Getting funky

I don't mean getting "down" "funky", as in "groovy" or anything remotely fun.
Whatever illness/funk I was in earlier this month is dragging on down the rest of February. It's putting a damper on the workouts. Yesterday I got through two sets of upper body and only one set of lower body and just had to stop. Thankfully I continued with cardio, but punking out on strength is highly unusual for me. I have to wonder how some people get through workouts when they feel like shit and can't perform at a high rate they usual perform at, because it gets me down. Running this month has not been good and I have no excuses. I have to find something that's mucking up my run, fix it, and charge on. It doesn't help that I'm not a big fan of running in the first place. Right now the weather is crisp at a 51 degrees, sunny, and the snow is dwindling. I should really hit the road.

There is no brighter day than the one that shines light on the knowledge that true strength lies not in self, but unity. That others answer to the same cruel tormentor. And that together, they can shoulder the anguish. This is the hot forge that will make Marines, because at last there is no questioning of why, no wondering how. There is only determination. There is only single-minded desire. Not one among them is willing to give up. Not one among them would exchange torment for comfort. Finally, they have found the will to be Marines. 

Workout of the Month

50/40/30/20/10

When I first saw that as the WOD from CrossFit I was intrigued. "What is a 50/40/30/20/10?"
"That's not what I think it is..is it? Oh it is. Fuuuuu!"

The numbers signify reps. Yes reps. 50 reps. 40 reps. And so on.

What the 50/40/30/20/10 is this; pick out three workouts that work the upper, core, and lower body, and a cardio exercise like jumping rope, side straddle hops, high knees, jumps etc.
You'll start the workout with 50 seconds of your cardio of choice, say jump rope followed by 50 reps of each exercise. After the 50 reps of the last exercise, start back with your cardio for 40 seconds and followed by 40 reps of each exercise; you'll work your way down to 10 seconds and 10 reps.
Now CrossFit has their method and it's intense. I love it and there's a great sense of accomplishment when you are done. Don't take long breaks or if any if you can manage during the workout. I did this on Saturday following my recuperation and had little breaks of no more than 10 seconds.

I modified the workout from CrossFit to fit my need but here's February's WOM:

11 minute warm
50/40/30/20/10
Weighted Squats (20lb)
Crunches
Upper Body 15/14/12/10/8 each of side lat raises(10lb), arm curls(20lb), and triceps extensions(20lb)
High knees

I followed this by a 3 mile stint on the bike.

What free time?

School has been keeping me rather busy and I apologize for the lack of updates.

I just got over an odd illness, stomach bug or something like it. It unfortunately kept me from eating, exercising, let alone thing thinking clearly. After a week of not doing much I jumped back in the saddle today and as expected sucked at my timed runs. 1.5 miles in 14:18??? Ew. That's a far cry from my usual 11:00 to 11:30 time. (And I finished today at 2 miles in 19:02 another far cry from the usual) I think this proves that when it comes to running, I need to be consistently doing it.

However, before the illness struck me down I did a Cupid 5k! I got 9th best in my age group with a 27:35! The race wasn't too packed so I had a little advantage. I was literally the Black Sheep so to speak as a race participant. The Cupid Run had tons of couples dressed in Valentines Day colors and I was a loner wearing all black. Hey, I don't need anyone holding me back!
I was really pumped for this race! I had that feeling I got before a Roller Derby bout; extremely excited, nervous, and antsy. I was also worried if anyone would laugh at me, no joke. The run itself was "easy", it was a cool day, flat surface on asphalt, and the best part was all the motivational signs onlookers made! It really made the run enjoyable and there were moments I really didn't care about the time. I kept plugging away until I hit the finish line. I got myself a fancy (little) medal too for being in the top ten of my age group. Quite nice. Definitely looking forward to the Shamrock Run next month!

As far as the fat loss goes, I lost about seven pounds in two weeks. Not sure how, but I'm certainly not complaining.

By the way, I still hate running. But it's always good to know I can out run zombies.