Workout Wednesday: Working Out While Traveling

I was in Charleston last week for work.  Depending on my schedule when traveling, fitting in workouts can be really hard because the days are long and air travel just seems to make me extra tired.  But my schedule was pretty reasonable on this trip so I was able to fit a workout in each day.  Here's how I got my workouts in while traveling on this trip!

1.  Hotel Room Tabata

Sometimes my day starts too early to fit in a long workout, and that was the case on Wednesday, so I did this Peanut Butter Runner 20 minute tabata workout.  I know 20 minutes is a short workout but it kicks your butt and I figure it is better than nothing.  It only requires your body weight so it's an easy one to do in your hotel room.  Jen from Peanut Butter Runner has lots of great workouts, so if you are looking for some inspiration or are bored with your current workouts, check out her workout page.

2.  Find a local class

When I was walking to get coffee on Wednesday morning, I noticed that there was a spin studio 2 blocks from my hotel.  To offset the shorter workout I did on Wednesday, I decided to do a spin class on Thursday morning.  They offered a 60 minute class at 6 am so I was able to do that and get to breakfast by 7:45.  It was a great workout and well worth the $15 drop-in class fee I payed.  I ended up having conference stuff from 7:45 am until 10 pm that night so at the end of the day (and after eating ice cream twice during the day - once at lunch and again at dinner) I was glad I fit in an intense workout in the morning!


3.  Go for a run!

Of course my favorite way to exercise when traveling is to go for a run.  I think it's the best way to see a city.  It's not always easy for me to fit it in, though, as some cities aren't very runner friendly (like downtown Los Angeles, in my opinion) and I will not run in the dark in an unfamiliar city.  Luckily my breakfast didn't start until 9 on Friday so I was able to do a sunrise run.

The Cooper River bridge just before the sun began to rise

I love running by the water, but it's even more special to run by the water when the sun is rising!

The homes in Battery Park were glowing!  This is my favorite area of Charleston.

One last sunrise photo before I headed back into the heart of Charleston

I'm not always this good about fitting in workouts while traveling but I am glad I was able to make it work on this trip! 

Are you good about working out while traveling?  I try not to take more than 1 rest day when traveling but sometimes I choose sleep over working out. 

Workout Wednesday: A Bucket List Run

I know that it is technically still summer, but like I said in my post on Monday, it's really starting to feel like fall (especially this week as the temps will dip into the 30s at night - what in the what?).  The humidity went away last Friday and the temperature dropped which means I woke up on Saturday morning to a perfect day for running.  My club was meeting in a different spot than usual in an area I wasn't familiar with.  I had gotten kind of lost on some trails the weekend before so when I saw there was a high likelihood that I'd spend much of the run lost or feeling on the verge of being lost, I decided to do my long run alone on a familiar path.

I decided to run around 3 Minneapolis lakes, which are referred to as the "Chain of Lakes."  This just so happened to be on my summer bucket list, so I was able to cross another thing off (side note:  I have not accomplished as much as I thought I would!). 

It was in the upper 50s when I started and I was a little bit cool in my shorts and t-shirt, but I quickly warmed up.  The skies were blue and the lakes were like glass; it was a picture perfect day to run.  Here are some (not-so-great) iPhone photos that I snapped along the way!

Lake of the Isles, which is the lake that is the closest to downtown Minneapolis.

Lake Calhoun, which is probably the most popular Minneapolis lake, but is actually my least favorite of the three.

Lastly, Lake Harriet, which is definitely my favorite of the three lakes!  I love the bandshell and marina area which you can see in the distance in this photo.

I have had some tough runs this summer as the workouts that the run club coaches plan are tough and some of them have been done in pouring rain, heat, and/or ridiculously high humidity.  Those tough runs have made me question if I am in as good of shape as I thought I was, but on Saturday I was reminded how much of a difference cooler temps make as my average pace for my 12 mile run was 8:53/mile, which is almost 40 seconds faster than my usual pace!  The best part is that I was able to maintain that pace without feeling like I was really working hard.

I definitely felt on top of the world when I finished this run.  Being able to run in such a beautiful area is something I really missed last summer.  Minneapolis is such a beautiful place to run as we have miles upon miles of running paths, many of which are alongside water.  It's no wonder that Minneapolis makes the 10 Best Running Cities list!  I've always appreciated the beauty of Minneapolis, but after being away, I appreciate it even more.

