An easy Friday workout …

Friday – Strength Training

• Yoga – Yoga Conditioning for Athletes DVD (56 minutes)

Boy was I sore this morning! Four days in a row of kettlebells has really worked my muscles in a way that they haven’t been worked in forever. I woke up this morning and could barely move. I decided not to do today’s workout until after I got home from work to give my body more time to loosen up. The workout scheduled for today on my strength training plan was a 30 to 45 minute walk. I chose to do yoga instead because of my running plan. The Yoga Conditioning for Athletes workout is a great workout for me because it really works on stretching all of the muscles that were tight. I am still a little sore after my hour long yoga workout but it is a good kind of sore. I can’t wait for my 5 mile run tomorrow because I feel like my new (reworked) training schedule is really working. I know that it has only been a week but I can already feel a difference. My running has felt great this week and I just hope that it continues into my long run tomorrow morning.

I am really sore … YAY!

Wednesday – Strength Training

• Kettlebells  - Practice Dead Lifts, Swings, Cleans and Squats (13 minutes)
• Yoga – Standing Poses (22 minutes)

When I first saw what today’s kettlebell workout was, I was a little intimidated because if required me to practice certain moves on my own. To be honest with you, I had absolutely no idea how to do that, which is why I didn’t attempt to do this workout in the morning before work. During my lunch break today, I had a great idea on how I should approach my kettlebell workout. I made a list of all the exercises that I wanted to practice. My list included all of the variations of dead lifts, swings, cleans, and squats. Then I looked at at Lauren had structured the Fat Blast Workout and the Sculpt & Condition Workout to see figured how she sequenced the exercises. I tried the structure my workout using 30 second intervals and in the same manner as the workouts that on the Volume 1 DVD. I thought that I did a really good job but I wouldn’t find out until after I got home from work. When I got home, I ate my dinner and watched a little television before I changed into my workout clothes. I grabbed my GymBoss interval timer and set it up for 30 second intervals. I turned the television to one of those free music channels that had upbeat music similar to what was on the DVD. When I finished my workout, I surprised at how well it actually worked. Sometimes I really amaze myself. I was drenched with sweat and my heart rate was definitely raised. Success! My workout did exactly what I wanted it to do. I got to practice the required exercises and I feel like I did an actual workout at the same time. After my kettlebell workout, I popped in my A.M. Yoga DVD and did the Standing Poses workout. I haven’t done this DVD in a long time and found that it was a great way for me to cool down after my kettlebell workout.

Surrendering to the Yin ...

Sunday - Rest

• Yoga - 90 minutes (Yin Yoga Class)

Before I went on vacation, I signed up for a yoga workshop that took place this afternoon at my yoga studio for a style that I had never heard of before I signed up for it. The style of yoga is called Yin Yoga. When I first heard about this workshop, I did some research online to see what it was all about but even that didn't prepare me for the class. The Bikram classes that I take are always about energizing you body, developing lean strong muscles that are very flexible and heating the body both internally and externally in order to aid the detoxing process. During a Bikram class, the asanas (poses) are so strenuous that they are not held for more than a minute at a time. The Bikram series also focuses a lot on balancing poses. After listening to the teacher during the introduction portion of the workshop, I quickly realized that Yin Yoga is the complete opposite of Bikram Yoga. I was fascinated with the theory of yin versus yang as it applies to the practice of yoga. The idea that you can completely realign your skeletal system by stretching the deep or hidden muscle tissues intrigued me. I wasn't quite sure how much realignment would take place during one class but I was open to the possibility. One huge difference that I noticed right from the start besides the cold room and really dim lighting was the duration of the asanas. In Yin Yoga, each posture is held for 5 minutes, which means that props are essential. The focus of each posture is to stretch the tendons and ligaments that hold the muscles in place around the bones. This stretching allows the bones and muscles to realign and return to place where they belong. The teacher said that some people actually feel taller when they leave the class. After 90 minutes of this slow moving and very static form of yoga, I was amazed at my transformation my body went through. I am not saying that I was a foot taller or anything but I finally understood the meaning of yogic bliss. I felt truly peaceful and like I had truly surrendered to the moment. I was also able to sit cross-legged and touch my forehead to the floor in front of me, which I couldn't do at the beginning of the class.

