Thursday, June 7, 2012

Breaking the Sound Barrier

Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little when I say I went faster than speed of sound...but I did go pretty fast, for me! Today I started interval training based on a schedule I found in a book. Essentially, you walk at an easy pace for 60 seconds, then full steam for 20 and you keep repeating for a total of 20 minutes. I read all the stuff that explained the science behind interval training, but I can't regurgitate the details, bottom line -- it's a worker smarter, not harder plan and it is supposed to burn more efficiently over time. My average walking pace when I'm exercising is 3.0 - 3.2 and I can sustain that for a while. My easy pace is probably 2.5-2.8. Today I was walking 2.7 with intervals of up to 4.5! HOLY CRAP! I seriously didn't think I could go that fast. It definitely spiced up my routine and made things more interesting.

A few words about my work out buddy. He's pretty much the best dog ever. When he sees me going for my workout clothes, he gets so excited I think his fuzzy little head might explode. 

Before I take him on our exercise walk, I take him to the field behind the bank across the street from my house to let him run a bit off leash. The area is fenced on 3 sides and far enough off the main road I don't have to worry about him getting hurt. He LOVES it. The first thing he does as soon as he hears the clip on the leash click is bolt across the field as fast as he can. It's pretty impressive for a couch potato doggy. He's some sort of Border Collie mix, but whatever he's mixed with must be super lazy because he's all about his naps. 
Exploring the field. This is a bit of an oddity since I live just minutes
from downtown, but it's so nice to have green space close to home!
After Mackie got a good run in (sorry bunnies that got chased) we headed to the park for a nice walk. I only did about 1.5 miles today, but with the interval training it certainly seemed more challenging.

Almost home. His tongue was waggin'!
I wasn't sure what I would think about interval training, but it was actually pretty enjoyable. Although, I'm sure it looks a little funny like I have ants in my pants every minute or so. I really like listening to Florence and the Machine to work out. Do you have any favorite bands or tunes for workout time? 

Today was a good day overall. I had my second and last day of Access training. I got up early and went by my community garden and picked some kale and chard for a salad. I also got a good handful of peas to add to the mix. It was super yummy!

Isn't that pea the cutest? (Yes, I eat with a Kermit the Frog toddler fork!) 
 I've been having some tummy issues the past couple days and I'm wondering if my super green salad might not be the culprit. I know darker greens can be harder to digest and I'm thinking it might be why I'm getting rumbles in my belly. Maybe I need to mix in some romaine or something?

At lunch since I was right around the corner from the mall and I had a $15 coupon burning a hole in my pocked I popped into Lane Bryant. I tried on a couple things and was please to see that the 18/20 fit and for the most part was roomy. However, proportionately, something is just off about the length of most of their garments for me. I'm 5'8 and they almost always are too long. I did find a cute purple maxi skirt on clearance that I picked up and I got a cute wristlet that I've been dreaming about so I can be hands-free when I take walks at lunch and still have my id and phone on me. Mostly I tuck my phone into my bra, but I'm terrified that I'm going to get it too sweaty and either short it out or electrocute myself. Anyhoo, problem solved! All in all my big shopping trip cost a whopping $21 dollars after the coupon. YAY!


I love the color and it's just the right size to carry the essentials and will slip into my big purse without adding a lot of bulk. 

This afternoon on the way home from training I stopped to pop into TJ Maxx and got sidelined by a crisis. When I pulled into the parking spot I noticed there was a little girl in the back seat by herself in the car next to me and all the windows were rolled up. The car was off. The door was cracked, but you could tell she was reluctant to open it all the way. She was pretty small and I'm guessing somewhere between 7 and 8. I got out of my car and looked around hoping to see someone that looked like a mom nearby, but there was no one. I didn't want to scare her and she didn't seem in immediate danger, but it was hot and I know it only takes minutes to get dangerously hot in a car in the summer. I stepped a few yards away and called the police, but kept a watch on her. Long story short, the police were there in a matter of just a few minutes and they rounded up the mom who tried to say that she had just sent her daughter out to get her purse. Um, no. That kid was parked in the backseat. She was not getting anything. Then I overheard the lady tell the police that her daughter was 11. I very nearly lost my cool. I'm not a carnie or anything, but I'm a mom and I've been around a ton of kids in my time and that kid was not a young-looking 11, she was simply younger. It took everything in my being to not start screaming at the woman. Regardless, 7 or 8 or 11, it was nearly 90 degrees in the shade. She seemed so unconcerned and not in the least bit surprised to see the police, like it was old hat. I turned to her and said, "It's HOT, she's wearing JEANS!" and she wasn't even phased. That just makes my heart hurt. I left before the police had resolved the situation completely, partly because I didn't want to risk a confrontation and partly because I was furious. When I got home I conducted my own experiment to see how long it took to get uncomfortable in a car with no a/c and the door cracked. 2 minutes. By 4 minutes I was sweating. The whole thing just breaks my heart and I seem to have an eye for that kind of thing. Some other day I'll tell you all about the kitchen knife-wielding toddler at the department store. Ugh. Anyway, I'm glad the police were so quick to respond and I hope that the irresponsible mom takes this as a wake up call and doesn't endanger her kid like that again. A metal box sitting in the sun is no place for a person or an animal.

Tomorrow I'm back to the regular routine and I'll be in my office all day. I'm super glad it's Friday, but dreading the regular grind. My friend issue I mentioned yesterday is still not resolved and that's got me tossing and turning and making it difficult to focus. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better on that front.
On Saturday I'm hiking again (only 7 miles this time) and I'm excited to explore a new area and get some quiet time in the forest again. Sunday is podcast/craft day and I'm heading out to A's for bonding and handmade. 

What are you doing this weekend?










2 comments:

  1. How sad for that little girl. Good thing you called the cops. People like that should not be parents.

    Enjoy your hike. I plan on working out and testing out my new HRM. Sounds so exciting, right? hee hee

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  2. Hey, HRM's are nice gadgets to have! That is exciting. :)

    ReplyDelete