Back From Vacation

George and I returned from vacation tonight, a few days away where I did lots of walking but only one intentional workout in the hotel gym. I'm pretty tired tonight, but am looking forward to returning to the gym in the morning! More soon!

Getting Back in the Groove

After a low key week last week, and taking Sunday and Monday off from exercise for the GRE (standardized test for graduate school admission), I've enjoyed getting "back into the groove" the past couple of days, with the elliptical machine and some weight training yesterday, and biking and some more weight training (different muscle groups) today. I've included some intervals on the cardio to help get my heart rate up and continue to work on speed. It's made for a good couple of workouts, feeling a little tired afterward without interfering with work for the rest of the day.  :)

Have You Tried Water Running?

George is thinking about joining my gym after the running season is over, with the hope that we can train together doing water running, since I've been having such trouble with my foot. I found an interesting article about it in Runner's World, posted back in September 2003. Check out the article, "Head for the Pool."

Would love to know if any of you have ever tried water running to train due to injury or weather!

Looking Up at the Gym

After a call to the employee health office yesterday about my new gym membership (and still not being in the system), I returned to Gold's this morning, and I'm finally "in the system!" :) I have a name and number to call there to set up an appointment for an orientation, and I'll get my key chain swipe card then. Yay!
Heartened, I went to the cardio area and had a good elliptical workout, followed by some hammer and bicep curls. Good way to start a busy Friday!

Low Key Week

This has been a low-key exercise week, with a couple of biking sessions, a walk, and some upper body strength training. I've been a little sore and tired overall, plus I've been studying for Monday's GRE (Graduate Record Exam). Today I'm taking a break from the gym, something normally reserved for Fridays. I'll get back on track soon!

Serendipity Strikes

American Triple-T Finish
Originally uploaded by dukefan86

Yesterday, George and I took a daytrip to Bladen County for my NC Odyssey Project blog, and when we found White Lake, there were some runners going along the side of the road, within traffic cones. We followed the road around, a slow go in part because we didn't want to HIT anyone, but we were also looking for a place to take a picture of the lake. Well, we happened to pass the place on the lake that was the staging area for not just any race, but a triathlon to beat triathlons, at least to me! This triathlon didn't happen on one day, but over THREE! It's the American Triple-T.

Friday: Super Sprint: 250m swim, 7 mile bike, 1 mile run
Saturday: 2 Olympics, an AM and a PM: 1500m swim, 40K bike, 10K run
Sunday: Half Iron: 1.2 mi swim, 56 mile bike ride, 13.1 mile run

Okay, so George had the bright (very bright, seriously) idea that we should park, go into this area and explore (i.e. take pictures of the lake). When we first walked into the area, we didn't have a full understanding of what was going on. We saw the runners, spotted the bike transition area, and numbers on the athlete's arms, so we figured a triathlon, but OMG! For a while, we stood at the finishline and clapped people in, just totally amazed at the athleticism of these people! I was so impressed and inspired!

We didn't go to White Lake to watch this race, but I'm so happy it worked out that way! What a cool way to spend part of a Sunday afternoon!

Walk Report: Triangle Run/Walk for Austism

This morning I decided to take a break from the new gym and walk a 5K race, the Triangle Run/Walk for Autism. I was ready to walk with a bunch of people around, like when I used to be able to run with the group. I got to Moore Square in Raleigh early to register on-site, enjoying the crisp fall air. I didn't see anyone I knew, but it was still a great morning to be outside. I did have doubts as I lined up near the back of the pack before the race, but once the horn went off, I was happy to be there.

It was hard at first, adjusting to just walking this one, but I wanted the practice in walking faster and using my arms to help me move forward. I ended up talking with a mother-daughter pair for most of the race, and that helped the miles go by quickly. We enjoyed talking about the big, old homes we walked by, including the Executive Mansion.

I had some discomfort in my right foot, as expected, but nothing that caused me to stop. I ended up finishing the 5K walk with a chip time of 56:29 and gun time of 57:03, good for 840th place out of 853 overall, and 32/32 in my age group. I'm glad I did this! (My only regret was not taking my camera with me.)

What's New

My arms are finally sore for the additional strength training I've been doing at the new gym! I was beginning to wonder if I were doing big enough weights. Yep, that's good.

Speaking of the new gym, I've figured out that there's a disparity in the follow-through-ness (I know there's a better word) of the front desk staff there! I've already discovered that the front desk person AKA Brian will answer questions and point things out with a positive attitude. Others have been less responsive. My biggest concern right now is getting my name into their system so I can get a swipe card and not have to sign in every time I go there. Brian gave my name and number to two different staff members after I talked with him a couple days ago, and someone was supposed to give me a call. Nada. So, Brian checked again this morning to see if I was in the system yet (no), and got my name and number again. I just feel like being persistant about this.

Meanwhile, I biked againt this morning, but didn't do any weight training, opting to give my upper body a rest. Since I haven't been running, though, I've noticed I haven't been burning as many calories, and it's making a difference on the scales. I definitely need to reverse that trend!! Tomorrow, though, will probably be a rest day from exercise. I'm thinking about testing my foot with some walking on Saturday.

Good things I learned from this morning's gym visit included learning where the steam room is in the ladies locker room (though it's broken right now) and the hot tub (which is outdoors, just outside of the indoor pool area). Can't wait to use those things! :)

New Gym, New Me?

I decided to go ahead and sign up for Gold's Gym through my employer's Occupation Health Office, and went for the first time yesterday morning. (I went back this morning too.) I've done some cardio (but no treadmill) both days, as well as some upper body strength training. I think the strength training "opportunities" there are what I like most so far. My "old" gym's weight machines and dumbbells don't hold a candle to the equipment and space at the new gym. (Who knew there were so many muscle groups from the waist up to work on?!)

I'm also eyeing the class schedule as well as the pool, but haven't tried them yet. Soon, I hope. I'm still getting used the the new routine, including increased strength training (which I think will pay off in the weeks ahead!).

Meanwhile, I'm going to a new-to-me hairstylist this evening! What does that have to do with running and exercise? Not a thing, but with all the troubles I've had with my sore toes and running lately, I'm hoping the haircut will be a nice lift for my spirits.  :)

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com.

Good Walk Plus Workout Today

Since yesterday's "long walk" was cut short, I hit the treadmill at the gym this morning to put my sore toes to the test. The pain hit a little before 2.5 miles, but I pushed on a bit, and finished with 3.4 miles in 60 minutes, a pretty good pace for me. Still, my walking pace is something I need to work on in addition to my endurance.

I decided to take a break from cardio after an hour, so I did some upper body strength training with 5 lb. and 8 lb. dumbbells. It felt really good to work on my arm and shoulder strength, and I hope it'll help me if I decide to go ahead and give the Outer Banks Half Marathon a walking try.

After that, I stretched my quads, glutes, and hamstrings, then finished with 2.02 miles (11:01 minutes) on the recumbent bike. All in all, a good workout for me.