Treadmill - friend or foe?

Yesterday after work, David and I met at the gym. He swam while I attempted a run on the treadmill. I gotta tell ya, I despise that awful piece of convenient machinery. I had, at several points during my run wished I was in the cold, gusty wind outside running instead of on that treadmill. But, I did an awfully long 3 mile run. Blah.... I can't even understand the amount of determination and dedication to run on it for EIGHTEEN miles, like my friend, Robin has. How in the world? I don't have that in my heart - sorry, Robin. But, you're right, you have to make peace with the treadmill and I plan on doing just that in order to use it during crappy weather. After the run, I got on the floor for a little ab work. Yes, that picture is of me. :0

3 miles (treadmill) - 31:06

For crunches (without the ball) I do regular crunches, then hold the crunch in the up position and do a pulse. I don't know what else it's called. LUV the burn!
200 crunches *
50 regular
50 pulse
50 regular
50 pulse
50 flutter kicks
25 push-ups

I'm weak on push-ups, but have to do them in 2 months for my Navy PRT, so I need to start working on them again regularly)

Jess just posted about her speedy run and I love her concept of it. She did no speed work, per se, tempos or intervals (of course, these are good for speed). She just picked up the pace. Who knew? j/k. I know it works, that's how David has sped up and I am adopting the same plan. She blames some of it on Dunkin Doughnuts coffee, and even though Marcy drinks DD religiously and is speedy herself, I doubt it's the coffee (totally). :-) Regardless, DD coffee is now on our grocery shopping list, just in case.

Speaking of speedy runs - Just last night, I was reading my RW magazine, that's probably a few months old. I am really weird, that I don't feel worthy enough to pick up the magazine at all if I'm not training. So, for a while it just sat on my nightstand, especially while I was sick. Anyway, I was reading an article on how hill training can speed you up too, plus you get the benefits of stronger legs while doing hill work. David has mentioned hill work improving speed before. Of course, this makes sense and it also means you don't have to have separate sessions of "speed work" and "hill work". You can get the 2 for 1 deal. Me likey. Anyway, instead of boring you all (that aren't interested in it) with the details, the article I read is here. It talked about 10 seconds of hill repeats on a 6-10% slope. Start out with 2, then work your way up to 8. Then start all over again. I've done hill work before, and need to adjust some runs to accommodate it. I have a great 3 mile course I do that I pass by a small neighborhood that has a nasty hill. I'm sure it would fit the qualification of at the very least 6%. I'll try it out next week. This would be good anyway, because our runs around the Greenville area all encompass hills. It's just what we have to live with here in G-vegas (luv it, haven't heard the term in a while). I borrowed that from newest blog buddy and local speedster Ashley. If you want to see what her idea of a girls weekend get-together is like, check out her post.

In other boring stories for you all, I am thinking of adding another race to my calendar. Now, before the lectures start of burning out, too much on the schedule, etc, let me just say that it fits perfectly in my race schedule, 2 wks after an 8K (woopey) and 7 wks before my local tri, aka my A triathlon. I have nothing on the calendar in July (probably because the south doesn't put much on the racing calendars that much due to the stinking humidity). And, it's an irongirl event, therefore all girls! Sweet. I stumbled upon it recently and am pondering. It's also in Hotlanta, so Wes, DeeDee might likey too. Here's the linkey link.
Details are 6/29: 1/3 mile swim (lake), 18 mile bike, 3 mile run. I'll think about it.

Thoughts?

I gotta run, well, not literally. I need more coffee, and NO it's not DD, unfortunately. Yah, Friday is tomorrow!!! and that means Golf team outing for this chica and packet pickup for my 1st 10k in 9/10 yrs (don't remember the exact yr).

Have a happy Thursday!

Lunchtime workout...

Sunday wasn't quiet the PT washout I thought it was going to be, as I did some core work at 9:30PM. See, I'm not motivated at all to run on a Saturday or Sunday evening. I had all intentions of running Sunday before Church, but woke up with the alarm and heard rain drops dropping on our window seal. Nah, it's raining, I said, even though I didn't look outside to see how MUCH it was raining. I actually like to run in the rain, but for a short distance, not 8-8.5 miles I had planning on doing. So, I hung it up and didn't do it... AT ALL all day. After Church, we ate, and headed home, let our food settle and toss the coin of which one of us was going running first. David won.

