Day 20!!!

Another gorgeous day in Flint.  Vanda and I needed to sweat out two "cherry blossoms" and two "mason/dixons" (but no SAKI BOMB!) that were a part of celebrating Leanne's birthday last night.  A fun night!!  Happy Birthday, Leanne!!

Okay, Vanda was in better shape this AM than me, but no matter.  I wanted to save up some energy for a long run tomorrow, so the Fabulous Vandella and I decided to go for a nice walk.  I found a new trick in my iMapMyRun iPhone app, where it calls out your time, distance and pace every minute.  So that added a bit more fun to our jaunt, watching how consistent a pace we could keep over our 46 minute tour of downtown Flint.

I also used our walk as a time to reinforce some good behavior traits in Vanda.  I've been gone a lot this last week and haven't had a lot of time to work with either dog.  And its showing.  So we got Vanda's "heel" back in some sort of order (it was never her strong suit).  Now its time to go work with Rupert, who has been getting very stir crazy from my week of back to back to back meetings.  Happy Saturday!!

Day 19

Its a beautiful Friday!  All day, I had planned to knock off early and go for a nice long walk/run with Ms. Vanda.  Somehow, even though I was ready to leave at 3, I still didn't get out of the office until 5.  But thankfully, we're on our way towards spring and there was still plenty of light for us to get in a nice, if not a shorter than planned, run through  downtown Flint.

We made our way up to the Court House, back to the river, then a short jaunt through UM-Flint campus to the footbridge, and back home again.  It was only 2.15 miles, and it took a luxurious 24:30 for an 11:15 min/mile pace.

Now, its off to celebrate Leanne's birthday!!  Hopefully, the fun won't preclude my ability to have a good workout tomorrow.  ;)

Day 18

Today was another one of those days that all I really wanted to do was come home after a long day and park it on the couch.  I had intended to hit the streets with VV for a much needed run, but I just couldn't get out of bed in time this morning.  A day full of meetings later, including a 5:30 public comment session for the clean up of Buick City, its late, its dark, I'm pooped and hungry, and the Olympics are on.

Luckily, I've got a few workout videos to fall back on, so I popped in the Shape pilates and did the arms and back session.  To be honest, I don't know that it was quite 20 minutes.  But today, its just going to have to do.

Now, I can enjoy a pot of calming tea while I watch Lindsay Vonn in the Super Combined. These winter sports are just insane!

Day 16/17

I seem to be worse at keeping up on this here blog than actually doing my workouts.

Yesterday was day 16, and I must admit it was a bit of a cheat day.  I got some walking in to and from work, took the stairs here and there.  I didn't have a focused workout, but it wasn't just sitting at my desk and sitting on my couch, either.  But I know I can do better.

Today was day 17, Yoga Day again!  I just love me some yoga at the Yoga Loft.  Today's session never really felt like work.  But by the end of the lesson my muscles were like wet noodles and I was having trouble just standing up.  Nice!  I think I'm going to start coming to class more than once a week.  I'm guessing I'll start seeing improvements a lot faster that way.

For tonight, its time to watch some Olympics and hit the hay.  Another busy day tomorrow.  Plus I need to get out for a run...as does the Notorious V. Hoping for good weather!

Day 15

Happy President's Day!  Today was not a day off for me or the FRWC.  Busy, busy day.  I knew last night that it was going to be like this, so I sat down and planned out pretty much ever minute of the day up until 9:00PM.  I did that, so that I knew exactly when and how much time I would have to get my 20 minutes in.  My window of opportunity was between 5:15 and 6:00.

Didn't get home until after 5:30, and I had to admit I was dangerously close to parking it on the couch for 30 minutes before I needed to leave again.  The whole "I'll just try to get something in when I get home" notion was pretty enticing.  But Vanda the Wonder Dog had been alone all day, and I was leaving her again for the evening.  So I tossed on my shoes, grabbed the leash, and V and I were off for a brisk walk to fill our short window of free time.

Our dusk adventure took us along the Flint River through the UM-Flint campus, up to the Farmers Market.  Most of the walks were clear, which is nice.  But crossing over the bridge on 5th Ave was pretty treacherous because the sidewalk there had not been plowed.  We had to walk in the street and basically caused a traffic back up until we got to the other side.  Come on UM-Flint, lets keep these walks clear!!!  We got a total of 1.7 miles in 30 minutes - could have sworn our pace was faster than an almost 18 minute miles...o-well!

Right when we got home, I loaded up Rupert and headed to SVSU for puppy class.  I got in a few extra minutes of activity, because we were running late and I had to park about a million miles away from the building.  Jogged most the way in with little Rupert in tow, and realized I forgot to lock the car.  So we trotted all the way back out, then back in again.  :)  That's got to count, right??

And just for fun's sake, I need to show off Rupert working with Claudia - look at that eye contact!  He did a great job working with a new handler.  Claudia is getting a Paws puppy in the next few weeks, and came to class to start picking up puppy training tips.  Her pup's name will either be Beecher or Flint, depending on which litter her pup comes from.  I love it!  (Claudia is a teacher in Beecher.)

