April 28, 2010 - 3k run and body pump

I punished myself today for doing nothing yesterday. Yesterday I was suppose to run but it was crappy and cold out (i'm so the fair weather runner) and it's also been a tough week. Rob hurt his back to the point where movement is a challenge. My god father had a massive heart attack and passed away this morning and last night Rowan had projectile vomiting, so working out didn't make it to the forefront of things I really wanted to do. I know that when I work out I feel better but sometime you just have to not go. So I walked to the Rideau Centre instead and went to Chapters. I still needed out of the office!

So as for today, I had to make up my run and ran 3k on the treadmill. I only had a specific amount of time so I increased my speed on the treadmill and finished in 17minutes. Needless to say, sweat was pouring off me. I forgot my water bottle too, so I had to buy a bottle water because after the run I did a Body Pump class and it was a new release to top it all off. OMG squat track was evil but not to be outdown, the clean and press track equally hard. I had the shakes for sure. Mental note, don't combine running on a new release day!

View from the treadmill:
It was so windy today that people watching from the 2nd floor was entertaining as the odd person walked Sparks St. The all looked like they were hardly moving. The run was good too! Even though it was faster than my normal pace, it felt good to complete. Not sure I could have gone longer at the 6.2 - 6.4 mph speed. Body pump is always entertaining to watch others stuggle with their weight choices. I know it's mean, but gotta have something to amuse myself, especially if the music was crap.

The Music: for the run
Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins
City of Delusion - Muse
Alejandro - Lady GaGa
Bleed it Out - Linkin Park
Misery Business - Paramore
Poke Face - Lady GaGa
Crushcrushcrush - Paramore

The new release music for pump was really really bad. They use I've Got A Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas for the chest track, except they bastardize it. It is excruciatingly aweful.

April 26, 2010 - Sunny out but it's a gym day

Absolutely gorgeous day out. Sunny and warm, excellent spring day. But no running today, it's rest day so I did an upper body workout instead. I don't feel sore after yesterday's run, so maybe all this working out is helping. Just one month until the national capital 10k. I am unmotivated, if it wasn't for a friend who works out at the gym with me, I probably wouldn't have gone. But I did go and I do feel better.

View from the mat:
Sadly nothing humorous to describe today and to be honest I really wasn't paying attention. I just wanted to get it done.

The Workout:
Push-ups 3 x 12 reps (from toes)
Lateral raises – 3 x 12 reps @ 10lbs
[Triceps pull downs –12 reps @ 40lbs, bicep curls 21s @ 30lbs (7 lower, 7 upper, 7 full range)] x 2
Incline bicep curls @ 20lbs dumbbell x10
Bicep curls @ 20lbs barbell x50reps
Situps - 20 centre, 20 left side, 20 right side; 10 knees into chest centre, 10 left, 10 right

The Music:
Kotov Syndrome - Rise Against
Money Honey - Lady GaGa
Dashboard - Modest Mouse
Undisclosed Desires - Muse
In Her Eyes - Josh Grobin
Jump - The Pointer Sisters
Whereabouts Unknown - Rise Against

April 25, 2010 - long run sunny 13 degrees

Today was long run day and so I got up, had a bowl of oatmeal, put on my gear and left. I knew I wanted to run at least 8k and I did just that! 8.4k to be exact. The wind was chilly, so my crop pants and t-shirt were the way to go. I remembered my hat and my water bottle holder. My running partner, Dartagnan, was so excited when I put on my shoes this morning. I haven't run since Weds but it was a nice easy run. The only time I had to stop was when Dart decided to take a swim and grab some water for himself. I've tried in the past to let him drink from my water, but he won't do it.

View from the path:
What is it with bikers??? The never use their bells. They get so pissed off when you run in the middle of the path (the flatest part) but don't signal that they are coming. So when running with music, I never hear them. Some guy used some language this morning that would make a Hells Angel blush. So I decided after that, whilst on the main path, to only wear one headphone.

