September 28, 2007
Looking Ahead
This morning, I met up with my coach for a ride and to talk about the calendar for next year. We discussed a few ideas, worked out an outline, and, as you'll see in the sidebar, I immediately came home, looked up dates, and figured out how the Big Things worked in with the little races I like to do every year. So far, it's coming together nicely, and I'm super-excited about it.I also told her about something that, right now, I can only refer to as my Two-Year Plan. If you look at what I'm doing next year, I'm sure you can figure it out. However, I'm not quite ready to say it out loud just yet, mostly because while I'm excited about it, a sizable part of me still thinks it's Completely Fucking Insane. If you had told me two years ago that I would even be pondering this, much less considering it seriously? Especially seriously enough to start building a long-term training plan around it? I would have asked you if you were high.
Now I'm just asking myself if I'm high.
Posted by Dawn at 07:34 AM | Comments (3)
August 01, 2007
31 in 31: Augustathon Challenge
I did go running after work yesterday. On the way home, as I waited in the stifling heat and humidity for the bus, I started to bargain with myself. "I'll just go after my 8 p.m. conference call," I said. "The call will be done by 8:15, it'll be cooler then, and I'll still be all done by 9:30 at the latest." Except it would be dark by then, and due to some recent safety issues, running alone at night in the dark isn't exactly my smartest plan right now. Not to mention the fact that I knew deep down if I put the run off until 8? I just wouldn't do it.So I got home, headed out, and you know what? It wasn't bad as I thought it would be. Yes, it was hot, gross, and by the time I was done I was so sweaty you would have thought I'd jumped in the lake, but it wasn't awful. I ran through the park instead of along the lake, because the path through the park is nearly completely shaded. I took a water bottle with me, and refilled it a couple of times at one of the many many drinking fountains available. It was supposed to be a tempo run, and I surprised myself by actually hitting the 10:00/mile pace I was supposed to hit. When I was all done? I felt way better for having gotten out and done it.
I think that run was excellent practice for my next undertaking: Augustathon - 31 runs in 31 days. Because I want to be like Ali, totally. (Doesn't everyone?) The one adjustment I'm making is that since I'm in the middle of massive tri-training, a bike or swim workout of at least 30 minutes counts as a "run." Even so, it'll still be a challenge - I'm spending the next two weekends out of town, so that could get interesting. I'm determined to do it, though.
Quick update on the safety issues: I'm OK, but there have been some pretty scary attacks in Chicago lately in my neighborhood. Which means that for the time being, running alone after dark is definitely not a good plan. But I'm OK, I'm keeping an extra eye out for creepy and suspicious activity, and I'm making sure that if I'm going to be heading home after dark I'm either in a cab or I've got someone to walk me home.
Posted by Dawn at 02:18 PM | Comments (4)
February 07, 2007
Scared
While researching Masters swimming on the internets last month, I came across a group that holds swim workouts at the University a few miles from my apartment. They cater to all levels of adult swimmers - even beginners - and their practice times work out better for me than the organized pool workouts at my gym. Plus, they're way closer to my apartment (and thusly way easier to get to/from) than my gym is.I sat on it. I pondered it for a while. Then, today, when I was pondering around their web site, I saw that they offered a free "trial" workout to new/prospective members. I filled out the form. I got my free workout coupon.
I'm going tonight. I'm incredibly nervous, but I think it'll be good. Just in case, though, cross your fingers for me and hope that they're nice, friendly people who won't make fun of the fact that I have no idea how to turn at the end of the lane without putting my feet down.
Posted by Dawn at 03:52 PM | Comments (4)
June 20, 2006
PSA
So you think you're in shape, eh? You think you do a fair amount of running, and you think you can take on whatever sort of "cardio" class your gym offers as cross-training on your off day. Sure, you'll work up a sweat, but you won't really get your heart rate up. You won't really tire yourself out. You'll be fine for your run the next morning. Just fine. After all, it's just kickboxing. Worst-case scenario? Your arms are sore the next day. But that's OK. The arms need toning, anyways, and you can run with sore arms, no problem. It's just kickboxing - how hard on the lower body can it be?If the jello-like state of my butt this morning is any indication? Kickboxing can be very, very tough on the lower body, and should not be entered into lightly. Just a little hint from me to you.
Posted by Dawn at 01:50 PM | Comments (2)
June 14, 2006
A Change of Scenery
Man, I just totally fell off the face of the earth there, didn't I? You'll all be happy to know that I'm not dead, trapped under something heavy, or working out my stress in a room with padded walls. I was just in Baltimore last week for work, and between keeping on top of my work e-mail, personal e-mail, and bloglines, the writing of the blog entries? Just didn't happen.However, there was running! I'd planned to run 4 of the 5 days I was there, and only made it out for 3, but those three days were fantastic. Mostly because by harnessing the power of the internets, I was able to get the skinny on places to run in the area where I was staying, which meant that I wasn't stuck with a week of hotel treadmill running (ugh). Instead, I got out and about and enjoyed the local scenery, which there was plenty of.
The first recommendation I got was to go run on the NCR trail, since I was only a few miles from the southern end of it. In that recommendation, they said that "unlike the rest of the area, it's flat." My ears immediately perked up at that, and I asked where I could run that would be Not Flat, since the idea of running over some topographically interesting terrain was almost more than my little stressed-out brain could handle.
When I arrived in Hunt Valley on Sunday night, I was armed with numerous places to check out, both flat and not flat. Monday morning was a run around the neighborhood where my hotel was - nice and rolling. Wednesday morning was a run over by the country club, and, wow. Just, wow.
I was running down a two-lane residential road, with all sort of hills and twists and turns and up and down and it was, to put it mildly, awesome. I finished my 5 miles and thought, "That's it? It's time to go home already?" I was pretty bummed out, and if I hadn't had to get back to the hotel so I could get showered and dressed for class, I might have stayed out there all day. You just don't get hilly tree-lined two-lane roads in Chicago.
I might have wondered how ridiculous it would be to move out there just so I could have hills to run on all the time.
