Friday, June 17, 2011

The Draining Heat of Southern Summer

I am beginning to believe that this summer heat is getting to my head. Well at least about running. I just feel like my legs are 100lb weights that I am trying to carry! From reading and hanging around the loop I am sure it is just the killer heat. Which is normal for down here.


Last night I went to my regular bootcamp class. It didn’t appear that there were going to be many sacrifices, not many people showed up to be put in their place. The regular 13yo soccer boy, a 30something yo guy who just started running, a kid between 18-20 (really don’t know his age but he has tattoos) then few kids. The 30something yo guy was wearing a FLOWERTOWN 5k shirt, which I ran back in MARCH. I asked him how he did, he said great it was a PR for him 22:xx, he got 2nd in his age group. I said wow pretty good, I ran it too! He was like oh yeah? I told him I got 3rd place, he responded oh in your AG? Naw, overall… The look was priceless.

There used to be more but I think it is too hot out. This workout was mostly all cardio. While one person was pulling a tire with a rope the remaining people we doing a move; pushups, curls, lunges, etc. Every time I got to the running with a tire I just felt, well, slow. Like what the heck! During some of the group moves my shins were bothering me, darn it. I am really trying to keep the shins in tack. Definitely need to go back to yoga. My abs were slow too, but during all the free running with hands behind our head I could out run everyone. Like, by a lot. For our last move of the night, just sprinting, no tire, no hands behind your head. I felt like I was flying!

Best quote from the 18-20 yo, “dang girl WHO ARE YOUU TRAINING FOR?!” Note: I am pretty sure he is like a fighter or MMA, only because he acts like it and talked slight about it. Saying “this feels like I’m training for a fight” Whether he meant it as a joke? Or as hey I’ve trained like this for this type of thing?! Also must note, he threw up tonight at class. I am so happy that I can stomach these brutal workouts in the sun and heat.

I don’t get it, most of the night and Wednesday my legs felt huge and heavy then the last sprint of the night I was booking it. Maybe because it was 7pm by then and it cooled down.

This weekend I plan to do a long run, first long run (over 6miles) since my marathon in January…Well I think.. Runners Short Term Memory Loss (RSTML) has me!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Tought Times and Slow miles

I particular enjoy the gym when I go, usually only for a class. I can’t do the Zumba or dance classes, the class I go to you have to re-think your sanity. I may be slightly sadistic for it, but anyone who enjoy running for 13.1, 26.2, 50+ miles is a little sick in the head anyways. My bootcamp class is one of the highlights of my week, and I get it twice a week. If I don’t come home dirty and cut up, I didn’t work hard enough!


As per usual I am paired up with a guy, because the women cannot keep up with me. Really not trying to boast but they don’t want to be near me. I am extremely competitive. This bootcamp class really brings it out and sadly everyone can see it. We typically go through stations and do drills, this time it involved quite a bit a weights for once. Two highlights I’ll just go over; fire hose and runs. I have before run with a fire hose up with another person. This time one person held the nozzle end and one person at the other end sitting on the ground. So the guy I was working with runs with the hose out to make it straight then has he is bear crawling back I have to on one side pull the whole thing back to me. Repeat for my other side. Then switch. This whole thing 3x in our time period. AWSOMENESS! Then the last drill we had was side step, run backwards, run from one side of the parking lot to the other and back. My buddy and I begin, we are neck and neck the whole time. We turn for the run and he blows by me! I am hot on this kids heels, def not letting him have it easy. If I know anything I know I will out run him! We get to the turn around and he is out of steam, so I just keep booking it. I get to the finish and he is just start on the last turn ha-ha.

There were other personal trainers outside watching us, the one guy looks at me and says “little completive?”

Lesson learned; You may out sprint me in a short distance, but I will crush you in the end!

So I may not be training for an upcoming race but I am trying to keep my running up until then. I may start next month training for the Savannah Rock and Roll ½ in November, then marathon training sept for a January race. Last night I headed out on a 1.2 mile warmup to do some mile repeats. I thought about doing three, but I am really trying to not re-injury my shins. So I settled for 2x 1600m at 6:54 to see where I was. I honestly did not think I would be capable of this task. For starters I have not run mile repeats outside in who knows how long (I can bang them out on a TM), its 90+ degrees outside, I know I’m slow. So after minutes of telling myself I pretty much su.ck.

Mile 1- just need to make it to the half mile by 3:30-3:40ish, Man it is effing hot out! T-shirt was madness. Look at watch 3:00 at the half way what? I feel so so slow, how can I keep up this pace? Finish 6:33.

Could not believe that one, def did not feel that fast (slow to many people fast to me), breathe, water, walk/jog.

Mile 2- just get it over with. My quads and hamstring felt so felt. I just wanted to stop and crawl. Why did I ever think I wanted to run? Mouth so dry. Finish 6:31.

What?! Negative splits? Take shirt off water, breath, ugh. I wanted to do a third but had to stop, I really don’t want to be sidelined because of my shins.
Poured remainder of water over my head, I hated carrying that water bottle full the 1.2miles to my workout location.
Went home, did some hanging knee raises (60).

Question for everyone, running with out shirt- sports bra and shorts acceptable in neighbor running? Or trails?

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Pains, Running, and Races

Making a return, a return with many meanings. First a return to blogging, I have been distant for a while. A return to great runs. A return to a near goal weight! I have been following some blogs on my google reader, jumping on runnersworld here and there. For almost a month I could not run. My weight has been fluctuating beyond belief.




It has been almost a month exactly since I went to Virginia which resulted in some horrible pains in my left leg. I still have not been to a sports medicine doctor about it or any other issues, BUT I do have a number for one! The pain went from my left heel to my knee to my hip. I couldn’t move or lay in beg with out sharp pain or constant annoyance. My bootcamp class I was actually not the fastest one and end up limping by the end. SO I have had to cool it down, just recently got back in to shape with running and my bootcamp style workouts. Running has been difficult lately, the shins say hello some times ughh. Pretty sure I just need new shoes. Just getting back into the groove of it, I don’t have any races lined up at all. With it being summer and all. I may think about a night race. September I will begin marathon training for the Charleston, SC River Front marathon in January. This will be my second.



I have recently been following up on the Loop kinda stalking around. Random comments.



My weight; I have been losing more. I am excited. although conflicted. I am pretty sure the gym balance is way off it always says the same weight (115lb). I tried a balance at my co-workers house and the week I was house sitting I going from 13.5 to 14.0 lbs so this is making me feel great. In August of 2009 I was at my highest 135lbs, may not seem like much but when you are only 4’ 11” it is a lot. My top running weight has always been from 100- 109 so I am getting closer. I am happy. Def with my cross training I have been doing, total body workouts with minimal weights. It helps my running too. This is why this spring I was running so well in my races. I plan to keep it all up. Hopefully I don’t random eat crap and gain it all back.



Okay, so now I am thinking pretty hard about doing the Savannah Rock and Roll ½ marathon. This would be my first Pikermi. The bf’s boss had mentioned it this past weekend he is running the full but I don’t know that I want to do the full then less than two months later run another one.



Happy Tuesday!