Don't Dread the Tread

There's one thing absolutely guaranteed about fitness: options.  One of my all-time favorite things about exercise is the almost limitless variety of healthy stuff to do in my city; if I am bored it is my own darn fault.  We have running clubs, boot camp, cross fit, spinning studios, full-service gyms, personal training studios, a rock climbing gym, our own triathlon and marathon, and miles of beautiful hiking and biking trails.  You have to really try hard to claim ignorance to convince anyone around here that you can't get any exercise.  I'm lucky!

So with all of the options around, sometimes I wonder why I keep ending up on a treadmill.  The answer is simple: I like it.  I work out on a treadmill at least twice a week and its more versatile than you think.  Here's a few things I do to get a great workout on a treadmill; if you hate them I'll give you your calories back.

1. Add Intervals!
I'll admit it - running for an hour on a treadmill is boring. I spice it up by doing intervals, and use a great podcast by Skip Orem, who runs the site http://www.getfitpod.com/.  I like episode #138, the Reserve Request HIIT Running Workout for the Treadmill, but there are others as well including podcasts for walkers.  Skip tells you when to run, when to walk, and takes you from leisurely walk to omygodiamgonnapuke in literally 60 seconds. But don't worry, if you do puke, you can hit pause. Skip will wait.

2. Change Direction!
Every few minutes, add 30-60 seconds of  side shuffles or backwards walking to your treadmill workout. The most important thing to keep in mind here is safety - hang on to the side rails until you get your balance so you don't fall and get injured. Then you won't get to workout at all, which is pretty much the opposite of what we're trying to accomplish.  Check out this video for an example of the side-shuffle.  It's a great way to work different parts of your legs, increase your coordination, and work on overall balance. 

3. Mess with the Controls!
Running and walking uphill automatically makes your body work harder and burn more calories.  Plus its great for your butt, and shorts season is coming up so you might want to consider adding some hills to your workout!  Every minute or so, go all "diabolical robot takes over the command center" and mess with the controls on your treadmill.  Increase the incline, speed up the belt, and just wreak havoc on your central nervous system.  Not only will the time fly by, your body will get a great workout just trying to stay one step ahead of you. 

It gets a bad rap for being boring, but your treadmill doesn't have to be a dreadmill!  Stop being so mean to your treadmill and give it another chance!

Good day!

Oh Captain, My Captain

It's a bittersweet week at the gym.  It's Captain Awesome's last week.  Well, it's his last week training the morning crew.  A couple of weeks ago he announced that at the end of the month he would be changing his schedule and working at night.  Something about grad school, an MBA, blah blah blah, I don't know, I wasn't really listening.  I was too busy trying to pick up the pieces of my broken life.

Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration.  I think I took it pretty well, actually.  The last time he said he was leaving I almost cried.  And then he didn't leave.  But this time he really is.  We met our new trainer, Justin.  He seems cool and I am sure he will be great.  If he's not, I'll make him be great. 

So now we are in our week of lasts.  Today was our last Plyometric Monday.  I jumped over the box.  I JUMPED OVER THE BOX.  For real.  Four risers.  Jumped over it.  I was so estatic that I stood up on my box, saluted Awesome, and said in my best theatre-student voice, "Oh Captain, my Captain."  Unfortunately, Captain Awesome is just a wee whippersnapper who was probably in daycare when that movie came out.

Here's the clip in case you fall into that category.  I highly recommend you watching the whole thing because:

Robert Sean Leonard is soooooo cute. 

I should add him to my Facebook album of Cute Boys Who Look Like My Husband.  Ethan Hawke is cute, too, but not so much in the tall, dark, and handsome way.  Robin Williams is annoying.  Robert Sean Leonard is not in this scene because, well, if you haven't seen it I don't want to ruin it for you.  Anyway, watch it and you'll understand.

So, this week is a tribute to Captain Awesome, who is by far the best trainer I have had to date, and which will likely inflate his already secure ego and make the rest of the week miserable for everyone.  I will really miss working out with him, so much that I kind of hope he flunks out of graduate school so he will come back and teach me how to do cool stuff.

Have you hugged your trainer today? 

