Category: exercise

The weather today was wonderful, at least in comparison to the past couple months. It was almost warm, and sunny, and dry. All day. Not very windy, either. And all day, I thought “If it’s like this when I get out of work, I’m going to run outside, not in the gym!”

It’s been a long time since I ran in the sun. Since Christmas Eve, actually, when I went out with my nephew. I did run outside in the streets on New Year’s Day, but that was at night. And even though the days are getting longer, and it was still light outside when I left work at 4:00 PM, I wasn’t sure that there would continue to be light enough for me to run.

In fact, the negative voice in the back of my head tried to talk me out of running outside today. It told me it was too cold, that I hadn’t packed the right gear (shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt), that it was too windy, that it was going to be dark by the time I finished… lots of excuses.

Good thing I ignored them all.

I hopped to the gym to change, and headed out for a run around the Esplanade. It was a training run, after 3 weeks off, so I didn’t expect a fast pace. However, I did want to see if my strength training had an impact.

I started out strong – probably a bit too strong. I did make it to about the 13:00 mark before having to slow to a walk, which was OK. My legs felt great, actually – the reason I had to stop was my lungs. I guess elliptical trainers don’t work the cardio-vascular system quite as well as running, no matter how fast I push those pedals.

But I only had to stop to walk several times (maybe four? I didn’t keep track), and I tried to make up for those short (0:30 – 1:00 each) by throwing in some faster, harder running. So I turned the loop into a fartlek run.

And I noticed that stronger legs mean several positives. First, of course, they don’t tire as fast, and I was able to push myself along the ground better. But the other main improvement was that they provided far better shock absorption and cushioning, and I was able to maintain a better balance and stronger forward-and-back motion – everything felt much better aligned and in the groove than I remember them being in the past. And that was from the waist down. Yes, even my “core” being stronger helped. I will definitely continue the strength training, as the benefit is clear to me.

My breathing, however, was constrained and wheezy, dammit. I’m hoping part of that was the break in training, and another part is the cold weather. We shall see.

My final time for the measured distance (2.87 miles per Google Earth) was 0:30:41, for an average pace of about 10:41. Just about perfect for my first training run of 2006.

After my run, I went back to the gym and did two circuits (upper/core/legs), with a bit stronger weights than I’d been using last time. Then I tried to sit in the steam room but the steam room was absent any steam. Ugh. So I showered and grabbed some dinner (Bourbon chicken at the mall).

Gym yesterday. Same drill as the past three weeks – 30+ minutes of aerobic (my favorite, the elliptical) and then three circuits of strength training. I did toss in an extra leg exercise, just because.

On the elliptical I did manage an indicated 3.21 miles in 30 minutes, before my cooldown, which would be a running pace of 9:20! I set the resistance lower than previously because I wanted to work on leg speed. Starting tomorrow I’m going to be back to running. We’ll see if this cross-training break has had a positive effect on my running. Looking forward to it…

Exercise update:

I had a choice to make tonight. Today marks exactly two weeks since I last ran. I had to decide whether to continue my non-impact aerobics and strength training, or start running again. I opted for another week of not-running. I just want to be absolutely certain that my plantar fasciitis (right foot) and ankle (left foot) are completely healed before starting to train for the spring. Plus, to be honest, I’m enjoying the break. My breathing and sinus troubles have abated somewhat – running puts a huge strain on the cardiopulmonary system, and even though I’ve been pushing hard on the elliptical trainer, I know that it’s not the same as actual running.

So, tonight, the gym wasn’t quite so crowded. I hope that the New Year’s rush of people has finally subsided, and now I can be assured of getting my favorite machines once again. I did 35 minutes on the elliptical, and managed an indicated 3.17 miles in the first 30 minutes – wish I could run that fast! That’s about a 9:27 pace.

