My first day at Iron Tribe this year was Jan 3rd. Dwayne and I had planned a vacation from the 8th to the 14th so I knew I would have to either skip workout or do them on my own somehow. I got "lucky" because the local YMCA where we went had an EXCELLENT gym that had pretty much all the equipment I needed for workout 1. (Side note: I go two days a week and have had 2 different workouts that have progressed each week in difficulty.) I planned to do workout 2 at home.
Week one I was super sore so I was nervous to do week two while on vacation! But I knew what I had to do...and I was super proud that I did it. I really intended to swim while we were gone too, but the pool was outdoors and it was too cold for me in the mornings...and we were there for VACATION so going in the afternoon was HIGHLY inconvenient!
I did (most of) workout 2 at home...there was one thing I didn't have the right equipment for.....
When I went back this week I noticed improvement! YAY! But of course that means Coach Ken will have all new workouts for me next week.
This week I also got back in the pool....I won't declare victory yet since it's only been once. I'm actually truly HATING to swim now. I feel AM SO SLOW. Slower than I have ever been. And I don't fully understand why. Yes, being out of the water is huge...but I can't help but think there's more to it than just that. I'm really hoping strength training and consistent pool time will turn the barge around!
I also ran TWICE this week. Well, walk-ran. Now I need to work in getting back on the trainer and I'll be in full on Ironman training mode!
I'm seriously looking forward to long training. When I was training for IMChoo I would go teach spin at the Y at 5:30am and then get on my bike from the Y after class. I would ride 6-8 hours for my longest rides. I absolutely LOVED it. I had a couple of gas stations I would stop at to get refills on water and buy a snack but mostly I carried everything I needed. (And, no, I didn't listen to anything other than my own thoughts.) Then the next day I'd go out for my long runs, usually with Dwayne. He picked the hilliest routes he could find and then force me to keep running with NO WALK BREAKS. It was just the best time! I miss it and I'm just so glad to be working toward being able to do that again.
And, yes, I'm aware that kind of thinking is not "normal"....unless you are within the Ironman/endurance athlete bubble. I'm excited to be moving back toward that bubble.
I just have to ALSO make sure I'm actively recovering in addition to actively training!
I don't workout because I have to. I don't workout (only) because I want to lose weight. I don't workout so that I can eat more.
I really ENJOY working out. I love running, biking, swimming...and I love strength training.
I've missed it.
Like...A LOT.
A little over two years ago, probably about the time I was waiting for my neurologist appointment (so maybe February 2016), I went with a friend to shop for her daughter's prom dress. She was scouting good places to bring her daughter back to. She had found a couple of dresses that she asked me to hold up so she could take pictures. I could BARELY hold up these dresses! These weren't heavy beaded gowns, they were LIGHT airy chiffon type dresses. And I seriously could hardly hold them up.
Dresses... this was just a few months after completing my second Ironman. I had been working out at Iron Tribe for over a year at that point. I had an 80lb clean PR and a 55lb press PR.
That weight is NOT impressive, but I should not have had an issue holding up chiffon dresses!
I remember that day. I became EXHAUSTED at moving hangers on a rack. It was CRAZY. I had gone from 18 mile very hilly long runs to not being able to run a few miles; from 80lb cleans to becoming exhausted moving hangers on a rack.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago...I was ECSTATIC for having jogged a slow 12 (SOLID) minutes in Orangetheory. ((I'm smiling as I type this because it still makes me happy!!))
I have never stopped loving working out, even when my body just couldn't hang. But there have been many times in the last couple of years that I've felt like I'd never be able to really workout again.
Yes, I know I just completed a marathon...I WALKED 90% of it. That takes mental strength, but not physical strength.
And that's what I've kept coming back to...I've gained MENTAL strength in the last two years. I have gone from not really knowing how to grocery shop and cook food* to juggling a lot of different things (well). (*I did know how to shop, but I remember wandering around the grocery store as if I was in a foreign country...I wish I could explain it but I just can't express to you how awful it is to not be able to make your mind engage at will.)
As great as it is to have mental strength, I've missed the physical strength and endurance I used to enjoy. I've worried at times that I might not ever get back to feeling truly (physically) strong. But in the last several months I've seen myself getting stronger!!
And then I feel myself appear to lose it all....
I started working out at Huntsville Adventure Boot Camp last fall. I LOVE Joe Martin (boot camp king). And I really loved going to boot camp. At the start of the year I was trying to go 5 days a week...two of those days after teach Spin. I had also added running and swimming back in.
Yeah, I know...too much too quick. Blah blah blah...whatever. Knowing something doesn't stop me from doing what I want. :D
Obviously, it didn't last. I backed off swimming and running, and then I gave up teaching Spin on Friday's. And then I backed off every day boot camp...