Day 14 - Happy Birthday, Vanda!!

Its Vanda the Wonder Dog's Birthday (oh yeah, and Valentine's day...).  Happy Third Birthday, sweet girl!

We celebrated the occasion by going for a run with Cathy and her Crim training buddy Lisa.  Three miles (one mile for each of Ms. V's years) through the Collage Cultural neighborhood and the MCC campus.  It was a cold snowy morning, but we quickly worked up a sweat and were removing layers along the way.

Poor Vanda wanted to romp through the snow so badly, so when we got back Vanda and Cathy's dog Stella played keep away in the yard for awhile.  All in all, a fun way to start of the day.

In the past, I have had the tendency to be a lone runner.  But I'm coming to find that running with others makes the miles melt away in no time.  And having a "date" to go run really helps get my lazy butt out the door.  May have to rethink this whole approach to running.  Thanks again, Cathy and Lisa, for a great run this morning.  I hope we can do this frequently!

Day 12, no wait 13, no make that...aw crap

Okay, so Wednesday would have been day 12.  I actually did get some fitness in that day in the form of more snow shoveling, and some walking with the dogs.  But then I totally slacked on getting to the post.

Thursday and Friday...what happened to you?!?!  I'll tell ya what happened, I got busy and tired and blah blah blah and threw myself a pity party, that's what happened.  I'm not two weeks into my new adventure, and losing major momentum.  But I'm NOT giving up.


Today, The big V and I took a 27 minute walk on the UM-Flint Campus, up to the footbridge and back.  Only 1.2 miles, but it was a nice walk to get us moving again.  Just between us, we'll pretend Thursday and Friday didn't happen.  So this is day 13.  Woo hoo!

And we're back on track.

Day 11 - Let It Snow!!!

Its a beautiful snow fall today, with even more expected. Isn't it great? :)

The white stuff provides an easy way to get in some activity. Skiing? No. Snowboarding? Hecks no! Snow shoeing? Oh give me a break. Nope, for me, its shoveling.

I grabbed the Wonder Dog and away we went. Vanda managed to find a tennis ball under the ~3-4 inches of snow, so rather than get in any activity she happily chewed away on it while I went to work.

I've got a long sidewalk, but it still only took about 15 minutes to get this first pile out of the way. Given that its still snowing, I'll probably be out there again later tonight to keep things passable.

So far, its pretty light and fluffy, so not a huge workout. But its enough that I can feel it. Now, the chai tea is brewing and I'm wrapping up some work for the day. UM-Flint has already closed its campus tomorrow, so Happy Snow Day!! Lucky for me, I can walk into the office, but if the building is closed, I may just have to work from home tomorrow. :)

Day 10 - not feeling it

Yuck, wah, meh. Felt cruddy all day. Muddled through work (mostly). Fell asleep as soon as I got home. I don't want to count on tomorrow being any better, given its slated to be a busy day and I've been fighting this sick for several days already. So dragged meself off the couch and did two sessions from the Body Sculpt video.

Last time I did this, my calves went into knots that lasted for a week. We'll see how tomorrow goes. Right now, my legs feel like jello. Early bed time tonight. Tomorrow WILL be a better day, damn it!

Day 9 - Super Bowl Sunday!

As I lazily started my day, I somehow managed to goof around long enough that I started thinking I was going to loose my chance at a work out AGAIN. I needed to head over to the College Cultural area for a planning meeting at 1 PM for the Friends of the Flint River Trail.

And then I had my "Ah ha!" I'll walk over there and back home, and that should give me a good chunk of exercise for this day of eating and drinking.

Perfect plan. I made it there with time to spare, it wasn't that cold, and had a delightful conversation with my niece Jillian on the way there. Unfortunately, the phone call screwed up the iMapMyRun on the phone, so it wasn't until I made it back home that I had any idea how far my walk was, or how long it took.

My return trip was 2.17 miles, so round trip today's "workout" was almost 4.4 miles. Now its off to eat and drink too much for the Super Bowl. Go Colts!

Day Eight

Cathy Lancaster, Erin Caudell, and Moi raising some funds for Haiti.

Today's workout was a fundraiser for Haiti relief efforts. Great job to the Crim for organizing a fun "fun run." They had around 60 or 70 participants brave the cold early morning.

Thanks so much to Cathy Lancaster who encouraged me to drag my butt out of bed this morning to participate. I probably would have resorted to a run at the Y today if I had not told Cathy I would be there, and she mentioned a similar motivation for being there. It worked out well that we motivated each other, because it was coooold. But together, we did the whole four miles! And then we rewarded ourselves with chocolate croissants (YUM!) from the Farmer's Market bakery when we were done. So worth it!

Tomorrow, of course, is Super Bowl Sunday. Need to think of something Super to do for my workout to celebrate. Any suggestions??

Great job to EVERYONE who came out this morning to run and raise funds for the Red Cross!!