The Music:
Collapse - Rise Against
A White Demon Love Song - The Killers
Scumbag Blues - Them Crooked Vultures
Poker Face - Lady GaGa
Wake Me up Before you Go Go - Wham!
Front Row - Metric
Let Love Be Your Enemy - Robbie Williams
Nothing Special - IllScarlett
Long Forgotten Sons - Rise Against
I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas - perfect spot for this song as I was needing motivation
That's What you Get - Paramore
A Bad Dream - Keane
Bleed it Out - Linkin Park
Twilight Galaxy - Metric

April 21, 2010 - Body Pump

I haven't done a Body Pump class in about 6 months, so needless to say, tomorrow I hurt. If you've never taken a pump class, it's weights to music and its low weight, high repetition focusing on each individual muscle groups for each song. Squats, chest, back & hamstring, lunges, shoulders, abs, and then a cooldown. Because this was a lunchtime class, it's only 45mins. They remove bicep and tricep tracks. Since the dreaded squat workout, my legs have been sore as you know. Doing a 3 minute squat track today won't help their cause to get better. I'm hoping I'll be able to walk tomorrow. As for the rest of my muscles, only time will tell.

View from the step:
lots and lots of Lululemon clothing. I finally fit in (whoop whoop). I know owning two pairs of crop pants doesn't put me in the same league, but still. There were also several men in the class, which is very rare. The nice looking guy up front wore his iPod and headphones. I guess he didn't like the music the instructor played. Kim, the instructor, used lots of old tracks from the releases in the 30s, so going back a ways. Lots of 80s music, good to sing to. It also keeps your mind off the pain!

tomorrow is a day off, thank god! my muscles need rest!

April 20, 2010 - 5.5k run - hard

Today I ran the Pretoria Bridge Loop from the gym. I'm still unbelievably sore from the squats (evil) but I went out and took it slow. It was a beautiful day out and I forgot my hat, which to some probably doesn't seem like a big deal but to someone who runs with a hat always, it was. Made me feel hotter than I was. It wasn't the fastest run I've done, 37mins, but at least I went out. When I got back to the gym there was a line up for the showers. People, they are there to rinse you off and make you clean quick to get you back to work etc. They are not there for the 20min spa shower you have in the morning to pretty yourself up. You only have a finite amount of time when you workout at lunch, so having to wait 10 mins for a shower is a waste of valuable time!

Here's a new thing, my run map from MapMyRun.com:


View from the path:
Lots of bathing beauties out today, and alot of girls in tiny tops too!

The Music:
Whereabouts Unknown - Rise Against
Hold Me Know - Thompson Twins
Eyes on fire - Blue Foundation
Stadium Love - Metric
Miracle - Paramore
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Satellite Mind - Metric
Knights of Cydonia - Muse
Strong - Robbie Williams

April 19, 2010 - 3.5k run and some weights, sunny 14 degrees

I know I was suppose to run 7km this weekend, but after the squat workout from hell and then 4 bottles of Malbec at dinner on Saturday night (there were 4 of us) my body and my brain screamed NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO to a run on Sunday morning. It's now Monday and my legs and butt are still killing me but I went out at lunch and ran the canal/pedestrian bridge loop from the gym. I gotta say the first 200m were excrutiating but once I got a good rythm all was good. I wore my new Lululemon running pants, hoping their hi-tech contruction would hold in my sore muscles (I'm thinking no) but still it was run number two and the pants seem pretty good so far. I got back to the gym in 20mins, despite the sore legs, and then did some upper body weights. Gotta even out the sore muscles to include the upper half. It's warmer out too so I could have probably done with a short sleeved shirt.

View from the path:
As the sun comes out, so do the highschool students "studying" by the canal in groups and on the otherside of the canal the UofO students are out in as little as possible to catch some rays while "studying" as well. It also looked like they are getting ready to flood the canal so you won't have to look at the bottom anymore. After my run I got back to the gym and on the tv's they were showing the finish of the Boston Marathon. I suddenly felt like my run was at a snail's pace as Robert Cheruiyot (KEN), 2:05:52 and Teyba Erkesso (ETH) 2:26:11 won the men's and women's races. That's 42.2kms. My goal is to run the full at Disney in January in 5hours. OMG!!!