Then I had to deal with the issue of sleep. Bootcamp was at 5:30am (or evening hours which never work for me). But I had been waking up at 1am and staying awake until like 3:30. Going to that early of a class meant waking up at 4ish so I could take my meds and take care of the dog and cat. When I didn't go to class I could go back to sleep at 3:30 and sleep until 6:30 or 7. That seemed to give me enough sleep, so I gave up going to boot camp.
But I missed working out. I wanted to work out. I needed to work out. I wanted to work out in a a group setting because I know I need a measure of accountability that working out alone just doesn't give me right now. Then I found OTF. It's intense. It's fun. It's one hour. It's VARIED--different every single day using a variety of equipment (treadmills, rowers, weights, medicine balls, TRX, benches, ab dollies...). And they have class times that really work for me. I can sleep in and then go workout. Or just sleep in...
And as I starting working out I saw myself getting stronger....until I didn't.
It's like this terrible roller coaster....up and down. But Dwayne helped me see the other day that there has been a steady progression of getting stronger. It just doesn't feel like it every day. My slides down aren't as fast or as far. And I really do feel like I'm gaining ground a lot of days.
But....why do I do it (run, bike, strength train...I'm not really swimming right now)? Do I do it to see results or do I do it for the love of doing it?
Kids don't play hide and seek because they love finding the child they are seeking. They do it for the love of the game It's fun to be the hider. It's fun to be the seeker. At the same time if the hider is never found or if the seeker never finds...the game has no meaning. It becomes un-fun VERY fast....
Finding strength, finding endurance MATTERS. Having faith that I WILL find it matters more.
Thanks for stoping by and sticking around....
Ready or not, here I come.
((I tried to find a picture that worked for "hide and seek" but the pictures on Google didn't look like what I was going for...some of them were down right creepy! Dwayne said I should include a picture of him because all posts are made better with pictures of him...and I think he's probably right. I love that face!))
I was on a roll there for a while, posting after every Iron Tribe Fitness 101 class...and then life got crazy (as usual!).
We learned several other exercises to finish out the training which will set us up to do the "big kid" workouts. Then, the last day of 101 was the retest.
If you remember the first night of 101 we learned how to do a proper air squat, kettle bell swing and sit up and we had a baseline test to see where we were starting out with fitness. I came in "third" out of about 15 with a time of 6:09 (one of the two people who "beat" me was a female...insert glaring competition face here). During the 4 weeks of 101 I had a few long runs, ended up with a little injury to my leg (more about that in another post) and had a little run in the woods (it was a 50K, 31 miles, a week ago today...I'll write A LOT more about that in another post).
I was more than a little concerned about how I would do in the retest. I knew my legs were fatigued, and the night before the test I did a WOD with a "Try the Tribe" group* so my upper body was a little sore as well. My injury didn't seem to be a big factor thankfully, but it wasn't completely gone either. I not only wanted to beat my original time, I wanted to beat the other gal's baseline time. ((I can NOT help it...I am competitive.)) Really what I wanted was for her to be at my retest so I could aim to beat her that day, but no such luck.
Anyway, I decided to just give all I had an to be satisfied with whatever result I got. I started the 200 meter run like a BULLET. I wish I had timed that run-it was seriously fast. 15 air squats, kettle bell swings (at the prescribed weight not scaled weight**), and situps, then 12 of all three, then 9 of all three...I could tell I was moving faster and I was holding on pretty well the whole time. The test ends with a 200 meter run. I was fast the 100 meters going out...but boy was I sucking wind on the way back. It would have been nice to have someone there to race, but I ended up having to do my retest alone so all I had was my mind to tell me to PUSH. The air was super cold and I sounded like an asthmatic trying to gulp oxygen into collapsing lungs!! My chest HURT in that last stretch of run. I could tell I was slowing down.
The first part of the run, and consequently the last part is a driveway into a parking lot. You run on a sidewalk, so you go off the curb then back up to start and finish the run. As I was coming back my mind started telling me I had better slow down or I might fall...what if I break a leg, or worse, my neck...I could hit my head and DIE!!! ((Yes, I seriously had these thoughts as I was running as top speed.)) Interestingly enough, because of the previous two weeks of dealing with the "injury" I was able to put all of that out of my mind with one little phrase, "I do not live my life in fear." I was able to push as hard as my body would allow and finish with a time of 5:31.
I cut 38 seconds off what I found out was a good time to start with anyway. I did beat the other gal's baseline time, but I'm sure she will beat my retest time when she does her test...she is a beast.
Here's the thing...I was amazed at my improvement in the month. Now, I know there is some speed with comes with familiarity. But, we didn't do kettle bell swings or sit ups in the regular classes. We did squats a good bit in conduction with various movements, but, in my opinion, speed wouldn't be a function of being more familiar with a squat. I truly gave all I had in that baseline test. I was gassed at the end of it, and I was sore the next day from it. The improvement I made was even more significant when viewed through the understanding of what I had done in addition to the class in that four weeks.
