Metabo journal

I ran 2 miles at level 6.0 on a treadmill. Originally I had planned to run closer to 4 miles, but I have been so out of breath and weak when I run lately that I guess I'm back to square one. NR and I have decided to run the Salt Lake half in April, which is good because I now have another goal to work toward. I also did 50 upper crunches, 50 lower crunches, 25 each obliques, 25 each side leg lifts, and 2 x 30 sec pencils.

Went for a walk on the snow and ice in 9 degree weather to practice not falling down...

Ran at the field house (30:16) and had the best workout since the half-marathon. My knees didn't hurt and I felt pretty light on my feet. After running I did 25 each obliques (30 lbs), 50 lower abs, 50 upper abs, 50 each side-leg lifts, and 2 x 30 sec pencils

Ran on the track at the field house, 31:36-the run felt almost as good as on Monday. Followed running with 25 each obliques (35 lbs), 50 lower abs, 50 upper abs, 100 modified leg extensions (45 lbs), 50 each side leg lifts, and 2 x 30 sec pencils.

Ran at the field house and I felt back to normal again. I am getting ready to ramp up the distance, but I also want to include strength training to help lose some lbs.

Ran 4.3 miles at the field house, but it was more like playing dodge the undergrad. Followed up with 3x12 seated row (50 lbs), 4x50 modified leg extensions (50 lbs), 25 each obliques (40 lbs), 3x30 sec plank, 50 each side leg lifts, 30 tricep extensions (15 lbs), and 45 each standing hamstring curls.

After spending an hour last night reading about how I need to do more interval training, I did some powder-puff running on the track at the field house. Soon I plan to start using the treadmill for the incline and to do some interval training. I followed up the run by doing 50 reverse crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, and 2 x 30 second planks. I can tell that my core is getting stronger because the exercises are becoming increasingly easier and because I haven't had as much lower back discomfort while running. That doesn't mean that my stomach is getting flatter...strengthening the underlying muscles is just pushing the belly fat out further-very frustrating! I guess I will have to stick with it. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARBY!!! 

Ran at the field house today in an attempt to avoid the inversion...not too sure that it worked. The run was at a relaxed pace and I could have gone longer, but I will start training for the SLC half soon enough. My goal is to start running 4 days a week and I am shooting for 20 mile weeks.

Ran intervals on the treadmill today- kept a constant speed (5.7) but changed between 0 and 3 incline every 0.25 mile.  Followed with a 5 minute cool down on the bike. Also did 50 crunches, 50 reverse crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, 2 x 30 sec planks, and 4 x 50 modified leg extensions. 

Followed up the run (field house) with 2 x 30 sec bike sprints. Also did 50 upper abs, 50 lower abs, 50 each side leg lifts, and 2 x 30 sec planks. I have noticed that there hasn't been much knee pain since I have started to do the side leg lifts and modified leg extensions. This could also be attributable to the fact that I haven't been running as long of distances since the half-marathon. I guess we'll see how the knees hold up in the coming months until the SLC half in April.

The run today was a little bittersweet. I ran at a level of moderate discomfort (meaning I couldn't have carried on a conversation) for 3 miles when I can usually only go at that pace for 2. The depressing part of it is that I only cut maybe 2 minutes off my running time. The amount of effort I was putting in definitely did not feel proportional to the amount of time I saved. I guess I'll just have to focus on the health benefits of running with moderate discomfort. I hope those are greater than the amount of time saved...or I hope that no one will tell me differently!

Ran today at the field house since it was snowing outside. There was another woman running on the track who was lightening fast. For every set of my 10 laps I bet she would run 13-14. She even outran the guy running with her...it was impressive. If I ever outrun Arby, I'll brag about it for the rest of my life! My run was ok, and I finished in 67 minutes. Afterward I did 25 each oblique with 40 lbs. My knees have not been a problem. I did feel some tightness in my chest at the end of today's run when I was trying to finish strong.

Opted to run on a treadmill today so I would stay at a constant pace (completed the run in 40:00...and sweated like crazy). It felt like there was a large jump in pace between 5.9 and 6.0, so I wonder how calibrated the treadmills are considering the amount of use they get. Followed up the run with 50 lower abs, 50 upper abs, 50 each side leg lifts, and 3 x 30 second planks. 

Ran on the track at the field house (1:04:20), and I plan to run around 3.5 miles tomorrow to reach my goal of 20 miles this week. I didn't feel that great during the run, maybe a little dehydrated-and there was some knee pain that started at mile 5. Followed up with 50 each side leg lifts and 1 x 60 sec. plank.

 The 60 second plank proves that my core is getting stronger, but that does not mean that my abs are getting any flatter. The prescription of aerobic exercise and core strengthening is only making my abdomen fatter. As a matter of fact, I have almost convinced myself that I can defy all of medical science and actually get fatter the more I work out- and I don't mean the amount of muscle you build as you start a work out routine. Hopefully maintaining minimum 20 mile weeks will prove to be a fat buster...

Ran on the treadmill at the gym, and my knees felt better than expected considering I ran yesterday. I've finished my first 20 mile week and hopefully will complete another five weeks at this training capacity. So far, so good.

Ran on the track at the field house. I meant to run yesterday but got held up at work. Today I didn't make it to the gym until 2 hours after I wanted to, so I am a little worried that I won't be able to sleep tonight. I was pretty hungry before running but amazingly enough I had one of the best runs in a long time. The time wasn't too fast (65:18), but I felt like a new different set of muscles were firing. I also felt great during my 1 x 60 sec plank- no shaking or quivering at all. Followed up the run with 50 ball crunches, 25 bicycles, and 50 each side leg lifts.

