Training Week 21
Day 141 | March 8, 2010: strength + cross
I made myself go to the gym first thing Monday morning, to ensure I would actually do my strength workout (I did the routine below twice). I rewarded myself at the end with a 25-minute bike ride and some Runner’s World!
Step Ups w/Dumbbells: 20 ea. leg @ 10 lbs (ea. hand)
Smith Squats: 15 @ 40 lbs, explode up
Isolated Lunge with Hammer Curls: 30 sec ea. leg @ 5 lbs, fast paced
Crunch Fly (on exercise ball): 20 @ 5 lbs
Bosu Lunge n’ Jump: 20 ea. leg
Bosu Push Ups: 15
Bosu 1,2s: 30 sec
Rotator Cuffs (lie on back): 20 @ 3 lbs (ea. hand)
Calf Raises w/Triceps: 25 @ 20 lbs
Shin Developer: 20 @ 10 lbs
Bike Time: 25:00 | Distance: 3.85 (Set on “Forest Ride”)
Day 142 | March 9, 2010: 5 m tempo run
Ha. I should call this my Attempted tempo run. I ended up running during lunch, instead of before work, and Jack (the Garmin) was protesting being in the city by giving me completely random readings on my pace. I wanted to do a one-mile warm-up and one-mile cool-down at 10:00 and 3 miles at 9:15, but ended up with what I’ve noted below. Oh well. Next time will be better (and there probably won’t be many lunch-time runs in my future – they are sadly too much… coordination… I’ll leave it at that).
The good thing is, it was at least 45°F and I was able to run in capris and a t-shirt. Woo hoo!
Time for some blurry cell phone pictures…
The path along Lake Shore Drive
Fat face in front of the Hancock. Yikes! Time to cut back on the sweets!
Distance: 5.00 | Time: 45:27 | 1: 8:39 | 2: 9:28 | 3: 8:59 | 4: 8:50 | 5: 9:25
Day 143 | March 10, 2010: 4 m run + cross
I tend to get super indecisive about my lunch workout at least one day a week, and Wednesday was that day. I was back and forth about whether or not I wanted to do strength or cardio… of course, cardio won! I figured I would do The 30 Day Shred when I got home, but then Steven and I went on a run. Cardio overload!
It was in the 50s when we went out for our run, so I got to wear shorts (!!!) and a t-shirt (!!!). It was dark and so foggy though. We kept running through large, cold patches of fog, then when we got out of the fog, it would be warm again. It was definitely an interesting run! Have you ever gone running in the fog?
Distance: 4.00 | Time: 44:14 | 1: 10:52 | 2: 11:10 | 3: 11:02 | 4: 11:07
Elliptical Time: 15:00 | Distance: 1.90 (Set on “Random”)
Bike Time: 25:00 | Distance: 3.97 (Set on “Forest Ride”)
Day 144 | March 11, 2010: strength + cross
I did a mini-strength workout during my lunch break:
V Bar Pushdowns: 3 x 15 @ 30 lb
Seated Leg Press: 15 @ 70 lb, 15 @ 70 lb, 15 @ 90 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Shin Developer: 2 x 20 @ 10 lbs
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb
Crunch Fly (on exercise ball): 2 x 20 @ 5 lbs
And Steven and I went on a leisurely walk when I got home from work.
Distance: 2.50 | Time: 40:05 | 1: 16:48 | 2: 15:26 | 3: 7:49
Day 145 | March 12, 2010: 9 m run (5.25 + 3.75)
I really wasn’t sure if I should run or not on Friday. I started having some pain on the ball of my left foot earlier in the week, and it was still there Friday morning. The strange thing is, it only aches when I am not running, and does not get intensified by running. I wanted to follow the guide I wrote about on when to cut back on exercise… but felt like I didn’t fit any of the pain descriptions – it’s just a dull ache, more of an annoyance. I am going to watch it closely and continue to ice my foot (I think what will really help it is getting more supportive shoes to wear at work!).
Ha, can you tell which foot is getting the ice treatment?
I ran to the park near our house (2 miles) then ran 3.25 miles there until Steven showed up. I took a quick break to eat a granola bar and drank water when he arrived, then we ran 3 more miles together, and I finished off with .75 since I only seem to like whole numbers these days.
It’s hard to believe this was the park covered in several inches of snow just two weeks ago! Now, it is mostly clear!
There was only two snowy spots…
Those damn red-winged black birds are back though. I wonder if I will get attacked again this year!
I had to wear pants during this run because my capris were dirty… and I was too hot! It was in the 50s and windy. When I stopped when Steven got there though, the sweat in my outfit got cold and I felt too chilly for the last part of the run. Wah.
Distance: 5.25 | Time: 52:49 | 1: 10:01 | 2: 9:50 | 3: 10:20 | 4: 10:08 | 5: 10:05 | 6: 2:22
Distance: 3.75 | Time: 39:52 | 1 :10:59 | 2: 10:49 | 3: 10:28 | 4: 7:35
Day 146 | March 13, 2010: strength + stretch
Steven and I did Level 2 of The 30 Day Shred (I used 2 lb weights and he used 5 lb weights) and the 10-minute YogaWorks PM Relax & Restore Segment. I don’t know if I will ever think The 30 Day Shred is “easy”! It gets me every time. I suppose that’s good…
Day 147 | March 14, 2010: 6 m run
Steven and I ran 6 miles together, and it was SUPER windy. When we started out it was cloudy (around 45°) and super windy, then it got sunny… and still super windy. The sun helped a little bit!
