New Trainer Take Two

I went to the gym today to workout and see Zak on his last day as a Lifetime Trainer. I did not want to work out. I have not been sleeping more than 5 hours a night and am exhausted. While talking with Zak and all but passing out on the personal training desk, we discussed my new trainer options and Zak chose Devon. I informed Zak that I didn't like him at all for the entire first TEAM session--which you all have known, but apparently he did not--and he seemed offended. I told him that I like him now and that's all that matters. And that I consider him a likeable person so getting to know this new trainer is going to be a rough process I think. Zak thinks it will be different because we were in a group session and I will be one-on-one with Devon. We shall see...

Devon came over to the desk and Zak introduced us. Zak bragged to Devon about all of my, er, uh...I mean *our* awesomeness over the past 8 months. I informed Devon that I had only ever trained with Zak and did not want a new trainer. Zak told Devon (in front of me...thanks Zak) that I was afraid I wouldn't like him. Devon looked me in the eyes and quite directly said: I'm afraid I won't like you either.

I think I'm gonna like Devon.

According to Lifetime's website Devon has been a NASM certified personal trainer since 2003 and his strengths are: Weight Loss, Athletic Performance, Self-Defense and Post-Rehab. Zak said that he is very good and will be tough with me, but also chat with me and Zak even thinks I'll be able to talk to him about all of my crazy life drama like I do to Zak....we'll see about that...

I am going to email him my goals and expectations and we are going to have my weekly Tuesday at 5 session next week, then decide if we want to move forward.

I got on the treadmill but wasn't feeling it so I hopped off after 15 minutes. :) I am a slacker until Tuesday. Accept that fact. I already have.

The End of an Era

The day has come. Sooner than we thought. I had my last session with ZTT today. He put his two weeks in and his company told him to take the two weeks paid and don't come in anymore. I guess they are scared he will steal clients. What they are really doing is ticking all of us off. They are hurting us, not him. But whatever. It's done. So, today was the end. I want to write a nice wrap up of my time with ZTT, but today is not the day. Hopefully I'll do it soon.

The Lifting:

Group #1:
Leg Extensions: 60 lbs, 15 reps
Walking Lunges: no dumbbells!
FM Chest Press: 30 lbs, 12 reps

Group #2:
Lat Pulldown: Setting 5 (which I think is 60 lbs), 12 reps
DB Floor Rows: 10 lb dumbbells, 6 each arm
Mtn Climbers: 15 each leg

Group #3 (super set):
DB Bicep Curl: 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
DB Shoulder Press: 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps

Group #4:
Tricep Rope: 22.5 lbs, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back: 42.5 lbs, 12 reps

I don't want a new trainer. Brandon is out. Zak is working to find me a good one. I don't want one...

Step Class with Heather!

My friend, Heather, has wanted to check out my gym and possibly join for quite some time now. She wanted to check out a step class. I am always down for whatever, so whatever, step class it is.

I thought I knew what step class was. Basically an hour of aerobic activity involving the use of a step. I was wrong. It is an hour of pure misery led by a little, happy woman named Debbie. But I really think that Heather and I held our own...well, uh...most of the time...ok, some of the time. :) But Debbie affirmed me several times throughout the class with her perky, happy headset.

I have no idea how many calories I burned. But I think a bunch. Haven't worked that hard in a while...

Oh, and much to my dismay Heather now wants to join the gym and try the Latin Fusion class. This will not end well. But I am certain there will be stories...

Sole Sisters Run - 12/28/09

Ran with the girls today! I have missed it since I had a two week break (sick, then poor weather). But, as expected, it was wonderful!!!

We had a new sister this morning, Doreen!!! What a treat! And she thinks she may even come back!


Also, I am super excited because Amy and I ran for 30 straight minutes today! Since we were inside the gym we have no idea how far this was, but who cares?!? We tried to go as long as we could and we could have kept going, but I had to get off to work! With the 5 minute warm up and cool down we went for a little over 40 minutes. What a great morning!

