Today was the day! I got to run again!! Yayyy! I hadn't run since last Monday (2/8/10), so today was very exciting for me! Over the last 12 days I've really noticed a difference in my ankle. It was never swollen, but it always hurt at the weirdest times and was just annoying. It hurt less, I needed my ankle brace less often and I could get through work without needing extra Tylonol (bonus).
I started working on the Bosu ball last week to strengthen my ankle, and I love it. The first time i was wabbling all over the place, and had to have the wall as support pretty much the whole time I was "balancing." Today, all I had to do was use the wall to get up on the ball then I balanced on my own for at least a minute on each foot. I could feel the tendons activating, so I know that my ankles are getting stronger. And, finally, today was my first run in for-ev-er. I made sure I was warmed up and stretched out before I headed up to the treadmills. I got settled in and set up a "5K loop." I told myself I wasn't going to go all out today...that was a lie. I started out at 5.5 and was up at 6.0 after a quarter mile. Then at the half mile I started upping the pace .1 every half mile. At 2.5 miles I picked it up .1 after another quarter and then another .4 or .5 through the end of the workout. My ankle felt amazing (and still does) and my IT bands didn't hate me either. I can't wait to see how tomorrow goes. I hope a little sleep doesn't aggravate my ankle again!
So, what I did notice while I was running...is my lungs were super tight. After not running my lung strength was pretty much gone. Yes, I have to strengthen my lungs...they are very tiny. And...I'm exercise asthma prone too. Fun times, right? I've got my work cut out for me, that's for sure. I'm going to have to sing more while I run (not kidding) and hit the pool for laps. Can't wait to get back into running though! =)
Showing posts with label pushing the limits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pushing the limits. Show all posts
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A Snag in the Plan
Well, this last week hasn't been everything I thought it would be.
Sunday I rocked out on the erg. I hadn't done any serious rowing in a while, so I thought it was time. I rowed a 5k, and threw in power 10s and power 5s to spice things up and revitalize the stroke. It felt really good. I was a little congested, but my legs/back/arms/shoulders handled the workout beautifully.
Then there was Monday. Long run Monday...I had my head in the game and was ready for my two hour run. The roads were still kind of snowy and I'm not a fan of pushing my ankle, soooooo I set up the treadmill for 90 minutes (99 is the max and that's just weird). I started working out the kinks and soreness from the Sunday workout, but after two miles my right IT band was already starting to twinge. It's been taking 6+ miles to get there lately, so I wasn't happy when that happened. I pushed the pace back a little bit, lengthened my stride and picked up my feet more. Did it help? Not really...the minutes ticked my so slowly. I picked up the pace again just hoping it would work itself out. Nope, didn't happen. I didn't want to push myself, so I made myself stop after an hour. I got in 6 miles, and wasn't completely happy about it. Stretching and hydrating just weren't as satisfying since I didn't reach my goal.
Tuesday was yoga with Ashley! I always love yoga class on Tuesdays. There was an anonymous request for an ab workout, and I wasn't complaining. We did some amazing Sun Salutes to get warmed up, and then some twists that my back loved. The abs were definitely different. We did variations I'd never done before and two of them I will be using in the future for sure! After our ab workout we did more twists for our backs, and then an amazing 10 minute relaxation. I felt like a new woman after that class.
My Wednesday workout was shoveling the driveway. My best friend, Caryn, told me that shoveling for 20 minutes is the equivalent of running a mile on the treadmill. So, I guess I did 2 miles! Woot! My ankle has been very angry since Tuesday. The tendon on the inside of my right ankle twinges and bothers me too much. I've been icing, but that hasn't helped much. I rocked the IcyHot and then a heating pad just to spice things up.
Today after an extra "awesome" shift at work my ankle really hated me. I wasn't going to pass up a free afternoon, so I headed to the gym anyway. I did a core workout then hopped into the pool. I grabbed a noodle and did a few laps of kicking just to get used to being in the water again and for my legs to loosen up. My lane buddy and I were both slowish swimmers, so that worked out well. After 800m or swimming I called it a day. I walked a lap to see if my ankle hurt in water, and it didn't! =)
Side Note: my lane buddy is running the Flying Pig Half, so it was fun talking about training with someone that will be running the same race (sort of) as me.
Well, it's time to get some rest before another long day of work tomorrow! Good night!
Sunday I rocked out on the erg. I hadn't done any serious rowing in a while, so I thought it was time. I rowed a 5k, and threw in power 10s and power 5s to spice things up and revitalize the stroke. It felt really good. I was a little congested, but my legs/back/arms/shoulders handled the workout beautifully.
