Christmas is close, which means I am with my family staying at Disney... which means I get to workout at the Disney as well. This whole week I don't have much planned in the morning except for some fastpasses in the parks, but those are all later than I would plan to run or workout anyway.
Recently I have been feeling a little tight and creaky so I decided to do some yoga the first morning. I had a beautiful view to admire as I stretched out. I don't think I have mentioned it before, but I found a new yoga website called Do Yoga With Me. It's fantastic! You can pay for some of the features or if you want to donate and otherwise the videos are all free to stream. I have really enjoyed following some of the different videos in the last few months since discovering the site. So yes I did one of their videos while watching everyone wake up and start moving around the Boardwalk on a pretty foggy morning.
This morning I did my absolute favorite workout while staying at the Boardwalk... I ran. I wasn't sure if I was going to have the time because we had to pack to move rooms, but I still managed to find the time to get out there and run. It was foggy and cool and perfect. I got a lovely 3.1 mile run in that took me to Hollywood Studios, the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, Yacht and Beach Club hotels, EPCOT, and of course the Boardwalk Hotel.
Recently I haven't been feeling good when running, but today I felt great. Whether it was a bit of that Disney Magic sinking in or just me feeling a lot better, I don't know nor do I care. I ran at my normal faster pace (I'm still impressed with how my pace has dropped this year) and I ran farther without walking for longer. It helps that a good morning helps influence a good morning and good day.
To top it off, race waivers for marathon weekend came out today... which also means that bib and coral numbers are out. I will be in Corral M of P... 14 corrals in total (counting the elite corrals as well). There will definitely be a lot of people out there! I'm still excited for the race, especially since I have a lot of friends running it!
Showing posts with label Yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yoga. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Well Hello Again
Guess who's slowly coming back?
It's finally turning into a "slow" season at work and I'm returning to a position where my work schedule is a little more routine. That means I can run again, and also get into new types of workouts, which I am of course excited for.
Taking March off from running was nice, but I'll admit that I was definitely becoming jealous of other runners by the end of the month. I wasn't exactly stir crazy, like usual, but I wanted to be out there running instead of just being tired from walking all day for work. The good news is that I managed my diet enough that I didn't gain any weight so I won't be fighting that battle as much as I was expecting.
Still, March is over, April is almost over, and I am just now regaining my footing in running. I have a few months to get back into shape and get ready for this Dumbo Challenge at Disneyland. I've been able to get up to 2.2 miles again and I can tell I'm definitely out of shape. Luckily that's never stopped me before, nor will it stop me now.
I'm not going to be returning just to running, but I'm going to go back to some of the cross training I did in college for swimming and triathlon. I heading to spinning classes and maybe some yoga.
I finally found a gym that includes spinning, yoga, and other classes in the membership and, after checking out the gym in person, I've signed up. I'm hoping to do my first spinning class tomorrow and I am super excited because I've really missed it. I had a blast spinning in the off season for swimming. Plus it will be easier on my knees, get my endurance back up, and should give me that distraction from just running. Along with yoga for stretching and runs on the other days... this should be a pretty good workout schedule. It will be a hard one, but if I can keep it up, it'll be a good one.
It's finally turning into a "slow" season at work and I'm returning to a position where my work schedule is a little more routine. That means I can run again, and also get into new types of workouts, which I am of course excited for.
Taking March off from running was nice, but I'll admit that I was definitely becoming jealous of other runners by the end of the month. I wasn't exactly stir crazy, like usual, but I wanted to be out there running instead of just being tired from walking all day for work. The good news is that I managed my diet enough that I didn't gain any weight so I won't be fighting that battle as much as I was expecting.
Still, March is over, April is almost over, and I am just now regaining my footing in running. I have a few months to get back into shape and get ready for this Dumbo Challenge at Disneyland. I've been able to get up to 2.2 miles again and I can tell I'm definitely out of shape. Luckily that's never stopped me before, nor will it stop me now.
I'm not going to be returning just to running, but I'm going to go back to some of the cross training I did in college for swimming and triathlon. I heading to spinning classes and maybe some yoga.
I finally found a gym that includes spinning, yoga, and other classes in the membership and, after checking out the gym in person, I've signed up. I'm hoping to do my first spinning class tomorrow and I am super excited because I've really missed it. I had a blast spinning in the off season for swimming. Plus it will be easier on my knees, get my endurance back up, and should give me that distraction from just running. Along with yoga for stretching and runs on the other days... this should be a pretty good workout schedule. It will be a hard one, but if I can keep it up, it'll be a good one.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Fail? Or Just Hit A Limit?
Today was an off run day and so I popped a couple Jillian Michael DVDs into my computer and decided to get a strength workout in.
