Cinnamon rolls and coffee as a nutritious energy boost
I'm not sure if this is impressive or stupid.
I've been feeling like I need some extra exercise. I've been under a lot of stress, and lived in front of the computer for a couple of weeks, working late. Like, 5 am late. No, I do not work night shift. Exercise really helps clear my head, but there was no time for that - a quick 15 minute break for some jumping jacks is a long time when you've worked through the night. So I kept imagining all the exercise I'd do this week when I was finished and could blow off steam.
I've also been feeling generally unfit. I once spent three months cycling through Europe, including through the Alps??! but my bike's been sitting in the garage with a flat tire for months. I used to do 100 full push-ups in groups of 25. Not anymore! Ok, but that was quite a while ago now, and you're getting older, Lynna. Yes, that's true, but there's only one alternative to ageing. Plus, it was only a couple years ago when I was running 30 miles a week, including a 2+ hour run on the weekends. Now I'm slogging through a measly 5k.
I work out pretty regularly, but I don't feel anywhere close to as fit as I have been in the past. I couldn't figure it out, and my energy was just getting worse and worse. Then, about a month ago I found out 1) I was pretty well out of iron (again), and 2) I had Hashimoto's disease and my thyroid had carked it, like, real bad. One of my test results came back 2 orders of magnitude out of the normal range. Aha! That's why. Gotta have iron and a thyroid to have energy (and to live).
So I've been taking these iron pills, and I've been taking these thyroid pills, and I've also been taking calcium pills like I have been for years cos bones and three stress fractures, and it's been kinda annoying because taking iron prevents absorption of thyroid hormone, and iron also blocks absorption of calcium, calcium blocks absorption of thyroid hormone and iron, and tea blocks absorption of any of it. And tea is the elixir of life. Though I suppose having to confine yourself to a tea schedule is not the worst thing to happen to any one. But it's up there. Gotta have the will to live.
Anyway. I decided that now that I have a medical solution to my fatigue, I would get back to my former, athletic self. (I decided this before any blood tests tell us how well the medication is working, and if anything needs to be adjusted. Possibly setting myself up for failure here, but I like to feel in control.)
So far I've had a decent week with the exercise - I didn't feel particularly fit for most of it, and was sweaty and bedraggled for some of it, but I got these done:
Thursday: another 5 k run (well, more like a slog). I did it, I didn't take extra walk breaks, but I just didn't have any oomph
Friday: met a couple of friends for lunch, which involved a cafe, which involved a heavily icing-laden cinnamon roll with a coffee.
Those are not things I usually consume, and they quickly resulted in A MASSIVE SUGAR HIGH AND CAFFEINE RUSH WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I felt like I was going to have diabetes and a stroke. I felt manic. I already have enough problems and don't need to add mania to the list. I struggled to sit still long enough to drive home. I had to do something. How about exercise. How about HIIT. HIIT won't be enough. But I can't keep up HIIT all afternoon. Gotta do HIIT plus other stuff.
Then I had a short break to have some kombucha. It might be a hipster-wellness-cult beverage but man it tastes good! Plus, I can't drink, and it's a nice alternative to cider!
Afterwards I moved onto the push-up workout from hell: https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/at-home-upper-body-workout-quick-upper-body-strength-without-weights. I'd only done this once before - I did the full version of everything (except tricep pushups), and it took me over a week to recover. I would like to be able to move tomorrow, so I did the half version of everything this go around. Everything, that is, except tricep push-ups. I basically did those from the waist, and now my back hurts. Don't do push-ups from the waist.
Holy smoke-arinos! My arms were so tired I had trouble blowing my nose. My legs were shaking during the stretches at the end.
And, in the wise words of the great James Brown, I feel good.
I had the energy to do a proper long workout. I had the energy to give it my all. I don't feel manic or diabetic, and I didn't have a stroke. And I feel a little bit like my old, Energizer Bunny self. I might not plan any major cycling trips just yet, but I'd like if it were a possibility. Let's see what happens tomorrow, when there's no coffee involved :)
Cinnamon rolls and coffee as a nutritious energy boost
I'm not sure if this is impressive or stupid.
I've been feeling like I need some extra exercise. I've been under a lot of stress, and lived in front of the computer for a couple of weeks, working late. Like, 5 am late. No, I do not work night shift. Exercise really helps clear my head, but there was no time for that - a quick 15 minute break for some jumping jacks is a long time when you've worked through the night. So I kept imagining all the exercise I'd do this week when I was finished and could blow off steam.
I've also been feeling generally unfit. I once spent three months cycling through Europe, including through the Alps??! but my bike's been sitting in the garage with a flat tire for months. I used to do 100 full push-ups in groups of 25. Not anymore! Ok, but that was quite a while ago now, and you're getting older, Lynna. Yes, that's true, but there's only one alternative to ageing. Plus, it was only a couple years ago when I was running 30 miles a week, including a 2+ hour run on the weekends. Now I'm slogging through a measly 5k.