Finally, on Thursday, I decided to hit the NCR trail figuring that taking it easy on flat ground would be a wise choice after Wednesday morning's hilly run. It was - the run was fine, but my legs were definitely feeling a little dead. The trail was nice, but nothing new or unusual - there are similar trails out in the suburbs here. It was a nice way to round out my week out there.
Now I'm back in Chicago, running on flat ground and city streets. It's fine, but I'm already missing the hills and trees.
Posted by Dawn at 08:41 AM | Comments (3)
June 01, 2006
Twitchy
No running all week, and I'm starting to get antsy. The main thing that kept me from running earlier this week was the continuation of sauna-like conditions. This morning, despite the perfect weather, I was just too tired to get out of bed at 5 to get a run in before work. My legs are itching, though. Itching to get out there and go.Maybe tonight, if I'm not stuck at work too late (ha!). Definitely tomorrow morning. Definitely.
Posted by Dawn at 02:05 PM | Comments (3)
February 24, 2006
Starting From Scratch
A few weeks ago, I worked up the nerve to ask the swim teacher at my gym if we could arrange some time to go over my stroke technique and whatnot. I'd been thinking about it for a while, but it took me a while to work up the nerve to actually ask the teacher. I'm one of the weaker swimmers in the class, and also very easily intimidated... so, I was sort of afraid of her for a while. Which, is ridiculous, because she's actually very nice. (This is the same issue that, in college, made me too afraid to ask the TAs for help when I actually needed it, but that's neither here nor there.) Anyhow, it took us a few weeks to figure out a time when we were both available, but, finally, we met up at 8:30 last Saturday morning.I'll admit - I was excited about getting some one-on-one help, but I was also a little terrified by the fact that she would be watching me swim, because there'd be no one else there. (Yes, I know that's the point of the individual time, but I'm still a little self-conscious about my swimming, since I know I'm not very good right now. It's like when I first started running - the idea of someone I knew seeing me run - or anyone at all seeing me run - absolutely terrified me - because I knew I was in horrible shape and couldn't run all that well.) However, once we got started, it was OK. I just worried about focusing on what she was telling me to do, and spent so much time thinking about that that I totally forgot I was Being Watched.
I spent an hour working with her, doing lots and lots of position drills. I sort of hate these things with a burning, fiery passion, since I always end up swallowing about 12 gallons of pool water while swimming sideways. However, after spending an hour doing nothing but them, that issue got a little better. Basically, I had to learn how to swim all over again. The last time I had any sort of swim instruction was more than 10 years ago, which was also the last time I did any sort of non-recreational swimming. Apparently, one can develop a lot of bad habits through neglect. Everything about my stroke was wrong - my arm position entering the water, where my arms were entering the water, my body rotation, my head position while I was breathing - nothing was how it was supposed to be, and most of that was so ingrained, somehow, that she'd tell me to change something, I'd think I did, and it would turn out I'd done it exactly the same as before. Which is to say, wrong.
However, by the end of the hour, I had actually made some progress. Sure, my hip rotation was still a little funky on one side, but most of the major issues had been fixed. Even better, I had been able (through the many hated drills) to get a good feel for what it should feel like. On top of that, the last few lengths I swam, with my new improved stroke? Felt like the easiest things ever. Clearly, all of my bad habits were making me work way too hard. I said something along those lines to her, and she said, "Swimming's supposed to be easy, if you're not trying to go fast. It's a lazy sport."
I skipped the group workout on Monday night, because I was afraid that the pressure of trying to keep up with everyone else in the class would put me right back in to all my bad old habits. Instead, I went and swam on my own for about a half an hour or so after work on Wednesday. Up and down the pool I went, focusing on my rotation. Back and forth, back and forth. I can't even begin to tell you how relaxing it was. I was able to empty my mind of pretty much everything else except back and forth, and it was absolutely wonderful. I stopped when I could feel my form slipping a bit - I figured I was getting tired, and rather than push myself through another 10-15 minutes with bad form, I called it an evening. When I got out of the pool, I hardly felt like I'd been working at all. It was absolutely wonderful.
I'm still undecided about going to the group workout Monday night - I think I want to take another week or two to just swim on my own, and make sure I've got the new form locked into my brain before I jump into that. Plus, I think I almost preferred swimming on my own - without having to count lengths, or worry about going too slow for the other people in my lane or holding the class back - it was great. It was the mellow time that I very much needed last week.
Posted by Dawn at 10:56 AM | Comments (2)
January 31, 2006
Progress
My gym offers a swim class that I've been going to semi-regularly for the past couple of months. It's not so much a class in the "how-to" sense as it is in the "organized workout" sense. While the workout is always different, the warm-up is always the same: 300m any stroke followed by 200m kick.While I do technically know the breaststroke, sidestroke, and backstroke in addition to freestyle, I do the warm-up laps freestyle. That's what I'm trying to improve on, and so the more practice, the better. The first time I was at that class, the 300m took forever, and I wasn't sure I was going to make it through the rest of class after it. I was taking a break to catch my breath every 25m, and each length was interminable.
Slowly, that warm-up got easier. First the lengths started to seem shorter. Than I was able to string 2 or 3 lengths together at a time, and only rest every 50-75 meters. Before I knew it, I was only resting every 100 meters, and not for very long. The 300 meters all at once was still hard, but it was definitely getting easier.
Then, last night, something amazing happened. While swimming my warmup, I felt relaxed. It felt easy. And, before I knew it, I'd done the entire 300 meters without a more than a brief pause at the end of each length to turn around. On top of that, I felt warmed up, not worn out. It was like someone hit the "easy" button.
The rest of the class? Well, that was a slightly different story. But at least I can be happy about being at a point where the "warm-up" doesn't feel like the "work-out".
