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Tag Archives: elliptical

NYC Marathon Training Weeks 6-7

August 11, 2013 By in NYC training cycle, Running Tags: , , , , , , , 18 Comments
Monday: Elliptical (Precor 100i) + Strength class
Tuesday: AM: 11.4 mile run easy
PM: Memorial Scholariship 5k (18:50) total miles 18.75
Wednesday: 5.5 mile run easy
Thursday 5.5 mile run easy
Friday: 15.5 mile long run (8:18 pace)
Saturday: 11 mile hilly run in Ct (and a Did not start swim race)
Sunday 17 on trails
Total: 72
Memorial scholarship 5k photo

Memorial scholarship 5k photo

Training thoughts:

Week 6 was all over the place.  Monday I decided to cross train instead of run.  My goal for August is to keep up with cross training and I haven’t been on the Precor 100i as much as I would like, so made it a priority. Really I am saying I didn’t feel like running in the slightest…so didn’t.   I also did the weekly strength class I do on Monday evenings.  Tuesday I had planned to use a tempo run.  Every year our local race club hosts a memorial scholarship race in the beautiful Botanical Gardens at the end of July.  It’s always a lot of fun even though it’s normally around 90 degrees.  I ended up surprising myself and running an 18:50 despite the 5k being sandwiched into miles 13.5-16.6.  Wednesday and Thursday I took easy.  Then on Friday before leaving for Long Island I ran 15.5 before traveling to New York City.  As I posted the other day, I ended up not swimming the 2 mile open water swim and just running instead.  Then Sunday I had a beautiful (hilly) trail run on Long Island.

Matt on our trail run

Matt on our trail run

 Week 7:

Monday: 5.66 mile shakeout (after driving home)
Tuesday: 12.5 miles around town
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday AM: 16 mile tempo at 7:04 pace
PM: 2 mile shakeout and p90x
Friday: 7.35 recovery run (8:32)
Saturday: Mud Fun Run with dad 14 miles total
Sunday 12-13 today before work
Total: 71ish

Training thoughts:

Week 7 was a really productive training week for me too and a big confidence booster.  My  training has changed in the last month (not good or bad) but different.  I didn’t intentionally change it, it is just what happened.

In the beginning of the summer I was doing between 10-13 miles daily and calling it a day.  Now I’m running further some days and a lot less other days.  Some days I run 16…some I run 5.  I’m still logging roughly the same miles as I was at the beginning of the summer, just in a different fashion.  (and an even more different fashion  from last year when I was running every day but less miles).

The heavy hitter of the week was my very solid tempo of 16 miles at a 7:04 pace.  I’m pleased with how it turned out because it felt smooth and gave me a good idea of how my legs would react to running a longer distance in my racing flats.  I have run all my half marathons and road races in my Nike lunar flats but never longer.  I don’t want to jump from a half marathon to full without testing it out.  Heck I don’t want to jump from 16 to a full yet so I’m going to do at least a 20 miler in them to check that out.

Training for next week:

I running the Tidewater Strider 1 mile race on the track on Saturday.  My mile PR comes from that track race last year and it is the only race (and only time) I visit the track.  I’m bummed because it is the same weekend as 4 5ks but since it is a big deal with my club team I will do it instead.  I’ll hopefully work a speed workout, rest day and easy miles.  As always going by the no plan methods.

Questions for you:

How has your training been?

Do you like tempo workouts, track workouts or fartleks the best?

Tempos make me feel powerful.  I’ve only done a handful of track workouts but being out of college I feel no need to go back.

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Cross Training

May 23, 2013 By in Running Tags: , , , , , 22 Comments

As some of you may know, I love to cross train. I could (and did) during most of my injuries cross train like a champion and come back from EVERY INJURY as a stronger runner…it may have taken a few months but I did indeed come back.  That being said, I get asked a lot about cross training machines I use and to be quite honest…I’m quite picky.  I don’t have time, energy or the patience to waste on machines I hate.  That being said, I will use other machines occasionally just because I like to be a wild card.

This is getting confusing for me now…let me just talk about some of my favorite machines…

I wanted to talk about some of the random cross training I do (when I’m not feeling lazy and while still running).  For me personally, if I don’t cross train, I will probably get injured.  My body needs to cross train to work other muscles that running doesn’t work.

First, I’m not trying to be a jerk but I have no secrets of how to stay on an elliptical.  I literally just stay on.  Like I don’t stop in the middle of a run 5 miles out, I don’t stop in the middle of an elliptical session.  Once my feet go on it…I stay on.  I watch tv, text, tweet…whatever.  Hell, I even tweet and text when I run easy on the treadmill…another reason I’m a fake runner I suppose.

