17.1.14
Minneapolis: Tracking in the Snow
14.1.14
Sunday: Long Run
It was a whopping 40* today, which meant I headed out for a long run. Since I now I have not one but two spring races I'm planning to run, I need to keep on top of things. Today was an eight mile run. Everything is still snow covered and I'm a bit lazy, so I decided to do this one with some run/walk intervals. I did 5:00 running, 1:00 walking until about mile three; then did 17:00 running, 1:00 walking once, then 11:00 running, 1:00 walking about three rounds, and ended again with 5:00 running and 1:00 walking. I picked those particular intervals becuase my app is set to 5:00/1:00, and the longer intervals just involved skipping 1 or 2 walk breaks. As you can tell from the splits, I was in exactly no hurry.
I saw Lake Hiawatha, Minnehaha Creek and the River on my run. I carried a spare camera with me and took bazillions of photos. I saw ice fishers, hockey players, skaters, dog walkers, runners, and bikers out today. I think the bikers were particularly happy to be out playing. As I was running without a hat or gloves, I had this proud feeling of having survived winter. Although I kept trying to tell myself that there's still plenty of cold left to come.
I saw Lake Hiawatha, Minnehaha Creek and the River on my run. I carried a spare camera with me and took bazillions of photos. I saw ice fishers, hockey players, skaters, dog walkers, runners, and bikers out today. I think the bikers were particularly happy to be out playing. As I was running without a hat or gloves, I had this proud feeling of having survived winter. Although I kept trying to tell myself that there's still plenty of cold left to come.
13.1.14
Weekend Workouts
It's been a few days now since my desire to work out was crushed by small children running in every direction. Tuesday was another day off school for the kiddos (any parent would tell you it's day 18 of the Christmas Vacation that wouldn't end). Things got better on Wednesday when kids went back to school and gym usage got a bit more normal.
Tuesday I hit the track for a short workout, learned how to use the weight machines, and then had a bonus Zumba lesson. I knew I was one of the more experienced people there when the teacher asked me to go fix the volume for a couple songs. I am such a grown-up! Bonus photo I took on the way to the gym. Tuesday was quite a day.
Wednesday I was at the track bright and early. I had late meetings and very few options for when to exercise. I did a longer workout, but one that's become one of my favorites, the 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 workout. (Running that number of laps, with a walking lap in between.)
Thursday was a 2.5-mile run on the track, followed by Circuit and Zumba. I find I can either leave work in time to get in no run and head straight to Circuit, or if I leave 10 minutes earlier, I have time for a 2-mile run. Because rush hour.
Friday I had a 7 mile run, same route as last week but my phone died in the midst of the run so there's only this one photo. I still love the shoes though!
Saturday I did an easy run on the Greenway, then hit up both BodyPump and Zumba. The thing I notice about Saturdays is it takes almost nothing to raise my heart rate after BodyPump. Usually in Zumba I'm jumping all over the place, but after weight lifting I'm all "no, I'm good here, with the low impact people who are not jumping". I capped off the day with a 20-minute foam roll session. (That hadn't been done as of the first draft of this post. Cross your fingers.) (Update: totally done. No worries.)
Tuesday I hit the track for a short workout, learned how to use the weight machines, and then had a bonus Zumba lesson. I knew I was one of the more experienced people there when the teacher asked me to go fix the volume for a couple songs. I am such a grown-up! Bonus photo I took on the way to the gym. Tuesday was quite a day.
Wednesday I was at the track bright and early. I had late meetings and very few options for when to exercise. I did a longer workout, but one that's become one of my favorites, the 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 workout. (Running that number of laps, with a walking lap in between.)
Friday I had a 7 mile run, same route as last week but my phone died in the midst of the run so there's only this one photo. I still love the shoes though!
Saturday I did an easy run on the Greenway, then hit up both BodyPump and Zumba. The thing I notice about Saturdays is it takes almost nothing to raise my heart rate after BodyPump. Usually in Zumba I'm jumping all over the place, but after weight lifting I'm all "no, I'm good here, with the low impact people who are not jumping". I capped off the day with a 20-minute foam roll session. (That hadn't been done as of the first draft of this post. Cross your fingers.) (Update: totally done. No worries.)