Also, I will be doing a step class tonight at the gym with my friend Heather. Look forward to a post later if I can stay awake after my crazy busy day!!!

P.S. I went to the doctor about my cough today and I am not sick! :) But I do have exercise-induced bronchospasms or, as I like to call it, pansy asthma. :( He thinks it should go away in a few weeks with the help of two inhalers. :)

So Many Dirty Looks...

Today the assignment was 50 minutes of cardio as follows: {5 min zone 2, 3 min zone 3, 2 min zone 1 recovery} repeat.

I did everything at an incline of 2.0. The zone 2 was around 3.9 mph, the zone 3 was between 4.5 and 5.0 mph and the zone 1 was 3.0 mph (but it was mostly zone 2 since it took my heart that long to regulate back down from the zone 3).

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 480 (Treadmill)/534 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.77
Total Time: 60:00 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 129

About 30 minutes into it, I started coughing really bad. I got so many dirty looks from the other gym patrons... It passed and I finished healthily... :)

Next workout: tomorrow morning, bright dark and early, running with the girls!

Saturday Workout? Check.

Today I was not in the mood to workout. And it stunk. But, per usual, I felt better after I did it. The assignment was to repeat the weight routine from Thursday and do 30 minutes of cardio: {5 min zone 2, 5 min zone 3} repeat--attempt to get into zones via inclines rather than speed changes.

The lifting:

Group #1 (3 sets):
DB Walking Lunges: 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
Bent Over Row: 70 lb bar, 12 reps
BB Deadlift: 70 lb bar, 12 reps

Group #2 (3 sets):
SB Chest Press, 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Bicep Curls, 15 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Shoulder Press, 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps

Group #3 (3 sets):
Tricep Rope: 22.5 lbs, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back, 37.5 lbs, 12 reps

The first group really stanks. It is *rough*. Lunges hurt. Bad. Then to go into the 70 lb bar for two sets of exercises. My forearms are mush when I am done. But I do it. Cause I'm amazing. Don't forget it. ;)

The cardio (I used my iPod shuffle instead of my iPhone, so I had no way to write down my stats...this is from memory... ::grin::):

Calories Burned: 313 (Treadmill)/620 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 1.93
Total Time: 35:00 (including cool down)/1:05:58 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 129

I was able to keep my speed right around 3.5 mph and varied the inclines from 4.0 to 8.0 depending on my heart rate.

Next workout: tomorrow. ZTT still hasn't told me what to do yet... ::sigh:: It will be cardio of some sort...

Swimming PR!

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Today was great! I ate waaaay too much at Ajay and Julie's, but it was totally tasty and thus, totally worth it! Then I went to the movies with them and hit the gym to go swimming.

Now, originally I had hoped to do some amazing feat of athleticism today like perhaps an indoor sprint triathlon... But due to my current coughing state, ZTT did not think that was a good idea. He told me he would email me my assignments but it would be swimming today. Well (shocker!), he never emailed me, so I decided to swim whatever I felt like! And I did...

Amanda F. had belittled intimidated made fun of mocked challenged me to swim longer distances without taking breaks. She thinks that I am not challenging myself enough. So, if you recall, in the past ZTT had had me do 6 laps, take a break and do 6 more. Today, I decided to attempt to do 12 laps without stopping. I also decided to do them all breathstroke since the elementary backstroke is my catch-my-breath stroke. So, I did! I did 12 laps all breathstroke. Then decided to do an elementary backstroke lap or two. At this point, I realized that I was very close to a half mile (16 laps in my pool) so I continued (I love a nice solid goal!).

Here is my lap breakdown:

Lap 1: BS, 1:34.97
Lap 2: BS, 1:47.29
Lap 3: BS, 1:49.62
Lap 4: BS, 1:50.82
Lap 5: BS, 1:53.64
Lap 6: BS, 1:53.49
Lap 7: BS, 1:57.06
Lap 8: BS, 2:00.87
Lap 9: BS, 1:59.70
Lap 10: BS, 1:55.89
Lap 11: BS, 1:58.95
Lap 12: BS, 2:00.12
Lap 13: EB, 2:02.78
Lap 14: EB, 2:01.61
Lap 15: BS, 1:48.25
Lap 16: BS, 1:49.86

Total swim time (without stopping!!!): 30:25.57

So, I am very happy that I swam a half mile for the first time and did it strong! I felt fine. Could have kept going. Guess Amanda F. was right...

