Training Update

I'm so afraid to say that I'm officially "back" to training because it seems like every time I said "sweet! I feel great!" over the past few months, my ankle has taken that as a sign to swell up and turn purple. 

So I won't say anything.

However, week two of a normal training schedule just flew by and now that I have something to talk about, you get to see my workouts again.

Monday - Morning Yoga. (1 hour) This was a total cluster on my behalf. I did my first hot yoga session with Rachel the previous weekend and my mat was either still damp or I was just extra sweaty on Monday morning. This was technically a rest day, but my dedication to not screwing up my ankle is paramount. 

Tuesday - Spin. (1 hour) Again with the cluster. My playlist felt off, I couldn't get my groove going - the universe was not right. I was supposed to swim, but since I had to teach, I switched my workouts.

Wednesday - Morning Yoga. (1 hour) Much better this time around, but I also slipped enough that I invested in a yoga towel. 

Wednesday - Track Practice. (1 hour) This was my first track practice in months. Of course, it was just in time for the track to be occupied by the high school lacrosse team, so we took to the block around the baseball fields. I felt terrible. My warm-up, admittedly, was WAY too fast. I came in from a 1.2+ mile warm up holding under 9 minute miles. I couldn't hold the 4 loops around the block - so I cut out on the third to stretch, then joined Rachel for a tempo pace final loop. 

Total mileage: just over 4 miles. 

Ankle status: normal. 

Thursday - Friday: I blew it both of these days. I have a mind block on going to the pool. I don't know why. It's not even that I hate swimming - I just loathe getting to the pool. Maybe now that the weather is changing, I'll actually get my time in the water.

Saturday - Modified Brick (2.5 hours) I had to work all day at the Cherry Blossom Expo. If you stopped at the Ragnar booth, you likely talked to me. It was a blast to talk about my passion, hear from other Ragnarians, and talk to the other vendors. I even picked up some new shoes:

Pearl Izumi EM Road N2

I got home as the sun was starting to set. I knew I was exhausted, had plans to see the Cherry Blossoms with Chadd on Sunday morning, plus a bunch of errands and FitCo work... so I did the next best thing to an actual brick. 

I went to the gym and parked my butt on the spinner for somewhere between 1:45-2 hours. Did you know that the spinner computer turns off after 90 minutes? I didn't and suddenly realized I'd been spinning around Z2 for...ever. 

I had a half hour for a run and, not wanting to risk it on the road or lose too much time in "T2", I just jumped on a treadmill. The dreadmill did not, surprisingly, suck as much as I remembered. Please recall that I haven't been on one for more than 2 years. I started slow, somewhere in the 9:30 range, ramped up to 9's, then up to 8:30s, 8:15s, then I held steady on 7:30's for a good 10 minutes. Treadmills are notoriously bad judges of speed, so I'll just say this: I felt great. I felt like I had my speed back, even if I jumped off that death machine with my chest heaving. 

Sunday - Yoga. (1 hr 15 minutes) More hot yoga with Rachel! I'm not ready to try bikram (if I will ever be ready), but I enjoy the challenge of these classes. I also really love the instructors over at The Studio DC - I've never had an instructor ACTUALLY do a hands on assist. So enlightening.

Sunday, Fun Day: 

I'm working with a cool group of people to make fitness more accessible to all types of people in the DC area. If you want to learn more about us, check us out here: www.fitdc.co 

Better yet - just search Fit DC on Facebook and friend us! We had our leadership team photographs on Sunday. Our photographer is AMAZING and better yet - most of my photos are yoga poses. I know most of you find this hilarious since I am the least yoga person ever.

Our launch party is next weekend! Come grab a free class with us out in Arlington: http://fitdclaunch.splashthat.com/

In summation, I had just under 8 hours of training last week - including a TON of yoga (which, I have learned) is actually quite the workout. And a big fat fail on Swimming.

THUNDERSNOW

I don't have to tell you what happens when THUNDERSNOW attacks a city.

But in case you don't know: workouts stop.

THUNDERSNOW began midday on Wednesday. I skipped my Wednesday workout because I was enjoying getting an absurd amount of sleep every night (between 7-9 hours) and figured, no big deal, I'd do my running group Wednesday night.

I left my office at 4:15 and was home by 5:15 and very glad to be off the roads. Running group was clearly not happening considering I almost broke myself just walking a block to the liquor store (THUNDERSNOW calls for beer).

