A couple of years ago, when I was in college, I went through a myriad of tests at the allergist to try and pinpoint some issues I was having while living in Oklahoma. I found ut the usual, my worst allergies are mold and mildew, my nasal passages are pretty much always swollen, and I have exercise induced asthma. Yay! Now read closely this next part, Dr. Gary Gross in Dallas told me that I need to DO MORE CARDIO to help with the above! I said...you've got to be kidding me. I enjoy lifting heavy weights and sprinting, but distance running, spending hours on the elliptical, these things I dreaded. I don't want to watch my favorite tv show while sweating it out next to someone who is going 1000 spins a second with no resistance or incline, and in my particular gym, the cardio area is about 20,000 degrees hotter than the free weights area. I also didn't want to pound the pavement on boring jogs around my neighborhood or heaven forbid actually get in the car and DRIVE somewhere to get out and run. These things just didn't float my boat...at the time.
I have learned to enjoy cardio, but it has not been easy. There are many days when I am dragging myself up the stairs to plug in my headphones and listen to Pandora while I pedal away for the next half hour. Just this morning, I seriously walked out the front door for a jog while my head was saying, "should I go now, or later?" when I know full well that is If I don't go now, it ain't happenin'!
Some of the keys to my cardio success are:
Competition
I have to say, that the reason I enjoy weight lifting, is the obvious progress I can chart as I progress. I took this idea to my cardio, and it has helped a ton! I use MapMyRun to log my runs, and I can attempt to speed up my pace. This allows me to compete with myself and I enjoy that!
Duration
I also love weight lifting because I can get it done quick! I can shave off wasted time during a workout, and I can make my time spent at the gym as small as possible, which is how I like it. I have spent too many hours working in gyms, and it is not someplace I love going to spend my free time. So I usually keep my cardiovascular activity to 30min bouts. This helps me stay focused and not completely HATE it.
Repetition
It really comes down to this one. Not every day is going to be a good one. I cannot always beat my time on every run. Some days it is going to feel like I have not run in weeks. But those are they days that I keep trucking. I put one foot in front of the other and try not to think about how I feel winded or exhausted or tired, etc. By getting out there on the hard days though, it actually makes the other days easier. I almost feel that by getting those days out of the way quickly, I am able to get on to the good days, which make you want to keep going! So don't let those bad days get you down too much!
Variation
I also like to mix up my workouts. Although I jog 3 days a week, on the other days, I enjoy getting my cardio in on my bike, by power walking with my dogs, swimming, doing Camp Gladiator, and pretty much any other way I can. This helps keep boredom at bay. There is only so much elliptical time a person can handle...well at least this person.
Try applying some of these to your next rough cardio session!
Cause, when was the last time you felt worse after a workout that you did before you started?
Exactly!
Oh, and those allergies, running/cardio not only helps clear chest congestion, but it always clears my nose (on cool days like today), give me energy, and sets my day up for success! Because on days like today, if I made it through that run this morning, I can conquer anything!
Happy Running!
Let's start the week off right!
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