Five is the new six

Okay, so I didn't run six miles today, but I did run five, thanks to my friends Emma, Vicky, and Co. 

A 5:30 am start and a nice drippy humid jaunt around the neighborhood was just what I needed to reconnect with the reality that yes, my legs can actually move continuously for more than three miles.  And it was easy!

And now I am really looking forward to my Saturday morning group run because it kicked my butt last week and now I'm all, "shut up humid hills, I am soooo over you."  And the hills are all, "whatever, you said that last week and walked half of it," and I'm all, "well that was then and this is now so shove it," and they're all, "yeah, well, your shorts look dumb with that shirt," and I'm all, "talk to the hand 'cause the face ain't listening!" 

Anyway, group running is a new thing for me.  I've always eschewed group fitness because, well, as hard as this may be for anyone who knows me to believe, I am actually pretty anti-social.  Stop laughing.  It's true! I guard my workout time like a dollar I found in the dryer - it's mine, allll mine! People who tried to talk to me in the gym got short, curt answers that said, "I'm busy, please move on."  I don't work as hard when I am chatting, and I try to follow the same consideration for others when they are working out. 

People who workout with me in the mornings will tell you I fail miserably at this. 

Anyway, group running is a whole different story.  Listening to the chatter of others, engaging in conversation with a fellow runner, or just having the accountability of being with other people makes running infinitely more enjoyable.  In fact, studies (translation: articles I read on the internet) show that running in a group increases motivation, provides a more supportive environment, challenges us to beat a personal best, and can even enhance your career.  And naturally, running in a group is a lot safer, too, especially when a group of women run together long enough that their periods start to sync up and they can combine that primal aggression. 

Seriously, a whole pack of women high on hormones?  I'm scared of that

and I'm one of them.

Anyway, my five miles this morning were a cinch because I made myself more accountable and surrounded myself with distractions from what would normally have been a boring run.  I really can't wait to do it again.  If you're interested in finding a running club in your area, check out this resource that can help you do it. 

Good day!  And good run!

Ask Me About the Day I Overslept

Short story short: I didn't run 6 miles today.

I totally planned to.  I laid out my clothes, gave myself a pep talk, and then proceeded to sleep through the whole dang thing.  When my alarm rang at 6:30 I realized I had set it wrong and developed a new-found appreciation for the power of my subconcious.

So now I have to run six miles tomorrow, which will be a huge pain because I'll have to get up monster early, but whatever. It's gotta happen eventually and there is no time like tomorrow!

I'm actually really bummed.  I know I needed the sleep but I was looking forward to battling it out with the pavement.  But the bright side is that I have the rest of the day to anticipate my run tomorrow!

And figure out when I am going to fit in today's cardio.....hmmm....hello lunchtime elliptical!

Well, at least there is a bright side.  And, its a reminder that wellness isn't a one-shot deal.  Just as wellness is something that needs constant awareness, it is also a self-renewing goal.  Every day is another chance to be awesome at it, and that means you never lose. 

I missed the mark today but I racked up some needed sleep and feel better as a result.  No worries; tomorrow you can ask me about the six miles I ran. :)

Good day!

I am going to run 6 miles

I am writing this here so I will actually do it:

I am going to run 6 miles tomorrow. 

See, I'm training for a half-marathon in October, but have yet to consistenly run more than 4 or 5 miles at a stretch.  On Saturday I went out with this new running group that does 5 miles (plus more for people who want to add on) and it kicked my butt.  After a summer of doing intervals instead of distance, I am way out of running shape.  Since it is so miserably hot here in the summer, even at 5:30 in the morning, I usually take a break from distance running until the fall. 

So like the kids who will be getting those cruel back to school wake-up calls next week, my body is trying fruitlessly to find the snooze button once the running portion of the workout extends past 45 seconds.

My body: Make it stop!  I'm not ready yet!

Me: You'll thank me later, freshman.

