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Jogging 30 Day Challenge: Day 3

I went jogging yesterday morning and this morning.

The big difference yesterday was that I got up earlier to do my jog before eating and before having a shower. I figured it would be better to have the shower AFTER I go jogging.

Today it has been raining on and off, so I timed my jog after breakfast (but before the shower), and I timed it so it had stopped raining during the actual jog.

Not giving myself the excuse of "Oh it is raining, I should go jogging tomorrow or delay..." actually felt pretty good.

I have also determined that the cooler temperatures in the morning (or on a rainy day) actually feels pretty nice while jogging.

The physical jog also felt a bit easier today. I am not sure if that was just in my head, but I suppose it doesn't actually matter. Motivation is all in your head anyway. I was even tempted to jog a bit further today.

Tomorrow, if I am feeling up to it, perhaps I will jog a bit further.

Still jogging for less than 6 minutes however, so this still counts as "6 Minute Cardio".

See Also

Jogging 30 Day Challenge: Day 1 

30 Days as a Vegetarian

Jogging 30 Day Challenge: Day 1

I went jogging today for the first time in roughly 8 years.

It wasn't a long journey. I set a small goal of jogging to a bus stop and then back again, less than 6 minutes round trip. (6 Minute Cardio, huzzah!)

I am admittedly not in the best shape right now (partially due to spending months indoors thanks to COVID) and also the fact that I haven't jogged in 8 years.

I was recently conversing with a fellow archer at the Toronto Archery Range and he was telling me how he had taken a big break from archery and had not shot for years, and then only recently got back into it during the pandemic. Then I started thinking about how I haven't ridden a horse in over 20 years, and gosh it would be nice to do that again... Sadly buying a horse or getting riding lessons isn't really an option right now so that didn't make sense for me. Still it got me thinking about how many people take breaks from their various sports and/or exercise activities.

Eg. I haven't gone mountain climbing in over a decade.

Having a big break for a sport activity isn't a bad thing and is nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to many of us and often coincides with big changes in our lives.

The big change for me 8 years ago was when I moved in with my future wife and I started living in a different neighbourhood. Previously I had been living (and jogging) in downtown Toronto. The sudden change in surroundings and having a girlfriend/wife living with me caused a big change in my daily habits.

In April of this year we moved into a house, and the new neighbourhood has had a profound effect on me. Our backyard, our front yard, the closeness of the trees, the wilderness... It made me want to go jogging again. Sometimes just to explore the new neighbourhood, but that desire to go jogging had returned.

Last week I purchased a new shirt just for jogging in. A few weeks before that, new shorts suitable for jogging.

I already had suitable shoes, so that was not an issue for me.

What matters most is motivation.

Getting up, getting dressed in my jogging clothes, and then just go for a jog.

It doesn't matter if it is only a short jog. A short jog is much easier for people to get motivated for anyway.

I know some joggers out there who jog for hours (I had an ex who had an exercise addiction and it was so bad it was hurting her relationships). I don't recommend doing that. Some people may enjoy "Joggers High", but that isn't one of my goals. Still, that Joggers High can be handy for those people who enjoy hours long jogs.

In order to help motivate myself I have also decided I want to go jogging every day. Every day for 30 days.

It is possible I might miss 1 or 2 days, but I can make up for it by simply doubling the distance on any day for which I failed to go jogging the previous day.

Otherwise my plan is to "Start Small". Short jogs. Less than 6 minutes.

5-6 minutes per day for 30 days = 150 to 180 minutes of jogging.

Using a jogging calorie calculator (and my weight, which is currently 210 lbs thanks to me losing 10 lbs back in April when I was in hospital for 4 days) I then calculate my speed (5 mph) and how many calories jogging that much will burn...

1750 to 2100 calories. 1750 calories is equal to half a pound of fat.

However then there is the Afterburn Effect... wherein your heart rate becomes elevated for the next 24-48 hours and you feel more energetic. You feel more energetic because your body is burning fat reserves in order to give you more energy.

Used correctly, the Afterburn Effect can burn an extra 500 calories per day by making you more energetic for the rest of the day. (The exact results vary on the person and the exercise you did to kickstart it)

However if a person manages to activate the Afterburn Effect every day for 30 days, they will burn an extra 15,000 calories.