A girl on one of the machines next to me (another elliptical but with handles that swung, also) kept looking over at me while I worked, and I smiled back at her a couple of times. After I finished my 5 minutes of cool-down and started to jump off, she hopped off her machine and asked if I was done. “Oh!” I said, “were you waiting for this machine?”

“Yes,” she replied, “this one doesn’t get tough enough for me.”

“You’re too strong for that machine!” I told her. She laughed and agreed.

Then I did my normal strength training – upper body, core, legs; 3 sets of 10 for each body section; 3 times through; weight for each exercise set to about 70% of what I can lift maximum with perfect form. Instead of two stomach/abs workouts for my core exercises, though, I did two for my back and only once for my abs – incline situps, ugh. And I’m afraid I over did it for my biceps, setting the weight too high at first and backing down a bit for each set of 10. I’m going to be sore on Thursday. So be it. Big biceps look good, even if they don’t really help a runner much.

Exercise update:

Went to the gym, did 30:00 of elliptical, then did an abbreviated version of the strength training I’ve been doing. Only did two circuits instead of three. I got to the gym later than I wanted (it was almost 11:00 AM), and was meeting someone at 1:00 PM and still needed to get some food beforehand. I’m bummed that I didn’t do the extra circuit but I still feel a bit sore tonight so maybe it was enough of a workout.

While I was there, there was a tall bald white guy and a short Asian girl in the workout room, doing Tai Chi moves with actual swords. Tai Chi is amazing to watch, and I’ve long been fascinated by it. I wasn’t sure if the two of them were a class, or if they were just using the workout room to practice on their own. When I was done with my workout, they had finished and I asked them about it.

Turns out that the guy is a Tai Chi instructor and that he gives a regular “empty-handed” Tai Chi lesson on Saturdays, and then invites students to work with him afterward if they’re interested in working with the weapons. Hell, yeah, I’m interested. He suggested that since I’ve never done it before I should try the empty-handed class first. So that’s what I’m doing next Saturday.

Exercise update!

Even though I got to the gym a half hour earlier than usual, hoping to beat the crowds, I didn’t. Ugh. All the elliptical machines were taken. And today, I wanted to do the elliptical. So I waited it out, and after about 10 minutes, got one. Did 30 minutes, not too intense, then did my normal strength circuit. Had a tough time with the inclined stomach crunches. Ugh. But the rest went normally, by which I mean, I’m gonna be sore on Saturday (I’m usually sore two days after, rather than the day after).

Gym again tonight. Damn New Year’s resolution-ers – it’s still crowded. Did 30 minutes on the recumbent stationary bike, then three circuits, 3 sets of 10 each for arms/chest, abs/back, and legs.

This might be my shortest exercise update ever.

Hit the gym tonight. No running (dammit) but I did do 30 minutes on the recumbent stationary bicycle, and another 30 minutes on the elliptical. It was an all-aerobic night.

On a side note, I can’t wait for February, when all the folks who made a New Year’s resolution to hit the gym have given up again, and it gets less crowded. On the other hand, with all the people in the gym tonight, there was a lot more eye candy than normal.

Hit the gym today. No running – I was a good boy. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, managing 3.25 miles in that time (an equivalent running pace of about 9:13 per mile, which shows how much easier the e-machine is), then did three circuits of strength training: upper body (chest or arms), core (abs), legs, makes one circuit. Then I sat in the steam room for a bit until I could feel my sinuses draining. Felt good, but, damn, it took at lot out of me. I’m damned tired. Oh, and my abs were in actual pain. Hope I didn’t do some permanent damage.

The tiredness could be the dark, cold, rainy, gloomy day in Portland, too. Or part of it, anyway. Here’s hoping for some sunshine in the near future. Several of my friends have run off to sunnier climes (or live there). I’m jealous… take me with you next time!

I haven’t posted about my running since the race on New Year’s Day. That’s ’cause I tried something different and injured myself again. Dammit.

