Spartacus

The Men's Health Spartacus Workout! I did it outside. I did it correctly. I listened to Brain Science Podcasts (pop psychology myths - I was listening to the glial cells one for my full face plant yesterday). It was pretty hot, and the pets were laughing at me. But worse than the ridicule was that doing pushups on that rough deck almost put holes in my palms, and my knee still hurts from the big fall. Sigh.

I wish I had real workout goals, but I really don't.

Splat 2: The Splattening

Oops, I did it again.

Weekend Nature Run and Backyard Follies

Toward the end of a five mile run, after two great science podcasts, I found myself here.

Did a resistance band series (3 rounds of 25 reps each of several exercises I've listed here before, plus 300 various ab crunches) and hung out with Mr. Mantis.

Then noticed that a cardinal was teasing the poor cat, even being bold enough to turn his back on him. Drama!

Scrimmage and laps!

So Tuesday night we had a big scrimmage. A derby bout typically lasts two 1/2 halfs. It takes a great deal of endurance especially if you are a jammer like me. You have to not only race around the track to catch up with the pack, but go through a series of getting knocked out of bounds and knocked down and sprinting again. I am drenched in sweat afterwords everytime. That is the best and funnest workout I do. Wendesday was league practice. We did pyramids start out with 7 laps then off the track and 10 push ups. 5 laps then off the track into a plank, 3 laps then off the track and 10 crunches, 1 lap and the plank. Then back up again in non-derby direction (clockwise)We then did FIRE! Basically squat down and shuffle feet (while on skates mind you) 2 whistle blasts is turn to the side, 1 is down on both knees and pop up again. A series of hitting and jamming drills, then my coach suggested we try our 5 in 25 again. In order to play on a team we must pass a vigerous test mandated by WFTDA (women's flat track derby association) one of those is to skate 25 laps in 5 minutes. On May 15 this year I did 25 in 4:45, last night I did 25 in 4:16, I beat it by almost 30 seconds! And...I pay tribute to Turbo-jam from beach body 3x a week on top of practice. Now excuse me I have kick boxing to do before bed!:)

More Treasure by the Highway

Look what I found during my run yesterday! It was a nice reminder of the days when you didn't worry much about drivers with phones. I got dehydrated at two miles, with three to go before I could get back to the house, so it was nice to stop and wonder... Then tonight I really knew I had to get down to resistance work: 50 each of side abs (1= to both sides) (15 lb weights), bench presses (15), inner and outer thigh lifts, chest flies (12.5), skull crushers (12.5), fire hydrant and glut lifts, planks with hip twist (1 = touching the floor with each hip), super mans, kneeling row (20) both sides. And then we visited people by a pool, and then I ran about two miles. Nice weather for it, though!

I'm baaaaaack!!

I think Lynndi Lauper thought I had fallen off the face of the blogging Earth, but I am here!  I have been busy doing all kinds of fun things that I should have told you about weeks ago (when I actually did them)!

Where to begin?  How about with the first fun activity?

I read a blog written by Kristin Armstrong (on Runnersworld.com) in which she described going on an all day run with her best friend.  She described running all over town and stopping to eat and visit friends along the way.  I immediately knew that this was something I had to do.  Unfortunately, every time I described this event to my friends I got reactions that ranged from "we knew you were crazy but didn't realize you were THAT crazy" to "dear God, that just sounds like torture."  There was only one person I know, who is as crazy in that regard as I am.  So, I sent a link to the blog to my best pal and running buddy WS.  She was immediately on board!

We started plotting and planning like fiends...and then we realized that all our planning completely defeated the point of the day of running!  It was meant to be a day of FUN, with no agenda and no mapped routes.  Just run when and where we felt like going.  The only scheduling we did was with friends along the way, to make sure they would be around.

Here is how the day played out:

we met at Sholem pool at 8:30am.  WS realized she forgot her ipod so we drove (yeah, looking back we both realized that should have been incorporated into our run) to her house to get the ipod.  She didn't want to wear it right away so we both put our ipods in my Camelback.  We were armed with gatorade, water, cash and our gift cards for free Smoothie King!

Our first stop was Panera.  Have I mentioned how I gave up coffee?  well, once in a while, a sister needs her coffee and embarking on a full day of running seemed like a good day for java!  we had our coffee and took some pictures, then headed off to east Urbana to visit the lovely and brilliant Lynndi Lauper.  She was a very gracious hostess and provided us with water and ice cubes (which I gratefully stuck in my running hat to cool off my head).  after stinking up Lynndi's office while we had a lovely discussion about mental health care, we snapped a few more pictures then headed out.