Again the second run of a back to back felt unexpectedly good, no knee problems. I actually ran faster than I had intended to (42:18) but it wasn't uncomfortable. Followed up the run with 50 crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, 1x60 sec plank. I think the side leg lifts are helping with the previous knee pain and the planks are preventing any lower back discomfort.

Tried to get in a longer run tonight (1:11:05) so that I have an easy run to complete my 20 miles this week. Definitely I have felt more fatigued over the last 2 weeks since I decided to up the training volume. Hopefully my body will adjust soon. I've been reading some about workout routines and there is a big push for interval training instead of longer, medium paced distances. I will try to incorporate the intervals in my shorter run tomorrow. 

As an aside, I saw a girl at the gym wearing a Texas Tech rugby shirt- the second time I've seen someone here in SLC wearing TTU. I asked her about it and it turns out that she and her boyfriend went to school there. Even though I didn't go to school there, there is something strangely comforting about the familiarity.

As a second aside, my mom and dad have started working out on the Wii fit along with doing some resistance training. I have to say that I'm very proud of them, and I wish I could be there to watch them do the Wii games- especially since I know my dad has a new boxing game. My brother and I played Wii boxing at Christmas and frankly I'm surprised that nothing was damaged in the process!

Finished my 20 miles this week in Pocatello, where Arby and I ran around the residential areas. Basically my legs and muscles are tired.

I tried to run intervals today, which is why the distance is lower than normal. I ran at 6.0 for 5', 7.0 1', 6.0 2', and 7.5 1'. After that I ran at 6.0 to complete the 3 miles. Overall the run didn't feel great- pretty tired. I followed up with 70 crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, and 4 x 200 modified leg extensions.

Hiked through the snowy foothills with Arby. I didn't meet my goal of running 20 miles this week because I felt like I was fighting off a cold for most of the week.

Ran at the field house tonight on the track. I wasn't concerned about time, just finishing the distance. Overall the run felt good- no knee pain, but I could feel my hip muscles working.

Today's run felt crummy! Pains everywhere (shoulder, side, stomach) and too many people on the track. Followed up with 25 bicycle crunches, 75 regular crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, 1 min plank.

Ran 2.15 miles on the track (20:22) and followed it up with 1 easy mile on an incline on the treadmill. Everything felt great! I really felt my hamstrings working during the uphill mile. Followed up the run with 3 x 10 (50 lbs) rowing machine, 20 each obliques (50 lbs), 1 x 1 min plank.

 This afternoon I took Mirabelle to see a new veterinarian, who very frankly shared her opinion that kitty needs to lose weight. Right now Mirabelle weighs 15 lbs and she needs to weigh 11. She also has a kitty version of the muffin-top since there is a spare tire around where she should have a waist. So to help her lose weight I started her on an exercising program that we'll blog about here too! Tonight I got her to run 10 laps across the living room before she got tired of chasing the laser pointer...it's a good start.

Wait, wait- I got her to run 13.5 laps. 

I ran outside today in shorts, which felt great! Starting at home, I ran to Liberty park and did a few laps on the wood chip path. It was a little difficult since there were pine needles on top of the wood chips and I couldn't get as solid footing as I am used to. It was a decent run in the end, finished in 63 minutes.

 Mirabelle ran 12 laps around the living room and took a long nap afterward. 

A second crummy day of running. I cut it short because I have been pretty tired lately and I didn't want to over do it. Followed up with 12 push-ups, 50 crunches, and 50 each side leg lifts.

I decided to switch it up today after some advice from Phoenix. Monday and Tuesday were 2 especially crappy workouts so I decided to do some interval work today. I ran sets of 2 normal speed laps followed by 1 faster lap for 2 miles (5 intervals) and finished with 1 regular mile. The amazingly fast Chinese runner was there today (he once wore a China running jersey), and I  swear he runs at least twice as fast as I do. He was a quarter of a lap ahead of me on one of my fast laps, and I tried to catch him but I'm pretty sure I was only matching his pace. Anyway the run today felt much better than the last two workouts. Followed up with 25 each obliques (45 lbs), 10+30 sec+10 each side leg lifts, 50 crunches, 17 push-ups, and a 1 min plank.

 I have set my goal for the past 4-5 weeks to run 20 miles per week, but I'm not sure that it is the right goal for me. I have fallen into a routine of repetitive slow-medium paced runs to try to get the miles in. I think I should do some more cross training coupled with one longer run a week. This might not add up to 20 miles each week, which is ok. 

I meant to run yesterday but instead I made buttercream icing for HS' birthday cake. Also Mirabelle was getting her teeth cleaned, which is a rather intense procedure for a cat. She still managed to run 7 laps this afternoon despite the rough weekend.

 Today NR and I ran down to sugarhouse park and ran 1 inside lap and 1 outside lap.  Since I've been running on the track at the field house I didn't know how well I would do running on those hills. I did better than I expected, but I think it helped that I had a running partner. We finished in 49:01 for an average 10:29/mile. I monitored my heart rate with the GPS and I ran at an average of 89% max (~170 bpm). This seems a little high to me considering the pace we were running. 

Today I did a recovery run on the track at the field house. I was monitoring my heart rate and trying to stay around 150 bpm. This morning I measured my RHR (56 bpm) so 150 bpm is 69% of max if I assume that my max is 193. In order to stay at 150 I had to slow down to an 11-minute mile, which is insanely slow-I felt I could have probably been walking as fast as I was "running". I also did several manual measurements of my heart rate to check the HRM and it was pretty accurate. I'm not sure why my heart rate is going so high for such a minimal effort. I didn't feel too fatigued during the runs yesterday or today, but my heart rate seems to be saying that I should feel more tired. I plan to continue monitoring my heart rate over the next few weeks/months, and I also might try to empirically determine an apparent max HR. Following the run I did 50 crunches, 22 push-ups, 50 each side leg lifts, and 2 planks (45 sec and 30 sec). I can feel my upper body strength improving with the push-ups.

