Tag Archive | Training

There May Be Something To This…..

For those who read my Race Day Recap post, you know that I said that I tried something new with my run. Yes, I know you shouldn’t do anything new on race day. I get that, but I wanted to run with a friend. So I did. What did I do? I walked! Say Whaaat??? What do you mean walked? Well, just what I said. I walked. I also ran and then I walked again. My friend swears by this plan.

The plan apparently is from Jeff Galloway who apparently is a really big deal. How do I know this? Because my friend told me. I’ve learned that he not only has written books on running, but was also an Olympian. I feel he might deserve more investigation on my part.

Now to me the concept of walking when I’m supposed to be running just doesn’t seem right. I’ve done it, but only with guilt. I’ll be honest – One of the reasons I did this with my friend besides wanting to finish the race with her is because the thought of being allowed to walk without guilt after swimming and biking seemed really good. So I did it and still had a great run in 27.55 minutes. So I thought I would give it a try today on a non race day.

Now that the Tri is over (boo hoo), I’m back on my Hat Trick training plan (yeah). Today I has scheduled an “easy” 5 mile run. So I thought, why not? Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. And again the thought of being allowed to walk sounded good. Laced up and off I went.

You know what? It worked pretty good. I was basically better or the same time as my other training runs and I probably walked for 5 minutes. Not bad for just 2 days after a Sprint Triathlon! I had good splits.

Average Pace: 10:05

Best Pace: 7:26

Whaaat??? Hmmmmm, how is this possible?

This really does need more investigating on my part. I may even have to buy his book. I do know though that I did push myself for those 3 minutes because you really can endure anything for three minutes. Then I was looking forward to the walk buzzer. So I’m sure if that is good or what. Either way, I am happy my run today. A run that I really didn’t feel like doing.

So now there is another option…..

One Size Does Not Fit All

Sep1

If only it were so that one size fits all, because then I could Google foot pain and know exactly what to do about it. (Yes, we are talking about my feet again:). Instead of finding a million different reasons, I could just be like this is it and move on. I still think that it is because of the Royal Toe (yes, I’m sticking with the fancy sounding name instead of Morton’s Toe). I just don’t think I’ve found the right solution yet. It’s like a game of darts where I’m hoping to finally hit the bullsye to find the solution. I’m making progress, but am not there yet.

Yesterday, I went for my long run (9 miles). I made the mistake of trying out new inserts. DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT try out something new for a long run! On one hand (or foot) it worked in that I really experienced little to no pain in the ball of my foot or toes. On the other hand (or foot), now the ball of my left foot hurt and is still sore. It wasn’t till towards the end of my run that it started to bother me. I even was experiencing discomfort in my right foot which had never bothered me. By that point, I actually took the insert out of my right shoe and when I hit 9 miles I even took my shoes off to walk for a cool down. This morning and yesterday I was more sore from my run and the ball of my left foot is still sore. So now the question is which pain is easier to live with?

I will say too that my Splits yesterday were absolutely perfect if I looked at them backward!

I will say THANK GOD for my foam roller. This morning one of the first things that I did when I got out of bed is to do some stretching with a band and then rolled. Rolled some more for good measure and I will roll again through out the day. For more good measure, I’ve taken some Motrin too. I’ve never really had back soreness after a run, but I am a little sore there as well. I, honestly, think that I may not have had the right posture due to the inserts. Although, I’m thinking that I am going to try these inserts again, but not on a long run and not in both shoes. I think I may need to do a combo of things with that damn smaller big toe, high arches, and little legs. I’m getting closer to a solution or at least that’s what I tell myself.

ON A POSITIVE NOTE: TRAINING

I was looking over my running log and realized that in August I hit double digits for running. 100.09 miles! Damn, no wonder my feet are sore:)

What Training Plan Should I follow?

Aug12

Ask anyone who is training for an event what training plan that they are following and I bet you get a different answer every time. Anyone who is serious about their training is usually following something, even if it their own plan. With anything in life the key is being prepared. You wouldn’t book a vacation and then forget to pack. So why would you register for an event and not prepare for it either. Yes, there are many who probably do this and I have been guilty of it too. I will admit that when training for my first Half Marathon, I didn’t follow a plan. I just pulled a Forest Gump and built up my running distance. There was no special training plan. Yet still I was training. I just wasn’t training very smart.

Now that I’ve got a few things under my belt and am planning more for the future, I realize that I can’t just expect it all to fall into place. It would also be nice if I would be able to walk the day afterwards because my body will be ready. But how to train when your training for both a Sprint Tri one month and then the following month plan to pull a Hat Trick. Every athlete (and I don’t really consider myself one, but I digress) unless working with a trainer really needs to figure out what will work for them. What will fit into the schedule? What can the body do without risking injury? Most importantly for me, how to keep it fun? Most of us also have lives outside our race/training schedule. Lives that take up a lot of our time. So how to fit it all in is usually the biggest question. But you get out of things what you put into it. So if you want not just to finish and event, but to finish it with a smile you have to prepare. I think I’ve found what will work for me and help me be ready when the time is right.