Cardio Balanced Workout ... I think I should try something new

Sunday, 6/12 - Rest

• Yoga - 56 minutes (Yoga Conditioning for Athletes Video)

Yes I did it again. I wanted to get my yoga workout in right after my long run but I really wasn't feeling it. This was the first time that I have tried the full length workout on the DVD. Let me tell you that I was really impressed with it. The poses that were done in this workout were really targeted to the areas I feel are the most tight or constricted during my normal training sessions. My work schedule and training regiment have not been very conducive for adding more yoga workouts but I feel like I really am going to have to make it a priority as my training gets harder.

Monday, 6/13 - Strength Training

• 47 minutes of Kettlenetics (Cardio Balanced Video)

I decided to do my workout before work again this morning. It seems to be easier and it allows me more time to cook dinner after work. As part of my sister's new plan, we are going to be eating dinner at home a lot more so I want to have plenty of time for that. For some reason, my workout did not go as well as it usually does. I think that once again I was not well hydrated, My boyfriend and I decided to go for a motorcycle ride yesterday afternoon. It was really warm again yesterday and I guess I just didn't drink enough water to compensate. At one point during the workout, I had to stop to catch my breath, which is unusual for me. I also feel like I am not challenging myself enough with this video anymore but I don't feel like I am ready to try this workout with the 8 lb. kettlebell. My plan to correct this issue is quite simple and I hope that it works. I am going to try it for the rest of the week and see what happens. First, I am going to do the Target Toning Video on Wednesday but I will try to incorporate the 8 lb. KBell during the Lower Body Segment and some of the Standing Core Power Segment of the workout. Second, I will do the shorter 30 minute workout video (Total Body Blast) on Friday. When I do this video, I am going to use the 4 lb. KBell for the entire thing because it will be the first time trying this video. Based on how the rest of the week goes, I will either continue with the 4 lb. KBell or start incorporating the 8 lb. KBell into my workouts.

I really like using Kettlebells for the the strength training portion of my regiment. I think that the Kettlenetics system has been a great way for me to become introduced to Kettlebells. I know that at some point in the near future I am going to progress past this type of Kettlebell workout. I have already started looking for some new instructional videos that are more in the style of a true Russian Kettlebell Workout. I think my next video will be Lauren Brooks. She is supposed to one of the best Kettlebells trainers out there so I think that her videos will be the best for me to learn proper technique in my next phase of training.

Also, I really tried to convince my boyfriend to let me do the race while we are on vacation next month. I almost has him talked into it too but then I started really thinking about the logistics of it. So when he asked me "do you really want to do the race?" I actually responded with "I don't know." I told him that while it would be very possible to do, it would very time critical and wouldn't be fair to mother or him for me me to run in the race. We agreed that if we were leaving a day sooner, which just isn't possible, that it wouldn't a big deal. I will still be able to do a week's worth of training in the mountains and I am really excited about that.

Back Bending my way through a Tempo Run ...

Thursday, 6/9 - 3 miles

• Yoga - 24 minutes (Rodney Yee's AM Yoga for Your Week - Back Bends)
• 3.75 miles, 42' 03" minutes, 11' 13" min/mile average pace, 164 BPM average heart rate

Two days in a row of waking up early enough to do a workout. Absolutely unheard of. Now I didn't get my run in this morning but I did start my morning off right with about 20 minutes of Back Bends. What a great way to start the morning. It really helped my energy level throughout the day. I also made sure that I drank plenty of water. My workout tonight was great! I decided to do a tempo run tonight where I pushed myself to a limit and maintained it for as long as possible. My workout started in the usual way with a 5 minute walk at 3.0 mph and a 0% incline. I decided to go with a 0% incline tonight because I wanted to be able to maintain a faster pace than usual and I didn't want to put excess strain on my knees or hips. Once my walking warm up was complete, I increased the pace to 3.5 mph, which I maintained for the next 5 minutes. According to my heart rate displayed on the treadmill, I could handle increasing the pace so I did a quick body scan to see how I was doing. I didn't have any soreness in my knees or hips. I was maintaining my stride consistently. I bumped to pace up to 4.0 mph, which I maintained for about another 5 minutes. At this point my iPod told me that I had already run one kilometer. I still felt really good and my heart rate was still on the low side for an effective tempo run so I bumped up the pace to 4.5 mph. I maintained that pace for 4 more kilometers (about 2.48 miles). After my tempo run was down, I slowed my pace down to 4.0 mph and started my cool down. I ran another kilometer before starting the walking portion of my cool down, which lasted about 12 minutes. I felt really good during and after my run. Having successful training runs is really empowering and I hope that I continue to have them!

