Giving myself the gift of barbell: A slightly useful workout review.

This morning I gave myself the gift of barbell.

Bonus cat not included.

I decided it was time to get back on the heavy weight-lifting wagon, but I want to go back and revisit some older workouts by Cathe to see if I wanted to include those in my next marathon training cycle.  So I browsed through my workouts and came up with the back, biceps, and shoulders Lift It HiiT It workout from Cathe's Ripped with HiiT series. 

Now, I love me some Cathe weight workouts, but for some reason I'm not a huge fan of the ones that only do certain body parts.  I prefer getting a total body workout or an upper body workout that hits all of the upper body muscles, not just three.  But I used to do this workout and its sister workout (chest, tris, and shoulders) all the time, so I needed to remind myself what the allure of these workouts were--and why I stopped doing them in the first place.  Let's tackle each question in turn, shall we?

Why I used to do these workouts, like, all the time:

• Heavy weights-and lots of them
• Barbell.  So much barbell.
• No complicated exercises.
• Have I mentioned the barbell yet?
• There's a dude in the background!  Omg!
• There's a workout mix for every mood.  I did the one that replaced what Cathe calls "finishers" (exercises after the three sets of the main exercise meant to torture your muscles one last time) with ab exercises from one of the bonus ab workouts on the DVD: (Please note it was the 10th---TENTH--premix.)

Why did I stop doing these workouts?

• I got new workouts so the old workouts are automatically, like, SO outdated once you get new ones (not really - it's all in my mind)
• Three sets of the same workout is kind of a snoozer after awhile.  Sorry, Cathe.  
• The finisher exercises were more annoying than challenging.
• The cat felt the cool-down wasn't sufficient and demanded I give him rubs for my workout recovery.

While I still think the three sets of the same exercise is kinda boring, I found that I liked this workout enough to consider putting it into rotation during my upcoming marathon training cycle.  This decision is based on the following facts:

1. My back is currently sore
2. My biceps are currently sore
3. My shoulders are currently sore.

From a workout, I can't really ask for anything more.  Well, maybe we can ask for some post learnings:

• Barbell is back!  Rejoice.
• Even though there are only 12 reps per exercise, this workout is no joke, people.  If you've never done Cathe before, lighten up on those weights.
• Cats in my workout area.  Buh.
• The dude in this workout totally threw me for a loop.  I felt the same way I feel if a dude accidentally walks into the girls' bathroom.

Tomorrow's workout: Some easy running with large dog.  Unless I do something else.

Some cardio, some things I'll change, and some ugly xmas sweater.

This morning I decided not to leave my workout up to the whimsy of a coin-flip and decided that I would so some low-impact cardio.  I did Cathe's Low Impact Sweat again from her ICE series.

I don't know if I've mentioned this in a previous post about this workout because I am too lazy to go back and look, but this workout is really two workouts (not including the little bonus workouts she throws in on every disc in the series): two twenty-minute cardio workouts, one without a step and one with a step.  This morning was the first time I've ever actually done both workouts together, and it's my first time ever doing the second workout that involves the step.  It is also the first time I realized that I have been missing out by not doing that second workout--my heart rate was pretty high, the exercises were fun and interesting, and, you know, I got to use my step, which is always a good time.

You know what else is a good time?  Thinking about what the heck I'm going to do until my next marathon training cycle begins on January 1st, because random deciding every day just isn't my thing.  I'm also thinking about what I will change/continue to do during my next round of marathon training so I can better hit that 4:05 time goal:

1) Get my eating together.  What does this mean?  No more junk and no more "well, I'm training for a marathon so I can eat this little piece of junk" because, inevitably, that little piece of junk turns into a whole lot of little pieces.  It also means eating veggies twice a day on the regular whether I like it or not.  It's not like I was going crazy during the last 4 months, but I was slipping on the whole junk and veggies thing a little and I need to reign that back in.

2) Do more long runs without large dog.  While he is definitely going to be upset and my baseboards will pay dearly, breaking up my runs to drop him off at the house may not have been doing me any favors.  I need to get those long runs done in one shot.

3) Do ALL of those long runs at the right pace.  I plan on using the Run Less, Run Faster plan again, and this time I am going to do my best to do those long runs at the pace indicated in the plan.  I also plan on doing all five of those 20 milers this time--no excuses.

