100 Push Ups: W1D1

Good afternoon/evening!


Today was W1D1 of 100 Push Ups. I'm doing this program in conjunction with Couch to 5k and I just rotate days. 


I'm doing 100 Push Ups because I've never really been very good at them, and I think it would be really cool to be able to do 100 push ups at once. You can do the initial test and "test out" of a couple weeks, but I wanted to start at W1D1 to stay on track with C25k. Plus I'm anal and I want to start at the beginning otherwise I won't feel like I completed it. 


So W1D1 was 2, 3, 2, 2, 3 for a total of 12 push ups with 60 second break between each set. Not really that many (or that challenging) but I know it will get harder! I usually only took 30 second breaks, but I'm sure at some point I will really want the whole 60 seconds. 

Here's the interface of the Hundred Pushups app by SoftwareX on my iPhone. It's pretty sleek and counts everything for you and automatically syncs with the log I have on my computer at Push Up Logger. That's what we call "schnazzy," people. 

I'm definitely a little sore today from C25k yesterday. The soreness isn't in my legs/calves like I thought it would be though. It's pretty much housed in my shoulders and arms (made push ups kinda fun). 

I'm pretty restless right now, and really not wanting to be on the computer anymore. I'm going to either go to Target or walk to the park (or both). It's a beautiful evening in Fargo and I really feel like avoiding my homework!

Tomorrow is W1D2 of my C25k program! Thanks for reading!

Follow me on Twitter @caitertot_

C25k W1D1: I Didn't Die!

Hello all, and welcome to the first official day of my new blog! Thanks for joining me in this adventure.


Today was Week 1 Day 1 of Couch to 5k and I have to admit: I was really nervous. I'm not really sure why. Probably because I've been slacking a lot lately and haven't been to my gym for a while. Or also because I was afraid it was going to be too hard and I wasn't going to be able to finish, so I'd be bummed out. 


So I loaded up my iPhone with a fun, new Spotify Premium workout playlist, filled my Camelbak with some delicious water, put on my pink Asics (droppin' brand names like a boss), and drove to my gym - Anytime Fitness. The whole way there I was kind of psyching myself up and convincing myself that I was going to be able to do it. I don't know why I doubted it that much, but there was just always the possibility that it would be too hard.


Got there, went inside, stretched, found my treadmill, and went to town. For Week 1, it is a 5 minute warm up walk, 1 min jogging, 1.5 min walking, 1 min jogging, 1.5 min walking, etc until you reach 30 minutes and then do a 5 minute cool down walk for a total of about 2 miles. Seems like a lot to remember, but luckily there's an app for it! It's Active.com's Couch-to-5k app on iPhone's app store available for $1.99. It was so convenient and easy to use. You get your own little virtual trainer who tracks your miles and time, etc (I picked the mean girl trainer), and the app will just fade your music and say "Begin jogging now" or "Begin walking now" when it's time to change. It keeps track of everyday you work out and shows you if your speed is improving, etc. It's actually really awesome, and I'd probably be less inclined to do this program if it weren't for that app. Crazy but true.


The whole workout was pretty doable for me. I started getting pretty tired by about minute 22 or so, but I didn't go any slower! It felt really good when I got done to know that I did the whole thing without cutting any corners, even though I didn't really have anyone holding me accountable. When I was done, I felt great! Might be a little sore tomorrow, but  It really got me pumped to do the whole program and hopefully be able to run a 5k sometime this summer :) I'd really love to do a Breast Cancer Awareness run with my mom. I should get her on this program too!


Like I said yesterday, I'm going to do this program in conjunction with 100 Push Ups (there's also an app for that, which we'll talk about tomorrow), and eating WAY better (which there is ALSO an app for). I downloaded MyFitnessPal, input all my information, and decided to stick to 1700 calories a day. I'm also trying to eliminate all sugared drinks, and have only water, unsweetened tea, and black coffee. But I barely drink the last two since the detox. 


Tonight for dinner, Ande and I had some boneless, skinless chicken and roasted vegetables. Sounds a little bland and boring, but it was actually delicious! I could probably eat this meal every day of my life and still enjoy it. It was very flavorful (because of all the pepper and garlic I put in it) and totally awesome after my workout.

What you see here is about 3-4 oz chicken, and a couple cups of green bell pepper, carrot, and potato. According to MyFitnessPal, the meal ended up being about 530 calories, mostly due to the potato... but I needed some serious carbs. I roasted the veggies on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil for about 40 minutes on 400, and 20 minutes on 425 with a little olive oil, pepper, and garlic. Tasty!


I still have 758 calories to eat today (my workout gave me about 500 calories back that I burned), but I really don't think that's going to happen. So I will probably just make my famous banana ice cream and call it a day! If I'm feeling particularly crazy, I will throw a little Nutella in my ice cream. YUM.


People always ask what my banana ice cream is made from, and I am here to tell you that it is from ONE INGREDIENT ONLY --- Frozen Bananas. Seriously. Go throw some bananas in the freezer, and in a few hours plop them into the blender and blend for a few minutes until you have an awesome, ice cream consistency and ENJOY. Seriously the best thing ever, made even better by adding some peanut butter or Nutella. 

Super good. You'll wish you'd been eating this for years. I promise.


Anywho, tomorrow is my day off so I'm going to get some cleaning, homework, and shopping done. And of course do my first official day of 100 Push Ups! I might go on a little walk, but don't tell my virtual C25k trainer. She's a real bitch.


Tune in tomorrow for 100 Push Ups: W1D1!


Follow me on Twitter @caitertot_

Oops... I did it again. Just like Britney.

Well clearly I dropped off the face of the planet after my last blog post (last September). So here we go again. 

I recently did a detox with my roommate Ande, and we had a blog where we dubbed ourselves the Detoxaholics (toxaholics.blogspot.com). That was a really great experience for both of us, and it totally reminded me how much fun blogging can be! 

Just like why I did the detox, I'm once again bored and unhappy with food and the food choices I make. So this blog is going to be focused on food and fitness. It won't have as many pictures as the Detoxaholics blog, but I'll do my best to take photos and provide recipes for the awesome things I cook and eat :) In addition to that, today I started One Hundred Push Ups and will be beginning Couch to 5k tomorrow so I can do them on opposite days of each other. I'll talk more about C25k tomorrow, but for today let's discuss 100 Push Ups. 

Both C25k and 100 Push Ups are building programs with 3 workouts a week for 9 weeks with the end goal of (obviously) being able to run a 5k and being able to do 100 push ups. As I've really done a crappy job of keeping up with workouts, I'm looking forward to both of these programs. I strive with structure and attainability, so if you do too, these are the programs for you! I would LOVE to be able to run a 5k this summer, especially this one Run For Your Lives: Zombie Infested 5k Run. How amazing would it be to get chased by zombies for 3.1 miles?! Love it. 

Before you begin 100 Push Ups, you are supposed to do the initial test to see how many you can do right away and then decide what day you start on based on that. I was pretty surprised at how hard it was actually! I only did 4 (woof) so that put me in Week 1 Day 1 for my first workout day (Thursday). W1D1 is sets of 2, 3, 2, 2, 3 with 60 seconds of rest between each set. Woo! Should be fun. Just kidding. It's gonna suck. LET'S DO IT!!!!!!!!!!

I'll be back tomorrow for the first day of C25k. Should I be scared? I'm scared.