WOW!!!
That is one word to sum up the experience I had during this relay. What an adventure!! 80 miles were covered in one day by 8 amazing teammates (myself included :) We each ran 3 legs a piece. We had one minor setback but as a team, we made a great decision and we finished the race with pride and determination, never once getting down or giving up just because the hand we were dealt was a bit poor! Talk about spirit!
My personal experience was one of shock, surprise and pride. (All in that order too!) I had the 5th leg of the race. My distances were 3.35 miles, 3.4 miles and 3.45 miles. The first of the 3 was my hardest. It contained the toughest uphill for my part of the run...it was humbling! I thought I had prepared for this but really, it was tougher than it looked. I never stopped moving and I did not give up. I finished strong but slower than I wanted to. I was almost convinced at that point, I was the weak link on the team and that I had really over stepped my capabilities. The next leg came and I was determined not to give up. The weather had shifted (as we were further south) and it was the kind of weather that really feels great to run in. Warm, slight breeze and misty droplets of rain. I popped my earphones in for this leg and just let it rip! I found my pace and actually was faster than I had been the last leg and in my own training! I think I averaged a 9:11 mile that run...not my fastest time ever but faster than the 9:41 I was averaging in practice runs! I finished that leg with strong sprint, my head high and my spirits higher! I can do this! That was all I could think. I was not going to let my team down or let my perfectionism get the best of me. It didn't matter that I wasn't the strongest runner. What mattered is that I gave it my all. And I did.
The last leg was brutal. Not because of the hills, not even because my legs were done (cause they weren't, not yet) but because mid run, around mile two, my stomach began to cramp. Badly. I thought I was either going to vomit or worse! It is at a moment like this where you make the decision to either hang your head and stop and walk it out or push through, knowing that the human body is resilient and that no matter what, your mind is going to win this one! I pushed through. My pace did not slow. I did not give up. Going through my head was a quote from Goethe; 'life without pain has no meaning'. I just kept thinking that. I ran through the pain and thought, if I can do this, run a race that seemed impossible for me to even consider and finish without stopping, then I can do anything. I was not going to let the team down. I was not going to let me down. My body is stronger than I have given it credit for! I may be a perfectionist but I have been selling myself short since I have been back from my year off. I have the resiliency to give more and achieve more. I have what it takes to finish this run. And do more. If I put my mind to it I can do anything. That is something I haven't believed in a while. This relay has brought me, and that thought, back to life!
I finished that last leg just as strong as I did the first two, if not stronger. Again, I averaged about a 9:11. Not fast but consistent. And with a cramp in my gut that felt like some one had sucker-punched me with brass knuckles! The team at the exchange point every time, really makes the difference. They were my rock and my inspiration. I ran with the best group of people a girl could run with. I had the honor of being part of a team that was actually two teams, Psycho Geezers and Psycho Geezers 2, 16 people on the same road. These people are amazing! It is an experience I will draw on for years to come. It is an experience I am looking forward to having again, since we have already reserved rooms for next year at the resort we stayed in following the race! I will be ready to take on a new leg, a new challenge and succeed again at striving to be the best I can be; for my team and for me!
GO PSYCHO GEEZERS!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
workout log, April 8th 2009 or PR by ART
...or maybe it was just the adrenaline of getting under the weight!
Today was a squat workout. And yes, I hit a PR, or personal record. My goal has been to squat my body weight again. I have had some near hits but they all still fell short of where I wanted to be. Not today!
Let's travel back in time to yesterday. Yesterday, I went in to see my ART guy to get some work done on my QL. For clarification; ART is active release technique. It is soft tissue work done on an area of the body where there is a lot of scar tissue build up or extreme muscle tightness, inhibiting mobility. The QL or quadriatous lumbarous, is a group of muscles in the lower back are that I tend to lock up in on the right side only. This causes me to move inefficiently at my hips. As it goes in the body, everything is connected and chain reacts with eachother. So if one are of the body is showing signs of inefficiency, the rest of the body has a way of making up for it....and not always in a good way!
