First Full Nia Class!

I'm loving this class, and I'm glad I've been able to do it during my set back with running. I'm still having some coughing issues. Maybe I got my hopes up too soon with the few days of warm weather we had, and maybe I should give up on running outside until the weather definitively becomes nicer. I've considered going to the gym to run on a treadmill inside, but that is SO boring, and Matt wouldn't be able to go with me. If it's nice tomorrow, and if I'm feeling any better, I'll try doing a little bit of running or maybe go for a long walk.

Geting back to Nia. We had our first full class today, and I'm definitely feeling it in my legs. I've been looking for a fun activity that will tone my legs and give me some cardio, and I think I've found it!

Don't Run With a Cold

On Wednesday Matt and I tried running according to the schedule, even though I've had a cold all week. Big mistake. I'm going to have to take a couple days easy, get better, and pick up more or less where I left off. It will set back my plans, but about halfway through our run I felt my lungs closing up. Not good. Asthma, sick, and cold-ish air are a bad combination.

Last night I was able to do Nia, though we didn't have a full class (still going over syllabus stuff, argh!). I'm going to like it, even though I feel a little silly doing some of the stuff in the class. I'm quite uncoordinated, and not very flexible, so it's not pretty. BUT, it's fun, so I'm happy.

Nia Dance Fitness

Today was my first day of Nia, although most of the class time was spent doing logistical stuff so I only really got about 10 minutes of exercise. The next class is on Thursday, and we should be getting a full class in then.

With the little bit we did do, I feel like I'll enjoy Nia a lot. I also realized how uncoordinated I am, and it's going to take some time for me to learn the moves and get my arms and legs to do the things I want them to... at the same time.

More detailed updates on how the class is going once we really get started in on it.

Day 7

Well I made it through my first week of trying to run. I have to say I feel pretty good about 20 minutes after my workouts, really relaxed, and I feel like I sleep a little more soundly at night.

Yesterday was my day off from exercise, but today I picked up again with 2 minutes of running between 1 minute of walking intervals. I think it went pretty well, considering I haven't been feeling 100% well lately. Either my allergies are going crazy, or I picked up a mild cold. I've had mild congestion and coughing for a couple days now, and I finally broke down and bought some Mucinex D. We'll see if it clears up in a few days.

Tomorrow is a light workout day, and I'm excited because I'll be starting Nia dance fitness classes on campus. For the rest of the semester I'll be doing that on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and I'm hoping it will be a nice addition to my routine. My friend Natalie did it last semester and she loved it. I haven't decided yet if I'll purchase a works pass for other gym classes. I think between running, Nia, and beginning some weight training I'll have plenty to do. I don't want to waste that money if I won't have time to use it.

Day 5

Yesterday Matt and I did our walk on our way to dinner. We did a total of about 40 minutes all the way down to Flying Star, and had some delicious French onion soup.

Today we finally did the routine we should have been doing all week: alternating 1 minute of running with 2 minutes of walking for 30 minutes. It felt like a piece of cake after the pushing ourselves too much before, and it actually felt pretty good. I like that we've been going all over campus, rather than just around the track. I find running in circles kind of boring, and I'm getting to see parts of the campus I haven't been around yet. It's also been kind of nice not having too many undergraduates here, although that will all change next week. I wonder if running then will be as pleasant on campus, or if I'll feel self conscious with more people around. It might also get a little crowded.

Tomorrow I think we're going to try running either at the bosque or in the foothills. I think that will be fun, I like having good scenery.

Day 3

Yesterday Matt and I went for what was supposed to be a 30 minute walk, but it ended up being more of a 40+ minutes walk. No complaints here, more is better.

This afternoon we did our 30 minutes of jogging, only I just realized we have been pushing ourselves more than necessary. According to  the running schedule I looked up online, we should be running 1 minute, and then walking 2 minutes X 10. Oops. Well, I guess we'll go back to the regular schedule on Friday, and it will seem easier.

I remembered to take my inhaler before running and I also took a puff when I was done. It still hurt, but I feel a heck of a lot better than I did on Monday.

Day 1

155 lbs
Fitting in a comfortable size 10 pant, tight 8

Alternated running and walking in one minute intervals for a total of 30 minutes.

After the first set my lungs were really burning a lot. I forgot my inhaler at home, next time I'll use it a few minutes before my workout. By the end of my workout I was coughing, but my breathing was OK.

I'm not sure if the air temperature, pollution, or just me being out of shape affected my breathing. It was in the mid 40's, so not terribly cold. I should check the air quality to see what that is like during the winter here in Albuquerque.

New Beginnings

I'm a 27 year old female, and I weight 155 pounds. I'm by no means heavy or fat, but over the past few years I've become more aware of my health and the health of those around me. Four years ago my Dad died from what I call complications associated with diabetes. It is definitely the gateway disease, in that it leads to all sorts of other complications. My father was overweight, and didn't care too much about taking care of himself until it was much too late. My grandmother was never active, addicted to TV, and now that she has had some health problems she has a really hard time doing anything for herself. She, too, has diabetes and heart problems. I have seen many of the people I love have difficult lives. It's no wonder I'm already thinking about what I can try to do to improve the quality of my life, even though I'm still very young.

One of the reasons I'm starting this blog is to keep myself honest and track what I actually do. I'm a graduate student, and I spend a lot of time sitting in my office in front of my computer. I'm not surprised that I'm thirty pounds heavier than I was when I started college, given this behavior. For the record, I don't want to be 125lbs again. I feel like I looked and felt healthier when I was closer to 130 or 135.

Currently, I feel sluggish. My asthma has gotten worse over the past few years, no doubt because I'm not as active as I used to be. My biggest worry is that I'll wake up one day and find out I have some kind of problem that could have been avoided had I only done more, moved more, or something.

So here's my goal: find an exercise regimen that I can stick to. If one doesn't work, I'll try something else. I want to be healthier, closer to what I was 10 years ago. If I can lose 15 pounds, that would be a bonus.