11.1.14
9.1.14
New Year's Resolution: Update
My New Year's Resolution was to be nice to the new people at the gym. I should've added while they suck my soul to live but that would be unkind. So I didn't. It would've been true, too, but that's a different post.
Saturday 1 mile on the track before BodyPump. There were no kids. Zumba after BodyPump. Similarly kid free.
Sunday 1 mile on the track and 20 minutes of stretching. I'd planned to run 4 miles but the track was so full of kids and other people that it destroyed me.
Monday I walked for over an hour with Lucinda, then ran 2 miles. I almost knocked over two different kids. Sigh.
It's good for me to see the Resolutionists haven't bothered me. Other than the parking lot being full, which is no one's fault. What seems to drive me nuts in January is the parents bringing their kids to the gym and letting them run around on the track. The situation this year is exacerbated by an extended Christmas break. For those of you not aware, after our Minnesota kids had two weeks off for Christmas, their schools are closed for at least two more days for record breaking cold. So I understand their parents are going a bit nuts after day 18 of having children at home and want to bring the kids to a place they can run off some steam.
But here's the deal with kids: Have you ever watched a little kid learning to steer a tricycle, and they're supposed to avoid obstacles like poles but instead they steer straight into them? Kids do that on the track too when they're trying to avoid runners. They will seriously run into me, walk into me, freeze in my path. Apparently it's a developmental thing that goes away as they get older. (Which is good or we'd all be driving into trees too.) Maybe we need to have "practice avoiding runner" drills they same way we have fire drills?
PS - That awesome GIF is from http://gifeye.com/2547.
Saturday 1 mile on the track before BodyPump. There were no kids. Zumba after BodyPump. Similarly kid free.
Sunday 1 mile on the track and 20 minutes of stretching. I'd planned to run 4 miles but the track was so full of kids and other people that it destroyed me.
Monday I walked for over an hour with Lucinda, then ran 2 miles. I almost knocked over two different kids. Sigh.
It's good for me to see the Resolutionists haven't bothered me. Other than the parking lot being full, which is no one's fault. What seems to drive me nuts in January is the parents bringing their kids to the gym and letting them run around on the track. The situation this year is exacerbated by an extended Christmas break. For those of you not aware, after our Minnesota kids had two weeks off for Christmas, their schools are closed for at least two more days for record breaking cold. So I understand their parents are going a bit nuts after day 18 of having children at home and want to bring the kids to a place they can run off some steam.
But here's the deal with kids: Have you ever watched a little kid learning to steer a tricycle, and they're supposed to avoid obstacles like poles but instead they steer straight into them? Kids do that on the track too when they're trying to avoid runners. They will seriously run into me, walk into me, freeze in my path. Apparently it's a developmental thing that goes away as they get older. (Which is good or we'd all be driving into trees too.) Maybe we need to have "practice avoiding runner" drills they same way we have fire drills?
PS - That awesome GIF is from http://gifeye.com/2547.
8.1.14
7 Miles - What Passes for Warm Weather
It's been colder that snot here. I mean cold. Like today there was a story in the paper about how a place up north is literally colder than Mars right now. The governor has already closed all state public schools for Monday, and about a gazillion other institutions have followed suit. Because it will be that cold.
But not today. Today was a whopping 20* by sunset, which is about 20* warmer than it's been in quite some time. As predicted, the gym crowds have crushed my desire to ever run on the track again. I decided 16* was a great temperature for an outside run. I was totally ignoring the 20mph winds and blowing snow in the forecast. I really don't like the gym in January.
I had 7 miles as my 'long run' this week. I use that term loosely right now. I'd considered hitting the Greenway which is more sheltered from the wind, but I would've had to get in my car and drive to the gym to park. Sigh. Instead I headed out for one of my favorite, and most used, seven mile routes, around Lakes Hiawatha and Nokomis. The local sidewalks were hit and miss. Some homeowners tried but didn't get very far in keeping the snow and ice off, some did a nice job, and some did better than the park board. (Park/city sidewalk on 43rd street near the golf course: I'm looking at you!) The lakes were pretty well plowed, but snow had been blown back onto the path in some places. I was in my trail shoes and they handled everything just fine and kept my feet nice and warm.
