Interval Training

"Has anyone else noticed that a minute of running is at least 45 seconds longer than a minute of walking??"


I posted this yesterday on Facebook after my cardio workout. I decided that I would do some interval training to switch it up a little as just running can get a little boring sometimes. (I would actually highly suggest interval training to anyone else who wants to change up their running routine as well). Basically, it's a series of sprinting, running, jogging and/or walking done in timed intervals. Yesterday I decided to do 1 minute interval training. I started with a five-minute warm-up walk and then immediately went into a 1 minute sprint followed by 1 minute of walking. I repeated the sprinting/walking cycle for about 16 minutes. All in all I covered about 1.5 miles of ground.


One thing that I love about interval training is that it always seems to get out more mucus than just straight running. I have a feeling it's because I bounce much more sprinting than I do when I'm running. And I know for a fact that I'm pulling for air much harder and it's getting deeper into my lungs. Doing the sprints followed by a 1 minute recovery walk lets me concentrate on getting as much air into my lungs as possible (as well as trying not to fall flat on my face from a lack of oxygen!). Yesterday was no different as I'm pretty sure I coughed up some stuff that has been down there for quite some time. Again, I would highly recommend this form of training to everyone.


But to get back to the quote I started with in the beginning -  it is amazing how true that feels. Like clockwork, I would look down at my watch 40 seconds into my sprint thinking that there was no way I would have any time on my minute left. And just like clockwork, about 1 minute into my walk I would look down at my watch swearing I was only 30 seconds into my recovery. It was seriously astonishing to me! It was consistent the entire 16 minutes and I can't help but think what my brain must've been processing each and every time I took off into my sprint. The hope of course is that those sprints feel shorter and shorter and those walks feel longer and longer. Although when I happens, I have to change up the routine!


Have any of you ever tried interval training?

My Foot be a-Healin'!!!

I've been operating on a bad wheel for about the past month now but fortunately my exercising hasn't stopped. Soon after I got out of the hospital I went for a long run and since then my foot hasn't been the same. I had my lung doctor look at it (who also happens to be a runner) and she said that it sounded/looked a lot like plantar fasciitis. I've had foot problems since I started running so this was nothing new, it was just a bummer that it happened so soon after my hospital stay. I had started running in new shoes so we figured that could have been contributing towards the problem. Her recommendation was that I rested it as much as possible and stretch it from time to time. Since then my morning walks have been scarce (to rest my foot) and I've mostly been doing an exercise bike or my bicycle for workouts. But after a month of no running I'm definitely chomping at the bit to get back on the treadmill or street. This is definitely one of those classic cases of "you don't know what you've got until it's gone".

Yesterday, for my workout, I decided to walk at a decent pace on the treadmill. Like I said before, I'm usually on the exercise bike which doesn't put any weight on my foot so getting on the treadmill can always be interesting. I've been on the treadmill since injuring my foot but I've always kept it at a very slow pace (almost just letting the treadmill act as a stretching mechanism for my foot). Yesterday was different however. I continued to push up the pace until it got uncomfortable to keep up with it. And it wasn't my foot that was holding me back, but just my natural walking pace. I ended up walking for about 45 min. with minimal pain or discomfort in my foot (about 2.5 miles). This is the most positive sign in the last month and it's making me hopeful that I may be able to run again soon.

I ended up going back to my old running shoes as the new ones may have been contributing to the problem. I don't plan on going back to the new ones unless it's completely necessary. Now Mandi will tell you it is in fact necessary because I'm missing part of my shoe on the old ones, but my feet felt great after walking in them so they'll stay. The mistake I made in purchasing my new shoes was actually getting a half size bigger than my old ones. It's funny because the smallest things can really make a difference in running shoes. When I started running over two years ago I was in the absolutely wrong shoes for me and after most of my runs I couldn't physically walk without shooting pains in my shins, knees and hips. After getting fitted with proper shoes all the pain went away and I was able to run with ease...well, ease in my book.

