Tag Archives: black fitness

On the road to recovery…

17 Jun

I got up this morning, and fought my way out of bed and to the park to join my group run.  I hadn’t seen  my run dawgs in about 2 weeks and I was sure I was getting my butt kicked.  As a result, I spent 25 minutes hoping it would thunderstorm. It NEVER did!

I won’t go into a long sordid story about how I was partnered with a newbie runner that fed me her dust for 3 miles straight, or how my obliques and lower abs felt like Satan was taking a smoke break on them.  The short version is, it was difficult!!!  I did a little over 3 miles in 28:45 minutes, then at the command of my body, switched to intervals for 1.5 miles (alternating sprints 150 meters/walk 100 meters) for a total miles 4.55 in 47 minutes/average pace 10:23.

I can live with that!  I also went to Ballet tonight.  Jeez!!!  The preparation for this new job is KILLING my body.  However, it’ll all make sense when I step in to teach my first class.  Those students have NO idea what’s coming their way.

In other news, my favorite trainer, Miss Angel Stone AKA my girl crush, is having a great discussion on her blog, Fit and Hungry, about why African-American women don’t statistically exercise as much as their fairer skinned counter parts.  The discussion has stemmed from an interview she did on the founders of BlackGirlsRun.  It’s  a cool post.  So when you get a chance mosey on over there and chime in.  Then come back here and play with me, Ok?!

Toddle-Loo (I don’t think I’ve ever wrote that out, and am sure it’s not spelled right, but you get the point!  If not, it’s synonymous with Laters! )

An anonymous black girl who despises having abs that look much stronger than they really are ={

I Get It From My Mama

9 Feb

…And now studies show, it might not be a bad thing.

My name is Bgirl875 and I have a PHAT A$$…I admit it.

I’ve always had crazy proportions from my waist to my booty. Currently, I’m sporting a 27 inch waist and 39 inch butt. That’s more than a 40% difference and produces a butt on which you can literally hang things. I’ve heard every comment known to man about the size of my bottom. I once had a well-known celebrity stop me in a store and ask “whether my back hurt supporting an A$$ like that?” Pretty much the worst moment in my life. People can be cruel. As a result, I’m pretty sure I bordered anorexia for a good portion of my young adult years. I don’t know which was worse, the way my body looked or the attention I received from it. All I know is that my booty overshadowed my entire being and I wholeheartedly resented it for most of my life. (more…)

Week Four, Day 5 (remix)

8 Feb

So apparently mother nature decided that in addition to insisting that I do my speed work on the hamster wheel, that I had no real need to post about the experience prior to now.  Darned snow and loss of internet.  But I am back, with a vengeance.  Ok. Not really with a vengeance but I am back.  And happy to report, that my last task for “remix” week was great.

Speed work:

Alternate 100m runs/100m walks for 15mins, then finish with a light jog of 5 mins. (walks@4mph/runs@6.8-8.2mph)

As this is my second time around, I’ve improved my mile to meter conversions which made speed work a lot easier.  I also made sure I maxed out at 20% above my current maximum speed of 6.8mph.  I admit compared to last week, today’s run was a walk in the park.  (more…)

Week Two, Day 3

15 Jan

If I picked a song to represent todays run it would be…Ice Cube’s “Good Day”

Today’s Task:

10 min run (2 mins@5.4mph, 4 mins@5.6mph, 4 mins@5.8mph) 2 min break/speed walk@4mph

10 min run (2 mins@5.6mph, 4 mins@5.8mph, 4 mins@6mph) 2 min break/speed walk@4mph

I’m not sure if it was falling asleep with music or waking up to a beautiful day, but I definitely woke up on the right side of the bed this morning. When I got up, I headed straight to the gym only stopping to making myself look presentable and collect some water. As I walked into the gym, I felt very little of my usual reluctance. I knew I had to run, so figured what’s the point fussing about it.
(more…)

Week Two, Day 1

13 Jan

“Baby steps on a very long road”

Today’s challenge:

8 mins nice pace (2 mins@5.2 mph, 3 mins@5.4 mph, 3 mins@5.6 mph) 2 mins break/speed walk@4 mph

8 mins nice pace (2 mins@5.4 mph, 3 mins@5.6 mph, 3 mins@5.8 mph) 2 mins break/speed walk@4.2 mph

When I arrive at the gym at 9:15am, I was ecstatic to find no one else there as I’ve found that I don’t like the distraction of other people while I’m experiencing excruciating pain.  I started out with my usual short warm up (2 mins@2.5-3 mph.)  Then got right into my run.

By the end of the first two mins, I was anticipating going faster.  I don’t know if this is normal but occasionally it feels more tiring going at a slower pace .  So I was very happy to move into 5.4 mph.  However, that excitement quickly turned into despair (more…)

Week One, Day 5

10 Jan

I never thought I’d be writing this but…I arrived at the Gym at 7:50am. What? I swear that sounds weird even reading. Ps, this was on a Saturday. Do the Fitness Gods give extra credit for working out on a Saturday? If they don’t, they should. Anyway, Saturday’s task:

6 mins at a pace I can handle, 2 mins speed walk, Repeat.

My stats…2 min warm up, 2 mins @ 5mph, 2 mins @ 5.2 mph, 2 mins@ 5.4 mph, 2 min speed walk @ 4 mph. Repeat.

Oh, I should add for brag factor that I did this on an incline. I don’t really know what 2 means, but I set it at a 2.

So, while we are on this 2. Let me expound.
(more…)

Week One, Day 3

7 Jan

I call this day…Sticking to commitments. 

Every ounce of my soul wanted to go back to bed this morning.  I did my usual snoozing and found myself up at 9:55am.  I thought to myself, I wonder if it’d be OK to go tomorrow instead of today.  I’d still technically be doing 3 workouts per week.  “Devlin” cracked a smile and I knew I had to get up.  That heifer is soooooo annoying.  No way was I going to prove her right.  So I proceeded.  (more…)

Week One, Day One

6 Jan

I think it might be a little stereotypical to say this but I’m going for it. Black people don’t run. Well, unless we are being chased by something. Dogs, Bullets, Police. Or maybe some of us run for competition, scholarship, money, but we don’t run for the intrinsic value of running. It is a fact. I am black. I know these things. So when I decided that I would attempt this project, I knew I was defying odds.

I awoke at 7:15, 8:30, and 9:15, every time planning to just take a few more seconds of rest before starting the first day of the rest of my life. That’s dramatic, I know. But damn it, this is a dramatic process. Finally at 10am, I rose.  (more…)

Sheepish Introduction

5 Jan

What the hell am I doing here? Why after 30 something years have I decided to conquer this fear? The simple answer, I am intrigued by you. You people who run. While I don’t get it at ALL, I seek to understand. I seek to know what it’s like to feel accomplished by shin splits and burning quads. But that’s not the only story.

I haven’t always despised running. It’s just recently. Probably started when my trainer told me that in order to change the state of my fanny, I needed to run. For those of you that don’t know the term fanny. It is a noun that is defined as the fatty area that falls right underneath your bottom. It’s usually cottage cheese ridden and jiggley.

I am no stranger to excercise. My first memory of exercising was when I was three.
(more…)

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