Scared Fitless!

I just finished 32 weeks of fitness - that's 8 months and so I have 4 months left in this research program on Breast Cancer and the correlation it has to fitness.  I am starting to feel what I call "scared fitless"!  Why you might ask?

I have gone from sitting on the couch with a starting VO2 Max of 27.5 to achieving 31.4 at my 6 month test.  I hope that I am improving but will only know when I have completed my total 12 months at the end of the study when the Beta Breast Cancer study team do my final evaluations.  That is the end of the program for me in their study.  I feel that have gotten somewhere in improving my overall fitness level and want to know to how to continue to keep my level at what I have achieved but am not sure what I should do.

I know I have 4 months left to figure it out so why worry now?  I am a firm believer that if you don't have a success plan ahead of time it will be all to easy to slip back into old habits and make excuses to put off what I am doing 5 days a week.  Granted it hasn't been easy to do this fitness schedule while working full time however somehow I have managed to fit this into my life and have learned to let some things go as a sacrifice for improving my own health while contributing to a scientific study.

I know that this journey has not been easy at times and many times during the day I have said to myself - "Just skip today and do it tomorrow" but no I headed to the gym.  People were counting on me to be there - Dr. Christine Friedenreich, the fitness trainers, the Beta office study team and the other women working hard in the program.  I couldn't let them down.  Who will be counting on me to be at the end of my portion of the study at the end of January 2012.

Who will care if I am working out?  Of course me but some times you need a bit of extra motivation. Where is this going to come from?  Thinking about the end of my program is making me feel a bit nervous and it feels like finishing high school and wondering what is next in life and what should I do.  Wishing someone would just decide for you.  It's like becoming a parent for the first time.  Before the baby arrives you think, yup got all down, I know what to do but then when the little one arrives you think - "help - now what...does the nurse come home with you from the hospital? No nurse - that's not in the book!"  I'm on my own?  Is there a book?  Some how you muddle through and get it right be trail and error and friends and relatives helping you along with friendly encouragement.

I am still not at all sure what I will do at the end of the program.  I have heard that many people in the previous study did not continue to keep up their fitness level.  I know that I am no different that any of the women that have gone before me in this study so am trying to figure out how to keep doing what I have done.

I don't know much about exercise and fitness as you probably already know however I think that really in the grand scheme of things I am about average with most people about knowledge of exercise.  Sometimes a little knowledge can be dangerous and can actually cause injury instead of helping you improve.   This is my dilemma - how to continue and make my schedule interesting without injuring myself or returning to my inactive ways!

I know how to set goals and how to achieve them and my currently goal is to run in the October 2nd Run for the Cure in Calgary.  For me this is a huge achievement since I would never have attempted to run 5 klm in my life for fear of collapse or worse yet - a heart attack.  I know feel that I can do this and will be lacing up my shoes on October 2nd.  I feel that I can set a goal and achieve it if I know enough on how to do it.  My next goal will be to develop some kind of a strategy to continue on my fitness plan so that I can keep healthy.   How....hmmm not sure but I am going to be working this out and have a draft plan in place by the end of November on what February 2012 will look like for me.  I have a couple of vague ideas that I want to incorporate but for now want to apply the SMART goal setting acronym so that I can at least have a plan on how to I am going to do this.  I believe that by writing down my goals and sharing them on this blog that I too can continue along my already improved (what I perceived as successful) fitness .

So what are SMART goals you ask?  They word SMART is an acronym and the S is for specific, the M is for measurable, the A is attainable, the R is for realistic and the T is for timely.   Goals need to be written them down and shared to be successful.   If no one knows what you want to acheive it is easy to not follow through and know one will ever know if you haven't been successful.

I want to slide from the end of my current program into working out on my own and make it a smooth transition so that I don't loose momentum.  Is it possible?  I hope so...more to come in the next weeks as I work toward my goal of having my SMART goals developed by the end of November!  Stay tuned!

Journey of the Exercise Queen

Journey of the Exercise Queen

A cure for breast cancer the Pink Ribbon of Hope

For some it’s too late and their families need to cope

Beta study cancer research is all for the breast
Applied for the program it was best

Road to good health and supervised fitness

Will help all women avoid this terrible illness

Answered all the questions then had a blood test
Walked on the treadmill until I needed a rest
DAX and CT scan had my body assessed

Will they really let me begin

Once they find out what bad shape I’m in?

Who said layin on the couch was such a sin?

I got the call the day before my birthday, I felt I was blessed
Keep it easy, start slow is what they suggest

Heart Rate monitor, water bottle, diary, pink shirt and shoes

They said hard workouts get rid of the blues

Cold wet strap on my chest

I’m sure this is going to give me cardiac arrest!