This being said, my squat workout would have been adversly affected if I did not go in and have my QL worked on like I did. I NEED my hips to move correctly for squat work
Back to today. My workout went as follows:
Squats
texas bar (55lbs)x15
75lbsx15
95lbsx10
105lbsx8
115lbsx6
125lbsx5
135lbsx3
145lbsx3
150lbsx1x4
4 singles....the first one felt great. The second one I had a spot watch form. Not low enough. The last two I felt like I hit my depth! It was a little slow coming up! I did it. Go me.
Accessary work was simple:
Circuit: 5x
Dumb Bell bench with 22.5lb dbx15
Walking lunges BWx200 meters (down our hall and back)
Finished with Tricep pressdowns with the rope 35lbsx20x5
Foam rolled it all out and I am eating breakfast telling you all about it! The moral of the story being, get your body taken care of
Today was a squat workout. And yes, I hit a PR, or personal record. My goal has been to squat my body weight again. I have had some near hits but they all still fell short of where I wanted to be. Not today!
Let's travel back in time to yesterday. Yesterday, I went in to see my ART guy to get some work done on my QL. For clarification; ART is active release technique. It is soft tissue work done on an area of the body where there is a lot of scar tissue build up or extreme muscle tightness, inhibiting mobility. The QL or quadriatous lumbarous, is a group of muscles in the lower back are that I tend to lock up in on the right side only. This causes me to move inefficiently at my hips. As it goes in the body, everything is connected and chain reacts with eachother. So if one are of the body is showing signs of inefficiency, the rest of the body has a way of making up for it....and not always in a good way!
This being said, my squat workout would have been adversly affected if I did not go in and have my QL worked on like I did. I NEED my hips to move correctly for squat work
Back to today. My workout went as follows:
Squats
texas bar (55lbs)x15
75lbsx15
95lbsx10
105lbsx8
115lbsx6
125lbsx5
135lbsx3
145lbsx3
150lbsx1x4
4 singles....the first one felt great. The second one I had a spot watch form. Not low enough. The last two I felt like I hit my depth! It was a little slow coming up! I did it. Go me.
Accessary work was simple:
Circuit: 5x
Dumb Bell bench with 22.5lb dbx15
Walking lunges BWx200 meters (down our hall and back)
Finished with Tricep pressdowns with the rope 35lbsx20x5
Foam rolled it all out and I am eating breakfast telling you all about it! The moral of the story being, get your body taken care of
Monday, April 6, 2009
workout log, April 6th 2009
Deadlifts:
I am trying to get back to being able to lift 200 off the floor. Of course then I will go for more but I have to start somewhere...
The Workout:
Deadlifts from the floor:
65x10
85x10
105x8
115x8x4
:) That is a PR to date, in both reps and speed of the bar. I am quite pleased with myself!
The rest of the workout went as follows:
Workset A:
Bent rows 80x10x5
Double Kettl Bell swings 16KGx15x5
Workset B:
Seated rows with long 2 inch bar 80x10x5
Glute Ham Raises BWx10x5
Workset C:
Biceps curls 15x15x4
Band pullaparts with a red miniband x20x4
Finished it all off with an uphill walk on the treadmill. 15% grade incline, 3.0speed for 30 minutes. Man my glutes were sore but I sure do fell like a million bucks!!
I am trying to get back to being able to lift 200 off the floor. Of course then I will go for more but I have to start somewhere...
The Workout:
Deadlifts from the floor:
65x10
85x10
105x8
115x8x4
:) That is a PR to date, in both reps and speed of the bar. I am quite pleased with myself!
The rest of the workout went as follows:
Workset A:
Bent rows 80x10x5
Double Kettl Bell swings 16KGx15x5
Workset B:
Seated rows with long 2 inch bar 80x10x5
Glute Ham Raises BWx10x5
Workset C:
Biceps curls 15x15x4
Band pullaparts with a red miniband x20x4
Finished it all off with an uphill walk on the treadmill. 15% grade incline, 3.0speed for 30 minutes. Man my glutes were sore but I sure do fell like a million bucks!!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
less is more...