Just thought I'd fill you guys in on what's going on with me, exercising and my hopeful return to running. I've been fortunate that my lung function has actually gone up since getting out of the hospital (61% to 73%), but I'm sure a lot of that has to do with continued treatments and getting in any kind of exercise that I can. I've also been doing breathing exercises each and every morning before I get out of bed. Who knows if that has anything to do with my increased lung function but I can tell you that I feel much better and my lungs feel open before I even set foot on the ground in the morning. I would recommend that everyone at least give it a shot. I know for me I have a ton of mucus that just sits there overnight while I'm sleeping and doing those breathing exercises gets everything moving around.

That's it for my exercise update. If you're the praying type keep my foot in mind and if you're not...well then I guess you're not. Any good thoughts, shout outs, well-wishes, or anything else that you can think of that has to do with my foot will be appreciated!

The Morning Walk is Back!!

One thing that I really wanted to focus on after this last trip to the Hole was getting my morning routine back - namely, my morning walk. When things get busy, it seems to be the first thing I put on the back burner, and it truly is a big mistake. Now that it's been a while and I've been able to stick with it, I can't even begin to tell you the difference it makes. The thing is, it literally takes up 10-20 minutes of my morning, but the positive affects of the morning walk stay with me all day. I mean, what kind of return on investment is that?? I'll tell you, it's one of the smartest things that I, you or your neighbor Billy Bob can do!

It sets the tone for the entire day when I get out there first thing in the morning and walk my little buns off. Not only does it get my motor running, but it also gets my lungs open like nothing else can first thing in the morning. I cough up a TON of junk and I'm able to give those "gut rattling" coughs without fear of tossing my cookies. Being able to just focus on clearing the gunk without that fear is priceless. It's amazing how much more clear I feel on the days that I get that walk in first thing in the morning.

I know I've talked about this before, but I just can't stress it enough to you guys. I'm constantly being asked "where do I start?". Start here! This is the PERFECT first step on your way to better health. It will barely take up any of your time; it will set the tone for the rest of your day; it's a nice chance to clear your head; it won't be so physically demanding that you'll be too intimidated to start. All you have to do is tie up the those shoes of yours, open your front door and start walking! I promise that a month from now you won't regret it. In fact, walk today, right now if possible, and if you regret doing so after your walk, please leave your comment here about that regret. In fact, if any of you EVER regret doing a workout, please let me know about it!

The other great thing about a morning walk is that you don't have to be the only one to benefit. It gives Mandi and I a great opportunity to talk about who knows what and everything else in between, but more importantly, just spend that quality time together. This could also give you some quality time together with that special someone in your life, whether it be your husband, wife, kids, mom, dad, sister, brother or dog. Shoot, to be honest with you, I don't think anybody looks forward to these morning walks more than Jezzabel (my dog). In fact, most mornings she sitting at the edge of my bed whining, just listening for the words "go get your leash".

Will you do me a favor? Go for a walk tomorrow morning. Then, come back to this blog and tell me about it. You can also share your experience over on DailyMile.com. We have a great group over there who love to hold each other accountable and root one another on. See you there!!

The Honeymoon is over...

I absolutely love Monday Holidays. I totally get that having a Friday off is just as long as having a Monday off, but somehow having the day off added to the end of the weekend makes it feel so much longer. Am I alone in this? Truthfully, I'm not quite sure why I don't have to work today -the day AFTER a holiday - but I'll take it!

We very much enjoyed our 4th of July. We spent it with our brothers (Josh, Grant, Andrew), sister (Chrissy), cousin (Steven) and friends (Mike, Brittany, Brendan and Julie) in the pool; playing any game we could make up with a football. It was a good time, but man-oh-man, it was also a good reminder of how out of shape we've gotten. I mean, I just thought my new scale ran a bit heavy....but unfortunately I don't think that's the case ;-)

So hence the title - the honeymoon is over. Tomorrow is the day we get back into our normal workout routine. Between the wedding, honeymoon, new job, hot weather, family trip, settling into married life, etc etc etc, (insert more excuses here), we haven't quite settled back into a good workout routine. We rode our bikes daily and took short walks, but based on our performance in the pool today, it's not cutting it. SOOO it's back to morning walks, the gym, and runs daily. It's not going to be fun, or comfortable for that matter, but we're going to have to force ourselves to do it until it feels natural again.

