First Sunday of the month.. time for an update.
These updates are having a surprise effect on me.. each month now I have to really stop and look at what I have done in the past month and what's ahead.. I think in the long run it will have a very positive affect on the way I plan my training/diet/etc.
But I still prepare the updates with you in mind, hoping you will get something out of taking a glimpse of what I do, and maybe comment or suggest whatever your own experience can add.
I have an
HTML version if you'd like.
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March 5th 2006
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XC-SKIING
My xc-skiing is going well, there is snow again since February 22nd so I've gone 4 times. Two of those days were with over 4 h xc-skiing. On some days it was really cold but the conditions were still very good. I practiced alot of what I learned in January and I'll definately take another lesson next year. On the best day I did about 34 km in 4 hours in excellent snow conditions at about -4°C on Intermediate and Expert trails, and in the evening we went Ballroom Dancing in Montréal. So I guess I can say that I achieved my October 2005 goal.
I hope there will be a few more weeks of spring xc-skiing but the forecast doesn't seem to be very good.
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WINTER HIKING
Went twice in February. I still like it alot. It really helps me get through weeks when there is not enough snow for xc-skiing.
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NUMBERS
WORK-OUT (twice a week at the gym) ; on my best day so far
1) Forward Lunge with DB bicep curls, 2 x 20 ea side ; DB 10s
2) Forward Lunge with Opposite knee Reach with FB 2 x 20 ea side ; DB 10s
3) Hip extensions on swiss ball 2 x 30, with arms in the air ;
4) Pulley / Cable Row on swiss ball 2 x 15ea side ; 70 lbs
5) Staggered stance cross diagonal row with DB 2 x 15 ea side ; 35 lbs
6) DB flat Bench Press with elbow away from body 2 x 15 ; DB 30s
TWICE
7) Lateral DB Raise with straight arms 15 ; DB 7,5s back down to 20 ; DB 5s..
8) Front DB raise with straight arms, back against wall 15 ; DB 7,5s back down to 20 ; DB 5s..
9) Dips 2 x 15 assissted ; (138) - 40 lbs
12) Squat to double-arm overhead diagonal wall reach with DB 2 x 20 ea side ; 25 lbs
But going with 4 kg med ball now standing on Bossu.
WORK-OUT (twice a week at home) Doing them at home to shorten work-out period at the gym.
TWICE for canoeing but also for my right elbow
10) DB palms-up Wrist curls 20 ; DB 5s
11) DB palms-down Wrist curls 20 ; DB 5s
TWICE
13) Legs extensions with lower back and shoulders firmly to the ground 20 ;
14) Hold crunch postion with hands at ears and legs on the ground : 2 mins
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CARDIO
It's going great! I'm often pleasantly surprised at what I can do with out being tired.
I'm doing less HIITs these days because I want to keep my energy for the xc-skiing, but I'll start them again in the spring. I'm still doing the eliptical a few times a week though.. Hills for 40 to 60 minutes
I added the treadmill to my warm-ups once a week. (The other 2 warm-ups are stationary-cycle and rowing machine)
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DIET
Let's say that I'm maintaining.. I'm eating 90% clean, but too many calories. I do have my Peanut Butter Junkie Habbit sort of under control which is a good thing. I'm reading the book Paleo Diet for Athletes to try to get motivation to go at it again. But actually it did the opposite.. really scared me.. maybe it's just a bad timing for me to read that when I got a huge box of Chocolates from a friend in France. This last week I really needed a kick in the butt to get back on track.
I think I'm back on the right track.
Thank-you! everyone who helped me!
On the good side..I upped my Fish Oil Caplets from 2 to 6 a day. and the book The Paleo Diet for Athletes IS very interessting, and I'll get alot out of it. yup.. contradictions.. it happens.
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ACHES AND PAINS
LEFT SHOULDER :
Still don't have full Range of motion and my physiotherapiste absolutely disagrees with what my doctor told me to do, and actully was very surprised that I'm not satisfied with being about 90% OK. Well.. I'M NOT! He finally told me to up the towel stretches and rotator cuff exercises to 6 x 30 secs each everyday for a few weeks, to see what that will do. So that's what I'm doing. I WILL NOT GIVE UP!
RIGHT ELBOW
I have the same brute prehension as with my left had (78 lbs) So my physiotherapiste considers that I am healed. although I'm sure I was alot stronger with my right hand than my left.. but that's not really the problem. The problem is that I have absolutely no endurance with it.. I do a grip just a few times and it hurts.. but I'm working on it.. will just have to be patient, and go real slow, and not do anything dumb like last time.
GENERAL HEALTH
No problems. Not even a cold [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] well.. a few headaches.. maybe 2 this last month.. but with identifiable causes.
MENOPAUSE
I have emotional and monthly signs of pre-menopause but that's just part of life that I'll have to learn to deal with. It does scare me a little though that the only "study" I've found about fitness during menopause is that in the first five years after menopause, women who are not on hormone therapy who work-out do NOT make any gains in muscle strength. Five years is a LONG TIME to maintain perseverence without rewards. A good reason to get on hormone therapy, but that has risks that have to be considered as well. I'll talk about all that with Sylvie Therrien, my doctor, whom I trust.
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BASIC WEEKLY TIME-TABLE
This is what it looks like these days : (except when I'm off xc-skiing or hiking)
Monday :
12 mins rowing WU
~5 mins push-ups just extra cause I need to work on them
~5 mins dips just extra cause I need to work on them
60 mins Group-fitness "Buns of steel"
15 mins stretching
Tuesday :
~5 mins wrist-curls to shorten my WO but also for my physio
~5 mins abs to shorten my WO
60 mins Ballroom dance class with my boyfriend
Wednesday :
12 mins stationary bike WU
60 mins strength WO minus wrist-curls and abs
40 mins cardio
Thursday :
60 mins cardio
15 mins stretching
Friday :
~5 mins wrist-curls
~5 mins abs
2 - 4 hours xc-skiing or hiking
Saturday :
12 mins tread mill WU
60 mins strength WO minus wrist-curls and abs
40 mins cardio
10 mins stretching
Sunday :
Day off
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WHAT'S AHEAD
I'm thinking of doing a regular weights program right after the xc-ski season for about 2 months.. and then a program for hiking. I have meeting set up for March 17th with the Chief Trainer (Steve) of my gym, who will prepare my program.
At home, we're starting to think about a hiking vacation this summer.. but there's nothing definate yet.
ohh.. (2006-03-04) and I just bought this book :
Fitness Cross-Country Skiing. I really need some guidance and don't know where to find it. I hope this will help. and it will also help me give good (better) advice to the people who ask me about xc-skiing.
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SHORT TERM GOALS
Even if I'm continuing my workouts and everything, my short term goals can't be anything else besides getting back full mobility and strenght in my left shoulder and gaining endurance in my right elbow. I have plenty of Physiotherapy exercises ahead of me to achieve them. I really have to concentrate on this.
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FITNESS WEB LOG
I've pretty well standardized the format but have more plans. The URL is in my JPFitness Profile but here it is :
Marykaa's Fitness Logs
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Sincerely,
Mary-Lou
Re: Mary\'s Fitness Updates