Then there was Monday. Long run Monday...I had my head in the game and was ready for my two hour run. The roads were still kind of snowy and I'm not a fan of pushing my ankle, soooooo I set up the treadmill for 90 minutes (99 is the max and that's just weird). I started working out the kinks and soreness from the Sunday workout, but after two miles my right IT band was already starting to twinge. It's been taking 6+ miles to get there lately, so I wasn't happy when that happened. I pushed the pace back a little bit, lengthened my stride and picked up my feet more. Did it help? Not really...the minutes ticked my so slowly. I picked up the pace again just hoping it would work itself out. Nope, didn't happen. I didn't want to push myself, so I made myself stop after an hour. I got in 6 miles, and wasn't completely happy about it. Stretching and hydrating just weren't as satisfying since I didn't reach my goal.
Tuesday was yoga with Ashley! I always love yoga class on Tuesdays. There was an anonymous request for an ab workout, and I wasn't complaining. We did some amazing Sun Salutes to get warmed up, and then some twists that my back loved. The abs were definitely different. We did variations I'd never done before and two of them I will be using in the future for sure! After our ab workout we did more twists for our backs, and then an amazing 10 minute relaxation. I felt like a new woman after that class.
My Wednesday workout was shoveling the driveway. My best friend, Caryn, told me that shoveling for 20 minutes is the equivalent of running a mile on the treadmill. So, I guess I did 2 miles! Woot! My ankle has been very angry since Tuesday. The tendon on the inside of my right ankle twinges and bothers me too much. I've been icing, but that hasn't helped much. I rocked the IcyHot and then a heating pad just to spice things up.
Today after an extra "awesome" shift at work my ankle really hated me. I wasn't going to pass up a free afternoon, so I headed to the gym anyway. I did a core workout then hopped into the pool. I grabbed a noodle and did a few laps of kicking just to get used to being in the water again and for my legs to loosen up. My lane buddy and I were both slowish swimmers, so that worked out well. After 800m or swimming I called it a day. I walked a lap to see if my ankle hurt in water, and it didn't! =)
Side Note: my lane buddy is running the Flying Pig Half, so it was fun talking about training with someone that will be running the same race (sort of) as me.
Well, it's time to get some rest before another long day of work tomorrow! Good night!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
5K "test"?
Well, after a long day at work I knew it was time for a good run. It's time to start working on speed now that I know I can put the time/miles in. The treadmills at LA Fitness have a 5k "loop," so I figured I'd give it a shot.
I was good and stretched out my legs (still sore from Monday's long run), and did a warm up. I am really bad about doing warm ups, so I think I should get bonus points for that. I took my last gulp of water and had my iPod set to a good song to set the pace. I pushed the "5k Loop" button, entered my weight and set it to start at 6.0. Excellent. After 30 seconds of getting used to the beast I pushed up to 6.3 just to get a stride down and felt great. After a half mile...my shoe was untied. How my double knot came undone, I have no idea. So, I pressed the "pause" button...which ends up being a prolonged stop button because there is no way to get started again. So, I had to start again after retying my shoe and checking the other. *sighs* I was less excited and pumped up this time. But I started it over, this time at 6.3. I was up to 6.5 by 2 minutes in. I felt really good running. Still a little tight from Monday, but that was expected. I did find out that time passes slower on a treadmill than on the roads...By the end of the 5k I was rocking an 8.0 (for the last .2 miles). I felt awesome. My breathing was still fairly relaxed, my heart wasn't exploding out of my chest and my legs didn't totally hate me.
Overall I wish my split had been faster, but I'll get it down for next time for sure! I've iced my feet/ankles and now I'm onto the mission of hydrating. Good night!
PS- Thank you for all the support of my friends reading this blog and commenting on my Daily Mile workouts. I really appreciate it!
I was good and stretched out my legs (still sore from Monday's long run), and did a warm up. I am really bad about doing warm ups, so I think I should get bonus points for that. I took my last gulp of water and had my iPod set to a good song to set the pace. I pushed the "5k Loop" button, entered my weight and set it to start at 6.0. Excellent. After 30 seconds of getting used to the beast I pushed up to 6.3 just to get a stride down and felt great. After a half mile...my shoe was untied. How my double knot came undone, I have no idea. So, I pressed the "pause" button...which ends up being a prolonged stop button because there is no way to get started again. So, I had to start again after retying my shoe and checking the other. *sighs* I was less excited and pumped up this time. But I started it over, this time at 6.3. I was up to 6.5 by 2 minutes in. I felt really good running. Still a little tight from Monday, but that was expected. I did find out that time passes slower on a treadmill than on the roads...By the end of the 5k I was rocking an 8.0 (for the last .2 miles). I felt awesome. My breathing was still fairly relaxed, my heart wasn't exploding out of my chest and my legs didn't totally hate me.
