Today would normally be a running day. But, I've had a nagging lower right leg thing that's bugged me off and on for a month. So, I'm going to give it some time. But, I don't want to just sit there and get rusty - oh no, no, no. The compromise was a good walking session on the sweet Landice L7 treadmill.
I played with speed and incline, but settled at 3.3 mph at a 5% grade. I checked my heart rate after twenty minutes. 115. "Holy cow, that's low", thought I. So, I moved the incline to a 9% grade and checked it five minutes later. 138. Better. So I went another twenty minutes at 9% and 3.3 mph and my heart rate was 145. In total, I went 2.5 miles in 45 minutes and burned 460 calories.
Let's put this in perspective. During C25K, I would do my warm-up walk at 3.3 mph with a 1% grade and after 5 minutes my heart rate would be 118. Today, after twenty minutes of 3.3 mph with a 5% grade, it's 115. That's a heart getting stronger.
Now, if my leg would get with the program, I'd like to ask my heart to give me a few 11-minute miles. But, one day at a time, right? I can say one thing: my legs feel better right now than they have in awhile. I think this "tough walking" is very therapeutic. I've gone up the stairs two at a time without holding the rails, which is light-years from where I was for the last few weeks of the C25K program.
Man - -it is that type of stuff that confirms what we are doing - - you should be way proud, brudda! That is a ferocious leap from where you started. I can't wait to see where my heart rate goes . . . .. hang in there and take care of the stilts - - - you'll be back at it - - -great work on that tread . . .
ReplyDeleteThat's really awesome about your heart rate. It's always amazing to see things like that and realize how far you've come. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteWhat amazes me is how quickly the fitness comes. Just think, we could all still be sitting on our respective couches, thinking it was all too hard.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I'm currently sitting on the couch in front of the tv...but now we all know it's pretty good to leave it once in a while and go running!
that is so cool. I have not been monitoring heart rate at all so I have no idea where I am at with all that but I love the fact that you have proof that all of this is good for your heart.
ReplyDeleteLisa
Congrats on the progress~~ I really need to start monitoring my heart rate, I would be interested to see how far mine drops. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks to all of you! It's good to know I can still get some positive experiences out of that expensive treadmill in the basement. I'll walk on it, but I still don't plan to run on it - even next winter. Course, I say that now whilst wearing the bravery of Spring ...
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