Distance: 6.00 | Time: 1:03:59 | 1: 10:28 | 2: 10:34 | 3: 10:34 | 4: 10:38 | 5: 10:59 | 6: 10:41
Week Summary: 24.00 miles
In the first couple of years that I was running, I always just “put the miles in.” I never paid attention to tempo runs, long runs, interval runs, cross training, strength training, stretching, etc., until recently. I just made sure I had the endurance in me to run whatever distance I was training for.
It’s amazing how much you can learn in a year! Since we ran our first half marathon last May, I feel like I have learned so much more about running. The thing is, I wonder if it’s always beneficial to me. I do think it is good that I try to do more stretching, strength training and cross training… but I start to stress out if I don’t get these things in! I feel like I should have an exact schedule for the week: x amount of specific types of runs, x amount of cross training, x amount of strength, x amount of stretching… I guess I feel like my running has lost a bit of its randomness. It feels more prescribed, even though I am the one prescribing it. And it’s not like I develop a schedule for myself that I have to follow each week. I am actually pretty free with my schedule! It’s just that I feel there are certain types of workouts, I should do, as a runner. Does anyone else ever feel this way?
Check this out – my blogger friend Jillian can’t run right now because she has a strain in her hip flexor. However, she is part of Robin’s Pay it Forward (PiF) club (where you run 500 miles this year and donate money to a charity of your choice), and wants to continue to donate money, so she is putting one nickel for every mile you dedicate to her between 3/10 and 3/17 into her PiF jar. I dedicated all of my runs (staring 3/10) this week to her. It’s not too late! Leave a comment on her site here!
Themocracy
Hey. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I know what you mean about your training runs! I haven’t really followed much of a plan in the past 4-5 years. I just make sure I can make the distance I’m training for. I do throw in some hill/speed workouts (or dreaded stairs)occasionally but no real plan. When I was in high school and ran track/cc, my coach was always in charge of telling me which workouts to do. I think if I had that again I’d be way better about a real training plan.
I am planning my first half marathon later this year and am considering following a plan. We’ll see.
Which half marathon are you planning on doing? There are so many plans out there! I wish I could have a coach to tell me what to do 🙂
I just read the story about getting attacked by birds and I had to laugh. There were some barn swallows that built a nest outside my parents front door last year. My dad kept knocking it down, and they kept rebuilding it. I went outside for a run and all of a sudden there were 2 birds dive bombing at my head. They followed me halfway down the block, and ever since then Ive been totally freaked out by birds when I run. I would even make my dad follow me out the door with a broom just in case!
The 30 Day Shred kills me every time too! By the end I feel like it is the longest 20 minutes I’ve ever spent in my life. Sorry about your foot, I hope it gets better. It looks very painful, but hopefully its red because of the ice??
You look fabulous in your iphone pic, not fat at all. You should see me after a workout and then you’ll know what a terrible photo is!
That damn Shred. It’s so impressive for a workout vid, but DAMN!
Yeah, sorry to scare you! It is just red because of the ice 🙂
And thank you. I bet you look great after a workout!
lol ice treatment foot!! girl please, fat face? no way! you look gorgeous
Thank you 🙂
Those tempo run stats look pretty funky – but still fast! I went running on the fog on Wednesday and I really liked it; I think if I had been running alone though it would have freaked me out.
You look great and you had some great workouts this week. I soooooo need to do some strength training-I used to love my arms and now I hate them!
Love the pictures! You’re a machine with the cross training. I just may look back on this post to find some inspiration.
(I had to laugh when you said that your Garmin didn’t work in Chicago – Mine was NUTS during the chicago marathon)
Ugh. Chicago + Garmins = BAD MIX! Even our car Garmin (Jill) has trouble down there.
I agree with Stef–I don’t see a fat face at all!!
Good job this week, girlie. 🙂 As always!
Thanks 🙂
I’m just now learning about tempo runs and so on. I still don’t understand everything and right now I’m just running when I run, but I’ll get there eventually.
I love running through fog! Misty foggy mornings are definitely my very favorite. 😀
Thanks for the shout out!!! And for all the miles from you and Steven 🙂
I am soooooooo happy the snow is leaving us! I hope it is gone for good!
Apparently your Garmin has been talking to my Garmin. Sorry!!
I agree that I feel like the more I learn about the running the more I feel like I need to do 8 billion things in order to do it “right”. In a way, I envy people who can run just to run. No paying attention to pace or cross training or yoga. Just run.
Running in the fog sounds really cool. I’ve never done it although one day when I was running along the Salt Creek there was steam rising up off the water. That was neat to look at.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we’re done with snow for the year.
I’ve yet to figure out how to wear supportive shoes at work without looking like an 80 year old woman. If you figure it out, let me know!
Steven had some work friends who would just run 5 miles a few times a week and that was it. I love how simple that is, but think I would miss doing runs as well! And doing the same thing every day? Meh!
Ha. My old boss would wear those sketcher things. I will have to see what I can find!