Where's the Beach?

Leg Day Happy Hump Day! This morning I headed out for a nice 6-mile solo run. It was just a tad cooler, 69 degrees. At this point, any single degree cooler I'll gladly take. I forgot to bring my sunglasses with me though. It's crazy how early the sun is up now. I misjudged that one once again. I'm still slacking on my leg workouts. I've just not been consistent at all. So today I decided to get in my legs during lunch. That way I couldn't make up excuses to put it off again. I know that I desperately need to strengthen my glutes and hamstrings, as well as vastus medialis and lateralis. Oh and then of course quads and calves. In other words, there are a LOT of exercises I should be doing. Because I was short on time, I decided to go with a circuit, gearing the exercises more for running and my current imbalances. Of course, it would be a good one for anyone. Start with a 5-minute warm up to get the blood flowing and loosen up your joints. Choose a weight that...

Running and Enjoying the Weekend This weekend was super productive. I got in 2 pretty good runs, definitely better than Friday's run. Saturday I set out for 4-5 miles. It was really hot (go figure) so I was trying to be flexible about my miles. If it was just too much, then I'd stop early. There's really no reason why I must get in 5 miles, or any for that matter.  They weren't just easy peasy, but so much better than the previous day. I definitely pushed myself for some pretty good splits. My first mile was 9:10, then I got in 8:53, 8:54 then a holy-crap 8:36. I messed up my lap on mile 5 so I don't know exactly what that one was, but my overall average was 8:53.  Now, I need to shave off about 10 seconds from that and be able to sustain for 13.1 miles and I'll be good to go for my next half ;-) Oh, good to know lesson learned - ice pack on the back of your neck after a hot run is amazing. I can't believe I haven't been doing that all summ...

Sprints & Legs This morning I had kind of sort of hoped to wake up when Jason got up for swim so I could get in some kickboxing. However, he apparently decided not to go so he didn't get up, which means neither did I. So, the next plan was to get in a speed workout. We hadn't done a speed workout since that last wonderful one when it was 103 degrees out. Sadly, that one actually felt better than today. We did the same set up as the last one - 1.1 mile run over to the park. Then 8 35-40 second intervals with rest between. The rest times became more sporadic depending upon the puke factor that was happening. While it was cooler out, index 89, the humidity was insane. It felt like it should have been raining, but it wouldn't. Seriously sweating the minute I started moving. My lungs were not happy at all. I had such a hard time breathing today. I never seemed to get it completely under control. But, I managed my intervals at a decent time somehow, miracle or delus...

2 on Thursday - Running & Legs This morning the alarm went off terribly early (5:15). Part of me wanted to reset the alarm and just run later. But, we got out of bed and got ready in a fog of early morning sleepiness. Maybe it's for the best that way. Not awake enough to even balk at the idea of running at that hour. I am glad we got it done. It was already a very muggy 70 degrees at 5:40 am. Today I did have a harder time settling into a pace than I did on Tuesday. My legs felt pretty heavy, but that usually happens by Thursday. So it makes sense that our splits were all over the place. The first one was 9:48, then 9:08, then an 8:58 (which is nuts because that one included a no-joke hill) then slowed back to a 9:16. Talk about inconsistent. We sort of meandered a little off our usual route, this is how we came upon an unexpected hill...or three. And it's not the kind of hills you just power up quickly. Nope, these are those sneaky long inclines that never seem to e...

Leg Day Originally I had planned on getting in a run today. But the weather had other plans. It wasn't raining, but the winds are a breezy 35 mph. Um, I love running, but I do NOT love fighting the wind. So, I took the "easy" route and hit the gym for legs. Yes, easy route haha. I started with the elliptical to warmup and low and behold, the short tights guy was there again today on the rowing machine next to me. Thankfully his shorts were longer today ;-) I went with giants sets of 4 sets of 8 reps unless noted. GS#1 Barbell squats Barlbell plie squats Hamstring roll-ins on ball - 12 GS#2 Single-leg squat Calf raises - 15 (2 sets with toes straight ahead and 2 sets with toes turned out) Curtsey lunges w/ dumbbells I definitely should have gone heavier for barbell squats. Right now I'm not really feeling it at all. But we'll see tomorrow. I really need to come up with a solid leg workout to help with all of my crazy imbalances, but also one that...