They said it would be easy and lots of fun
They didn’t tell me I was going to have to run

What do you think does this all seem extreme

I guess I need to pay for eating that ice cream

They tell me exercise hard and it will make you lean

I’m a couch potato trying to be the exercise queen

Wake me up fast this must be a bad dream

Pink ribbon warriors, we’re Christine’s old gals

Focusing on this study instead of ourselves

Our trainers are there to maintain the reign

Checking to see if we are ok and don’t have any pain

Three days a week I head to West Side Fitness Centre

Walking slowly and thinking about reasons to enter

Meeting new friends as we pass coming in

30 or 60, how long has it bin?

You look like you lost weight your face is now thin

Jason, Tanya, Shannon, Margo, and Sue do their walk-about

I think they are checking to see who has passed out

They laugh and tell us that we’ve misunderstood

They’re really checking that we’re still doing good

We laugh and call them the slave drivers

But really they are encouraging us to be thrivers

Checking my numbers and staying in range

All I can say is I feel kind of strange

Everyone else is skinny and buff

Fat hanging over my shorts in a puff

I look like I must have ate to much stuff

Spare tire in front and love handles on side

No longer look like a skinny young bride

Thighs that rub and boobs that bounce

Every step moving toward goals by the ounce

My body has padding and plenty of giggle

Will exercise really get rid of this wiggle?

My husband has said I have a new man called “Jim”
That I meet after work and now neglect him

I’m working so hard but not getting slim

Give me some air it’s too hot in this gym

Help me please I can’t stand extreme heat

My face is so red it looks like an old beet

Exercise in here this is definitely no retreat
No air conditioner here so turn on a fan
Help isn’t here yet, quick find me an iceman

Give me some deodorant I think I need Ban

Rivers of sweat running fast down my back
I smell like a racehorse run hard at the track
Working so hard my legs are now shaking
Muscles are cramping and slowly aching

Ten more minutes I mumble “determination “

Stay focused, stay focused, Lord give me motivation

Monitor won’t work when I take a swim

Guess it is elliptical to help get me trim

My shoes are hurting and seem to tight
Is it possible to get them to fit just right?
Crash in my bed for a long sleep tonight

Dreaming of running and that they have finally won the fight

First the deadmill that seems all up hill

Next the swearmaster who am I trying to kill?

My breath is now coming in little short puffs

I keep telling myself this must be enough

I must be done soon because I’m running out of steam

Just keep on going, you’re almost there, you’re part of this team

Check the mirror quick when I get undressed

Have I changed yet and do I look like Mae West?

I am now strong, healthy and trying my best

I working so hard for the breast cancer quest

Huffin, puffin gettin ready for the 6 month test

I now know why they call the test stress

Because I’m on the verge of cardiac arrest

But they tell me keep pushing it’s all for the best

Once you are done you can have a rest

They crank up the treadmill incline until I think I am dying

Sweat pouring off me until it looks like I’m crying

Some of the familiar faces are now gone

Must be all done, could they have been here this long?

I’m still here yet and so think I’ve done wrong

But no, I need to work harder and get strong

Protecting my breasts for my full lifelong

Exercise fast while listening to song

The gym feels like home now I’m starting to belong

Six months has past in a flash

I can now even do a fast dash

Really this fitness has been a blast

I can thank Beta for this wonderful chance

To help medical science advance

The finish line is now here

I can’t believe that it is already a year

Though at first the journey seemed long

The end is now here and I am now strong

I will miss the friends and like to have stayed

Wishing somehow to continue the crusade

My sacrifice was small and one that I wouldn’t trade

Thank you Beta for the new body I’ve made!

Hoping that this intervention will help me survive

And keep my breasts healthy to past ninety five

Donna deMan

30 minute program

Support me in the Run for the Cure October 2nd

I’m participating in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure on Sunday, October 2, 2011. Can I count on your support?   A donation will really help me get closer to my fundraising goal. Any donation will make a difference and help create a future without breast cancer.

When I think about the estimated over 23,000 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in Canada, it feels good to support a cause that touches so many of us.  You can make a difference too. With your support, the Foundation will continue funding breast cancer research, education and health promotion initiatives across the country, making a difference from coast to coast. To learn more about the work the Foundation does, visit http://www.cbcf.org/.

Click here to visit my personal page.

Funds from this run are utilized by Alberta Cancer Foundation for a number of research projects.  One of the projects funded by the Alberta Cancer Foundation is one that I have been participating in for over the past 6 months and it involves following 400 women that complete extensive aerobic fitness 5 days a week. This study is for one full year and the study follows women who have never had breast cancer to understand how aerobic fitness impacts the reduction of the factors that contribute to breast cancer. To learn more about this study http://www.beta-trial.com/beta-trial-basics.html <http://www.beta-trial.com/beta-trial-basics.html>

Rainy day office 15 minute workout

Rainy Day office 15 minute workout 

This workout requires no special equipment and can be done in your office and is supposed to be equivalent to walking 1 mile.  If you need it click on red for a Free online stop watch so you know how much time to spend on each activity.

March in place for 2 minutes

Side step 3 minutes

March in place 1 minutes

Knee high 3 minutes
March in place 1 minutes

Kick in air 3 minutes

March in place 2 minutes

You are now done 15 minutes of activity!