As a side note, I bought two good cake pans (magic line) that initially baked a cake evenly and without a large bulge being formed on top. Tonight I switched recipes from the Dede Wilson white cake to the 4-egg (yellow) cake from the Joy of Cooking. The cakes bulged. Maybe it was switching back to all-purpose flour instead of using the cake flour...

Ran with Holter device, 10 min/mile pace. Run felt ok, but holter made it slightly uncomfortable. Followed up with 20 crunches (declined bench), 50 each side leg lifts with 10 sec hold at end, 24 pushups.

Hiked up the foothills to take some pictures of the clouds.

Ran on the track at the field house, and tried to stay at a pace that was around 155 bpm (70% max HR). At the end, my HR was 162 and the run took ~62 minutes. Followed up with 50 each side leg lifts, 40 crunches (decline bench), and 26 push-ups.

Ran intervals (2 slow/1fast lap) on the track today for 2 miles followed by 1 easy mile. The intervals felt invigorating, but I was definitely fatigued by the time I finished the fifth fast lap. The slow lap is ~1:30 and the fast lap is ~1:00. I try to go as fast as I can, but I would burn out if I sprinted as fast as I could. Followed up with 50 crunches, 30 each donkey kicks, 20 each front leg lifts, 1 x 1 min plank, 26 push-ups.

Ran my old route around the block at a comfortable level, 27:19. The average pace was 10:01 and my pulse at the end of the run was 148. I'm not sure why my heart rate stayed around 70% max considering last week I had to run an 11-minute mile to keep my heart rate down. I even picked it up a little at the end, so this is inconsistent with the last 2 weeks.

Did a light run today, ~10:30 min/mile and my HR at the finish was 152 bpm. I could feel my glut muscles working despite the easy run, I think because I have run 4 days in a row.

There was a boys soccer team (~8 yo) on the track that I haven't seen before. They sounded like a herd of stampeding cattle every time I ran past them. Since my little brother has grown up, I had forgotten how sweaty little boys smell amazingly similar to wet dogs...today I remembered. Followed up with 50 each side leg lifts, 30 each donkey kicks, and 30 push-ups.

Tried to run for 60 minutes at HR 150 bpm, but I ended with an average HR of 160 bpm (11:11/mile). I'm not used to running quite this slow and I think I have a different gait when I do because I felt some achy knees- nothing too serious, but it was definitely hard to keep my HR down. After running I went on a 2 hr hike to take pictures.

Ran outside with HS, including 1 mile on the East high track. Total run time was 33:30, so 10:30/mile. The weather was great and it felt good running outside. I have a slightly nagging muscle pain in my inner thigh up in the groin area. I'm hoping that it will subside if I take it easy for a few days. I don't feel it all the time, only intermittently. 

According to Jack Daniels (a different Jack Daniels, Mom and Dad), I should know what my purpose is for every workout. So, what was the goal of my workout today?- To spend some time running at HR ~170 (84% HRmax). I ran the first mile in 9:09 and kept my HR right at 170 toward the latter half, but the average HR was 158. For the second mile I did recovery pace of 11:18 with average HR 159. Finally, I tried to run as fast as possible (without giving out) for the third mile and finished in 8:31 with HR 178. Followed up with 50 each side leg lifts, 50 crunches, 25 each forward leg lifts, 1 x 1 min plank, 1 x 30 sec plank, and 35 push-ups. 

In high school, I was forced to run CC in order to play basketball and usually ran around 8 min/mile pace for definitely no more than 2 miles. I don't think I am too far off that pace right now, which is surprising because I am not in as good of physical condition as I was back then (i.e. I'm fatter). I think that including more interval work into my routine will be helpful in that I should increase economy (?), but I also won't get bored.

Ran slowly (11:32/mile) on a treadmill as part of a recovery day. Followed up with 50 crunches, 25 bicycles, 50 each donkey kicks, and 40 push-ups.

Ran 2.8 miles at a comfortable pace just to get out and run, average HR was 156 bpm. The weather was nice and the run was relaxing.

Ran around the neighborhood just to get moving before the drive to Idaho.

Took a walk around some Boise neighborhoods. Felt light-headed and weak (fatigued), and felt strong heart beating earlier in the day.

Ran 4 miles and walked the other 4.5 in 40 degree weather with wind. Average HR was around 165 during the run.

Ran 2/1 intervals again today with an extra slow lap after intervals 2, 4, and 6. I was only running 5 intervals, but I decided to push it up to 6. Finished in 30:17. Followed up with 50 crunches, 25 each forward leg lifts, 50 each side leg lifts, 1 x 1 min plank, and 29 push-ups.

Ran 4 laps around the neighborhood, finished in 58:30. I really started to feel fatigued in the hips. My average pace (HR) for each lap was:

9:53 (154)

10:25 (162)

10:23 (169)

10:30 (172) 

Walked to the East High track with Arby to do an easy warm-up followed by a timed mile. Ran the mile in 8:27, which was good considering I didn't have fresh legs and there was some wind in my face on one of the long stretches.

Did cross-training today. Started with 20 minutes on the stair stepper, but I was disappointed because it was nowhere close to actually climbing stairs. At the end the machine reported that I had climbed 70-something flights of stairs, but in reality I would have passed out long before 70. I also rode a bike (level 5) for a 5 min warm-up followed by alternating 30 sec at 100 rpm and 30 sec at 60 rpm for 20 reps. (This was more like it!) The HRM on the bike read that my average was probably between 155-160 bpm for the 20 minute period. Followed up with 75 crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, 10 KB scissors, 1 x 1 min plank, and 45 push-ups.