Cardio Balanced Workout ... again and again

Sunday, 6/5 - Rest Day

• Yoga - 25 minutes (Rodney Yee's AM Yoga for Your Week - Twists)

Yesterday was my first mandated rest day and I felt like I was being lazy because I didn't exercise. I understand the importance of taking a day off from training. Your body is being pushed to a physical limit and needs time to recover. Muscles need to regenerate the tissues that have been broken down during the physical activity. As much as I tried to limit my exercise to zero, I didn't succeed. Last night before I went to bed, I popped in one of my yoga DVDs and did a short workout. All day, my muscles felt really tight and I didn't want to cause any injuries when I continued my training this week so I chose a short yoga workout to to help stretch and lengthen my muscles. I must say that I really think it worked because I am not tight at all today.

Monday, 6/6 - Strength Training

• Kettlenetics - 47 minutes (Cardio Balanced Video)

I have not been feeling completely right today. Maybe yesterday's yoga workout didn't do what I hoped that it would do. My energy level has been low, much lower than usual for me. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what could have caused it. According to my nutrition journal, my calorie intake is about where it should be and for the most part I am not consuming all of the calories that I am burning. (These are the keys to proper weight loss, which I have been trying to stick to as part of my lifestyle change.) The only other source of my fatigued feeling is what I am choosing to intake. I will have to continue to experiment with the food that I am eating to prevent this happening again. Even though my energy level was low, I still went ahead with my Kettlenetics workout. I chose the Cardio Balanced Video because I thought it would be a good way to start my training this week. This workout gets my heart rate up and tones my muscles, without targeting specific muscle groups. Each movement in this workout really engages the entire body. By not targeting specif muscle groups, my whole body reaps the benefits and isn't ridiculously sore for the next three days. Don't get me wrong, I will be sore tomorrow but it won't linger. I must say that this workout is starting to get a little easier, which means I will probably be moving up from the 4 lb. KBell in a few weeks.

A Training Run followed by some Yoga

Thursday, 6/2 - 30 minutes of Running

• 3.46 miles, 45' 19" minutes, 13' 07" min/mile average pace, 152 BPM average heart rate
• Yoga - 22 minutes (Rodney Yee's AM Yoga for Your Week - Standing Poses)

Ok so I was totally right about last night's workout. My arms are killing me! I had no idea that I could have pain in areas that I have pain. I will definitely be doing that video at least once a week from now on! (I think I am a gluten for punishment ... oh well.) I ran on the treadmill again tonight. For all those that don't like running on the treadmill, they really do serve a purpose, especially for people who live in really hot, humid climates and can't go for a run until after work during the heat of the day (people like me). I don't love running on the treadmill but they work for me during the work week. I will be running my long runs outside though. On a treadmill, I am able to monitor my pace and can do speed intervals a lot easier. Essentially, tonight my workout was the same as the one on Tuesday night. I did switch it up a little bit but not too much. I started out walking with a 1.0% incline at a 3.0 mph pace. After 5 minutes, I increased the pace to 3.5 mph, which I maintained for the next 10 minutes. My plan for today was to really try and keep my heart rate fairly constant and to not go over the 170 BPM mark (my heart rate peaked at 170 BPM). I felt good after those first 10 minutes of running and my heart rate was hovering between 150 and 155 so I increased my pace to 4.0 mph, which I maintained for 20 minutes. After I completed my planned 30 minutes of running, I started my cool down by slowing my pace back down to 3.5 mph for 5 minutes and then finished with a 5 minute walk at 3.0 mph. I know that running on a treadmill is very different from running on the road but it is working for me so far. On Saturday, my goal is to start off slow so that I will be able to run the entire 3 miles outside. After my run tonight, I popped in one of my many yoga videos and did about 20 minutes of Standing Poses. It felt sooooo good to stretch and lengthen all of my leg muscles. I felt so good afterwards that I am going to try and continue to incorporate yoga into my post-workout routine.