Posted by Dawn at 02:07 PM
January 18, 2006
Cell Phone Rebellion
Even though I haven't been blogging here, I have been able to get back into the swing of going to the gym and running in the mornings. Last week was better than the week before - the leg class didn't kill me, and I was able to run well on Wednesday and Thursday after that. I was a little sore, sure, but not so much that I was walking funny, or anything like that. The running workouts are getting easier, but I'm still feeling fat and slow, after my month of eating-not-running over the holidays. Ugh. There's also the pesky detail that I haven't actually managed to get out and run on the weekends at all, never mind for a long run, and marathon training starts next week. This weekend is my last chance to get out and run long before it counts, and I'm determined to do so. If for no other reason than to make sure I still can run 8-10 miles all at once.So much for my whole base-building plan. Perhaps I'll have better luck the next time around.
In other news, my cell phone is either resenting the fact that I keep using it as an alarm clock and becoming mutinous, or it's involved in some evil plot to make sure I never get to the gym before work again. It all started when I got home from the gym Monday night. I'd gone to the hour-long swim class (which is not so much a "class" in the "how to" sense as it is an "organized workout") after work, and it left me feeling like a limp noodle. It was awesome. (The best part about swimming? I can get all limp noodly feeling and not have to worry about how sore I'm going to be the next day, as swimming has yet to do that. It just exhausts me.) Anyhow, by the time I got home, I was super-hungry and super-tired, so I decided to set the alarm on my cell phone before I did anything else. I was afraid that if I didn't, I'd eat dinner, fall straight into bed, and then end up sleeping through until 8:30 or something equally ridiculous.
After setting the alarm, I put my PJs on, ate, relaxed, read, and then went to sleep. I woke up at one point during the night and, feeling exceptionally awake, wondered if I'd missed my alarm somehow. I checked the clock, and it was only 3:30. No problem. I went back to sleep, then woke up again a short while later. Still feeling really awake, I started to worry. I mean, if I was this awake at 4 or so, and wasn't going to get any more sleep? I could be in for a very long day. After a while, I decided to check the clock. It wasn't 4. It was almost 7. I checked my phone? The alarm had, apparently, never been set. Oops. No morning gym for me! (On the plus side, I was still able to get to work on time.)
Last night, I was determined not to have a repeat of the incident. After getting home from the hockey game, I set the alarm for 5. Then I checked it again before actually going to bed. No problems. At 5, the alarm went off as expected. I thought about getting up, but for some reason, just wasn't feeling it. I reset the alarm for 6, intending to get to work early, so I could leave a bit early and go to the gym. I woke up a short while later, and debated getting up before the alarm went off. I was feeling awake, and figured I might as well get moving. Maybe I'd have time to actually make breakfast or something. Finally, after thinking about it for a few minutes, I got up... and it was 7. Again. My alarm, apparently, was just not in the mood to cooperate. I checked my phone and... the alarm was still set for 5. What? At least I was already planning on going to the gym after work, so it wasn't a huge deal. I didn't get to work as early as I'd hoped for, but I wasn't late, either.
The good news is, I think I've figured out what's going on. You see, I have a flip phone (this one
On a totally unrelated note, the best blonde joke ever.
Posted by Dawn at 11:34 AM | Comments (1)
January 10, 2006
Can't Take Me Anywhere
Today's workout was, thankfully, much much better than last week's. Maybe it's because I just needed a week to get back into the swing of things, or maybe it's because my expectations were much lower today. I'm leaning more towards the first thing, though, since the numbers on the treadmill don't lie (well, too much) and my pacing for this week's Tread & Shed class was right where it was before my, ah, "hiatus". I was so excited to actually feel good during the class, because it has given me back a bit more confidence. Plus, I'm hoping I won't be as sore tomorrow.Speaking of sore... man, I really paid for my workouts last week. What started as a pair of slightly sore hamstrings Wednesday morning turned into insanely sore hams, glutes, and inner and outer thigh muscles by the end of the day. The only thing above my knee what wasn't aching was my quads, oddly enough. Everything else? Huuurt. I was totally walking funny, I wasn't happy, it just sucked. By the time I went to bed on Wednesday night, I was feeling so awful I decided to can the Thursday morning treadmill class, because there was no way I was going to be able to run in the morning. None. Instead, I went swimming Friday evening after work.
I don't know if it was the time, or the swimming, or what, but by Saturday morning, I felt fine. 100% again. It was fabulous. So I went spinning. I didn't over do it too much, but enough that by Sunday evening (after an afternoon of walking), my right quad felt totally locked up. Yes, just the right side. The left one? Fine. I don't even know how that works, to be honest with you. Maybe my right side is stronger, so I was using it more? Or perhaps, I'm just weird.
I went swimming again last night - my intention was to do the swimming class at the gym, but when I arrived, I found out it had been canceled. Oh well. I was there, so I figured I might as well swim anyways. I did put in an abbreviated workout (30 minutes instead of a full hour), but the quad was still kind of twingey and I didn't want to overdo it. This morning it felt better, and I actually ran on it without any problems this morning. Now, all there's left to do is cross my fingers that the leg class didn't kill me (which reminds me: who ever invented wall squats? Needs to be shot), and I'll be able to put in a decent workout tomorrow morning. As long as I'm not too sore, I think it'll be entirely doable. We shall see.
Posted by Dawn at 01:01 PM | Comments (1)
January 04, 2006
The Not-So-Triumphant Return
I am happy to announce that this week has brought an end to my month of laziness and "relaxation". Yes, that's right. Today was the second day in a row that I actually got my behind out of bed at 5 and got myself to the gym for some running and other exercise.I am less happy to announce that the past two mornings I have totally felt that month off, and not in a good way.
First, there was yesterday, with the treadmill class. A workout that a month ago would have been hard, but not impossible, damn near killed me. Seriously. I was toast by the end of it. I gave some serious thought to skipping the leg class afterwards, but ultimately hung in there. Partially because I knew I didn't feel that bad, really, and couldn't justify wussing out. But also partially because the class instructor would notice I wasn't there. (The same woman does the treadmill class, and she commented on my prolonged absence yesterday morning. Oops. She asked if I'd been travelling, and I said I had. It wasn't entirely the truth, but it wasn't entirely untrue, either.) So, onto legs it was.