So instead of burning just 1/2 a pound of fat, a person might actually burn 4.78 lbs of fat.

What does 5 lbs of fat look like? Well, it is bigger than a brick. Maybe about twice the size of a brick in terms of volume.


So that 5 lbs isn't really a small amount of weight. It is a sizable chunk of your body mass. For me that 5 lbs equals roughly 2.4% of my body weight. If I could lose 5-10 lbs by jogging over a 2 month period... Wow. What a big difference that would make to my waistline.

I would have pants in my closet that would suddenly fit again.

Jogging is also a frugal exercise. You need very little in terms of "equipment". A good pair of shoes suitable for jogging is really the only important thing you need. Most of us can find an old t-shirt or shorts suitable for jogging in. You don't need to "motivate yourself" like I did by buying new clothes just for jogging.

I did that partially so that every time I look at the clothes I would be reminded that I purchased them just for jogging and it would remind me to go jogging. It also creates a "monetary responsibility" in which you feel the urge to fulfill the duty you originally committed to when you purchased the clothes or jogging shoes.

Jogging Tip - I hate crosstrainers. I don't recommend them if you're new to jogging. Instead get something more like basketball shoes which have more padding and are comfortable to run in. Crosstrainers are horrible uncomfortable. I have both, but I definitely prefer the basketball shoes for jogging in. Are they more expensive? Yes. Do I care? No.

Other Ways to get the Afterburn Effect

  • Cardio exercises (cycling, swimming, etc)
  • Weightlifting
  • High Intensity Interval Training

Regardless of what exercises you are doing what really matters is your motivation. You have to ask yourself what are your excuses for not exercising, and then ask yourself what are your reasons for WANTING to exercise.

 And then you let your reasons for win.

What are your excuses?

I am including the image below as a good example of a person who didn't let her excuses hold her back.



Pride in my Archery Students

Personal Note

I feel an almost fatherly pride when I see my archery students excelling at the sport.

And I get that sense of pride whenever I see my students returning again and again to the archery range, becoming almost religious about practicing. They're not there for lessons any more. They're there to practice because they love the sport.

It doesn't matter whether they had 3 lessons, 10 lessons, or whatever. It is good to see them out there practicing, and knowing that I had a hand in their tutelage is a matter of personal pride for me.

And as my son grows and is already obsessed with archery, I look forward to seeing him grow and shooting. I want to note that I am not forcing archery upon him. He is naturally obsessed with it because he gets to see both of his parents shooting and he wants to do it too.

Even if by some chance in the future he gets bored of archery (which I highly doubt will happen), it won't matter. Because I will still be proud in the knowledge that when he was 2 - 4 years old he was obsessed with the sport and wanted to shoot "bow arrow" with daddy as often as he could.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

PS. The photo below of my son is from February 2021. I remember that day fondly. The stonework in the park looked a bit like a castle, so we were playing with his bow and arrow in there. (With all the heat lately that snow looks wonderful.)

 


Teaching Archery Again = Awesome


It feels really good to be teaching archery again. The photo above is recent, from June 2021, and shows a quiet moment at the Toronto Archery Range.

Anyone interested in archery lessons in Toronto (one-on-one lessons only) should contact me to discuss scheduling and availability.

Happy Shooting!


Vaccinated! Finally! Archery Lessons starting in June!

I got my first shot of Moderna today and I am pleased to announce that I will resume teaching archery on June 2nd when the current lockdown/stay-at-home order in Ontario ends.

Various archery students have been contacting me since January asking for archery lessons, but due to the cold winter weather + lockdown measures I have been unable to teach.

My vaccination also lined up nicely 8 days before the reopening so I happy about this new turn of events. Thanks to the new stage one reopening of sports areas (tennis courts, golf courses, archery ranges, etc) plus my vaccination I can now say with more confidence that I am finally able to teach again.

People interested in archery lessons in Toronto are invited to browse my rates and let me know which days they are looking to book lessons.

And it couldn't come soon enough. While I enjoy gardening in my backyard, I clearly need to get out more! Just look at those trilliums and ferns. They are doing just fine without me! 😋


Looking to sign up for archery lessons, boxing lessons, swimming lessons, ice skating lessons or personal training sessions? Start by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com and lets talk fitness!

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