On The Third Day....Interval Timer

Interval timer or interval app.  I'm old school...did you figure that one out yet?   A Gymboss is as new school as I get, BUT, I am becoming more and more motivated to join the 21st century!  Phone apps are much more convenient for most people and in fact this past weekend my training partner Meg used hers during our training and it had a very nice sound so I need to find out more about it!  It's no secret I love my Gymboss! (click the link on the right side of this blog to buy) I dislike fumbling around with my iPhone mostly because I don't have a plastic cover for it, which I like, but the damn thing is slippery!  My Gymboss is easy to clip on my shirt and not think about.

Interval training is what my kettlebell programs are based on. You can find much information online if you google "interval training" but here is one posted by the Mayo Clinic:

 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/interval-training/SM00110

I never planned on designing a program based on intervals, in fact when I started creating my own workouts I didn't know anyone else was doing this kind of programming at all!  I was simply doing my own thing, in my garage, to push myself based on the second hand of my old alarm clock! (photo right; seriously I think this alarm clock is 20 years old and the very first time I cleaned it was for this photo used in "The Swing"!)  I use a timer to motivate my kettlebell training, and I use it on my walks when I don't have a specific distance or trail to measure.

Training intervals is simply a way to measure.  Weren't we just talking about measurements?  Knowing what and how to compare progress (or lack of progress) is an important tool in increasing good health and fitness.  It's just another way to collect data and track improvement.

This morning I used my Gymboss on my walk.  When I go for walks I usually set my interval timer for 5 minute increments.  I do this because 5 minute increments are easy to count, add, and keep track without leaving me too long wondering when the heck that beeper is going to go off!  In fact many times that 5 minute beeper reminds me to keep up a fast pace, which I can sometimes forget as I start to daydream and meditate!  And speaking about walking....

Did you know that I just learned from my brilliant husband Mark that no animal on the planet can outwalk humans?  We can be outrun, but we cannot be outwalked!  He also recommends that if you cannot walk 4 miles an hour (15 minute miles) then you should seriously rethink running for distance (ie jogging).  Running for short distances is skill that you can practice at any level of fitness, but running for long distance is a different skill you can train AFTER you have basic running mechanics and a solid foundation of conditioning.

Whether you use a timer for training kettlebells or you use it to time other exercise, I believe it's a tool that can motivate you to push yourself a little bit further than you might without it!

Are you with me so far?

Food journal
Food scale
Interval timer

This is going to be soooo easy this time!  And we still have a week to get ready!  Let's do this!

Food journal for Sunday 12/15.

My pumpkin, turkey and rice soup was so good I had it for lunch and for dinner!  What I really needed was some fresh greens, but oh well.  I took care of that today.  My calories were a bit high (I remembered the dates at the end of the night), and I may have to confess about guesstimating the soup portions low.....the morning scale rarely lies.