The class felt fine, but when I woke up this morning, my hamstrings were angry. I think I just overextended them while we were doing dead lifts - that's what it feels like, more than anything else. Too much stretchy after too much sitty. That sort of thing. Anyhow, the goal for today was an hour on the treadmill. I started off at a brisk walk, figuring I'd warm up the hamstrings before I took off running. I got warmed up, I started at a nice, easy, 11:00 pace. Then I kicked it up to 10:45. And then, after less than a mile, I was dying. I walked for a bit. I ran for a bit more. I felt completely pathetic and out of shape.
Here's the horrible thing: I hate the treadmill. Haaate it. So when a workout starts to go south on me, it goes south fast. Had I been running outside, I would have found a nice happy medium, and probably would have ran/walked the entire hour, doing more running than walking. However, because I was on the treadmill, and because it was 6:30 in the morning, I just got cranky and frustrated. I made myself hang in there for a full 30 minutes, but I wound up walking most of it, covering a whopping 2.13 miles during that time. But, 30 minutes of moving is better than nothing at all, right?
I'll be able to run outside on Saturday, so we'll see just how out of shape I am then. But, man, I hope it's not as dismal as it felt today, or else I'll be really disappointed. Almost a year's worth of progress, gone in under a month. Oops. That'll teach me to get lazy during the holidays.
Posted by Dawn at 11:51 AM | Comments (2)
December 20, 2005
Thwarted!
The plan this week was to work out three times - Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Today was supposed to be a day at the gym in the morning, with the treadmill class followed by the lower-body class. I got all my stuff together last night, set the alarm for 5, and went to bed, mentally prepared to get up and go to the gym.Except, when my alarm went off at 5? The two hours of sleep I'd gotten on Sunday night reared their ugly head. Sure, I'd gone to bed at 8:30, but a mere 8.5 hours of sleep after a night of almost none? Just wasn't enough. I told myself I'd go in early, leave early, and go to the gym after work. No problem. I have a bunch of stuff to do tonight, but leaving at 4 to hit the gym would give me enough time to fit it all in. I reset my alarm for 6:30 and went back to sleep for another glorious 90 minutes.
Then I got to work. And work happened. And I remembered why I go to the gym in the morning. I got scheduled for a meeting at 5. PM. So no gym after work. No problem, I'll just go during "lunch" (I'd already eaten lunch at my desk). Except, it was 12:45 - I'd need close to an hour and a half to go, run, shower, and get back to work, and I had a meeting at 2. No dice. And the meeting at 2 was the very reason I couldn't leave at 3, hit the gym, and then make it back home in time for the 5 o'clock call. (If you think I'm taking a 5 p.m. call at my desk when I have the option of doing it at home? You're crazy.)
Then I thought I could go after the call. Which would totally work out. Except... I have to wrap presents, go to a friend's house and drop a gift off, then come home, and pack for my trip home this weekend. And do some serious gift knitting. And get to bed at a decent hour. If I leave for the gym at 6? I won't be home before 8. Which means the rest of that stuff will not get done at a decent hour.
So, sadly, today's workout has been canceled, because The Man is keeping me down. All there is to do now is look forward to going for a nice refreshing run on Thursday.
Posted by Dawn at 03:02 PM | Comments (4)
December 19, 2005
Easy Does It
After a weekend of some good sleeping (not including last night, during which I was struck with a wicked case of insomnia for no good reason), I'm feeling just about back to 100%. My first inclination was to jump back in to my workout schedule 100% this week... but then I totally wore myself out walking around a shopping mall yesterday, and thought better of it. We're going to ease back into it.The plan for this week? Every other day. I'll do my treadmill/strength class combo on Tuesday and Thursday morning, and then shoot for a longish run (at least an hour, maybe more if I feel up to it) at home on Saturday. I'll take Sunday off, and then next week I'll try to add a few more workouts, depending on how I feel. I'm not in training for an immediate goal race yet, so I just have to remember to take it nice and easy, so I don't overdo it and get sick again. (However, I'm starting to get antsy to run and swim again, which I'm taking as a good sign.)
Hopefully I'll sleep better tonight, so I can get up early and get myself back to the gym.
Posted by Dawn at 11:16 AM | Comments (1)
December 13, 2005
Down for the Count
I've found myself with a nasty, vicious cold this week. Last night, I was thinking, "I need to make sure I get to bed super-early, so I can get up early to go to the gym." Then I realized the gym? Probably not my best plan. Going to bed early, though, that was a good plan.So, for now I'm going to focus on sleeping and hydrating and kicking this darn thing. The nice thing about being in an in-between time with my training right now is I don't feel pressured to get back into it before I'm well. I'd rather be running, but I'd also rather be healthy. And not having a major goal race any time soon means I can take all the time I need to get healthy, and not feel bad about it.
Send orange juice, and hopefully I'll be back in the swing of things next week.
Posted by Dawn at 10:18 AM | Comments (1)
December 02, 2005
I Love the Smell of Chlorine in the Morning
I really do - that big whiff of humid, warm, chlorinated air you get when you open the door to a pool area? I've loved it ever since I was a kid, and still do. I loved playing in the pool when I was little (and, well, still do), and the smell of chlorine reminds me of that. Or something. Whatever the reason, it's a good thing, because right now? I reek of it. Seriously. My hands will. not. stop. smelling like chlorine. I took a shower after getting out of the pool, I've washed my hands a few times, I've tried multiple applications of lotion. Yet, the hands, they still smell.However, despite the lingering eau de pool, I'm glad I got up early and went swimming today. It went much better than last time - partly because, since last time, I got new googles, and so I'm no longer getting water in my eyes when I turn my head to breathe. It's amazing how much of a difference that makes.
I managed to get through 550 meters in the half-hour or so I was in the pool - I took a small break after 25 meters, then a longer break after the next 25. My recovery breaks got longer the more swimming I did, but that's OK. I was hoping to get 800 meters in, but there's always next time. I probably could have done another 250 meters, because I didn't feel especially tired. However, I could feel it getting harder and harder to keep good form, so I must have been more worn out than I felt. I figured that, at this point, it's more important to do fewer, better quality, laps with good form than it is to get a ton of distance in. The last thing I want to do is develop bad habits that I'll just have to do more work to break later.