Next stop: Smoothie King!  I got the energizer smoothie and it worked!  We carried out smoothies with us as we ran the next leg to an Urbana health care facility where I visited some of my colleages.  From there it was on to the quad to meet more friends for lunch.  As we continued the run, it was getting more and more overcast, which was very lovely because by this point I had sweated through my shirt a hundred times over!!  It actually RAINED while we were eating.

I LOVE to run in the rain and I got to enjoy a nice light rain while we picked up our run after lunch.  We went to downtown Champaign to visit one of WS's friends.  And then we realized we didn't have anyone else to visit.  We were going to see WS's kids at the library at 3:00 but it was only 2:00.  So we kept running around downtown Champaingn, through West Side Park and around town.  Then WS decided she wanted a cupcake...so we headed back to downtown and she got a cookies and cream cupcake.  I got more water.  We both got all kinds of looks from people we passed.  We were a pretty fierce combination of stank, sweat and well STANK.  But, as I like to call us, we are a couple of fierce bitches...and fierce bitches don't mind a little sweat or stank!!

We made our way to the library to see WS's children.  did I mention the strange looks we got when running OUTSIDE, well they were compounded when we took our slimy selves INSIDE!  We didn't stay at the library long (both out of respect for the patrons with smelling range of us and out of fear that at this point if we didn't keep moving we would stop for good)!

Amazingly, each time we got up and ran again, my legs felt good and strong.  We ran back to the pool. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to actually take a dip.  But, at the end of the day, we were still speaking to each other, we had a great day of bonding and (in 6 and a half hours) we ran 17.5 miles!!!

I HIGHLY recommend that all of you try a day of running.

tune in next time to hear about my other big summer adventure...

Short Workout

Same one I've posted several times recently (50 of shoulder raises in three positions, low weight, side abs, squat jumps/shoulder lifts...), but I did it outside in the boiling heat near the grill while watering the garden.

Which Weekend Run was the Bigger Waste of Time and Water?

Saturday's 5.5 mile run was ill-fated, for sure. I put on the Asics cause my Newton Evolutions are getting really worn down. I was FLYING for the first 1.5 miles in those solid Asics. Suddenly, I realized that even thought I'd hydrated suffiently and the heat was less intense than during my recent midday runs, I had had a little too much breakfast. I had to walk FOREVER and finally just sat down at a park bench in the shade to read stuff on my phone. I walked/ran/crawled to the gym and did 100 pushups (progressive! on the ball! with intervening squat jumps with the ball!) and 100 various crunches on the ball, including evil ball passes. Then I ran/walked/cried another three miles. So much sweat though. Oh yeah, and I found this in the yard...

I wanted to make up for it on Sunday, so I reached the perfect combo of hydration, caffeination, and motivation, put the Newtons back on (to avoid blisters made by Asics with mini-socks) and ran five miles. I had to walk a few times and kept wondering why. Later I learned that it was in the high nineties, which kind of matters when there's no shade for the entire five miles. Once again, could have used my sweat to water the cornfields, if my sweat were less toxic. Here's someone who knows how to stay in the air conditioned house and out of trouble.

Staying in shape derby style...

I am a big fan of making valuable use of time between clients. Today I did in the morning 11 push-ups, 33 situps, and squat for 1:30. I did this again in the afternoon. This evening was turbo jam which is a combo of kickboxing and aerobics..good for endurance. I took it easy yesterday..derby can get rough as you can see I have bruised hips and ribs. They are superficial but still hurt. Luckily I'm healing quickly as tomorrow morning is scrimmage! (hips)

(Ribs)

There is also a link here for how derby works if you are interested http://visual.ly/how-does-roller-derby-actually-work

The Cat Came Back

35 each:
jumping jacks, bicep curls (15lbs), standing rows (15lbs), decline spiderman pushups, diagonal crunches (12.5lbs), dumbbell corkscrew with single arm Cuban press (12.5lbs), burps, dumbbell cross punches (7.5lbs), shoulder raises in three positions (5lbs), dumbbell swing (15/12.5), tricep extensions (12.5/10), pushups, suitcase crunches (12.5), mountain climbers.
Repeat.

But before I did all that, I got the cat back and quit the gym. An agonizing evening!

Happy Tuesday, Lonely Blog

50 each: with heavy weights, bench press, side abs, squats, shoulder press, overhead triceps.
Then 50 each: leg lift and fire hydrant lift, each leg; inner and outer thigh lift, each leg; super mans; thread the needle planks, each side; with medium weight, chest flies, skull crushers, oblique twists in a v-sit; and heaviest weight to do those one standing row things...

Then a run of something more than four miles plus a leisurely swim.

Sunday = Funday

While dr. nln was busy at the gym with ABC and the gang, I was still in bed. Then to OPH with the other gang, but I had only coffee and water so that I could do the 5.6 mile run home without pain.

Look what I found along the way. Amazingly, I did NOT slip on it.

