My weight training declaration

The other day, I made a deal with my sister that I would do at least two days a week of weight training. We agreed to treat this as sort of a contract, one sister's guarantee to the other that she would make the effort to lift weights at least twice (I think we are both ideally aiming for three times) a week. In order to take my commitment one step further, I wanted to declare here that I am officially beginning my weight training plan tomorrow, and that I will be designating Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays my weight training days. My goal will be to do some training on all three of those days, although I will be satisfied if I can manage two out of three. I consider my fitness level to be pretty good, but I also kind of feel like I am only as strong as my weakest link. In other words, I want to get to a point where I feel like my fitness level is more balanced--I may be able to do handstands, but I am embarrassed to admit that I can't do any push-ups.

I have chosen a total body strengthening plan from www.shape.com that will, hopefully, serve as a sort of introduction to weight training. It's not that I don't know how, it's just that I never do and, as a result, need to start slow. Eventually I'll be hitting the gym hard-core, super-setting and doing pyramid sets and drinking protein shakes...or not. But hopefully I will come away from all of this with a stronger commitment to strengthening my body, some well-defined muscles, and stronger and faster legs that can shred those hills and get me through many a marathon!

Additionally, in an effort to truly motivate myself, I want to conduct a sort of experiment, so tomorrow, I will begin tracking my efforts and improvements by publishing my measurements and pictures for all the world to see. Who knows, maybe I can inspire someone to do the same? Weight training is extremely important, and it would be great to help someone realize what sort of benefits it can have.

And on that note, à demain and stay tuned :)

Pancake/sausage on a stick showdown!

Which is worse-- sausage wrapped in blueberry pancake on a stick, or this:




Vote now!

WTF for a rainy day

This WTF is a bit different from the norm, and wasn't sent to me as a WTF as such, but I had to share it anyway.

This image was sent by Sean, who writes:

"WTF!!!!




Do you find this as gross as I do?"

I do, indeed. I hope to never be served one of those, and not just because I don't eat meat.

Beware: Funny is NSFW

This is hilarious. Watch for not one but two cameo appearances by my friend Huey Lewis around minutes four and five.



And the one that started it all, less funny because I can't stand Sarah Silverman, but a good laugh nonetheless. And Matt Damon. Who can say no to that.

100 miles stronger!

According to Nike, I am officially 100 miles stronger today than I was when I first started logging my runs with them! They have even given me a nifty certificate and told me to brag to my friends. I do what Nike says, so here you go:

http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/v1/html/milestones/print_certif.html?id=1554358248&region=us&language=en&locale=en_us&dateFormat=MM/DD/YY

Yay!

WTF: Valentine's Day Edition

I thought it would be fitting to post today about relationships of different sorts. Coincidentally, my perspective on the relationships I want to focus on here falls into the WTF category, which I guess is sort of convenient.

Here is the first thing I want to share:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/dining/13incompatible.html?ex=1360645200&en=0e02032918596e88&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

I can't say that I personally feel that my relationship was strained due to my vegetarianism, but then again, I might not be the right person to ask.

The second thing I want to share is that a certain love-hate relationship that I have been involved in has been giving me welts. Who is this abusive lover? you ask. None other than my Nike+ ipod armband. For some crazy reason I thought, when buying it, that an armband designed by a sportswear company who had also designed it to be used specifically would be a quality product. I was attracted to the fact that it had been designed with the runner in mind, that it was sleek and lightweight, and that it even had a reflective pattern on it. I wear it frequently, since I run frequently and like to get information on my runs through the nike+ sport kit even when I am not listening to my ipod. I like the information into the Nike+ website. I love the little chip and its little receiver and the fact that I can get such accurate details about my runs. What I don't love, it turns out, is this armband, which I hugely regret buying. The reflective pattern doesn't actually reflect, but that is the least of my concerns. What bothers me more is the fact that every time I run with my ipod in the armband, the area that holds my ipod gets covered in condensation. It's pretty disconcerting to look down at your beloved ipod midway through your run only to find that it is chilling in a sauna. It is also upsetting to remove the ipod from the armband after the run and find that it is covered in moisture, and I mean really covered. So, if my ipod shorts out because I have been using a product sold at Apple's stores and designed to be worn while I run, will Apple or Nike replace it for me free of charge? I'm sort of guessing that the answer to that one is no. The armband thus boasts a major design flaw: it is made of a synthetic material blend--theoretically great for moisture-wicking; however, it is pressed up against the user's arm for the duration of a workout, which means there is nowhere for the moisture to wick to. Without ventilation, moisture isn't going anywhere but to the beautiful reflective metal backing of my precious baby ipod. Why not just reinforce the backing of the armband with something that would act as a waterproof shield between the body and the ipod? Oh, well, because that would mean that you are getting what you paid for and you are a satisfied consumer, and Nike clearly wants you to feel ripped off and cheated.

Perhaps the most personally painful part of this whole ordeal is that when I run at the gym, and I don't have my armband on over several layers of long-sleeved apparel, the strap repeatedly rubs my upper arm as well as the area below my armpit on my torso and actually gives me welts. The elastic closure straps of the armband may be sleek and lightweight, but their edges are stiff and just cut into the skin repeatedly, creating significant pain that I don't think a thick layer of Body Glide could soothe or prevent. At this moment in time, I have a semi-permanent (it has been there for weeks and doesn't seem to be going anywhere) mark from one of these welts, as well as two new ones that I got from trying to adjust the armband in the hopes that if it sat a bit higher or a bit lower then the chafing would be eliminated. No such luck. Armband: 3; Emilie: 0.

And thus ends my tale of woe. I feel stuck in this abusive relationship because I don't really have another $20-$30 to spend on a new armband that will do what it should without ripping me to shreds. This whole thing has made me realize that Nike doesn't care about me, they care about making a sale. I was naive to think otherwise. And now I just have a bitter taste in my mouth: the bitter taste of capitalism.

Happy Valentine's Day!

V-Day

I just felt the urgent need to state how much I loathe Valentine's Day. I always find myself extraordinarily down during the week of Valentine's Day, and being constantly and relentlessly bombarded with adds for gifts, and ways to make your sweetie's day extra special, doesn't help at all.

Can I crawl under a rock somewhere and just wait for the week to go by without me? I am sort of over the feeling of being alone while the advertising world around me makes me feel like everyone except me is in a happy, loving, fulfilling relationship. So if you know of any rocks that are currently uninhabited and are large enough to cover me, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.