I ran on the track today at what felt like a comfortable pace, but I was actually running about 0:45/mile faster than normal (29:11 total, no HRM). Maybe those interval sessions are kicking in. I also felt some different leg muscles working-probably due to the cross training. Followed up with 50 crunches, 50 each forward leg lifts, 15 KB abs, 50 each side leg lifts, 3 x 30 sec planks, and 29 push-ups. HS and I decided to decrease the number of pushups we attempted and instead tried to go lower to the ground. I accidently touched my nose to the mat at one point (disgusting!) so I think we were using better form.

Ran 2 laps around the neighborhood (28:51) while a storm was coming in, so there was a decent breeze out of the south. My HR stayed around 165, and this was just a nice, relaxing run. 

Ran at the field house this morning at a comfortable pace (42:31). I didn't run yesterday because there was a sore muscle in my left leg, but the discomfort was much less during the run today.

Ran 2.33 around the neighborhood with NR and walked the rest. The average pace for the running portion was 10:01 and average HR was 151 bpm. The weather is getting nice...if only spring would come permanently and winter would go away!

Did 7 x 2/1 intervals followed by one mile jogging. The 7 fast laps combined equal one total fast mile. Afterward did 20 bicep curls, 39 push-ups, 50 each obliques (45 lbs), 50 crunches, and 20 KB crunches.

Ran outside around the neighborhood today because the weather was beautiful. As this is my third day of running in a row, and since I had an intense run yesterday, I decided to do some recovery running. I finished in 30-something minutes with an average HR of 161. I noticed that it was difficult to keep my HR down, maybe because I was tired and my legs were definitely fatigued. I had intended to run further, but got distracted by all the tulips and daffodils blooming that I quit running and instead spent some time walking around the neighborhood taking pictures of flowers.

Rode the bike for 30 minutes, including 20 minutes of 30/30 sec intervals. Followed up with 50 ball crunches, 30 bicycles, 25 decline crunches, 50 screwdriver curls (10 lbs), 20 twisting bicep curls, 20 regular curls, 30 tricep extensions, 2 x 12 horizontal row (50 lbs).

Ran 4 miles this morning around sugarhouse with NR. Our average pace was 10:10, which wasn't bad considering the second half of the run was uphill. It was overcast, but the temperature was nice and the run was invigorating.

Ran 2.8 miles this morning as a recovery run and my legs were pretty fatigued. I finished in 27:57, which was faster than I intended to run. However, the weather was GREAT!!! I spent a while in the afternoon walking around and taking pictures of trees and flowers in bloom (4 miles).

Ran outside today with HS and it was another great spring day! We tried to keep the run pretty flat, but ended up doing some light hill work. Considering I have run the past three days, my legs felt decently peppy. Average HR ran around 165 bpm, which was higher than I intended it to be. The most difficult workouts for me are the ones where I try to do recovery runs at HR 150 because I'm too impatient to take it slow. Anyway, my calf was a little tender so I plan to take it easy tomorrow-maybe a walk. Followed up with 50 crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, 3 x 30 sec. planks, 40 push-ups, and 3 x 5 sec holding plank position with elbows at sides. 

Ran in the field house today since it was snowing yet again, even though it's April and it was gorgeous last weekend. Anyway, I tried to push myself to run faster and I finished in 28:10, which is quite a bit faster but I didn't have HR monitoring. I have to start pushing myself again because I signed up for the Bryce Canyon half-marathon on July 18- one week before my wedding. Arby thinks I'm crazy for doing it so close to the wedding, and he's probably right. He can give me a big "I told you so" if I turn into a bridezilla because I'm stretched too thin. There are two major things I am concerned about with the BC race. 1-The race starts at 7600 ft. 2- There is a 2000 ft drop in elevation over the course. I hope my knees can hold up to the downhill running, but they seem to be doing much better in the past 6-8 months. I plan to start doing some training in Park City or at the ski resorts (once this annoying snow stops), and I also plan to start focusing on strength training of the gluts and quads which will help to stabilize my knee when running down hill. The route is down scenic byway 12 though...

Followed up the workout with 50 crunches, 50 each forward leg lifts, 50 each side leg lifts, 40 bicep curls (10 lbs), 3 x 10 sec plank #2, and 50 screwdrivers. 

Got my new computer (PC) today and the thing I really notice is that my 2 yo macbook is much faster than the new PC- probably because it doesn't have to load Norton anti-virus every time I turn it on. To be fair, the graphics, sound quality, and games are better on the PC, but I still prefer mac.

I planned to start my training today, but I wasn't feeling great this afternoon and I started to have stomach cramps when I was running. After 2 miles I decided to quit and try again tomorrow. The goal for this weekend is to get a rough estimate of how well my knees will tolerate downhill running at 4000-5000 ft.

Ran up and back in city creek to gauge how well my knees will tolerate downhill running. During the 3 miles up I ran 11:44/mile and average HR 171 bpm. On the trip back down I ran 10:35/mile with an average HR of 165 bpm. After that I walked a mile to cool down. While going up I only felt fatigue in my hips and didn't feel my knees at all. Going down I did feel some slight dixcomfort in my knees. I checked the change in altitude at the bottom and top of my run -the difference was 460 ft. Averaged on a per mile basis, this should be the gradient I will see at Bryce canyon. Is it better to lean slightly downhill or back into the hill when running downhill?

Ran at the field house today and tried to take easy because there was some discomfort in my knees. Knees were ok during the run, but they began to revolt once I started to do squats (45 x 80 lbs). Did 50 each side leg lifts, 50 each front leg lifts, 50 crunches, 2 x 11 sec plank #2, 3 x 30 sec plank #1.