That phrase always sounds like an oxymoron. Really, how can less be more? In the case of getting your strength back, it is most defiantly the truth!
Back under the squat bar...a good place to be I might add...something was off today. I was not really liking this feeling because I had set the goal weight to be lifted at 105lbs for 3 sets of 5 after all the warm ups...I barely made it with 85lbs on the first go with it. Something felt off. My coworker said I looked as though I was missing my depth by an inch or so and that I looked like I was tipping forward at the bottom. Yikes! The funny thing is, I knew I was off! I just did not know what I needed to correct. So, I took what energy I had, as funky as it was, and cranked out a decent squat workout none the less.
The workout:
Bar 15 reps x1
65lbs 12 reps x1
75lbs 10 reps x1
85lbs 8 reps x3
Single Arm Kettle Bell Swings 20 reps each arm
Bottoms-up Squats with one bell 20 reps
4x
Used the 16KG bell for this super set. It killed me by the end, but I was able to practice going to my depth and work on my breathing. Today I did less exercies and I only worked for about 45 minutes. Let's hope next week's squat workout is a bit better, energy wise, than today...though less work today was indeed productive.
Back under the squat bar...a good place to be I might add...something was off today. I was not really liking this feeling because I had set the goal weight to be lifted at 105lbs for 3 sets of 5 after all the warm ups...I barely made it with 85lbs on the first go with it. Something felt off. My coworker said I looked as though I was missing my depth by an inch or so and that I looked like I was tipping forward at the bottom. Yikes! The funny thing is, I knew I was off! I just did not know what I needed to correct. So, I took what energy I had, as funky as it was, and cranked out a decent squat workout none the less.
The workout:
Bar 15 reps x1
65lbs 12 reps x1
75lbs 10 reps x1
85lbs 8 reps x3
Single Arm Kettle Bell Swings 20 reps each arm
Bottoms-up Squats with one bell 20 reps
4x
Used the 16KG bell for this super set. It killed me by the end, but I was able to practice going to my depth and work on my breathing. Today I did less exercies and I only worked for about 45 minutes. Let's hope next week's squat workout is a bit better, energy wise, than today...though less work today was indeed productive.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Back for Seconds
When a client suggests a workout for YOU to try, proceed with caution. Remember, you make THEM sweat!
Let me back track a little here. Last Friday I did my first interval work in a long time. I was very excited to say the least! I happen to have a client that used to be a track athlete and likes to talk to me about my running adventures. Naturally, when he asked me Saturday, how my workouts were, I shared with him my first Friday interval work. He proceeds to tell me what he did in his track days before even doing a drill like the one I did last week. I thought, really? My workout didn't seem that advanced. But what do I know? I never ran for a track team. He told me exactly what I should do for my next workout. He finished with a grin, "Many of us joined the golden bucket club after one of these workouts". Oh goodie, I thought to myself. But I do not like to back down from a challenge, so I stubbornly say that I will give it a go this week! That brings us to today. My second Friday of interval work. As I told my client last Saturday, I was going to do his suggested workout. I was psyched up and ready for it. It sounded tough! Was I right...
The workout: on a treadmill
Warm up: 1 mile at a 9:24 pace
Work: 400m sprint at a 6:40 mile pace/400m recovery/walk
**Do this as many times as I can (My client says the team did it 8x! He told me I may only get out 4x if I was lucky.)
I did 4x.