I started really well. I jumped back into week 3 of 30 Day Shred and it was pretty intense. By the 3rd and final circuit my arms and quads were screaming at me. I could barely hold myself up. I'll admit, there were a few exercises that I did skip. I figured I was going to do another circuit workout that I could give myself that.
So I decided to move ahead and work on Jillian's Yoga Meltdown DVD. I figured I would get some good stretches in, loosen up some of the soreness that had set into my legs last night. But, have I mentioned that pretty much nothing that Jillian Michael's does is easy? Ya, because it's not.
I barely got through the first part of the Yoga meltdown before collapsing. My arms were just too tired and my legs were on fire. There were a lot of static poses added for strength that just made me feel like I was going to collapse into a pile of mush. So yes, I quit.
I still go a pretty decent 30 minute workout in and my arms are still humming from the workout. These DVDs are meant to be intense and done individually, not together.
I can't decide if I should have kept going and modified my moves or if I really did just hit a limit. I'm probably going to be sore and my muscles will be singing for a while, but I'll question if I could have gone farther. Of course, it is probably better that I didn't push myself too far since I have the Princess Half in just a few weeks. I ran it last year with my ankle injured (or well on the way to recovery) and I don't want to do that again this year.
Here's how I am justifying this... Tomorrow I plan to run 3-5 miles (probably closer to 5) with at least one circuit afterwards. Now, depending on how board and restless I get since it is my day off I might do an afternoon workout again. Get back into those doubles that I used to do when I was a competitive swimmer and triathlete.
I started really well. I jumped back into week 3 of 30 Day Shred and it was pretty intense. By the 3rd and final circuit my arms and quads were screaming at me. I could barely hold myself up. I'll admit, there were a few exercises that I did skip. I figured I was going to do another circuit workout that I could give myself that.
So I decided to move ahead and work on Jillian's Yoga Meltdown DVD. I figured I would get some good stretches in, loosen up some of the soreness that had set into my legs last night. But, have I mentioned that pretty much nothing that Jillian Michael's does is easy? Ya, because it's not.
I barely got through the first part of the Yoga meltdown before collapsing. My arms were just too tired and my legs were on fire. There were a lot of static poses added for strength that just made me feel like I was going to collapse into a pile of mush. So yes, I quit.
I still go a pretty decent 30 minute workout in and my arms are still humming from the workout. These DVDs are meant to be intense and done individually, not together.
I can't decide if I should have kept going and modified my moves or if I really did just hit a limit. I'm probably going to be sore and my muscles will be singing for a while, but I'll question if I could have gone farther. Of course, it is probably better that I didn't push myself too far since I have the Princess Half in just a few weeks. I ran it last year with my ankle injured (or well on the way to recovery) and I don't want to do that again this year.
Here's how I am justifying this... Tomorrow I plan to run 3-5 miles (probably closer to 5) with at least one circuit afterwards. Now, depending on how board and restless I get since it is my day off I might do an afternoon workout again. Get back into those doubles that I used to do when I was a competitive swimmer and triathlete.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Benefits of Cross-Training
So by now it's really no secret I'm a huge fan of cross-training. I've been cross training since I was swimming. We would run, complete circuits, and just try different things. On my college swim team we would have yoga twice a week (which I absolutely loved!).
Runner's World had an article about the Eight Benefits of Cross-Training. Reading through them I had to agree with all of them and have heard each reason (all except #8 because I'm not there in life yet) from either a coach or a trainer or a physical therapist.
One reason I really like cross-training because of it means I'm always doing something different. I'll have my run days, and then maybe I'll get on a bike or walk up hill for a while. Then there's weights which add a whole new category of variation. It's hard to get bored with cross training, which is usually my biggest problem with training (ironic since I used to swim 1000s and 1000s of yards straight when I was a distance swimmer... and that's the definition of boring). When it comes to weights I tend to focus on body areas; arms one day, then abs, maybe quads, and I mix it up.
Another great thing about cross-training is that one muscle group might be sore, but with cross-training you can focus on a region that's ready to go while the sore area gets some rest. Yes, it'll probably still hurt more than when you're totally rested, but not as bad as torturing that sore area.
My final reason for loving cross-training is the strength training you get from it. Running is great cardio work, but not so great for strengthening muscles. Due to some knee issues I used to have a problem doing squats, but when I tried to use that excuse (yes, it was an excuse) my physical therapist pointed out "You can't run a half marathon if you can't do a squat". So guess what... I started doing squats. Now squats and lunges are in my circuits in one form or another. The increase in strength has really started to make a difference in my running as well. My quads don't get as nearly as tight nor as soon in my races so I'm extremely thankful for that.
Cross-training is like my not-so-secret training weapon. I love it and it's an essential part of my training, no matter what I'm training for. I'm always looking for ways to mix up my cross training some more and who knows what I might find in the future (zumba? kick boxing? pilates?).
