Running on - Incremental Improvements...
This is Week 4 - but it's Week 5 in my #10weeks Challenge that I started before I decided to do C2FM. And Week 5 meant a change to my push-up/pull-up/chin-up routine - make it more challenging. On Monday, I dropped my step bench down to three risers to do my chin-ups.
A side note - I have an incredibly weak upper body! Skinny arms that struggle to do a single girl push-up (from the knees). In order to use my chin-up bar, I needed to figure out a way to be successful - not only so I would keep at it, but so that I would be able to see progress. Besides, hanging from a chin-up bar with no way of ever being able to pull myself up wasn't going to work. So, I stand on my step bench (four risers) and pull myself up the minuscule distance.
For 4 weeks, I've been adding to the reps at that height - and working on dropping lower by bending my knees. On Monday, it was time to up the challenge. I removed a riser. And did 5 chin-ups from that lower position. Don't get me wrong, they were hard. They were equally hard today. But I know that improvements will come if I am persistent. Next week will be 6, the week after will be 7...until I am ready to drop down to 2 risers.
Incremental improvements such as this have to be celebrated over the next 48 weeks. They will keep me going when the times get tough. Today for my run, I had another incremental improvement to celebrate - and note in my training journal. For the past 3 weeks, Wed. has been dedicated to a 2 mile non-stop run. Some days, I haven't been able to do the whole thing. And I've always been around the 33 minute mark after the 2 miles plus .5 for walking cool down. Today, I did the entire 2 miles AND with the cool down, finished in 32 minutes.
It's only a minute - but I'll take it! Something to celebrate and look forward to beating...maybe in another 3 weeks!
J
A side note - I have an incredibly weak upper body! Skinny arms that struggle to do a single girl push-up (from the knees). In order to use my chin-up bar, I needed to figure out a way to be successful - not only so I would keep at it, but so that I would be able to see progress. Besides, hanging from a chin-up bar with no way of ever being able to pull myself up wasn't going to work. So, I stand on my step bench (four risers) and pull myself up the minuscule distance.
For 4 weeks, I've been adding to the reps at that height - and working on dropping lower by bending my knees. On Monday, it was time to up the challenge. I removed a riser. And did 5 chin-ups from that lower position. Don't get me wrong, they were hard. They were equally hard today. But I know that improvements will come if I am persistent. Next week will be 6, the week after will be 7...until I am ready to drop down to 2 risers.
Incremental improvements such as this have to be celebrated over the next 48 weeks. They will keep me going when the times get tough. Today for my run, I had another incremental improvement to celebrate - and note in my training journal. For the past 3 weeks, Wed. has been dedicated to a 2 mile non-stop run. Some days, I haven't been able to do the whole thing. And I've always been around the 33 minute mark after the 2 miles plus .5 for walking cool down. Today, I did the entire 2 miles AND with the cool down, finished in 32 minutes.
It's only a minute - but I'll take it! Something to celebrate and look forward to beating...maybe in another 3 weeks!
J
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