A little healing break

Since my knee continues to be sore, I'm taking a little break from running and lifting. I think it may just continue being sore if I don't stop stressing it. Hopefully it will only be a week or so more.

Swimming

Due to bad weather and my sore knee, I skipped a few workouts. Last night, I stayed in the town where I work to avoid traveling in the blowing snow in the morning. So, this morning I got up and swam instead of my usual workout. There were a few things I noticed. I used my HRM and noticed since you swim in a prone position, my heart rate isn't as high until I stand up. In general, I didn't get my heart rate up very high, since I found that kicking in the water hurt my knee. It hurt a lot more than running and lifting due to the lateral motion. So, instead of swimming the whole time, I walked back and forth in the water and also did some laps just swimming with my arms. Not the most intense workout, but it was a nice change-up. I hope to get back to normal workouts soon, though.

I really need to focus on my eating. I've been doing very poorly lately. I really need to drink a lot more water, especially.

Upping the speed - yikes

Today, warming up for my weight lifting, I ran a (for me) fast mile. I set the treadmill at 1% incline and 6.0mph. I'm glad I didn't plan on more than a mile! Wow. My heart rate got up to 184bpm.

I did the New Rules of Lifting for Women Stage 1 Workout B2 today. I realized I had changed the rep count for workout A too soon on Wednesday. Oh well. Not the end of the world. I'll just stay at that count for 3 weeks total. Today's lifts went well. I was at my limit with the overhead presses. During the second set, I almost got light headed. I added weights overhead to my crunches and that worked a lot better.

Need a step

I did the second round of Stage 1 workout A today. The squats went better. I think I need to angle my feet out a bit, though. I couldn't squat down so that my thighs are horizontal or lower, but afterward I was talking with hubby and he showed me how he does them. His feet angle out slightly and can squat down all the way. When I tried it, I could go a lot lower, too, so I'll have to try that out next time.

The step-ups are still giving me grief, since I don't have a high enough step. I tried to start down lower with a bent non-working leg and not let it push me off. That worked to some degree, but I think I would have a better result if the step was actually higher.

I struggled some with the pikes today. I think I was doing them better, though, and that is the reason they were harder.

I found a better bar to use for the seated row. That was nice.

I warmed up with speed intervals today. I did 0.2 miles at 5.5mph then 0.1 miles at 6.5mph, repeat until one mile is reached. That was harder this morning. My heart rate got up to 186bpm briefly. I used a faster bpm Podrunner podcast, a 157bpm (I think) called The Road of Excess (I think). I kept listening to it while lifting.

Back to slightly longer runs

Today, I managed to get in a slightly longer run of 3 miles. This time I ran at 5.2 to 5.5 mph without any walk breaks. This was, of course, after waking at 4:30am to my alarm clock and trying to talk myself out of getting up for about ten minutes. I just don't cooperate with myself well in the wee hours of the morning.

I hopped on the treadmill and started up a Podrunner podcast called Definitive. I think it was 154bpm, but I'm not going to take the time right now to verify that. There is something about the Podrunner podcasts that allow me to keep moving and encourage me to continue. I noticed today, they also help me keep my own pace and not that of the person on the treadmill next to me. I still hear their footfalls, since the noise from the treadmill changes pitch as their feet strike, but I can make myself keep in time with the music. I do feel the urge to synch up with the other treadmill, though. It's automatic. I can't help it.

While listening to the podcast, I read CNN again. I kind of drop into my own world with the music and reading the closed captioning. I'm not sure how I would respond to just the music and nothing on the screen. When running outside, I have the scenery to look at. On the treadmill, which faces the wall, I'd only have my running stats. I should try it some time just to see.

Before the run, my knee seemed a little better than yesterday. During the run, when I lost form and lifted my leg slightly out of track or let it drag on the treadmill band at a diagonal, I could feel the soreness. Afterward, it was a little more sore, but nothing crazy. Now, a few hours later, it seems even better than before the workout and maybe better than yesterday.

