I have done it!

As of this morning, I have officially finished my personal Get Fit Challenge. I tried twelve new things, each of them twice (with a blip or two along the way).

It has been *fantastic*!

My goal for the winter was to maintain my fitness and my weight after a good spring, summer and fall of running and training and feeling fit. I have met that goal! My weight has been stable this winter, and I did an hour long run yesterday and did a fine job. Three or four years ago, or even last year, neither of those things would have been true in March.

This challenge was a crucial tool I used to meet that goal.

And it was so much more than I had hoped or planned for, too. I mean, I figured 24 extra workouts would be good. But they led to many, many more workouts than that. I have already incorporated into my regular routine yoga, spinning, effective workouts in hotel gyms with a little folded up page from a magazine telling me how fast to go, and quick morning workouts with a TV instructor when that’s all the time I had to spare. When I started running less because my running pal had to get his leg fixed, I had many other good options at my disposal.

I also learned a lot: It really does help if I make a plan to do something new multiple times before I write it off (this lesson has served me well in many areas of my life, actually). Other people to work out with is a really helpful thing. A time deadline gets me to the gym earlier, and an instructor gets me to work harder. There is a reason they make bike shorts. There is a reason so many people like yoga so much.

And I learned I can withstand feeling like a jackass, and the pay-off for doing so is great.

I also learned a lot about what I *don’t* like: The rowing machine, for sure. Chlorine smell on my skin. Being late to fitness classes. The rowing machine.

I am a little sad about letting go of this challenge. I have other fitness goals for this year – the first contenders are running my first half marathon and incorporating more ambient movement into my life – and I might write about those here since the Get Fit Challenge doesn’t end for another month. But this challenge has been fun, and useful, and educational, and I will miss it.

But mostly I feel pleased with the results, and proud for having done it.

Thing #8 Again. Kind of.

Thing #8 the first time around was a Yoga Pilates Fusion class. It was fun, and fine, but since I went the first time on a fluke, my schedule has yet to allow me to return. So I decided for #8 again to try another core/strength/fitness building class. I went to a demonstration of a kettlebell class.

What, you might ask, are kettlebells? Here’s the wiki entry, but basically they are weights with handles, which distributes differently their weight vis-à-vis your body so you get a different workout than with barbells or dumbbells.

Also, they are cool.

John Rockstar (not his real last name, but close) is a certified kettlebell trainer who teaches groups and individuals at my gym. He has taught a lot of things to Sally the Trainer, so I’ve already had some experience with them. But his intro this morning was great – I learned a lot about kettlebell training in general (turns out it is very, very good for runners and for people who sit a lot. I am both. No wonder Sally the Brilliant Trainer has had me using them!), and more about form and moves in specific. I felt like a Strong Russian Voman.

John teaches a bunch of classes for a reasonable fee, and I think I might try one out next time I can’t make a session with Sally the Trainer.

And, for those keeping track, that was my last Thing.

Thing #12 Rowing Machine Again. Sigh.

Wow. At least I went in this time with lowered expectations. And I only did twenty minutes. *Knowing* that my heart rate wouldn’t get above 120 allowed me to appreciate what there was to appreciate about the rowing machine. It is easy on the joints. It’s more like a brisk walk than a run, but knowing that I was happy to take a brisk walk before my strength training workout. It would make a good warm-up for other activities. It is a change of pace.

Still and all, no. Just… no.

Thing #12 Rowing Machine

Well, my final activity was in the vein of where I started -- a machine I haven't used at the gym.

I didn't like it.

Brent the Trainer and Spin Class Instructor kindly gave me some tips about form before I started -- don't hunch, use my core muscles (stomach, back) to keep me in good form, pull my shoulder blades back and down. Good advice, and I think my form was pretty good for that half hour I was on the machine.

The good stuff: The machine has some thoughtful design features -- adjustable foot holds so I can tighten the strap across the proper part of my foot, and flexible foot holds so when I row my foot is well-supported. And it is a cardio activity that uses the major muscle groups of the upper rather than the lower body. And the Jackass Factor was fairly low -- it wasn't too hard to figure out what I was supposed to do, and there weren't a lot of surprising and complicated dashboard issues.

