One Year Goal Tracker

I read this post, on running, by Elise Blaha on her blog, Elise Blaha :: enJOY it. It was motivating.

And I wanted a chart like the one she mentioned. I could not find one on line. So I made one on Word. (This was a long time ago.) I found some mistakes...it was harder to get right than it should have been. So I saved it.

I found it today (looking for something else) and I think I fixed everything.

So here it is:  a chart of days in which you can track your progress toward a goal.

Revised, to include a copy of the One Year Goal Tracker that has Nov. 1 in bold.

https://www.scribd.com/document/503379540/One-Year-Goal-Tracker

Let me know what you think!

The Heat and The Blues

It's hot. Like 100 degrees hot. I'm low on energy and enthusiasm. Feeling a little defeated.

Summer was busy because the kids were busy (and productive). When kids who don't drive are busy, that means that mom and dad are on the go a lot. Which means the projects this mom hoped to tackle this summer didn't get tackled. Which has led to this defeated attitude that I have been moping around with for a few days. Maybe as long as almost a week. And everyone's so busy, that no one noticed my mood. Which didn't help.

Maybe I'm on the uphill side of this downhill slope, because I am starting to feel like I want to... feel better. And even do something to help make that happen.

I took a little inventory for the last few days:

Bible reading - no, not this last week
Formal Prayer - not the last few days and maybe longer
Talking-to-God-as-I-go-Prayer - yes, some
Exercise - no (and it has been longer than a week since I exercised)
Vitamins and supplements - no
Good diet - not really
Caffeine - a little too much
Water - I'm good here
Sleep - not 8 hours a night (which I need; 8-1/2 is better)
Quiet - finally had some this morning
Gratitude - no, not noticing gifts

I guess my mood is not so mysterious. And I know some things I can do to feel better. So I am going to take a walk. (Even though it is 96 degrees here, at 7:30 pm.)

Beginning a running program? Another plan

Power in Motion is a beginning program for runners in the Houston area. It is part of HARRA, Houston Area Road Runners Association. They have posted their training program. Just change the dates and it could be used by anyone.

To find the plan for beginners (they call them Aerobic and Batons), click on Training on the left sidebar, then Aerobic and Batons. The Intermediate plan is called Carbo and Dawns. Advanced plan is called Enduro, Fitness, Gu and Hydration.

On some of the plans, there is something like this: 6x(3R/1W). That means: run for three minutes, walk for one minute. Repeat for a total of six times.

Beginning a running program?

Here is a cool training program to get you from the couch to a 5K in a couple of months. It is called Couch to 5K training program and it is at Cool Running.

http://www.coolrunning.com/

And here are some podcasts to go with it:

http://www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/index.html

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

"Supercharge Your Mental Circuits to Beat Stress, Sharpen Your Thinking, Lift Your Mood, Boost Your Memory, and Much More"

by John J. Ratey, M.D., with Eric Hagerman


Interesting book. Certainly motivating for someone who is trying to exercise more.

The recommended regime at the end of the book:

walk or jog every day (low to moderate intensity; 55 to 65 percent of your maximum heart rate for low intensity, 65 to 75 percent for moderate intensity)

run (or some other comparable activity) a couple of times a week (high intensity; 75 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate)

sprint (or comparable) every now and then (the high end of high intensity)

or, in other words,

some form of aerobic activity six days a week for forty-five minutes to an hour

four of those days toward the longer amount of time at moderate intensity

two of those days on the shorter side at high intensity

include some form of strength or resistence training on the shorter, high intensity days (not back-to-back days)

if you are new to activity, begin with walking



The book opens with a very interesting report on what schools in Napierville, Illinois, are doing for P.E. and the effect on grades.

Published in 2008.