Mother Talkers

Fitness and training diary w/o May 5

by Rachel

Sun May 04, 2008 at 04:54:56 PM PDT

This is an open thread for those who are training for a race of any shape or kind. Post your training regime for this week and come back to report on your progress. Got a question on training, walking, running, biking, swimming or anything to do with race preparation? Post it here - someone will know the answer!

I've been very mindful the last few weeks of how many people there are on the 0-5k training plan. How are all of you doing with that? How are you feeling now that you've gotten into it? Erin, if you're reading this, how are you doing with the back pain?

Tags: race, running, excercise, health (all tags)

Permalink | 55 comments

  • my week (0 / 0)

    6 of 12, for those counting

    Monday: Easy run - 2 miles (and gym - free weights and machines)
    Tuesday: Speedwork - 7 miles, incl warm, 3/1600@9.57 w/ 800 jogs, cool
    Wed: Swim Lesson with Jess
    Thurs: Long Run - 8 mi @12.10
    Fri: gym - free weights and machines
    Sat: Easy run - 2 mi@ 12.10
    Sun: Rest/XT (might go to the gym while DH and Jess are swimming)

    I'm starting to hit the heavy weeks now including the speedwork session. OMG.

    by Rachel on Sun May 04, 2008 at 04:57:16 PM PDT

  • Still being good... (0 / 0)

    about the gym classes anyway. The couch to 5K has really fizzled. And I can't figure out a solution to that one. I could just do it on my own, but I lack motivation.

    Anyway, I've got yoga today, swimming on Wednesday, Body Flow on Thursday, and I'll do my best to do walk/runs in between there...

    by aussieyank on Sun May 04, 2008 at 06:00:56 PM PDT

  • My week (0 / 0)

    We only did six of what we had planned to be 8 yesterday, but hey, we were out there, right?

    Anyway, I leave for my first 4-miler of the week in fifteen minutes.  Two more of those on Wednesday and Friday.  I'm in Maryland for Mother's Day so I'm not sure if I'll get a weekend run in but I won't beat myself up if I miss -- I think I'd rather sleep in a bit on Mother's Day after all!

    I'm thinking of buying some free weights (dumbbells) to use at home so I can my strength training in.  If I do that, I may suspend the gym membership until the weather turns bad again in November.  Still mulling, but it would be a savings and I wouldn't feel so guilty about running outside and not using the gym, AND I would be more likely to do the strength training since I could do it at any time at home and not have to get up so bloody early every morning to make the gym as well as run.

    Miles and His Favorites: The World As Seen By an Eight Year Old

    by Hillary on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:33:02 AM PDT

  • New shoes blues (0 / 0)

    I started feeling like I was getting tendonitis in my right Achilles tendon last week.  I think my shoes are getting old and hoping that a new pair will help reduce the tension on the tendon.  Maybe I'm just dreaming.  I bought a pair yesterday - they are hard to find for me because I have wide feet.  I went to Lady Foot Locker - I mean, all they sell is women's athletic shoes - and there was only one pair that came in wide.  So I bought it, but it sure is irritating how hard it is to find wide shoes.

    Katherine

    by pat of butter in a sea of grits on Mon May 05, 2008 at 06:37:28 AM PDT

    • Have you tried Zappos? (0 / 0)

      I am a big fan of zappos.com because they have free shipping--both ways!--so I never have to go into a shoe store.  They have a zillion shoes in all different sizes.  They aren't discount or anything, but I think their prices are comparable to anywhere else.  You can buy several pairs and try them on, like you would at a store, then just stick the ones you don't like back in a box and drop them at the UPS Store.  And everything I have ordered through them has arrived the next day.

      I sound like a commercial for them, don't I?  I guess I just really appreciate how service-oriented they are.

      by coobert on Tue May 06, 2008 at 11:15:28 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    • A "real" running shoe store (0 / 0)

      I'd recommend going to an independent running store in your area and speaking with a person there.  First of all, they usually have wide widths. Plus, the staff are more knowledgeable -- they'll look at your feet, watch you run (or walk if you don't run), determine whether you need more stability or motion control or what. A lot of times they will let you run outside or on a treadmill as well to really feel them.

      And ice that Achilles if and when you can!

      Good luck!

      Miles and His Favorites: The World As Seen By an Eight Year Old

      by Hillary on Tue May 06, 2008 at 11:40:37 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • Our local one (0 / 0)

        I got my previous pair at our local running shoe store, but they also only had one pair that came in wide which is why I went farther afield in hopes of finding better.  I don't know if it's so rare to have wide feet, but shoe stores don't seem to cater to this problem.

        Katherine

        by pat of butter in a sea of grits on Wed May 07, 2008 at 09:42:33 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  • Sort of stuck (0 / 0)

    on the couch to 5k plan.  I've got a song i can break up into sections, but I'm supposed to be ramping up now.