I get these email newsletters from Active, and in the last one, they had an article about treadmill running and making it effective. And in the article they said:

Use a minimum of 1% grade. Running at 0% grade is similar to running on a slight downward slope. It’s also very difficult to maintain solid run form on a flat treadmill, so kicking it up to a minimum of 1% means that you?ll have a better chance of getting into your normal running style (foot strike, body lean, etc.). Note: As you increase the grade for hill workouts, be sure to cut back a bit on the speed. We all slow down a bit as we head uphill, but the treadmill won’t unless you tell it to.

Great, I’ve been running on a flat treadmill. No wonder it’s so easy, I thought.

On Tuesday I put this into practice, even though I’m still fighting allergies and generally did not feel like running. I upped the incline to 1%, set the speed for about a 10:00 pace, and started going. I planned on doing a simple 3.5 mile run.

I could immediately tell that it was tougher. Duh. I expected that. What I didn’t expect was my footstrike feeling odd and different. Different even than running on the street, unlike the article said. My feet, especially my left foot, was landing toes-out, at an angle. It didn’t feel right, and I tried to compensate. But because I had less time to land my feet straighter, it just wasn’t working. After about 3/4 of a mile, I was working harder, and my ankles were complaining. I kept pushing, though, trying to complete the distance. I slowed down the speed a bit, and even stopped to walk for about a minute after a full mile before trying to get back to a 10:00 pace in the second mile. I lowered the incline to 0.5% and kept going. But after 2 miles it was obvious I wasn’t going to be able to complete my planned distance. My left ankle felt… bruised. I stopped after a measly 2.1 miles, cooled down, and stretched out.

Next morning, my ankle was still tender. By the end of the day, though, there was definite soreness. And this morning, still sore. Ugh.

I planned on running tonight after work, but decided on the better part of discretion. I used the elliptical trainer instead for 30 minutes, at a high incline, a medium resistance, and a fast tempo, then stretched out and did those strength exercises I’ve been meaning to add to my routine: 3 sets of 10 at 75%-80% of my max weight for my lats/back, sit-ups, triceps, pecs, and quads. Probably need more leg exercises and core exercises but that was a half-hour’s worth. The elliptical is non-impact.

I think I’ll just focus on 3 days a week of strength training for the next week or two and see how my ankle feels. If I feel like running I’ll just hop on the elliptical, or the bike. Oh, y’know, I might do some running. But the focus will be strength for now. Winter’s a good time for it, and the next race isn’t until February so there’s plenty of time.

As mentioned last night, my nephew Max and I participated in The First Run 5K. I was… um… mostly ready, having been up late the night before (and several previous nights – hey, it’s the holidays) drinking. I knew I wouldn’t be posting a personal best time but since there were a lot of runners and walkers participating, and since Max is still getting used to running, I didn’t mind.

The weather was cold and intermittently raining. Max and I showed up early, around 10:30 PM, to pick up our race packets and scout around. They were serving food (bagels, peanut butter, crackers, cookies, Gatorade and water, um, yay?) in the tent in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Max was wearing running pants and a long-sleeved running shirt, I had on basically the same except for a stocking cap and an extra layer underneath the running shirt. Max wore his race t-shirt over the top.

My dad showed up around 11:00. He wasn’t running, but was planning on getting pictures of us at the start and finish. He also helped out by being our “bag check”!

The starting line was packed, and apparently the start line was a bit constricted – it didn’t cover the entire width of Broadway. Lots of happy people, a countdown to midnight, and the line got moving. I estimated at the time that it took us almost 3:00 to cross the start line. The event was chip-timed.

Once past the start line, we broke into a jog. The race ran uphill, south on Broadway for 5 blocks, turned left on Columbia, downhill to Front Ave., where it was essentially flat. We ran along Front for 15 blocks before turning around, and coming back the same way. Basically the course looked like this:

Start /________x________/ Finish

…with the [x] being the turnaround point.