Keep in mind I am not a trained sprinter and this is a slow 400! When you do a workout like this, the first thing to really give out is your legs. In fact I was on my 4th recovery and I began to bring my pace back up from a walk to a run and thought "I can do one more 400!" My lungs weren't burning from the last set anymore. I did not feel ready to join any golden bucket club. I was thinking I might go for it! As my legs turned over each other, they became the voice of reason. If legs could talk, I believe what they said was "Hell No!" I wanted to continue the run as a cool down for at least a half a mile. My legs really didn't want to go anymore and so, after 400m at a cool down run pace, I hit the stop button. Getting off the treadmill to walk around and further cool down was like having an out of body experience. My legs were like jello, and seemed to be moving independently of my body. All I could think was "This was a good interval workout!" Next week I will at least do what I can to stay on the treadmill for a full 1/2 mile cool down run after 4x400m.
I must remember to properly thank my client for his 'workout suggestion'! I must also thank my legs for not letting me push anymore today than necessary. It was not my day to join the golden bucket club. Maybe another day and another post....
Let me back track a little here. Last Friday I did my first interval work in a long time. I was very excited to say the least! I happen to have a client that used to be a track athlete and likes to talk to me about my running adventures. Naturally, when he asked me Saturday, how my workouts were, I shared with him my first Friday interval work. He proceeds to tell me what he did in his track days before even doing a drill like the one I did last week. I thought, really? My workout didn't seem that advanced. But what do I know? I never ran for a track team. He told me exactly what I should do for my next workout. He finished with a grin, "Many of us joined the golden bucket club after one of these workouts". Oh goodie, I thought to myself. But I do not like to back down from a challenge, so I stubbornly say that I will give it a go this week! That brings us to today. My second Friday of interval work. As I told my client last Saturday, I was going to do his suggested workout. I was psyched up and ready for it. It sounded tough! Was I right...
The workout: on a treadmill
Warm up: 1 mile at a 9:24 pace
Work: 400m sprint at a 6:40 mile pace/400m recovery/walk
**Do this as many times as I can (My client says the team did it 8x! He told me I may only get out 4x if I was lucky.)
I did 4x.
Keep in mind I am not a trained sprinter and this is a slow 400! When you do a workout like this, the first thing to really give out is your legs. In fact I was on my 4th recovery and I began to bring my pace back up from a walk to a run and thought "I can do one more 400!" My lungs weren't burning from the last set anymore. I did not feel ready to join any golden bucket club. I was thinking I might go for it! As my legs turned over each other, they became the voice of reason. If legs could talk, I believe what they said was "Hell No!" I wanted to continue the run as a cool down for at least a half a mile. My legs really didn't want to go anymore and so, after 400m at a cool down run pace, I hit the stop button. Getting off the treadmill to walk around and further cool down was like having an out of body experience. My legs were like jello, and seemed to be moving independently of my body. All I could think was "This was a good interval workout!" Next week I will at least do what I can to stay on the treadmill for a full 1/2 mile cool down run after 4x400m.
I must remember to properly thank my client for his 'workout suggestion'! I must also thank my legs for not letting me push anymore today than necessary. It was not my day to join the golden bucket club. Maybe another day and another post....
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Food For Thought
I may have mentioned before, I am a personal trainer and lifestyle coach. I teach and coach people to move and perform to beyond their expectations. I also teach and coach them how to lead healthier lives. I do so in many cases, by example. It comes to no surprise that one of the most frequently asked questions is, "What do You eat?"
Instead of listing everything I eat I have decided to give a few recipes for you to try at home. They are simple, NOT all mine and delicious. Hey, healthy and good for you do not have to be synonymous with bland!
For starters, I am a big fan of turkey burgers. Now, I make my burgers from 99% lean ground turkey. Which can be a bit dry if not done right. I recently found a recipe that uses beans as a binder and keeps the burgers moist. I wanted to change it up because I ate these burgers for 2 weeks straight!! This is what I came up with.
Southwest Turkey Burger:
Makes 4 6oz patties
15oz Black Beans (home made or canned), rinsed
-if using canned go low sodium
1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
2TBSP low sodium salsa OR pico de gio
12oz 99% lean ground turkey
Step 1: Mix all ingredients except turkey in a food processor. Pulse until smooth
Step 2: in a large bowl, combine the black bean mixture with the turkey. Mix by hand till combined
Step 3: Divide the mixture in to 4 equal parts. form each part into a 1/4 inch patty
step 4: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. coat it with cooking spray. Cook patties for 4-6 minutes a side.
