetheory). And during the treadmill segment, I did my fastest mile since December! That was pretty amazing!

And since I have to take a photo after each workout, I decided that I want to be creative with the photos. It wouldn’t be fun if every photo was just a sweaty selfie. So I got one on the rowing machines with the trainer from that class, JZ and the guy who help set up this challenge for me, Jonathan.

Workout 3 had a new challenge for me. Since it was on 4th of July I couldn’t take my usual afternoon class. I had to go in at 8am. And since my body takes a while to wake up and not feel stiff, I had to wake up earlier than I like to. But that’s ok. I was able to get my workout in before having fun that afternoon (I’ll post about that tomorrow).

I challenged myself even more on the treadmills on Friday. During the treadmill segment, there are 3 levels that you workout on. You have your base pace which is something you can do for 30 minutes, you have a push pace, and you have an all out sprint. For runners, you increase your speed for push and all out. But for walkers (like me), you increase your elevation on the treadmill. During all out, walkers are supposed to be at 10-15% incline. I usually have it at 10%, but this time I went for 15% and was able to do it!

We also had a 5 minute distance challenge. I knew as the only walker I was not going to win that challenge, but I decided to see what I could do if I only had to do it for 5 minutes. I went faster than I had before and was able to do a quarter-mile in under 5 minutes! I’m usually walking at a 21 or 22 minute pace, so a quarter-mile in under 5 minutes is pretty amazing!

Friday’s photo was all about the TRX straps. I had never used these before Orangetheory and to be honest, I was intimidated by them. But by using them (as well as some of the other equipment available), I’ve realized how strong I really am!

After working out 3 days in the week, I really felt it by Friday afternoon. And I’m glad I had the weekend off. But now it’s time to start week 2 and see what else I’m able to push myself to do!

2 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Fun Stuff, Weight Loss

Tagged challenge, fitness, Orangetheory, strength, treadmill, walking, workout

Another Busy Day Off (or Getting Everything Done and Nothing Done At The Same Time)

Posted on January 29, 2013 | Comments Off

Yesterday was my day off for the week. But that’s hopefully about to change! As of right now, starting February 4th I will be back to my old work schedule. I will still be working 6 days a week, but 2 of those days will be half days that end no later than 2pm (so I can still get things done during the day).

And this week will be a short work week for me since Saturday I will be doing my first 5K for the year, the Color Run! I’ve decided that I really want to protect my hair (I think my hairstylist friend, Erin, will appreciate that), so I made a stop today to Party City to pick up some supplies.

I’ve decided to go pink for the 5K. So I have a pink wig, pink gloves, possibly pink shorts (I ordered them online and waiting for them to arrive before I decide), and I wanted to find some pink sunglasses but instead found some blue and silver Elvis style ones. I will totally be looking awesome.

And I’m excited because 2 of the 3 people on my team have said that they are thinking of walking with me! I had been preparing myself to walk solo again, but now I’m looking forward to maybe having some buddies with me to enjoy getting covered in colored cornstarch!

I also spent my morning on Monday at my usual spin class at SoulCycle with Sal. I’m sad because I’ll have to find a different class when my schedule goes back to normal, but fortunately Sal also teaches a Sunday evening class and I should be able to attend that one (any readers want to come with me sometime?). I really love Sal’s class. He is so motivating and never points out that I’m not doing all the jumps and standing up moves in class.

I left class sweaty like I like it.

(I’m wearing one of the new tamis I ordered when I wrote this post)

And I spent my evening catching up on some TV and just enjoying the calm of my house. It’s exactly what I needed to get me ready for 4 days of work leading up to my 5K!

BTW, the podcast I work for is doing a fitness challenge. It’s a 90 day challenge and most people are going to be doing P90X. I won’t since I have to be careful with high impact activities, but I’m still participating. If you are interested in joining us, here’s the link for the FB group.

Comments Off on Another Busy Day Off (or Getting Everything Done and Nothing Done At The Same Time)

Posted in Fitness, Fun Stuff, Work

Tagged 5K, busy, challenge, day off, fitness, SoulCycle, Spinning

Tag Archives: challenge

Orangetheory Week 4 (or I Can’t Believe I’m Halfway Done!)

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Week 3 Of Orangetheory (or Pushing Myself Even In Extreme Pain)

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Second Week Of My Orangetheory Challenge (or I Guess I’m Tougher Than I Thought I Was)

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Week 1 Of Orangetheory (or Wow, I’m 1/8 Of The Way Done With My Challenge!)

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Orangetheory Week 4 (or I Can’t Believe I’m Halfway Done!)

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Week 3 Of Orangetheory (or Pushing Myself Even In Extreme Pain)

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Second Week Of My Orangetheory Challenge (or I Guess I’m Tougher Than I Thought I Was)

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Week 1 Of Orangetheory (or Wow, I’m 1/8 Of The Way Done With My Challenge!)

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