Life is not perfect right now (it never is, right?), but I'm thankful that I'm back in a city I love, logging miles upon trails with great views.

Workout Wednesday: A New Gadget

Earlier this month, my club did a hill workout in torrential downpour.  I am not exaggerating.  It felt like sheets of rain were pouring down upon us.  But my club pretty much runs regardless of what the weather is like, unless it's lightning, so we all slugged our way through a very wet workout.  My Garmin got water damage when I ran the 2010 Portland marathon in heavy rain and since then, it's always been a little sensitive to wet weather.

Well, that workout was just the last straw for my little Garmin.  I tried putting it in a bag of rice to see if it would dry out, but it didn't work, so I had to bid adieu to my trusty little side kick which I've had for over 5 years now.

RIP, Garmin.

I think the fact that it lasted as long as it did is pretty impressive, though.  I know they are a costly gadget, but from a cost/use perspective, I have more than gotten my moneys worth!  After doing some research and ordering a new one from REI, I dug out my original battery-powered Garmin that I used when I trained for my first half and full marathons in 2006.  This thing is a dinosaur!

I felt like I had a small laptop on my wrist.

About a week later, my new Garmin showed up!  I went with the 220 model which I am very happy with.  It got great reviews, had all the features I needed, and as an added bonus, it came in a feminine color! 

Yea!  No more ugly, masculine running watches for this girl!

I've been running with the watch for about 2 weeks and I give it 2 thumbs up!!  Here are some of the main reasons I like it:

1.  Fast satellite connection.  My305 seemed to take FOREVER to connect, but I don't even get the 'searching for satellite' screen on this one.  It seems to connect basically instantaneously which is a huge improvement over my 305.

2.  Bluetooth.  The 220 has bluetooth which means it will sync with my iPhone and upload my workout without me having to plug it into my computer.

3.  Size and feel.  I like that the face of this is smaller than my 305 was, and the arm band can go as tight as you'd like, which is important for a person like me with small wrists as the smallest setting on the 305 was a little bit loose for me.

All in all, I love it.  With a retail price of $300, it is certainly not cheap and is not the right gadget to buy if you are a casual runner.  But if you are like me and running is your jam, it's well worth the money spent.  I expect this watch to last just as long as my 305, so that means I'll probably log over 5,000 miles with it.  So at $0.06/mile, it's an investment that I can justify.  Plus since I have an REI membership, I'll get 10% back in the form of dividends so it ends up being $270 when you factor that in.

Do you use any gadgets when working out?  I've debated getting a FitBit or some sort of HRM gadget to track calories burned when doing non-running workouts but I can't bring myself to spend money on another gadget right now.

Workout Wednesday: Date Night Workout

Last Thursday, Phil and I both had a free night so we decided I talked him into doing one of the workouts from the summer shred.  He has heard me talk about the shred workouts a lot this summer and was a bit curious so it didn't take too much convincing to get him on board for a couples workout.

After looking through all of the workouts, I decided on a full body work out that included the following:

Circuit #1
1. 10 Pushups
2. 10 V-Ups
3. 20 Squats 
Cardio Blast----> 50 Jumping Jacks Circuit
Repeat

Circuit #2
1. 10 Inch Worms
2. 15 Bicep Curls with a Shoulder Press and Squat
3. 20 Tricep Kickbacks 
Cardio Blast----> 50 Mt Climbers Circuit
Repeat

Circuit #3
1. 15 Lateral Raises front and side
2. 15 Lower Leg Lifts
3. 20 Prison Squats (deeper squat)
Cardio Blast----> 15 Squat Thrusts
Repeat

At the end of the workout, we were both sweaty messes and he agreed that workouts ARE indeed difficult.  We did the workout in my condo gym which was pretty quiet that night which was good as we took up quite a bit of room, especially when we did things like inch worms (you basically walk your hands out to a plank position and then walk them back until you are standing up). 

As we were working out I thought back on my single days and how I probably would have rolled my eyes if I saw a couple working out together.  Yes, I know I was a downer Debbie at times when I was single.  But now I can see that it's fun to work out as a couple. It's not something I would honestly want to do every day as Phil and I are both independent people who enjoy doing things on our own.  Plus there is no chance of Phil getting up at 4:45 or 5 to workout so we'll never be the 'work out together every day' couple!  But it's nice to do the occasional workout together. 