Chadd and I did go down to the Dupont Snowball fight:

Unfortunately, Chadd got slammed in the face with a big snowball and got what would be a black eye if he bruised. He just wound up with a puffy face and a red eyeball for a bit. Battle scars, man.

This meant that Thursday morning, I was in no mood to get up (especially since I was going to sleep in a bit to go to a client meeting, but when the client cancelled due to the roads, I decided to work from home. Which meant there was no way in hell I was going to go to the gym when I could sit around in sweatpants.

Friday, I was feeling very Friday-esque and didn't do anything.

Saturday, I did bite the bullet and head out at 10 to the Georgetown City Sports running group. Nike was there doing a give-away. I got a free city sports running shirt (yaay technical!) and won a draw string bag, which is always nice--especially since I need something for my cycle shoes.

The run was great, save the parts where I had to navigate across ice/snow/whatever that people hadn't shoveled yet (shame on you), but man did I feel out of shape. I was EXHAUSTED after the 5k and could have gone for a nap. What a difference a few days makes...

I will say, I have found the ideal combination for winter running: running tights under pair of shorts, tank top, long sleeves, zip up, skull cap, gloves.

I taught 20-20-20 on Sunday morning, as usual, and combined my 1 minute efforts for both upper and lower body.  For example: right leg piston squats with a left arm raise for 1 minute.

My shoulder are not exactly happy this morning. But now that my gym buddies are back in town, I don't have an excuse to not get to it. We've agreed that Monday mornings basically never happen, so here's the schedule this week:

Monday: YMCA running group (7pm)
Tuesday: AM: Light Run/Leg Weights, PM: teach cycle (7pm)
Wednesday: PM: Fleet Feet Running Group (hopefully Tuesdays' "wintery mix" won't get in the way)
Thursday: AM: Light Run/Arm weights
Friday: AM Cycle
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Cycle Certifications

Clocking in with a grand total of 7 workouts.

By the way, tried out my new cycle shoes--my butt killed for a few days. They really do help with the stabilization and isolation of muscles. Can't rely very much on gravity anymore. Definitely worth the switch.

Schedules, arms, shoes and other things

My abs are burning as I write this.

So far, my "back to normal" routine has been going pretty well.  I'm not as tired as I was in the beginning stages of recovery and my strength hasn't disappeared too much.  Last week:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: A.M. Cardio and Weights
Wednesday: Fleet Feet running group (see below)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: A.M. Spinning
Sunday: 20-20-20

This week/Accomplished and Planned:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: A.M. Cardio/Weights, P.M. Cycle
Wednesday: A.M. Cardio
Thursday: A.M. Cardio/Weights
Friday: A.M. Spinning
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 20-20-20

And I just sneezed and it burned.  Clearly, I got a good workout on Sunday.

Teaching again is really great--a lot of my regulars were there and were clearly happy to see me (even though I had awesome subs).  I had a great time and made a special effort to make sure everyone is in just as much pain as I am...

(one week later)...

I need to get better about hitting "publish post"...because this has clearly been sitting around for a bit since I wrote it.

Continuing the workout trend has been good--I took Wednesday and Thursday off because I was lazy and slept in, and had Restaurant Week dinners both nights, but I made up for it by working out on Friday morning (am cycle) and skipping out a bit early on work and hitting the gym before date night with Chadd.

This morning I taught 20-20-20 again, which was awesome.  This week we did an arm burn out, which is my new favorite workout method:

10 exercises, 1 minute each.
Arms:
- bicep curls/hammer curls
- upright rows
- shoulder press
- triceps kickbacks
- deadlifts
- pull over (lie with shoulders on ball, squeezing glutes, holding weights above chest, then over head, then back to over chest)
- bear hugs on ball (shoulder still on ball, arms out with weights, to center, back out, repeat)
- pushups (can be substituted for "pyramid" pushups--10 basic, 10 with one hand on top of step, 10 straddling bench, 10 with other hand on bench, 10 basic)
- weighted jumping rope (act like you're jumping rope weights in hand)
- triceps dips

Do that 2x through, broken up with 10 minutes (or more) of cardio (Good time for speed work on the treadmill, to be honest) and the finish up with the 10 minute ab routine that will slice you up:

1 minute each:
- basic crunches (no cheating)
- leg lifts (don't swing the legs, even foot prints towards the ceiling)
- rope climbers
- leg scoops
- bridge
- side shoelace grabs
- double crunch
- the "row" (sit on tailbone, feet off ground, holding a weight, scoop from side to side, fully rotating body)
- low plank
- high plank

voila.