I know plenty of different articles can better explain to you why cross training is important and why you should add a day or two of cross training so I’m not going to ramble too much.  I will tell you though, everytime I cut out cross training I seem to get some sort of injury.   I don’t have time for cross training, then I don’t have time to run…I don’t have time to get injured is most important.

Some of the machines I really enjoy to do my cross training:

The Precor 100i. 

precor100i

This has been my go to machine as of the last year.  It simulates anything from a biking motion to a stair stepping motion and even a running motion.  (It takes a lot of practice to actually get the hang of the darn thing…believe me the amount of times I’ve fallen off).  I crank it up to the highest resistance (which in my gym is 20) and just go.

I have never done intervals on here but I know it’s possible. Honestly, if I could crank the machine up higher than I would…but sadly my gym doesn’t do that.  I could spend hours on this thing because it’s very low resistance and I feel like it is building up my quads enough so that they are strong enough to balance all my running.

The Arc Trainer.

arctrainer

I remember this photo (circa de March 2011). I had forgotten my headphones at home and made it 1 hour on this thing with no music or TV…gold stars…

Another favorite of mine.  I’ve been “Arcing” my life away since I first started working out in the gym around 9th or 10th grade.  (way before running).

I’m most familiar with this machine and they have a number of great programs.  I normally either do the cardio setting (you can adjust the level of resistance) or just manual at resistance 100.  Resistance 100 creates havoc on your legs and you will be sore the next day (so good havoc I suppose).

Core work:

There are so many different ways to do core work.  You and I probably have a different favorite method.  Right now, my favorite method is the p90x Ab Ripper DVD or the Nike training club app for iphone.  (The training club is free!).  I am not in a state of mind that I particularly want to sit in a gym and do medicine ball twists or whatnot…I have found doing these by myself, at my house is more effective…because I actually do them.

I personally believe that core work has gotten me through so many races.  I’m hoping it continues that way.   If I could just do 15 minutes of core work and continue to PR…that would be nice.   I have a gym routine I do when I actually make it to the gym to do some work.

I could add something about swimming here…but I’m a lost cause with getting back into the pool. 

Questions for you:

Do you cross train?

Favorite gym machine?

Diary of Gym Goer Part 2

February 23, 2013 By in DailyMusings Tags: , , , , , 27 Comments

Last week I posted some gym favorites that I have in my two gyms.  This week I’ll continue the trend.  Please don’t post a comment that you hope you aren’t one of these people.  Unless you come to my gym I can guarantee you aren’t.  We all have strange quirks and this isn’t meant for anyone to get their panties in a bunch.

Moving on, first to some fun facts I learned this week while mindlessly watching the TV on the treadmill.

  1. There was some sort of big McDonalds or Burger King twitter hack…I told you I was mindless.
  2. They use real life clinical psychologists for the show hoarders.
  3. There is going to be a new season of my a favorite show of mine, Awkward (ie never leaving the gym)
  4. Nutmeg is dangerous if you shoot it up in your vein.  (why was this a top news story?)

Pretty boring week if you ask me.

People I saw in the gym this week:

Chatty McPhee Clone: This girl was screaming on the treadmill on her phone while I was trying to elliptical to Cake Boss.  I could physically here her over the volume in my headphones and I’m pretty sure I’m partially deaf.  At least she left early.

Muscle Quenching Meat Heads: I chose an elliptical near the water fountain (for no reason I just did).  These two bro’s came and got water, made eye contact and left 9 times in an hour (I counted).  Does weight lifting require that much water and making eye contact with me? I wasn’t even wearing booty spanx (because I don’t at the gym).

What What in the Butt of the week:  Let’s be honest here, we could have a different person each week.  This week’s winner I could see bottom booty crack.  What an erm…glorious sight the entire time…not.

Dayumm Bitches Love Me…man: Stared at himself at the mirror the entire time he was on the elliptical.  Keep in mind there are 5 machines between him in the mirror and of course I was the one next to him so it felt like he was staring at me.

They see me smelling…they hating: Yes because you smell like cologne and I wanted to vomit.

Potsdam Undergrad: Someone that went to my undergraduate school when I did.  I think we will become good friends and I have nothing snarky to say I just thought it was worth noting people do exist from there.  She is at graduate school now.