If you are in a relationship, do you enjoy working out with your significant others?  I enjoy running with Phil and could see us doing some shred workouts occasionally.

Workout Wednesday: A Milestone Achievement

Happy Wednesday!  I don't know about you, but this week is feeling especially long on the tails of what was a short week last week due to the holiday.  But hey - we're almost half ways through the week.  Woo hip.

So I wanted to post about this last Wednesday but I wanted to do my recap of the Summer Shred before the July session started in case my post inspired anyone to sign up...  but if it wasn't for that post, last week's Workout Wednesday post would have certainly been about this:

Yes, I realize I look like a hot mess in this photo as it was super humid and warm, but this moment had to be documented!

Those pictures were taken a week ago Saturday. If you look at the lower right hand corner of my Garmin you'll see that I ran 10.50 miles!  This is a big deal because it was my first double digit long run since my RA diagnosis!!

~11 months ago when I was diagnosed with RA, I honestly questioned whether I'd be able to walk pain free so the fact that I'm able to run 10+ miles and feel good afterwards is a major accomplishment!  Having RA is hard and I don't always talk about it because I don't want to be that person who is talking about her health all the time, but one way RA has changed me for the better is that it makes me appreciate feeling good and having an active lifestyle more than ever.

So take that RA.  Lisa - 1, RA - 0.

Have you ever been through something that has made you appreciate your health? Do you feel like you appreciate your health and ability to be active?  I do now, more than ever.  I'll never take my healthy, active lifestyle for granted again.

Workout Wednesday: My Thoughts on my First Shred

I used to do a regular blog post called "Workout Wednesday" and I have decided to resurrect that feature!  I don't know that I will do this weekly but I figure it gives me a platform to share what's going on in my fitness life!

Last month I decided to give the June Summer Shred a chance after hearing Amber rave about a previous shred she had done.  It's a program that is ran by Bobbi McCormick of nHerShoes and the way it works is that each week for 4 weeks, she sends you a week of meal plans and 5 workouts as well as a shopping list for the meals from the meal plan. 

To be honest, I did not follow the meal plans at all.  While she had some gluten free options, none of them really 'grabbed' me and I felt like a lot of the lunch options were tailored for people who work from home as they were things you'd prepare right before eating it, which does not work for me.  I did make a couple of recipes, though, so at least I tried a few new things!

In terms of the work outs, I pretty much loved this program.  In the past, strength training has kind of intimidated me.  I feel like I would go to the gym and sort of amble around, doing things like bicep curls and lateral raises and after about 10-15 minutes I'd be bored and unsatisfied with my workout.  Doing this program taught me how to challenge myself in the workout room and it showed me that strength training can be fun!  Here are some of my takeaways from the program!

1. Workouts don't need to be long to be effective.  While it's probably ideal (for me) for each workout session to be 45 minutes long, I learned that a really intense 20-30 minute workout can be as effective as longer workout.

2.  You are capable of more than you think you are.  One of the workouts, which ended up being the hardest of the four weeks IMO, included 300 burpees.  Yes, 300 BURPEES.  I looked at the workout and thought - "I can not do this."  In the middle of the workout I thought, "I can not do this."  But I kept going and focused on getting through each set (the burpees were split up into sets of 25) and at the end I was so proud of myself for finishing!  I still hate burpees and I guarantee that this workout would be just as hard the next time around but I know that I have the ability to make it through whatever I set my mind to.

3.  It helps to have a plan.  I have never really felt comfortable in the weight room and have struggled to put a strength training workout together on my own and that uncomfortable feeling I had in the weight room kept me from making strength training a part of my workout routine.  But having a detailed workout that I could take with me to the gym along with a video explaining the moves of each workout made me feel way more comfortable.  I no longer felt like I was sort of wandering around the weight room - instead I was a woman on a mission.

4.  It helps to have a buddy.  Amber signed up for the shred and her participation encouraged me to sign up as well.  I am so glad we did this together as it was nice to have someone to talk to about the workouts.  We'd talked about when we were going to fit in the workouts, how hard they were, how long they took and what parts were the toughest for us.  It was nice to hear that the hardest parts for me were often the hardest for her as well.  Bobbi also sets up a facebook group, which is great for motivation, but there's nothing like having a real life friend to keep you motivated!

In general it's really important for women to strength train but it's especially important for me due to my RA as it helps strengthen my joints which is important since they can undergo quite the battle when I have RA flare ups.  After doing this shred, I'm confident that strength training will continue to be a part of my weekly fitness routine. 

