Functional Workout

I was totally inspired by yesterday's discussion of NEAT, and of getting my eating on track after the holiday and being sick, and also getting my workouts back to a regular schedule. I was trying to figure out what route to take for my run. I wasn't really diggin' on the park, and I kind of wanted to go farther than my regular 4-mile loop. So I was thinking I could just expand the loop a little more by adding a few extra side streets. Right before I left, the Hubs told me that there was a message on the answering machine- it was from the library, and a book that I've been waiting for forever, was finally in (I've been on the list for like 2 months!). As I was going out the door, it hit me- why don't I do part of my loop, then instead of heading toward home, go to the library and pick up my book. How utilitarian! I would have my hydration pack anyway, so I could just carry the book in that on the way home. So off I went. I did most of the 4-mile loop, but cut it just a little short on the end, and I headed back the other way a little sooner than normal (which wasn't as fun, because then I didn't have my downhill dash to the halfway mark). But it was a good thing, because I don't think I would have lasted much longer. It was so hot outside, still about 89 degrees at 6:30 p.m. Plus I was carrying 3 lbs of water on my back!

After a 5-minute warm-up I ran the whole way to the library (via scenic route, of course- a direct shot would have been waaaay shorter). Including the warm-up of .39 miles, it ended up being 3.29 miles. I wasn't sure how far it would be to go from the library to home, maybe a little over a mile, but it's almost all uphill! When I walked in the library, I was sweating like mad, so I went in the restroom and wiped myself down with paper towels before I picked up my book. Plus, it gave me time to catch my breath. After I checked out my book (a decent-weight hardback), I took off again. I walked for the first little bit, then started running for several blocks. I alternated running and walking until I got to the bottom of my hill, where I figured I could do my cool-down climb home. I felt like my overall pace was pretty slow, especially for the first mile, but it turned out not being too bad. The total was just over 4.5 miles, and I finished in 48:22 (10:39 pace).

I've been having a little bit of pain in my left arch lately, plus my left calf was getting really tight on my run. I'm not sure if it's due to not stretching properly, or if it's a sign that it's time for new shoes. Although my shoes don't look very worn, I have no idea how many "miles" are on them, mostly because I didn't keep track of my runs last spring (well, they're written in my notebook, but not totaled up) and I've done a lot of elliptical workouts in them. So, maybe I'll just see how it goes, and start saving for a really nice new pair of shoes (maybe that will be my reward for meeting my July goal of 75 miles).

Okay, so going back to NEAT. I really need to do a better job of getting in more activity at work. I have a desk job, and for the most part, I don't leave my desk a whole lot. Every once in a while I have to get up to go to the printer, or copy machine, and sometimes I do random stuff like blowing up balloons. But 95% of the time I'm just sitting. I've read that it's a good idea to get up and walk around for 5 minutes of every hour. I don't know that I could walk for a whole 5 minutes (unless I did laps around the office, and I'm not brave enough for that- I'm already a crazy speed-walker, whenever I have to walk anywhere). If I'm drinking my water, then I get up several times to use the restroom. But I need to add more movement. Since my cubie is right in front of the boss man's office, it can't be too wild, but I'm sure I can find an excuse to get up and move and go somewhere. When I was in a different department in a more secluded area, I would stand up and do leg lifts, plies, squats, and calf-raises, but I don't think that would fly where I'm at now. Much too visible. Maybe I'll just get up and make a random lap around the office, to get the blood flowing. If I come up with something better I'll let you know. Does anyone have any better ideas that are inconspicuous and don't look like I'm avoiding work?

So, funny thing, in my Discovery Health e-newsletter that came yesterday, there were a few articles related to NEAT. The first one I saw was "Make Household Chores Your Workout". This is a classic. It only gives a few ideas, but I'm sure we can all come up with several more related to this topic. I think vacuuming, whether you're trying or not, is a good workout. The toughest job for me (aside from yardwork or outside jobs) is probably scrubbing the tub and the shower. It's just not easy-access, so with the reaching and bending and using your muscles to get rid of soap scum, I definitely burn plenty of calories. Going along with laundry, as discussed in the article, my washer and dryer are in the basement, and all of my clothes are upstairs. So if I'm doing several loads, that's a lot of stair-climbing. But the thing is, I still need to fit more activity into my life. The fine folks over at Discovery Health also had an article about "Adding Fitness to Your Daily Routine", which starts out with NEAT ideas, then progresses into some info about how much exercise you need, and how hard, and other stuff that most of us probably are educated on, but might be a good refresher.

Well, that's enough for now. I look forward to hearing from anyone that has ideas or input on this topic. I'm glad that some of you found my computer monitor reminders helpful. It's kind of silly, but it works.