I work out pretty regularly, but I don't feel anywhere close to as fit as I have been in the past. I couldn't figure it out, and my energy was just getting worse and worse. Then, about a month ago I found out 1) I was pretty well out of iron (again), and 2) I had Hashimoto's disease and my thyroid had carked it, like, real bad. One of my test results came back 2 orders of magnitude out of the normal range. Aha! That's why. Gotta have iron and a thyroid to have energy (and to live).
So I've been taking these iron pills, and I've been taking these thyroid pills, and I've also been taking calcium pills like I have been for years cos bones and three stress fractures, and it's been kinda annoying because taking iron prevents absorption of thyroid hormone, and iron also blocks absorption of calcium, calcium blocks absorption of thyroid hormone and iron, and tea blocks absorption of any of it. And tea is the elixir of life. Though I suppose having to confine yourself to a tea schedule is not the worst thing to happen to any one. But it's up there. Gotta have the will to live.
Anyway. I decided that now that I have a medical solution to my fatigue, I would get back to my former, athletic self. (I decided this before any blood tests tell us how well the medication is working, and if anything needs to be adjusted. Possibly setting myself up for failure here, but I like to feel in control.)
So far I've had a decent week with the exercise - I didn't feel particularly fit for most of it, and was sweaty and bedraggled for some of it, but I got these done:
Sunday: https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/fat-burning-cardio-workout-37-minute-fitness-blender-cardio-workout-at-home and https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/cardio-workout-at-home-bodyweight-cardio-to-burn-fat-fast. I do this combination fairly regularly - nothing exciting here.
Monday: oops...
Tuesday: 5 k run (not sure that qualified as a run...5 k jog maybe)
Wednesday: really felt like I needed to work legs AND arms AND core, and couldn't decide what to do first, so I did all of it at once: https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/sweatfest-butt-and-thigh-cardio-workout-calorie-blasting-interval-cardio-for-lower-body and https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/cardio-kickboxing-and-abs-workout-kickboxing-for-stress-and-cardio-benefits. Now, this may sound like a lot, but I didn't feel like I was able to give my full to any of it. Also, I kinda petered out on the active rests, and turned them into just rests.
Thursday: another 5 k run (well, more like a slog). I did it, I didn't take extra walk breaks, but I just didn't have any oomph
Friday: met a couple of friends for lunch, which involved a cafe, which involved a heavily icing-laden cinnamon roll with a coffee.
Those are not things I usually consume, and they quickly resulted in A MASSIVE SUGAR HIGH AND CAFFEINE RUSH WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I felt like I was going to have diabetes and a stroke. I felt manic. I already have enough problems and don't need to add mania to the list. I struggled to sit still long enough to drive home. I had to do something. How about exercise. How about HIIT. HIIT won't be enough. But I can't keep up HIIT all afternoon. Gotta do HIIT plus other stuff.
So I started with this: https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/bodyweight-cardio-calorie-blaster-30-minute-cardio-workout-at-home, which is not much of a workout for me on its own, but it got rid of some excess energy.
Then I had a short break to have some kombucha. It might be a hipster-wellness-cult beverage but man it tastes good! Plus, I can't drink, and it's a nice alternative to cider!
Afterwards I moved onto the push-up workout from hell: https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/at-home-upper-body-workout-quick-upper-body-strength-without-weights. I'd only done this once before - I did the full version of everything (except tricep pushups), and it took me over a week to recover. I would like to be able to move tomorrow, so I did the half version of everything this go around. Everything, that is, except tricep push-ups. I basically did those from the waist, and now my back hurts. Don't do push-ups from the waist.
Had some stretches after that humdinger: https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/upper-body-stretching-routine. This is the 1st level 1 I've ever done! I didn't realize FB had level 1 workouts! I'd always wondered why there were level 2s and not 1s...
Then I had a snack break.
And finally, some HIIT: https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/day-3-5-day-workout-challenge-to-burn-fat-and-build-lean-muscle-hiit-cardio-and-abs. I did the hardest version of most things - there are 3 core moves that hurt my back if I do the full, in a way that has nothing to do with tricep push-ups (my lower back is my weakest link).
Holy smoke-arinos! My arms were so tired I had trouble blowing my nose. My legs were shaking during the stretches at the end.
And, in the wise words of the great James Brown, I feel good.
I had the energy to do a proper long workout. I had the energy to give it my all. I don't feel manic or diabetic, and I didn't have a stroke. And I feel a little bit like my old, Energizer Bunny self. I might not plan any major cycling trips just yet, but I'd like if it were a possibility. Let's see what happens tomorrow, when there's no coffee involved :)