The Workout:
Pull ups assisted - 3 x 8 reps @95lbs;
Bent over lat raises - 3 x 12 reps @40lbs;
Overhead lat raises on bench - 3 x 12 reps @55lbs;
Bicep curls - 3 x 12 reps @30lbs

The Music:
Gold Guns Girls - Metric
Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 - Muse
CrushCrushCrush - Paramore
Clearer Now - IllScarlett
New Fang - Them Crooked Vultures
Savior - Rise Against
Collect Call - Metric
Knights of Cydonia - Muse
Go All the Way - Perry Farrell
It's My Life - Talk Talk

April 16, 2010 - a run and some squats - rainy 7 degrees

Yesterday I had my first experience shopping at Lululemon. I have several friends who rave about their clothes, especially the pants and I thought if I'm going to put myself through the pain of training for a marathon, why not. I had excellent customer service from the store at the Rideau Centre and a staff person who actually understood running. Go figure, have a staff member who runs sell running clothes. I took her word for it since she's running the Boston Marathon next weekend. But what I liked best is that she didn't try to sell me one type of pant. I told her what I was looking for, a crop pant, and she handed me the three different versions of the running crop pant and told me to try them on because they all fit just a bit differently. She asked my size, got me a selection of non-pink and asked me what else I needed. I told her I'd like to try running tank tops so she passed me off to their "bra top" guru and then onto the change room. There was another designated person in the change area and they asked why I was buying and my name. So when they asked if I needed anything they used my name, which as a customer I truly appreciate. So I bought a pair for running and a pair for just working out. I nearly had a stroke at the price and final total but if they do the job, then well it's worth it. Rob told me last night that Lululemon should get an award because it makes every woman's butt look great. Here's hoping!

So I tried them out today at the gym. It's raining, so I used the treadmill. After I got use to the lower rise, they were great. The mesh at the back of the knew was awesome! I ran 3k in 18mins and then decided since I didn't workout yesterday that I'd do my squat workout too. It was a great workout but I felt my legs walking down the stairs to leave the gym. Tomorrow may not be so fun!

View from the treadmill:
Tall sweaty guy was there but thankfully on the other side of the room. I watched a girl have a "training" session with one of the guy personal trainers, it was more like the biggest flirt fest. In the 30 minutes I saw them, she might have done 5 squats and a couple bicep curls. Lots of giggling and touching his bicep or chest. On my way back to the changeroom (sweat pouring off me) they were in front of me. I felt like I was behind two people on their first or second date. A nice leisurly stroll along the path, come on people move!

The workout: the meanest squat workout ever
3k run at 10km/hr
Squats – 25 reps, no weight; (25 situps); 25 reps 15lbs weight (25 situps); 25 reps 25lbs weight (25 situps)
Squats – 25 sumo reps; (25 crunches with leg extensions);25 feet together reps (45second plank)
Squats – circuit (10 sumo, 10 feet together, 10 jump squats)
stretches
Lunges – 30m walking lunges

The Music:
Poker Face - Lady GaGa
Entertainment - Rise Against
Crawling - Linkin Park
Collect Call - Metric
Jai Ho - A.R. Rahman
Dancing Queen - Meryl Streep
Exo-Politics - Muse
From Heads Unworthy - Rise Against
Dance in the Dark - Lady GaGa
Bad - U2
I Caught Myself - Paramore

April 14, 2010 - weights, sunny 18 degrees

Don't you hate it when team meetings go on forever??? That's what ours felt like today. So I was glad to hit the gym. The later hour worked in my favour too as there was no one there. The classes all got out, plus it was super nice out, so I didn't have to rotate in on the free weights. It was a good workout, however my lats and pecs were still sore from Monday. I'm also trying to be good and cut out most sweets from the diet. I crave, oh how I crave! It's even harder when there are donuts sitting just outside my cube. Trying to be good sometimes sucks!

View from the mat:
There were several meat heads working out today in muscle alley. At one point, one guy wearing a white wife beater pulled up the front of his shirt and was flexing his stomach muscles in the mirror. I couldn't hear what he was telling his friend but it looked like he was complaining that he had love handles as he pinched his sides. The boys kind of looked like the boys from Jersey Shore (for the record I've never watched it but have seen pics of them all over the place). Muscle Alley is always good for a chuckle.

