Giving

One of the blessings of couponing is giving away. For my Ragnar Relay Race this weekend, we are required to give 2 cans per van at one of the major exchanges, but I'm hoping my van will give as much as possible. There were some great deals in this week's ads and I had some stuff I didn't need, so this is what I'm giving:

I'm praying that it will make someone happy and satisfied.

I went to Farkas' for dinner and the evening, and I helped Lauren with her Halloween costume. She went as, well, a weirdo. Spelled wrong (on purpose). It was definitely wacky!

Lauren and Virginia ready to go

Rest days are the best days.

A Tough One

This morning I met Valerie at MFY for a quick workout. Todd, coach of Team Belladium, had held a strength training session that I missed while I was in Hawaii, but Valerie had the notes and I wanted to see what I'd missed. So we met and she took me through the workout. It started with about 15 minutes on the spin bike to warm up a little, and then we started the real workout. For everything, we were supposed to do around 2 sets of 10, and that's about what I did except where otherwise noted.

• Squat: 65lb for the first set, 75lb for the second set, definitely could have done more, but knew I had another workout coming
• Lunge: 10lb for the first set, 15lb for the second set, quick-style (because I could)
• Step up: 10lb for the first set, 15lb for the second set, 10 times each leg for each set, stepping up onto and then off of a bench
• Step over: keeping R foot on the bench the entire time, step from L to R to L with L foot, switch legs, 10 times each leg for each set
• Push up
• Triceps push up (we alternated 10 push ups, 10 triceps push ups, repeat)
• Single-arm row: I did what Will had required (only more because I'd forgotten what he'd said) with a 10-lb dumbbell
• Alphabet: write the alphabet with your leg, not just your ankle; this one was fun
• Plank: 1 set, front, side, side, 60 sec each
• Bicycle crunch: 1 set, I did crate crunch instead because it was required later, 30 reps, quick-style
• Take aways: 1 set, holding physio ball between legs, lift legs and lift arms to legs to grab ball, lower both, lift both, switch ball between feet and arms
• Reverse: 1 set, laying on stomach on physio ball, lift and lower legs with glutes, 10 times each leg for each set
• Jack knife: 1 set, feet on ball, roll ball toward stomach (I skipped these the second time around and finished crate crunch instead)
• Repeat plank, crunch, take aways, reverse, and jack knife

The real workout for the day was similar to another one I did, February 1, 2010 (with Will, though, and today I was solo). It's nice to have the workouts already typed out.

• GHR 40 seconds; 10 quick-style squats; 1-leg dead lift RIGHT leg, 15 reps, 45-lb bar; rebound 1-leg squat, RIGHT leg back, 30 reps
• Switch legs, then repeat, doing 3 times each leg
• 1-arm bench press, 25 lb, 3 breaths at top, 3 reps, switch arms, 6 sets of 3 each arm
• Rebound bent-over 1-arm row, 25-lb bar (or less or 15-lb or so dumbbell), 3 reps, switch arms, 6 sets of 3 each arm
• Crate crunch, 3×30 quick-style reps

That was what he told me to do. After Valerie and I finished, I started with the first thing on the list. And I completely failed. This was the first time in weeks that that's happened, and it frustrated me a lot. The reps were too many, the weight was too much, and I just couldn't manage. I tried again later, exactly as written even though Will told me I could cut the reps in half if necessary. It went way better the second time, though I did skip the last two because I had actually done those well earlier. I was happy to have accomplished this when I knew I could, and I realized it was probably that I was just hungry and tired earlier. After I got some food in me, calmed down a little, and took a little nap, I did much better.

What was most frustrating I think was that I knew I could do it, reps and weights and all, but I just couldn't and I ddin't know the reason. Once I figured it out and actually did it, I felt good. But when I couldn't do it and didn't now why, I felt like a failure. Oh the struggles I deal with that really don't matter in the long run!

Granny White Park

Anna and I ran at Granny White Park today. It was a great 3.65-mile run followed by a 1.45-mile walk. So now I'm up to 23 miles for the week. Woohoo! My goal is to get in a good long run tomorrow and then be done for the week.

Then we headed to Gallatin to Shuckles corn maze. We got there a little late but still managed to find time to wander through the maze (incorrectly, since we ended up where we started), enjoy some hot chocolate, stand by the fire, play some corn hole, and run through a corn tunnel. It was a cold and beautiful night. Hopefully pics will come, but they're all on Josh's phone, so we'll see if they post them somewhere that I can access them.

Impulse Workout III

This workout I know I've done before. And I was able to find it! The last time I did it was February 5, 2010.

These were all phasic exercises that will hopefully help me be fast (since they basically make you turn your muscles on and off as quickly as possible). It was the same methodics for all exercises: 10 reps, 3-count rest, 15 reps, 3 rest, 20 reps, 5 rest, 25 reps, 5 rest, 30 reps, 10 rest, 35 rest, 10 rest, 40 reps.