I have done the Iron Girl Sprint before, so I’m not expecting any curve balls. I also just finished up the NJ State Sprint Triathlon, so I feel like I am prepared for this event. What I do not feel prepared for in any way, shape, or form is this Hat Trick. So I have decided my primary focus is going to be on this event. A Sprint Tri is not an easy event to finish, but I am more confident in my ability to do this. What I can’t imagine is running a 5K resting for an hour and then running a 10K. Then going home to sleep to come back for more pain of running a Half Marathon. So my focus right now is on my running and building up my endurance. I feel that this can and should also help me in the Iron Girl.

I have a plan this time. A plan that is working for me. A plan that someone much smarter about running than I ever could be came up with. I am following the Runner’s World Training plan. I’m sure that their running experts know what they are talking about too. I’m learning as I go that there is so much more to this running thing than cute shoes although those are important too. I’m learning about Tempo Runs, intentionally running at a 3 minutes SLOWER pace than normal on some training runs, and just knowing that I am setting myself up for a good experience. I am training smarter not just harder. The beauty of the plan that I am following is that on my rest days, I can still (if I choose) do a bike or a swim because these are non impact and will still allow myself to train for the Tri.

I will never be the fastest, but I will be the best that I can be. That is all you can ask of yourself or anyone else.

Getting Deeper and Deeper

Apr25

It seemed easy enough. Ok, easy is not the right word, but it seemed straightforward. One of my girlfriends says, “Hey your working out now. You should sign up for the Tri with us.” Seems reasonable. Seems like a good way to set my goals. I didn’t have a clue as to what I was signing up for!

Now as I’m into this training, reading up on it, and actually training; I realize that I really didn’t have a clue. I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s kind of like something one of my sisters said, “Most people start out small. They sign up for a 5K or some other normal race. Not you. You have to sign up for the whole enchilada.” I guess it’s a good thing that I really like enchiladas! So onward I go.

I do admit that there might be some truth to what my sister said, but I have never been one to follow the normal path. Why not jump in with both feet and swim a half mile while your at it. But I will also admit that I really did not know how committed I would become to this training. Not because I think I’m going to smoke the other races because I am really only competing for myself.

My whole goal has just been to do this race and finish it. I’m stubborn that way and I guess some of that stubbornness is finding it’s way into my training. If I’m going to do this, I am going to do this to the best of my ability. Now my ability is by no means that of a trained athlete, but I will still make it. Please remember, up until mid January I was sitting on the couch with no exercise routine AT ALL. Since then I have taken 2 months of Boot Camp, started strength training, started running, and lets not forget spinning. And to take it one step further, I just signed up for personal training with the Boot Camp instructor. She has said, her goal is to get me ready for my Triathlon. Oh Boy……

Live, Laugh, Love

The Little Engine that Could

Apr23

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

But only if I prepare for it.

You know your serious training, when you expect to be sore all the time. I keep pushing myself. Why I’m not sure. I haven’t turned crazy with my training, but I really have started to push myself a little more. I actually have a routine for my training now that I really try to stick to.

Monday – Total Body Strength Training
Tuesday – Bosu Class & Swim PM
Wednesday – Total Body Strength Training
Thursday – Spin
Friday – Total Body Strength Training
Saturday – Couch to 5k Training
Sunday – Rest Day

Looks like a decent training schedule. Strength training is good, but it won’t get me across the finish line. And when you think strength training, don’t think becoming a muscle head. Think more whole body toning including abs. But I realized that as time goes on, I am going to have to add more swimming, biking, and another day running. So I am starting to take that up a notch.

Yesterday, my friend who I usually do the strength training with drove us both to the gym. We clocked the distance and it is almost exactly the same distance that I will be running in the triathlon. So what did I do with that knowledge? I had my friend take my stuff with her when she left and I jogged home. Not a fast jog and I did walk a little, but i did it. This was my second time doing it. Both times I have averaged a little more that 10 minute 40 seconds. I hope I can keep this up…..

I really never imagined when I signed up for this how much training or how serious I would start to take it for this event. I know people who are going to do it, who do very little training and still finish. So I’m hoping that with all this training I am doing will help me finish well. Now when I say “Well,” I mean well for ME. I have no illusions that I am going to finish in the top of the pack. I just want to finish respectfully in the middle/back of the pack:) I hope so…….

Live, Laugh, Love

The Problem with Training…..

Apr4

The problem with training is that it’s hard. Hard like literally hitting the pavements, when their are days you just want to hit a soft fluffy pillow. Today is one of those days. I’m beginning to feel like the man from those old Dunkin Donuts commercial, yet instead of it time to make the donuts since I shouldn’t be eating them anyway. It’s time to get training.

