"I work out because" [funny]

Pressed for time?

Update

This is going to be a busy week!!

Yesterday I ran for 30 minutes and I did 2.5miles or 4km

It felt way better than a week ago so Im super happy about that!!

Monday Im doing a 90 minute hot yoga class in the morning

Then I have soccer practice for an  hour at night

Tuesday in class is our last day of mountain biking in class

Wednesday I am going to strength... Im looking for some new exercises if you know any!!

I am also thinking of doing some stairs

Thursday will be a rest day... and Friday likely will be too....

Friday is Bermuda Shorts Day at the Uni... its a last class bash put on by the Student Union.

Im not sure if I'll be attending as I have an exam Saturday morning.

So I will have to try to run Saturday or Sunday.

What are your plans for the week?  Are you trying out a new class or exercise? Or finally running outside?



5km Training Plan: Week 7

Week 7

Goal: Up your running to 9 minutes, and walk for one minute.

At this stage you should be running for roughly 27 minutes total – you’re nearly there!

 

Side Stitches: A side stitch is a muscle spasm of the diaphragm and often shows up with novice runners – and if you’ve eaten a bigger meal before you run. When a lot of blood is being diverted to you legs, the muscles in your side and diaphragm arent getting enough oxygen...

there is no one definitive “cure” for a side stitch – “stop, breath deeply and pick up again.”

Try not to eat at least an hour prior to running.



This Week

This week has been slightly more successful!!

I ran monday and I managed to do 4km in 30 minutes.

So I am improving slightly!!

Yesterday for one of my classes we went "mountain biking"

we aren't actually aloud to leave campus so we road all around

on the grass, up and down hills... through the snow.

And we were biking for I would guess about 1.5 hours.

So that was good!!

I am hoping to get another run in on Sunday!!

Hows your running/walking/exercising going?

5km Training Plan: Week 6

Week 6

Goal: Try to bump up the running time to seven minutes, and walk for one minute. If you want an extra challenge, you could consider running with very light hand weights.

Potential Pitfall: Injuries. Running injuries run the gamut, from “runners knee” (patelo femoral syndrome) to plantar fasciatis, a stretch injury to the plantar ligament that runs under the arch of the foot.

When dealing with injury, experts agree that you should determine whether the injury is something serious or simply a regular ache or pain from running – in many cases, it could be something that rest and ice will take care of. If you don’t know, ask your doctor.

Make sure you are taking time to stretch after your runs

And to prevent runners knee, make sure you strengthen you inner quads with some exercises I wrote about here

5km Training Plan: Week 5

Week 5

Goal: Run for five minutes, walk for one minute. .

try to do this 4-5 times. You will be running for 20-25 minutes!

 Cari Meredith-McMurray tells us that the five-minute running interval is one of the most challenging for beginner runners. She advises you visualize -  play a game with yourself – such as counting all things you see that are yellow during the five minute running interval,  – to keep your mind busy and to stay motivated.

5km Training Plan: Week 4

Week 4

Goal: Run for four minutes, walk for one minute, for 30-34 minutes.

As an extra challenge: pick a route that has hills. “I believe all runners should include hill repeats in their schedule as an excellent way to increase strength and endurance while still logging mileage,” says Malton. Hill repeats involve repeated efforts up and down a hill with a grade of no more than 10 percent - challenging up the hill, easy down.

And remember....

Speed isn’t an issue: Coaches tell us: don’t focus on how fast you finish, but on the finish line. “Remember your time will be your personal best no matter what time you run,”



Confession..

I didnt run once last week...

It was only the second week of training!!

Not a good trend.

I did go to hot yoga and have a soccer game though!!

I ran yesterday - pretty much the same pace - 3.6km in 30 minutes.

It went pretty good,

Since I missed the week I made up my own little interval plan

I was running 1min walking 1min, and a couple times I ran 1min 15sec and occassionally when I got tired I walked 1min 30 sec.

So it was pretty uncoordinated.

But I ran! Which is a good start to the week.

Did you know... what you do on monday really does set you up for the rest of the week!

Exercise on monday, you will be more likely to exercise other days

Eat vegetarian on monday, you are likely to consume less meat during the rest of the week!

How is everyone elses running going?

Did anyone do better than me last week?

5km Training Plan: Week 3

Week 3

 

Goal: Run for three minutes, walk for one minute, for 30-33 minutes. As an extra challenge, consider picking up your pace during one of the running intervals.

Potential Pitfall: Hydration

You should be drinking 500mL before you start your run

During the run you should be drinking 1cup (250mL) for every half hours

And after your run you should drink 1 cup for every pound you lost during your work out

Cardio vs. Strength

Its long been believed that cardio burns more calories than strength training does...

However.. This is NOT true.

Doing 30 minutes of strength will burn as many calories as running a 6-minute-mile  for the same amount of time

And a bonus for lifting some weights... your muscles that you worked will continue to burn more calories after you leave the gym.
With running, there is no residual calorie burn... once the work out is done.. its done.

Building muscles is beneficial for more reasons than just calorie burn though..