Grace was napping and I started doing our wine inventory. We got a new rack in last week that adds to the modular racks we already have, and now we need another one as we filled it up. We need to put it all in a database, so we know what we got and when it needs to be drunk. So, I'm actually pretty excited and got 1 of our racks inventoried. David thinks I'm a nerd... but we've needed to do this for a while, as we have some that have reached their age limit (some are 10 yrs old already) and unfortunately - need to be drunk. :-)

After Grace woke up from la-la land, her and I went to visit her Great-Grandma, and some of my family for a short visit. We returned and both David and I were starving... so, David mentioned Pizza. I declined as I'm convinced if I continue to eat healthy, I'll be 2 more lbs down on weigh-in day, Wed. So, we had salad - and we've sort of mastered the "big" salad at home - and they turn out delicious. I topped it off with a Honey Brown, and we were off to wash David's car. It NEEDED it soooo bad.

No, those are NOT my abs - But I WILL have them one day - soon. So, guilt sunk in and when we returned - I just couldn't not do anything exercise-wise today. So, I do core work (30min) once a week, and decided that since it was so late, I could get it completed for the week. Even though my 2 ft munchkin was trying to sit on my tummy while I was doing crunches... not fun.

Core - 30 min
2x15 Reverse crunches (lower abs)
2x50 Flutter kicks (lower abs)
2x15 side leg raises, each side (obliques)
2x15 side crunches, each side (obliques)
2x15 crunches knees bent (upper abs)
2x15 toe touches (upper abs)
2x15 crossovers (combo)
2x15 bicycles (combo)
2x15 crunches on ball
2x15 twisting crunches on ball
2x15 crunches, feet on ball, toe reaches

Lunch today
Bike 7.17 mi / 30:00

Treadmill Run 1.00 mi / 8:23


Nice easy workout today. I wore the wrong running shoes and my left shin is cursing me right now. But, nothing biofreeze and a bag of ice (tonight) can't cure. I am not worried about pace (yet) on the bike, and I'm still inside riding for now. I will be getting outside soon. I did wear my tri shorts so I can feel how it was to run in them. Not bad at all. They're very comfortable. I finished my workout with some stretches and 150 crunches.

So, as far as the tri goes - I'm officially signed up with the Triathlon clinic at the YMCA, which guarantees me a spot for the Greenville Triathlon 8/19. They actually sign us up during the clinic. My clinic starts 7/12, I think.

My friend, Robin, did her first Ultra Marathon yesterday - which = a total of 36+ miles, and not JUST 36 miles. It was in the pouring rain, through rivers (knee high), heat, trails, no bathrooms, etc. It was a tough run, but she completed it! Good Job on that Robin! Determination should have your name written next to it. You overcame sooo much and still came out on top. I don't know hardly anyone that would have kept going at all. You're a true inspiration to the sport!

P.T. for the day

Lunch - Swimming 600 yds, aprox. 18 min. I focused on form, so much so, that I think I'm loosing some. If I focus on breathing, my kicks and arm stroke suffer, and vice versa. Drills is what I need to be doing, concentrating on one thing per 100. I did that on monday, but thought I'd just lap swim today. When I got there, and got settled in the water - plans changed. But, I do feel better in the pool - I even felt like I was actually "smoothe" for a couple of laps. My hubby was there to give me some suggestions on when I come out of water to breathe. Overall, I'm just happy to be investing in the time to improve. I actually am enjoying it. Weird... Didn't think that'd happen.


Core Work - 32 min
I've always enjoyed crunches, as long as I was in the military - I thoroughly enjoyed working my core to the point of feeling really uncomfortable. Well, years later - had a baby (C-section), my core region isn't so strong anymore. Until now.... I'm determined to get that strength back. So, David gave me the core training workout he found in a bicycle magazine he did a while back, and I have an excellent book I bought sometime ago (The complete book of abs by Kurt Brungardt) that has pictures of the exercises, with a breakdown of either upper abs, lower, obliques or combination abs. I used both to get my workout down and now I'm beat.. Plus, as you can see, Grace had to do them with me. She always does. We even having her doing push-ups already. What choice does she have with 2 sailor parents. :-)

Core training was:
2x15 Twisting Crunches - 1 clockwise, 1 counter (on stability ball)
2x10 Twisting Crunches (same)
2x20 Elbow Bridge
2x20 Hip Raises (lifts)
2x60 sec each Prone Planks
2x15 Side planks (Each side)
2x50 Flutter kicks (aka alternating leg raises) EOD communities love these, so I'm used to these.
2x20 Crunches
2x20 Side crunches

My tail is whooped and my abs hurt... I LOVE it.


David is out riding right now for a Silent ride to honor all the people killed on their bicycles, and to bring awareness of the amount of cyclists in the upstate. It's a 12 mile ride, single file, max 12mph, about 200 people expected. My friends and fellow bloggers Scott, & Robin and Jason are with David. I wish I could have went, but, I'm home with munchkin. I really didn't feel comfortable with Grace being in the trailor behind David's bike on an highway. We're having fun though!