Fitness Commitments: Music

So, I’m still running, but it’s going to be awhile until I crack the 5k! I kind of hit a plateau at about 3.8 km, and I am finding it very difficult to get past that. Well, to be completely honest, I don’t feel like I have enough time to run more than that during the week. I already get up at 5:15 am as it is, so to run more, I’ll have to wake up even earlier. Ugh! Not prepared to do that yet!

I just started jump-rope, thanks to Jenny Doh, again. That Jenny, she gets me into all kinds of trouble. It sounds so easy, to jump rope, right? It’s not. I could barely get past 15 seconds of straight jumping. I’m trying not to do the skipping, you know, like when you were a kid and you have that little half-bounce in between jumps? I think that’s cheating, but I’m not entirely sure. Anyhow, it’s hard. Running can be a bit boring, so I thought I would pep up my routine a bit this way. My commitment this week is to stick with the jumping until I can reach 30 seconds x 3!

Another way to keep the routine from getting stale is to keep the music fresh. I have trouble with that one, too, mainly because I obsess over music and listen to an album or song over and over and over, until… I’m bored. I would love to know what people in the gym are listening to, and sometimes I do ask. Please let me know your favorite workout tunes and I will list what is getting the most playtime on my iPhone!

Top 25 Most Played on Bel’s iPhone (according to the playlist of the same name!):
Ground Shake by Dirty Radio
Get Doh by N’fa
Love is on the Line by Goodfellaz
Wanna Ride by Dirty Radio
I Believe by Simian Mobile Disco
Telephone by Lady Gaga
Love is Gone by Chris Willis and David Guetta
My ❤ by Dirty Radio
Commander by Kelly Rowland (feat. David Guetta)
Baby When the Light by David Guetta
Lose Control by Kish Mauve
Just Can't Get Enough by Black Eyed Peas
Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf
Hustler by Simian Mobile Disco
Heal this Land by Tina Malia
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk
Le Disko by Shiny Toy Guns
Immigrant Song by Karen O., Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Helena Beat by Foster the People
Fireflies by Owl City
I Like It by Enrique Iglesias
Alright by Jamiroquai
Just Dance by Lady Gaga
Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire
Tik Tok by Ke$ha

I realized as I typed this that this playlist must be my all-time most played, because there are some songs on there that I hardly listen to any more, like Jai Ho and Fireflies, and some that I listen to over and over that didn't make the list. In addition to this list, I should add that I have been almost exclusively playing the new Dirty Radio album, "Cassette". I love the whole thing. It's ALL good. I'm really into Jamiroquai right now, too, especially Deeper Underground, and White Knuckle Ride. Please help me out by telling me what you listen to!

Fitness Commitments

I’m still going with last week’s Fitness Commitments: drinking 2L of water a day, and running (on my way to 5K). Yay, me! Here’s where I’m at with the running:

Two more days, and I’ll be half way there, according to this program. It’s a bit hard to believe. Well, two things: it’s hard to believe I ran 4 minutes straight today (that’s never happened before), and it’s really hard to believe I’ll be running 5 K in 4 more weeks. Woah. I’m starting to appreciate the sports psychology profession a lot more now. A huge part of running for me is the mental games I play while I’m doing it. Some of the time I want to give up, and other times I am coaching myself along. I have also experienced running as meditation (really, anything can be a meditation…so true, isn’t it?) It’s great to have my hubby doing the program almost at the same time as me – he is 2 days behind.

So… I am adding new commitments for this week!

1. No more eating when I’m bored. I’m going to check in and see if I am actually hungry. Then I’ll drink water. If I’m hungry after that, then I’ll eat, but I’ll check in with my body to see if I really need that spoonful of Nutella, or would a peach taste just as good right now? I am making this commitment right now, for a week while I’m at home, knowing full well that I’ll have to renew it after our vacation!

2. I am going to go to bed when I am tired. No more staying up late on the computer, or playing Bejeweled HD (just one more!). I have so many books I’d like to read and am always disappointed when I didn’t get to read more of them before bed. Again, this one is for a week, since I’m not sure how things will go while I’m on vacation!

I would love to hear what you will commit to this week!

Fitness Commitments

My wonderful friend, Jenny Doh, inspires me to no end. She is immensely creative, productive, and a fun person to boot. Lately she’s been sharing many of her fitness adventures on her website, Facebook page and through Instagram. I find her path to fitness (through Tabata, archery, core strengthening) incredibly inspiring. She makes me want to be more fit.

I’ve been going to the gym every other day for the last 3 years – a huge commitment for me. I’m totally proud of myself for keeping this up. It’s been pretty easy, though, because I have an immediate incentive – my back. As soon as I stop working out, my back gets weaker, and things can go awry.

There have been many other things I’ve been thinking of doing to be healthier, but haven’t taken them on yet (or have just started). I’ve been heavily inspired by Jenny to start these things, and have been taking a “small commitment” approach.

I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions, but I do like the idea of making small commitments. It’s easy enough to take on a commitment for a week, and see how it goes. Sometimes it will spill over into the next week, and then the next, and before you know it, it’s a habit. Wonderful!

These are my commitments for this week:

Drink 2 L of water a day. Water is essential to most of the processes our bodies accomplish, and I have been neglecting this one for too long. I’ve read that there are many symptoms which could be cured if only people drank enough water! I have actually been doing this for the last month. I fill a jug with water, add 1/4 tsp of salt, and drink up! It’s been really easy, now that I see how much I have to drink. In addition to getting the water I should be getting, I am over-eating less. When I feel like snacking (which is often), I drink water instead. If I’m still thinking of snacking a half hour later, I’ll drink again. Repeat. Eventually, I do feel hunger, and then I eat, but I love how this takes care of the (really-just-bored) snacking habit. I also tend to eat much less than I did before, because the water is so filling.

Learn to run 5K.  I’m not sure how I became interested in this one. My husband mentioned the “0 to 5K” app that he had heard of, and I was instantly intrigued. Let me make this clear just how bizarre this is: I’ve never run in my life, at least, no more than 5 m without getting a cramp. I never wanted to run, never had even an inkling of a desire. This is so far out that I still can’t believe I’m doing it. But the more I do it, the more I want to do it. I’m telling you, this app was made for me: it doles out badges every third day! Yay!

What will you commit to this week?