4) Keep on consistently getting those workouts done.  I do have to pat myself on the back for getting in almost all of my workouts--and I did every single tempo run on the schedule, which is something that hasn't happened in a long time.  I know it boosted my confidence greatly before race day.

5) Keep boring all of you with posts about my workouts and any other fitness-related thing that pops into my head.  You're welcome.

6) Keep posting dumb pictures of myself with cat trees and treadmills in the background.  Since I don't have one from this morning's workout, this picture of me in my ugly Christmas sweater will just have to tide you over.

To the learnings!

• Just because a workout is labeled "low impact" doesn't mean "easy."  If you don't believe me you can talk to my glutes right now.
• That second workout this morning was a seriously fun cardio workout on the step.  You should check it out.
• So it seems I'm going to be winging my workouts until January 1st.  Let's see if I actually let myself recover.
• Why yes, those are sleigh cats attached to Santa's sleigh on my sweater.

Tomorrow's workout: Maybe running.  Maybe not.  Who knows?  We'll see what my glutes want in the morning.

Dallas Marathon 2017, Part 2: The Other Stuff.

I have no training plan at the moment.  I'm no good on my own, people.

I got up thinking I would either do weights or do an easy 3 miler.  Maybe because it was 3:20 AM or maybe because I need a training plan, I was at am impasse regarding that decision. I kept hemming and hawing about which one I should do that I finally got fed up with myself and flipped a damn coin to make a decision.

And a 3 mile run it was, according to the quarter I flipped.  Thanks, probability!

Anyway, I knew it was cold (in the teens), but when I walked the dogs this morning through the yard (at 3:15 AM...Thursdays are weird days for me) I thought it really wasn't that bad as far as "OMG it's COLD" moments.  In fact, there was very little wind, so I thought this running outfit would be sufficient for a morning where it was 15 degrees with a feels-like temperature of 8:

Even the dogs were like, "Duh."

By the end of the two miles that I actually did in the cold dark, my thighs and face were stinging anf begging for mercy.  The only good thing about those 20 or so minutes was that I got to try out my new Hoka One One Clayton 2s that I procured at the Dallas Marathon race expo for a steeply discounted price.  I don't have a final verdict on them yet, but they didn't suck.  More on those as I run more miles in them where the air doesn't make my face hurt.

But enough about my dumb winter running fashion decisions.  Let's talk about the other stuff that happened during the Dallas Marathon weekend--the stuff that doesn't have to do with me running 26.2 miles.  I didn't include this stuff in yesterday's post because I didn't want that post to be a million miles long.  But it's too good not to share the crap that happens when my twin and I get together, because something interesting ALWAYS happens. And it's also too good not to make a bulleted list about them, because we all know by now bulleted lists are what I freaking love.  Besides running.

Other stuff #1: Friday at the race expo.

Because it's super easy to get to downtown Dallas via their light rail system, my sis and I hopped on a train and were dropped off right at the convention center where the expo took place.  Because we went on a Friday when other people were at work, we cruised through packet pick-up in no time and then got to do some serious expo-ing.  In addition to getting some Hoka One Ones, I got some official race merch, three pairs of Feetures socks, and a list of other marathons I want to run.  As we headed out of the expo through signs that revealed the history of the race (cool), we heard what sounded like a fire alarm going off.  As we left the expo, there was a robo-announcement telling everyone not to use the elevators and to use the stairs.  No one seemed particularly alarmed, so we meandered out of the building and down to catch the train back to my twin's house.

And then the next day we read the story about the bomb threat (which turned out to be a hoax) at the convention center.  Whoops!  What's crazy is this is not the first time a bomb threat has occurred when we were together...it has nothing to do with running, so I won't tell it here.  Or at least in this post.

Other stuff #2: Saturday morning trying to get to the 5K.

When you leave a little too late to catch the 6:38 AM train downtown for the 5K and you're at one ticket kiosk getting a ticket and you don't know where your twin went and you scream her name in the dark and then she screams yours but you can't see each other in the dark and then you see the train coming so you both start running towards the platform and THEN you find each other.

Yeah.  Good times.

Other stuff #3: Crazy pictures with the twin's two dogs.