Next workout: tomorrow. ZTT has not told me what to do, so I guess I'll do whatever I feel like... :) I know it will involve repeating the weight routine and some sort of cardio.

Still Sick...Still No Sympathy from ZTT...

I met with Zak the Trainer today. I was supposed to meet with him Tuesday, but was sick. I'm still sick, but definitely better than Tuesday. For serious though, this cough has gotsta go.

We did pairings (and triplings???) again:

Group #1 (3 sets):
DB Walking Lunges: 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
Bent Over Row: 70 lb bar, 12 reps
BB Deadlift: 70 lb bar, 12 reps

Group #2 (3 sets):
SB Chest Press, 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Bicep Curls, 15 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Shoulder Press, 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps

Group #3 (3 sets):
Tricep Rope: 22.5 lbs, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back, 37.5 lbs, 12 reps

It was rough today, but Zak said it was clearly because I was sick, not my muscles. That makes me feel good. :) Hate feeling out of shape.

Also, the saddest news ever. Today, I chatted with Brandon about training with him. It looks like this will begin mid-January. The end of the ZTT era is near. I did ask Brandon what he wanted his nickname to be for my blog. He has requested Dr. Doom. Done and done. :) I'll work on getting a photo for you all...

Zak has not given me my workouts for the week yet (this time it was my fault...). But I will be doing cardio (probably swimming) tomorrow.

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

So Far Behind...

...Sorry. I am so far behind in my posting. I've been busy... :)

Thursday: Worked out at the hotel. Did cardio for 45 min (3 min zone 2, 2 min zone 3, repeat), like Zak said to.

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 482 (Treadmill)/489 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.42
Total Time: 54:00 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 124

They had televisions on each of the treadmills that you could plug your headphones into. I ran to The Office. So awesome.

Friday: rest.

Saturday: Ran/walked intervals with Meghan!!! She has serious knee problems but went out with me anyways!!! Gotta love her! We went for 39 minutes.

Sunday: was supposed to do the weight routine. Didn't. Jet lag.

Monday: was supposed to run with the girls. Didn't. Icy roads.

Today: was supposed to meet with ZTT. Didn't. Sick. But I did chat with Zak and he told me to do 25 solid minutes in zone 2, then take tomorrow off, then we'll meet at 1pm on Thursday.

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 215 (Treadmill)/216 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 1.52
Total Time: 25:00

That's about it...

Getting Over My Cough-Thing

So, I didn't meet with ZTT yesterday because I am getting over some mild cough thing that got cruddy yesterday. But we met today instead...and I am down 4 pounds from last week! 66 total! I'm amazing!

My energy was a little down since I am still recovering so even though Zak started my 'intense month' with 30 minute intense sessions, we took it relatively easy. I say relatively because it kicked my butt. We are doing 'pairings' now which are two exercises back to back, then rest. Next week it will most likely be triples.

Today I did:

3 sets:
Walking Lunges with Dumbbells, 40 lb dumbbells, unsure how many...
Bent Over Row, 70 lb bar, 12 reps
3 sets:
DB Dead Lifts (Straight Leg), 25 lb dumbbells, 15 reps
SB Chest Press, 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
3sets:
SB Bicep Curls, 15 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Shoulder Press, 15 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
3 sets:
Rope Tricep Pushdowns, no idea the weight, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back, no idea the weight, 12 reps

This week's assignments:

Thur - cardio 45 min (3 min zone 2, 2 min zone 3, repeat) **use whatever cardio equipment the hotel has that you want to use**
Fri - OFF
Sat - outdoor run or OFF
Sun - repeat last week's weight routine and cardio (30 min zone 2 treadmill)
Mon - run with the girls
Tues - train with Zak

Thursday may change...I'll find out tonight. Next workout tomorrow at the hotel in California! I probably won't blog at all during my trip since I won't have my computer. Look forward to something Sunday...