There weren't many other people out today, a few walking dogs and one or two running. Maybe the other runners didn't know it's going to be cold on Sunday and Monday. Or maybe they were at the gym. The kids were playing hockey at Lake Hiawatha. There were some cross country skiers and ice fishers on the lakes, and a lone biker on the parkway.
I realized on this run, I listen to a lot of other voices, besides my own. Sometimes to my detriment. As I was out today, this other runner ran by and I checked out what she was wearing. Bare ankles. Band over her ears but no hat and nothing on her face. I was kind of envious. For the past couple weeks, particularly in Cincinnati I endured various shades of "you're crazy", "why would you do that?" and from my Dad "don't run outside when it's cold like that". Interestingly, it was my dad's voice I remembered the most so today when I did go out I was over dressed and I still felt guilty. Which was silly, because I was well dressed and prepared for the weather and ultimately really glad I went out.
But not today. Today was a whopping 20* by sunset, which is about 20* warmer than it's been in quite some time. As predicted, the gym crowds have crushed my desire to ever run on the track again. I decided 16* was a great temperature for an outside run. I was totally ignoring the 20mph winds and blowing snow in the forecast. I really don't like the gym in January.
I had 7 miles as my 'long run' this week. I use that term loosely right now. I'd considered hitting the Greenway which is more sheltered from the wind, but I would've had to get in my car and drive to the gym to park. Sigh. Instead I headed out for one of my favorite, and most used, seven mile routes, around Lakes Hiawatha and Nokomis. The local sidewalks were hit and miss. Some homeowners tried but didn't get very far in keeping the snow and ice off, some did a nice job, and some did better than the park board. (Park/city sidewalk on 43rd street near the golf course: I'm looking at you!) The lakes were pretty well plowed, but snow had been blown back onto the path in some places. I was in my trail shoes and they handled everything just fine and kept my feet nice and warm.
There weren't many other people out today, a few walking dogs and one or two running. Maybe the other runners didn't know it's going to be cold on Sunday and Monday. Or maybe they were at the gym. The kids were playing hockey at Lake Hiawatha. There were some cross country skiers and ice fishers on the lakes, and a lone biker on the parkway.
I realized on this run, I listen to a lot of other voices, besides my own. Sometimes to my detriment. As I was out today, this other runner ran by and I checked out what she was wearing. Bare ankles. Band over her ears but no hat and nothing on her face. I was kind of envious. For the past couple weeks, particularly in Cincinnati I endured various shades of "you're crazy", "why would you do that?" and from my Dad "don't run outside when it's cold like that". Interestingly, it was my dad's voice I remembered the most so today when I did go out I was over dressed and I still felt guilty. Which was silly, because I was well dressed and prepared for the weather and ultimately really glad I went out.
7.1.14
2014 Running and Fitness Goals
Goals for 2014: as I was reviewing the data from 2013, I'd already
started thinking about what I can do the same, more, better, and
different for a great 2014.
Running: Continue to run every day, at least one mile. It's already been over 400 days, which is insane to me. We'll see how long I can keep it going.
Cross training: Add weight lifting, at least 1 hour per week. Every runner always reads about weight lifting. This year I've updated my training log to give weightlifting its own column. I can do BodyPump once per week, or do my own exercises, or youtube videos.
Cross training: Add stretching, at least 1 hour per week. Again, I gave this its own column on my training log this year. I will count Yoga, or stretching on my own at home, or foam rolling sessions. I started to realize the importance of stretching this year, and it really became part of my life as I kept running after the marathon.
Cross training: Add core work, 1 hour per week. This can be stuff like 8 minute abs or going to a Pilates class. This is a 'soft' goal because I can't quite picture how I'm going to add this to my life, but it seems like a good idea. Can we just take a moment to honor the greatness of the 8 minute abs video, and the other videos in the '8-minute' family?