So, even though it was shorter than I hoped, it was still a good workout. I'm definitely feeling much better about this triathlon I'm signed up for next summer. I've established that I can, indeed, cover 400 yards of swimming. Now I just need to start stringing those 25 meter chunks together so I can do it all in one piece.
Posted by Dawn at 12:05 PM
December 01, 2005
Treading 'n' Shedding
Tuesday morning, I got to the gym right as the Tread 'n' Shed (treadmill) class was starting. I was planning to run on my own, but when the instructor came by and asked if I was going to be doing the class with her? I made a split-second on-the-spot decision to do the class. She gave me the quick rundown of how it works (she dictates the inclines, speed is set by us based on 70% effort (comfortable) to 100% effort (all-out sprint)), and we were off.I had a little trouble figuring out the pace to start - as I was running this summer, I learned to think of things in terms of 5K pace, 10K pace, marathon pace, etc. To translate that to effort percentages was a little challenging. I did OK, I think. I was constantly tweaking my speed, but I guessed pretty close for the most part. We did hill intervals, speed intervals, and a few really nasty sets that combined hills and speed. To which I said, well, not much, really, since I was pretty much sucking wind at that point and praying for the 30 or 45 or 60 or however many seconds to be over already. It was tough. By the end, I was winded, sweaty, and my heart rate was up. It was awesome. So I went back for more this morning. Today's workout was slightly different, focusing on speed more than hills - this is good. I feel like I can do this class twice a week without killing myself, and so that is the plan from now on. It's a lot more interesting than straight running for that time, and I feel like I'm getting more bang for my buck, so to speak, even if I do only cover 3-3.5 miles in the course of the class (according to the treadmill).
One thing I will say about this class - it's fun. Today, we had a 2-minute sprint interval. I started it at 7.0 MPH, and then gradually kicked it up over the course of the two minutes, realizing that I could actually go faster. By the time the interval was over, I was cruising along at 7.7 MPH, or 8:00 pace. I may have only held that pace for 15 seconds, but it was a cool feeling to be going that fast. It was an even cooler feeling to think I could have gone faster and/or longer.
So, because I like this class and I think it'll do me some good over the winter, I'm revising my off-season plan. I'm tossing the mileage guidelines out the window, and I'm just going to run by time. The treadmill class is 45 minutes long (although we only spend about 40 minutes of it running), so I'll do that twice a week. Then I'll try to get in another weekday run of an hour, and a weekend run of 1.5 - 2 hours. Add in a day of swimming, and a day of biking, and I think I'll be all set for the next couple of months. The next trick is to figure out how to get workouts in on Mondays and Wednesdays. I've been working from home on those days, and so far, I've failed to either get up early enough to run before work or get my butt out to run at lunch. After work isn't an option, partially because it's dark, but also because I just don't have time - in order to get to my Japanese class in the suburbs on time, I need to leave pretty much right after work. Since I no longer have the long, no-good, very bad, horrible commute into the office, I'm thinking about giving up my work from home days so I can go to the gym before work. (Yes, I realize I could get up, go to the gym, then come back home, but that just doesn't appeal to me at all, especially since the gym is wickedly close to the office.) Thanks to my new-and-improved commute, I'll still get home in time to leave (immediately) for class, especially if I sneak out a bit early. Maybe I'll try that on Monday, see how it works out.
Also, I'm pleased to report that the strengthening and toning classes are going well. The woman who teaches that is the same woman who does the treadmill class, and, while she's tough, she's not the Crazy Workout Nazi that was covering for her the first time I did the class. As a result, I totally could have run yesterday if I'd managed to get my butt out the door, and had no problems with the speed and hill drills this morning. Also, during the circuit training classes, she goes around the room and lets us know if our form is OK, or if we need to fix something. This is something I don't think I've ever seen an instructor do, and it's nice. (Although, there have been a few times where I've felt like I've been working, she's made an adjustment, and then it just got HARD. While I may not have appreciated it right then, at least I know I won't be forming too many bad habits on her watch. Nor will I be killing myself.) Plus, a lot of her exercise incorporate a balance or core strength component - Tuesday morning, we did one-legged squats, and today, we did shoulder exercises and push-ups on a BOSU. As I am quickly learning, I have horrible balance and a fairly weak core, so these things will definitely help that.
In summary: gym, good. Classes at the gym, good. Building core strength, super-good. By the time my next marathon training cycle starts in January or February, I'll be ready to rock and roll.
Posted by Dawn at 01:29 PM | Comments (5)
November 17, 2005
Owwwwwww
My legs? Are still ridiculously sore. I planned on running yesterday, but never got around to it. My original plan was to run outside during my lunch hour (I work from home on Wednesdays, so going to the gym isn't especially practical), but I took one step out side, felt the cold and wind (40 mph gusts! single-degree wind chill!), and wussed out. I know I'll have to get used to that sort of weather someday, but not right now. (I normally don't mind cold, but when it goes from 60 to 20 over the course of 3 days? It's a little hard to adjust.) I figured I'd go to the gym after work, but wound up picking my boyfriend up from the train and then venturing with him to the north part of town looking for cross-training/walking-around-town shoes. (The shoes I'm wearing now are.... ancient. And starting to look it.) I could have gone after I dropped him off at the train station, but I'd just eaten and, well, by then it was Just Too Late.Now? I'm wondering if even those 3 easy miles were such a good plan. Not only is my butt still sore, it almost feels worse. Going from standing to sitting (and vice versa) is harder than it should be, and I'm starting to feel like I'm walking funny. I was planning on hitting a spinning class tomorrow afternoon, but we'll see how I feel. I'm thinking that, aside from the sitting, the butt muscles aren't used too much in spinning, so I should be OK, right? However, I also don't want to wake up Saturday morning with rock-butt.
Now? I'm wondering if even those 3 easy miles were such a good plan. Not only is my butt still sore, it almost feels worse. I was planning on hitting a spinning class tomorrow afternoon, but we'll see how I feel. I'm thinking that, aside from the sitting, the butt muscles aren't used too much in spinning, so I should be OK, right? However, I also don't want to wake up Saturday morning with rock-butt.