Day six...wait make that 7

Well, well, well...I hate to say it, but I did not even make it a week. Thursday would have been day 6, and I had every intention of getting in some afternoon stair climbing. But unfortunately, the work day got away from me. And right after work, I had to run to Lansing to give a speech. Then, rather than come home to finally get in a work out, I went to a friend's house for some frosty beverage and chit chat. All conscious decisions that I'm not at all sorry I made, though I am bummed that I missed my workout.

But rather than throw in the towel, I recommitted today! The indomitable Ms. V and I once again hit the streets of Flint for beautiful morning run. To make up for missing yesterday's workout, we decided to extend today's; 40 minutes rather than 20.

We broke things up a bit. First we ran 2.11 miles in 24 minutes, for a 11:22 pace. Progress! Then we walked for 13 minutes. That got us up to 37. A good stretch session once home rounded us out right around 45 minutes.

The 90 day quest survives to work out another day! See ya tomorrow.

(Today's photo features Rupert. He was feeling a little left out, and it was mostly his fault that yesterday's workout didn't happen. Really!)

Day 5

Day 5 = Yoga Day!!!

The whole day was planned around going to yoga at 5:15 at the Yoga Loft and Sharp Fitness. I used to frequent this class on and off when they were located in the Buckam Gallery (yoga among the art!), but had fallen out of practice.

Today was the first day for class in their new digs in the Wade Trim Building (between Soyla's and Garibella Salon) and I really wanted to be there! Of course, meetings run long, post meeting discussions run even longer, and next thing I know its 5 and I still need to walk home (still walking!), let the dogs out, change, and run back downtown for class that starts at 5:15.

I almost gave up and bagged going to class, but I really, really, wanted to get back to this class. So even though I knew I would be a couple minutes late, I went. Whew! So glad that I did. Lois Schneider does a fantastic class. Apologies for the grainy picture, Lois! (The iPhone needs a flash, Mr Jobs, if you are listening.)

Lois' class is great for beginning and long time yogi's alike. She does a fantastic job of talking you through all the poses, giving you just the right tips for perfecting your form as you go. You should definitely check it out. They are also doing lots of other booty kicking classes like Zumba and kickboxing, so I may be trying one or two of those out on my 90 days of fitness quest.

Sadly, all my fitness gained tonight was pretty much undone by a trip to the Torch following class. But the fun and conversation was well worth the few (hahaha) extra calories consumed.

As of now, I have no plans for tomorrow's activity. Which means I'll probably resort to my fall back of going for a run. We'll see tomorrow! For now, have a good night.

Day Four

Woke up this morning, and the house was freezing. My first thought was "great, another curve ball." But thankfully, two fresh batteries in the programmable thermostat and the furnace was back in action.

I knew I needed to get in a run today, but the fresh snow was doing its best to keep me inside.

BUT NOT TODAY! :)

I bundled up, grabbed VV and off we went. The nice thing about living in the city is they actually get out and clear most the sidewalks. Most. And it wasn't a lot of snow, so the going really wasn't that tough. We went just a little further today then on our last run.

1.92 miles in 22:46 minutes for a pace of 11:49.

And only one stop for Ms. V to do her dooty, right in the middle of the street. Thankfully, we had a big enough lull in traffic that she could finish, and I could pick it up. (please don't ever leave your dog's business in the street!! Your rivers and streams thank you.)

When we got home, the house was back to comfy and warm. Whew. Off to work now.

Day 3

I actually got up at 6 this morning intending to get my day's workout in before work. I even got as far as getting fully dressed for a run in the cold. Then I remembered I had some very important things I needed to get done before going into the office this morning (really!!). And, well, given it was dark and so very, very, cold, my plans changed.

Sometimes life throws you curve balls, right? Okay, so it was my own fault for this particular curve ball, but things happen and we adjust. Rebecca of four days ago would have just bagged the workout for the day. But I just couldn't stop with only two days under my belt.

So time to be creative. Today, I'm starting to get back into the habit of walking in to the office. Yes, I'll admit it, with the cold (damn its cold!) I've been very lazy and driving the WHOPPING 0.3 miles into the office. I'm so ashamed. But today, we walk! Unfortunately (fortunately??), it only takes 6 minutes door to door. So even the round trip isn't going to get me to my minimum of 20 minutes.

Not to worry! Because today, I took mental breaks and climbing the stairs. From the second floor of my office to the 12th floor of the North Bank Center and back down is almost exactly 5 minutes. I did this 3 times throughout the afternoon. Wala! Day three, check! I've got to say, these breaks did a wonder for my focus and productivity during the afternoon. Huh...you hear this all the time, who would have thought it was true!?!

I'm not going to let my commute substitute for any more work outs, but since starting to walk again in-and-of itself was a positive behavior change, I'm taking it.

Man, I wish it would warm up.

ps - pretty sore today, but not as bad as I was expecting. Tomorrow, will run with the fat dog (after all, this is all about her) when the sun comes out, around 8AM. If its not too cold. You know, because she has to run barefoot and all...