Well...I Tried...

Today I was assigned to run the 5K with my girls in Bel Air. I asked ZTT if I coud also lift later in the day. He said it was fine.

Well, the 5K was canceled due to weather. I really debated what to do. Lift only? Run a 5K in the afternoon? Lift and light cardio? I decided I would lift and swim after my movie date with Amanda F.

So, I set off to the gym to lift and I found it to be *much* harder than the previous two times I did the exact same routine. I thought maybe it as because I rested yesterday--but isn't that supposed to make it easier??? About halfway through my routine, on the Roman Chair, I felt pressure in my chest and remembered that I have been nursing a cough for the last 4 or 5 days, but did not *feel* sick. Well, I think it has finally hit me. Breathing felt awkward for the next few exercises, but I kep thinking I would push through it. During the chin ups I decided I would not swim--just finish my lifting then go home. When I got to the shoulder press, I did the first set then suddenly broke into a sweat, felt light-headed and thought I was going to be sick. I immediately decided to stop and go home. :( I think I made a good decision. I think I will not be running tomorrow morning, but resting. I will see how Monday goes and will maybe run tomorrow night.

I lifted:

Squat Press: 230 lbs, 15 reps, 3 sets
Bent Over Row: 60 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
DB Deadlift (straight leg): 25 lb dumbbells, 15 reps, 3 sets
SB Chest Press (alternate last set): 20 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
Roman Chair: 15 reps, 2 sets
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Assisted Dips: 115 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Leg Extensions: 75 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets (I was only supposed to do 70, but didn't noticed the 5 pound weight was down...oops)
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps, 1 set

Because I left early, I didn't lift:

FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps, 1 set
Rope Upper Back: 42.5 lbs, 12 reps, 2 sets

Next workout either tomorrow running or Tuesday with ZTT.

Andrea Day!

Today Andrea and Baby Matthew joined me at the gym! What an awesome treat! I wish she could do it everyday, but apparently Bel Air is far away...

According to ZTT, the assignment was: cardio (20 min z1 treadmill, 20 min z2 steps).

First, we did 25 minutes on the treadmill (to include a 5 minute warm up walk for me--Andrea hit it from second one...). I did 3.5 mph at inclines between 2.0 and 4.0. The stats:

Calories Burned: 195 (Treadmill)/189 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 1.44
Total Time: 25:00

We then moved to the stepmill. I will say this...and I may regret it...but with Andrea, I did not hate the stepmill! We chatted the whole time and the 20 minutes kind of flew by... I do believe that if I did it again tomorrow without Andrea, it would go back to being terrible. :) I did 20 minutes at level 4. Andrea kept bumping her levels up--because she is amazing! My stats:

Total Miles: 1.19
Calories Burned: 171.9 (Step-mill)/394 (HR Monitor-in total, including above)
Floors Climbed: 57

Great day! Tomorrow is my rest day and I am so looking forward to it! Next workout will be Sunday morning dark and early for the Unofficial Sole Sisters 5K, then I will repeat my lifting routine later that day.

Thursday Workout? Check.

Today was lifting and 35 minutes of cardio all in zone 1 (BO-RING...although the entertaining point of my workout was when Zak came over and totally narc-ed out Lynn for narc-ing me out...the four of us: ZTT, me, Lynn and Amanda, are terrible...).

The lifting:

Squat Press: 230 lbs, 15 reps, 3 sets
Bent Over Row: 60 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
DB Deadlift (straight leg): 25 lb dumbbells, 15 reps, 3 sets
SB Chest Press (alternate last set): 20 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
Roman Chair: 15 reps, 2 sets
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Assisted Dips: 115 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Leg Extensions: 70 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps, 2 sets
Rope Upper Back: 42.5 lbs, 12 reps, 2 sets

The zone 1 cardio was entirely at an incline of 2.0 and a speed of 3.5 mph. Stats:

Calories Burned: 256 (Treadmill)/570 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 2.13
Total Time: 37:00 (including cool down)/1:17:42 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 119

Next workout tomorrow with ANDREA!!! I will be doing: cardio (20 min z1 treadmill, 20 min z2 steps). I think Andrea will too, but she is free to do her own thing so long as she can still chat with me!!! So excited!!!

