Mileage Reporting 42nd week of 2012

scedastic

Barefooters
Oct 7, 2011
2,021
4,177
113
6.5 painful miles. Worst run in at least the last 20. Not sure why, my whole body was cramping up. Blech.
Cut it short b/c I thought about 8-9 miles, but no way. Shoulda quit at 4. Or 3. It's a shame, as the trail was great and I had taken the extra time to drive there in the afternoon; dark and light clouds, lots of wind, temps in the 60s, leaves and debris everywhere, desolate trail due to dramatic thunderstorms the last few days. If only my body would have let me have more fun today.....
Went swimming with the kids afterwards, was mostly treading water and goofing off, and poof, like magic, everything better. No cramps, no tight muscles, loosey goosey.
Now, after grading for 3 hrs (standing, but a lot of sitting too), I'm back to cramps through my legs, but at least not upper body/back pain.
The rest o y'all????
 
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OK, not mileage reporting, but since you asked and are talking about cramps:

Yesterday, I did weights for the third consecutive day. I've been making a lot of progress with the weight training now that I'm not running and have nothing else to obsess over. I've added 20 pounds or more to a lot of the exercises over the last ten days. It was my 'shoulder' or 'top' day, which is basically anything to do with the top of the upper body--pull downs, shoulder press, upright row, power clean, and so on. I was getting a really good pump and onto my lateral shoulder raises when something seized up in my trapezius muscles. Just at that moment my wife and son came into the garage and I asked for an immediate massage with the knobble. That helped, but today I have a stiff neck. Sheez. I'm a medical mess these days. At least the knee is getting better everyday. At this rate of healing, I should be running again within the week. Hopefully my neck will loosen up throughout the day. Congrats to Nick on the Hawks victory. See you all later . . .
 
OK, not mileage reporting, but since you asked and are talking about cramps:

Yesterday, I did weights for the third consecutive day. I've been making a lot of progress with the weight training now that I'm not running and have nothing else to obsess over. I've added 20 pounds or more to a lot of the exercises over the last ten days. It was my 'shoulder' day, which is basically anything to do with the top of the upper body--pull downs, shoulder press, upright row, power clean, and so on. I was getting a really good pump and onto my lateral shoulder raises when something seized up in my trapezius muscles. Just at that moment my wife and son came into the garage and I asked for an immediate massage with the knobble. That helped, but today I have a stiff neck. Sheez. I'm a medical mess these days. At least the knee is getting better everyday. At this rate of healing, I should be running again within the week. Hopefully my neck will loosen up throughout the day. Congrats to Nick on the Hawks victory. See you all later . . .
You gotta be careful old man! Lol! I'm just kidding in case you didn't read with the right amount of sarcasm. I have recently changed my workout schedule too (weights wise I mean) and I'm not sure how fast you can put on muscle, but in two weeks I added 2 pounds although I am looking thinner and muscles are much more visible. My wife said she likes this new routine I'm doing. :D Only doing weights 4 days a week now but still doing as much as I was when going 6 days a week. As far as the Hawks win, well, I have no fingernails left as it was a real nail biter of a game... I might be a little balder too.
 
Lee, I've gotten myself tweaked w/ shoulder weights before too. I was starting on muscles that were too cold, and doing weights that were at the border of what I could handle--in fact i was doing shoulder presses to warm up in the am so i could go run (yeah, i know)......gettin old you can get hurt just thinkin about getting up off the couch. ;)

weights are a lot of fun, though, and very easy to overdo. never thought i'd say that as a lady who was never very into strength training before, but it can be very rewarding when you can do things/pick up weights that were impossible weeks/days before. in fact, with the running, and school, i've found myself missing taking the time for strength training, so please do report yours here. Now I just do pushups and situps in between school work when i get cold.

Ouchies come ouchies GO NOW! See, worked the magic on you. You are HEALED. Rise up.
 
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4.25 misty wet miles this morning in the dark(about 5:15) , still very stiff legs all the way up, calves mostly though, but it's getting better. I think my body is just telling me not to do three 10+milers within the next 7 days for a little while. At least its and all over tightness.
Ok, ok, already, listening.

The week starts on Sunday. Not because it matters (revolution of earth around sun: year, spin of earth: day, no equivalent for a week, totally made up, like hours and seconds), but because we all have to agree and standardize at some point. Just sayin ;)

That said, Nick, psychologically, my week starts on monday, ends on friday, and there are to black hole days where the magic of me catching up with everything i didn't do during the week never happens.
 
