As yesterday was my birthday, and due to work schedule, I didn't get in my second workout of my first ever and brand new FreeTrainers pro program. I really wanted to do some cardio, as I haven't done any all week, so I put on my brand new Zephyr HxM and dialed up sportstracklive pro on my trusty HTC Incredible, and took a walk on the treadmill. (Check out my track here: http://www.sportstracklive.com/track/detail/herald/Walking/wellness/49202) I had about 20 minutes of good active heart rate activity, and even though my calves did still hurt pretty bad, it didn't feel like shin splints and I didn't have to stop early due to the pain. I went almost 2 miles (the Zephyr is being a bit generous in speed and distance) and afterward I didn't feel like I was going to die.

I cannot express enough how much a difference monitoring heart rate during cardiovascular exercise makes. It's allowed me to know exactly how slow I need to start off so that I can optimize my increase in fitness and cardiovascular capability. Not to mention I don't risk damaging my heart when I'm trying to help it! When you're as fat and out of shape as I am, it is a concern. After just 7 days I can already tell a difference in fitness ability. I've never been this excited about exercise in my life. Admittedly, I still pretty much hate it, but for the first time, I really do feel good about my progress and that opens the door for me to keep coming back. Being able to track my progress and get dynamic feedback from my heart monitor is an amazing motivator. I've already gone for 10 minutes...wow! I've got to slow down a bit my heart rate is too fast, etc. For anyone that doesn't have some sort of monitor and tracking device, you really should check into them. They not only motivate you during the work out, but they help underscore the progress you make each week, which ultimately leads to greater satisfaction and desire to keep working at it.

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