The funny thing is that with all this training I’m doing, I am not training to win. I am not training even for second. I am training just to finish. I’m training so that I can say that I did it. But it has become a little more than that now. Now I’m trianing to finish in the middle of the pack. Shhh, just don’t tell anyone.

Push it. Push it Good…

Mar21

You know your in training, when you expect to be sore all the time and you take Motrin with your breakfast. But I keep pushing myself. Why I’m not sure. Yesterday, I was feeling down on myself because I am still only down those 6 or so pounds. I was wondering why am doing all of this week for a measly 6 pounds. But as much as I didn’t want to, I still made myself go to the gym. I’ve come to far to give up.

Once at the gym, I still was not feeling it, but once your there it’s too late to back out. At least yesterdays class had no burpees. Do you know what a burpee is? If not consider yourself lucky! But for those curious, here is a picture of a burpee…..

Don’t they look fun?? Not in the least, I agree. Now even though there were none of these yesterday, we still had a challenging day which involved 200 yard sprints. And I mean sprints, the instructor continued to point out that this wasn’t a jog, but a sprint (and when I say point out, I mean holler out). How many sprints…..

WEDNESDAY MARCH 20, 2013 IS AS FOLLOWS
WARM UP
HEAVY HIP/CALVE STRETCHES OR FOAM ROLLS
HIGH KNEES IN PLACE
STAIONARY PUNTER KICKS (5-8 EACH LEG)
WRIST STRETCHES ON THE FLOOR OR WITH THE USE OF BOTH HANDS
THEN….
SPARTAN RUN (PUSH AND SQUAT)
SPRINT 200 METERS/50 PUSH UPS/ 15 SQUATS
SPRINT 200 METERS/45 PUSH UPS/20 SQUATS
SPRINT 200 METERS/40 PUSH UPS/25 SQUATS
SPRINT 200 METERS/35 PUSH UPS/30 SQUATS
SPRINT 200 METERS/30 PUSH UPS/35 SQUATS
SPRINT 200 METERS/25 PUSH UPS/40 SQUATS
SPRINT 200 METERS/20 PUSH UPS/45 SQUATS
SPRINT 200 METERS/15 PUSH UPS/50 SQUATS

Doesn’t it look like fun. It wasn’t (obviously, although some might think so). Believe it or not, I did it. I may have been the last to do it, but I did it! I wasn’t sure I would be able to, but I’m happy. I am sore today. It took me a moment to realize why when I was reaching for my coffee cup. I focused on the sprinting, but those push ups are killers. And I do them the cheater way with knees.

So today I’m feeling a little better about everything. It might be because after showering yesterday, I put a nice comfy pair of jeans on. Jeans that a while ago were not comfy at all. Jeans that I couldn’t even wear. So, I have to keep reminding myself it is not the weight on the scale, but the way I fit in my clothes. That muscle really does weigh more than fat and one day it will all just come together.

But now it is time to get off the computer and getting running. Literally! I’m off to run/jog/walk 3 miles with my girlfriends. I believe that it the key to staying focused. Having work out partners to keep you going when you don’t want to go any more!

Live, Laugh, Love!

All this work for that??

Mar8

I have been working out at the gym now for a little more than a month. I have to say that I have been very good about going. I try to go at least 3 times a week to a bootcamp class. Then on my off days, I am going to try to do some prep training.

This week I went swimming for an hour. Ok, I admit it, I did have some giggles with my girlfriend; so probably only for about 45 minutes. And we were doing laps. That’s got to burn some calories and fat. All the while we were doing it though, we kept saying how are we going to swim a 1/2 mile? Do you know a half mile in a lap pool is 18 times up and 18 times back. Yup, 36 laps. We may have swam that many laps, but we did stop to take breaks. There are no sides to the bay for us to rest on in September, so we are going to keep swimming. “just keep swimming. just keep swimming.”

But what got me this week is that with all this exercise and training, I have only lost 6 pounds!! Now, I realize that I am building muscle. I also realize that my waist is shrinking as I now fit into a pair of jeans comfortably that used to look like I needed grease to put them on. So I do realize that I am reshaping my body out of it’s rounded shape. But I am stuck on the number. Are you kidding me! 6 pounds!!! My girlfriends have all assured me that my body is adjusting to the new healthier eating and working out. And when it is done adjusting the weight is just going to come right off. I’m not patient, but I guess I’ve got no choose right now but to keep plugging away.

That is the other good thing about signing up for the Triathalon, I do have to keep plugging away. I have told everyone I’m doing it. I put it out on Facebook. I did this not because I’m trying to brag, but because now that everyone knows I can’t quit. Too many people know and there is no where to hide now:)