Training Week 15
Day 99 | January 25, 2010: strength
On Monday morning, I had the brilliant idea of working out in the office gym after work instead of before.
Yeah.
By the time my hectic day was over, I just wanted to GET out of there!
Lesson Learned: Put Yourself First. Morning workouts work best for me, so I need to stick to them!
Do morning, midday or evening workouts work best for you?
I did level 2 of The 30 Day Shred with Steven when I got home. Honestly, it was a bad night for me, and I was not into it at first, but the exercise made me feel better.
Day 100 | January 26, 2010: 5 m run + cross
Whoa, I have been tracking my workouts for 100 days! How cool is that? Let’s see if I can go for another 100…
Distance: 5.0 | Time: 49:00 | 1: 10:11 | 2: 10:00 | 3: 9:50 | 4: 9:41 | 5: 9:18
Bike Time: 30:00 | Distance: 5.68 (Set on “Ozark Trails”)
Day 101 | January 27, 2010: strength
Oh my gosh. By Wednesday, I had not done a “traditional” strength workout in 2 weeks (I had just been doing the Shred)! I need to be careful NOT to turn into a CARDIO QUEEN!
How do you make sure you balance your strength, cardio and stretching? Each week, I try to aim for 4-5 days of cardio, 2-3 of strength, and daily stretching. Yeah, I don’t always meet that goal.
Because it had been so long, my body was nice and sore. Yay!
Biangular Lat Row: 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 65 lb, 15 @ 65 lb
Lateral Raise: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb
Biangular Chest Press: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 50 lb, 15 @ 50 lb
Shoulder Press: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Lat Pulldowns: 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb
Arm Curl: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb
Seated Leg Press: 15 @ 70 lb, 15 @ 70 lb, 15 @ 90 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb
V Bar Pushdowns: 3 x15 @ 30 lb
Day 102 | January 28, 2010: 5 m run + cross
You know, I really like being a regular morning “poo-er” but I am sick and tired of stopping in the middle of my runs at the office gym to run to the bathroom! Meh!
I always feel so much better after I do though.
Distance: 5.0 | Time: 49:00 | 1: 10:11 | 2: 10:00 | 3: 9:50 | 4: 9:41 | 5: 9:18
Bike Time: 30:00 | Distance: 5.58 (Set on “Ozark Trails”)
Day 103 | January 29, 2010: yoga
I tried the YogaWorks Body Slim DVD. It’s a 50 minute workout that starts out with some ab work, then does some (what where killer for me) yoga moves. Yikes. I think my arms are still shaking typing this. I will do a full review when I post my review of the entire series (well, the three I received from the series!). I am looking forward to getting better at this!
I’ve been thinking about getting a yoga mat since I am slipping around so much when I use a towel! Does anyone have recommendations for a good but economical yoga mat? Are the ones from Target decent?
Day 104 | January 30, 2010: 8 m run
It was snowing lightly when I woke up on Saturday, but it stopped in time for my run. “Yay,” I thought, “All I have to deal with is this pretty dusting of snow.”
WRONG.
That pretty dusty of snow did a pretty good job of hiding all the icy spots on the sidewalk. I fell on my left knee AGAIN at the 1.5 mile mark. And in the new track suit my mom got me! Luckily, no holes in my pants this time.
The bottom is also blue with yellow stripes on the sides
I ran a slow eight miles in the 19° weather. I felt comfortable and fine, but made sure I watched for signs of pain in my knee. Looks like it is back to icing it.
I made homemade granola bars Saturday morning, so I ate one during my run. Yum! Why haven’t I made these in so long? I feel so much better (mentally) eating bars I know have natural ingredients in them.
Distance: 8.0 | Time: 1:19:09 | 1: 10:04 | 2: 10:05 | 3: 9:580 | 4: 10:05 | 5: 9:46 | 6: 10:05 | 7: 9:34 | 8: 9:29
Day 105 | January 31, 2010: yoga
I had a hard time deciding which DVD to do Sunday morning. I really wanted to do The 30 Day Shred, but thought it would be too much for my knee. So I settled on the the YogaWorks Body Slim DVD which gave me a great workout, but made me feel extremely inflexible. Ugh. Why is my body so tight?!
Steven and I may do another workout later in the day (emphasis on may).
Week Summary: 18.00 miles
I didn’t want to announce it until I was sure, but Erin is running the Wisconsin Half Marathon on May 1st as well! Woo to the hoo! And… Erin and I are both also planning to run the Chicago Marathon… registration opens tomorrow! I want to register before the registration reaches capacity… but I am worried about not being able to run (like what happened with the Kansas City Marathon last year) and wasting money. Ugh. Why does marathon registration have to be so stressful?