Kidney Stones & Eating I must start off by thanking everyone for their well wishes for Jason in regards to yesterday's post . Right now he's still in pain and just waiting for the stones to pass. If that doesn't happen soon, then they will have to do surgery (not sure how invasive the procedure is to be honest). So, fingers crossed that doesn't have to happen. I started looking up information about kidney stones - apparently I forgot everything from the last time this happened. Some causes can be eating foods too rich in oxalate. And apparently everything we eat is on this list . From sweet potatoes, peppers, beans, and soy to wheat, coffee, and even blueberries. Apparently we should be eating mangoes, cheese, graham crackers, cauliflower, and beef, ham, or poultry according to a list of low-oxalate foods . Um, no to the meat for starters. And where do you get a good balance of nutrients from when apparently most fruits and vegetables are high-oxalate foods? ...

Leg Day Today has been nothing but rain, rain, more rain and gray skies. Definitely one of those days when you'd prefer to stay inside and veg out on the couch. Thankfully my workout motivation wasn't as drab as the day. Oddly enough, I was looking forward to getting my leg workout done. I started with 20 minutes on the elliptical then went with supersets of 3x8 unless noted. Barbell squats - warmup set of 10 reps SS#1 Barbell squats Plie squats SS#2 Steps ups Stiff-legged deadlifts SS#3 Bulgarian split squat (though I think of these as a split lunge...) Hamstring rollins on stability ball - 12 reps SS#4 Narrow stance squats with dumbbells Calf raises with toes turned out - 20 reps I also did some ab work. Overall, a pretty good workout. I did lower the weights for squats by 5 lb because I felt like last week my form was a little off. It might be that I'm subconsciously trying to avoid putting weight on my right heel, so something I really need to p...

Leg Day While the time change sure made it hard to get up this morning, it was a gorgeous, sunny day. This means you can really appreciate the time change in the evening. Yesterday it was dark and rainy so you really didn't get the full effect. While I would have loved to have gotten out for a run, I knew I needed to stick to the gym. I ended up working through lunch and just going to the gym at 3 today. I thought the gym would be totally deserted, but oddly enough, it wasn't. I thought I was going to have to throw down with some guys to keep my space and a bar ;-) I went with legs. I figured I'd been putting off my leg workout long enough. I really wasn't super excited about it, but once I got going, it was all good. I did increase weights for 3 exercises as well. After a 20-minute warmup on the elliptical, I went with supersets of 3x8 unless noted. Barbell squats - warmup set of 10 reps SS#1 Barbell squats - increased weights Barbell plie squats - increased...

Leg Day Oh man, another sluggish feeling day. Today I'll blame the weather though. We have a major storm front moving in, so it's a gloomy day. Luckily the storms held off until the evening. So, no swimming over to the gym ;-) Once I got started, I picked up steam pretty quickly. I did about 20 minutes on the elliptical as a warm up before moving on to legs. I went with supersets doing mostly 3x8 unless noted. Warmup set of barbell squats - 12 reps SS#1 Barbell squats Stiff-legged deadlifts SS#2 Narrow stance dumbbell squats Hamstring roll-ins on ball - 12 reps SS#3 Bulgarian split squat with dumbbells Calf raises - 12 reps SS#4 Firewalkers (4 steps right, 4 steps left = 1 rep) - 6 reps Plie squats with low-end pulse, single dumbbell held in both hands After the workout, it was back to work. The only downfall about doing legs midday is the sitting after. I had to remind myself to get up and move around frequently so my legs wouldn't be dead weights. B...