Runner's World had an article about the Eight Benefits of Cross-Training. Reading through them I had to agree with all of them and have heard each reason (all except #8 because I'm not there in life yet) from either a coach or a trainer or a physical therapist.
One reason I really like cross-training because of it means I'm always doing something different. I'll have my run days, and then maybe I'll get on a bike or walk up hill for a while. Then there's weights which add a whole new category of variation. It's hard to get bored with cross training, which is usually my biggest problem with training (ironic since I used to swim 1000s and 1000s of yards straight when I was a distance swimmer... and that's the definition of boring). When it comes to weights I tend to focus on body areas; arms one day, then abs, maybe quads, and I mix it up.
Another great thing about cross-training is that one muscle group might be sore, but with cross-training you can focus on a region that's ready to go while the sore area gets some rest. Yes, it'll probably still hurt more than when you're totally rested, but not as bad as torturing that sore area.
My final reason for loving cross-training is the strength training you get from it. Running is great cardio work, but not so great for strengthening muscles. Due to some knee issues I used to have a problem doing squats, but when I tried to use that excuse (yes, it was an excuse) my physical therapist pointed out "You can't run a half marathon if you can't do a squat". So guess what... I started doing squats. Now squats and lunges are in my circuits in one form or another. The increase in strength has really started to make a difference in my running as well. My quads don't get as nearly as tight nor as soon in my races so I'm extremely thankful for that.
Cross-training is like my not-so-secret training weapon. I love it and it's an essential part of my training, no matter what I'm training for. I'm always looking for ways to mix up my cross training some more and who knows what I might find in the future (zumba? kick boxing? pilates?).
Monday, November 21, 2011
Finding The Will
Let's all admit one thing... there are definitely days that we just do not want to work out. We want to stay hidden in our blankets or just keep moving on with our day. Working out on a daily basis is really not that easy to do.
I'm having just one of those options, but that's where cross training comes in handy. Not every day has to be blood, sweat, and tears hard. So today instead of a run (like I was supposed to do), I've decided to get a nice peaceful morning of yoga in instead. Yes, it's another Jillian Michael's video so it won't be completely easy going, but it will still be more relaxing than doing a circuit or running a few miles.
So today I only gain 2 HBBC points, 1 for the 20 min of yoga and 1 for 20 min of stretching... Still, 2 points is better than 0.
I'm having just one of those options, but that's where cross training comes in handy. Not every day has to be blood, sweat, and tears hard. So today instead of a run (like I was supposed to do), I've decided to get a nice peaceful morning of yoga in instead. Yes, it's another Jillian Michael's video so it won't be completely easy going, but it will still be more relaxing than doing a circuit or running a few miles.
So today I only gain 2 HBBC points, 1 for the 20 min of yoga and 1 for 20 min of stretching... Still, 2 points is better than 0.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Abs and Yoga
First thing I felt this morning... my shoulders were super sore. I guess that weight workout was more than I thought, but I'm not one to get deterred by some soreness and pain. Actually, I'm one of those people that while I complain about being sore, I love actually being sore. I believe it shows that I've done something in my workout and I've worked hard. It's a reward in a crazy way I guess.
Even though I could barely lift my shoulders I went ahead and popped Jillian Michael's 6 Weeks 6 Pack. The workout is hard. It's one circuit you do twice, although it feels like you're doing circuits within the big one, however you only repeat and exercise if you're changing sides. Again, my first impressions are positive. It was hard and I was sweating a lot, but it was a good hard workout. My abs currently aren't sore, but we'll see if that changes. If not... then I guess I'll just have to push myself harder.
When I was done with the abs, I started the yoga workout. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to actually finish it this time because I had to get ready for work. I went through the first routine and used the yoga to stretch out a bit.
Tomorrow... I'm planning on using the elliptical. I'll admit that I'm a bit scared to find a new route in Orlando... It's a new place and what not. I'll figure out a way to get outside again soon though, I promise you and myself that. For now, it'll be the elliptical.
Even though I could barely lift my shoulders I went ahead and popped Jillian Michael's 6 Weeks 6 Pack. The workout is hard. It's one circuit you do twice, although it feels like you're doing circuits within the big one, however you only repeat and exercise if you're changing sides. Again, my first impressions are positive. It was hard and I was sweating a lot, but it was a good hard workout. My abs currently aren't sore, but we'll see if that changes. If not... then I guess I'll just have to push myself harder.
When I was done with the abs, I started the yoga workout. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to actually finish it this time because I had to get ready for work. I went through the first routine and used the yoga to stretch out a bit.
Tomorrow... I'm planning on using the elliptical. I'll admit that I'm a bit scared to find a new route in Orlando... It's a new place and what not. I'll figure out a way to get outside again soon though, I promise you and myself that. For now, it'll be the elliptical.
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