There is no doubt in my mind that sticking with ITF will allow me to swim, bike and run faster (and more efficiently because I'll be using muscles that have been very under-developed in the past) and do it with less risk of injury. I have said all along that I needed to add in strength training. I just haven't done it. It's very hard for me to go into a gym and do my own thing...and I KNOW what to do. This "program", for lack of a better word, is more than worth the time and the money it will cost me. (For the record, I will be going only twice a week since I'll also be swimming, biking and running. If this were all the exercise someone was getting they would really need to go at least three times a week.)
This is going to be a banner year for me! I. Can. NOT. Wait!
Until next time...
:D
*What is "Try the Tribe"?? Every month they have a special class where people can come to check the place/program out. I will be "hosting" my own "Tri the Tribe" event on December 17th. If you are in the greater Huntsville area and want to come check the place out, please come be my guest. I will have some door prize drawings and there will be a special offer for any athletes who want to join the Tribe with me. If your are curious at all...this is the time to check it out! If you are on FaceBook, you can "join" here. If you aren't on there, you can comment on this post or email me to let me know you are coming. There is limited space available and I want to have a good count for some give aways!! :D
**What is "prescribed" weight and "scaled" weight all about? Every WOD (workout of the day) has a "prescribed" weight to shoot for. There is one for men and one for women. When someone isn't quite strong enough to use the prescribed weight (or do the movement exactly as it should be, like a pull up), they "scale" it down. So I think the prescribed weight for the kettle bell swing for women is 16lbs (not sure?). If I couldn't swing that with good form I would go down to 8lbs. There is "always" a scale or a modification to make an exercise safe and effective.
Yesterday at ITF we warmed up on the rowers, and practiced double unders (I didn't even get one yesterday, but I did manage to spank my own butt with the rope--THAT takes real talent!). Then we learned how to do the push press and "knees to elbows".
The push press is like the strict press, but with a little dip and jump. So much of what we do in there is about coordination....making this muscle snap/activate when that other muscle does this other thing. This move requires the glutes and quads to snap while the arms push the bar up, which also requires the lats to activate. It's a thing of beauty when it all works together...and all those muscles working together to accomplish the lift means heavier weights can be moved.
I just realized I added TWENTY POUNDS yesterday to the weight I was struggling with on the strict press last Tuesday!!..
((Sorry...I had to take a moment to do a happy dance!!))
...Then we moved over to the super scary pull up bars. The rings used for the dips on Monday were on the pull up bars, but they hang down so I wasn't too nervous going over there. (You think I'm kidding...I'm not really kidding...it's like going to a Halloween haunted house. You KNOW there are things in there that are going to jump out at you and you KNOW they are not really going to hurt you, but your blood pressure rises anyway. That's how I feel when I even think about the pull up bar.) I started to get nervous, but then the coach broke down the movement.
Side story about the coach...there are three coaches in this gym, two males and a female. They all have their own personality (naturally) but the female comes from a gymnastics/dance background. She really knows how to break movement down in a way that makes it feel like taking baby steps...which is REALLY comforting to me. It's not "we're going to go over to this bar, jump up and bring our knees up to our elbows...", it's "we're going to jump up and hang. Then we are going to activate our shoulders forward and back. We aren't going to swing like this (demonstrates swinging), but we are going to control our bodies like this (demonstrates the difference and shows us how to tell...)".
We all had a favorite teacher in school...so far she's my favorite coach in the gym (sorry guys, I know you are the favorites of other people there...).
So...she broke down the movement into pieces I thought I could handle and then I put my big girl pants on and faced that stupid bar. I hung from it, then I moved back and forth, then I attempted to bring my knees up to my elbows. I didn't really make it but I sort of did something that almost looked like I was trying to do something like it! :D
And...theeeen we were introduced to a "new" concept.
10!
ITF has all kinds of abbreviations for the WOD to making the writing of it simple and easy. The "!" doesn't mean it's a really excited 10 like I originally thought ("OH--we only have to do 10 really good reps of two things! YAY!!!" I mean, come on, who wouldn't get excited about that!?) Uh...no...not quite. The coach called it a "differential" but my mathy husband told me it's actually a "factorial".
Whatever it's called, that lovely exclamation point means you do 10 reps of both, then 9 reps of both, then 8 reps of both....and so on down to 1. If my math is correct that means you are doing 55 of each thing. I think there should be another way of expressing that because (as everyone who knows me knows) I LOVE the exclamation point!! (Someone said I AM an exclamation point, and I LOVED that!) I think seeing that in this WOD and now knowing what it means, and feeling the after effects of it this morning, I don't really think using that symbol is appropriate. I think it would be better to use something that resembles stairs would be better...or a ladder (although ladders generally go up and down...).
