Avoiding boredom on a longer cardio session

So tonight my game plan was 40 minutes on the elliptical.

Why 40 minutes? In my experience, I just burn fat more when I add a couple longer sessions of cardio into my week. But this does not mean mindless walking on a treadmill or lazily pedaling a stationary bicycle. No sir. My time is valuable so I need to make each opportunity I have to workout count big.

Because it's easy to struggle with "cardio boredom" I thought I'd share with you my workout tonight.

First 7:30 minutes - forward elliptical movement
7:30- 10:00 - reverse cardio movement, hands on steady bars
10:00 - 11:30 - forward elliptical movement, bent at waist to target glutes (flat back, abs in!)
11:30 - 17:30 - forward elliptical movement
17:30 - 20:00 - reverse elliptical movement
20:00 - 21:30 - forward elliptical movement, bent at waist
21:30 - 27:30 - forward elliptical movement
27:30 - 30:00 - reverse elliptical movement
30:00 - 31:30 - forward elliptical movement, bent at waist
31:30 - 35:00 - up the intensity and level
35:00 - 37:30 - up the level and remove hands from bars - push hard
37:30 - 39:00 - reverse elliptical movement

39:00 - 40:00 - forward elliptical movement

Again, you do not want to just "go through the motions." Push yourself. If you're doing a treadmill workout, try jogging for a few minutes, hills for a few minutes, walking fast for a few minutes, working in some arm exercises, etc. Not only will this keep you physically challenged, it works to mentally break up the time - which is an essential skill for completing a marathon (our goal in the end, remember?)

You'll also notice I pumped up the intensity at the end of the workout. Why? I believe, as much as possible, making the second half and end of the workout harder than the beginning. It helps develop stamina and mental toughness. Don't fizzle out at the end, sprint hard.

Photo credit Jos van Galen

The courage to start

If you follow my other blog, you know that I'm into saving money. So last week I decided to check out some books at my local library on marathoning for inspiration. Would you believe they were all checked out? Wow! They all made it in today and I've been having fun thumbing through them this afternoon.

In doing so, I came across a particular quote that I wanted to share with you today. Ready? Here it is:

"For all of us, the miracle isn't that we finish, the miracle is that we have the courage to start." - John "The Penguin" Bingham

I whole-heartedly agree with Bingham! Do you? What do you have to overcome in order to start your marathon journey?

For me, it was thinking that I wasn't athletic. I never participated in sports in high school and came to the conclusion that an athletic lifestyle just wasn't for me. I also had to overcome the idea that I couldn't complete such a distance - that I simply didn't have the endurance to do so. After all, marathons were for Olympians and super elite athletes, right?

After having run three marathons, I now believe differently. Let me tell you - I have seen many MANY different people finish that distance. Young, old, fit, overweight, and the list goes on. And let's not forget those in wheelchairs or prosthetics. I fully believe the marathon starts in the mind. You must first make a choice to believe you can do it. Does a marathon require physical training? Without a doubt. But if you lack the mental toughness, you will fizzle. All the bystanders cheering you on will not make you complete the race. Only you can convince yourself to continue on even when you are tired and ache to stop.

Many times I've heard folks say that they just can't do it. I fully believe most healthy people CAN run a marathon. But you must want it...you must have the "courage to start."

Photo credit Grizka Niewiadomski