Biggest Loser 10 Week Challenge and a 5k Training Program - Week 1

A year ago when I was on the Biggest Loser Club site I was involved in a Boot Camp group that had an 8 week challenge, mini challenges, inter-team challenges, and side team challenges.  It really became quite overwhelming.  I am still a perfectionist in a lot of ways, and having all of those demands and not being able to meet them all as I had just started from a fitness standpoint was hard for me.  I felt a little defeated each week when I didn't accomplish everything assigned for the week.  Also my motivation wasn't really to change the scale, but how I thought I appeared to the group as someone who wasn't giving 100%.  Don't get me wrong, I had some great experiences and some awesome successes (I LOVE competition!) but overall it was a bit stressful for me just getting into the food changes I was making and what I was just learning about nutrition, and I had just started being physically active.

It is now almost a year later.  I have learned so much more about my nutrition.  My fitness is at a new level.  I have been doing awesome on my "Facebook Accountability Plan" where I am working out 45 mintues of cardio / 45 minutes of strength training 6 days per week.  I am on Day 42 today (Rest Day) and I have been consistent!  The simple idea of posting to Facebook that I didn't get in my workout is terrifying to me and that is what has kept me going.  I know eventually there will probably be a day that I will probably miss for one reason or another - but I am doing everything in my power to prolong that from happening as long as possible. =)

Admittedly, I am getting a little bored in my workout routines.  Therefore the other day when I was reading the message boards on SparkPeople and I saw that a group of people had just finished their Biggest Loser Winter Challenge and they were actively recruiting for their Biggest Loser Spring Challenge - I was intrigued.  10 weeks, weigh-in's are on Wednesday.  There is also one inter-team challenge (ITC) with a bonus for extra points each week.  There are about 17 teams of 25 people each.  It starts 3/9 (first weigh in) and runs through 5/18 (final weigh in).

Hmmm.  Was I ready to take this on?  I remember the overwhelming thoughts from doing this last time.  That is part of the reason that I didn't join any teams when I first came here.  I am on a good steady pace just doing this by myself right now.  Do I want to potentially rock that boat?  

One of my rules: Get and stay out of my comfort zone.  Nothing exciting ever happens in my comfort zone.

Well, I figured I am already doing 90 min/day, the scale is consistently going down each week, I don't have to really change my routine at all and the ITC's are a reasonable addition to my routine.  So why not get some extra support in a team environment again, earn some extra "points" in a group challenge aside from my regular SparkPeople points and just see how it goes.  I signed up on the thread and a few days later I was placed on the Kiwi team.

Then yesterday I logged in to track my nutrition and I see there is a SparkPeople Virtual 5k Your Way Training Program.  You choose if you want to walk, walk/jog, rookie running, running plan, 10k, 1 mile beginner's walk, or 1 mile beginner's run.  I thought - I can do this.  I had been trying the Couch to 5k program to switch up my routine, I already do about 25 minutes on the treadmill each day as it is, I am already interval training in speed or increasing incline every 1/16 of a mile - why not train for a 5k.  At least it will switch up my routine 3 times per week.

Then later in the day I see that my Kiwi team has issued a start-up challenge.  It says, "Let's have a 5k run walk crawl. Starting Monday you need to keep track on how long it take you to do it in minutes. Then you weigh in on Wednesday. Then in Week 10 We can do the same thing. You can see if you got faster or easier on the 5 k. We look forward to setting new records for ourselves!!!!  Post your start times here and your end times here or explain how it is easier at the end."

Well that makes sense.  5k at the start and 5k at the end as a measurement of the difference of a 10 week challenge.  It also corresponds with this 5k training program and it probably would be good to get a new gauge on how long it takes me to do a 5k.  I have only done it once intentionally on my treadmill last July and my time was 60:33 at a 3 incline.

So here is what I have now committed to for this week:

Biggest Loser Challenge:

March 7 - 8th:  Run a timed 5k and post to the thread (plan on doing this Monday 3/7)

March 9th:  First Official Weigh In

March 9th - 15th:  ITC Week 1 - Try something new - Challenge yourself to choose something in your fitness routine that you have never done before.  IE: Workout with Kettlebells, a stability ball, weights, or if you already use them try a new exercise with them.  Just do something of your choice that you have never done for 5 out of the 7 days.  Do 2 sets of 20 reps each of those days.  Or if it is something you time, like a stationary bike, do it for 10 minutes.  Bonus ITC - 4 sets of 20 reps or 20 minutes

For this challenge I am going to choose a chest exercise (or a couple of them) for the BowFlex and do that for the 4 sets of 20 reps to try to get the Bonus points.  My current strength training is 6 core and 9 legs/arms alternating days.  Therefore there aren't many chest exercises going on.  I also printed out all of the possible exercises of the BowFlex in July of last year and have barely done any as I do most of my strength training through SparkPeople so that will be a great way to start to get to know the BowFlex a little better.

March 15th:  Last Chance Workout - add 5 more minutes of cardio to my 45 minutes or 100 Jumping Jacks.  Strength training choose two from each category:

Core:
25 crunches
25 side bends (with or without weights)
25 hip flexors

Lower Body:
25 squats
25 leg lifts
25 bridges

Upper Body:
25 bicep curls
25 boxers
25 pushups (your choice of type)

Other: Drink an extra 8 oz. of water.



SparkPeople 5k Your Way:

March 6 - 12th:  Run a timed 5k and post results to tracker (can be same 5k as above on 3/7)  I figured that since I had to do it for the above, I may as well join this week's 5k race too. =)

March 6 - 12th:  Complete 2 more 5k Your Way Training Sessions (I can do Day 2 during my 5k above)

Day 1: Walk for 4 minutes, then jog for 1 minute. Do 5 cycles of this for a total of 20 minutes.  (DONE on 3/5)
Day 2: Walk for 4 minutes, then jog for 1 minute. Do 5 cycles of this for a total of 20 minutes.
Day 3: Walk for 4 minutes, then jog for 1 minute. Do 6 cycles of this for a total of 30 minutes. 

So that works out quite well.  That one 5k will knock out three commitments on two challenges all in one day and time wise it will probably be just a bit over what I am already doing for cardio for the day anyway. =)

WOOT!  No one can ever say I'm not efficient. =)