Work in Progress

Moment of Truth, Part 2

Drumroll, please!

I had the best night at the gym! The results of my fitness assessment are exciting and inspiring. My body fat is down by two percent and my muscle mass is up by one - definitely moving in the right direction! I've improved dramatically in flexibility, muscle strength and muscle endurance. But the most amazing results were on my three minute cardio test. When I began my program my heart rate was 144 after three minutes of steps, classified as very poor by my trainer's criteria and definitely worrying for a woman with a strong history of heart disease in her family. That number is probably the one that made me the most determined to follow-through with this commitment. Today's number? 114. I almost cried when I heard it. In two months, my cardiovascular health has improved from very poor to average. It's startling and, at the moment, a little hard to wrap my brain around.

If I wanted or needed confirmation that I am on the right track, I have it now. I am so happy!

I started on another new program tonight. Time was a little short because of the assessment, but I definitely still worked! I like this one a lot; it's challenging and very different from what I have done in the past. I love mixing it up and I love having three different workout routines that I can pull out and use. It keeps things fresh and interesting.

And I almost forgot to mention - my current goal of twenty push-ups? Done. I had no idea that was going to happen tonight. I was aiming for fifteen, but once I got going, it felt...not easy, but achievable. I like achievable. I'm re-learning what exactly that means for me and I'm still learning not to underestimate myself.

My cardio routine will be amping up too. Going from 45 minutes on level 5/6 to 20 to 30 minutes on level 10. Am I scared? Maybe a little, but I know how to push myself now - it's just a matter of pushing past that tough spot. I believe that I can and will do it.

New goal (starting on Thursday) - treadmill, 12 minutes, 5mph. That's right, I'm becoming a runner!