Cardio/Pilates

Probably the best cardio day I've had in a long time. Without feeling like I was killing myself, today on the elliptical was:

65 minutes / 8.60 miles
note, for all cardio references, this is 60 minutes of focused cardio and 5 minutes of cool down that the elliptical program tacks on the end.

One of the measures I've taken as a general indicator of cardiovascular health is how quickly my heart rate can return to a relatively normal rate after exertion. Occasionally, I will stop for 60 seconds while running (usually at the 30 and 45 minute marks) to see how fast it will fall. In both cases today, it came down from approximately 154bpm to 116bpm in 60 seconds. That seems not too bad.

Another addition that I'm going to try with regularity is Pilates. The woman that I see for rolfing (which I recommend for everyone...seriously) is a seasoned Pilates instructor and introduced me to it. There seem to be an overwhelming number of books and DVDs on Pilates on the market. A trip to Amazon.com and searching on "Pilates" turns up 27,287 books and 757 DVDs. I decided to start with something that isn't too trendy and went with Classical Pilates Technique - The Complete Mat Workout Series. This is the mat workout taught by people who studied and trained directly under Joseph Pilates, the creator of the system. I like the DVD, and although the routines are relatively short in duration and move quickly, I think that it's likely the duration and intensity that Pilates intended. Most advanced strength athletes swear that you don't have to work out for HOURS in order to get the best results. I'm going to try Pilates in the mornings for a while to see how things go. I'm probably not going to list them on every day, but will comment when I move up a level, or if I learn something of note.