    ::sigh::

    I've been walking for 94 seconds and running for 130 seconds, and now it wants me to do that, then change it up.  Ack, I hate change!

    Mon:     Curves, arm weights, PT exercises
    Tues:    Bike to Rory's school, bike home, bike to get    
            her, bike home (11.28 altogether).  Arm
            weights
    Wed:     Curves, Run, PT exercises, bike to lake and
            home (3 miles total, with both kids)
    Thurs:   Bike to curves, Curves, Run, Bike home
    Fri:     Rest
    Sat:     Bike to curves, Curves, bike home
    Sun:     Run with DH

    What do you mean, uh-oh? baby pictures

    by round peg inna square hole on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:44:19 AM PDT

  • 12K, Yay! (0 / 0)

    My time was 1:46:43  
    My goal was < 2 hours

    The weather was absolutely gorgeous, sunny and mid 60s at the finish, perfect for my first 12k, especially considering the nasty cold spring we've had.

    I had been kind of a slug in April as compared to March when I was jogging pretty well several times a week. But, my Cross-training class and school gym membership died at the same time, and my motivation just wasn't enough to overcome that. Today, my hips ache and I sustained a blister, but such is the price of the T-Shirt. :)

    I would like to make a habit of doing this 12k annually, but this time next year I hope to be either too pregnant or too occupied with an infant.  Maybe in 2 yrs I'll join the stroller group.

    I do hope to continue being physically active. Between Wii Fit (on order), DDR, massive gardening, and jogging when pulling weeds doesn't excite me. Maybe this winter I can join a prenatal yoga class.

    Mother wannabe, ETA Spring 09 if biology allows.

    by faedrake on Mon May 05, 2008 at 04:44:26 PM PDT

    • good job! (0 / 0)

      Well done, faedrake! Congratulations.

      FWIW, I found walking when my daughter was a newborn to be a great activity. Got us out of the house, and soothed her when she was fractious. I also found that the endorphin release that comes with physical exercise was a good boost, particularly when I was so sleep deprived. Counterintuitively, it gave me more energy.

      Long story short, don't discount nice, long strolls as a great technique with a newborn. ;-)

      by Rachel on Mon May 05, 2008 at 06:15:30 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • More movement (0 / 0)

        creates more energy for movement, I've found true for me too.  The more I do, the more I can do... a happy result for sure.

        Good on all you active MTERS

        karen

        by karen m on Mon May 05, 2008 at 06:49:56 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        • hiya, Karen! (0 / 0)

          nice of you to drop in! How are you going with your walking? Are you taking your lake-walks as you used to?

          by Rachel on Mon May 05, 2008 at 10:17:58 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          • Yes! I am an avid (0 / 0)

            or should I say rabid lover of walking (at a fairly quick pace) in the great outdoors!  It does wonders for my peace of mind, rejuvenates me in a whole body/mind way.  I'll be leaving shortly for my 3 miler....dd just popped off to school and dh has gone to a sport club for a workout....me, I'm headed out doors.

            karen

            by karen m on Tue May 06, 2008 at 07:27:11 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

    • Wow! (0 / 0)

      Congratulations!

      What do you mean, uh-oh? baby pictures

      by round peg inna square hole on Tue May 06, 2008 at 07:44:32 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  • Popping in (0 / 0)

    I ran my first 5K yesterday.  My legs are killing me.  I'm a little bummed because I don't have an official time because I took the stupid tag off my bib thinking it was for the t-shirt, not my race time.  I almost cried last night when I found out.  You can read about my adventures at my blog.  

    Despite the fact that I haven't been able to walk properly for almost 24 hours, I've decided to run another 5K at the end of the month and join two local running clubs.

    Blogging While Brown Convention Atlanta, GA July 25-27, 2008

    by fabooj on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:03:17 PM PDT

  • Hey Rachel (0 / 0)

    May I interrupt this diary with another bokashi question for you now that I am using mine?

    When you empty yours and bury the stuff in the garden, does it usually appear to be starting to break down already?  I did this yesterday with our first "load" of about a week, but was a little concerned that there didn't seem to be much sign that it was decomposing yet.  There are all kinds of things in there that could take quite a while, though, like corn cobs and artichoke leaves.

    Thanks for the advice!

    Katherine

    by pat of butter in a sea of grits on Tue May 06, 2008 at 10:09:22 AM PDT

    • sounds perfect! (0 / 0)

      No, the Bokashi bucket doesn't break anything down; it pickles it. So when you open the bucket to bury the stuff, it won't appear to be any differnet at all. But when bury the stuff, it will break down within 2-4 weeks. The corn cobs and artichoke leaves will take longer. I Bokashied the dried out tomato plant stems after harvesting, and it took about a month. It also depends on where you bury it - if you bury it in half-decent or clay-ish soil, it'll break down more quickly than if you bury it in sandy/poor soil. In fact, I'm currently burying loads of it in my front yard, which has really awful sandy soil, and it literally sucks the moisture out of the bokashi first, practically dessicating the veg scraps!