So, purely for accountability, I am making a public declaration that tomorrow I will run six miles.  Please ask me about it later in the day if you see me.  Maybe I should make a little pin to wear that says, "ask me about the six miles I ran today."  :)

Six miles is nothing to some people, I know that.  But to me, it's an accomplishment.  A short attention span and fear of boredom have prevented me from breaking out of the standard 30-minute 3-mile run for years.  And I guess that's why I signed up for the half marathon - its a mental challenge as well as physical!

Okay, so there you have it.  I'm issued myself a dare. The next time you hear from me will be for the continuation of this post!  I know you are just sitting on the edge of your seats!  LOL 

Well try to contain yourself.  In the meantime, check out what Runner's World has to say about transitioning from 5k to 10k. 

Hey, it beats actually running one. :)

Procrastination Station

I had to work out at a hotel gym this week, and as you probably know, hotel gyms are a mixed bag.  In this case, the website described the fitness center as "state of the art."  After visiting it for a workout, I am pretty sure they were referring to preschool art. 

But, I made it work. Warmed up on the elliptical for a while, then moved over to the treadmill for my HIIT workout.  But as I started to jog, my legs weren't into it.

Please don't make us do this again, they begged. 

The treadmill did seem a little rickety and I doubted its ability to handle the pounding of some of the longer sprint intervals.  So I went back to the elliptical.  But then that treadmill totally turned the tables on me.  It began to mock me!  Taunt me!  Act all tough like it had gotten the best of me! You know I wasn't about to let that fly, so I stepped back on.  My legs did one of those heavy sighs that women do when they want you to ask what's wrong so they can tell you it's nothing.

But after a minute or two I went back to the elliptical. This was getting ridiculous.  I knew I wanted that calorie burn but man, that workout is tough!  But, time ticking, I finally sucked it up, stopped procrastinating, and did the damn thing.  The treadmill held up, I finished the intervals, and then walked up 12 flights of stairs back to my room.  Done.  Fine.  Happy now?

When I plugged in my GoWearFit and saw that I had burned 800 calories in the last hour, I was glad I did those intervals!  My workout done, I was free to start procrastinating on other things instead.  :)

Sometimes you just have to suck it up and do it. 

So go do it!

Good day!

This is how to finish a race

It's the weekend, and you know what that means: its a race to the finish between you and your head games.  So, when it's Saturday night and that second (or third or fourth) glass of wine is making it really hard to remember why you decided to stop eating brownies, I want you to think about this video and how you want to start Monday morning.

(hint: that would be without a food hangover)

The good people at Triumph Triathlon (on Twitter @triumphtri) posted it on Twitter this morning and reminded me that Friday is the starting gun on the big race between me and my metabolism.  Thanks guys! I have a plan to make it to Monday, do you?

Sweat-a-thon!

I have this running route that I like to do on Saturdays.  It is five miles, really hilly, and kicks my butt every time. Plus, its reallllly humid these days so its really just a miserable run. But I do it anyway because I like being miserable.

But one thing I do when I am not able to complete a run is to switch to intervals: run all-out for a sprint, then walk or jog.  Sprint/walk/sprint/walk all the way home.  I did this last weekend, partly for the increased cardio and partly to get rid of a bee that was intent on following me home. Let me tell you, that was one determined bee.

As I randomly intervaled my way home I thought about all of those Couch to 5k podcasts out there and wondered if there was one for intervals.  Well of course there was!  I downloaded this high-intensity interval training podcast for the treadmill by Skip Orem at GetFitPod (okay my husband did it for me because I couldn't figure it out) and tried it out this morning.

It was great!  It was HARD!  Because I hate surprises, I listened to it on the way to the gym so I wouldn't waste my cardio time learning the workout, but it's pretty simple: run when he tells you to run, walk when he tells you to walk.  You choose the intensity, but Skip is great at challenging you to be honest about whether you are really working hard enough.  I mean, HIIT is called high-intensity for a reason!  You gotta be dead at the end!

He also has a podcast for running outside, as well as a bunch of others I haven't checked out yet.  Give it a shot!  I will definitely do it on a regular basis, and since it has plenty of room for growth, its something that can stay in my little toolbox for a long time.  Learn more about high-intensity interval training here and give it a shot when you find yourself in the middle of a run that needs a little spice.

Have a healthy day and a great weekend!