When we got to the WOD I was back to being nervous. My shoulder didn't REALLY like knees to elbows, but it wasn't hurting. It was mainly just coming off the bar that it really didn't like at all. At. ALL. But once I was off the bar I was pretty okay. So I decided to just do my best. I could always take weight off the push press or do V sit instead of K2E (another abbreviation).
I don't think I did, but there is a chance I lost count in there somewhere. I really tried hard to keep up with what I was doing, but somehow I ended up finishing before the guy in our group. Now...he was lifting A LOT more weight on that push press that I was, but I was sure he was ahead of me the whole time...but when I thought I was done he was still going. I have got to get better at that. (I know it will come with practice because I used to not be able to count swim laps either.) Either way I didn't take weight off and I didn't do V sits and I didn't hurt myself because I did listen to my body!
I'm happy to report today that my lats are sore enough I know I worked them pretty hard, but my shoulder does NOT hurt!!!!! In fact, I would go so far to say it feels a skinch better than usual!! (I think shoulder day is going to be my hardest and my best day of the workout week.) Who would have thought?
We also talked about hand care. I don't know if I talked about it here, but when I was considering doing this ITF thing I watched a video (that I can't find anymore) talking about "hand care" for "rips". That was almost a non-starter for me but I talked to Turtle (who has been doing CrossFit for years) and she told me rips don't have to happen. (For anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about...when you do a lot of work with barbells or on the pull up bar your hands can get callused and that skin can rip...) Well...the coach ((I have to think of a name for her)) talked about how to care for your hands to avoid rips, not how to care for them after rips. (Yet another reason she elevated in my estimation.) I know some of you are thinking it's crazy to do an activity where you have to worry about ripping your hands, but even guitar players have to callus their fingers up in order to play.
One more day and I'll be officially half-way through this introduction. I'm still loving it....
Tonight at ITF we REALLY went to kindergarten and not only jumped rope, but we also "played" on the rings (at least everyone but me "played" on the rings...I did box dips instead because I was too scared to try the rings since my shoulder is really NOT even close to 100% yet).
Double unders...in case you don't know, this is a jump rope thing. You jump once and swish the rope around twice before your feet hit the ground. Shockingly it's a wrist movement. Embarrassingly enough at first I couldn't even get the single under down. Mercifully the coach told us most people don't get the double under the first night, and many people take months to get it down. You can guess, I had one goal for the night-to get at least one double under done.
We learned how to do ring dips but I opted out of that one. The coach said it's not a strength issue for most people but a stability issue. I can't afford to have my shoulder any more unhappy than it is right now already so I said no to the word "stability", and like I said earlier, I did box dips. I have to say I didn't think I could do those either. They didn't feel good, but I did all of the ones I was supposed to do and I'm okay so far.
Lastly we learned how to do a proper weighted front squat. This seemed to be the thing that hurt my shoulder the most. Mainly, I think, because the bar is resting on the part of my shoulder that hurts the most.
After we learned our new exercises we partnered up and did the WOD. A partner workout is one in which you have a set number of rounds/reps and you split it however you want between partners. We had 3 rounds of: a ridiculous number of double unders ((or WAY more single unders which everyone was doing instead)), some front squats and then ring dips (or box dips in my case). Only one person could be working at a time and you could switch back and forth as you needed to. I felt bad for my partner...I was REALLY struggling to jump rope and then my shoe came untied...and then my other shoe came untied!! I was just glad she didn't beat me with that jump rope!!
On that first round I could't get more than a few jumps in at a time. But, by the last round I got 40 in a row!! Then I DID IT...ONE double under!! I couldn't do another one, but I did ONE! Goal MET!! :D I can't honestly say, but I don't think my partner and I were last tonight. I think there was one other group that had a little bit harder time than we did. I was consumed with the fact I couldn't jump rope and with the fact I was too scared to even try a ring dip to really notice anyone else's time. But, if I don't listen to my body no one else will so it's up to me to decide what I can and can't do...what I will and won't do.
Thursday at ITF we got to use the rowing machines! I know it's silly, but these are the nicest rowers I've used (that's not saying much, I haven't used many...), and I was rocking the row. And we learned how to do a proper dead lift.
Unlike rowing, I've had experience with the dead lift. But, as I told my coach when we got started, I know I've never done it correctly because I have NEVER felt it anywhere (except sometimes my lower back, but not in a "oh that's working a muscle" kind of way, more like a "that's not supposed to feel like that" kind of way). The theme of the day was "you can't recover from a bad set up"...so we spent a LONG time on proper set up for this exercise. We build the move from the ground up starting with where our feet belong all the way up to our head. Since there were only three of us there we got a lot of individual attention along the way.
The WOD was three rounds of rowing/dead lifts/squats-for time. I came in second (the guy beat me so I'm not crying over it...). I realized when it was over that I really could have lifted a good bit more weight...but I didn't know what to expect so I went with the standard "women's 101 weight".