Leg Day & Glee at the Gym This morning I woke up far too early on a Saturday. But, it meant I got my workout done and over with earlier rather than later. I really did not want to go to the gym. I mean, to the point of wanting to throw a 2-year-old kind of fit. Ok, not rational of course. I'm a grown woman. So, I sucked it up and went to the gym. It was so hard though because it was an absolutely gorgeous day. The temps were rapidly warming and Jason was heading out for a run. Of course I was a bit (a lot) jealous. Not gonna lie. But, I went to the gym like a good girl and got in a good leg workout. It was odd though, the gym is usually empty on the weekends. But they partner with a hotel across the street so that guests can use the gym. Apparently an acting troupe decided to use the gym - like half the troupe. It was almost like watching an episode of Glee (ok, I've never seen the show so I don't really know, but maybe Fame). I had to chuckle, they were either r...

Leg Day Normally today would be my rest day, but this weekend I have some exciting stuff happening and need my rest day to be Sunday. So, today I went with my leg workout that I had thought briefly about doing yesterday. Pin It * Firewalkers   ** 3-point lunge - Start with feet together and dumbbell held in both hands. Lunge forward, return to start; lunge side, return to start; lunge rear, return to start  = 1 rep. Honestly, I didn't think this was going to be a good workout. My body is so used to rest days on Friday. I had to convince myself to get to the gym and just get moving. My legs were also sore from painting - up and down and up and down the ladder again does that to you. In the end, it was a really good workout surprisingly. I gotta say I love it when that happens. Fun Facts Friday - Weekend Plans This weekend my pal Jessica from EatDrinkBreatheSweat is coming to visit along with her hubby! Jess and I started blogging one week a part and somehow found e...

Leg Day Today was leg day for me. I was oddly excited about getting the workout done too. Maybe it's because that signals my rest day is on the horizon (tomorrow). Pin It * Firewalkers  ** Swing lunge The idea behind this workout is to include some heavy lifting exercises in conjunction with exercises the target the hamstring and glutes as well as abductor muscles. The reasoning is purely personal and based on my own research as well as advice from my physical therapist. Remember, I'm not expert here. I am a runner contending with injuries likely stemming from imbalances in the hamstrings, glutes, and abductors. But, I do still want to build so I continue to include the barbell squats for power (and they are an awesome leg exercise period) but also unilateral work like the step ups and swing lunges, which are also good for assisting with stabilization (I definitely have a weaker side). There are lots of other exercises I need and would like to use as well. I almo...

Leg Day I am so used to Fridays being rest days. It was really hard forcing myself to get in my workout today. Definitely feeling more fatigued because of this sinus crud - or maybe it's just the medicine. Plus it's really heavy fog, gloomy out today. A big recipe for sleep. However, I was meeting a friend to get her started on a weight workout rotation I put together for her. So, the pressure was on. I couldn't back out. I was also excited to meet her up there and get her started. The fact that she trusts me makes me nervous of course. Talk about pressure! So, while I was a little tired, I had motivation. And, of course, once I got going with my own workout, I actually felt much better, much more awake. Today I opted for legs. I went with supersets and went heavier for most exercises. I did 3x8 unless noted. Barbell squats - warmup set of 10 SS#1 Barbell squats Plie squats SS#2 Stiff-legged deadlifts Rear leg elevated lunges SS#3 Step ups Calf raises -...

Leg Day Today I packed my gym bag and hauled it to the office with me. My plan was to do legs at lunch and secretly hoped I'd feel up to the 3-mile run on today's half marathon training plan. I know, crazy talk. I really wasn't sure how my legs would feel after two days of pretty hard runs. But they seemed (key word) to be a-ok. I warmed up with 10 minutes on the elliptical then started with a warmup set of 10 squats with no weight on the bar. Then I got to it: SS Squats Plie squats Front, side, rear lunge combo* - 3x4 SS Single-leg deadlifts - 3x8 Calf raises - 3x20 *Start with feet parallel, lunge front then return to start tapping toe, lunge side return tapping toe, lunge back tapping toe for 1 rep. I used a single weight held in both hands. I finished with some abs then headed home to get cleaned up before going back to work. This workout looks harmless enough right? Apparently my quads didn't know they were sore until I started with the lunge combo...