They are masters of the sad "get this woman away from me" eyes.

Other stuff #4: We did a race series with some serious loot.

We ran a 5K on Saturday (we could have run the 10K, but we didn't want to screw up our Sunday races) and then the twin ran the half while I ran the full on Sunday.  We did some serious screwing around on Saturday before the 5K.

We also collected some pretty good loot on Saturday and Sunday, and if you did the race series you got a cool jacket and another snazzy medal as well.

It folds! Almost (but not quite) as exciting as a belt buckle medal.

Other stuff #5: Boxes full of snacks at the end of the races each day.  Enough said.

That's not sadness.  That's gratefulness for that box o'
 snacks.

Other stuff #6: My favorite picture from the marathon to end this post.

And here's what you should have learned whether you realize it or not:

• Having taught for 18 years, I'm pretty immune to panicking at a bomb threat.  Sad but true.
• We did make the train Saturday morning, btw.
• If I can't take way too many photos of my dogs, I will take too many photos of your dogs.  FYI.
• The more bling there is, the better race experience for me.
• How can you NOT be excited about boxes full of post race snacks??
• If only I'd known about the boxes of snacks during my marathon...maybe it would have turned out differently.

Tomorrow's workout: I told you I'm no good on my own.  Maybe weights.  Maybe a cardio DVD.  I predict more coin-flipping in the morning.

Dallas Marathon 2017: I'm a moron and I have photos to prove it.

Sorry I haven't blogged in a few days; I have missed dumping out stream-of-consciousness postings here.  But I haven't worked out since the little marathon I ran on Sunday, so I really had nothing to post unless you wanted pictures of me downing my morning coffee in an effort to get that one eye that never wants to open all the way in the morning open while a variety of animals crawl on me.  Well, I guess I could have droned on and on about my marathon, but it wouldn't have been nearly as good without the all my stupid race pictures, which I finally downloaded today.

So, how did the race go?  Well, that can be summed up in one little sentence:

I am a moron.

I know, I know--this is probably a shock to most of you (not really).  But really, it's true.  I was a total moron in this race, and this race recap will now consist of me counting my moronic ways rather than giving a boring mile-by-mile description.  Let's begin with the first one, shall we?

Moron Thing #1: Because this race was out of town, my eating was all off-kilter.

It was a lot more eating out than I was used to (mainly Jimmy John's), but my twin sis up there was nice enough to cook some store-bought hamburgers for me the night before the race.  "Gee, cooking at home the night before my goal marathon sure is a better idea than eating out!" I thought.  Now I know that was a very incredibly, ginormously stupid thought.  Those burgers will make a comeback later, I promise.

Moron Thing #2: I ran the first half too fast.  Of course. And then the hills began.

Do you see those two 8:52 miles?  Yeah, I did too.  So did my quads.  You see, the course that I signed up for wasn't exactly the course that I ran.  I knew there were some small hills for the first 6 miles or so, but last year we didn't end up running all the way around White Rock Lake.  We instead ran back along a very, very, VERY flat path to the finish. This year they changed the course so we did run all the way around White Rock Lake, so there were more hills and more pain and more of me getting on the struggle bus by mile 16 and hanging on for dear life.

It looks like I'm running but I'm really
taking a ride on the struggle bus.

But the lake was absolutely gorgeous, darling.

Moron Thing #3: Don't worry, those hamburgers slowed me down.

Specifically, they slowed me down at mile 14.  I got to use a nice port-a-john without waiting, and I thought I was good to go for the rest of the race...until mile 16.  And miles 18 and 19.  At the end of mile 19 I got an up-close view of the different plant species that grow around White Rock Lake, if you catch my drift. 

Moron Thing #4: I decided to walk-run from mile 17 onward.  And by "run" I mean "warp factor 10."