We've decided that we're going to take a Day 1 photo of ourselves and hop on the scale to get our starting bodies well documented, and then take weekly photos of ourselves to chart the progress. We'll also keep track of what kinds of weights we're throwing up at the gym, as well as how far/long we're running each day. There's no better way to see progress than to actually SEE the progress.

Anyone want to join us?? It's not gonna be pretty, but it'll be worth it!

Top Ten Things I Love About My Morning Walk

If you've been reading this blog for a while then you know that one thing I highly recommend is a morning walk. I truly believe that for me, my morning walk is more important for me than even some of my treatments. Not only can it serve as a good physical treatment, but it can serve a good mental treatment as well. If you're thinking about starting an exercise program but just don't know where to begin, I suggest starting with a brisk 15 minute walk first thing out of bed. Those that have tried have reported back nothing but good things!

So here it is, the top ten things I like about my morning walk:

10. Get to spend some quality time with my (four-legged) girl

I don't know who is more excited in the morning, me or Jezzabel...wait, that's an easy one, it's by far JBell. She can barely contain herself as I put on my shoes and wait for her command, "Get your leash".

9. It's peaceful

Often times I find that it's just me and the world...and people in their cars leaving for work.

8. It's nippy (cold)

Arizona doesn't hardly ever get down right cold, so we have to find joy when it's just a little bit cold outside, even if by "a little bit", we mean 50 degrees.

7. Feels good to get up and start moving right away

If I transition from my bed to a couch or chair to drink my coffee first, it still kind of feels like I'm sleeping. There's just something about getting right up and at em!

6. It always smells so clean outside first thing in the morning

I know you guys know that smell I'm talking about (unless you live in NYC) :)

5. It's a good time to start preparing for the day

I'll often go over my checklist for the day and start thinking ahead of time about priorities that need to be done first and those things that I can push off until tomorrow :)

4. It forces me to take deep breaths before my treatments

The morning walk definitely serves as a good lung exercise. I find that if I take a walk first, my lungs can generally expand more during my nebs.

3. It gets me hungrier

Often times, instead of thinking about what I have to do that day, I just think about what I'll eat when I get back home.

2. I cough up more junk during my morning walk than I do my morning Vest

If I ever got lost on my morning walk, I could just follow a trail of my mucus back to the house. It gives a whole new meaning to the yellow brick road :)

1. My lungs always feel more clear on the days I get my walk in

I'd say this one is pretty self-explanatory. Bottom line: I feel better the days I go for a walk first thing in the morning.

Do you guys take walks in the morning? If so. what do you love about them? If not, why?

Lungs a Little Tighter Than Normal

6:30am: Because yesterday went so well I decided to do another long walk this morning, but this time Jeezy for Sheezy got the invite. She was super excited when I told her to grab her leash and we were out the door in a jiffy. Just to backtrack a little, I had trouble falling asleep last night (and it had nothing to do with the 2 cups of coffee at 9pm :)), but I woke up feeling refreshed this morning. My lungs also felt pretty mucus free although they were a little tight. Anyway J Bell and I took off on our adventure and the weather was again being my friend. It was actually a little hotter this morning, but I think it may have just felt that way cause I was directly in the sun's ray the whole time. Yesterday I was walking in the shade for about half the time. Today's walk was also different because half of it was uphill or slightly uphill. Talk about getting the lungs going!