• Standing front delt
• Bent over lateral delt
• Leg curl
• Leg extension
• Bent over front delt
• Biceps curl
• Hip flexion
• Hip extension

The last on the list was 1-leg dead lift, 30 each side, 45-lb bar. The weight was a little much on the first leg (R) but fine for the second. Strange, since I did L leg first on all the other exercises and my R leg felt so much stronger.

Wednesday's Runs

Today's early run was not nearly as good as Monday's runs, but I ran and still felt good. It was beautiful out and I think even if I'd run 9s I'd have still been happy just enjoying the sunshine. My 4 miles from the DHY took me R up to the TN School for the Blind then R at the fork up to the bridge to turn around. 5K pace was about 8:17—a good 20+ seconds per mile slower than Monday's run (but still below marathon/BQ time, so not super slow). My calves were feeling the hills from my Monday afternoon run!

For the afternoon run, I headed to MFY and cut the 10K loop a little short, completing only 5.25 miles. I say only, but that brought my total to 18 miles for the week so far! Last week I did 20 total, and this week I'm determined to surpass that number.

Also, I finally have a couple stats since I actually have my Garmin next to me.

• Mon morn: 32:27, 4 mi, 8:07 pace (4:58 best), 478 cal, 169 HR (187 max); 24:32 5K (7:55 pace)
• Mon eve: 24:12, 3.1 mi, 7:49 pace (6:28 best), 370 cal, 179 HR (197 max)
• Mon eve: 13:25, 1.5 mi, 8:57 pace (7:02 best), 175 cal, 174 HR (190 max)
• Wed morn: 25:40, 3.1 mi, 8:17 pace (6:37 best), 370 cal, 170 HR (187 max)
• Wed morn: 9:09, 1 mi, 9:09 pace (6:37 best), 120 cal, 160 HR (187 max)
• Wed eve: 25:37, 3.11 mi, 8:15 pace (6:48 best), 370 cal, 179 HR (229 max)
• Wed eve: 18:40, 2.16 mi, 8:40 pace (6:09 best), 258 cal, 166 HR (184 max)
• Totals: 2:29:12, 17.95 mi, 8:19 pace, 2,141 cal

If I could really run that pace for 18 miles, and then add another 8 to the top to complete a marathon (all consecutive, that is, as in during a real race), I'd finish a marathon in about 3:38. That would be perfect! Someday I'll get there.

Impulse Workout II

I thought I'd done this workout before, but I couldn't find a log of it and Will said I hadn't done it, so maybe I hadn't. It still felt familiar, especially the part where I had to try to adjust from doing isos to doing phasic/impulse reps. I told Will and he said, "That is the idea of the workout!" At least I was focused on the right thing.

• 1 minute lunge, each side; 50 hip flexor phasic reps; repeat the previous two 3–5 times
• 1 minute GHR; 50 hip extension phasic reps; repeat the previous two 3–5 times
• 1 minute push up; 50 row phasic reps; repeat the previous two 3–5 times
• 1 minute scap pull up; 50 front delt phasic reps; repeat the previous two 3–5 times

Ready to Run

After taking Sunday off from running and only training Saturday, my legs were ready to roll today! I wasn't fast by most standards, but at this point mine are the only standards that matter, so I was fast. That is, faster today (24:32) than last Monday (26:17) and Wednesday (25:55). These were all 5K times, though today I ended up running 4 miles—I just couldn't stop, and since I was faster today I had a little extra time :-) Also, my route today was slightly different. All were on the trails at the DHY, but Monday was up to Stewart's Ferry then down to the fork to turn around, Wednesday was right at the fork to the bridge to turn around, and today was left at the fork then down to the missing quarter-mile marker to turn around.

 Monday's early run

Today's fun also included a hill that neither of the others included, and my pace was 7:55 for the 5K and 8:09 overall (yep, totally slowed down for the mile-ish cool down). Not going to complain about going sub-8. Someday I'll be able to put together multiple 7-minute or sub-7 miles, hopefully in races, but right now I'll take what I can get as long as I keep improving.

 Birthday treats at work...yum! Happy birthday, Jennifer!

My afternoon run (I passed on the cheesecake but took a piece home for later) was on a different course than I've run over the last week, but it was still the fastest 5K I've run in the last week. Not my fastest by any means, but my 24:12 (7:49 pace) here beat my 24:32 from this morning, so I'm happy with the continued improvement. Again, like this morning, my legs were ready to go.

Monday's later run—Moores Lane is such a fun hill (hah!)

Then I though later, Maybe I know knowing I'll be doing more than 5K so I can go hard for a few miles and then cool down for 1+. Who knows; it's probably all a mind game anyway.