I was completely bummed out by mile 17 that a PR just wasn't going to happen for me that day.  I was so upset I was all "SCREW THIS IMMA RUN/WALK AND POUT THE ENTIRE TIME." After the first run/walk interval, I decided pouting wasn't gong to do me any good, but running my run intervals at around an 8 minute pace would be a good idea.  Spoiler alert: it wasn't.  My quads were locked by mile 23 because of that and, as an extra added bonus, my back spasmed within 600 meters of the finish.  It was still spasming after I finished, and was even encouraging my quads to join in.  You can see that in one of my finisher pics:

Speaking of finishing, how did it all shake out in the end?  Well, the race people will tell you I crossed in 4:29 (which for a hilly course run too fast with run/walk pouting isn't that bad for me).  My watch, which graciously autopaused during my pit stops, said I ran a 4:22.  I'll take a 4:22, since it's the fastest marathon time I've had in a few years.  I'll also take the lessons I learned during that marathon and try not to make the same mistakes during my spring goal marathon....and maybe then I'll stop being a moron.

But until then, here's one last race picture to remind you of my moron-ness:

Lady behind me be like "I HATE YOU HAPPY RUNNER"

Did you miss the learnings?  I know you did.  Here they are:

• My journey on the struggle bus didn't let me take too many goofy photos.  I was too fixated on finishing.
• While a lot of people around me were in winter gear (it was in the 30s at the start), by the half I was all "I am so glad I wore this tank top and skirt....suckers."
• It was a gorgeous course, and I would definitely recommend running it.  Just, you know, don't be a moron about it like I was.
• I hereby apologize to the volunteers handing out finisher shirts for growling at them because they did not know where I could get my race series jacket.  It was my quads growling, not me.

Tomorrow's workout: Haven't decided yet.  Maybe weights, maybe a 3-miler in the cold dark of 4 AM.  Guess we'll both find out tomorrow, won't we?

Day 5, Week 14: My top ten ways to screw up your marathon. You're welcome.

This morning was the very last run on my training plan: a 3 mile marathon pace (9:20) run.  So of course I woke up and it was eighteen degrees and snowing and windy and I had to bust out a balaclava and I was all AWESOME BRING ON THE SNOW:

Yay winter!  Not really!

Just kidding.  Here's how I really felt:

I wasn't going to take large dog with me because of the cold and snow and all, but as I went to head out the door without him he gave me the biggest, saddest WOOOOO I've ever heard, so of course I had no choice but to hook him up and take him for a spin in the cold snow dark.

We only did three miles, but all his slobber was frozen to the front of him when we got back.  I think he'd say that a little frozen slobber was worth the trek out into the cold to drag me around and try to pull me into ditches.  This morning I got a bonus--he tried to make me slide on the fresh snow and fall down when we took corners.  Good times.  What I will do to ensure the safety of my drywall and baseboards.

Anyway, since my marathon is a mere two days away, I have been planning out what's going to happen--or not happen--over the next few days to ensure that my 4:05 goal time becomes a reality.  I feel good about my training, but so much other stuff can derail the potential fame and glory of hitting your goal time.  In fact, let me tell you some things you can tell yourself in order to be well-trained for your marathon yet still screw it up (and I know these things because I have said them to myself at some point):

1) "I won't eat breakfast; I'll just have some gels."
2) "I don't need hill training even though the first 17 miles of the course is a net uphill."
3) "I know it's hot but I won't bring any extra water with me."
4) "I know I'm running 30 seconds above pace and didn't train for this pace, but I don't think it will affect my performance at all."
5) "I don't really need to gel until at least mile 10."
6) "Taking food from random strangers on the course?  What could go wrong?"
7) "I think it's OK if I eat all these fiber-filled vegetables the night before the race."
8) "New shoes on race day?  Sounds like a great idea!"
9) "I'll try out that new breathing technique I read about in Runner's World during the race."
10) And last but not least..."This race is at altitude and I live in the Midwest?  Shouldn't be a problem."

Where are the learnings?  Oh, here they are:

• I screw up.  A lot.  S'kay, though-that's how you learn.
• Large dog is addicted to running.
• My solution to everything I hate is to shake my fist at it.  Sometimes one of my fingers is raised as well.
• Winter running.  Double buh.
• I love how in the very first pic of this post I look like a cut-out figure pasted on top of a background of my little shack of a house.

Tomorrow's workout: Walking around the race expo in Dallas where it will be NOT WINTER.

Day 4, Week 14: Another 4 pictures, another 4 sentences. And some stupid learnings, as usual.

Picture #1: I decided to do one of the 20-ish minute low-impact cardio workouts on this DVD this morning.

