Wednesday, February 9, 2011

How Netflix saved My Train for 5k Efforts

     Recently, my treadmill decided to take a little vacation (aka, stopped working). In the past, I would have probably thrown in the towel on my Train for 5K efforts. However, this time was different.  I decided not to quit, or be tempted to quit by taking a long break.  Since the Pennsylvania ice and snow eliminated the option of running outside, I had to be creative.
     My husband and I subscribe to Netflix.  We are not huge movie buffs, but we enjoy watching a movie every now and then.  We can use Netflix to stream movies through our blue-ray player, and our girls LOVE having a Netflix family movie night.  
      When my treadmill broke, I began looking for an exercise video to keep me moving.  I have several on DVD.  However, I am quite bored with the old standbys.  Additionally, I find that the cardio workout I get from my old videos, does not even come close to the cardio workout I get on my treadmill.  A day or two after my treadmill broke; I had a stroke of genius (it happens occasionally).  I thought to check out Netflix, for workout videos.  To my surprise, they actually had a nice selection, and several of the workouts were available for streaming.  I chose to stream Self Magazine - Slim and Sleek Fast.  I really, really liked it.  It lasts about 45 minutes and is broken into several sections.  Most importantly, when I was finished, my body felt like I actually worked out.  I think this was taped in 2005, so it is not a new cutting edge workout.  However, it kept me moving.  Once my handy hubby fixed our treadmill, I was able to pick up right where I left off.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Two Sick Kids and a Broken Treadmill – But It Didn’t Stop Me!

     That’s right.  Life happened again.  Although, this time it was different.  I didn’t stop training for my 5k.  First, my oldest daughter got hit with a nasty flu virus.  She was very sick, and it lasted 10 long days.  After she recovered from the worst of it, it was my youngest daughter’s turn.  In the meantime, my treadmill broke.  The electronic panel would not turn on.
     I did not want this unfortunate chain of events, to stunt my Train for 5k progress.  Given the fact that we are in the height of winter in Pennsylvania, I was not about to go outside to run.  (Sorry, running on ice would definitely cause more harm than good!)  However, I continued training by doing high impact aerobic videos and some light weight lifting. 
     My husband was able to fix the treadmill, and today was my first day back on my Train for 5K plan.  I started right where I left off, on my training schedule.  Surprisingly, it was easier than ever!  I completed my 3.1 mile run/walk in 46:02.  And I feel great!