Total weekly mileage: Average 28 miles per week. This is a 'soft' goal because increasing mileage without marathon training may present some challenges.
Total mileage: 1,450 for the year which matches nicely with averaging 28 miles per week. Again, this is a 'soft' goal because I keep saying I'm not running a marathon next year.
Nutrition: I know I should come up with one, but I don't have anything specific enough in my mind right now. My current goal may actually be to track my eating for all of February. I'm giving myself January off.
Running: Continue to run every day, at least one mile. It's already been over 400 days, which is insane to me. We'll see how long I can keep it going.
Cross training: Add weight lifting, at least 1 hour per week. Every runner always reads about weight lifting. This year I've updated my training log to give weightlifting its own column. I can do BodyPump once per week, or do my own exercises, or youtube videos.
Cross training: Add stretching, at least 1 hour per week. Again, I gave this its own column on my training log this year. I will count Yoga, or stretching on my own at home, or foam rolling sessions. I started to realize the importance of stretching this year, and it really became part of my life as I kept running after the marathon.
Cross training: Add core work, 1 hour per week. This can be stuff like 8 minute abs or going to a Pilates class. This is a 'soft' goal because I can't quite picture how I'm going to add this to my life, but it seems like a good idea. Can we just take a moment to honor the greatness of the 8 minute abs video, and the other videos in the '8-minute' family?
Total weekly mileage: Average 28 miles per week. This is a 'soft' goal because increasing mileage without marathon training may present some challenges.
Total mileage: 1,450 for the year which matches nicely with averaging 28 miles per week. Again, this is a 'soft' goal because I keep saying I'm not running a marathon next year.
Nutrition: I know I should come up with one, but I don't have anything specific enough in my mind right now. My current goal may actually be to track my eating for all of February. I'm giving myself January off.
6.1.14
2013 In Running
I was checking out this post and the title caught my eye. How many miles did you run in 2013? I actually know the answer to that question. Last year I tried a new thing with the training log related to a savings plan. Because of the changes, I have all my training data for 2013 in one place. Excellent.
Total miles: 1,421.18; Goal was 1,000
Total miles run: 1,278.266666666 (the fraction has to do with running on a track that's 1/6 of a mile). Running miles includes outdoor, indoor track and treadmill. Goal was to run at least 1 mile per day.
Total miles walked: 70.6 No specific goal.
Total 'miles' on the elliptical: 72.83333333 (I really thought that number would be higher) No specific goal.
Weekly average miles: 27.33 miles per week
Another perk of this training log is having good information about scheduling running. In 2013 apparently Monday was my rest day and Wednesday was a second day of slackerdom. Friday was my 'long run' day most weeks, so it should be the highest. This totally coincides with my work schedule too. Currently, Mondays are usually a 10 hour day and I have Fridays off.
For cross training, I measured in minutes across all kinds of activities. I did most of my cross training in Circuit Class and Zumba (it's excellent for hip strength, as well as lateral stability) on Thursdays and Saturdays. Not much happened those other days. I was probably out running instead.
Total miles: 1,421.18; Goal was 1,000
Total miles run: 1,278.266666666 (the fraction has to do with running on a track that's 1/6 of a mile). Running miles includes outdoor, indoor track and treadmill. Goal was to run at least 1 mile per day.
Total miles walked: 70.6 No specific goal.
Total 'miles' on the elliptical: 72.83333333 (I really thought that number would be higher) No specific goal.
Weekly average miles: 27.33 miles per week
Another perk of this training log is having good information about scheduling running. In 2013 apparently Monday was my rest day and Wednesday was a second day of slackerdom. Friday was my 'long run' day most weeks, so it should be the highest. This totally coincides with my work schedule too. Currently, Mondays are usually a 10 hour day and I have Fridays off.
For cross training, I measured in minutes across all kinds of activities. I did most of my cross training in Circuit Class and Zumba (it's excellent for hip strength, as well as lateral stability) on Thursdays and Saturdays. Not much happened those other days. I was probably out running instead.
3.1.14
Mileage
My car usually gets great gas mileage. Except in cold weather. Cold weather makes both me and my car miserable. Sigh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Instagram