Wednesday Workout? Check.

Today was my Wednesday workout. I did it in my new zones, that ZTT gave me yesterday and I completely forgot to put in the blog post. I will do that now. I found out DAYS later that I wasn't supposed to eat for 3 hours before the test (I ate 15 minutes before) or do vigorous exercise the day before (I did). So I told Zak that my zones were clearly 20 beats higher than they should be (::grin::). He disagreed with the 20 beats, but did lower my zones in in three weeks he may give me a free retest. New interim zones:

Zone 1: 135 - 145
Zone 2: 146 - 160
Zone 3: 161 - 170
Zone 4: 170 - 180
Zone 5: 180 - 190

So today I did {4 min zone 1, 2 min zone 2} 8 times. The whole time I was at an incline of 2.0 (except at the beginning to get my HR up). The zone 1 was walking at 3.5 mph--the zone 2 was running at 4.5 mph. I pushed it to 5.5 mph the last 2 minutes for fun. Finish strong!

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 491 (Treadmill)/454 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.54
Total Time: 56:44 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 121

Next workout tomorrow: lift and cardio (35 min all zone 1)!

My 150th Post!

Can you believe it??? 150 blog posts. Most of these correlate to a workout. Some more than one. Some don't. But I have probably worked out ~150 times since April 22!!! Wow!

And it was a weigh-in day! I am down THREE more pounds! That's 62! Only 39 til my goal! Craziness... I am so proud of me!

Today was a ZTT day. I feel like it was a great session. I cannot exactly put my finger on why. Most of our sessions are good, and some are very entertaining, but today seemed like a really GREAT session workout-wise!

The Lifting Routine:

Squat Press: 230 lbs, 15 reps, 3 sets
Bent Over Row: 60 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
DB Deadlift (straight leg): 25 lb dumbbells, 15 reps, 3 sets
SB Chest Press (alternate last set): 20 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
Roman Chair: 15 reps, 2 sets
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Assisted Dips: 115 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Leg Extensions: 70 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps, 2 sets
Rope Upper Back: 42.5 lbs, 12 reps, 2 sets

This is the routine I will repeat in my workouts, but Zak made it 'more fun' today. The last set on the Squat Press he upped the weight to 270 to 'show David up'. David is another trainer. Zak is competitive. Awesome. :) Also, today Zak taught me what a 'drop set' is. One explanation of a drop set is pain. Another, perhaps more useful, definition is: do two sets regular, on the third set do 10 reps regular, then immediately drop the weight down and do 12 reps, then immediately drop the weight again and do 15 reps. We did this on the Leg Extension machine. This machine is *very* good at isolating the muscle that runs down my thigh into my knee. And the FIRST rep hurt. I told ZTT as much and he asked if it hurt my muscle or my knee. I said my muscle. He grinned large and said, "That's one." Awesome. :) The drop set hurt, but I secretly love when Zak has me do things like that. I feel good for pushing myself and feel strong and in shape. Shh, don't tell Zak... I asked him how long he had been waiting to punish me physically like that. He gave me some official answer of him being glad that I have come so far that he can do things like this with me. I rolled my eyes, but am sort of flattered. :)

Plan for the week (No more slacker trainer! He emailed me BEFORE our session):

Wed - cardio (4 min z1, 2 min z2, repeat 8 times)
Thu - repeat weights and cardio (35 min z1)
Fri - cardio (20 min z1 treadmill, 20 min z2 steps)
Sat - OFF
Sun - unofficial 5k (I expect an impressive time on this)
Mon - run with the girls
Tue - session with Zak

I have asked him if I can lift Sunday. I like lifting 3x per week and have the time.