The Workout:
Bench press - 10 reps @45lbs, 5 reps @65lbs (x3 sets);
shoulder press - 8 reps @45lbs, (x 3 sets)
Triceps press - 8 reps @45lbs (x3 sets);
Deltoid rotation - 12 reps @5lbs (L&R x2 sets)
Abs – captain chair leg extensions (10), high knees (10), v-sit (2 x 10 reps)

The Music:
Numb - Linkin Park
Spotlight - Mute Math
Meet Me on the Equinox - Death Cab For Cutie
That's What you Get - Paramore
Talk Talk - Talk Talk
A Bad Dream - Keane
Take a Bow - Muse

April 13, 2010 - 3.5k run sunny 10 degrees

Although it still feels like someone is sitting on my chest, I went for a run today. I ran to the canal and then up and over the pedestrian bridge at Somerset and then back towards the conf center, up and around and back to the gym. 3.5km 22mins. I hate that all my runs downtown have a hill at the end. But oh well, downtown is on top of a hill so no matter which way you run you gotta run back up to finish. I felt OK on the run. I think I finally got the clothes thing right. Long sleeve shirt and shorts. Cool breeze but warm enough with the sun. It was more like spring running again. Yesterday's workout was successful, I feel it today. My lats and pecs are very sore, tomorrow will not be much fun. Hopefully no one will ask me to get something down from up high.

Six weeks until NCM weekend and the dreaded Saturday night 10km. I shall persevere and continue my training to conquer this dreadful race. The time of day more than the course itself. It has my number but my plan this year is to have its!

View from the street:
Saw some interesting "work" clothes while out and about, but nothing to truly write about. My beef today is the smokers who, I think, blatantly exhale as I run by. It doesn't help that my lungs aren't happy right now anyway. The woman who got me right near the end of my run I wanted to elbow, but I didn't. I get enough harsh looks for running on the sidewalk now, I can just imagine the barrage of insults I'd get if I'd flattened a smoker. It's just getting out onto the canal and getting back to the gym that always makes the run more adventurous when you try to bob and weave through the foot traffic.

The Music:
Right Round - Flo Rida
Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield
Hairline Fracture - Rise Against
Full Moon - The Black Ghosts
Armageddon It - Def Leppard (love the 80s hair band LOL) made me smile
Satellite Heart - Anya Marina
I Like It Rough - Lady GaGa
I belong to you - Muse

April 12, 2010 - weights!

Today I did weights. I didn't want to rush the lungs too much. They still ache from yesterday and yes I'm still hacking, much to the chigrin of my co-workers. This is the first weight session I've done since before Florida, so I'm going to hurt the day after tomorrow, b/c we all know the day after the day after is the worst!

View from the mat:
Well all sorts of spandex was out today and less and less of it too! The weather starts to get warmer and the clothes get smaller and smaller (even on the guys). A lot more "muscle" shirts were out. Today I watched a guy sit at the chest fly machine backwards and do push backs. I'm assuming to work his lats. It was interesting and painful to see. I saw another woman on the elipitical who was sweating so much she looked like Alice Cooper when she was done. It's the people watching that makes weights much more interesting!!

The workout - in case you are interested.
These are meant to be 30minute weight sessions taken from my personal training sessions I did last year. It doesn't seem like much but trust me, they hurt! but in a good way :)
5 min warm up
Dead lift (3 x 5reps) @ 100lbs;
Leg extension (2 x 8reps) @70lbs;
Back extensions (3 x 10 reps)
Lat pull down (2 x 10reps) @60 lbs,
Lat Pull down descending set (15 reps @ 50lbs, 10reps @40lbs, 8 reps @ 30lbs)
situps - 10 center full, 10 center crunch, 10 left side full, 10 left side crunch, 10 right side full, 10 right side crunch; captains chair - 10 knee up
pushups - 20
stretching


The Music:
Ulysses - Franz Ferdinand
Meet Me on the Equinox - Death Cab for Cutie
Jump - The Pointer Sisters
Hold Me Know - The Thompson Twins
Speechless - Lady GaGa
Uprising - Muse
Bleed it Out - Linkin Park