Tanning Flashlight: I think I could get a tan just by using the machine next to her.  I understand planet fitness has tanning beds, but I think you are supposed to work out at the gym more than actually use them.   **I don’t use tanning beds at all…never will and never have.

Question for you:  Any life lessons from the gym this week?  Any noticeable characters?

Frequent Gym Goers

February 16, 2013 By in Running Tags: , , , , 57 Comments

I spend a lot of time in the gym.  In the arctic tundra, ain’t nobody got time to run on the ice, slip and fall and break their arm (about that).  Anyways, I obviously see my fair share of people whether they are regulars or not…cardio kings and queens or power lifters…I see them all and thought I’d share my wisdom.   Due to my work, I’m actually a member of two gyms and both have their fair share of characters.

Chatty McPhee-She is my least favorite of all the gym people I encounter.  For some reason we always seem to be using a close treadmill at the same time.  She always screams into her blue tooth.  Though I haven’t heard about what happened since her boyfriend was hanging out with some other girl named “Rebecca”, I have heard her gossip about her suitemates (who apparently stay up really late watching movies and make popcorn), her parents who are always on her case and of course her RA (who seems to hold a lot of hall meetings..).  Her life is pretty rough.

Grunting 1 Mile Sprinter-He goes to a treadmill, sprints 1 mile at exactly a 7.0 pace.  Grunts several times and goes and lifts.

Cat eared Cartoon Watcher– You are in college and watching cartoons?  Well that is fine, except you workout in a hat with cat ears on it and have worn a tail to the gym before. I get everyone has their own style but wearing cat ears, blue jeans and a tail to the gym seems a touch too much.

Tweedle Twins-Always come to the gym together.  They normally wear similar outfits…they are at least late 20s and possibly early 30s.

Foursquare Champion-He is the mayor of my planet fitness gym.  It’s weird to put his face with checking in there but he is always as PF when I am.

What what in the butt-Well I can tell you because her shorts are so short, I wouldn’t even wear these things.  When you go to the gym, ass out class out is still in effect.

ROTC Fellas-They are always in the gym at 7am.  They always seem surprised when I am there on the same machine.  It’s normally because we are the only ones in the gym at the time.

Oxygen Champion-This man is pushing at least 80.  He walks on the treadmill at 1.0-2.0 pace.  He has an oxygen tank.  Talk about freaking awesome.

Puddle Jumper-I don’t see him too frequently but when I do I have to swim to my machine.  How someone sweats that much is beyond me but hey at least he is getting a good workout.

Novel Reader-I’ve never not seen her reading on a machine.  She seemed engrossed in her fiction books so much that an earthquake or fire could be going on in the gym….she would never know.

Question for you: What kind of gym goer are you?

Since Running is the only Stable Thing in my Life Right Now

December 9, 2012 By in Running Tags: , , 21 Comments

As with every Sunday, I always post Sunday training.  This Sunday isn’t that lame considering I don’t really have to work tomorrow.  I have to go in and finish a few things up but not work.  So I’m not really sure when my next actual busy before the workweek Sunday will be.  Oh well, I’ll just become a professional blog writer and reader…that pays the bills…right?

Moving on training this week:

I got a new running training log.  Though I post on dailymile, I think to keep a pencil and paper tracker for me.

Sunday: 6.2 miles recovery from Saturdays 15 mile long run.

Monday: AM: 1.5 hours elliptical/PM: 8.5 miles

Tuesday: AM 1.5 hours elliptical/PM: 8.2 miles

Wednesday: AM 6.2 miles

Thursday: AM 8.2 miles/PM 1 hour elliptical

Friday: AM 8.25 miles/PM Deep Tissue Massage

Saturday: AM 8.6 miles

Total 54 miles

Can you tell I was aiming for about 8.2 miles daily?  I didn’t even run the same route but did keep my runs on as much grass as possible and also to keep it out of the town.  The problem for me is that even keeping it on grass and on campus, I’m still running up and down 70 foot hills a few times.  So there is never really any flat ground.  Which is fine as long as my cyst stays at bay.

I couldn’t tell you my plans for next week.  I honestly don’t even know where I’ll be at the end of the week…I assume VA but who knows…so that means traveling.  (Like I said, can we talk about what a mess my life is?).  I’d like to be around 60 miles, but I won’t fret either way. 

So I'll leave you on this photo of me traveling and pumping gas. Because that is a workout.

So I’ll leave you on this photo from last winter of me traveling and pumping gas. Because that is a workout.

Question for you:

1.       Do you live in a hilly or flat area?

2.       What was your favorite workout of the week? 

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