Sole Sisters Run - 12/7/09

Sole Sisters Run this morning! And we went indoors for the first time. It's COLD at 5:30am. COLD.

Julie, Kiley and I did laps in the Crossroads Gym for 39 minutes. We did a 5 minute warm-up walk, then 4/3 intervals, followed by a 1 minute cool down walk.

I liked it indoors! Didn't think I would...but glad I did, since it will only get colder!

Also, the conversation was awesome. I love my girls... :)

Next workout tomorrow with ZTT!

Great Weekend!

I came into this weekend mildly stressed. I felt like I had a lot to do for the Baby Shower today, but also had a lot of other things. Well, the snow put an end to that! I found myself with a lot of down time and PLENTY of time to get ready for the shower (partially in part due to my amazing friends who all helped by bringing food!!!) and clean my house! What an excellent relaxing weekend and a great time with great friends!!!

So. I was supposed to run a 5K this morning, but due to the weather, it was canceled. At 6 am when I got the text from MT (Thanks fr the head's up MT!), I rolled over and went back to bed rather than going to the gym to run a 5K on the treadmill (as any sane person would do). Due to the shower, I didn't really have time during the day to workout. But I could have gone AFTER the shower (around 6pm). Then Kimberly asked to take me out to dinner to thank me for the shower...it's only polite to say yes... Especially when it is Outback. :)

I was concerned about running late tonight and then early tomorrow with the Sole Sisters so I decided that *if* I worked out, I would swim. Well, I did end up going to the gym after dinner. And I went swimming. And I am really glad that I did. I feel great both physically and mentally! I made a good choice!!! YAY! I feel like had I not worked out and told ZTT that the race was canceled so I didn't, he would have said: "I totally understand." And I don't want him to. I want him to say: "Why didn't you get the exercise in some other way?" So I did. And I will tell him that's what I want from him. Tough love, ZTT...tough...love.

My Lap Times (Elementary Backstroke, EB, is the correct term for Snake-Chicken-Eagle):

Lap 1: BS, 1:37.55
Lap 2: EB, 1:46.75
Lap 3: BS, 1:54.80
Lap 4: BS, 1:58.02
Lap 5: EB, 1:50.22
Lap 6: BS, 1:54.74
Rest: 2:26.58
Lap 7: BS, 1:39.63
Lap 8: EB, 1:49.42
Lap 9: BS, 1:52.84
Lap 10: BS, 1:57.29
Lap 11: EB, 1:51.97
Lap 12: BS, 1:49.75

Total (including rest): 24:29.56

So without the rest it was about: 22:03. That is like a minute and a half faster than last time! Progress!

Next workout: tomorrow morning with the Sole Sisters!!

Last Workout* til Tuesday!!!

*at the gym.

Today I lifted and did 30 minutes of cardio: 15 minutes in old zone 2 on the treadmill and 15 minutes in old zone 3 on the stepmill. I didn't have my iPhone with me, so I did not record stats. And I did the same lifting routine I have done for the past two weeks.

Such a boring blog post, I know.

My friend, Lynn, joined me for the 15 minutes on the stepmill, which is nice because the stepmill stinks. Then we went to the LifeCafe and chit-chatted while I drank a Very Berry Blast Smoothie. Yum! Good smoothie and good conversations!!!

Next workouts are Sunday morning: 5K; Monday morning: Sole Sisters run; Tuesday: session with ZTT! Lynn is running (well, run/walking) the 5k with me (and maybe ZTT too--if he is man enough)!!!