A couple of links I wanted to share:
Check out Ameena’s An Obsession with Exercise post. She talks about how she went from exercising just to lose weight, to exercising to enjoy it.
I also found this advice about driving to a race interesting. A newbie runner asks if driving an hour to a race is too much. The trainer responds that it isn’t, but advises on considering how your sleep, morning routine, and body is affected.
Themocracy
Sounds like training is going well! (Minus falling on the sidewalk 😕 ) I really hope the weather clears up & gets warmer in the next couple weeks. I don’t know if I could train in the snow like you!
I like morning work-outs too. It just feels like a great way to start the day
I’ve been doing yoga for 10 years, so I feel like I can speak somewhat intelligently about yoga mats. I have yet to find much difference between any of them, except for one I had that was “extra thick”. All that meant was a bit more padding, it didn’t affect my practice at all. Anything by Gaiam you can find at Target is a perfectly fine bet. 🙂
It would be interesting to try going to Bally’s in the morning, but I haven’t done it yet because all I can think about is the hassle of hauling all my hair supplies and makeup to the gym with me. Not to mention their showers are kind of…ew.
And running in this weather?! You are tough! It makes my nose and lungs hurt just to think about!
I ended up going to TJ Maxx because it was cheaper and did see the “thicker” ones. LOL. I just want something I WON’T slip on! Thanks for your help (I looked at Tar-jay too)
I find that yoga always makes me feel like a tight ball of nerves. Pretty much the opposite of what it’s supposed to do! I think it’s because runners tend to be very competitive and type A with themselves. I envy runners who can manage to do yoga regularly and not hate it.
I have a yoga mat from Target and it’s always bunching up underneath me. I don’t know if that’s the mat or just the way the mat behaves on my carpet. I suggest checking out Marshall’s or TJ Maxx. I’ve seen nice looking mats there for cheap.
What recipe did you use for the granola bars?
I am totally an evening work-out person during the week. I can do lunch-time but only if someone else is doing it with me. I can’t find the motivation to get all sweaty by myself! On weekends I’m best with mid-afternoon.
That’s a neat article about driving to a race! I’m glad to know that lack of sleep the night before typically doesn’t affect your race as much as not getting enough sleep in general.
Yoga makes me a teensy bit frustrated because I realize how tight I am. I keep hoping it will make me more flexible… do you feel like it hasn’t made you that way?
I got my mat at TJ Maxx. Wait until you see a picture of it… muah ha ha.
I am going to post my granola bar recipe tomorrow! It is one Steven made up! I thought I had shared it here before but I hadn’t!
What are your tips for evening workouts?
so many things to talk about!
1. if i had my choice i would be a mid-morning runner. as it is i am an evening runner 🙂
2. balance strength training– still working on this! i think it is probably an ongoing battle depending on life that day, week, month, year. heh. i think yoga helps me with my strength but i def miss real weights, too.
3. yoga dvd sounds awesome!!!! maybe i will try that one. i like the idea it incorporates ab work.
4. that is a great picture of you!!!!!!!!!! i love your outfit. looks warm, too. nice job on the 8 miles!
5. congrats on tracking for 100+ workouts! woo woo! milestone! and going strong.
6. hooray for a half with erin! you’ll have so much fun 🙂
Thanks (on #4 and #5).
I really do like these YogaWorks DVDs, for a beginner like myself. If you have On Demand, some of them are actually there, on the Exercise section! I just realized we have them there.
boooooooooo it automatically defaulted to my blogspot address. i caught it tho so i’m reposting here/now as wordpress addy.
ouch! sorry about your little spill, hope your knee feels better soon! nice homemade granola bar, perfect shape and everything!
Yay for you and Erin running those races together! I hope I get to meet you when I’m out there for the Soldier Field 10 miler. 🙂
I will definitely come cheer you guys on! Maybe even race, if I can afford to register! 🙂
Hi Kim…what an amazing recap! I don’t know how you track your info but I wish I could too!
Be careful with the knee! I hope it feels better soon…You don’t want to end up like me. 🙁
Thanks so much for posting a link to my exercise post…I am so glad you liked it! I really appreciate it!
Hi Kim…I’m more of a mid-day runner, but I can do morning. However, evening, not so much. I am still trying to figure out how to balance all the aspects of my training…so much to learn.
Thanks for the link to Ameena…very interesting in general!
That granola bar looks wonderful!
I admire your persistence in exercising as usual. Ya look cute, too!
Thank you, sweetie! 😀
I NEED to work out in the mornings. The longer I put off running/strength training/cross training the less I want to do it. And then once Chris is home… well, good luck getting me out of the house! So sad about your fall though – no yak trax, I’m guessing? It’s so hard to decide whether or not to wear them when you have mostly sidewalk for me.
