PT: Session 13

I'm still sick.  It's been a week and a half of this stupid cold.  This is really starting to put a strain on my training.  Meaning, I haven't been training.  I've been "resting."

I spent all of last week "resting.'  That's what you're supposed to do when you have a cold, right? Rest. Drink fluids.  Rest.  Take zinc. Take aspirin. Don't take antibiotics.  So I did rest.  Called in sick to work.  Didn't work out at all. Missed all of my training sessions with Alison. Didn't run once.

And yet I woke up on Saturday morning still feeling sick.  I decided I was done resting and went to the gym.  Ditto on Sunday, and went for a lovely run on the waterfront with Jill.  Monday I sniffled and coughed my way through yoga.  On Tuesday I went to work, and then started to feel lousy.  This morning I woke up and met with Alison again.  I told her my new approach to this cold is to treat it the way I treat all minor annoyances in my life.  I'll simply ignore it until it goes away.

That attitude lasted until I got home today.  I sat down to enjoy an episode of Friends while drinking my post-workout and promptly fell asleep.  Woke up and hour and a half later.  Yikes.  Had to take a nap this afternoon too.  I'm exhausted.  And still sick.  This is lame.

***
I've been reading a couple marathon training books, trying to get an idea of how to focus my training plan.  I'm not doing much other than psych my self out.  I need to stop overthinking this.  I just need to focus on the running. Because the running is really starting to feel great.  When Jill and I were running along the waterfront on Sunday, it was sublime. I really love runs that feel like that.  Yay. Looking forward to many more.

Today's Workout

400 meters rowing machine

60 sec TRX lunge and kick

10x TRX row

10x TRX bicep curls

10x TRX row

60 sec fast TRX squats

500 meters rowing machine

2x

8x walk-out pushups

15x med ball twists

30 sec wall sits

60 sec plank

2x

10x shoulder press (20 lbs)

30 sec pulse lunges (20 lbs)

10x tricep extensions

out sick

I'm sick. Ugh.  Missed yesterday's training session with Allison.  Home sick from work today.  I've watched more television in the last 24 hours than I have the last month combined.  Stupid cold. Stupid stupid lingering cold.

Okay. I'm being slightly melodramatic. This is only day five of the cold. My feelings are pride is hurt that I have another cold.  It's been a little over a month since the last one!  Boo.  I guess I shouldn't complain, prior to the March cold I hadn't had one for a year.  On the bright side I've been able to read my library book and my boyfriend is doing nice things for me like bringing soup and medicine.

It's amazing how the combination of feeling awful and lying around can put me in a negative headspace.  I guess it's just easier to dwell on the negative while I'm feeling lousy.  Oh well. 

Whine whine whine whine whine.

It turns out I miscounted the time I have until the Foot Traffic Flat on the 4th of July, so missing this week of training won't be such a big deal.  I'll just start my run training plan next week.  I'm looking forward to having a more concrete run schedule again.  It was really helpful when I was training for the half last year.  The accountability of having paid for the program really got me out of that door.  Though, to be honest, I haven't paid for the one I'm using right now.  It's just a modification of the plan I used last year.  I figure while I'm doing this I'll be looking around for some marathon training plans, and will probably be willing to shell out the money for that.

Speaking of money, my month pass for Bikram yoga has expired.  It was a pretty good deal, $29 for a month.  Pretty much what I pay for 24 hr fitness.  But from here on out the prices skyrocket, at $15/class or $89/month I'm not sure that driving all the way out to Beaverton is worth it.  There are some yoga studios closer to my house that are cheaper, and so I'm thinking I'm going to start looking closer to home. 

Personal Training: Session 12

So.  We're back to the workouts that make me want to puke.  It was only a matter of time, I guess, before we pushed to the "next level."  It's okay though, leaving the gym right after a workout with Allison means less time on the treadmill and more time outside.  It's spring! It isn't terribly cold! It isn't raining! Everything is green and blooming! The sun is shining! And, frankly, the gym has a funky odor these days.

Today was another run to, through and from Laurelhurst Park.  It's my last week of free-form running before the official training for July's half marathon.  I've settled on a 10 week program, and though I've done it before I'm still going to use a beginner's training program.  I'm not nearly comfortable enough with running to advance up to the intermediate level.  And besides, I'm just looking to finish.  I've got some reservations with this training, if only because I've been having a hard time thinking creatively about where to run.  I always seem to be running to Laurelhurst, or to Mt Tabor.  I'm starting to get bored of these routes.  The Springwater Corridor is calling to me, so I'll have to check it out.

Also trying to think of a new title for this blog.  Spinning Spirals just doesn't seem to fit my life anymore.  It did when I was 24, new to Portland, just out of college and a brand new nurse and a tad obsessed with the music of Josh Ritter.  But not so much anymore.  I still really like the music though.  Too bad the only title I can think of is "Running Sucks. " Which isn't even true.

Today's Workout

8xlunge walk w/25lb wt

25 yards sled backwards

25 yards sled forwards

10x side lunge w/ 12.5 lb wt (each side)

25 yards sled backwards

25 yards sled forward

8x lunge walk w/25lb wt

20x triceps w/ 10lb wt

10x plie squat w/ 12.5 wt

2x

10x balance ball reverse fly

10x balance ball crunches (up, right, left)

10x sumo obliques (full disclosure, I have no idea what these were called, I just felt like a sumo wrestler when I did them.)

2x

60 sec plank

10x bosu ball pushups

bosu ball balance series (each leg)

2x forearm exercises

Running

w/u 5 min

5 min run

2 min walk

4 min run

2 min walk

5 min run

2 min walk

4 min run

5 min cool down

Personal Training: Session 11

Running has been rough lately, can't seem to get much motivation to go much farther than a mile.  Gotta get going though.  Official training program for the Foot Traffic Flat starts in a week.  Can't run a half marathon very well if I'm only running a mile a day.

Yesterday's Workout

25 minutes elliptical

2x 

60 sec kettle bell swings

10x kettle bell curl and press (10 each arm)

10x triceps w/ 15lb hand weight

10x lunge w/ curl and press 8lb wts each hand (second set double lunge)

30 sec medicine ball plank

2x 

10x wood chop w/ 8lb med ball (each side)

10x  side lunge w/ knee raise (15lb hand weight)

30 second side plank

10x leg raises

10x back extensions

10x back extensions to side

12x walking lunges

I would run to you.

I really did try to run my full three miles today.  I headed straight to the gym from work. I took the wrong exit off 84.  I got all turned around in the Hollywood district (stupid one way streets), but made it to the gym.  I forgot a shirt to run in, so had to wear my work shirt. (ew.)  I got the weird treadmill.  My iPod was out of batteries.  Warm up.  One mile down, still struggling.  Done.  Couldn't push through that wall.  Blurgh.

Personal Training: Session 10

It's easy to stay humble when you drip sweat as much as I do.

Today's Workout

2x

60 seconds step up (w/ 2x 12lb hand weights)

10x plie squat

10x standing chest press (25lb wt)

10x shoulder press

30 sec side plank (each side)

2x 

15x standing triceps

15x kettle bell curves and press (each side)

10x balance ball cross crunches

2x

10x emperor's chair crunches

20x plank reach

8x side plank w/ hip dips

10x walk out-push up-walk back

60 seconds punches