Now, I need to get around to creating a lower body workout that will be just as painful and effective.

Gym routine this week looks like:
- Monday: Evening group run with Y (likely to be a minor workout for me)
- Tuesday: Morning leg routine, evening cycle
- Wednesday: Morning Cardio, evening running group with Fleet Feet
- Thursday: Morning upper body routine
- Friday: Morning cycle
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: 20-20-20

Changing gears, fun new subject: Shoes!

I am sad to announce that I've decided to break my many year streak of wearing Nike Max Motos.  I love those shoes and strongly recommend them to anyone looking for a good, light weight, neutral running shoe.  However, after roughly 4 years (probably more) of only using motos, I've decided to try something a bit different.  I will likely keep purchasing the motos to teach in, but since I've vowed to take running seriously this year (something that people think I'm kidding about because how can one not be "serious" about running when training for a marathon), I've decided to get a pair of shoes dedicated to running only.

When I was at Fleet Feet the other week, I had some time to kill before the running group.  I met Phil, one of the guys who works there, who talked to me about shoes. I thought I knew about shoes, and boy was I wrong. Phil knows shoes. If you're looking for someone to tell you about running shoes and what you need, ask Phil at Fleet Feet, though I'm sure they all know their stuff. Bottom line, we decided that if my then-current shoes (motos) were on the scale of Good to Best, mine were somewhere between the line of good to better. Looking to work with a shoe dedicated only for running, he let me try on about 7 different pairs of shoes. I took 2-3 of them out of a test jog up and down the block. I tried everything from Nikes to Brooks to Sauconys to Asics, and there I found, in the last pair of shoes, something miraculous: Ascis Gel Nimbus 12. Yes. Please.

I've been running with Nikes that use air technology (which keeps the shoe very lights) and since I wear orthodics in my shoes, the lighter the better. However, they cushion just a little less. I really have liked the gel nimbus in the week or so that I've had them. I can definitely tell the difference with the gel (better shock absorber), and the fit is just a bit more suited for stability. On top of that, the shoe laces come around on a slight "s" curve to better bind the shoe to your foot.  Better yet, Phil taught me how to tie my shoes just a little differently so that the shoe better connects with my heel.

I've been cautions since I haven't run out of a moto in so long (basically my entire running career), but so far, just doing 3-4 miles, we're off on a good start.

Also related to shoes:
Last tuesday at my first cycle class in quite some time, I realized that the instructor bike at the Y only accommodates clips (yikes). The instructor before me kindly help me take the bike off the stage and change it for a bike with cages. Then, someone in the class asked me why their clips weren't fitting in our bikes (???). She said she had "egg beaters" (over my head like a flock of geese) and thankfully someone stepped up and said "oh, those are the types our bikes don't handle, they're really only made for mountain bikes."

I don't mind being ignorant about something fitness related, God knows there is more to that subject that I'll ever have a handle on, but something that is pretty basic to what I'm teaching...I can't ignore it much longer. I haven't ever invested in a pair of clips, simply because it's just that: an investment.

Chadd and I went over to City Sports in Georgetown (which is launching a running club that I am seriously stoked about) and I talked to one of the guys and basically owned up to the fact that I am a clip-ignorant cycle instructor.

They only carry two pairs (both Shimano). He grabbed each for me and I tried them on. It's tough to say "wow, that's a comfortable shoe!" when trying on clips. Clips are essentially made to be supportive (read: stiff) along the bottom of the shoe to act as an extended pedal. You clip into the pedal, making your foot much less likely to slide off/out of the pedal.

They didn't have my size in the older version (read: cheaper) and since the difference was only $10, I figured what the heck, and grabbed the newer version: http://www.bicyclebuys.com/shoes/ShoeMTB/SHWM61PART

Pretty slick.

Report to come on how those work out on Tuesday, though you should have seen me this morning. After teaching 20-20-20, I figured I better try them out before I taught with them. I found a bike on one of the floors that was a spinning bike and clipped in. Ok. Not too bad. Pedal pedal pedal, awesome, we're good. Now to dismount.

Oops? I finally gave up (I was feeling fuzzy after a lack of food and teaching) and took my shoes off while still attached to the bike. Note to self: release by moving heel to the side and then release.

Also this week: aiming to get 8 hours of sleep a night--no more, no less. Which means, in order to be up at 7:15, I need to jump in bed.

Btw, stick to your resolutions and outlast that dude at the gym who doesn't know the unspoken rules. You're better than that.