Workout Week Preview: 9/7/14 - 9/13/14

Sun, 9/7/14
AM: Run (virtual 5K w/ BGR), walk (5 mi w/GirlTrek), pool (30 min)
PM: Core/upper body

Mon,  9/8/14
AM: Bike/leg strengthening

Tues, 9/9/14
AM: Arms/core
PM: Cardio

Wed, 9/10/14
AM: Leg strengthening
PM: BGR Hills Hump Day

Thurs, 9/11/15
AM: Arms/core
PM: BGR Eastside Run, pool

Fri, 9/12/14
AM: Bike
PM: Leg strengthening

Sat, 9/13/14
AM: 5K (Monkey C, Monkey Do)

Workout Week in Review (6/15/14 - 6/21/14)

06/15/14
Power walk -2.13 mi, 36:42 (pace - 17:13/mi), 236 cal

06/17/14
Cross Training (workout 1 of 2) - circuit training
Cycling (workout 2 of 2) - Cardio/HIIE* on stationary bike, 6.52 mi, 35:00 (11.2 mph), 397 cal

06/18/14
Running (hills workout) - 3.38 mi, 48:40 (pace - 14:23/mi), 623 cal

06/19/14
Cross Training/cardio - stationary bike, 30:00

06/21/14
Power walk - 4.25 mi, 1:40:00 (pace- 23:31/mi), 449 cal

TOTAL
Planned - 9 miles
Actual - 9.76 miles (1705 cal)

*HIIE - high-intensity intermittent exercise

Conquering those hills (6/18/14)

(Got behind on my posts)

Went out yesterday (6/18/14) with the local BGR group and had a great hill workout!
3.38 miles, 48:40 (pace - 14:24/mi)

WORKOUT PLANNING - WEEK IN PREVIEW: 6/15/14 -6/21/14

SUNDAY, 6/15/14 - PM: Walk/run (2 miles), exercise bike (30 min)
MONDAY, 6/16/14 - AM: Core, stretch/yoga; PM: circuit training, walk/run (3 miles)
TUESDAY, 6/17/14 - AM: Knee therapy; PM: circuit training, HIIT*
WEDNESDAY, 6/18/14 - AM: Core, stretch/yoga; PM: BGR! Hump Day/hills workout
THURSDAY, 6/19/14 - AM: Knee therapy; PM: line dance lesson, circuit training, HIIT*
FRIDAY, 6/20/14 - AM: Core, stretch/yoga; PM: circuit training, walk/run (4 miles)
SATURDAY, 6/21/14 AM: Knee therapy, exercise bike (30 min)


*High-intensity intermittent exercise

Getting in the work on the hills (5/19/2014)

This evening, I 'wogged' with my co-worker - and she really put me through my paces.  We hit several hills, which I really needed. I used one of my smartphone tracking apps (Runtastic).  The charts below (19:45/mile) were generated by the app - comparing these with my co-worker's GPS watch (Garmin, I think it's a 210) - 4.51 miles, 1:23:52 (pace 18:35/mile).

 

WORKOUT PLANNING - WEEK IN PREVIEW: 5/19/14 - 5/24/14

SUNDAY, 5/18/14 - Walk/jog (AM)
MONDAY, 5/19/14 - Stationary bike (AM); speed clinic (PM)
TUESDAY, 5/20/14 - Stationary bike (AM); strength training (PM)
WEDNESDAY, 5/21/14 - BGR! Hump Day/hills workout (PM)
THURSDAY, 5/22/14 - Stationary bike (AM); strength training (PM)
FRIDAY, 5/23/14 - REST
SATURDAY, 5/24/14 Trussville Trail Run (AM)

THE HILLS HAVE IT!

This afternoon after work, my running buddy and I did something a little different.

After an easy one-mile jog, we ran up and down hill for the next 3 miles.  There was about .2-.3 mi flat span once we reached the top of the hill before going back down hill.  We were off our usual pace, but the fact we ran hills for 3 consecutive miles was a very good effort on our part.

Mercedes Benz Cotton Row 2013

Today I ran the Mercedes Benz Cotton Row 10K.  It was not my best finish, but I didn't finish last. (Whew!)  For at least the first 3 miles or so, the police was right up on my rear.  And that certainly was not a good feeling.  There was a handful of runners slightly ahead of me and as long as I kept them in my sight, I felt I could have a good finish. I started feeling good about the race when, after I recovered from the 'monster' hill at mile 3, I got my 2nd wind.  Miles 3 and 4 were relatively level and mile 4 was shady for most of the span.  About half-way into mile 4, I past 2 of the runners (they were older than me -  60+ - which made me feel a little guilty about feeling good about passing them.  I made good momentum going downhill into mile 5.  About halfway into mile 5, I passed the last runner I had been 'chasing' the whole race. I don't think this lady liked this because she made certain that she crossed the finish line before I did.

Official time - 1:33:41 (pace - 15:06/mil)

My mobile phone GPS app registered my distance a little farther than the actual course (I did short it about 30 sec before crossing the start line).

My knees didn't pain me much during the race and as along as I was moving (thanks to 2 Advils before).  But once I sat down fro awhile, my knees did get stiff.  I definitely will take a long soak tonight. (LOL).