The walk felt good and my feet almost held up the whole time. The ball of my right foot burned about .5 miles into the walk (which is new) and my left foot didn't hurt until about the 2.5 mile mark. I kept a good pace the whole time and J Bell helped out with only going potty about 4 times and rarely stopping to sniff. I think after the second uphill she didn't have the energy to veer off course and do any sniffing. Her tongue was flopping all over the place and you could tell she just wanted to get home. I could have gone longer, but I didn't want her to have a stroke this morning. My lungs opened up and I was able to get a good amount up and out. They still feel a bit tight, but I'm thinking they will be just fine after a treatment. I just need to ice my feet and suck on my nebulizer and this will be a great start to an even greater day!

Total Distance: 3.0 miles Time: 55'58"

4:00pm: So the rest of the day kind of got away from me. I was working on some stuff that I started this morning and before I knew it, it was 4. I had about 45 minutes to get in a workout before I had to get ready for a CFF event. I thought about skipping today and making it up tomorrow, but I figured that I had time to at least do something. I went to the gym and did two burnout sets. One on chest and the other on back. For chest, I started with 145lbs and did that as many times as I could. Then I took off 20 lbs. and did that as many times as I could and then took off another 20 and so on. I finally got all of the way down to the bar and I was only able to do it about 19 times. My chest felt like it had been torn. For back, I did the same type of thing but I did it with wide grip pull ups and instead of going down in weight, I went down in assistance. For instance, I started with 100 lbs. of assistance and worked my way down to 40 lbs. in 15 lbs. increments and did pull ups each time until I couldn't manage to hold myself up. Have I managed to confuse you yet? I hope so :)

Anyway, the key message for today is even if you're short on time, make sure you do SOMETHING. You've got to get your body into a habit. And for what it's worth, there's not many habits better for your lungs than exercise.

Total Distance for Day: 3.0 miles

Great Mother's Day...for Me.

7:30pm: I'll have to explain my title post to you first. See, I ended up having a great and relaxing Mother's Day today. The problem is, my mom did not. She was starting to feel a little sick on Friday and still has not been able to shake it. I had my day planned out with her and when she couldn't swing it, I was left with nothing but free time. So what did I do? I brought new meaning to the word chill. After church, I literally sat on the couch ALL day. As you see by my post time, I didn't do anything active until 7:30pm. It did feel weird and I did have to fight off the urge to go to the gym, but I was able to just relax all day. Words would not do the feeling justice that I had all day. I can't remember the last time I was able to just lounge and watch tv for hours on end (without being in the hospital of course).

Mandi and I discovered a whole new channel in the process that we ended up watching two full hour long shows on. Anybody out there ever watch the National Geographic channel? First we watched a documentary type show on the origination of the Crip and Blood gangs in L.A. and then a show that told the story of a man and three of his friends that were thrown in a Brazilian prison for smuggling drugs. Both shows were absolutely fascinating. I'll definitely be checking back in with that channel more often! We also watched Harper's Island, Lakers vs. Rockets, House, and some AI that I had saved. What a day it was!

We ended up taking J Bell for a walk around 7:30 when the sun started to go down. It was perfect walking weather outside. I will say though, sitting around all day certainly made it tougher to walk. Not only did my legs feel sluggish and my hip have a crink in it, but my lungs weren't moving air like they're used to. I did my three treatment sessions total throughout the day, but it just does not have the same affect on my lungs as exercise. I felt very full of mucus and it was hard to clear. It's so important for me to get moving first thing in the morning, if I don't, I feel the "side effects" all day. Tomorrow is going to be the first day I attempt the new routine of cardio at the gym in the morning with a dog walk at night. I think it's going to be a very good thing. I guess only time will tell.

Total Distance: 2.4 miles

Side Note: A huge thanks to my cousin Jason for my cool new blog header!!!! There's actually some interesting history behind that dude that is running across the top of my page. If you want some entertainment provided by a family raising 4 kids all under the age of 5, check out Jason's family blog. It will bring a smile to your face, I guarantee it.

Total Distance Walked for Day: 2.4 miles

31.7 Total Miles for Week of March 30th, 2009

Week of March 23rd: 24.48 miles
Week of March 16th: 34.85 miles
Week of March 9th: 23.6 miles