I have to say...I'm three classes in and I'm hooked. I love it. I absolutely love it. It's short enough that it's not onerous. It's varied enough that it's not boring. It's tough but doable. And, since you are doing it for time there's an element of competition (with your tribe mates and with yourself). I love that we encourage each other, we push each other (well, I see the regular classes doing that with each other...we are just starting out so we aren't really there just yet with each other....well, I do it because that's just who I am...)
I can't say that I'm at the point I will tattoo the logo on my chest (I'm not even there with Iron Man)...but I have definitely hit the "Koolaid Point" and I'll be downing another big pitcher full this week.
***
Running update: After Thursday's workout I did my long run (18 miles and they were pretty decent trail miles). Friday I ran another 14.5. But yesterday I didn't do my run because I am in fact listening to my body over the slurping of the Koolaid. I hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep all week so I went to bed early Friday night and slept late Saturday (6:30!!).
***
"Diet" update: (I really dislike that word...maybe I'll call it the "lifestyle update"?)....Well....I should probably change the title of this blog post to "drinking the Kombucha", but I won't since only a few people would get it. I have become "that person". I had a "big cooking day" today in order to get ready for the coming week. I made a chicken and deboned it. I made a huge batch of sausage. I made tuna and chicken salad. And I have a menu planned for the week. All-in-all I think it's worth the effort I'm putting into it. I haven't seen any change on the scale but I have seen a slight change in the way pants are fitting. More than that, I've felt a change in my brain (no brain fog) and in my gut (although that isn't great yet...it's better than it was). I think the reason it's not great is that there is a group of foods (FODMAPs) that cause digestive issues for a lot of people (i.e. gas, bloating...irritable bowl syndrome...). Cleaning up my diet has almost spotlighted the fact that FODMAP foods give me trouble. I have hit a decent groove with food right now so I'm not going to complicate things more by taking that group out too right now. But I am trying to pay attention to it as much as I can.
I really like it when people know what they are talking about. There are people who can bluff with the best of them, but when I know material that someone else is talking about and what they say matches what I already know, and it's something that not everyone knows, I'm impressed. (Did you follow that?)
This morning Blair (operations manager at ITF) talked to us about why they support the Paleo "lifestyle". He didn't get fuzzy on why, he spelled it out in technical terms and was spot on with what he was saying. This "fireside chat" was after the WOD...which was after the instruction for the day.
So...let me back up. I got to the gym a little early so I could see what goes on in a regular class. I got to see a friend, who is a little bitty thing, clean and jerk what looked like more than her own body weight! (I don't know if it was, but I'm fairly confident it was...) I got to see big burly guys using straps to do a pull up (which is comforting because I know that's the only way I'll be able to do them--at least for a while...). I got to see a girl trying really hard to clean and jerk and just not making it, but she kept trying.
As I was wrapping my mind around the possibility of actually EVER being able to attempt any of that, Blair told me it was shoulder day. I have to admit, I almost suddenly remembered a meeting I had to get to...it crossed my mind to say I could hear my mother calling, but he must have seen the panic in my face because he told me it was going to be fine. I explained that I had surgery in January and my shoulder isn't 100% just yet. He reminded me that any movement could be scaled down. And then it was time for 101 to start so I couldn't duck out.
There were only three of us there (you can go at 6:15am or 7pm Monday/Tuesday/Thursday--either time you want...apparently 7pm is a much more popular time to work out.) We started with a little 200m warm up jog and did some dynamic exercises to get our bodies ready. Then we learned how to do a proper "strict press" (shoulder press) and a proper push up. I can really tell I haven't been doing my shoulder PT because I couldn't even do ONE regular push up.
Today's WOD was three rounds of run/presses/push ups. I was feeling pretty good the first round even though I had to break it down into chunks (I couldn't do 21 shoulder presses at one time, I had to take "mini-breaks".) It was timed again. I was feeling fairly decent for the first set. The second set was a little more taxing and I ended up having to use a thing for the pushups that kept me from going all the way to the floor (because I couldn't get back up!). The third set did me in. I came in last this time. There's a slight chance I lost count. If so I did extra because I wasn't sure, but I don't think I did...I'm just THAT weak in my shoulders (well the left one anyway).
I'm reminded again why I'm doing this crazy thing. Is it really important to me to be able to lift heavy things? Not really...although it is pretty cool to be strong. But getting stronger will surely help me swim, bike and run faster. At the very least it will help prevent injury. As a side note, I'm really thrilled they promote Paleo too.
...after I left the gym I got a beet juice from The Juice Bar before meeting Daisy for a run. We didn't get to run more than the warm up together because I had a mile repeat workout and she was running steady. But it was nice to know she was there and we got to cool down together afterward.
Tomorrow is a recovery ride that I will probably replace with a nap. I'll update you on the "diet" tomorrow as well.
Until next time...
