Weekly Workout Recap: A little packing tape goes a long way

My workouts this week consisted of running 3 times and doing step aerobics 3 times.  Last week, my workouts were dominated by my monstrously long 10 mile run.  This week my long run was only going to be 5 miles.  Which is ridic to even say because back in September when I started C25K, I thought the 30 second running intervals were hard.  No one is more amazed than me that a 5 mile run has become n short run for me.  Crazy!

I'm still coming back from my two frustrating weeks of head and chest crud.  I'm never a fast runner but with chest crud I was all but jogging in place.  So I was hoping to pick up the pace slightly now that I'm crud free.

And I did.  Yeah!  Still not super fast but that's the story of my life.  10 and half minute miles were my average before I was sick so I'm just happy to be back where I was.  And my 5 mile run was against the wind most of the way.  And uphill against the wind at one point.  Holy moly that's a vicious one two punch. But it makes my 10:43 not seem so crappy.
 
As I've mentioned previously, Wii step aerobics was one of the first workouts I did back when I first started my health kick.  As I got better at it and I stopped feeling like I wanted to die while doing it, I realized I needed to find ways to make it more challenging.  First, I ordered a lift for my step.  Mine is an Everlast.  I seriously love it.

I used to primarily do the regular Wii Fit step aerobics game while watching television.  But that got boring and I discovered EA Sports Active: More Workouts. I like that it counts my steps and holds me accountable if I don't stay on pace.

Once the lift under the balance board wasn't the end of the world I started wearing a weight vest I bought at Target.  I kept adding more weight to the vest and it's now up to 20 pounds.  Then I added wrist weights.  Those were a whole new world of challenge because my arms are like wet noodles. So far I'm only up to 2 pounds on each wrist.

 The only thing I haven't added are ankle weights but that's only because I worried it would throw off my balance and I'd fall and break something.  That something being an important part of my body.

My step aerobics game has me alternating between knee lifts, leg curls, kicks and regular stepping. This is supposed to be a kick. 

Life was good at that point.  Granted I looked crazy wearing a weight vest and wrist weights while sweating my butt off.  But I only thought I looked crazy.  Because then my husband had the bright idea of jogging in the weight vest and the weight vest screamed in anguish and one of the pockets split open and didn't hold any weight anymore.  Beautiful.  I proceeded to make fun of him like it was going out of style and we bought a new weight vest.  Then the new weight vest screamed in anguish and the pocket did the exact same thing within the first week during step aerobics.  And we didn't have the receipt anymore.

So then we channeled Tim Gunn and made it work with some packing tape holding that crap together.  I look like a broke down mess while I workout.  I look like a full blown crazy broke down mess while I workout in that vest.  But I don't care because I know for a fact it gives me a run for my money.

My 7 year old hit or miss photographer successfully got my Wii balance board and the lift in this shot. 

I'm considering investing in a new one that can hold more than 20 pounds.  If it could successfully stay together without packing tape, that would be pretty sweet, too.  I'm not sure how much more weight my shoulders can take but I'm also figuring mine is pretty crappy so if I had a decent one maybe it would be less harsh on my shoulders. We'll see!

Linking up with Little Girl in the Big World!