Max, perhaps inspired by his excellent training run last week, did great. Just as we were reaching the top of the hill, Max explained that he had a side stitch. I told him to try to drop his shoulders and relax, and he just kept going and did not let it stop him. By the time we reached the mile mark, the side pain was gone.

He maintained a running pace well past the 2.0-mile mark. We stayed togther, although he started running ahead of me a bit after the turnaround and I suggested we slow the pace just a little bit. I kept giving him encouragement: “You’re doing great! We’re strong, just keep running.” …although the encouragements lessened as the race continued.

And encouragement also came from the sidelines. As we passed various bars and clubs, party goers would stand on the sidewalks, dressed to the hilt, waving their drinks and making noise, cheering us on. When we passed blocked-off intersections, cars would honk their horns for us (at least I think that’s what they were doing).

I was thinking ahead to the hill we still had to run up, and also dealing with my allergies and excess alcohol consumption and lack of sleep. But I didn’t want to hold Max back if he felt like running. I stopped a couple of minutes into the final full mile, Max kept going for a bit, noticed I had stopped and then stopped with me.

Panting, smiling, he said, “I was waiting for you to stop!”

I laughed. “That’s funny, I was waiting for you to stop!”

We walked for about 30-45 seconds and then went back to our jog. Again he kept pulling ahead of me. I kept thinking about the hill, and wanted to try to conserve some energy for it – perhaps not the best strategy in hindsight. The hill wasn’t that long, although it was somewhat steep, and it was followed by an easy downhill stretch until the finish.

I had to stop to walk again once we started up the hill. I let the hill psych me out, I think. Max noticed again, and waited for me. Once I caught up to him, I started running again, using the head-down, short-steped gait that are the best way to tackle a hill. “Max,” I said, “if you still feel like running, don’t stop for me. Just keep going if you can. We’ll meet up at the end.”

“OK,” he said, and that’s what he did. I had to stop to walk one more time on that hill, coughing up some gunk from my lungs (frickin’ allergies) and Max kept his pace. He rounded the corner when I was still a couple of blocks back.

Once on the downhill, though, I found my second wind. I just let gravity take me and broke into a flat-out run. My form wasn’t that great; my feet were slapping against the pavement when I should have been up on my toes more, although that’s hard on a hill for me, not being a sprinter. People could hear me coming. “Look out, this guy’s coming!” one guy told his partner. But this is how I tend to train; those sprints at the end of a long run train me to finish strong.

I could see Max ahead of me, still at the same pace, maybe a bit faster because of the hill. I could see the lights and the crowd at the finish line. I realized that Max might not suspect that I’d catch up to him. He was off towards the right side of the street, so I angled towards the left side. I tried to run quieter but that just wasn’t in the cards. I caught up to Max, and we were neck-and-neck, when Max suddenly broke into a sprint! He must have seen me! He raced ahead, but I just couldn’t dig up any more speed and, besides, I was laughing and smiling, proud of him for the performance he’d shown that night.

Just before I crossed the finish line, I saw my dad, off to the side, with a shocked expression on his face. After I had gotten through the gate and given back my chip, he came up to me and Max.

“Did you let him beat you?!” he said, laughing.

“I didn’t let him beat me. He just did it!”

Max was all smiles afterward as we stretched out and cooled down. I had messed up and didn’t get my time, but Max showed a total of 34:34 on his watch. I estimated about 3:00 to reach the starting line, which meant about a 31:30 chip time. An awesome job and significantly better than our previous race.

After I’d dropped him off at home, I mentioned something I had said before, that running is partly physical, of course, but also partly mental: just training your body to push past discomfort (rarely is it actual pain, just a mild discomfort). I asked him what had changed between the last race and this one. “I don’t know,” he admitted honestly. “I think it was mostly mental,” he agreed with me.

This morning, they have already posted the results (yay for chip timing!)

Max came in with a chip time of 0:32:15, and I finished just a couple of people back of him at 0:32:19. Our fastest race of the year, and Max’s personal best time.