The one good piece of news I got today is that despite my insanely sore tush, I'm not a total wuss. Why? Because I'm not the only one with this extreme soreness. Apparently, the instructor we had on Tuesday is not the regular instructor - the one we had today is. And she opened class by saying, "So, I hear some of you are still pretty sore from Tuesday's class," to which half the class said, "YES." While the extent of my soreness is likely due to first-timerness and overdoing it a bit, at least the regulars were also feeling pretty beat up after that workout as well.
Will I feel up to a "long" run (6-8 miles) on Saturday? We shall see.
Posted by Dawn at 03:51 PM | Comments (2)
November 16, 2005
Brilliant! Not Brilliant!
My brilliant plan to do a strength workout in the morning and then run in the evening yesterday? Turned out to not be so brilliant. By the time I left work (late... again...), my legs were starting to feel a little tight, and were definitely tired. Plus, my heart was so not into going to the gym. I'd had a long afternoon, and at that point just wanted to go home and curl up on the couch with the TiVo. But, I told myself I'd feel better if I went and ran, so I did.Ugh. My legs were tired, so I had to slow down the pace a bit, but no matter how I tried, I just couldn't get into it. After 2 miles, I gave up. My legs might have had another 2 miles in them, but I just didn't care that deeply, and didn't see the sense in killing myself just to get them out. So I didn't. I did a lot of stretching (which felt really good, actually), then packed it up, went home, and got comfy on my couch.
It looks like as much as I want to resist it, I really am better off just getting up early and getting to the gym before work. The few times I've planned on going after work, I've had mixed results - if the afternoon goes well and I can leave on time? No problem. If I have a stressful afternoon and/or get stuck at work later than I'd like? I have trouble getting myself to to the gym, and then have trouble staying focused while I'm there. In the mornings, though? As long as I get out of bed on time, it's no problem. So, there you go.
With regards to my legs and how they're reacting to the beating they took yesterday... they're a little sore, but nothing dramatic. My butt has the worst of it - it feels like most of the muscles that are sore aren't my major "running" muscles. This is probably a good thing, since it means they're finally being worked. I wanted to do 6 miles today, and I think I should be able to. My only concern is I'm working at home today, so the plan is to run outside, and it's cold and windy. Ugh. But it's weather I'll have to get used to eventually, so I might as well start now.
Posted by Dawn at 08:37 AM | Comments (1)
November 15, 2005
The New Stomping Grounds
Saturday was a big day for me. Not only was it my longest run, post-marathon (a whopping 6 miles!), but it was my first run outside after moving to the Big City. I only had to do a 3-mile out-and-back, but I live in a tiny neighborhood, and so I was surprised at just how far 3 miles would get me. Then again, maybe it's because I now live in a neighborhood where I can walk to a ton of different places within a half-mile, as opposed to the suburbs where a half-mile might get you to the next shopping center. Cities are much more compact.Anyhow, after pondering the different ways I could go, I finally decided to head towards the lakefront. The gmap pedometer told me it was about 2.25 miles from my place, give or take. I wanted to confirm that, and also confirm that I actually could get to the path from 31st street like I thought. So, Saturday morning, I woke up, checked the weather, and then headed east.
The run itself started off unremarkably. I was trying to take it easy, but it just felt hard. I finally decided to use my old long run trick of stopping and stretching at the halfway point. I caught my breath, stretched out, and then stopped and looked around me. My 3-mile jog out had taken me onto the lakefront path, and about a half-mile south. The path isn't as crowded down there as it is on the north end of the city, and there are a lot less beaches, so it's just you, the grass, some trees, and the lake. It was a cool morning, and the sun was coming out. Looking south and east, it was Lake Michigan as far as the eye could see. Looking north, you could see the skyline of the city and Navy Pier. It was just beautiful. It hit me that I live here now, and these sorts of sights are going to be part of my regular run. Before, I only got to see them when I drove downtown to run on the lakefront as a treat to myself. Even then, I usually only ran on the northern part of the path, so I never saw the city from this angle.
When it was time to turn back down 31st and head home, I was a little sad. Until I had to wait for the traffic light on an overpass. I happened to look north, and, again, I had a stunning view of the city, just 4 miles directly south of downtown. The overpass was over train tracks, so there was nothing in the way between me and the buildings. I very seriously wished I had a camera, and I just may take one with me when I go out and run this weekend.
The run back home was much better than the run out - I was warmed up, I was feeling good, and before I knew it, I was back in Bridgeport. What I didn't notice on my way out was that as soon as I crossed over the Dan Ryan, it was immediately obvious I was back in my neighborhood. Bridgeport is very "neighborhoody" - it doesn't look so much like a city as, well, a neighborhood. After passing by a very "city" looking part of town, and then the ball park, the rows and rows of houses and stores were a sudden change in scenery.
For the last half-mile, I decided to mix it up a bit. I did short little intervals - sprint to the next lightpole, walk to the one after that, sprint, walk, etc, etc. Each sprint interval couldn't have been more than 5 or 10 seconds, but I was feeling it. (Probably because my recovery wasn't much more than 10 or 15 seconds, either.) I arrived home a little more than an hour after I left, ready to face another day of cleaning and unpacking.
Sunday was a day of recovery after celebrating a little too enthusiastically Saturday night (it was my neighbor's birthday party), and Monday is my scheduled Day of Rest. I toyed with the idea of going running, but just couldn't get myself motivated, so I let it go.
This morning was a "Rock Bottom" class at the gym. The idea was to get to the gym a little before 6, run my 4 miles, then do the class (lower-body strengthening/toning). Unfortunately, the train conspired against me, and I didn't have enough time before the class started. So, I spent 15 minutes walking on the treadmill, another 15 stretching, and then did the class. The instructor? Is Hard. Core. She's not messing around, and she isn't tolerating any wimpiness. I like it. Of course, the product of that is my butt now feels like jelly, and will probably be super-sore tomorrow. I am going back to the gym after work to get my run in, so I'm hoping that'll help things from getting too tight and sore. We shall see.
