100 Days of Body Practice

[rikibeth]

 Back in December, I signed up for Hanne Blank's 100 Days of Body Practice challenge. She even had a post that said Have a body practice goal? Win a book! This was my goal:

My body practice goal is to faithfully use the Couch to 5K program three times a week, because I’d like to have more stamina and better breathing.  And I want to feel positive

Comments

[eglantine_br]

My brother is one of those people who always says 'good hard exercise' (By which he means sweating and breathing hard, not strolling and looking at caterpillars,) makes a person feel good. (By this he means less depressed all day, not just liking the feel of the sun.)

Totally does not work for me. I would rather clean the cat-box. If i do go for a walk or whatever, it is the things I see and think that make it pleasant.

But I can well imagine that a beloved book makes it less miserable.

[rikibeth]

I agree. I am more than willing to do hard work if there's a purpose to it; I can carry boxes for a friend who's moving or unload 50-lb sacks of flour all day. And when I went to the Met with txanne, I very cheerfully walked the whole 40 blocks back to Grand Central with her, because we were TALKING and having a good time. I bet you'd like txanne. She was the one who recognized that a particular desk in the Roentgen exhibit was Stephen Maturin's Object. Seriously, O'Brian must have seen it, because it was exactly what he described.

But exercising for exercise's sake? Blech. Having Richard Armitage (or Samuel West, or Paul McGann -- yes, I choose audiobooks on the strength of the narrator) to keep me company is a big help.

[plymouth]

I am more than willing to do hard work if there's a purpose to it

This is a big big reason that my exercise of choice is biking; I bike commute to work, bike downtown to pick up lunch or meet a friend for dinner, bike to the store to get groceries (I bought a rack for the back of my bike and panniers so I can easily carry two bags worth, but at first I just used my backpack and bought smaller amounts). Finally, after moving to my current house, I discovered I could bike without a purpose, just for fun. But that's only because I live by awesome bay trails. I go out and visit the bay cats, check which direction the tide is going, see how the wild artichokes are growing.

I went through a whole C2-5K program a couple of years ago. I got the satisfaction of knowing I can do it. But I still hate running. When I travel for work and I don't have my bike I still go jog on whatever trails I can find and I do enjoy the scenery but it feels SO SLOW compared to biking!

[rikibeth]

I hate biking, even for a purpose. It makes my sit bones hurt. Plus, hills, plus, the drivers around here are assholes. Plus I arrive wherever all sweaty and gross. I'm glad it works for you, but it's never going to be for me.

[scribal_goddess]

Good job! (Maybe you can get an inner-brain treadmill for the brainweasels so they'll tire themselves out rather than bothering you?)

The not being able to breathe in the cold sucks. I have a bunch of borderline asthmatic friends who have a lot of trouble with it. *Hugs.*

[rikibeth]

I found my stupid mask once I'd come home, so it'll be ready for next time, anyway.

[bunnygoth]

I just wrote a lovely, encouraging comment that livejournal ate. *facepalm

[rikibeth]

I already know where one of the snags is going to be -- my period. I'll start a program, and then my period will show up and I'll be entirely unable to do anything except gulp down Tramadol and try not to sob. And then I'll feel like I broke my streak and not go back to it. I'm hoping that by starting just after my period ending, I'll be well enough established in the habit to be willing to get back on the program.

I'm not actually worried about needing to repeat days -- I'm sure I will, and that won't bother me. What bothered me was getting the user interface of the app wrong!

[delerium69]

I'm guessing (because I can't recall) that you can't take hormonal contraceptive or else you'd be taking the kind that only gives you 4 periods a year, which has been lovely for my newly minted menstrual migraines. (I finally find a way to deal with cramps after years of agony and then I get the special head pain out of the blue. Yay me.) I mean you still *get* your period, but 4x is better than 12x.

[rikibeth]

I am very hesitant to try taking any again. I have PCOS, and Yaz/Yasmin was supposed to be the Miracle Version for me -- and, while it might have reduced the facial hair somewhat, it killed my sex drive and seriously worsened the depression. Before they invented that one, I was on a number of other formulas, and some were better than others, but my brain chemistry behaved differently then, and I am not sanguine about mixing them with full-blown bipolar II and seeing whether they fuck with the fairly effective brain candy. (Though I wonder, with the depression part getting stronger again, if they don't need to up the dose on my Lamictal.) Plus, I am over 40, and while I'm not a smoker, age itself is a risk factor for blood clots with hormonal contraceptives

I understand brainweasels

[delerium69]

Good for you! And personal training has been an excellent choice for me. My trainer has been helpful and understanding. Good luck!

(Wow! Tae Kwan Do 6 days a week??)

Re: I understand brainweasels

[rikibeth]

Five days a week -- I forgot, it's Sundays and Mondays off. I should have remembered the Dinner Schedule (seriously, her schedule affects what I cook when).

I don't think I get more than an introductory session, but that's really all I want -- "how do these machines work" and "how do I know where to set the weight for me?" Other than that, leave me be. If I do it by myself, I won't think of gym class.

I have lots of brainweasels. I have been told that balancing writing with physical activity can help. I hope so.

Re: I understand brainweasels

[eternaleponine]

Five days a week, as Riki amended, but yes. It's sometimes the only thing that keeps me sane. I have an incredibly high-stress job (customer service for a bank + an extreme introvert = BAD) and kicking things is highly effective in counteracting bad days.

I've also had a pretty strongly adversarial relationship with my body for a while now, but when I'm on the mats, it's pretty much the only time I feel good and comfortable in my skin. Which isn't to say it always does what I want it to, but at least now my body moves and stretches and lifts in a way that pleases me, and buying clothes is a much more comfortable process because I don't absolutely hate looking at myself in the mirror.

I will never magically wake up in the body I think I have in my head, but TKD has helped me get the one I have to a place where I can accept that I'm stuck with it.

Re: I understand brainweasels

[delerium69]

It's awesome that you've found a form of exercise that helps to make you happy.

[donnaimmaculata]

If you're interested, I could upload GH's "Sylvester" - likewise read by Richard Armitage - for you.

[rikibeth]

Got it already, and likewise "Venetia", but thanks!

Now, if you happen to have anything read by Samuel West or Paul McGann lying about, I certainly don't have everything they've done. I know PMG did more Sharpe books than just Sharpe's Fury, but that's the only one I've got.

[donnaimmaculata]

No Samuel West or Paul McGann, sorry!

[rikibeth]

I snagged the BBC Richard II with Samuel West! Ah, imaginary boyfriends...