Serve on a whole grain bun with fresh spinach, sliced tomatoes and onions. No mayonnaise or ketchup required!
**This recipe was inspired by one I followed in the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of Clean Eating and also, by a client of mine. Thank you Laura!
Roasted Butternut Squash with Thyme
serves 4
1lb cubed butternut squash (this can be found precut and packaged at Trader Joe's or Jewel!)
1TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1-2TBSP fresh or dried thyme plus extra
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh grated parmigiano-regiano (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375
In a large bowl toss the cubed butternut squash with the olive oil and thyme. Spread the mixture over a large baking sheet or roasting pan
Roast for 30-40 minutes or until squash is fork tender and golden. Turn the squash occasionally to get even browning.
Remove from the oven. Transfer to a heat safe serving bowl. Toss with sea salt, pepper and extra thyme if desired. Add the fresh grated parmigiano-regiano and serve!
**I have no idea where I got this recipe but I would like to thank whoever inspired me to make and share this!!
A Yummy Mustard Glaze for Salmon (or other proteins):
4tsp of dry mustard powder
4tsp water
1/2tsp rice wine vinegar
1tsp wheat free tamari or low sodium soy sauce
1/2tsp of stevia (a calorie free sweetener 3x as potent as sugar!!) OR 3/4tsp of real sugar
1TBSP dark maple syrup
In a small bowl, whisk together everything except the maple syrup. Once combined whisk in the syrup. Brush on top of your prepped salmon or chicken or what ever, bake or grill and enjoy!
This will keep one week in a tightly covered container in the fridge
**Inspired by a recipe from March 2009 Food and Wine
Bon Appetite!
Instead of listing everything I eat I have decided to give a few recipes for you to try at home. They are simple, NOT all mine and delicious. Hey, healthy and good for you do not have to be synonymous with bland!
For starters, I am a big fan of turkey burgers. Now, I make my burgers from 99% lean ground turkey. Which can be a bit dry if not done right. I recently found a recipe that uses beans as a binder and keeps the burgers moist. I wanted to change it up because I ate these burgers for 2 weeks straight!! This is what I came up with.
Southwest Turkey Burger:
Makes 4 6oz patties
15oz Black Beans (home made or canned), rinsed
-if using canned go low sodium
1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
2TBSP low sodium salsa OR pico de gio
12oz 99% lean ground turkey
Step 1: Mix all ingredients except turkey in a food processor. Pulse until smooth
Step 2: in a large bowl, combine the black bean mixture with the turkey. Mix by hand till combined
Step 3: Divide the mixture in to 4 equal parts. form each part into a 1/4 inch patty
step 4: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. coat it with cooking spray. Cook patties for 4-6 minutes a side.
Serve on a whole grain bun with fresh spinach, sliced tomatoes and onions. No mayonnaise or ketchup required!
**This recipe was inspired by one I followed in the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of Clean Eating and also, by a client of mine. Thank you Laura!
Roasted Butternut Squash with Thyme
serves 4
1lb cubed butternut squash (this can be found precut and packaged at Trader Joe's or Jewel!)
1TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1-2TBSP fresh or dried thyme plus extra
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh grated parmigiano-regiano (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375
In a large bowl toss the cubed butternut squash with the olive oil and thyme. Spread the mixture over a large baking sheet or roasting pan
Roast for 30-40 minutes or until squash is fork tender and golden. Turn the squash occasionally to get even browning.
Remove from the oven. Transfer to a heat safe serving bowl. Toss with sea salt, pepper and extra thyme if desired. Add the fresh grated parmigiano-regiano and serve!
