Sunday, August 04, 2013

Sporty Sunday: Fitness Routine, August 2013

It’s been almost a year since my last Sporty Sunday post. In that year, I moved to California, started a new job, bought a house, sold a house, got a dog, and eloped. In all that transition, I abandoned many of my good habits. I had intentions of keeping up my workouts and healthy eating, but the stress and long hours defeated me. For a month, I literally only slept and worked (and survived on a diet of fake chicken nuggets, pistachios, and Pyramid Apricot Ale). Over the course of the next six months, I cut my working hours to a more reasonable level and started taking care of my body, again. I still rely a little too heavily on fake meat products and alcohol, but my workouts are back on track (if not at a competitive level):

Running

3.5 miles, 5 days a week


Jasper doesn’t normally pull during our runs, but he got a little excited as we raced back and forth in front of Beefy for these shots

At Jasper’s final puppy shot appointment, I asked the vet, “How soon can he start running?” The doc gave me the immediate go ahead and we began run-walking the next day. We currently run from our house to the river. I can’t wait to start running along the water, but I’m waiting until Jasper has finished growing before I increase our distance.

I plan an entire series of Sporty Sundays detailing how we learned to run together and some of our best practices.

Swimming

1 hour, 3 days a week (with Masters Swim)


I’m so happy to be back in the water! It is great crosstraining and so gentle on my joints. I swim the easy workouts with the older folks.


Handstands are optional.

Hiking

5 – 10 miles, 1 day a week

I tell people I moved to California for my job, but it was really for the Sierra Nevada mountains. They truly are my favorite place on earth. I’m planning on hiking every trail in the Desolation Wilderness, but we also hike in the Eldorado National Forest and the Molokumne Wilderness. When the snow level descends, we’ll go west, towards Napa. It’s lovely country, but a poor substitute for acres of granite, crystalline lakes, and towering peaks.


Jasper gets to hike the trails leash-free. We practice recall and proper greeting etiquette along the trail. He is leashed when we pass children and unfriendly dogs (and when we are near vehicular traffic). That dog was made for the mountains! He is so joyful as he sprints ahead (and runs back to check on me), vaults on top of boulders for the view, and splashes in lakes and streams.

Until the new year, I’m just enjoying my workouts and establishing a good exercise routine. In 2014, it will change as I prepare for Sharkfest (swim from Alcatraz to the shore) and my 2nd Pike’s Peak Ascent.

Sporty Sunday is a recurring feature in which I share my fitness routine and offer and solicit advice. While this content might seem a little out of place in an outfit diary, a healthy, strong body is the foundation of my wardrobe. I hope to inspire my readers to be fit as well as stylish!

6 comments:

Alyssa said...

Yes please to Sporty Sunday! I just had a baby so I'm trying to drink up fitness posts alongside my favorite style sharing blogs.

BTW, absolutely gorgeous shots of Jasper running in the wild.

Anonymous said...

Yeay - sporty Sunday is back! You've inspired me to go running (more a slow jog in my case) so glad to see this feature back again.

Purple_Sheep x

Anonymous said...

Yeah to Sporty Sundays! I so missed these! You inspired me to work out regularly and I love how nice my clothes fit now! I walk every day and take a dance class 3 days a week. Thank you! Awesome hiking trail pics. Jasper is so cute!

Unknown said...

I am happy Sporty Sundays are back bc it means your blog combines two of my fave topics, style & fitness!

Red said...

Those dog-and-mountain pics are breathtaking! I too love the Sierras. They are very beautiful down east of Fresno and Visalia, too. My Mom grew up hiking those areas....back before there was smog.

I'm currently fascinated w/Mt.Lassen. Volcanoes are the best.

Good for you getting out and exercising again! Thanks for being an inspiration.

2Tall4HighSt said...

Another reader very happy to see the return of Sporty Sunday posts! I loved reading these and as with others I have found them to be a huge source of advice and inspiration. I have just started running myself, 3 miles every two days, and I can finally understand the draw of running :) Would like to include some cross-training too. Hopefully I'll be up to my first 10km in the spring! Thank you for the continued inspiration!