Women lose about 5lbs of muscle every year - strength training can help you to retain muscle, or slow loss instead!

Muscles have a higher resting metabolic rate than fat does... so build up you muscles and you will speed up your metabolism

Runners who add strength training exercises into their regime tend to do better on runs - why?

Because the strength in their muscles helps to carry them through the run

So you should add 1-2 days of strength training to your program!

If you have the time, do it before you run - then you will be using energy reserves during your run (because you already used blood glucose supply to do the strength)

-Try and move the weights, or do the exercises really slowly - this will increase the amount of muscle activation during the activity.

Running Playlist

I recently compiled a running playlist on my ipod.

I tried to go for a lot of variety and all up beat of course!!

Here is what I am running too!

Gimme More - Britney Spears

 Telephone ft. Beyonce - Lady Ga Ga

Kerosene - Miranda Lambert

Love Lost - Temper Trap

Breakin Dishes - Rihanna

Sinnerman (felix da housecat mix) - Nina Simone

In Her Eyes - Basshunter

Running Down a Dream - Tom Petty

Peacock - Katy Perry

Til the World Ends - Britney Spears

Ragged Mile - John Butler Trio

I Go Hard, I Go Home - The Presets

German Techno - Super Troopers

Stronger - Kanye West

California Dreaming - Benny Benassi

White Diamons - Friendly Fires

Blow - Ke$ha

What do you listen to when you run?

Running update

So its the Second week of my running program.

Last week I ran twice which I think is a pretty good start

(I also had soccer two nights)

The second run, I tried to go a little faster... and it didn't go well!!

I ended up burning out about 20 minutes into my run and had to slow way down.

But I still managed 3.6km in about 33 minutes.

I think this week I am just going to go for consistency!!

How is your running going?

Is anyone training along with me?

5km Training Plan: Week 2

Week 2

Goal: Increase running time to two minutes, decrease walking time to one minute.

“What you are trying to do is build up your cardio and recover in that one minute of walking time,”

To help you stick with your second week of training try to remember this:

Great Motivator: “Tell yourself, ‘I’m setting a good example for those around me. I will probably inspire someone else to make a lifestyle change, whether I know it or not.’ That will help you stay inspired yourself



Interval Training

Interval Training

It involves alternating between two different paces (either jogging and walking, or running fast, and jogging/walking)

Interval training is a great way to change up your work out plan, to learn how to run for longer distances/times, or get an effective workout in a relatively short amount of time.  

Doing 30 minutes of interval training (walking and running, or fast paced running and jogging) will burn more calories (up to 400!) that maintaining the same pace for the entire work out.

The March Issue of Women's Health has 3 different interval programs in it to do on a flat road, a treadmill, or a track

Quickies

Speed up to a hard but sustainable effort (you should be breathing heavily) for 15 seconds.

Then  Jog or walk to recover for 60 seconds.

Repeat six times

Over 8 weeks try to build up to 10-12 times

Short Repeats

Speed up to a hard but sustainable effort for 30 seconds.

Jog or walk to recover for 60 seconds

Repeat 4 times

Over 8 weeks, build up to 10-12 intervals

Long Repeats

Run a quarter of a mile at a hard but sustainable pace

Recover by jogging or walking for two minutes

Repeat 4 times

Build up to 8 times

Eventually run hard for half a mile, and recover for two minutes.

Try adding one of these 3 programs to your work out regime Once a week

Let me know how it goes!

First Day of Running

 I did the first day of my 5km Running program yesterday.

I started pretty slow since it had been a long time since I ran.

I found the 90 seconds plenty long enough to recover, and the 60 seconds of running kind of short...

Maybe I should have been running harder!!

But over all it went really well! It was quick, I was at the gym about 45minutes including stretching..

I felt awesome  for actually going and doing it!!

I ran 3.7km in 30 minutes 

I thought that was not bad for a start!

And today... despite my thinking that I wasnt pushing myself hard enough..

I am quite sore - my shins and hips definitely got a work out!

I will be heading to the gym after class again tomorrow to do it again!

Have you been training?

5km running plan

 May 8th is the Mothers Day Run in Calgary...

I would like to be able to run the  5km if not the 10km (with mom!)

So I've been  looking for a training program.

Im going to start with a 5km running plan for beginners...

because while I have run before - even 12km!! - its been way to long!

I found this 8 week 5km training plan on besthealthmag.com

Click HERE to see it

It focuses on interval training - alternating between running and walking.

Week 1

Goal: Walk 90 seconds, jog or run 60 seconds in intervals, and then recover. Interval training alternates higher intensity with lower intensity exercise and is an efficient way of working out. Repeat intervals until you’ve reached 30 minutes.

I will post the week's training program here every Sunday- so if you want you can train too!

The goal is to train 4-5 days a week.

I am going to aim  for 3 running/interval days, and one strength training a week.

Its important to set a goal, make it specfic and measurable and then post it up somewhere where you see it every day!

So I am making a sign about the mothers day run and putting it on my fridge!

I hope you will join me in training for a 5km run.