THE QUEST CONTINUES

Dear Journal,

Having shared my quest with my friends, I wake up with the sense of responsibility not to disappoint myself or friends.

I am sure that my struggle to drag my sleepy body off the softness of my bed, wear workout clothes and hit the road didn’t come across as being unserious.

The words of Vanessa kept resounding in my head as I jogged and sprinted. This new jogging and sprinting routine was adopted after I had complained that I have been running for months now and haven’t seen any changes in my appearance. Hmmm. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut because the ‘lecture’ from Vanessa began and it wasn’t a real lecture, it was more a Vanessa-like admonishment.

She began: Sharon, cardio burns fat when done right. Strength training does too but what it really does is build lean muscle, which burns fat even when you’re not working out. What you need is a combination of cardio (which you’re already doing) and strength training. For the cardio, interval training; jog 3 minutes, sprint 2 etc is best. You’ll get nowhere if you keep doing the same thing the same way every day with no increase in intensity or change.

In fact, if you can, find a way to get Jillian’s workouts, trust me you’ll be pleased. I recommend you start with her “30 day shred”. The thirty day shred is a combination of strength and cardio. All you need are 3 pound dumbbells and a little space.

Damn! She had read my mind with that last sentence, I was going to say it rains so hard in Calabar that I can’t do all that hard stuff in Jillian’s training outdoors. Oh well, C’est la vie. I have taken her advice and I really love the jog and sprint experience more than just running alone.

I look forward to the next batch of workouts that she’ll throw my way. I am well on my way! It might not be a huge change yet but I am certain that if I cast the stone across the waters, I will make many ripples.

Jusqu'à ce que nous parler a nouveau.