April 11, 2010 - windy windy windy...but sunny

Just to say it up front, I have not been neglecting my blog, I've been sick. So no running of any kind, in actual fact, walking was a challenge. Today was my first attempt since last Sunday, and to be honest I've had longer stretches without running and with no illness to sideline me. After last week's run it didn't take more than a couple hours to lose my voice, not be able to swallow and generally feel like crap. I thought about running yesterday but I was still hacking alot and so put it off until today. I gotta say, the first 5 minutes were the most painful 5 minutes I've had running in a very long time. Both my lungs and my legs were screaming at me "what the hell are you thinking????" but I continued on and went 3km behind the golf course with my ever exhuberant training buddy, Dartagnan! He was so excited to go. Rob ran for the first time this morning in about a month after his disc issue, but didn't take Darty, so it took a bit to settle him down!

After the first coughing fit, the lungs seemed to settle down and the 3k were pretty easy. I feel like I've run a few hills and I'm sure later on the crap coming out of my lungs will be fantastic, but it had to be done. I feel so much better after I run, mentally!

View from the street/path:
A couple golfers were on the 13th tee and one of them shanked the ball so badly I heard it in the trees above my head. I hope they didn't hear me laughing. Oh and the wind today, OMG, felt like I had someone pushing at my shoulders holding me back... and of course that's while I'm on my return. Question! How come the wind is never at your back when you are on the way home???? anyone anyone???

The Music:
Dashboard - Modest Mouse
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go - Wham!
New Divide - Linkin Park (the only good thing about Transformers II)
Angels - Robbie Williams
Starlight - Muse

my goal is to get back into routine! wish me luck

April 4, 2010 - Easter Sunday

We got up this morning and took the girls on an Easter egg hunt at a local farm and they had an absolute blast. We got home and Rob told me to go on my run. So not a great motivation to start but I did was I was told ( I know it's a rarity) and went for a 7k run. Have you ever had one of those runs that start out tough and then gets better after the first ten minutes...this was not one of those runs. The weather was beautiful but I'm feeling cheated. I haven't had the chance to transition into warm runs. What's with 18 degrees in the beginning of April. That's June weather!

Also, the joys of warm running, chaffing. All you runners know my pain. Don't you just love the shower after the long run in the heat and the anticipation of not if, but where the stinging will happen??? good times! Today's run was behind the golf course again but since the path is still blocked by mud and water, I improvised and took a long detour home to eek out 7km. Dartagnan found any and all water to swim in. Nothing like wet dog to keep you motivated to keep going!

View from the street/path:
Saw a view golfers, couple bikers and a couple walkers, but Kanata on a long weekend, especially out by where we live, ghostly!

The Music:
Re-Education - Rise Against
Take a Bow - Muse
Hoodoo - Muse
Can you Feel It - Jackson 5
Proud - Heather Small (loved this song way before it was the theme song to the biggest loser)
Decode - Paramore
I Belong to You - Muse
Angels - Robbie Williams
In the End - Linkin Park
Warsaw or the First Breath you Take After you Give Up - Them Crooked Vultures
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Satellite Mind - Metric

April 2nd - Sunny 15 degrees

So I didn't get out yesterday, my bad. But I got up this beautiful Good Friday and took Dartagnan along the path behind the golf course. I didn't quite make 5k because the path was under water and I really didn't have the brain power to figure out how to make it 5k without making it more like 10k. It wasn't a fantastic run, again I wore too warm clothes. Long pants where shorts would have been perfect!

View from the path:
Just me, Dartagnan and a couple out walking their dog. So not much to see but all the spring flowers trying to peak their way through the dirt. Just a beautiful morning.

The Music:
Again, it was against me. I ended up skipping almost 10 songs before I got one that was worth running to. I won't list them all.
A Bad Dream - Keane
Mamma Mia - Meryl Streep
Dancing Queen - Meryl Streep
Something Beautiful - Robbie Williams
Strong - Robbie Williams
Nine in the Afternoon - Panic at the Disco
New Divide - Linkin Park
Monster - Lady Gaga