Tag Archives: treadmill

Listening To My Body.

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GIVEAWAY!!!
My fellow running blogger BLISSFUL BRITT is having a ROAD ID giveaway!  You should head over there and enter for a chance to win one!

 

Since I’m back on the running train and I don’t want to injure myself again, I have to listen to my body.  Most of the time I can be pretty stubborn about things, especially when it comes to focusing on a goal.  Tuesday’s run on the treadmill aggravated my hip flexor.  ***Treadmill runs tend to make it more strained, I’ve noticed… Another reason to hate the treadmill. I figure this injury will be a constant one until I really get some strength back in my hips.

***(It may have to do with the fact that I’m clumsy and almost fell off of it twice while running. I got so focused and dizzy looking at my form and my legs in the mirror….)

Wednesday, I decided to nix a run and focus on core/strength/stretches.  I’m not going to lie, I would much rather not do these things.  I would pick a run or an exercise group class over those things any day.  I spent an hour doing various exercises and yoga poses that have helped me in the past.

This brings me to my point:  listen to your body.  I have been to various doctors, FIVE to be exact, when I had my hip issues this past year.  While each one that I went to gave me great advice and helped me in their own way, I found the key was to do what worked for me.  My body is not like everyone else’s.  Yes, the muscles, tendons, bones, etc, are in the same place as most everybody, but no body is the same.
Some of the advice I’ve been given:
- Focus on Strength Training on your legs.  Do heavy weights, low reps.
- Stop Running.
- Focus on Strength Training.  Do low weights, many reps.
- Don’t do Yoga.
- Incorporate Yoga.
- Do Core Work daily.
- Foam Roll daily.
- Take up swimming and cycling, then run once a week, 3 miles at the most, for a couple of months.
Knowing I wasn’t going to give up running, I obviously stopped going to those doctors because they just didn’t understand.
Things that DO work for me:
- Core Strength 3 x a week.
- Lower Leg Strengthening at least twice a week, heavier weights, stacking reps.
- Yoga.
- Hip focused strengthening exercises 3 x a week.
- RUNNING.

I’ve posted this website before, but he really does have some great workouts that I cannot express how much they’ve helped me in the past.  I feel so much stronger in my hips after doing these consistently.

ITB Rehab Routine
Elite Core and Dynamic Warm Ups

Check them out at least, they may work for you and they may not… I’ve been learning about myself by trial and error basically.

Back to Basics

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I’ve started running again, however I have to do the treadmill runs for awhile unless I want to get up early.  Let’s be realistic, that is probably not going to happen on my days off considering I can’t go to bed earlier than 2 or 3 am sometimes.

Tuesday: It was hot.  Shocker.

So I had to do a treadmill run.  I can only mentally do a treadmill run for 3 miles.  I hate it that much.  

I was trying to take a picture without looking like a complete douchebag. I can’t guarantee that I succeeded.  Anyway, notice the windows to the right.  The heat coming from them, plus the sweatiness of the people in the gym equaled an atmosphere that was pretty sucky.

^^You didn’t know the iPhone could be so accurate, did you?

So fighting off dead legs, the heat, and four hours of sleep I ended up with an 11:00 pace for 3 miles.  Not great, but not horrible.

————

I went to Whole Foods and got some lovely fruit.  My favorites: Bananas, Blueberries, Blackberries, and Plums!

I know you are impressed with my picture taking skills.  Don’t be jealous, please.  It makes it awkward for everyone.

I also bought some:

I was introduced to this yumminess by my BF.  He bought a different kind, but this is just as tasty, plus it has chocolate.  You can never go wrong with chocolate.

Annnnnd has anyone tried these?  I’m not much of a bar-eating-person, but I like the real Pineapple Upside Down Cake.  I’m kind of curious to see if these will be any good?

My First Experience with Hot Yoga

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I love taking fitness classes.  They are motivating for me, especially when my body says I can’t do anymore and I want to give up.  I used to take kickboxing classes when I was in college and at my other gym I used to do Spinning and Zumba classes.  I loved Zumba so much, I could shake it and I didn’t care because everyone else looked just as funny as I did.  At least that’s what I told myself.
 My friend Scott and I bought a Groupon a few months ago for a month of unlimited classes at Yoga at Tiffany’s.  I had taken yoga classes before and I really liked it.  It was a wonderful fully body stretch and it really helped with my anxiety.  The yoga at this place is hot yoga, and neither one of us had done hot yoga before.  The temperature can be between 80-100 degrees in the room and it’s very steamy & humid.

Scott and I got our mats, towels, water bottles, and headed to the back of the classroom.  There were two spots left thankfully, it’s no fun being a newbie and having to be in the front of the class.  Our instructor was super nice and welcoming to all the new people.  This was an all levels yoga class, and she was accommodating to us and our learning level.  Just sitting in there at the beginning, I was sweating.  Scott looked at me and said, “When is the air conditioner going to turn on?”  Good question.  I was already wanting a cool breeze and we hadn’t even started.

We went through a variety of poses, my body was loving every minute of it.  Kind of.  I was sweating profusely.  Every inch of my body was soaked from my own sweat.  My hair. My Eyes. Shirt. Shorts. Towel. Mat. Everything.  This girl next to me looked at me and said, “I’m sorry.  I’m sweating so much.  If I smell, I’m sorry.”  I almost told her it was probably me she was smelling, but I let it slide.  Each pose got easier and I think Scott and I did really well considering it was our first hot yoga class.  Little did we know it was 90 minutes long.  I used to complain about doing P90x Yoga because it was an hour and a half, but this was different.  

When it was nearing the end of the class, I was almost certain all the water had left my body.  I’m guessing my internal body temperature was nearing 150 degrees and my muscles had enough.  The instructor opened the door to let some cool air in and some steamy air out.  At this moment, it was like she opened the door to Heaven.  I may have been hallucinating, I can’t be sure.  As it got cooler in the room, I wanted to dance and scream for joy, but I couldn’t move very much so I mentally did it.

She complimented us on how well we did, especially since it was our first yoga class.  We walked into the cold room to get our stuff and when we walked outside to the 97 degrees Oklahoma weather, it felt cool.  I’m excited for my next hot yoga class.  I won’t be one of these people though…

 

It probably didn’t help my hydration issues that I ran 3 miles before I went to this class.  Granted it was on a treadmill (gasp!), but I still sweat like a mofo while running.  I may end up having to run on the treadmill during the summer hours when I don’t get up early to run outside.  Oh how I hate the treadmill.  I ended up with a 10:53 pace on the treadmill, which isn’t bad for me.  I’m usually so much slower on the treadmill…