:D
**Not sure what a "clean and jerk" is...watch this...
Let me first say how much I love the space we work out in. I know it's a silly thing to start off with, but it's a first impression that hits you when you first pull in from the street. It's a cool industrial red brick building with an interior that says "I'm here to sweat" (no, not literally). I'm not a "reviewer" so I won't pretend to be able to describe things about the place in a way that will give you a good mental image. I'm there to work out so I won't be taking pictures either. I did scroll through about a hundred photos on the Iron Tribe Huntsville Face Book page and came up with this one to show you want the outside looks like. (I don't know who any of the people are so I blurred out the faces.)
I met some nice people before we got started. We met the coaches and then we introduced ourselves, telling a bit about why we're there. (I said "I'm here to practice what I preach.") We got warmed up with some dynamic movements and then learned the proper way to perform three every day functional movements-the air squat, the kettle bell swing and the sit up.
Now, I know what you are probably thinking. "I don't do squats or sit ups every day...she's crazy." But, my guess is that you do. Almost everyone sits on (and gets up from) the toilet at least once a day (maybe you have to use hand rails to lower/raise yourself?), everyone gets out of bed (maybe you roll out?). ...I've been trying really hard to think of a movement that resembles the kettle bell swing, but I don't think I do that movement at all much less every day. But, here's the thing...my hips are SUPER weak so just like a person who might roll out of bed and not use their ab muscles (for what ever reason), I don't use my hips as much as I "should" so it's not surprising I can't think of anything I do like that.
After we learned how to do the movements properly, we did a baseline test to get an idea of where we are starting from. As soon as I found out the test would be timed my competitor kicked in. I started sizing up the room to see who might be the biggest "threat". Then I remembered to keep myself in check because I will be getting up in less than 12 hours to go back to the gym for day two, then I'm doing a seven mile run tomorrow (mile repeats, so not a leisurely stroll), not to mention I have an 18 miler -after my strength workout- on Thursday). ((No, I'm really not doing too much...and I'll explain why I'm saying that in tomorrow's post...))
We started with a little run then did descending sets of the three exercises we learned, and finished off with another little run. I started a bit slower than I needed to because I didn't know what to expect. I've got to say that's the most squats I've done in one workout in well over a year and I've never even held a kettle bell before tonight. (Sit ups aren't an issue, but the way we did them was a little different than I'm used to (in order to get a full range of motion).) When I got to my last set I realized just how easy I was taking it and picked it up to finish strong. I felt like I probably gave about 90% effort (knowing I have a heavy workout week ahead and this is not all I'm doing made a difference in what effort I was willing to lay out there).
Well...time for bed because I'll get up early tomorrow to join the morning group at 6:15. For now I'll leave you with this:
Yeah, yeah, I know it's pretty darn funny...no one is going to be drawing me a bath at the gym...but as I drove away I couldn't help but sing to myself, "I think I'm gonna like it here..."
Until next time...
:D
((In case you were wondering, I came in "third" (out of maybe 15ish?) but I'm pretty sure no one really cared; they didn't have medals or awards and there were no ranking or scores being kept. They did make note of the time because we'll do the same test at the end of the 101 month to see how far we progress. And, in case you're wondering, the person I thought was going to give me a run for my time came in second. She's training for the marathon so she probably didn't give all she had either but I want to beat her at the end...I can't help it. Even if I didn't say it, if you have been reading my blog at all you know, I'm thinking it.))
I said I was going to be transparent so...here it is. My before pictures. Although I did take some pictures of me in a bikini (standard before shots), I am not going to be that transparent. I decided to take my public pictures in something I would likely be seen in public wearing-a bike top and compression shorts.
For the record, I'm much happier with these pictures than I am with the bikini pictures. :D This top is a little on the snug side and the shorts ride up BAD when I run in them which I like to think will change when I lean up. Don't send me hate mail, I'm well aware that I am not the typical "before" look. My overall goal isn't really to lose weight. I want to lose body fat and increase lean muscle.
Here are my measurements:
Flexed bicep L 10, R 10.5
Waist @ belly button 29
Upper hip 38.5
Widest part of my hips 41.5
Thighs L 22.5 R 23
Calf 14
Weight 135
I don't have number goals. I know that by chaining the way I am eating and adding in strength training my body is going to change. I feel a little silly posting this because, again, I know I'm not what most people would think of when they here "before". But here's where I really started from:
This was my first Cotton Row finish line picture in 2010. I weighed around 150ish then. I've worked hard to get to where I am now. I've been leaner, faster and stronger in the past than where I am right now, but I'm excited to think about where I'm headed.
"Diet" Update
Dwayne and I started the Autoimmune Protocol Thursday. I have already been able to tell a difference in my gut. I'm not bloated as usual, and things feel settled. I'm not used to eating this much protein so we'll see how that goes but for now I'm finding it worth the effort to cook all the time. I talked to friends of ours (a couple) who have been Paleo (not AIP) for about three years. The wife said she was having an issue with her shoulder before they started. It wasn't serious, just achy all the time. She said once they changed their diet that went completely away. (It has to do with reduced inflammation.) I have felt really very good overall. I can't say I'm significantly better but I ran well Thursday, recovered well for Friday's run and then again for Saturday's run so I'm pleased.
