Twitter-Inspired Treadmill Workout (Hill Repeats)

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Coco

The other night I was chatting on Twitter about how my training for the Army Ten Miler has lacked hill workouts, and how I need to step it up so the bridge doesn’t kick my a$$.

This Tweet from Runs_26_2 In Training got me thinking:

Continue reading →

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Piriformis Puzzle

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Coco

As much as I whined about my recent business trip, and as exhausting as it was, I was pleased to be relatively pain-free most of the time. That was a bit of a surprise in view of the long airplane trips, long days spent in heels, and nights spent in unfamiliar hotel room beds, but I credited the deep tissue massages I had gotten before I left, my renewed dedication to stretching and foam rolling, and my slightly less intense workouts.

I was home for fewer than 48 hours when my piriformis pain was back.

I felt it when I sat down on the sofa Monday night–a painful knot in my butt. It is even tender to the touch, just like it was before my trip. 🙁

Was it the hours on Sunday I spent sitting at my kitchen counter catching up on emails?

Was it the hours on Monday I spent sitting at my desk at work?
(I have a fancy new ergonomically correct chair, but it doesn’t do much good when I sit askew or slump with poor posture).

Was it two nights on my own mattress?
(I told my husband we need to put “new mattress” on our long-term to-do list)

Was it any of the exercises that I did on Monday that I hadn’t done at the hotel gyms?

The glute bridges are the most obvious culprit. I started doing them a short time before my trip, but I can’t remember if my piriformis issue started before or after I added them to my routine. I will cut them out again and see what happens.

Have you ever had a mystery pain disappear and reappear without warning?

Have you dealt with a pain in the piriformis?

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Green Monster Smoothie #Fail

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Coco

I’ve been following the green monster smoothie craze with interest. I even went so far as to make one, and it was fine–you really can’t taste the spinach–I just don’t enjoy drinking my breakfast.

Still, it gave me the idea to try to sneak some extra nutrients into my family’s dinner by pureeing some spinach with a bit of tomato sauce and then using it in my spaghetti sauce.

I guess I forgot that elementary color wheel lesson:

+

=

Now, that might be a fine color for beef stew, but not for spaghetti and meatballs!

I debated throwing it out, but it really did taste fine. My husband and son were good sports about trying it–they even went back for seconds–but I will have to come up with another way to sneak more vegetables into their diets.

Have you tried a green monster?

Did you ever try something in the kitchen that went terribly wrong?

Posted in Food | 6 Comments

Home Sweet Home With Fit Stanley

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Coco

Before Fit Stanley heads off to his next host, I wanted to give him a tour of my gym, which is conveniently located in my basement.

There are no time limits on these cardio machines (other than my sanity).

(Precor Elliptical)

(LifeFitness Treadmill)

Fit Stanley can do lots of different exercises on the Bowflex.

But I still prefer my free weights.

I have lots of fitness workout DVDs for Fit Stanley to choose from.

And even a few tried-and-true VHS tapes.

Of course, Fit Stanley loves the FitBall and foam roller!

I’ve been building my home gym over the past 10 years, and know I’ve gotten my money’s worth.  I started with the VHS tapes and added free weights set by set as I got stronger. After a few years, I invested in the treadmill so I could run without leaving my kids alone in the morning. A few years after that, I got the elliptical when a (non-running related) knee injury kept me from running for a while. The Bowflex was my husband’s idea, and even my son uses it occasionally. From time to time I add new “toys” to help keep myself motivated, but most days I still prefer my basic cardio and free weights routine.

Do you workout at home?

Do you want to host Fit Stanley next?
(I’ll be reviewing his itinerary this week and sending him off this weekend.)

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Training Log–Army Ten Miler (Week 2)

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Coco

Welcome to my week 2 training log for the Army Ten Miler on October 9, 2011.  (You can see how I kicked-off week one here).

My main goal for the ATM is to cross the finish line smiling, which is no small feat for this particular event!  Based on past performance, I should be able to keep a 9:00 min/mile pace, even with my nagging ITB and piriformis issues.

Week 2 was spent on the road as I finished my 10-day, 3-city business trip. I am proud to say that I managed to workout every day!

Monday–Treadmill Virtual Track Workout (1/4 mile laps)
Lap 1: walking warm-up @ 3.5 mph
Laps 2-3: running warm-up @ 5.7 mph
Laps 4-5: running warm-up @ 6.0 mph
Lap 6: running ramp-up @ 6.3 mph
Lap 7: running ramp-up @ 6.5 mph
Laps 8-11: tempo run @ 6.7 mph
Laps 12-17: 1/4 mile repeats @ 7.0 mph with 1/8 mile recovery at 6.0 mph
Lap 18-19: running cool-down @ 6.3 mph
Laps 20-21: walking cool-down @ 3.7 mph
Total distance = 5.25 miles

Tuesday–Elliptical + Weights
30 minute random elliptical program
30 minute full body free weights routine:
deadlifts/military presses
plie squats/tricep dips
lunges/bicep curls
squats/front and lateral raises
push-ups/crunches

Wednesday–Treadmill 5K
warm-up: 10 min walking @ 3.7 mph
wake-up 5K: 1st K @ 6.0 mph, 2nd-3rd K @ 6.3 mph, 4th-5th K @ 6.5 mph
cool-down: 5 min walking @ 3.7 mph
I had to check out @ 7:00 am, but got up before 5:00 to fit this in!

Thursday–Elliptical + Weights (same workout as Tuesday,  but at a different hotel!)
30 minute random elliptical program
30 minute full body free weights routine:
deadlifts/military presses
plie squats/tricep dips
lunges/bicep curls
squats/front and lateral raises
push-ups/crunches

Friday–Lake Michigan Long Run
My work colleague/friend join me for a sunrise run along Lake Michigan. We started at the Chicago Art Institute, ran south to and around the Adler Planetarium, back north to and around the Navy Pier, and back to the Chicago Art Institute.
Total Distance: 7.25 miles
Total Time: 1:10
Avg. Pace: 9:40 min/mile
Split Times: 12:11, 9:33, 9:09, 9:27, 9:15, 9:31, 8:49, 8:35
I wonder if I left my Garmin running at a traffic light during that first mile?

Saturday–Quick Elliptical Workout
31 minutes random elliptical program
I had to give a presentation at 7:30 am, but knew I would be more awake if I got my heart rate up with a quick workout first, so I squeezed this in!

Looking back on the week, I am proud of how I fit daily workouts into my busy schedule. The one thing missing from the week is yoga. I did bring my Rodney Yee DVD along, but my new laptop doesn’t have a DVD player, and none of my hotel rooms had DVD players.

I’m looking forward to week 3 at home with cooler weather!

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