Ran outside today after work-tried to take it easy on the knees. I was feeling fatigued but I think it was due to having a pretty light lunch and I was tired in general. Knees are still sore from the downhill run on Saturday and the right knee seems to be slightly swollen. Observations about my knees- I can run on flat or uphill gradients without a problem, but not downhill. Squats or anything that causes a bend in the knees closer to 90 degrees tends to make them very sore. There seems to be a pulling sensation on the medial aspect of my right patella when bending my knee. I am seeing a doctor about it tomorrow and hopefully there is something I can do to get rid of this pain. I actually have a different gait when walking downstairs because I expect to feel a stabbing pain in the knee whenever I do. I hope not to get diagnosed again with a very general patellofemoral pain syndrome because I don't think the usual suspects (tracking problem, weak hips, VMO) are causing this pain. We'll see...

Ran outside around lower campus. Went to the orthopaedist today and he told me that my knee pain is not due to a patellar tracking problem. Instead my hips are rotated and my right leg is longer than the left. Also my right ankle is looser than the left, all contributing to right knee pain.

Ran this morning in the 4th Street Clinic 5K because I hope to volunteer at a clinic like this once I become a PA. The weather was overcast, but not raining, which made for a nice running temperature. We ran around the U of U campus starting at the Huntsman Center, so the last mile of the race was a lot of uphill. My average HR was 169 and my garmin read that we ran 2.89, but another runner's garmin read 3.03 so I'm not sure which is correct.

Some important things to note are that I ran with a patellar tendon strap on my right knee and I've been working on adjusting my hips (put my hips in place before and after the race) and strengthening my ankle for a few days now. During the initial downhill portion (which seemed as steep as City Creek) my knees were totally fine, I didn't feel any pain. I tried to keep my stride the same length as on a flat surface, but speed up my steps and lean a little forward. It seemed to work out well and will hopefully stay that way!!!

Ran this morning for Justin and all others who sustain spinal cord injuries...

Ran with the dogs. Daisy made it halfway down the road!

Ran on the track at the field house even though I was still feeling somewhat fatigued from traveling. Today I wore the cho pat strap, which seems to help but I'm not sure I should wear it everytime I run. It definitely makes my MCL feel out of sorts. I also have noticed that my ankle gets a little sore from doing the eversion strenghtening exercise. Knees are feeling better but there is still some pain.

Ran on the Shoreline trail and around research park for 3.1 miles, and walked the rest as a cool down period. I am definitely feeling some difference in my right knee since doing the ankle exercises and wearing the cho pat strap. Hopefully it is a sign of improvement. 

Today I ran on a treadmill at the field house that was able to be set to a slightly downhill position. I ran downhilll for 3 miles, doing 9 x 1 minute intervals at speed 7.0 with the rest of the run at 6.0. After the downhill portion, I ran 1 mile at 6.0 with no incline (it felt relatively uphill). My knee seems to be improving despite the fact that I can't get rid of the slight swelling. Followed up with 50 crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, 50 each forward leg lifts, 3 x 30 sec planks, and 10 push-ups.

Took a walk with Arby around the neighborhood.

Ran 4.2 miles around the neighborhood and then went on a walk with Arby. Knees have felt much better since seeing the PT, and hopefully I am also building some ankle strength. Soon I need to start training for the Bryce Canyon half by doing downhill runs and running at higher elevation.

Ran 2.14 miles at the field house before it closed (20:10) and ran the last 1.5 miles around the neighborhood. Knee felt ok during the last 1.5 miles without the cho-pat strap.

Ran 3 miles along the pipeline trail in Millcreek canyon. My knee is feeling amazingly better than it has in the past. I guess it helps if your hips are aligned and your legs are the same length! Average HR was 169 bpm.

Walked as a cool down after 30/30 intervals on the bike (level 6). HR was consistently around 170 bpm for the last 15 intervals. Followed this up with 50 crunches, 25 each forward leg lifts, 25 each side leg lifts, 3 x 30 planks, and 28 push-ups.

Hiked Grandeur Peak with the lab this afternoon. My right knee was hurting, which I was initially disappointed about, but it felt much better overall than before visiting the PT. The discomfort I felt was not persistent and my knee seems to be stronger.

Went for a walk to work out some soreness after hiking. My knee didn't hurt, but my gluts were sore which is a good sign.

Ran up City Creek trail ~3 miles up (35:40) and back (1:09 total) for my birthday adventure. It was a nice run because it was unseasonally hot in the valley and the shaded trail was the perfect condition for running. My knee fared much better than I expected- did the hip adjustment prior to running and wore the cho pat strap. No lingering pain in the knee, but still some slight swelling. After running Arby and I cancelled out any calorie deficits by eating fatty Red Robin burgers.

walked around the neighborhood with Arby.

Ran on the track at the field house. For the first 2 miles I sprinted ~60 yds. at the beginning of each lap and jogged the remainder for a total of 14 intervals. Jogged the last mile at a slower pace to cool down. Followed up with 25 lower transversus abdominis, 50 each forward leg lifts, 50 each side leg lifts, 50 crunches, 3 x 45 sec planks, and 26 push-ups.

Ran around the hospital in Denver and didn't have a very good day. I was having some lower back pain and the elevation was 5450 ft, which is ~1000 ft higher than my apartment in SLC. I definitely need to start working on altitude running to prepare for Bryce Canyon.

Walked around Sugarhouse with Arby.

Ran around the neighborhood after work. The temperature was the highest I've run in so far this spring, but still tolerable. My average pace was 10:23/mile and average HR was 172 bpm. My HR was increasing with each successive lap, up to an average of 183 bpm on the last 1.4 mile, but the pace stayed pretty constant. The run didn't feel too good and makes me a bit nervous since I am supposed to run ~twice this distance at 3000 ft higher elevation in July. I didn't wear the cho-pat strap and my knee was hurting by the end of the run, however the pain did not persist through the evening.

Walked uphill on the treadmill to mix it up a little. Followed up with 50 crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, 50 each forward leg lifts, 1 x 30 sec plank, and 30 pushups.