If you want to know more about the "diet" (way of eating...not a "diet" that has a beginning and an end), check out the Paleo Mom's website.
I think my first introduction to strength and conditioning was a physical fitness test I took when I was in elementary school, maybe 3rd or 4th grade. I remember going to another school's gym on a Saturday and having to do several exercises. I was told at the time the president wanted to know how fit I was compared to other kids. I remember feeling very proud that the president cared that much about me!! :D I don't remember doing anything prior to that test to get ready for it or following up on it afterwards. But I did play kickball or chase at recess twice a day every school day (unless it rained and we were forced to stay inside) until 7th grade when we exchanged recess for PE.
Not me...taken from the internet!
I HATED PE. I hated changing, I hated sweating in the middle of the day (with my new 7th grade stink). The thought of showering was completely out of the question. I hated having to display my complete lack of athletic prowess in front of all the kids who just new how to hit a volleyball, throw a baseball or shoot a basketball with the ease of a professional athlete. I hated the oversized generic brand shoes my mom bought for me thinking I'd grow into them. I hated the polyester shorts they made us all wear. I did everything I could to get out of as much as I could, or at least do as little as I could get away
Really me!
Fast forward to my senior year of high school. My parents were in the Arkansas Army National
Guard. As a senior, they convinced me enlisting was the route to take to have my college paid for so I signed up. I knew I would have to go to Basic training which would mean doing a minimum number of pushups and sit-ups and a timed 2 mile run, so I started going to the gym. I loved sit ups. I felt like I could do them all day long...so that's what I focused on when I would go. I would walk around the gym floor 13 times (that was a mile), and I would workout some on the machines, but I spend the better part of my time doing sit-ups. When I went to Basic training I might have been able to do about 25 pushups in the 2 minute time frame they gave for the test. Although that wasn't enough, we had to do enough pushups I didn't need extra practice for that! I was able to keep up in the short runs we did in PT (physical training) enough that I wasn't required to join in "remedial training". Naturally since I wasn't required, I didn't. When I took my final PT test, I passed the pushups with ease, came close to maxing on sit-ups and BARELY scraped by on the run (sort of).
I used the Video not the album...
Fast-forward to when I got out of the military. I have talked before about how I would use physical activity to lose some weight here and there. I did step aerobics with Jane Fonda, I joined a couple of different gyms along the way, mainly doing group classes. I would work out on machines every now and then. I walked; every so often I would try to run. Sometimes when I got particularly motivated I would tear out the pages of a "SELF" magazine and say I was going to do the 10 minute strengthening workouts they advertised. (I didn't ever actually do them, at least not ever more than once!).
Fast forward to 2008. I got a flyer from my local gym advertising personal training. I went to see Warren Martin who convinced me he could help me get in shape. And, he DID. It was amazing. I started out meeting with him just once a week, but after a couple of weeks stepped that up to twice a week. He pushed me even when I whined saying I just couldn't do what he was asking me to do. He also helped me morph my nutrition plan. In about 10 weeks I lost about 10 pounds and gained a significant amount of strength. After the 12th week I decided I could do what we were doing on my own and stopped paying for personal training....and very quickly stopped going to the gym.
I tell my husband he can't touch those arms or they'll deflate!
Since I started running, and then triathlon, and then even coaching, I have tried on numerous
occasions to add strength training into my plan. I became a certified personal trainer and a certified TRX trainer. I have been a member of three gyms at one time (thanks to teaching and training I am not paying for memberships anymore). I, of all people, KNOW what to do. And, when I do it I really enjoy it, and make gains in strength quickly.
And...I don't do it.
I did PT for my shoulder longer than I've done anything, but I stopped even doing that a couple of months ago (and I can tell). I know I need to do it more now than ever. I preach all the time to other people that women over 40 NEED strength training to stay healthy. And I know I need strength training to prevent injury. And I know doing it will help me perform better.
And...I just don't do it.
So, when I was invited to try out the program at Iron Tribe Fitness I jumped.
I jumped back actually. My mind started coming up with all kinds of reasons I shouldn't/couldn't do this thing. I told Blair (manager/coach) how scared I was and his response was something I'm totally going to steal. He said, "It's like attending kindergarten...everyone is nervous! Did you make it through kindergarten?" So I jumped...in this time. I will start "kindergarten" October 27th, three days a week for month long 101 Program. ((For the record, I OWNED kindergarten like BOSS!!! That was the very best analogy he could have used!!))