Still Working Out I swear, I keep waking up to a new cold each day. One day my throat is scratchy and it's in my chest, the next day my throat is screaming on fire but my chest is clear. Today my throat feels super swollen, nose stuffed, and ears "squishy." Enough already thank you very much. I'm still fighting it though (aka denial). I knew I couldn't run today. It was humid out and I'm really short of breath. I decided to go with a lighter leg workout (and a short one at that). Tomorrow I am meeting a friend after work for Group Ride (I've talked her into the torture...I mean fun) and I don't want my legs to be too sore. We were also supposed to meet my cousin and his family for lunch, kind of a last minute thing. I started with10 minutes on the elliptical then hit the legs doing supersets of 3x8: SS#1 Squats Stiff-legged dead lifts SS#2 Walking lunges Calf raises SS#3 Single-leg sqauats Plie squats with low-end pulse I did another...

Leg Day Last night we had a lot of fun with our friends. I never did do the dance off game, but got plenty of laughs just kicking back and watching. I really enjoyed getting to just relax and chit chat with friends. We started off sitting outside on the deck until the mosquitoes forced us indoors. This morning I woke up a little before 8. I needed to get my side dish made for today's family lunch. I also wanted to hit the gym for legs. I missed legs last week, so I was determined to get them done today. I did the exercises as supersets of 3x8 unless noted starting with 10 minutes on the elliptical. Squats - 10 reps as warmup SS#1 Squats Stiff-legged deadlifts SS#2 Plie squats Deadlifts - 3x6 SS#3 Single-leg squats Alternating side lunges SS#4 Walking lunges Calf raises - 3x15 My legs were fried and wobbly almost immediately. Good thing I could take the elevator down and not have to walk stairs. Easter Egg Hunts After getting cleaned up in lightning speed t...

Leg Day Today was dedicated to legs. I hit the gym around 10 - oh so quiet up there. Kind of creepy to have the whole gym to yourself actually. Anyway, I started with 10 minutes on the elliptical to warm up then did the following as 3x8 unless noted: Squats - warmup set of 12 Squats - 4x8 (lowered weight by #5 on last set) Stiff-leg dead lifts Plie squats Deadlifts Single-leg squats Walking lunges Calf raises - 3x15 Alternating side lunges - 2x8 I finished off with another 10 minutes on the elliptical. At the time, I felt like I was working really hard and expected to have major wobbly legs. But really the only thing I'm feeling is a bit in the hamstrings and no quads at all. Probably not a terrible thing as I do need to work on the hams. I did realize today that I desperately need some different music for lifting vs running. For one thing, the playlist gets old really quickly when that's all you listen to pretty much 6 days a week. Also, with lifting, I like mo...

80's Palooza Recap I should probably actually say what the 80's Palooza (official party name) was for. It was for a friend's 40th birthday that was actually last month. Stephanie is a long-time friend. She actually helped take some of our wedding pictures. So, you asked for pictures, so here they are:                   Leg Day Today I woke up around 7:15 thinking it was a lot later than it was. I tried to go back to sleep, but only managed another hour. I knew we had lots on the to-do list today, so I got on up. Around 10 we hit the gym. I decided to go for a heavy leg workout today. It was super windy out, not exactly calling for a run. I warmed up on the elliptical for 10 minutes then I did 3x8 unless noted: Squats - 4x8 Plie squats Stiff-legged deadlifts Step ups Deadlifts 3x6 Calf raises 3x15 Walking lunges I finished with 5 more minutes on the elliptical and called it done. I felt like I had a really good, really strong wor...