Ran around the neighborhood this morning. The run still did not feel any better than Wednesday's. I think I might be fighting something off because I had some congestion and couldn't breath very well. I'm starting to get worried about the Bryce Canyon half because I feel like I should be running longer distances at this point...

Hiked around the foothills on the trail toward the radio tower. 

Ran on the track at the field house. I intended to run intervals, but I was so fatigued after the first fast lap that I decided to make it more of an active recovery day. Followed up with 50 crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, 3 x 30 planks, and 30 pushups.

Ran 3 lap ladders for three miles (slow, med, fast) and one mile at medium pace. Finished in ~40 minutes. Followed up with 50 crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, 10 scissor abs, 3 x 30 planks, and 30 pushups.

Ran 1.3 mile uphill and 3.52 mile downhill at City Creek canyon. Walked the rest with Arby.

Walked 1.33, ran 3.29 uphill, walked 1.05 to the top of City Creek, ran 5.5 back downhill, and walked another 0.39 miles for a cool down. Knees felt remarkably better than I expected the day after the run.

Ran around the block 3 times- would have run further but it started to rain.

Walked into the courthouse to get MARRIED!

Ran 2 miles up City Creek just to get back into rhythm a little after the busy week. Afterward I walked with Arby and his parents up and down the canyon. Around mile 6 we got caught in the middle of a thunderstorm and had to take cover in a restroom outhouse...

Ran on the track at the field house, 1:10:05. Kept pace consistent during entire run. Knee started hurting closer to 7 miles. Started workout with 30 pushups, 50 crunches, 20 scissor abs, 50 each side and forward leg lifts.

Walked around the neighborhood with Arby.

Ran intervals on the track with HS. Followed up with 50 crunches, 50 each side leg lifts.

Ran around research park for 30 minutes, but I'm not sure the garmin was accurate on the distance. I had intended to run for 90 minutes, but it was slightly raining and the wind was blowing pretty steady- I guess I'm not that dedicated. I'll save the long run for tomorrow when the weather is supposed to be better.

Losing motivation...bad day running.

Rode the upright bike for 33 minutes on resistance 5. Followed up with 50 each side leg lifts, 50 crunches, 3 x 30 planks, 30 pushups.

Ran 2.8 miles and my knee felt horrible- tension and swelling. Walked for 1.5 miles to stretch out my knee and continued running to mile 8. Walked an extra 0.2 miles. This distance took me 1:33:00 to complete, so now I am not as worried about the half-marathon.

Rode the bike on resistance 5 for 30 minutes. Followed up with 50 each side and forward leg lifts, 50 crunches, 10 (84 lbs) and 5 (96 lbs) bench press machine.

Ran 4.75 miles at Liberty park and walked the rest.

Ran 3 miles of intermediate intervals with HS on the track at the field house. Followed up with 50 crunches, 50 bicycle crunches, 50 each side leg lifts, 3 x 30 planks, 10 pushups and 18 reps x 84 lbs on the bench press machine. Later, walked with Arby for 4.6 miles.

Ran at Liberty park with HS. Followed up with 50 crunches, 50 bicycles, 50 each side leg lifts, and 30 push-ups.

Ran around the U and research park for 1:00:48. This morning's run felt much better than my recent attempts and I hope I feel this way on the day of half-marathon. I could have gone further, but decided to get out of the sun and increasing heat. For this next half, I have decided that I am content just to finish with a combination of running-walking.

Walked to sugarhouse park to watch fireworks.

Rode bikes with Arby to the U through research park, 8-9 miles. I did better than I had expected I would (i.e. the hills didn't totally kill me) I guess because my overall stamina has increased. This is the first time we have ridden anywhere in about 2 years, so I was happy with the ride. It was a nice cross-training break for me and worked out a new set of muscles.

Ran at Liberty Park.

Walked around sugar house with Arby.

Walked to East High track, ran 8.25 miles, walked home.

Walked up through the U of U campus and back home again.

Last day running before Bryce canyon. Ran 2.5 miles with HS and walked the rest with Arby around the neighborhood.

Did plyometrics with H and W. Took it easy on the crunches to protect the knees.

Ran in Bryce canyon half, which was a much steeper downhill run than I had anticipated. I concentrated on my form for the entire run and my knees survived much better than expected. Afterward we walked around Bryce canyon and Kodachrome Basin state park.

Walked around Bryce canyon, Kodachrome Basin, and Zion.

Did an easy run to test out the legs after Bryce canyon. They didn't feel sore walking around during the day, but once I started running I could tell that they hadn't recovered fully. Followed up the run with the general strength training regimen Myrtl and one set of the plank routine. Later walked with Arby around the neighborhood.

Ran 3 miles in the morning when the weather was quite cool, but humid. Later walked to the U and back with Arby.

Ran with HS outside and it was HOT! Followed up with the AbRipper X program.

Ran at East high with HS. Followed up with AbRipper X program and 27 pushups.

Ran 5 miles at the east high track (9:45, 9:19, 10:30, 10:28, 10:03). Walked an extra 1.25 miles with Arby. I'm trying to keep my conditioning up, but it's hard without a specific goal to train for. I am eyeing the Run to Robie Creek, which is one of the hardest half-marathons in the west. I'm not sure I'll have time to train for it during PA school.

Walked 3.25 miles to and from track plus one lap. Ran 3 miles (9:30, 9:39, 10:07). 

Ran at track with HS, but the temperature was HOT! Followed up with side leg lifts, AbRipper X exercises, and 30 pushups (1x10, 1x20). Finished by sprinting 1x100 m.

Did the entire plyometrics routine with HS.

Walked 1 and ran 2 at the Capital high track.

Ran on the canal with JF at 6am.

Ran on the canal with JF at 6 am. Knees have been feeling good without much preventative work.

