Training Buddies

I am fortunate to have found several different friends who are helping to keep me on track with the exercise game.  Last night I met up with one friend.  She showed me how to do something different on the treadmill than I usually do:  use one of the pre-programmed settings.  I plugged in my info, and away I went.  It was great!  I did the "aerobic" track for 30 minutes and ended up doing only 2 miles, which I thought was pitiful, but it pushed me a bit and let me rest.  I tend to be an "all-or-nothing" type person, and have worked really hard at my fastest pace for most runs and feel pretty whipped at the end.  And there is a time and place for this, I know.  But I really enjoyed the run last night.  Having a buddy next to me on another treadmill who I could talk with throughout the time made the minutes tick by quickly.  When we were done walking/running, we then checked out some of the machines for weight-lifting.  I hate weight-lifting.  I don't want bulging muscles, although toning up isn't bad.  But yeah, I hate those machines.  However, Brenda had an app for beginners that we followed, and it really wasn't that bad.  I did as little weight as I could get away with because I didn't want to be sore today, and only one rep of 12.  I survived.  :)

Today I met up with a few more friends at the pool, and we swam with our kids.  My trainer husband was also there, and he helped me some more with my strokes.  Taking breaths on the left side was frustrating, as my hair always flew into my mouth when I turned.  I've decided I need to wear a fancy-schmancy swim cap.  Sigh.  Fashion statements are falling by the way, one at a time.  Anyway, it was another fun time.  One of my friends today told me that she's considering doing triathlons, specifically the same one I am training for!  She didn't know I was training for such, and so we both got a great surprise over this.  We're in the same age category, and she is already such a better runner than I am.  Sigh again.  BUT, I must tell myself that this is for ME and my health, and let the competition be used to better me.  I'm really excited that my friend is considering doing this, as it's another connection point, and who doesn't like that in a friendship?

Enjoying the experience!

~Faster by Forty!

I'm Back!

Oh, shamefulness.  It's been too long since the gym and I were together.  Tonight, though, we met again.  The walk/run was short and painful (side stitch), but I am BACK!

I have a fabulous trainer who took the kids to their program so I could get to the gym.  On their way out the door, he did say, "I'm gonna be mad if I come home and you didn't go to the gym."  Hmmm . . .  Love you, too, Sargeant Trainer.  He knows me well, what can I say?  I definitely need a kick in the pants at times.  This was one of those times.

The holidays are OVER.

November Totals

So I've not been very active for a few weeks.  Blame it on a cold or a sinus infection or a cough.  Or Thanksgiving.  But tonight I went back in.  Ran on the endless track of a treadmill.  3 miles.  Low 11min/mi. pace.  Didn't feel like doing it, but glad that I did.

So, for the totals:

November 1-30
Biking:  7.6 miles
Running:  12.31 miles
Mileage totals:  19.91 miles
6 days total for all three disciplines

Ugh.

How to Get Massive Thighs . . .

. . .  Ride the stationary bike and do spinning for 30 minutes.  Ended up doing 7.6 miles.  When I got off, I made my fat, heavy thighs stomp over to the treadmill and run a half mile.  Talk about hilarity!  I seriously felt like I had a 50-lb weight strapped around each thigh.  My legs felt like they were slamming down into the treadmill like a giant's legs might do.  Oh, this will take some getting used to!

First PR

Small milestones are worthy of note, I do think.  :)  So, here's one:  I just set a new PR (personal record) tonight:  a (nearly) 11-minute mile!  It felt GOOD.

I discovered that I am slow to warm up, and that is what has damaged my runs.  So tonight I warmed up for half a mile on the treadmill, got off, stretched, and then started my run for real.  I began the pace at 12 minutes/mile, and then after the first half mile I bumped it up one level every quarter mile.  By the time I had finished 2 1/2 miles, I began to wonder if I could run a sub-11-minute mile, so I started to increase my level a bit more frequently, and the last 1/8th mile, I nearly stayed on the buttons.  Ha!  That last 1/8th mile, I could totally see the "finish line":  that green ball sailing smoothly around the track to "the line".  I truly felt the adrenalin rushing through me.  It was great!

A side note to share:  this exercise is encouraging other good habits to develop.  I have always been a fair-weather water drinker.  I just don't think to do it; don't crave it.  It's not that I hate water.  I'm just not thirsty that much.  But I am realizing my body's need of water with all this exercising, so I am trying to listen.  My first goal was to get exercising.  I see my next goal is that of increasing my fluid intake.  All for a healthier me!  It's awesome!

My cat is curled up in my lap right now, having just got her fill of salt from my skin.  So now I am off to drink some water and help balance those electrolytes in my body.  Excuse me, Lily.  :)

Treadmill

My knee was feeling better after several days of not exercising it, so I went to the gym to run.  I find that after several days of no exercise, my anxiety levels start to rise.  Exercise is doing me a world of good in helping to control that, and I am starting to find myself craving the exercise in order to release that anxiety.

Today I had no knee pain after running 3 miles.  Yay!!!  The last little bit of it I ran a 10-minute pace, too, which was good to see.  At this point, though, it's hard to believe that, with practice, this pace could be maintained.  But, it CAN be done.

I had issues with the release cord, and yanking it off accidentally, which of course did its job and stopped the track under me.  I am so not techy, so spent a solid minute or two trying to figure out how to rectify the problem.  I eventually did, but not after turning the machine all the way off and starting over.  Ugh.

The first 1.06 mi was at a pace of 13.69min/mi.  The last two miles were at a 11.15min/mi pace, averaging out to 11.75min/mi.

Knee Grief

In the past, I have had issues with my knees having some serious pain from strenuous running or hiking, to the point of nearly needing to be carried down the mountain.  I've thought I escaped this, as, following a month of training I hadn't experienced any pain.  Well, let me tell ya!  Today it caught up with me!

I ran on the treadmill, and over the course of my run, I could feel that creeping pain coming into the outer side of my knee.  And I learned a lesson:  when the pain starts, quit running!  But do you think I did?

Thirty-eight minutes and 3.25 miles after starting my run, I got off the treadmill, stretched, and then hobbled to my car.  Got home, poured in the ibuprofen, and sat down.  The rest of the day has been fine until I move from my chair.  Gasp!

The up side of this is that I will not be running or biking for awhile, as these disciplines do not help the problem knee heal.  But swimming?  Ah, and I am so lacking in devoted time on this venue.  So, it's not all bad, right?

~Faster by forty!