The hard stuff: But Lord, did I not like the rowing machine. It was nearly impossible to get and keep my heart rate where I wanted it to be, and I was bored silly. More than once I looked longingly at the treadmill, for crying out loud. When the treadmill looks exciting, you know you're bored. Once again the I-pod saved the day and I made it through (though another downside is that I needed to use two hands the whole time, making it hard to skip the songs I didn't want to hear). My back was sore from yesterday's workout (props to Sally The Excellent Trainer) and the form I needed to keep kept reminding me how tired my back was already.

I'll do it again, though. There's a good reason I try everything twice. Maybe I'll love it next time!

Random Thought #5 Update

Technically I have one new thing to do twice, and one new thing to do for a second time (Yoga Pilates Fusion), to finish my challenge. The one new thing shouldn’t be a problem, but getting back to that Yoga Pilates Fusion class will be almost impossible. It meets at a time when I now have a standing meeting. So I’ll try an additional something new at least once. It shows me that the “twice” requirement, and the desire to try things that actually fit in with my life, were wise guidelines. This one thing just doesn’t work for me.

But overall, this challenge has been way better than I dreamed! I now go to a spinning class at least once a week, and do yoga – at home or at the club – at least once a week as well. A number of times now I have done cardio, mostly running, based on a routine suggested in a magazine. If I only end up with those things as a regular part of my repertoire, I’m good to go!

Thing #5 Again Fitness Pilates

This time was better than the last. Part of it is that it was a different teacher, whose style meshed with mine better with mine. And, as always, part of the inmprovement was that doing something a second time is almost always easier and less stressful. I knew more what to expect.

I liked this class – it certainly works my muscles hard in ways that I don’t always do in my other workouts. And I like the focus on the core for a whole host of reasons – it has done wonders for my posture, my clothes fit better without a loss of weight. More importantly it t is truly amazing how much strength in the abs and back supports any other athletic effort. Or daily life pursuits like carrying groceries or pushing doors open, for that matter.

I will say that I don’t push myself as hard as when I’m working one on one with Sally The Trainer. There were a couple of moves where I just eased off when the muscle burn got to be too much, or the muscle shake got too pronounced.

I still managed a good workout, though, so I’ll go back!

Thing #11 Both Times Magazine Workout

I don’t write much in here about running. I have been running since the mid-nineties, and it is genuinely one of my favorite things in the world to do. You know how comedians always joke about never seeing runners smiling, and why would someone want to do something like that? Ha ha and all, but when was the last time you, or someone you’ve seen, pushed themselves hard in *any* activity while smiling? It isn’t like Jessie, the lady in accounting, has a grin on the whole time while she works on her the budget report, or Dan the woodworker is all smiley while he focuses on fitting the dovetail joints together just right. I’m just saying, just because I’m not smiling doesn’t mean I’m not happy, content, or satisfied. Even so, on easy runs on the summer when it’s warm and sunny around the lake I often do have a smile on. I just love running.

But I’ve run a lot, so I don’t write about it here too much. Until now! This weekend I used a treadmill to do workouts suggested to me by Fitness magazine. On Saturday I spent about 35 minutes doing an acceleration run, meaning I started at a moderate level and every five minutes I upped the speed. On Sunday I did ladder intervals, meaning I ran pretty hard for five, rested for two, harder for four, rested for two, even harder for three, rested for two, etc. I faithfully did whatever the magazine told me to do.

It was great! I worked way, way harder than I would have without the suggested routines, and they were useful training runs for the upcoming running season as well as solid indoor workouts. They also kept the interest factor higher than running at my own discretion does. And while it felt a little weird to consult a piece of paper while I was running, overall the jackass factor was pretty low.

I will definitely do magazine workouts again. And not just running! Stationary bike, jumping rope, or strength workouts, too. There are a lot of good options other than just slapping on my headphones and running at a moderate pace for thirty or forty minutes. That gets really old, really quick.