Walked on the greenbelt with Arby.

Ran 3 and walked 1.5 at the Capital high track.

Ran on the canal with JF at 6 am. On the way back, a boxer charged us and bit J on the leg. Fortunately it didn't break the skin (left an immediate bruise/scrape), but as with every dog off-leash, "She's a really good dog and usually comes back to us when we call her..."

Ran 4 and walked 0.5 at the Capital track. Although the temperature was 88, there wasn't a breeze to cool me off and I was HOT! I really struggled to get the last mile out. PA orientation has been relaxed compared to the regular semesters, so I hope I can continue with some semblance of a regular running routine.

Ran 3 miles (9:40, 9:11, 8:52) and walked 1.75 at the Capital high track.

Walked on our new Treadmill!!!

Ran 6 x 100 m intervals running in between, followed with 0.5 mile cooldown. Walked one mile.

Ran 4 miles on the new treadmill. The cushion is great, the fan works ok, but the accessibility is OUTSTANDING!!

Walked 1.5 miles (warm-up and cooldown) and ran 2.35 miles on the treadmill. Did the performance # 1 program which was more intense because it varies the speed and incline.

Walked around the Capital high track with Arby

Ran on the greenbelt with JF. Did 2 3x1 minute intervals in the last mile.

did program #1 on the treadmill

walked up hill on the treadmill (6% gradient) between 3 and 4 mph

ran 3 and walked 1 on the treadmill

ran 2 miles and walked one on the treadmill. I was having a hard time running because my breathing was constricted. I think it was due to anxiety from school...

Ran ladders at the Capital high track. The sequence by 0.25 miles each was fast walk, light jog, medium jog, vigorous jog. I am not in good enough shape to try to all out run any of the vigorous jog laps, but I think I was running every fourth lap at an 8-8:30 mile pace. Walked for 1.5 miles and did the ladder sequence for 4 miles.

walked 3 miles on the treadmill on an incline.

 Ran 3 miles and walked one on the treadmill. Still struggling with relaxing during runs so that my breathing doesn't feel constricted.

Walked on an incline (4-6%) at a pace of 4. During the walk I did arm exercises with weights on my wrists.

ran 3 miles of 0.25 ladders at capital high track.

Ran program #1 on the treadmill. I think I'll try to do a different program next run because this one feels a little easy.

Started to run the program #2 on the treadmill, but couldn't finish because I was too anxious. School is really impacting my working out.

Ran ladders on the treadmill, 0.25 miles on speed 4/5/6/7 for three miles. I didn't have trouble with anxiety today.

Walked at least 1 mile at the Boise open. Later walked 2.5 mile on a 4% incline on the treadmill.

Ran 4 x 0.25 mile ladders on speeds 4/5/6/7 on the treadmill. Walked 0.25 mile warmup and cooldown. Next time I need to kick up the speed 0.2 mile on each level.

Walked 2 miles at the Capital high track and 2 miles on the treadmill on a 4% incline. I wanted to run, but I was completely wiped out after the pathophys test and anatomy. I am trying to run or walk at least 4 times a week, and hope to increase it to 5 or 6 since I'm primarily walking. This Saturday a few girls from class are running the St. Luke's women's fitness celebration run, so I hope that will be fun!

Ran 3 miles on the treadmill changing the speed every 0.25 mile 5.5/6/6.5/7, up and then back down again. Walked 0.25 mile warm up and cool down. It feels like I have adjusted my comfortable pace to a slightly faster speed since I have been running intervals. Maybe I'll test it on Saturday at the St. Luke's run.

 Walked 3 miles while studying for a pharm quiz at the Capital high track on Saturday after the St. Luke's run.

Ran this morning with A LOT of other women to support the local women's health initiative. There were 7 girls running from the class, and we all had a lot of fun. 

Walked 1.5 miles for the warm-up and cool-down. Ran 2 miles of 0.25 mile intervals at speeds 5/6/7/7.5.

Ran an easy 3 miles on the treadmill between 6 and 6.5, partially on a 2 % gradient. Walked 0.25 miles for warm-up and cool-down.

Ran at the Capital high track; 9:04, 9:39, 8:49-pace felt pretty comfortable and I think I am getting faster from running intervals on the treadmill!!

Ran in the Boise foothills with JF. At one point we ran hard uphill for ~0.1 mile, stopped to do single leg squats, ran out 0.25 miles and then ran another hard 0.25 mile followed by one-leg squats. By the end we had done 88 squats /leg.

Walked on the treadmill on a 4% grade while studying pharm. Followed up with ~30 strokes on our oldie rowing machine. Gluts are super sore from the one leg squats yesterday!

Ran 3 miles on the treadmill at speed 6.0. This run got really boring so I decided that in the future I'll definitely have to include some variation to keep it interesting. Walked 0.5 miles for both warm-up and cool down.

Got sick last week and didn't run to try to prevent from stringing the illness out. Finally felt ok to walk on the treadmill (4% gradient) while studying for the pharm exam.

First time trying to run after my cold. I ran around the area during lunch with a classmate and it was pretty enjoyable.

Ran on the treadmill at home. I need to work on increasing my endurance since I have been slacking on running for the last few weeks.

Ran 3.5 miles and walked 0.25 as a warm up and cool down. I worked 7-3 at the homeless stand down and was glad I got to participate to help a few folks out by giving flu shots before the winter hits.

Rode the greenbelt out to Lucky Peak Reservoir with Arby. The ride was 33 miles and my butt is really sore from the bike seat.

Walked on a 4% incline while studying pharm and anatomy.