Overall I wish my split had been faster, but I'll get it down for next time for sure! I've iced my feet/ankles and now I'm onto the mission of hydrating. Good night!
PS- Thank you for all the support of my friends reading this blog and commenting on my Daily Mile workouts. I really appreciate it!
Monday, February 1, 2010
"CareFree" Long Run of Bliss
Today I was my long run of the week. My head was totally in the game, and the weather was perfect. It was 32, 5 mph winds, and sunny. What more could you want?!
I rocked shorts, a long sleeve and a T-shirt. Call me crazy, but that's just how I roll. I set off on my 100 minutes of amazing-ness and started visualizing the end of my marathon right from the start. After I saw that I was running a sub-10:00 split after two miles I started to visualize the end of my run. I got to where I guessed my halfway mark would be in...30 minutes. So, I decided to veer off of the roads I know into the ones I don't know. The names made me happy. The neighborhoods are "Carefree North/South" and a few of my favorite street names are: Sunshine Way, Leisure Ln, Restin Lane, and of course, Easy St. After the 8ish mile mark the IT bands started to get tight, so I had to slow my pace down a little bit. I finished the last mile and a half hard, and felt amazing. I probably should've done a longer cool down, but chocolate milk and a chewy bar were calling my name. Today I realized I need to start setting up hydrating stations and running with GU or the snazzy energy jelly beans. I was hurting for energy towards the end, and I think an energy boost and some water would've done wonders for my over all pace. I guess we'll see on my next long run!
Tomorrow I'm starting the "One Hundred Push Ups" workout plan. I'm terrible at push ups, and I need to build up my arms and shoulders....so why not work on both at the same time?! I'll be spending more time on the road and less time in the gym, so this will be a great way to build up my arms. Tomorrow I'm also going to rock out in a yoga class! My legs and butt will REALLY appreciate it! I'm excited!
February is the month for change and butt kicking training, and I think I've started the month of great! =)
I rocked shorts, a long sleeve and a T-shirt. Call me crazy, but that's just how I roll. I set off on my 100 minutes of amazing-ness and started visualizing the end of my marathon right from the start. After I saw that I was running a sub-10:00 split after two miles I started to visualize the end of my run. I got to where I guessed my halfway mark would be in...30 minutes. So, I decided to veer off of the roads I know into the ones I don't know. The names made me happy. The neighborhoods are "Carefree North/South" and a few of my favorite street names are: Sunshine Way, Leisure Ln, Restin Lane, and of course, Easy St. After the 8ish mile mark the IT bands started to get tight, so I had to slow my pace down a little bit. I finished the last mile and a half hard, and felt amazing. I probably should've done a longer cool down, but chocolate milk and a chewy bar were calling my name. Today I realized I need to start setting up hydrating stations and running with GU or the snazzy energy jelly beans. I was hurting for energy towards the end, and I think an energy boost and some water would've done wonders for my over all pace. I guess we'll see on my next long run!
Tomorrow I'm starting the "One Hundred Push Ups" workout plan. I'm terrible at push ups, and I need to build up my arms and shoulders....so why not work on both at the same time?! I'll be spending more time on the road and less time in the gym, so this will be a great way to build up my arms. Tomorrow I'm also going to rock out in a yoga class! My legs and butt will REALLY appreciate it! I'm excited!
February is the month for change and butt kicking training, and I think I've started the month of great! =)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Banished to the Indoors...Again...
Mother Nature hates me. Sunday's amazing run outside was a HUGE tease. I'm pretty sure Greenwood hasn't seen anything above freezing since then. *sighs*
Monday was a rest day, followed by....a rest day. I'm lame, I know. I did some stretching at home, but nothing toooo intense. Wednesday was my "attempt" as getting back into things. I did yoga, which was fantastic! I felt like a new woman! Then in the evening...I lifted weights. I hadn't really lifted in awhile, but things went really well. I worked on my arms and back. Then I hopped on the erg. That was gross. I planned on doing 5x500m with the fan on four. Well, I made it two before I called it quits. My body got fatigued really quick. So...I figured I'd fight it off with a run. HA! I died about a half mile in...so sad. I called it quits after that.