Lee, I've gotten myself tweaked w/ shoulder weights before too. I was starting on muscles that were too cold, and doing weights that were at the border of what I could handle--in fact i was doing shoulder presses to warm up in the am so i could go run (yeah, i know)......gettin old you can get hurt just thinkin about getting up off the couch. ;)

weights are a lot of fun, though, and very easy to overdo. never thought i'd say that as a lady who was never very into strength training before, but it can be very rewarding when you can do things/pick up weights that were impossible weeks/days before. in fact, with the running, and school, i've found myself missing taking the time for strength training, so please do report yours here. Now I just do pushups and situps in between school work when i get cold.

Ouchies come ouchies GO NOW! See, worked the magic on you. You are HEALED. Rise up.
Yah, I've been doing weights off and on since college. The trapezius knotted up, but my wife has just massaged about 80% of the knot away. For me, this kind of thing happens when I'm really pumped up, but it's only happened a few times, and a long time ago, when I was in my twenties. In this case I had finished all my bigger muscle exercises and was working on the smaller ones, so I was good and pumped. The lateral raises I do are kind of an angel wing motion, starting around the waist and going up above the head in a semi-circle motion. It's great for the traps. I have pulled a muscle just a bit a few times too, but always when I'm in the first month or two of getting back into weights and always when I'm doing dips. I just started doing dips again a month ago, after more than a year of getting back into the weights, because I know they stress the pecs and lats a lot. It's a great 'finishing' exercise for my 'front' days. Anyway, all this to say I know my way around weights much better than running, but I appreciate the advice just the same. And yes, it is important to do strength training and anaerobic stuff, just as much as aerobic stuff, it's not just for meat heads. Besides preventing injuries doing day to day stuff, like you say, it helps maintain bone density and muscle mass, which begin a quick decline in midlife if you don't do anything. I've also read that it helps boost the immune system, which is important for a high mileage runner like you, because high mileage can weaken it. I've more or less gone back to the old one day weights, one day run routine I had in Chicago, although I've changed things a bit.

Hmnn, report doing strength training too? How would we go about that? You don't want to hear about reps and max weight do you? I don't really keep track of that too much, I just know for exercise x I put on x number of plate y. I guess it would keep me involved here while I wait for the knee to fully heal . . .
 
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Hmnn, report doing strength training too? How would we go about that? You don't want to hear about reps and max weight do you? I don't really keep track of that too much, I just know for exercise x I put on x number of plate y. I guess it would keep me involved here while I wait for the knee to fully heal . . .

Well you could just report, say, "strength training day today 1 hour, harming no one in the process"
;)
 
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You gotta be careful old man! Lol! I'm just kidding in case you didn't read with the right amount of sarcasm. I have recently changed my workout schedule too (weights wise I mean) and I'm not sure how fast you can put on muscle, but in two weeks I added 2 pounds although I am looking thinner and muscles are much more visible. My wife said she likes this new routine I'm doing. :D Only doing weights 4 days a week now but still doing as much as I was when going 6 days a week. As far as the Hawks win, well, I have no fingernails left as it was a real nail biter of a game... I might be a little balder too.
Just in case you're interested, here's my current (idealized) routine (you can see I'm also a godless pagan):

M: RT: Front
Tu: Run: Tempo
W: RT: Top
Th: Run: Intervals & Hills run
F: RT: Back
Sa: Run: LSD
Su: Rest/Run: recovery/Row

The exercises are ordered heavy to light, and in priority, so if I'm pushed for time, I skip the last ones:

Front
1.Bench Press
2.Flies
3.Cables
4.Dips: Front and back (Triceps)
5.Curls
6.Triceps: lying & standing
7.Plank: Triceps kickback
8.Floor: Iron Cross
9.Floor: Hindu push-up
10.Floor: push-up clap
11.Abs: Bicycle Sit Ups
12.Abs: Leg Lifts
13.Legs: extensions & curls
14.Legs: Plyometrics bench hop
15.Strikes

Top
1.Shoulder Press
2.Power Clean
3.Upright Row
4.Pull-downs, front & back
5.Seated Row
6.Lateral Raise, Side & Front
7.Forearm: curl, pronation & supination
8.Plank: Fist pump c/ dumbbell
9.Plank: Stacker
10.Plank: Push/pull
11.Plank: Stir the pot on ball
12.Floor: Turkish Get-up
13.Floor: Rotator parallel
14.Floor: Rotator perpendicular
15.Abs: Sit-up bench/crunches
16.Legs: Broad Jump
17.Legs: Plyo box