I am soooo feeling the burn from yesterday's weight workout. My hamstrings, glutes and traps are all sore. Good sore. I love that next-day-burn I get from a weight workout when I push myself. It gives me a longer term reminder that I'm challenging myself, doing something for my long term health, and growing stronger.

After my workout today, I had a shake made with some milk, the vanilla ice cream protein powder, and ice cubes blended together. Much better than yesterday's crap. Protein powder in hot cereal is BAD!

More intervals and my knee is not worse!

Today, I got to the gym a little later than I wanted, but still early. There were a lot more people there than normal. Not that I didn't expect that!

I did a mile using speed intervals: 6.5mph and 5.5mph. Then I did Stage 1 workout B1 from the New Rules of Lifting for Women. It went well. I'm going to be sooooo sore tomorrow. After my first set of lunges, I could feel my leg muscles (I think it was my hamstrings, if I remember correctly) tighten up. Overall it went well, though. I need to use more weight on the swiss ball crunches, though. Eight reps of those are NOTHING! Wow. I used a 10lb weight on the second set, but didn't do anything. Maybe I should hold it over my head next time.

I really need to get some weight lifting gloves. I'm starting to get some blisters/callouses. The most weight I've had to control per hand so far is 32lbs during the dead lift today. I used 25lb dumbbells on the step-ups yesterday and could feel that in my palms, too.

When I got to the gym today, there was someone in the weight room who was obviously a serious lifter. We're talking pumped. Luckily, there is a full range of people that I've seen in the gym, so I'm not going to shy away from the weight room.

My knee is still sore, but it's not worse like it was after my workout on Saturday. I was limping around all day Saturday and keeping a heat pad on the soreness. That helped a lot.

I've joined another running challenge on the Weightwatchers boards. I hope to get in 10 miles a week.

After getting back from my workout, I tried some protein powder in my hot cereal. BAD idea. It is vanilla ice cream flavor from Optimum Nutrition. The stuff isn't toooo bad, but it clumps up and becomes very nasty when heated. Apparently, this is the norm for protein powder. Lesson learned! I'm not sure if I'll stick with the protein powder. The book has you use it, so I thought I'd try it out. It's rather expensive and, although I'm not sure which ingredient is the sweetener, I'm sure it has an artificial sweetener in it.

Started a lifting program, sore knee

Now, in addition to running, I'll be doing a lifting program from the book New Rules of Lifting for Women. I did the first workout today. I messed it up a little bit by not alternating one of the sets. I also didn't use as heavy of weights for the squats as I could have. But, it was a new exercise, so I do still need to get used to it. The 30 degree pushups where hard. I had to decrease the reps. My gym didn't have a good step for the step ups and my hands could barely hold the 25# dumbbells through 30 total reps. Afterwards, I didn't feel like I worked that hard, but I will build up over time. It's a six month program, so I will be at it for a while!

Before the weights, I did an interval session on the treadmill. This was the first time I had really done such a thing. I walked a bit then did (approximately) 1 minutes at 6.5mpg alternating with 2 minutes 5-5.5mph all with a 1% incline. The 6.5mph felt like an end sprint to me. However the 5.5mph seemed a lot slower after doing the 6.5mph. I did this for almost 15 minutes and ran 1.3 miles. Not a long distance, but I do see how doing intervals once a week or so can improve your speed.

After the weights, I stretched using the Precor stretch trainer.

For the past few days, I could feel a mild soreness around my knee. I didn't feel it when walking normally, but any slight turn or twist and I could feel it. After my workout today, it's definitely more sore. I'm not sure why. I haven't been running much this past week. I don't know that I did any one thing to make this hurt. It's a mystery! I have it wrapped and I think I'll put a hot pack on it for a while.

I couldn't find my heart rate monitor or my headphones today. Luckily, I didn't need them as much. Of course, after my workout I found them right away, very near to where I was looking. argh.