[Kathe O'higgins]

From Zero to My First Pull-Up

Hoy comienza un nuevo reto en mi vida, poder hacer mi primera dominada.

Hay varios factores en contra, entre ellos no tengo mucha fuerza en los brazos y es lo que vamos a comenzar a desarrollar.

Mi reto a iniciar para este mes es: Dead Hang de Darebee.
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Today, a new challenge begins in my life: being able to do my first pull-up.

There are several factors working against me. For one, I don’t have much upper-body strength, so that’s what we’re going to start developing.

My challenge for this month is: Darebee’s Dead Hang.

 

[Kathe O'higgins]

He realizado el día uno y aunque es breve el ejercicio si que se sintió
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I completed day one, and even though the workout was short, I definitely felt it!

 

[aku-chan]

 

[Kathe O'higgins]

El dia 2 fue un poco mas intenso que ayer y la verdad ya se comienza a sentir el ejercicio a medida que van pasando los días.

La mente va jugando contigo de si realmente vale la pena hacer el reto, quiere hacerte creer que estas perdiendo el tiempo.

Hoy hice mi 1%, fui mejor que ayer, la verdad que con ganas de tirar la toalla, pero aqui seguimos️.

Antes de avanzar al día 2, hice una clase de spinning de 45 min, hoy la energía no estaba de la mejor manera, sin embargo agradezco porque puedo moverme y porque me cumplí .
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Day 2 was a little more intense than yesterday, and honestly, you can already start to feel the workout more as the days go by.


Your mind starts playing tricks on you, making you wonder if the challenge is really worth it. It tries to convince you that you’re just wasting your time.


Today I did my 1%. I was better than yesterday. Honestly, I felt like giving up, but here we are, still going.

Before moving on to Day 2, I did a 45-minute spinning class. Today, my energy wasn’t at its best, but I’m grateful that I can move my body and, most importantly, that I showed up for myself.

 

[Kathe O'higgins]

 

[Anek]

Hello and welcome!

 

[GentleOx]

Pull ups are awesome, and so are you! Keep it up!

 

[Kathe O'higgins]

Pull ups are awesome, and so are you! Keep it up!

Thank you so much! I’m here and committed to seeing the challenge through to the end!

 

[Kathe O'higgins]

Hello and welcome!

Hello and than you so much!

 

[Kathe O'higgins]

A couple of days ago, I made a decision… I decided to start working on my strength so I can do my first pull-up. It’s a dream I’ve had for a long time, and I really want to make it happen this time .

In addition to this challenge, I also enjoy going for a run every other day and doing spinning every day.

I’ve noticed that this past month I’ve been pushing myself really hard. On the days I run, I also do spinning, and while my legs can handle it, I definitely feel like they’re completely exhausted afterward.

I feel really proud of myself because, seven years ago, after receiving a diagnosis that made me believe I wouldn’t be able to walk for more than 15 minutes at a time, being this active now fills me with so much happiness and excitement. It reminds me that anything is possible when we’re willing to work for it.

My current spinning routine is usually around 8 or 9 a.m., depending on the availability of classes at the gym (every day). Then, around 6 p.m., I go running on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Running has definitely been a challenge, you guys.

My running workout today was:

• 1K warm-up
• 3-minute rest
• 5 progressive sets of 800 meters — meaning each lap was a little faster than the previous one
• 1K cool-down

It was challenging. My energy wasn’t at its best today, and my period is expected to start tomorrow, so you can probably imagine how my energy levels are feeling right now.

I feel like I gave it my all. One thing that helped me was doing the workout with a male training partner. It challenged me and pushed me, and I managed to keep my promise to myself.

During the third lap, my mind was telling me, “Stop, you can’t do this anymore.” But I think maybe because I didn’t want to give up in front of someone else, I kept going. And you know what? When I finished, I felt at peace because I kept my promise to myself. I completed the entire workout, and I didn’t take the easy way out.

Today’s lesson: we are always capable of more than we think. Sometimes we simply choose the easiest escape by believing everything our mind tells us.

Exercise goes far beyond aesthetics. It helps you build resilience.

Sharing today’s physical activity and my happy face after keeping my promise to myself.