That is why I workout in the morning. As the day goes on, and my to-do list gets longer, I just want to chill.
I did get a pair of YakTrax, but thought since it was only a dusting, I shouldn’t wear them. I think… I just need to watch for the clumped up snow at the icy spots.
Spring, where are you?
You know, I really like being a regular morning “poo-er” but I am sick and tired of stopping in the middle of my runs at the office gym to run to the bathroom! Meh!
I’m sorry, but that gave me one of the biggest laughs I’ve had in a long time. 😀 😀 I’m a morning exerciser myself; I need it to wake me up properly, and I don’t have any other time to do it anyway!
Thanks for your comment on my last post, BTW. It was truly appreciated.
<3 <3
If I leave working out until after work, it usually does NOT get done. The morning is ideal, afternoon at the work gym ok, after work is downright depressing!
My strength workouts have also been going down the tubes lately. I’m such a natural cardio person, but strength training makes me feel so much better and more fulfilled in my workouts!
Good luck with the knee. Injuries suck ugh!
You rock the house with your consistent workouts!! So, so impressive. I’m with you about the early morning exercise. Its then or never. You’re a marathon Queen! Is Steven running with you at all? Regarding driving to the race– I like to make a big deal about it so when I ran the half in Maine (which is 1.5 hours away) we slept over. However, if we couldn’t find a cheap place we would have just driven in. Race mornings are already stressful. I definitely don’t want to add stress to it.
Steven doesn’t run outside if it is less than 35 degress. Yeah. So I have been running by myself! We have to start training together a bit for the half though!
i have to work out in the morning. or else i spend all day talking myself out of it.
I like morning running and working out better. I tend to lose motivation too as the week goes on so mornings are definitely best! The only way i go to the gym in the evening is if I am going to spin class – otherwise it is just too busy for me!!
Sorry about the fall. 🙁
Looks like a great exercise week. I’m with you on the morning poo. 😉 I won’t run until after.
I don’t have a great balance between cardio and strength. I am a bit of a cardio queen.
I love morning workouts. If I had the perfect life, I would work out around 9am…and that is what I shoot for on weekends. But workdays, I usually have to be there by 545 to get in a good workout, which I like but it very early!
Nice training week! I will give you no advice on staying balanced as I am dancing on the cusp of overtraining now that I thought I had all the bases covered. Sorry about the fall.:(
I too am planning to run Chicago!!! Can only imagine how fast it’ll sell out.
I am nervous about registering! Do you think you will register tomorrow?
Morning workouts definitely work best for me and I bow down to the fact that you managed to do an evening workout. If it were me putting it off until the night.. yeah, 99.9% chance that it wouldn’t get done.
I balance strength and cardio by marking my workouts down on my calendar; that way I’m reminded daily on what I’ve done that week and even though there are days when I would rather do cardio then strength, I’ll do strength if I see that I’m lacking. And vice versa. 🙂
Good tip on balancing! I feel like I do better when I have a rough “draft” of the week too. I try not to be too strict, but just say “strength” on Tuesday, and that can be at the gym (preferred) or the Shred.
hahaha yoga always makes me feel inflexible. I stretch every day in an attempt to get a little better, but it does me no good. I blame my old age!
I have a great yoga mat and it was free! But thats only because a friend of mine gave it to me. lol so I guess that doesnt help you at all.
I have to admit I dont do as much strength training as I should. I do some yoga, and I guess that counts a little. My routine goes like this – run, come home and do yoga-abs-stretch.
I also dont do well working out in the mornings. On the weekends I’ll run early, and those are my hardest runs. I do far better after work. I dont know why.
I really want to develop a routine like yours – where I do yoga/stretching/abs in the evening! I think it is great you do that! It is interesting that evenings work better for some, mornings and midday for others.
I am cracking up about your morning poo thing. When I used to run I remember being annoyed about having to get off the treadmill every morning. I kept wondering why I couldn’t just have to go BEFORE I started running. That would be much less annoying.
I got my exercise mat at Target and it is fine. I can’t imagine what the difference betweeen mats could really be, especially for what you want it for, other than different levels of padding.
I’m sorry about your knee!! Gosh, running in the winter makes me so nervous. Mostly because I fall even when it’s dry and warm outside.
I wish they let you refund your money when you get injured! You know…just send in a doctor’s note and you’d get your money back? That is always why I hesitate to pre-register, but then I am VERY paranoid and obviously prone to injury. Do you know when it sold out last year? You can find out and then wait until a few weeks before then, and then decide. If you are doing 8 milers now, though, I know you will be okay!
It sold out at the end of April. So that gives me a lot of time. But I am just so nervous. Ugh. It’s hard to commit!