I love that video!
I have a few more posts of my resolutions for 2011. This post will focus on the physical aspect of the upcoming year.
I joined a gym in June of 2010. I'll share how I joined and them move on to my resolutions.
There was a flyer that we received at work that advertised that I had won the "Grand Prize of a free 3 year membership". I was thinking "sure, grand prize, a bait and switch tactic.". A few other people had received the "Grand Prize" as well. The catch was that you had to pay an enrollment fee of $39 and annual maintenance fees of $99/year, so my Grand Prize free 3 year membership was actually $336, which was due when you sign up. Now obviously this was a bit of a gimmick, but also if someone goes for 3 years it would be a good deal. It would be under $10/month, while a normal membership month would be around $40. The gym knows that a majority of the people who join will not come regularly or might not come after the first month and most likely they will make a profit. I had heard through another co-worker that they were willing to allow payments. To make a long story short, after meeting with the membership coordinator, I was able to pay $138 down and then 6 months @ $33 per month. After that I would not owe anything for 2 1/2 years. Not a bad plan...if I go for that long. So far I've been for 7 months, so I think I'm doing ok.
Before I get to my resolutions, I have a few disclaimers.
It is not my goal to get huge or to lose weight. I actually want to gain a little weight, but not a lot. I don't have the time or desire to spend endless hours in the gym, I have a family that I love and would rather spend that time with them. The gym is close to where I work and I'm able to go during my lunch break on most days. I view exercise as another way to glorify the God who gave me my body.
These are my resolutions for 2011:
1) Journal my workouts
In the past 7 months while I've had a plan for working out, I didn't record it. Mostly, I was doing weights a few days a week (Mon, Wed, Fri)and cardio the other days (Tues, Thurs). I tried to remember how much weight I was using and how long I ran, but it was hard. Now I have a journal to record the exercises, amount of weight, and reps. I also record all the information on my runs. This will help as I seek to increase my weight, or vary exercises. It will also help my runs. I'm able to see progress, which is encouraging. It really doesn't add time at the gym either, because I record the info between sets.
2) Improve my bench press by 15%
One of the main exercises that everyone does is the bench press. While there are many variations to it, the flat bench barbell press is the most popular. This year I hope to increase my 4 rep max by around 8% in 6 months and another 7% by the end of the year. So many people try for a 1 rep max and they end up in terrible form. My goal is not just to throw the weight up, but to have good form as well. This is why I'm using 4 reps instead of one.
3) Run a 5k in under 22 minutes
If you didn't read about our family and 5k's, read this http://kris-harrison.blogspot.com/2011/01/running-5ks.html.
Now that you have a background, I'll give you an update on our latest race. Justin and I ran the Chiller Challenge 5k in Jefferson on Jan 9th. I did well, finishing 2nd in my age group and placing 18th overall with a time of 22:03, my best time yet. Justin finished 5th in his age group and 58th overall with a time of 27:29. During the run he stepped off the pavement and sprained his ankle. He still finished the race though. After a trip to the orthopedic, it was confirmed, and he's been on crutches for the past week and a half, limiting his basketball activity. I was pleased with my time, I gave it a good effort, but still want to get better. I'm shooting for a time under 22 minutes at some point this year. Here's a picture about 1/2 mile into the race. I'm in the black and gray, Justin is in the red sweatshirt and blue shorts:
4) Run a 10k
These races aren't as available as the 5k's. It's 6.2 miles instead of 3.1 miles. I've extended my runs in mileage and thought it would be good add a 10k race to see how I'm doing. There's one in Athens in February that I most likely will run. In the 5k I work hard to maintain a fast pace without overdoing it. I plan to run the 10k at a very scaled back pace, much like the goal of my first 5k, just to finish.
5) Run a half-marathon
There's a big jump from a 10k to a half-marathon. This race is 13.1 miles long. I became interested in running a half-marathon because of a co-worker who is planning to run one in March. His wife runs them and even ran a marathon last year (26.2 miles). I have wavered on this being a goal for 2011. First of all, I'm not sure my body can take it. I've hurt my ankle/knee in the past by running and I'm not sure my body would be able to do it. Second, it may not even be fun. I exercise because I enjoy it. If it's not an enjoyable activity to do, and if I don't think it'll bring glory to God, I probably won't do it. There's one in March in Atlanta and one in Athens around October. I've been increasing my runs during the week and my long run on Saturday to see if this is even possible. One of my main problems is that most of time when I run, I run at a pretty fast pace. That is impossible for long endurance runs. I'll have to train my mind and body to go slower. If I do decide to run a half-marathon my goal would be to finish. I could care less what time I get.
6) Complete the Currahee Challenge
This has intrigued me this past year. It starts at the base of Currahee Mountain in Toccoa on the Colonel Robert Sink Trail, the training site of the 501st, 506th, 511th and 517th Parachute Infantry Regiments. It was made famous by the HBO mini-series and book "Band of Brothers". This will be in the fall and I might have a co-worker run with me as well. There's a 3 and 6 mile run. If I'm going to run it, it'll be the 6. I might walk a lot up the hill, but hey, it's still 6 miles.
7) Continue eating healthy
I plan to eat mostly healthy meals consisting of good lean protein (turkey, chicken, beef, fish, egg), quality carbohydrates (complex: brown rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, simple: fruits), and good fats (almonds, natural peanut butter). I'll also use my substitutes like skim milk, fat-free cheese, low-fat mayo, butter spray (yes, I said spray), fat-free sour cream, fat-free cottage cheese, and splenda. Most of the time we drink water at our meals as well.
This won't be case at every meal because:
#1 It would drive my family nuts, Justin would say it already has :)
#2 It's just not possible: sometimes there's not enough time to cook. At some social events it's not available, Sunday night small groups snacks aren't exactly the most healthy, but they are good. Both of our parents cook really good food that I will not turn down.
#3 I like other food too much. I still love having occasional hot wings, pizza, and ice cream. And don't think I'm not going to have some birthday cake.
The point is to eat healthy most of time and limit junk food, without being legalistic about it.
So there you have it, my resolutions/goals for 2011. If I hurt my knee tomorrow and am unable to run or injure a muscle on a lift, I'll be ok with that as well, it will free up time to glorify God in other ways.
How about you? Any physical fitness goals you'd like to share, no matter how small?
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