Back
1.Dead Lift
2.Squat
3.Kettlebell Swing
4.Lunges: front & side
5.Bent-over Row: bar & bench
6.Hyperextensions
7.Reverse leg lift
8.Abduction & Adduction
9.Plank: Pendulum swing
10.Plank: Side hip dip
11.Plank: Running
12.Plank: Spiderman
13.Floor: Hip Lift/bridge
14.Floor: Lateral Leg raises
15.Floor: Dirty dog
16.Floor: Donkey kick
17. Floor: Clam shells
18.Abs: Plank Twist
19.Abs: Wheel
20.Kicks


There's supposed to be some rowing in there too, after the resistance training, but it's pretty sporadic these days.
 
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Well you could just report, say, "strength training day today 1 hour, harming no one in the process"
;)
OK, how's this?: Sunday, top/shoulder routine, right trapezius seized up while doing shoulder raises (finally a problem on the right side of my body!) so stopped after about 40 minutes, grabbed a pain killer (beer), and went out to play with the kids at the end of a gorgeous fall afternoon. The next reports will hopefully obey the second clause of your instructions.
 
Anyway, all this to say I know my way around weights much better than running, but I appreciate the advice just the same. And yes, it is important to do strength training, just as much as aerobic stuff, it's not just for meat heads. Besides preventing injuries doing day to day stuff, it helps maintain bone density and muscle mass, which begin a quick decline in midlife if you don't do anything. I've also read that it helps boost the immune system, which is important for a high mileage runner like you, because high mileage can weaken it. I've more or less gone back to the old one day weights, one day run routine I had in Chicago, although I've changed things a bit.
.

Agreed. I do look to my male friends for strength training advice/ideas, so I appreciate the discussions.

Running keeps me alive and not completely insane, and I build some aerobic endurance in the bargain.
Strength training makes me feel fit. (a friend was laughing at me when I was complaining about feeling totally out of shape on a day when I ran like 8 miles, but didn't do a single sit up, push up or free weight---even just a little bit makes me feel stronger).
Many women (me, formerly) out there who run do nothing else to be overall in good shape (and, ok, some men)----very very bad idea 'as we age.'
Especially for back pain. Nothing like being able to pick up my seven year old and not worry for a moment about hurting myself.

Being strong, and building core muscle groups is not nearly emphasized enough for women, and there's the intimidation factor of leaving the 'aerobic' area of the gym. I do most of my weights at home, but when I am at the gym, I feel pretty hard core lifting even my little girl weights when I trek over to the weight area filled with all those boys 20 years younger pumping it up.
 
Just in case you're interested, here's my current (idealized) routine (you can see I'm also a godless pagan):



There's supposed to be some rowing in there too, after the resistance training, but it's pretty sporadic these days.
This is funny because I was just thinking about sending you a copy of my workout... Lol!
 
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Please do. As you can see, my revised three-day routine has incorporated some of the stuff you've talked about already.
Ok Lee, I tried to do this as a private message as I know not everyone wants to read about weight training routines, but I could not figure out how to attach a word document that way. Note at the bottom of the document that I consider a set as three different exercises grouped together and I only rest between sets, not between exercises. It's the only way for me to get through a workout with my son strapped into his stroller as this way cuts a lot of time. I do three sets of each grouping of exercises and only take a 1-2 minute rest between sets.
 

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Oh and ignore the weight and reps, after my back surgeries I try to keep weight down on my exercises so I don't hurt and aggravate my back. (I also just don't want you to think I'm weak ;))
 
Ok Lee, I tried to do this as a private message as I know not everyone wants to read about weight training routines, but I could not figure out how to attach a word document that way. Note at the bottom of the document that I consider a set as three different exercises grouped together and I only rest between sets, not between exercises. It's the only way for me to get through a workout with my son strapped into his stroller as this way cuts a lot of time. I do three sets of each grouping of exercises and only take a 1-2 minute rest between sets.
Looks like a good routine! And let's not be shy here; Scedastic gave us license to discuss this here. Plus she studies group variances, so you're more data for her (you might consider editing out your quote of my routine though--that's a lot of space redundancy).

