Almost there
Sep. 10th, 2012 08:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
miss_lucy21I am edging very rapidly towards being exhausted. See, I got this idea that training for a triathlon would be a good idea. And it is a good idea, but it's kicking up the exercising a couple of notches above what I've been doing since I aggravated my chronic low back injury in January. Basically, up until about a month ago, I was doing mostly water aerobics and water jogging about three days a week coupled with yoga most days, which is excellent and fun and did good things for my back and did give me something of an aerobic base to work with.
However, I am now working out five days a week, and the workouts include 60-90 minutes of swimming two times a week, 30 minutes of walking with increasing running intervals and 30 minutes of cycling that is gradually building up to be able to do a 60 minute spinning class. And starting Wednesday, I'm adding 2 sessions of weight training to this (probably on the walk/run days) Amazingly, my back is not complaining overly much (it's stiff in the morning when I crawl out of bed, but it doesn't hurt). My triceps are not thrilled and my shoulder was very angry for the first couple of weeks of swimming, but today it was fine until the very end of the workout set and it wasn't nearly as bad as it was before. More tired than sore.
Anyway, this swimming? Has been taking place between 6 and 7 am, and I live 30 minutes from the pool, so I've been leaving the house at 5:20 am (this is moving to the evening next week. SO GLAD I CANNOT TELL YOU. I am not good at getting up that early). I am also doing this while working full time hours at a temp gig (which, thank God, seriously, I need the money. So not complaining about this). And a contract job (that I am behind on and should do something about. But again, not complaining). And this week I start tutoring two evenings a week again because school started up. Oh, and applying for jobs, which takes it's own time. And doing all the stuff around the house I do to earn my keep (although, if I had to slack on this, my parents would not mind. I mind, though). All this is to say that 1) this is more activity than I've sustained in a while and while it's good, and I'm enjoying it, it's taking more energy than I expected, 2) I am not really getting enough sleep and 3) I suspect I may not be eating enough to fuel the level of physical activity, which adds to the tiredness.
The temp gig will end this week, so I'll stop having to get up quite so early in the morning for a little while (I live about 40 minutes away from work without traffic, so I need to leave roughly an hour early to ensure I'm there on time. Most of the time I'm way early, but I know if I left 5 minutes later, I would be late. Traffic around here is just like that). And my contract job is almost over, too (end of this month. I have one more trip to make for it and then it should just be mop up). I will hopefully know by early October if I'm going to be interviewed for the job I'm in the process of applying for, and if so, I should know by the end of October if I have that job. If not, then I'm considering seeing if I can catch on with someplace for seasonal retail. I detest working retail at Christmas (I've done it many, many times), but well. I haven't gone that route because I wasn't physically capable of it before, but if I can handle the workout schedule I've been doing without being in extreme pain, I can probably handle being on my feet for a 4-6 hour shift. I have insurance now, so the getting benefits part of the job search is a little less urgent. And I have some ideas for other income generating things.
But, oh. Good things can still wear you out, you know?
However, I am now working out five days a week, and the workouts include 60-90 minutes of swimming two times a week, 30 minutes of walking with increasing running intervals and 30 minutes of cycling that is gradually building up to be able to do a 60 minute spinning class. And starting Wednesday, I'm adding 2 sessions of weight training to this (probably on the walk/run days) Amazingly, my back is not complaining overly much (it's stiff in the morning when I crawl out of bed, but it doesn't hurt). My triceps are not thrilled and my shoulder was very angry for the first couple of weeks of swimming, but today it was fine until the very end of the workout set and it wasn't nearly as bad as it was before. More tired than sore.
Anyway, this swimming? Has been taking place between 6 and 7 am, and I live 30 minutes from the pool, so I've been leaving the house at 5:20 am (this is moving to the evening next week. SO GLAD I CANNOT TELL YOU. I am not good at getting up that early). I am also doing this while working full time hours at a temp gig (which, thank God, seriously, I need the money. So not complaining about this). And a contract job (that I am behind on and should do something about. But again, not complaining). And this week I start tutoring two evenings a week again because school started up. Oh, and applying for jobs, which takes it's own time. And doing all the stuff around the house I do to earn my keep (although, if I had to slack on this, my parents would not mind. I mind, though). All this is to say that 1) this is more activity than I've sustained in a while and while it's good, and I'm enjoying it, it's taking more energy than I expected, 2) I am not really getting enough sleep and 3) I suspect I may not be eating enough to fuel the level of physical activity, which adds to the tiredness.
The temp gig will end this week, so I'll stop having to get up quite so early in the morning for a little while (I live about 40 minutes away from work without traffic, so I need to leave roughly an hour early to ensure I'm there on time. Most of the time I'm way early, but I know if I left 5 minutes later, I would be late. Traffic around here is just like that). And my contract job is almost over, too (end of this month. I have one more trip to make for it and then it should just be mop up). I will hopefully know by early October if I'm going to be interviewed for the job I'm in the process of applying for, and if so, I should know by the end of October if I have that job. If not, then I'm considering seeing if I can catch on with someplace for seasonal retail. I detest working retail at Christmas (I've done it many, many times), but well. I haven't gone that route because I wasn't physically capable of it before, but if I can handle the workout schedule I've been doing without being in extreme pain, I can probably handle being on my feet for a 4-6 hour shift. I have insurance now, so the getting benefits part of the job search is a little less urgent. And I have some ideas for other income generating things.
But, oh. Good things can still wear you out, you know?
no subject
Date: 2012-09-11 06:16 am (UTC)And in you're going to go free weights, please, please, please make absolutely sure that someone who is sufficiently aware of your issues and what they mean and also know what they're doing will show you how the exercises are supposed to look, and do the exercises only in front of a mirror or in some other way that enables visual confirmation. Free weights require a lot of precision, and there's a risk even if you're working with two-pound dumbbells. (Actually, if you're not the height the machines were designed for, there is an even higher risk with gym machines, so.)
no subject
Date: 2012-09-11 10:32 am (UTC)I am meeting with a trainer and I'll have at least 2, maybe 3 sessions with him. He's going to get chapter and verse on my back and my shoulder and my alarming lack of core strength first thing. I'm pretty sure it's going to mostly involve free weights and maybe cable machines, but not the weight machines, as that tends to be the direction the trainers at the gym go in (I've done work with them before, although it's been awhile). I prefer that, as I'm only doing this to improve function (I detest strength training) and free weights do that better from what I understand. That, and I'm definitely shorter than the weight machines were designed for and that's annoying and makes me feel like a small child. I'm not that short. I hit the average range for American women, although not by much. But I'm really disproportionate with very long legs and a very short torso and short arms, so reaching anything designed for an average sized man is a challenge.