Cold and Damp

Another day of running lost to crappy weather on the Eastern seaboard. It's been spitting rain all day, and it's that cold, rawness that you get as spring sneaks in ever so closer...yet not close enough to give you a nice running day! Instead of running outside, I settled for another evening of elliptical training while watching some of the women's short program, ski cross, the end of Canada vs. Switzerland Mens Ice Hockey and the nordic ski competition. I also tried out a 15 minute total body "lifting" workout published in Self this month. There are 6-7 different exercises that you do, holding positions for these exercises in 10 second increments, then lowering further down into the position, until you hit 50 seconds, then you return to the start position in 10 second increments, until you hit a total of 90 seconds. I thought that it would be easier than it was. The muscles that I worked during each exercise were twitching by the end of the 90 seconds. (And I wasn't able to hold the push up for the whole 90 seconds...it was holding the position at the bottom that got me!!) I may not be running outside, but I'm working on doing my best at working out and strengthening indoors to hopefully curb some injuries and build up my stamina. We'll see if it works. More later!

Running in Milton, PA

This past weekend I went to visit my girlfriend, Jenny. She lives in Milton, PA, just over the Susquehanna River from Lewisburg, PA. A girlie weekend away was just the little break that I needed. Lots of scrapbooking, watching some good Olympic competition and eating some of Jenny's Broccoli Cheese Soup...mmmm. Jenny had suggested that I bring my running gear with me, and if I wanted to, we could run together. She is training for a 5K with her brother and sister-in-law the weekend after my half marathon. She says, "I'll run with you, but I probably won't be able to keep up." Well, she did fantastic! We ran 3.86 miles in 56 minutes. It was a nice (balmy) 42 degrees and sunny outside, the warmest run that I've had so far! Although the hills along Milton streets can be a bit intimidating, I felt that I had a strong workout for not being out running for almost a month! Uggg...the intimidation factor of running 13.1 miles in a little over 9 weeks and losing 4 weeks to snow and a respiratory infection makes me think that I've got my work cut out for me. If all goes well and the mixed precipitation doesn't shut us out, Jason and I are running again tomorrow. Gotta get in the miles!

Pilates

Tonight was a Pilates night. Joseph Pilates initially established the now popular exercises during World War I while interned in England as an "enemy alien." He had been teaching self defense classes at Scotland Yard prior to this time and then while interned, worked with bedridden patients, making them stronger by using springs and pulleys. After World War I Joe returned to Germany where his exercise techniques became popular with the dancing community. He emigrated to the United States in 1926 and settled in New York City, thus beginning the fitness studio and exercise techinques that would be performed by over 10 million Americans today.

Due to holidays, sickness and the inability to get myself to class on time because of running late at work, I haven't been to a Pilates class since December. Ugg. Pilates is 60 minutes of wonderful, yet hard, core work combined with flexibility to improve strength and posture, all in one. It's probably one of the best workouts that you will find that gives you the results that you are looking for, in the least amount of time. I've been taking Pilates since January of 2005. My aunt had taken Pilates for some years prior to that (yes, the same one that runs the 1/2 marathons!!) and gotten my mother and I interested in it. I joined a Pilates class to look better in my wedding dress, and here I am 5 years later still doing it.

I am excited that it will continue to strengthen my post-baby core, as well as provide some good cross training for this 1/2 marathon stuff. Check out the studio's website where I can be found most Wednesday nights:

www.PilatesMotion.com

Back into the game

I guess it's that time of year...one minute you are healthy, the next you are sick as a dog. Right now I'm working on the sick as a dog part. For just less than a week, I've had an upper respiratory infection from hell. Nose, throat and lungs all taking a toll. Needless to say, no running, or working out, for that matter. I got back onto the elliptical tonight for the first time since running last Saturday. (Yikes!) It felt good, and I'm surprised to say that while on the elliptical, I had no problems breathing. What the warning label should tell a sick person is that you will pay for it later with coughing, continuously running nose and a sore throat. Along with 35 minutes on the elliptical, I did several triceps exercises, several upper leg and calf exercises, and the plie and gran plie exercises recommended by Jenny a couple of weeks ago. I am happy to say that even with all of this, I've lost 3 lbs and 1/2 an inch since January 1st. I really had hoped for more, but I haven't been as serious as I should be about what I've been eating. That will be top priority on the list for February. Jason and I put a workout schedule together to follow for the next month, if that works, we'll modify it for next month and so on throughout this "season of training." As it snows outside tonight, I'm dreaming of warmer weather that will be nicer to my lungs and make me want to go outside more!

It's Official!!

Tonight I have officially registered for the Long Branch Half Marathon. I guess I'm committed now! Drew, Jason & I are all registered, Marion and Nikki will register soon--if not registered already...the team continues to form!

