100 days to get fit. Day 5-7. Jan 7-9

100 days to get fit. Day 5-7. Jan 7-9
Trying to catch up to date here, so decided to do summery of the past days. My pityful upper body generated a few comments on Twitter and Facebook. I still haven't installed stat-app on this blog (I am not sure I like blogger.com - the wordpress seems to have more and better apps), so I don't know yet how many readers I may have.
I would be very pleased to exchange links with my readers, so please let me know.

My upper body: Danny - same age as I and who I have not seen in 22 years, and looks great on his Facebook pictures - says it is diet, diet, diet... and in the next sentence reveals he goes to the gym 5 times a week. I don't like gyms. I like to run. But we do have one of those cheap home gyms, so I shall dust it off and stop using it as cloth-hanger. I actually used it the other day.

After I did some research on the net, I did find what Danny referred to. An article on the internet called Striving for six-pack-abs. I learn the following.

• It is important what you eat. If you eat junk you will look like junk. - OK sir. I am staying away from junk. I eat quite well being a fish eating vegetarian - whatever that is called. But I drink far too many sport-drinks and sodas.
  
• It is also important that rather than eating a lot once, it is better to eat small meals 5-6 times a day. This keeps up metabolism and helps both to burn calories as well as not making you hungry.
• Do a lot of anaerobic work. This burns fat and is essential to be able to show the abs that are beneath the layer of fat that makes up the beer belly. My running which already is on a healthy level should help here. If I can make longer sessions and occational intervalls, this will up my calorie-consumption.
  
• 6 - pack abs are rare. It is for people in their teens to 20s. Attained fat around the belly is an age thing, and is exceedingly difficult to get rid of completely, but not impossible.
• In spite of being somewhat narcessisticly obsessed with abs, it is not only a beauty thing. It is good for my running. It will give me better posture and decrease lower back pain (which I had a lot of after Luciana was born - and got me started training) and reduce risk of injury. A stronger torso also put less strain on the knees, which certainly are my weak part of my body.

The article also give some exercise to do. Maybe I don't have to go to the gym after all. Below follows a summery of the last days.

Day 5. Wednesday Jan 7.
Hardly any exercise today. But hey we got up at 2.30 AM to drive to Unchog and to bed at 11.30 in Junin at 4100m. Just the fact of sleeping at this altitude is hard work.
There was however the walk at Bosque Unchog with 300m climb between 3400 and 3700m. Tomorrow I am back in Lima, and I will go for a longer run with all this high altitude preparation in my body.

Day 6. Thursday Jan 8
Who am I fooling? After birding at 4100m and constantly feeling water deprived and with a headache, the prospects of exercise was not really an option. Then coming back to Lima, catching up on office work it got later and later and too late for a run.
Decided to go to bed, but on the way passing the room with the weight-machine and have a go at it. A few exercise for pecs, triceps and qudriceps just for the heck of it. Just one series and then to bed.

Day 7. Friday Jan 9.
I had a to see off a birding group early in the morning at 6 AM. I was dressed for running, so I made a run down the malecon of Miraflores. Incredible numbers of people out jogging at this early hour. I am not much of an early morning runner, I must admit. But on the other hand it was quite inspirational to see so many people running. I did 10km, bought some Sporade (similar to Gatorade) and bread at the Vivanda supermarket in Miraflores and then ran the remaining 2 km back to my house. Good to have had the exercise done for the day. Half decent speed with 5.05 min/km and 12km in total.
Would have wanted to do some strength training, but the day was long with much office work do get done.

100 days to get Fit

Day 1. January 3, 2009. Introduction. Running with Luciana in her stroller.

I am 48 years male and I am sort of fit, I am running on and off. I am certainly not fat. Most would consider me lean, but nevertheless I have several 100s beer deposited around my waist – the famous beer belly. My wife calls me “pita con nudo”, which means “a string with a knot”. Pretty accurate description!

In my youth I was always skinny and never athletic. I weigh only 7 kilos more now compared to when I was 20. So why complain, right.

However, three recent things convinced me that now is the time to get really healthy, train for a marathon and get in good shape. Good shape includes a more muscular torso, something I never had!

1. We are not getting any younger are we?
   The main reason I guess for most people that take up running and physical activity is the horrifying process of aging. I have hard time to believe that old man I see in the mirror is myself
2. I became a father again almost two years ago. When Luciana is 20, I’d be 66 and when she’s thirty, I most likely have a foot in the grave, and possibly more than that. I really want to be young both spiritually and in body for her sake. So start a sound living to grow really old sounds like a good course to take. 100 days is surely not enough, but enough to get me on the right track….to keep on going.
3. A true inspiration was a Twitter, @anntorrence that was sending short updates in her program of 100 days. Good idea and it gives some commitment when you are not doing your program only on “your own”. Twitter for those that don’t know is micro-blogging. Twitter asks one question, "What are you doing?" Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web. A committment is stronger if it is public. Sign up to Twitter and start following me (@kolibrix) and @anntorrence if you like to get some inspiration.
   
4. Heard from a friend on facebook that I have not seen in 22 years. He is a guy that likes the beaches. I never did! But that is probably why he looks to have more muscles now than he did 22 years ago - and yes we are the same age. I am quite envious!
   

That did it. Time for change. It is a new year. Let's copy the 100 day approach to start with.

So a slow start to get fit was started yesterday. Getting fit is much about time management.
You have to put in excersise whenever you can.

Yesterday I had to buy a point and shoot camera for my upcoming trip to Carpish tomorrow. The store is 2 km away. My wife was working and I was with Luciana. I cannot get much work done, while being with her, so rather than trying to be productive with the laptop.....
"Luciana, let's go for a ride!"
So shorts on, baby under one arm and the stroller in the other we made a run for 2 km to the store and back. And I bought a Camera Nikon Coolpix p50.

Luciana has two strollers, but only one is robust enough to use for this purpose. Later, I will post a picture of Luciana in the stroller. However, if you want your baby is still small and you with him/her to be very safe you should get something like this. There are some models listed on the Amazon widget on the right.


Later, my wife came back from work. Asked me to get some food for lunch. There is a good bistro/take away service called San Antonio in Lima. They have verious outlets. Our closest one is 2.5 km away. My wife wanted these delicious artichichoke pies
So off again! and another 5km added to my day.

It only took me 11 minutes to get the Camera store.
And it took me 14 minutes to get the artichoke pies.

Lesson of the day: Your getting in fit strategy should include any opportunity you get to do it on foot rather than taking the car. Or get a bike. Then you can reach outlets even further away.

Gunnar Engblom
www.kolibriexpeditions.com