If you are thinking about doing a program like this, I highly encourage it!  The nice thing about Bobbi's program is that the workouts are design for people who are working out at home as most workouts don't require much more than some dumbbells.  I definitely feel like I got my money's worth (the shred cost $45 for 4 weeks).  Bobbi is doing another Summer Shred in July so if you are curious about giving this a shot, you have until Friday, July 4th to sign up!  I will definitely be doing another shred in the future!

Are you good about incorporating strength training into your fitness routine?  Prior to doing the shred, the only time I'd strength train was when I took a body pump class (which I also love).  I'll continue to do body pump but it will be great to have the workouts from the shred to use in the future.  Amber and I already have a plan to keep each other motivated to do some workouts each week in July!

*  The thoughts in this review are my own and I was not compensated in any way for posting this review.

Workout Wednesday

After my run on Monday, I sent my running coach an email.  The subject line was:  "Ok, now I will trust you."

You see, all summer I have been a complete and total skeptic.  Each week I would go to run club and do the prescribed work out, getting my *ss kicked in the process.  Then I'd drive home and think - "how am I going to do a sub-2 hour half." 

There was whole lot of self doubt and truth be told, mental berating going on.  This should come to no surprise to those who know me well.  I am my own worst enemy.

But the last couple of weeks, something has shifted.  Every workout hasn't been sunshine and rainbows, but I can tell I am getting stronger.  My body recovers faster.  I am hitting my paces on tempo runs and speed work.

I had my best run in months on Monday morning.  I did a 7 mile run:  2 mile warm up, 3 miles @ half marathon pace, 2 mile cool down.  I was aiming to run those 3 miles at a 9 min pace.  Instead, I ran them in 8:38, 8:46, and 8:38.  The best thing is that pace actually felt sustainable! 

My confidence is shifting and I am starting to really believe I will run a sub-2 hour half.  In the event I don't, at least I know I gave it my all trying to accomplish that goal!!

Are you training for anything these days?  I had a 10k in mid-September, a 10 mile race in late-September, and the half in early October.  I am debating a 25k trail run in late October, but trail running intimidates me! 

Workout Wednesday: Furniture Assembly

Some weeks, you get a workout in without even leaving your home.  Last week was one of those weeks!  The couch I had my eye on was finally in stock at Ikea, so I purchased it on Monday and it arrived on Tuesday.  When I bought the sofa, I asked if it required a lot of assembly.  The Ikea person said, "Um, I think you need to attach some wheels or something.  It shouldn't be too bad."

So imagine my surprise when my couch arrived.  In 4 boxes.  Attach some wheels.  Sure.

It's amazing how some things like furniture assembly turn into a work out.  Between the crouching and the screwing in of parts, I worked some muscles that I have not worked in awhile!

Before I get into the post, I do have some complaints to make about ikea:

1.  Must the directions be 100% wordless?  Seriously?  Not everyone is a visual person (ahem, me).  I get that they are an international company so the directions are universal, but could you throw SOME words on there? 

2.  What is with the teletubby-looking 'people' in the directions.  I was like - am I looking at a person or is that Patrick from Sponge Bob?

Alright, grievances have been aired.  Moving on.

I didn't take any couch assembly pictures because I was in a mad rush to get as much of it assembled as possible before my friends came over that evening.  Thank God we had plans to walk somewhere for dinner.  There's no way I could handle assembly + make dinner!  Here are some pictures of the finished product!

I love the storage in the chaise lounge!  Great place to store blankets, sheets, etc.

It is nice to finally have a place for guests to stay.  In the past I would sleep on the love seat (which was way to short for me) or my guests would sleep on an air mattress.

After assembling that couch, I had to take some time off from assembly.  On Sunday I tackled the table and 6 dining chair.  I figured it would be way easier than the couch.

Wrongo batman.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Yikes, that is a lot of hardware...

Laying some of the piece out - not all, though.  Oh heavens no. 

Making progress.   I definitely did not think I would get this far.

All assembled, just needed some assistance to flip her over!

And done

I am so so so glad that the assembly is behind me.  I am impressed I was able to assemble both items virtually on my own.  That's so unlike me - I am not usually a handy person.

I really love the table because now I have a big enough table to host dinner parties!  And I could potentially host a holiday some day if I had the opportunity.  The table actually has 2 leaves that are stored in the table.  LOVE.