Returing from MIA - What I Learned (and Felt) Today After Missing 2 Weeks of Running

I didn't realize it, but up until today, I had missed almost 2 straight weeks of training (last run was 4/25).  I've had pain in my lower back then in my upper back (around my shoulder) so I skipped working out altogether.  I had been painting a room in house the past couple of weekends and had been doing some (relatively) intense hills jogging after work with my co-worker, so I decided to listen my body and pull back.

Well, today I decided to re-join my co-worker and get back on the wagon - for a long run (but less hills than before).  The two of us had registered for a 10K on Memorial Day so we knew we needed to put in the work if we were going to have a modest performance (under 1:30) for the upcoming 10K.  Admittedly both my co-worker and I were markedly slower - she hadn't run for about a week herself because she had been suffering with pain in her lower back and leg.  My knees felt OK - but my legs and my butt definitely felt the burn.  I've been using a new joint supplement (Move Free) for the past couple of weeks, and my knees certainly didn't pain or ache as much while I was running.  My co-worker and I finished a 10K distance and more (6.54 mi) in a relatively decent time (1:50), so running at this pace (16:40) we should finish this 10K about 1:38. 

Perhaps my biggest regret these past 2 weeks is that I didn't do any form of exercise - even just in the pool for some water-tredding or pool running.  Anything to keep the body moving.  I do certainly believe that cross training (weight training, cycling, etc.) has a synergistic effect on one's running.  I notice that even when I skip running and do a few days of cross training, I do notice that the running doesn't pain my knees as much.  Since I've been home relaxing, my legs have really stiffened up - I hadn't noticed much swelling but definitely some pain.  Definitely will ice the knees tonight.

Double Duty Day

Today I pulled double duty by walking at lunch then jogging after work.

Having only 30:00 for lunch, a co-worker and I walked about 2 miles (1.94 mi - per my smartphone GPS app - Trimble Outdoors AllSport GPS).  It certainly was hot at noon, but we managed to get through it. Since I'm training for the Statute to Statute 15K in less than 2 weeks, we hit a couple of hills.

I used the Trimble App this time since the app generates some neat charts and graphics to analysis your workout - you can actually retrieve them from the Trimble website (unlike the Adidas micoach which generates charts and graphs as well, but only on your smartphone).

 

Apparently I didn't get enough 'punishment' at lunch since another co-worker and I took a long jog after work.  Again we followed most of the hilly course we took on Monday and added a little more distance (6.2 mi, 1:48:00, 987 cal - distance and time based on co-worker's Garmin and cal based on my fitness watch).

WHO'S BAD!!!

(OH that Epsom salt hot soak was so G-O-O-D!!!)

ELEVATING MY TRAINING (training run #2 for Statute to Statute run)

Well, I jogged this afternoon after work with one of my co-workers.  I told her that my goals today were 2-fold:  distance and hills.  I wasn't as much concerned about my time as I was with these 2 factors.  I haven't gotten in much mileage in the last couple of weeks (rain, cold, illness, work, etc.) and my 15K (Statute to Statute - which is a very hilly course I have been told) is a couple of weeks.  So if I had any chance of even finishing that race, I really need to crunch up the miles and the hills. 

Well, I think we really gave ourselves a great workout.  My favorite GPS app on my phone won't boot up (Adidas micoach) so I relied on my co-worker Garmin watch (looked like she had the FR70 (has most features I think I would use - my co-worker since very impressed with it).

5.54 mi, 1:33:00 - not bad at all!

HILLS! HILLS! HILLS!

Well, after a very surprising finish at last Saturday's 5K (finished Rumpshaker in 43:41, a 14:05-/mil pace - the official chip time), I've turned my attentions to a run that I been advertised as the South's TOUGHEST 15K - the Ellis Porch  Statute 2 Statute 15K Run. I have been told by those who have done the race describe the course as very hilly - as the race starts and finishes at two ionic landmarks in the city.  I've been trying to  find a course map online so I could at least drive the course so I would know what to expect.  I've started working on increasing my distances and elevations in my training runs  - this afternoon's being the 1st such training run.  I started a little later this afternoon that I had planned so I didn't go as far as I liked (only 3.6 mi) but I certainly increased elevations.  Considering I think I did great - 3.4 mi, 53:11, (15:38/mil pace), 662 cal.  Hopefully I'll find that course map online - the race is on the 20th of this month.

Battled the humidity to do a tempo run & the humidity won

Well, I attempted a tempo run this evening, but the humidity didn't cooperate. Also, the route I took this time had more hills (at least more elevations) than I usually run - which was a good change. I walked 5:00, then ran 5:00 - for almost 40:00.  I really wanted to walk 5:00, then run about 10:00-15:00, but I just couldn't run more than 5:00 at a time.   I was soaking wet with sweat when I finished!

I'm still using a workout tracking app on my phone (Adidas micoach), which syncs your workouts online on the website - Adidas micoach site.  It's not as versatile as most of the high-end GPS trainers/fitness watches - but it does give you some very good stats.   Here's a screen shot of one of the graphs generated for my run this evening:

I would highly recommend the site to anyone who doesn't want to/can't afford those watches.