My first goal for the new year is to complete all of my scheduled workouts in January. I have been pretty consistent with my workouts in that I usually miss about one per week. So I want to focus January as a time to get in a better rhythm. I have two trips planned so it will be important to look ahead, know what workouts are coming up, and plan accordingly.

First--I will be in Chicago at the beginning of the month. My parents have a stationary bike and a treadmill so there should be no problems getting my workouts done.

Then I am headed to the Cayman Island which will be a little trickier. I will have to rearrange the workouts to make my rest days the days that we are traveling, but with some planning, that should be easy. I just looked up the hotel that we are staying in, and there is a recreation facility. If the picture is not deceiving, it looks like there are some treadmills. I know the island has bike rentals and of course there is open water swimming...although I am really intimidated by that! 

I have always found that running or biking around a new place is the best way to get to know it and see some of the local color, so here's to hoping I stay on track!

Gale,

I just got a new training toy--a Timex digital transmission heart rate monitor. Although it already defaults to a maximum heart rate of 165, the directions suggest I determine what my maximum heart rate really is and set it to that.

What is the best way to determine my max heart rate?

Thanks,

Belle

follow up: I just remembered that a few weeks ago you directed me to several introductory documents, one of which covers the topic of training intensity. I will read that and see if I still have any questions.

I am starting to learn that running or swimming or biking for 30 minutes, 2 or 3 times a week, might keep me active but it does nothing to improve my fitness. And the ActiveX strength workouts I do twice a week have been a reality check for me.

Today our circuit went like this: run 400, 20 push ups, 15 Box Jumps, 10 pull ups; repeat 3 more times.

I felt like my lungs were sealed shut and I was sucking air in and out of a small opening, my run pace got slower and slower, my arms felt like rubber and I once again felt like I have never worked out before.

These workouts are notoriously difficult but I am consistently falling behind the rest of the group even though I thought I was in pretty good shape.

I realized after the workout that I have always been active but I haven't pushed my limits in a long time. I trained for some 24-hour adventure races a few years ago but even those workouts were pretty low intensity and by my own design. I was focused on building my enduranceand was able go for 24 (or 36 hours)but I neglected the other components of a total body workout.

--

The longer I sit here writing, the more my lungs are opening up, my breathing is getting less labored and the more excited I am to be replacing my lazy workouts with a total fitness routine. It still stinks to be the slow one but at least I have something to shoot for.