Did a 5 point interval today where I ran/walked 0.25 miles at speeds 3.0/5.5/6.0/6.5/7.0 with a 0.25 mile cool down. I felt like I needed to incorporate the 3.0 walking interval between every mile or I wouldn't have been able to go as far. My endurance has really dropped off since school started, and I've also been at war with all the illnesses that are being passed around the classroom. I finally kicked that nagging cold-thing that I had, but I am still struggling with congestion. I did want to go further than 3 miles though because I'm hoping to work my way back up to around 20 miles per week-even if it includes walking. 

Ran during lunch with MW. The run was invigorating, but surprisingly hard since MW was pushing me harder than normal. I'll need to take it easy tomorrow to avoid knee problems.

Ran the short loop after the 602 exam. Felt good to get out and get the blood running.

ran the long loop with MW. There was a pretty stiff wind that made it difficult, but felt good afterward.

ran the small loop at lunch in strong wind! felt like Lubbock.

ran 3 easy miles and walked one mile at the Capital high track.

Did 3 repititions of the 5-point interval run (3.5,5.5,6,6.5,7) on the treadmill. Walked at 4.0 for one of the sets which made the following mile more difficult.

ran the short loop at lunch

Walked one mile warm-up, ran 2 miles of 0.25 intervals (5.5/5.8/6.2/6.5) and walked 0.5 mile cool down. I made an attempt to do extra stretching (especially hamstrings) today because my flexibility has really decreased, and it wasn't good to begin with. I'm disappointed that I haven't worked out for 4 days due to school commitments, and I'm working to get on a more consistent routine through the end of the semester.

Ran reverse intervals on the treadmill starting with the fastest lap followed by 3 progressively slower laps (6.5/6.2/5.8/5.5). This was easy for the first mile, but challenging toward the end because my body wanted to slow down faster than I was letting it. Walked 1 mile total warm-up and cool down.

Ran the 3.6 mile loop during lunch. The weather was GREAT!

Ran 0.1 mph increases per 0.1 miles for 2 miles. Started at 5.5-6.4 and 5.7-6.6. Walked one mile  warmup and cool down.

Ran the 3.6 mile loop at lunch backwards from the normal direction. It was very windy, and the only good downhill slope was directly into a strong head-wind.

walked on the treadmill while studying pharm

Ran on the treadmill starting at 5.0 and increased 0.1 mph every 0.1 mile until 7.0 mph and held it there for 0.5 mile. Walked the rest.

Did the first half of p90X plyometrics, 5 pushups, 50 crunches, 30 oblique crunches, 1 x 20 sec. plank, walked one mile on the treadmill at 4% incline.

Gluts and hamstrings are SUPER SORE after yesterday's p90x workout. I know it was all the lunges because I could feel it yesterday. Today I walked a mile on a flat surface and 2 miles on a 6% gradient. My lower back has been bothering me and I couldn't get it to relax for most of the day.

Instead of changing pace for 0.25 mile intervals, I changed the gradient from 1-4% grade over a one mile distance. I was only able to run 2 miles and walk one because my legs and gluts were still really sore from Monday.

Ran halfway with J4b on the green belt and walked the other half while talking and catching up. We saw a blue heron on the Boise river that was huge.The goal was to get a calorie deficit going into the big feeding frenzy!

Ran 3 miles at a 6.0 mph pace and walked 0.5 miles. It felt like a slower pace than it used to, I think because I've been doing some interval training and running at a faster pace than feels comfortable for me. I also did a yoga video this morning to try to loosen up my lower back and laid for almost an hour on a heating pad. PA school is taking its toll on my body.

Couldn't sleep much this morning, so I got up and did my yoga video before going to class. Ran the short loop at lunch.

Did plyometrics with the trainers down to the 19 minute mark. This time it did not kill my hips and gluts as much, but my knees took a beating

Tried to run intervals at lunch, but felt too fatigued. I only made it to 1.75 miles, but something is better than nothing

Ran the medium loop at lunch with a classmate. It was good to get out of the classroom, but it has gotten noticeably colder here in Boise and I had a lot of congestion following the run.

Did p90X yoga video which was definitely too hard for me. I tried to do a back bend and all my muscles in my back seized up. I had to spend at least an hour on the heating pad to get the pain to go away.

Ran 2 miles worth of intervals before running a mile at 7.0. It was difficult but a good step toward running faster for me.

Walked 5 miles on 6% gradient while studying for the 601 test.

Only ran one of the three miles. Finals have wiped me out and now I have to pick back up on working out.

0.5*3.0; 0.1*5.0-5.9; 0.5*3; 0.1*6.0-6.9; 1.0*3.2*6%

only ran one mile, walked the rest on an incline

Walked 3.5-4.0 mph on 6-7% incline.

Ran 0.25 mile intervals 5/5.3/5.7/6.0/6.2/6.5 two times with 3.0 breaks before, between, and after.

walked 3-3.5 mph on a 6-8% incline.

ran 2 sets of intervals with walking in between. Merry Christmas!

walked on an 8% incline at speed 3.0-3.6. Also did the firm yoga. I'm going to have to start doing more yoga and more stretching because my left achilles is really bothering me and I notice that my already bad flexibility is still getting worse! (and I'm only getting older!)

Did some interval training on the treadmill->4 minutes walk followed by 1 minute run. I started at 6.5 mph and worked up to 7.0 by 0.1 mile increments, then did one set at 7.5 and five sets at 8.0. My HR was oscillating between 180 following the interval and 120-130 during the walk period. I was walking at a pace of 3.5-4.0. The achilles feels better (but not pain free) after doing yoga last night.

Tried to do some interval training per Jack Daniels' definition. Ran 5 minutes at 6.5 and walked 2 minutes between at 3.0. My HR at the end of the 5 minute periods was 180, which is still probably a little lower than it needs to be, but I took it easy since this was my first time doing this type of workout in a long time and it was later in the day.

Ran 3 miles and walked 2. Ramped up speed for each mile starting at 5.5 and 5.7, then ran at 6.0 for third mile.