Before when I did two different weight routines instead of three, I grouped some of the shoulder/top stuff with my back stuff (pull downs, power clean, etc.), and some with the front stuff (shoulder raises, forearm, etc.). But splitting them up into three different routines gives me a little more time to pyramid the heavier weights, which I hadn't been doing, and it also gives me a better chance of actually doing everything on the list. I'm still trying to keep it all under an hour, which the three-way breakup helps allow me to do, kind of similar to the way you vary your different body areas' exercises, depending on the day.

And yes, build up your back strength slowly. I'm always super cautious with my deadlifts, bent-over rows, etc. If I'm the least bit tired, I reduce the weight cuz I know I won't be able to hold good form as well. And I still haven't come close to my old max lift after a year plus of getting back into it--I'm taking it nice and slow.
 
I have to admit, you guys are very focused with your routine....I just run, can't get myself onto a weight training routine, even though I am sure my belly would be happy to shed some cm's !! :-D

Are you having all this equipment at home, or are you going to the gym ?
 
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Being strong, and building core muscle groups is not nearly emphasized enough for women, and there's the intimidation factor of leaving the 'aerobic' area of the gym. I do most of my weights at home, but when I am at the gym, I feel pretty hard core lifting even my little girl weights when I trek over to the weight area filled with all those boys 20 years younger pumping it up.
Does kneading bread and pulling lots of weeds count? I do most of it barefoot.:) Plus, today will be a swimming day and I'm working on developing my pull and holding my core. I have done a fair amount of strength training in the last 10 years, so that probably makes all of the stuff "around the house" and even more effective workout, since I'm stronger than the average housewife. ;) The family recently got into the TRX and I hope to do that more this winter. If anyone else has good ideas for exercise with that, I'm all ears.
 
I have to admit, you guys are very focused with your routine....I just run, can't get myself onto a weight training routine, even though I am sure my belly would be happy to shed some cm's !! :-D
Strength or resistance training, like running, takes a while to get into, to where it's fun, about a month or two, but once you get in the swing of things, it's almost as addicting. It's nice to feel somewhat strong, and 'the pump' is a nice complement to the runner's high. You'll see results fairly quickly, and if you do it right, there's almost no chance of serious injury.
Are you having all this equipment at home, or are you going to the gym ?
I have everything in the garage: a bench with adjustable bars for dips & squats and a leg thing for extensions and curls, a couple of barbells, lots of 5, 10, 20, & 25 lb plates, a curling bar (which I use for upright rows--I do my curls with dumbbells), a bent-over rowing bar, a lat bar, a triangle bar, and pull-down bar, paired dumbbells up to 60 lbs (15,20,25, etc.), and basic cable machine for pull downs, seated rows, abductor/adductor stuff, and so on, ankle weights, a homemade t-bar for kettlebell swings, an adjustable plyo box, a sit-up bench, my foam rollers, and probably some more stuff I'm forgetting. I've built up the set slowly over the years, and inherited some stuff from friends and family, but you can get a lot of good used equipment on craigslist or the classifieds if you're patient. Exercise gear, like kids stuff, is usually a good value used--no need to buy new. Used gear is often lightly used because someone feel off the exercise wagon shortly after buying it, and it's pretty durable--hard to break or ruin.

The advantage of having a home gym is you can do your routine whenever time permits, and you don't have to drive anywhere so you save time. Plus you never have to wait your turn. The disadvantage is you don't have any spotters, so you have to be extra careful and can't do anything to failure, but I don't mind that too much now that I'm getting older. I also miss the gym rat camaraderie a bit, but I get my fix for that here.

If you want to give it a try, just start with the basic exercises: bench press, shoulder press, deadlift, squat, pull-ups, and sit-ups. You don't need much equipment for that, just a bench, a bar, some plates, and a pull-up bar. Then add to the exercises and gear over time as enthusiasm and budget permits.
 
Does kneading bread and pulling lots of weeds count? I do most of it barefoot.:) Plus, today will be a swimming day and I'm working on developing my pull and holding my core. I have done a fair amount of strength training in the last 10 years, so that probably makes all of the stuff "around the house" and even more effective workout, since I'm stronger than the average housewife. ;) The family recently got into the TRX and I hope to do that more this winter. If anyone else has good ideas for exercise with that, I'm all ears.
Well your swimming is an excellent exercise for the upper body, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Is your new pool going to have one of those wave machines in it? It looked a little short in the photo for triathalon training (not that I know anything about swimming--I just like to splash about).
 
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