January Running: starting the New Year on the right (and left) foot

[Crankin]

Well, I exercised totally at home for 2 years, while I was in grad school, except for one summer of yoga classes at a studio. I have a trainer, a treadmill, some weights, a ball, yoga dvds, and a winter cycling training program, that has lots of fucntional fitness/weights stuff. It was OK, I didn't gain any more weight or lose fitness than usual, but I did start to miss the group peer pressure. Mind you, I get most of my exercise outside, through riding, hiking, winter stuff. So, I joined a cheaper gym and go mostly for the "boot camp" classes. Occasionally, I go to a spin class or a yoga class. I think going to these boot camp classes 2 days a week has made me a lot stronger, and introduced me to new kinds of stuff. Some I could (and do) do at home. If you can find a DVD with these types of exercises, it might help, if you want to do it at home.
I am pretty disciplined, but it is much easier to cheat doing it at home. I allow myself to give in a lot more when I am riding, than at the gym! I need to get back to doing more group rides.

[OakLeaf]

Maybe pick up a training plan, kat? Working with a coach now, is a whole different mental trip from being self-coached. I think you could still get a lot of the motivation and remove a lot of the stress just by having *something* external tell you what your workout for the day was going to be.

I did videos at home for a few years in the '90s. It was finally the boredom that got to me. Having a stack of videos only helped so much. I'd smart off to the video instructors, parody things I knew were coming up, and it still only did so much to relieve the boredom. It just got to the point where I could not do it any more, and that's when I re-joined the gym.

GLC and Yellow - interesting discussion about fueling. I've honestly found that in the short term it's just about the carbs, laying down plenty of glycogen. If I go to the movies and scarf an entire box of candy, I'll run stronger the next day than I will the day after a nice clean dinner of fish and greens ... Not that I scarf candy every day, or that I don't feel the benefits of good nutrition. But as far as raw, short-term performance results, I really notice that. I've been thinking back to the few months I had anorexia after I hit puberty. I really don't know why it didn't set me up for a lifetime of eating disorders, or how I was able to get past it without help. But you've got me thinking that it was about the same time I discovered sports. I *didn't* have a conscious realization or decision that not eating was hurting my performance, as obvious as it must've been to my coaches and teammates. But I think maybe it helped me realize that my body was good for something besides being loathed.

Anyway ... just a little recovery run plus some drills today, and tomorrow's my day off. That gives me 137 miles for January. I'd been feeling like my mileage was kind of light, but I went through my logs, and it's actually in line with what I've done when I've been training for past spring marathons. The difference is just that I haven't been cycling. I miss it, a little, but I'm working plenty hard. On to February.

[yellow]

<3 Food <3 The perfect ultra running trifecta of foods: Pringles, potatoes, and pop tarts. Truly an amazing combination. You could throw peanut butter (or almond butter) in there, too (quadfecta?). I have a friend who started eating avocados during ultras, just dip a spoon in and eat it. I might try that this year. Any excuse to eat avocados.

This is my 2nd week back on a "real" schedule although I am easing in to it. Did a progression run tonight and it was fine. I was afraid of it but I survived!

[katluvr]

So I had a couple of good days with some increased activity (mixed things up a bid) and cleaning up my diet. I had to go back to my oral surgeon yesterday and had a bit of unexpected "re-work". I ran the day after my procedure last week and ended up with a LOT of unexpected swelling, not sure if the two are related but decided to skip the run today. Of course it is drizzling ran and only 50 (too chilly for me!) so that would of not made for a nice run anyway.

Interesting discussion about carbs and running. I probably have a pretty heavy carb diet...not sure I ever really can tell what helps or hurts my running. I do run better on fresh legs. I can go a week without running and then put in a longer than normal run and that usually is when I feel best.

K

[rocknrollgirl]

Hello Ladies,
We got out Thurs for another 4 miler. It was "warmer", in the upper 20's so it did not feel too bad at all. I still feel really slow, but I was out for 3 weeks so I have to be patient. it will come back. I am not racing for 12 weeks so plenty of time to get my snap back.

This morning we are heading out for a snowy mt bike. I am going to try and sneak another short run in either later today or tomorrow after my pool workout.


And very interesting discussion about food intake and running performance.

[Crankin]

I also find the food discussion interesting, albeit, as applied to cycling or nordic skiing for myself.
I need to not restrict myself when doing longer or hard rides, particularly, multi-day things. I always get a very noticeable craving for carbs just before a ride, even when I've had a decent breakfast. It's like my body knows what's coming. I don't restrict the carbs at all on cycling/ski vacations, but sometimes I do on one day rides. It never pays. I often don't eat enough when I ride, so I have learned.
But, it's not uncommon for me to gain 2-5 lbs. after a hard ride. Since my weight has gone up, overall in the past 2 months, I am strugling with what to do on my upcoming ski trip. Part of these trips is the eating... I am not eating simple carbs, just stuff I rarely eat.

[skhill]

I logged all of 32 miles for January-- EEK! Damn glad I'm not doing a long race this spring. This has been the most severe winter since I've been running. While I have barely run, I have been regular with strength training for the first time ever, and I'm walking plenty. I've also somehow dropped 3lbs (maybe the change of routine? extreme cold?).

It's time to get back into a running routine, if I want to keep my streak alive in our St Pat's day 3k. Every time I've done that race, I've finished in the top 5 in my age group.