Breaking the Barrier

A little late with this post, but writing none-the-less. Jason and I went for a run in the wonderful sunshiny weather on Saturday. Although still cold, it was the warmest day that I've ran outside to date. I struggled with the question of what to wear...do I bundle up or do I leave a few layers at home this time? Decisions, decisions...I decided to bundle up with the same layers that I normally do because Jason pointed out that if the wind begins to blow or we begin our cool down, we will get cold. Yes, hubby, good point, I think, as I put my bergalene long underwear on underneath the pants that I've decided to wear for this run. And on with the pink Patriots beanie as well. We start off (in the car) for the in-laws house in Millersville, as this is where we've decided to run again. About 3 miles from home we realize that we've forgotten the Garmin Forerunner on the dining room table and make a quick U-turn to retrieve it. (Did I mention that was the second thing that we've gone back into the house for?) My mom was laughing at us because we just couldn't make it out of the house that afternoon. Once to Millersville, we park and make our running plan to be roughly the same route that we took last week with a few minor additions. We speed walk up the hill on Herr Avenue and begin running a little further up, making a left onto Landis. I have been informed that I'm supposed to tell my trainer (hubby) when I'm feeling like I can't run anymore. So, about 10 minutes further into our run, I tell him with a sniffled "uggg" between breaths, that I've about had it. I was thinking to myself that he would say, "Okay, let's fast walk again," but instead, he proclaims, "Alright, keep running." WHAT?! That's definately not what I want to do! But I did it. I pushed harder, and although I felt like I could have fast walked faster than I was running at that point, I continued on, "breaking that barrier" as Jason so eloquently put it as we ran down High School Avenue. As we approached the hill at Beimsderfer Stadium, Jason notifies me that I've done my first non-stop 1.5 miles. WhoooHooo!! What a rush that was! It was truly amazing how pushing through that barrier and continuing to run and getting to that mile and a half felt. There is a point where you feel like you want to stop, and if I didn't have someone there with me, I probably would have. It's that whole mind game that you have to play within yourself to keep you going. I'm not good at that part yet, but I'm sure with the help of Jason, I'll get through it. (Thank goodness I didn't have to do the hills at Crossgates, I think I really would have died doing them!) We ended up running 3.68 miles in 48:10. My hustle at the end was less than impressive but I made it!

Laughing point during this run: I got warmed up and decided to take my beanie off to let some heat out...and instead of holding onto it and stuffed it into the left side of my pullover fleece. About a mile or so later in the run, Jason looks over at me and starts laughing. I ask him what's so funny and he replies, "I had to look at you twice. You have this lump on the left side of your chest and I thought to myself, geez, we need to get her some new sports bras, those aren't providing her any support!" Ha ha ha! Leave it to my husband to be concerned about my "support."

Plyometrics?

Back to the grind. The run that we did today (1/19/2010) was unbearable. It's the first time in the 2.5 weeks that I've been running that I had NO drive whatsoever to run. But we had a babysitter (THANK YOU NONNA!!) and beautiful weather, so how could I really sit at home and not get another outside run in? Jason and I both were struggling with some motivational issues. I took the advice of my brother and charged up the good old iPod with my "workout playlist" and we were on our way. Both my brother and my husband claim that my choice of workout songs suck...but how can you not get motivated by Bruce's "Born to Run" or "Play Something Country" by Brooks and Dunn? I've got a crazy assortment of songs on my iPod. Some are better to run to than others, I will readily admit that. Isn't that why there's a little button to push to go on to the next song? Along the run Jason and I enjoyed giving my mom and her friend Sue a little jolt by peeping in their office window at Snyder Funeral Home. They were both concentrating hard on a fax that had just come in and Jason and I waited patiently with our heads in the window until they looked up. Without expecting someone to be at the window, they both gasped and gave a little start until they realized that it was just Jason and me. I believe we could have gotten into some trouble if we hadn't said a quick hello and continued on our run! We wove in and out through Millersville University, with students now abundant on campus due to school being back in session. I had thought that stopping at the George Street cafe would be a nice treat after the run and that the cool down walk back to Nonna's house would be perfect, but by the time we got to the cafe, I was in no mood for any kind of coffee drink. (Probably a good thing...) Jason also decided that we were going to do different plyometric exercises up the hill to the fire station including sidestepping, bunny hops and skipping. I changed exercises each time he instructed me. Ugg. What torture! But I'm feeling better each time I do it. We jogged the downhill back to Julia and I sprinted the last tenth of a mile to the house. 3.05 miles in 43:03. I suppose that's not too shabby for having an off day and no motivation.

At the same time, my friend Jenny introduced me, or actually reminded me, of some good leg exercises to do. I haven't done these exercises in years, but performed them several times on a weekly basis from the age of 7 until the age of 14. They are exercises performed at the barre in ballet class. Demi plies and gran plies. Forgot how much they burn after you've done them for awhile, but GREAT for leg tone. I'll be adding these to my workouts. (I've been doing the demi plies when brushing my teeth). I don't remember my knees cracking as much as they are now when I used to do them! THANKS for the tip JENNY!