Today, Friday, thank goodness. I got off work early, so I got to workout! WOOT! I headed to the gym determined to blow yesterday's crap out of the water. I did. I hopped on the bike for a seven minute warm up, and that was only the beginning. The warm up felt great. I hopped off, did a little bit of stretching, and then was back on for 60 minutes of "random hills." I was happily in front of a TV that was showing ESPN, so I was a happy camper. The minutes ticked by slowly when the resistance was low and my legs were flying. I felt a little out of control, which I don't like, and I think that's why the minutes when by so slowly. As soon as the resistance kicked in just a little bit the minutes flew. My legs were working, I was squinting to read the latest baseball news, and I was sweating. It was glorious! The "hills" were intense! My quads were tight and burning, but I pushed through. If I'm going to survive Mt Adams in Cincinnati there can be no excuses. I will dominate that hill when I get to it.
All in all...Sunday and today rocked my world. The other days were just days. Tomorrow will be even better. I know it! Happy Friday night everyone! =)
Monday was a rest day, followed by....a rest day. I'm lame, I know. I did some stretching at home, but nothing toooo intense. Wednesday was my "attempt" as getting back into things. I did yoga, which was fantastic! I felt like a new woman! Then in the evening...I lifted weights. I hadn't really lifted in awhile, but things went really well. I worked on my arms and back. Then I hopped on the erg. That was gross. I planned on doing 5x500m with the fan on four. Well, I made it two before I called it quits. My body got fatigued really quick. So...I figured I'd fight it off with a run. HA! I died about a half mile in...so sad. I called it quits after that.
Today, Friday, thank goodness. I got off work early, so I got to workout! WOOT! I headed to the gym determined to blow yesterday's crap out of the water. I did. I hopped on the bike for a seven minute warm up, and that was only the beginning. The warm up felt great. I hopped off, did a little bit of stretching, and then was back on for 60 minutes of "random hills." I was happily in front of a TV that was showing ESPN, so I was a happy camper. The minutes ticked by slowly when the resistance was low and my legs were flying. I felt a little out of control, which I don't like, and I think that's why the minutes when by so slowly. As soon as the resistance kicked in just a little bit the minutes flew. My legs were working, I was squinting to read the latest baseball news, and I was sweating. It was glorious! The "hills" were intense! My quads were tight and burning, but I pushed through. If I'm going to survive Mt Adams in Cincinnati there can be no excuses. I will dominate that hill when I get to it.
All in all...Sunday and today rocked my world. The other days were just days. Tomorrow will be even better. I know it! Happy Friday night everyone! =)
Monday, January 25, 2010
I Really Love Long Runs
Okay, between my job searching, working a crappy job and training I'm not updating as often as I originally planned. Sorry! I promise not to let it go over a week though!
So, BIG NEWS! I've registered for my marathon!!! I will be running the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, on May 2. I'm PUMPED! I've got a lot of friends in Ohio and it's close to home, so I'm excited to have a support group cheering me on. My best friend will be making her way out from DC to celebrate her birthday and my first marathon. She rocks!
Training is going pretty well. I'm still doing more cross training than most training schedules recommend. I biked 15 miles last Tuesday, and felt fantastic. My leg muscles have been impressing me since they seem to never get sore (knock on wood). I erged 7k+ Friday, and that was a big lung test. Since you work you're whole body, chest muscles included, it's a great challenge as an asthmatic. The endurance of rocking out a 7k is great for your arms, shoulders, back and legs. There was a tad of soreness after that workout because I didn't stretch very well. Saturday I did a little bit of lifting to help beef up my arms. I need strong arms to help me get through the 26.2 mile adventure I have ahead of me.
Sunday Run Day! Sunday was the 80 minute run. I was a little put off by it Saturday since the forecast was telling me there would be tons of rain and wind. Pfft. See if I ever listen to the weather guys again. It was almost 50, sort of windy on the open roads, and I got sprinkled on for maybe 6 minutes of the run. It was FANTASTIC! I knocked out 7.5 miles in 72.5 minutes, and jogged out the last 8 minutes as a cool down. I was so impressed with my killer run and reaching my house 8 minutes earlier than expected that I was okay using those minutes as a cool down. My right ankle, aka the healthy one, started getting angry 25 minutes in. That was a bummer...but I was running in an older neighborhood with concrete streets. Once I got back on to asphalt my ankle was much less angry with me. My lungs held up great on the first outside run of the year. The only thing that really hurt was my IT bands in the last five minutes. They were SO tight. My 20 minutes of stretching helped with that, thank goodness!
After the awesome run yesterday I'm really looking forward to the 100 minute run next weekend! After next weekend It'll be time to rock the two hour runs. WOOT! I'm excited!
Well, I'm off to rest up for yoga! Good night running people!