I have decided to be very bold and vulnerable and post about my experience here. I'm posting for two reasons. When (not if, but when) I get scared I know I will have this stake in the ground (((yes, I get scared to death even though I'm a coach...haven't you read my posts?!))) Also, I am positive there will be a major transformation in my body and my abilities; I want to be able to look back on this time and remember where I started. And IF I forget I will read this post and REMEMBER WHY I'M HERE!!
A week ago Monday I was cleared by the doctor to do "anything I want". I know, he then had to go and add "within reason" but my mind heard "anything I want" and replays it over and over again. I'm having to very consciously protect myself against the big bad wolf. On Monday I was telling some athletes from my Spin class about what I had done since being cleared; one of them looked at me and rolled her eyes saying, "and you call that reasonable?" (or something to that effect). It made me stop and think for a minute. Well...yes...I think so.
You're wondering now what I have done, aren't you? (If not, skip this paragraph!) Wednesday I taught Spin for an hour long (fairly tough) class and did PT (stretching and about 75 minutes of upper body work). Thursday I taught a 45 minute (not so tough) Spin class and did about 40ish minutes upper body strength training. Friday I taught a 45 minute Spin class (I'd call it fairly tough) and did PT. Saturday I ran/walked 3.5 miles (run 5 walk 1) and did some of my PT stretches. Sunday I ONLY did at home PT stuff (not as much upper body strength). Monday I taught Spin class (I'd call it moderately tough) and did PT (including 75ish minutes of upper body strength). Then Yesterday
I SWAM!!!
I'm pretty sure that was the first time in the water since IMLT!! ((I could be wrong about that, but I'm almost certain.)) I was really nervous about going. My daughter was laughing at me and said, "okay, just tell the lifeguards to watch you closely since you haven't swam since your IRONMAN". That made me laugh at myself. Swimming is like riding a bike...it's not like I would have forgotten how!
However, I knew it wasn't going to be totally great when I had a lot of trouble even doing the dynamic warm up. I was shocked at the difference in the left shoulder/arm. The really good news is that when I got in and started swimming, other than the pain it felt really good to be back in the water. My form wasn't 100% spot on, but it really was like riding a bike. My body got right into the catch/pull groove. Even better, I haven't lost a lot of speed. Endurance is nonexistent, but that's to be expected. I think the best news is that I don't think I feel any more pain today than usual!!
On tap for today is Spin and PT. Tomorrow is Spin and possibly another swim! I don't think that's unreasonable at all.
Until next time. :D
*Did you know it's apparently illegal to ride a bike in a swimming pool in California?! I found that out here when I was searching for a picture to use for this post. By the way, the picture used is copy written by Olivia Locher.
I've been going to physical therapy for my left calf. It's been hurting pretty much since I started running. I got new shoes, I've been to the chiropractor (something I thought I'd never do), I've been to massage therapy. It got so bad at one point I thought it had progressed to a stress fracture. (That wasn't just a random thought, the massage therapist was the one who told me to get an x-ray before I tried to run on it again.) I went to an orthopaedic doctor who sent me to physical therapy.
It's not really getting better.
Last Tuesday the physical therapist told me last week I had to make a choice. She said I could either stop running (for at least a month) and continue therapy OR stop coming to therapy. She said that I am basically wasting my time and money coming to therapy as long as I am going to keep running. She believes I am re-injuring the leg every time I go out on it.
The "old me" would have been a little happy because that would have given me an excuse not to exercise. But, I'm not who I was. I would rather be told anything else than I (might) have to choose not to run. I told her it doesn't really hurt (too bad) when I'm actually out running on it. She said that's because it gets warmed up and because of the endorphins running gives me.
I told her if she didn't see me before June (after the Cotton Row 10K I'm registered for and have been training for the last 2 months)...she'd know what my decision was. I decided I would run with the group that night and then run the 5K Saturday...and then I would see how I felt.
Saturday, I was talking to a woman (an amazing master's runner) at the Cookie Dash who told me she had trouble with Planter Fasciitis. She said she had the same experience. Her feet didn't bother her when she was running-it was only the next day that she couldn't walk! Her ortho pretty much told her the same thing-quit running. (She went to Spine Care --chiro-- who did/does ART --active release therapy-- and she's almost completely pain free now.)
ART basically breaks up scar tissue...which is exactly what I've been thinking is the problem all along. I can't remember if I've talked about it on here before or not, but I was in a bad car wreck about 16 years ago. I had my leg sort of propped up between the driver's seat and the door (I was driving). I hydroplaned and almost went under an 18-wheeler. He was paying attention and moved over as far as he could so I slammed into his back wheels-crushing the front driver's side of my car-and my leg. I didn't break it, but it's never been the same since then.
So, tonight I bought a massage thingy (on eBay, not from the linked on-line store) that SHOULD help if that's the problem. I'm going to cancel my PT appointments and move my ortho follow up to the first week in June (instead of two weeks before the race as it is currently scheduled).