Much later in the day I got the heavy resistance band and did 50 chest pulls, 50 shoulder lifts per arm, 50 bicep curls, 50 upright rows, 50 tricep pulls per arm, and 200 various crunches. Fun!

Tears Would Come if I Was Properly Hydrated

It's lonely blogging with dr. nln. Maybe we need to add a real derby girl to the conversation...

Yes, I ran 4.5 again except that I didn't drink enough water and started to lose my mind at mile 2. Then I did 200 crunches and 100 pushups. Now maybe a shower, but it's lonely blogging with nln, so who knows.

Will the Doctor EVER Post Something?

50 reps each (some were 25 at a time, some all 50 at once) of bench press (heavier weight than last time), chest flies (hw), skull crushers (hw), side ab thing (hw), glute leg lifts (straight back and also to the side, fire hydrant style), supermans, inner and outer thigh leg lifts, side plank dips, plank with hip twists, kneeling row (heavy weight).



There wasn't time for anything else because we had to go see Katy Perry in 3D. We laughed, we cried, we loved, we did not each (much) popcorn because we learned in a podcast that it's almost impossible to overeat if you use your non-dominant hand, and if part of that hand happens to be broken and all splinted up.

The most important thing I learned at the movie was that I miss jumping rope. I think it's time to bring it back!

Tonight, Tonight

I went for a run (4.5) because it was so pretty out, but I forgot to drink water, and it was hot enough that at 2 miles, I knew I was in trouble. I am drinking tons of water now to save myself. Then I did various ab exercise, mostly for lower but also some oblique. Wanna see my finger?

Oh and here's Gun Show, Part Three, for your viewing pleasure.

Dr. nln and Hott Wendy Pay a Visit to the Government

During their "Day of Running" all-day-run, they took time out to listen to local bureaucrats blather on about integrated care and prevention and some other thing but quickly realized they had to go somewhere else.

The Doctor is Missing

She isn't posting much these days, it's true. Everyone must be sick now from being cooped up for the last two weeks to escape the extreme heat.

I'm pretty sure I ran yesterday (a little over five miles) but then just ate a lot and stayed up late deleting used emails.

Tonight I got back to business going twice through this series, 25 reps each (and each side where relevant): shoulder raises in three positions (light weights); that sequence of two plies with weights meeting at chest level and above (like closing doors?); lateral bends (light weights); squat jumps with shoulder lifts (lw); triceps extensions (lw); that balance thing the doctor has to do for PT, standing on one leg, reaching above (lw) and then touching the floor; crunches on the bench; chest pulls (with heavy band); shoulder lifts (heavy band); bicep curls (hb); standing rows (hb); triceps dips; ab crunches (bicycles/lift, with legs straight up); pushups; lunges with oblique twists (light weights again). And then I watered the garden.

I give you Gun Show, Parts 1 and 2.

You Know What it Means

This was funny about a million years ago but not now.

Cold Spell

Today's plan was to target lower abs, starting with a pancake (with butter and sugar free syrup). You know that's a party for me, and I doubt I'd even carbo load if I were an elite athlete, cause I'd probably try to increase glycogen stores a different way.

It was so easy to run after the rain ended this afternoon or evening, whichever it is at 5 or 6. I did 5.5 miles and revisited the lower abs issue with some better crunches and such.

I think I got dehydrated last night cause I still feel sort of crazy from it.

Congratulations, NLN, on your mini-tri! It sounds fun.

More Innovative Innovation

This is what I ended up with, minus the 8 mile bike ride and swim, for which we'll just substitute in the gig.

4 minutes of cardio (jumping jacks and various other jumping things and kicks and knees and buttocks), plus 25 reps each of bench press (medium weight), chest flies (mw), skull crushers (mw), side ab thing, overhead triceps, glute leg lifts (straight back and also to the side, fire hydrant style), super mans, inner and outer thigh leg lifts, side plank dips, plank with hip twists, kneeling row (heavy weight)...
and repeat.

Innovation

I'm getting so creative now that we can't go outside and I still don't remember how to get to the gym.

Even though my workout yesterday was just to ride in the van for three hours, sit in a chair for another three, then eat some food (again sitting in a chair), and top it all off with another three hours riding in the van, I am exhausted today! I have to come up with some variation on the really great workout of Thursday evening, which included 50 reps of everything below and then 8 miles on the bike, punctuated by floating in a pool. I'm pretty sure today's can't top that. I don't want to repeat any of this exactly, except maybe some.

Shoulder raises in three positions (light weights)
light weights to the sides (that ab thing you like)
squat jumps with shoulder lifts
tricep extensions
crunches (table position)
chest pulls with resistance band
shoulder lifts with band
bicep curls with band
upright rows with band
tricep dips
bicycle crunches/that one crunch that works the lower abs
pushups
lunges with oblique twist