This is also the beginning of my Plan - there's a similar class for the upper body on Thursday mornings, so those days will be easy running days combined with whatever class is available. I think it's a good way for me to get some strength training in (since I'll never do it on my own). The down side is that I'll have to hit the gym twice on those days, since a girl can only get up so early. We'll see how it goes.... and if I can walk tomorrow.
Posted by Dawn at 10:56 AM | Comments (1)
November 10, 2005
Catching Up
Well, it's been a very slow couple of weeks around Ye Olde Running blog, hasn't it? A lot of that is because I just haven't been doing that much running, then you factor in the move this past weekend and... well, yeah. It's been a little busy.However, just because I haven't been running a whole lot or posting, doesn't mean I'm just sitting on my butt and watching it grow! Well, maybe I'm doing a wee little bit of that, but not all the time. I've been rounding out my weeks with some cycling - on the days I don't run, I either hit the bike for 45 minutes or, if it works with my schedule, I take a spinning class. I prefer the spinning class, since I get a better workout and push myself a little harder. Plus, I don't have to think about anything - I've got someone telling me what to do, how hard to go, when to turn it up and when to turn it down. I went to a spinning class last Friday morning, and, unlike the last time I tried it, I took it easy on the resistance. I focused on getting a decent cardio workout, and taking it easy on the legs. While I didn't get as much of a workout as I probably could have, I still got my heartrate up, worked up a good sweat, and felt it in my legs here and there. I was a little achy the next day, but nothing major, so it was good.
And nothing follows up spinning like moving! Especially when one is moving into a 3rd floor walk-up, and gets to carry a lot of her (surprisingly heavy) stuff up to the 3rd floor. Wow. Also, I realized that while my legs were taking the abuse like champs, I have absolutely no upper body strength and/or staying power (my arms were "done" long before all of my stuff was in the apartment). Something to work on.
Sunday was a day of relative rest - there was the Ikea trip with walking and heavy lifting, but nothing major. Monday, though, was awesome. When I signed up with the gym, I got a free session with one of the trainers. We talked a bit about my goals, and what I'd been doing, and I said, "I've pretty much only been running for the past 8 months - I want to work on cross-training and maybe some strength training." To which he said, "Duh. You need variety!" So we made an appointment, and he promised to deliver an hour of ass-kicking variety.
Monday afternoon, I showed up at the gym, ready to go. We started off with some kickboxing - nothing fancy like Billy Blanks-esque moves or anything. We did a few sets of different kinds of kicks, then a few sets of different kinds of punches. The idea was to have some anaerobic work, and I think we accomplished that. Plus, it was way fun. He had these pads on his hands that I was punching and kicking, and they made a very satisfying noise on contact. It was pretty awesome.
From there, it was off to do some strength training. We didn't use any actual weights - it was all with resistance bands or body weight (i.e., squats and push-ups). Plus, they were all done on some sort of ball or BOSU, so there was a balance aspect involved. They were hard, but they were fun, mostly because they were different. However, the next day? Muscles in my abs I didn't even know I had hurt.
Then, we were done! As far as my arms and shoulders were concerned, I was spent. However, aerobically, I felt like I was just getting started, despite the fact that I was covered in sweat. When Brian, the trainer, informed me we'd been working for 53 minutes? I was shocked. It couldn't have been more than half an hour! 53 minutes? Really? Wow.
We ended with stretching, and, wow. The stretching alone would almost be worth the money it would cost me to work with him on a regular basis. I lied down on a table, and he moved my legs around, stretching out my legs and back and it was just fantastic. With a few exceptions (*ahem*hamstrings*ahem*), I'm fairly flexible, so it can be hard for me to get a really good stretch going by myself. However, when all I have to do is relax and someone else does the work? Wonderful. I haven't been that stretched out in years. If I had the extra money, I would almost pay him just to stretch me out like that once a week.
Overall, it was a good workout. He said I did pretty well for someone who hasn't really done anything besides running, and was definitely impressed by my kicking and punching ability. (So, if I ever wanted to kick someone's ass, I totally could. Or something.) Sadly, until I win the lotto, I'll have to settle for working out on my own. But it was good while it lasted.
Tuesday was a brief 3-mile run at the gym, and Wednesday involved more "lifting", as I assembled my new IKEA desk. Today and tomorrow will be 3-mile runs at the gym after work, and I'm going to try and get a 6-miler in over the weekend. That'll give me 15 for the week, which will be the most I've run since the marathon! We'll see how it goes.
Posted by Dawn at 03:46 PM | Comments (1)
November 03, 2005
Pace Goals
Today's plan was to run two miles. The tentative plan was to run outside before work, but when the alarm went off at 6:30, I said, "ugh", despite the fact that it was light out, and rolled over to go back to sleep until 7 or so.When I woke up at 7, I realized something: it was light now. By the time my workday was over at 5, it would be dark. If I was going to run outside, it was now or never. I stopped my whining about how cold it was outside of my nice, warm, bed, and got my butt out there.
And you know what? I had a great run. Just two miles, around my neighborhood, nothing fancy. But I plowed through it in 19:30. 19:30! That's under 10:00/mile! It may not seem like much to a lot of people, but for me to run that fast after sitting on my behind for a week and a half... well, it's a lot. I was feeling a little out-of-shape while I was running, and now I see why. I was flying! I even managed to run the second mile faster than the first, despite the fact that I thought I slowed down. (I finished the first mile in 9:54, which means I did the second one in 9:36. Excellent!)
So this brings me to my new training goal: as I rebuild my mileage, I want to try to keep my pace at or under 10:00/mile. Right now, I'll just worry about runs of less than 5 miles, as I think I can do that without pushing myself too hard. I'm going to trust that, eventually, I'll see my pace for longer runs come down as well, but we'll get to that later.
Also, as hard as it was to get out of that warm, cozy bed and get out into the chilly morning air? It was worth it. I'm looking forward to Saturday, when I'll get to run for twice as long as I did today.
Posted by Dawn at 04:12 PM
November 01, 2005
I'm Back!