 

[Kathe O'higgins]

Today was a day when everything took a real effort, even cooking. I actually wanted to go out to eat, but in the end I made myself some beef with beans and a tomato and onion salad, and it turned out really well. It was delicious.

Today, for the first time in the month I've been going to spinning classes, the instructor told me I've improved a lot, and I feel it too. I can hold the pedaling longer, especially the fast sections.

I got through my day, but it was harder than usual, maybe because of the weather or a combination of factors, including the exhaustion from the week.
Of course, I completed my arm-strengthening challenge, and it was harder than on other days. My mind wanted to give up, but in the end we did it.

My happy face for having kept my word to myself, despite my mood being at its lowest, says it all.

 

[Kathe O'higgins]

Today is one of those days when laziness really shows up. I don’t know if it’s because it’s Sunday, but all I want, crave, and honestly long for is to stay in bed.

Yesterday, I stuck to my nutrition plan… but I loosened up a little and enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine with my love.

Today, I’m going to stick to the plan, but I’ll also allow myself to enjoy a little treat here and there.

I don’t feel good saying no to him when the weekend is ours and it’s that special time we have for the two of us. That’s simply the reality.

Taking this into account, and also considering something I’ve learned recently: I read an article some time ago about healthy eating that said cravings or eating something that isn’t part of your nutrition plan are not a debt that you have to “pay back” with exercise.

The idea is to simply get back to your plan as soon as possible. As long as you stay focused on exercising and maintaining your usual portions, those days don’t become the main factor determining your progress.

It’s been really cold these past few days, but today is beautiful and sunny. I’m still waiting for spring… it’s definitely making us wait for it.

I’m also keeping an eye on my knees. They’ve been a little swollen, but for now, it’s nothing to worry about.

This week, I’m not going to make my routine as intense. I’ll focus on workouts that include a little more strength training, and every other day I’ll alternate between spinning and running.

Understanding that even if we step away from the plan a little, our habits still need to remain part of our routine, especially when we’re working toward our goals.

Today, even though I rested a little more, I still did some movement and flexibility work, and I didn’t skip my strength challenge. The truth is, I had to take more breaks than usual today. I wasn’t feeling my best, but I did it as best as I could.

And honestly, that also counts.

It’s been such a beautiful day: rest, love, happiness… and at this point, my energy has completely shifted.

I hope your Sunday was beautiful too.

 

[Kathe O'higgins]

Today my energy has been up and down, just like the weather—cloudy at times, sunny at others, with that chill in the air.

I’ve had some discomfort in my right foot, just below my knee, almost as if I had bumped it, but I haven’t.

Today has been all about staying focused on my nutrition. Honestly, the habit is starting to feel a little heavy, and I’ve been feeling like giving up, but here we are, still going.

Today my body has been craving something sweet, but the truth is that after the weekend, I feel like I’ve had enough.

I moved my body at home at a fairly low intensity. I’ve been wanting to sleep, and I feel like my body is a little exhausted.

I’ve made some progress with university work and have also been thinking about quite a few other things that require my full attention. This week, I have my mind set on getting those things sorted out.

These have been months of change. I lost my job and moved to another country. These haven’t been easy changes to process, but here I am, accomplishing things I never thought possible in my own mind. Slowly bringing some order to everything, without rushing but without stopping.

Sometimes I feel like throwing everything away and letting it all go; other times, I hold on tightly.

It was a beautiful weekend, full of rest and lots of love.

Starting this Monday calmly, without pushing myself too hard with my workouts, adapting to how I’m feeling, but without stopping or neglecting the things that make us feel so good.

Today’s run was not my best performance, but I did it, and that’s what counts.

1 km warm-up

Round 1:
100 m at an easy pace
200 m at tempo pace
100 m at race pace
Repeat
Rest: 3 minutes

Round 2:
1 minute at an easy pace
1 minute at a slightly faster pace
1 minute at race pace
Repeat
Rest: 3 minutes

Round 3:
200 m at race pace
200 m at tempo pace
400 m at an easy pace
Repeat
Rest: 3 minutes

Round 4:
I couldn’t complete it. I felt way too tired.

Perfect? NO. But I did it, and that’s what really counts.

1 km cool-down

I hope your workouts went well today.