So, BIG NEWS! I've registered for my marathon!!! I will be running the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, on May 2. I'm PUMPED! I've got a lot of friends in Ohio and it's close to home, so I'm excited to have a support group cheering me on. My best friend will be making her way out from DC to celebrate her birthday and my first marathon. She rocks!
Training is going pretty well. I'm still doing more cross training than most training schedules recommend. I biked 15 miles last Tuesday, and felt fantastic. My leg muscles have been impressing me since they seem to never get sore (knock on wood). I erged 7k+ Friday, and that was a big lung test. Since you work you're whole body, chest muscles included, it's a great challenge as an asthmatic. The endurance of rocking out a 7k is great for your arms, shoulders, back and legs. There was a tad of soreness after that workout because I didn't stretch very well. Saturday I did a little bit of lifting to help beef up my arms. I need strong arms to help me get through the 26.2 mile adventure I have ahead of me.
Sunday Run Day! Sunday was the 80 minute run. I was a little put off by it Saturday since the forecast was telling me there would be tons of rain and wind. Pfft. See if I ever listen to the weather guys again. It was almost 50, sort of windy on the open roads, and I got sprinkled on for maybe 6 minutes of the run. It was FANTASTIC! I knocked out 7.5 miles in 72.5 minutes, and jogged out the last 8 minutes as a cool down. I was so impressed with my killer run and reaching my house 8 minutes earlier than expected that I was okay using those minutes as a cool down. My right ankle, aka the healthy one, started getting angry 25 minutes in. That was a bummer...but I was running in an older neighborhood with concrete streets. Once I got back on to asphalt my ankle was much less angry with me. My lungs held up great on the first outside run of the year. The only thing that really hurt was my IT bands in the last five minutes. They were SO tight. My 20 minutes of stretching helped with that, thank goodness!
After the awesome run yesterday I'm really looking forward to the 100 minute run next weekend! After next weekend It'll be time to rock the two hour runs. WOOT! I'm excited!
Well, I'm off to rest up for yoga! Good night running people!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Long Runs and Chocolate Milk
Sunday was my first long run of 2010...and my first run over three miles since I left Arizona in June. I raved about it all day at work Saturday, so mentally I was totally ready. Was I physically ready? What do you think?
I'm here to tell you....I was! I set my clock for an hour and off I went. And by off I mean running on my sweet treadmill friend. I didn't want to push my little lungs too hard in the cold just yet. I was watching some extreme skiing where guys get dropped out of helicopters and then somehow made it down the most ridiculous peaks in the world; (pfft) and my friends think I'm crazy for training for a marathon! Anyway, I set my pace at a 10:56/mile just as a base because I had no clue how ready I was for a run this long. After 20 minutes my breathing was still steady and relaxed and my legs were feeling great, so I kept going at my pace. After 35 minutes I started bumping up my rate step-by-step every five minutes to push myself. 40 minutes down...45....50....55...the last 5 minutes! My body felt so much better than I had expected! A little tightness kicked in after 45 minutes, but nothing I couldn't push through. My lungs on the other hand were pissed. I was breathing deep and slow, but it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. That's what happens with little lungs and a little bit of congestion. I finished out the run, walked my two minute cool down and then checked the milage. I knocked out six miles! I impressed myself for than I can even explain! I did a little bit of stretching before I got home. Don't worry, once I got home I devoted a solid 30 minutes for stretching out my legs while I enjoyed my chocolate milk!
Chocolate milk!!! I know, it may sound weird, but that's what my rowing coach recommended my senior year. If you've never rowed before I'll be the one to tell you that it makes every single part of your body hurt. Fingers, toes, back, legs and anything else you can think of...ouch. We were instructed to drink a minimum of 100oz of water a day, but who doesn't know how important staying hydrated is? Once our winter training, erg season, kicked off we not only hated practice but our bodies hated us. That's when we got the secret. Chocolate milk and yogurt within 30-minutes of a hard workout. I know, call me crazy, but it works. Something about the sugars and proteins help your muscles start to heal so they don't feel so bad later, and the chocolate makes you feel better right away. It's amazing how great it works. I drink chocolate milk after most of my runs these days. Combined with all of the stretching I'm rarely sore. My big test will be after I do sprints Thursday morning...I'll let you know Friday if chocolate milk and stretching help prevent soreness!
Today was a rehydrated and stretch out day. My back sure did need it. I don't know what I did, but I had to bust out the Extra Strength Rapid Release Tylonol this morning because my lower back hurt so bad standing was a challenge. Hopefully after yoga and biking tomorrow morning my back will love me again. Wish me luck!
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