I went to the gym this morning to try that whole "running" thing again. The goal was 1.5 miles, but I was mentally prepared to scrap it and spend some quality time with the cool internet bikes if it was Not To Be.Got there, got changed, got to the treadmill. 20 minutes, speed 6.0, incline 1.0, ready to rock and roll. And you know what? It was great. No problems, no issues, felt great.
I spent some extra time stretching out afterwards, paying extra attention to my ankles and knees. I could have run further, but I didn't. I'm excited to be getting back to running, but I want to make sure I take it easy and don't overdo it quite yet. (I'm using the recovery plan outlined in the November issue of Runner's World as a guide - this week's upper limit is 7.5 miles, as I'm still on Week 1 of that plan.)
Tomorrow is more biking, and then we'll go for 2 on Thursday.
Posted by Dawn at 02:41 PM
October 30, 2005
Almost Back
Yesterday was the big day - the day I got to go running again! I was horribly excited about it. I woke up, had some breakfast, then got dressed and got out there. I was only going to do 4 or 5 miles, but I decided to head out to the Prairie Path for it, just because.I got out there, headed out, and everything was good. I felt good, my ankle felt good... or so I thought. After about a half-mile, it became clear that even though I felt like I was running normally, I was favoring the left ankle. How could I tell? Because my left knee started to hurt.
Nooooo! I stopped to stretch it out a bit, and thought briefly of sticking through another couple of miles. However, as soon as I had that thought, I knew it was a bad idea, so I decided to just walk back to the car. As much as I wanted to keep going, I didn't want to keep running on the ankle when it was clearly not happy - especially if it was going to mess with my knee.
Was I bummed? Majorly. However, I had a nice walk back to the car, and it just felt good to get out there and get moving.
So! Since the run didn't work out so well, I headed into the gym to do some swimming. The pool at my new gym is pretty pimped out - it's on the 4th floor of the building, and it's got these huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, so it was just absolutely gorgeous. Plus, there was no one else in the pool, which was even better. I haven't done any actual swimming in years, and it was nice to not feel like I was holding anyone up. They even had kickboards and those little leg floats there!
I started with 50m with the kickboard, just to make sure I remembered how to breathe and whatnot. Then I got into a groove of 25m freestyle followed by 25m backstroke. The backstroke was to give myself a chance to recover from getting water in my eyes and up my nose while still moving, and I think it worked out pretty well. I took a breather after every 50m, because, wow, swimming is hard work!
After about a half-hour, I called it quits. I was tired enough that I wasn't swimming in anything even resembling a straight line anymore, and my legs and arms were just feeling exhausted. I had been hoping to go for 45 minutes, but 30 was a good start.
Posted by Dawn at 08:12 AM | Comments (1)
October 28, 2005
Fastest. Bike Ride. Ever.
Last night, I sucked it up and joined a gym. I knew I was going to have to eventually in order to keep running through the winter, since I don't do that whole "outside in the dark" thing, but I was planning on waiting until after I moved. I was excited about it - as much as I hate the treadmill, it's better than sitting on my heiny all winter watching it slowly expand. Plus, I was hoping the availability of extra equipment and classes would actually get me to do something that resembled cross-training, since it would all be right there.Then I got majorly antsy this past week, and then I got a good recommendation for a gym whose locations are all either near work or near public transit, and then I saw that they currently have a pay-as-you-go, no-contract membership deal. No contract! So the option exists to cancel it when springtime rolls around and I've got enough light to go running outside before and/or after work. I'm hoping I won't, for that whole "cross-training" benefit, but I won't be locked into a $70/month gym membership if I find I'm not using it. Then, when I went in there to inquire about pricing and whatnot, I discovered that my employer has a deal with them that gets me an extra 10% discount.
Sold. I filled out the paperwork and signed over some money last night after work, and this morning celebrated by getting up at 5 so I could be on a bus by 5:25 so I could get to the gym in time to work out before work. (Until I move, it works out better with the train/bus schedules to go in before work. After I move? AFTER WORK, BABY.) I'm feeling the early wake-up call now, but it felt good to move around.
Don't worry - no running yet. I'm still saving that for tomorrow. Instead, I spent 45 minutes on the Coolest. Exercise Bike. Ever.
It's a standard looking recumbent exercise bike, but it's got a really big screen on the front of it. It's a touch screen, which you use to control the resistance, workout program, etc, etc. But that's not all it does. It also works as a TV, so you can watch whatever you want, and it's got a headphone jack so you can actually have sound, instead of trying to read the closed captioning from across the room. You can also pop a CD in and listen to that. Your very own music, instead of whatever urban/hip-hop/top 40 remix the gym is playing over the sound system.
Pretty cool, eh? But wait - I haven't even gotten to the best part yet.
It also has internet access. Yes, internet. On an exercise bike. So instead of spending 45 minutes trying to find something on TV to capture my attention and get my mind off the fact that I was sitting on an exercise bike and pedaling and yet getting nowhere, I played on the internets. I checked my e-mail. I checked the news and weather. I checked my message boards. I read blogs. It was the quickest 45 minutes on an exercise bike I've ever spent in my life. It was awesome.
OK, so I was a little lost when I got to work and didn't have any new e-mails or blog entries to read, since I'd already gotten through all of them, but that's OK. It was probably better that way, since I actually had things to do today.
But internet + exercise? Absolute GENIUS. To whoever out there invented such a wonderful, wonderful thing? I think I love you.
Posted by Dawn at 04:03 PM | Comments (1)
October 26, 2005
Antsy
I'm starting to feel almost recovered from the marathon. I feel more rested than I have in weeks, and keep waking up before my alarm. My ankle, which was massively sore Monday morning (I could barely walk) is almost back to normal. Even my quads are feeling almost normal again.Which means I'm starting to feel antsy to run. I've told myself I can go running on Saturday, but not before then. My ankle's still a little twingey, and so I want to wait until it's 100% again. It doesn't make any sense to me to jump back into it before my body's ready with no major races on the horizon. But, man, I really, really want to.
I can't wait until the weekend. I'm going to get out and run Saturday morning, and it's going to be awesome.
Posted by Dawn at 04:29 PM | Comments (1)