After I replenish my savings account, I plan on buying 2 upholstered chairs for the ends, but that will have to wait. 

What have you done around the house lately that has resulted in a work out?

Workout Wednesday: No Excuses

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

Last weekend I went to my parents' cabin on Friday night.  I had partially packed on Thursday before going out for dinner with friends, and then finished packing on Friday morning.   Apparently it was NOT a good strategy to not pack things all at once.  I forgot some crucial things....

1.  I forgot my shoes.  I realized this as I was leaving the suburbs of the Twin Cities.  I did not feel like driving back into the cities, so I just sucked it up and bought a new pair.  Not ideal as I already have a new pair that I was planning to start wearing this month, but I guess those will get worn at a later time.

2.  When I started getting ready on Saturday morning, I realized I also forgot socks.  Seriously.  I borrowered some from my mom, but they were cotton.  Cotton is NOT good for running, let me tell you.  Cotton + new shoes + 10 miles is just really not a winning combination.

3.  I thought - fine, I have body glide, I will just put a ton on my feet.  Nope, no body glide.  That didn't make it into the suitcase either.  And my parents didn't have any vaseline.

4.  As if I didn't have enough stacked against me, I grabbed my iPod when I was heading out, only to find my iPod was completely dead. 

But you know what, I plodded head.  I grumbled for a bit and then headed out.  I was doing 2 5-mile loops, so luckily I was able to stop back for my charged iPod on my 2nd loop.

The point of this rambling 'Lisa is the worst packer' story is this - I had PLENTY of excuses not to run last weekend.  Plenty.  And a couple of years ago, I would have used ANY of these reasons not to run.  Heck, I would even use the fact that I forgot to bring a hair tie as an excuse to not go to the gym.

Not anymore.  I have become pretty darn determined and there really is not much that will keep me from running!

Are you good at talking yourself out of working out?  I used to be, but now when I start to talk myself out of running I tell myself, "You will never regret doing a run.  You will ALWAYS regret skipping a run."  That always seems to work and gets me out the door. 

Workout Wednesday - Half Training

This week is week 4 of my half marathon training plan, so I thought it would be a good time to check in and talk about how it's going as I will be 1/3 of the way through after this week!  Which is exciting as that means the trip is just around the corner!  Super duper excited to see Amber, Lauren, and Leigh.  I think our little group is going to have a blast in Victoria, BC.  I can already tell we will travel well as a group.  Which is so important.  There are just some people you travel well with, and I know these 3 will fall into that category.  I mean, I spent 5+ days with Amber last year and we never got on each other's nerves once - seriously, I am not exaggerating.  That's saying something! 

Anyways, back to the training.  This training cycle is VASTLY different from other training cycles.  How so?  Time for a bullet point list...

• Instead of running 4-5 times/week, I run 3 times/week.  Each run has a focus:  tempo/pick ups, hills, and long distance runs.  I am still getting in as much, if not more, miles that I would if I was runnign 4-5 times/week as the runs as my week day runs are 6-8 miles and the weekend run is 8-12 miles. 
• In the past, I ONLY ran.  This time, I bike twice a week and am  starting this week, I am going to incorporate strength training.
• Instead of doing every single run alone, I run with my run club.  I don't always run with someone as sometimes I am going slower than those around me, etc, but I always have company at some point during the run.
• I'm sort of winging it when it comes to the long run on Saturday.  In the past I followed Hal Higdon's plans, but this time around, I am running 10 miles each week and that will start to increase as I get closer to the race day, with my longest run being 12 miles.

I am such a creature of habit, so it's been interesting to switch things up SO much.  I have been a bit nervous lately as I have had some not-so-great runs, but I am doing my best and trusting the coaches. 

Will I make my sub-2 hour goal?  Time will tell.  In the event I don't make my goal, I will go back to the drawing board.  The good thing about half marathons is that there are plenty to choose from so I can always find another race in the late fall or spring. 

Oh and while we are on the subject of races, I'm about 99% sure I will do another marathon next year...  So much for the 'I am never doing another marathon' comments I have made for the last year...  Now I just need to pick a marathon!  :)

Are you training for any races?  Besides the half in Victoria, I am doing a 10 mile race in late September, which I will treat as a training run.  I'm excited as Kyria might come to Minneapolis and do this with me, and Raquelita of Historiadora on the Run is definitely doing it, so I'll get to meet 2 bloggers!