**I have no idea where I got this recipe but I would like to thank whoever inspired me to make and share this!!
A Yummy Mustard Glaze for Salmon (or other proteins):
4tsp of dry mustard powder
4tsp water
1/2tsp rice wine vinegar
1tsp wheat free tamari or low sodium soy sauce
1/2tsp of stevia (a calorie free sweetener 3x as potent as sugar!!) OR 3/4tsp of real sugar
1TBSP dark maple syrup
In a small bowl, whisk together everything except the maple syrup. Once combined whisk in the syrup. Brush on top of your prepped salmon or chicken or what ever, bake or grill and enjoy!
This will keep one week in a tightly covered container in the fridge
**Inspired by a recipe from March 2009 Food and Wine
Bon Appetite!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Friday of Firsts
For a number of different reasons today was a day of firsts...not necessarily first TIMES...but definitely some first time work in a long time.
First time doing a long cycle (or clean and jerk) set in 4 months. First time doing jerks in 4 months. First time neither shoulder hurt or felt tight in 4 weeks. First time running sprint intervals in who knows how long.
Today's workout was invigorating and full filling on many levels. Not to mention a bit sweaty!
Warm up: Swings with the 16kg 5x15 ea side
Long Cycle 8kg 1x10
...I felt really good so I amped up the weight....
Long Cycle 12kg 5x5
Jerks for Speed 3x10 (burnt out after 3 sets so I called time)
On to the treadmill for intervals. I am still getting ready for the River to River Relay. This interval work had to start out slow but I have a goal in mind.
Warm up 1/4 mile at my run pace of a 9:31 mile
The work was:
300 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 300 meters
200 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 200 meters
100 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 100 meters
100 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 100 meters
200 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 200 meters
300 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 300 meters
Cool down 1/4 mile at my 9:31 run pace
The workout lasted 2 miles. My goal is to make the workout 3 miles. I will do this by increasing the warm up to 1/2 a mile and the cool down to 1 mile. I am still toying with the idea of getting this workout up to 4 miles. I may have to take a slightly different approach to do that though. The ladders are brutal as they are! It is only the first one of many. Plus, the next time I do intervals I plan on seeing just how many 400 meter laps (1/4 miles) I can do. Based on that, I will have a better idea how to progress my interval work. As it stands I have a solid 3 mile run back. Now I need to bring that to 4 miles AND prepare for intensity...the course is rumored to be just that. Ah, good times....
First time doing a long cycle (or clean and jerk) set in 4 months. First time doing jerks in 4 months. First time neither shoulder hurt or felt tight in 4 weeks. First time running sprint intervals in who knows how long.
Today's workout was invigorating and full filling on many levels. Not to mention a bit sweaty!
Warm up: Swings with the 16kg 5x15 ea side
Long Cycle 8kg 1x10
...I felt really good so I amped up the weight....
Long Cycle 12kg 5x5
Jerks for Speed 3x10 (burnt out after 3 sets so I called time)
On to the treadmill for intervals. I am still getting ready for the River to River Relay. This interval work had to start out slow but I have a goal in mind.
Warm up 1/4 mile at my run pace of a 9:31 mile
The work was:
300 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 300 meters
200 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 200 meters
100 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 100 meters
100 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 100 meters
200 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 200 meters
300 meters at a 6:41 mile pace walk 300 meters
Cool down 1/4 mile at my 9:31 run pace
The workout lasted 2 miles. My goal is to make the workout 3 miles. I will do this by increasing the warm up to 1/2 a mile and the cool down to 1 mile. I am still toying with the idea of getting this workout up to 4 miles. I may have to take a slightly different approach to do that though. The ladders are brutal as they are! It is only the first one of many. Plus, the next time I do intervals I plan on seeing just how many 400 meter laps (1/4 miles) I can do. Based on that, I will have a better idea how to progress my interval work. As it stands I have a solid 3 mile run back. Now I need to bring that to 4 miles AND prepare for intensity...the course is rumored to be just that. Ah, good times....
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