The Stupid Test

I took the stupid test today, a.k.a. the CardioPoint Assessment. Here are some interesting (to some?) statistics:

Peak VO2: 36.9
Peak HR: 175
VO2 at Threshold: 35.6
Heart Rate at Threshold: 175 (aka Anaerobic Threshold)

So my AT was the same as I had previously thought: 175. In April, when I started all this we estimated my AT to be 175. According to the literature, we guesstimated my zone to be:

Zone 1: something to 122
Zone 2: 123 to 152
Zone 3: 153 to 174
Zone 4: 175 and above

Great! So they stay the same??? ZTT and the Stupid Test say no. :(

The new zones based on the test:

Zone 1: 152 to 162
Zone 2: 162 to 168
Zone 3: 168 to 175
Zone 4: 175 to 185
Zone 5: 185 to 195

I don't even want to talk about it. Zak is working me up to these zones slowly because they are awful!!! Zone 1 is supposed to be an easy workout--a HR of 152 is NOT EASY. That's all I'm saying...

ZTT and I also had a "meeting". He had agenda topics on a post-it note and everything. I kind of love his organization level--but it did sort of feel like I was being called into the principal's office... We discussed: client/trainer expectations, emailing, scheduling and something else, but cannot for the life of me remember what the 4th item was... Anyways, he wanted me to tell him why I was dissatisfied. I said: Dissatisfied??? *innocent eye blinking and smile*. He said: You have a terrible poker face. True that, ZTT. So we talked about how I felt that at the beginning he was all in and that drives me to be all in, but lately he hasn't been. He agreed that he has been distracted but is making an effort to be all in again. We also discussed emails and how he needs me to put important things in bold for him... ... ...OK... I also shared some of my concerns unrelated to him as a trainer but to my journey. I feel like I am reaching a weight that I always reach then gain again. This makes me a bit apprehensive and worried. On top of that, my progress is slowing. What was 3 to 4 pounds a week is 1 to 2. This also is discouraging. ZTT agreed that I have not plateaued yet, so we need to kick it in high gear and maybe push me really hard for one month to make it considerably past this weight and get me some momentum. I think that's a great idea. I also told him that although he claims he can be tough with me, he really hasn't. I can talk him into (and out of) almost anything. I told him that when I say no, DON'T LET ME. I will not like it, or be nice when this happens, but it is what I want/need. He agreed. We will see.. All in all I am glad he brought up doing this since I am bad at confrontation and we really needed to touch base. And all of these reasons are why I ::heart:: ZTT. :)

Zak modified my Wednesday workout after the test and I did 30 minutes of cardio: {3 minutes 130-150, 2 minutes 150-160} 6 times.

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 300 (Treadmill)/305 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 2.31
Total Time: 37:30 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 123

Next workout tomorrow (probably with my friend Lynn!!!): lifting and 30 minutes of cardio: 15 minutes treadmill in old zone 2, 15 minutes stepmill in old zone 3.

Tuesday Workout. Check.

Today was lifting and 30 minutes of cardio in zone 3.

The lifting:

Squat Press: 200 lbs, 15 reps (after the last two sets walking lunges across the room and back, then rest)
SB Chest Press: 17.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps (last set alternating)
DB Deadlifts (straight leg): 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
Cable 1 Arm Row: 32.5 lbs, 12 reps
Roman Chair: 10 reps (only 2 sets)
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lbs assistance, 12 reps
Assisted Dips: 115 lbs assistance, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back: 37.5 lbs, 12 reps
Chest Fly: 65 lbs, 12 reps

For the cardio I was a bit worried, because as I get more fit, it gets more difficult to walk in zone 3. So I thought: 30 minutes of running?!? Oh noes! So, I took the Julie V. approach to jogging and tried to jog at a fast walking pace. I jogged at a pace between 4.1 and 4.4 for the whole 30 minutes! Now, this is slower than my interval pace when I run and walk, but good for the stamina I think... Yay, me!

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 215 (Treadmill)/635 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 2.29
Total Time: 35:00 (including cool down)/1:20:51 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 127

Next workout is tomorrow. It was supposed to be cardio for 48 min {4 min zone 2, 3 min zone 3, 1 min zone 4} 6 times, but I have been forced coerced arm-twisted suckered into manipulated convinced to take the CardioPoint test (the one with the zone testing) tomorrow. So I will do that, then ZTT will assign me something for the remainder of my workout once we see what I do for the test. Fun times...