Picture #2: I thought it didn't use weights, but it used fives and threes, making a liar out of me in yesterday's post.

Picture #3: Female cat didn't get the email and she did yoga instead.

Picture #4: Male cat got the email, but thought such puny weights wasn't worth breaking a sweat.  If cats could sweat, that is.

Quick! Learnings!

• After the workout I was all "I doubt that did anything" and right now I'm all "Holy cow I am super aware of my glutes."
• Therefore, these workouts are sneaky.  Sneaky.
• I wanted to write more, but that's going to have to wait until tomorrow evening in the airport...if I can snag some free wifi that is.
• Speaking of airport, tomorrow night I'm on my way to Dallas to kick some asphalt.  
• I wonder what I will have forgotten to pack.  We'll find out!

Tomorrow's workout: 3 mile marathon pace run.  Which means it will be at fast tempo pace har har har.

Day 3, Week 14: Packing for a marathon? Here's some facetious packing tips.

This morning was my final treadmill workout of the training plan.  I had a bossy treadmill freeloader demanding rubs before I even got started on those six 400s this morning.

My legs felt a little weird during the run.  But that's tapering for me-my legs don't feel tired, but they are obviously going through high-mileage/intensity withdrawal.  They just felt a little more...compact than normal, especially after the workout.  And speaking of post-workout, it's obvious the sound of the treadmill stopping calls the animals to me.

Invasion of the sweat lickers.

My unfinished packing is also calling to me at this very moment. While I love a running adventure, I don't always love preparing for one.  Since I have made many, many, many packing mistakes during the years I've been running, I decided to share my packing tips if you're ever embarking a runcation or just heading out for a marathon because, you know....marathon.

Tip #1: Pajamas--who needs them?  I always forget pajamas.  I sleep in a t-shirt and shorts, and it's really fun when you forget just one part of that.  Or all of it.  And then I usually spend the night before the race on an epic hunt for a Walmart instead of resting in my hotel room.  I guess as long as I remember my marathon-day outfit and gear, it's all good.

Tip #2: Fill up that suitcase with all your important gear, struggle to shut it, and then realize you never packed any running shoes.  So tragic.  I often considered just buying running shoes once I got to my destination rather than open up my suitcase again and re-pack it all.

Tip #3: Realize you packed your toiletries as if you were driving to the race after you're in the security line at the airport.  TSA hates this.  FYI.

Tip #4: Always pack for every type of weather you could experience on race day, even if the weather has never been seen before in your hemisphere of the Earth.  This is the main reason I overpack.  For example, my goal race is in Dallas, Texas on Sunday.  That means I will pack for heat, cold, freezing rain, snow, monsoons, polar vortices, El Nino, La Nina, sunspots, and temperature inversions.  You just never know.

Tip #5: Don't pack the gels you have used on every long training run during the entire schedule and that you planned on using during the race-you can hope they have those same gels at the race expo.  Little Rock Marathon 2016.  I could have written a review of every single port-a-john on the course all due to the fact that I had to get a different brand and flavor of gels at the expo.  The only thing that made that race worth it was that ginormous medal they give you at the end.  (And props to the race directors, who are both female and completely understand that females will also be running their race.)

Tip #6: Don't bother to bring an ID with you.  You won't need it.  This happened at a Ragnar rather than a marathon (to which I obviously drove rather than flew), but I didn't realize I had forgotten to bring my ID with me until I tried to get a beer at the post-race party.  They don't let you purchase beer with just a school ID, in case you didn't know that already.

Tip #7: Deodorant.  Bring it.  Enough said.


The end of this post better get cracking because I have to do more packing:

• The cat stalks me on the treadmill until it stops, then hops on and demands rubs every. single. time.
• I just started wearing shorts that short to run because the older I get, the less I care about how I look and the more I care about comfort.
• You know what's even more fun than forgetting to pack stuff?  Forgetting your bib on the way to the race. 
• You know what the best way to explore a new city is?  Run a marathon through it.
• I always tell myself I won't overpack for the next out-of-town marathon; however, just like "I'll do my run after work," that's always a big fat lie.

Tomorrow's workout: Probably some low-impact HiiT to go easy on the legs but still get a workout.  No weights at all--can you believe it??