      The best way to know if it's working is by smell - when you buried it, did it smell kind of sweet/pickle-ish? If so, that's perfect.

      I'm really glad you bought a bucket and hope you enjoy the results! Are you using the "nutrient tea" as a plant food? It's awesome, but really, seriously nitrogen-rich. My BIL the horticorturalist told me to only use it on tomato plants like, once every six weeks or so, for example. But on flowers, fruit trees and such, OMG. It totally makes them go crazy!

      by Rachel on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:26:50 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  • Jumping in (0 / 0)

    As I mentioned last week, I am scheduled to do the Muddy Buddy in Austin in a couple weeks, filling in for DH who is unexpectedly on crutches through the end of the month.  Since I didn't plan to be participating, I have not done any training until last week.  

    I joined a gym in the neighborhood that has child care (yippee!) and I have been three or four times so far.  First time was just a little walking on the treadmill while my kids got used to the child care center.  Since then I have run or biked, trying to extend my time a little each day.  Yesterday I ran about 15 minutes (don't laugh), walked some, and did about 15 minutes on the bike. I have to get over there between when my 7 month old wakes up from his morning nap and lunchtime, so that doesn't leave a terribly long time.  Also DS#1 is going through a bit of an attachment thing.  He is fine when I drop him off, but he is always standing right by the door waiting for me when I come back.  (Or maybe he's tired from waking up at 5:30 every morning--ack!--but I'll save that discussion for another thread.)

    I am also trying to take the dogs on a walk every day, since I have a mother's helper coming over every afternoon to lend a hand with the kids while DH recuperates.

    So it's not too much, but anything that will help me keep from a. hurting myself and b. embarassing myself and everyone who knows me is probably a good thing.

    by coobert on Tue May 06, 2008 at 11:28:36 AM PDT

  • This week and a kid's triathlon panic attack (0 / 0)

    Sunday:  Supposed to be a 6 mi run.  Made it 4.  Didn't plan on flippin HOT it's gotten!
    Monday: Walked 3mi AM with a friend. Ran 4mi PM.
    Tuesday:  Bailed on pilates.
    Wednesday: 4mi run
    Thursday: Pilates, 3-4mi run
    Friday: Might take a group power class.
    Saturday: 5K.  The plan is for a bunch of us to meet at my house, walk just over a mile to the start, run the 5K, walk another 1/2 mile to eat breakfast at a total greasy spoon hole in the wall and waddle about 2 miles back home.

    So I got roped into planning a kid's triathlon for Memorial Day.  I'm officially freaking out.  The ONE other person helping and I have gotten next to NO support for this, and we don't really know what we're doing.  We're trying to put together 3 different age groups, and I think I've got reasonable courses in mind for them (if the club director will ever let us go try to map it all out...)Anybody tried to organize something like this before?  I really need some help working out the timing and how to make this all work with a really limited number of volunteers.

    by K C on Tue May 06, 2008 at 01:11:29 PM PDT

  • One day at a time (0 / 0)

    I ran today :)

    This is my first post to this diary, but I've been lurking in it for a while looking for some inspiration.

    I started running the summer after 7th grade, it was with Erika actually. I ran cross-country and track all through highschool and into community college. I ran a two marathons before the age of 23 - not too much of a stretch considering I used to run 6 days a week with 3 days of weight training. By the time I turned 28 I was a little burned out and used the birth of my first born as an excuse to take a "break". Four years and another kid later and I'm still on my "break".

    I think it's time to get to it. I've tried unsuccessfully for the past two years to get into a routine, but now that my little mama is 2 1/2 I have no more excuses.

    So I'm taking it one day at a time.

    (My ultimate goal would be to run the next L.A. Marathon in 10 months but I don't want to overwhelm myself.)

    by sandrab on Tue May 06, 2008 at 10:11:49 PM PDT

    • who-hoo!!! (0 / 0)

      good job, Sandra B! A new lyric, just for you (sung, of course, to that song from Grease):

      Look at mee, I'm Sandra B
      Running with impunity
      Don't stop me now
      I'm running, oh wow!
      I'm just plain Sandra B

      (okay, of course you're not plain, but I had to stick with some of the lyrics)

      by Rachel on Tue May 06, 2008 at 10:25:59 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    • you go girl (0 / 0)

      I remember our "runs." We were convinced that we were chubby-- HA!! I haven't been that thin ever since.

      I wish I would have stuck to the running like you did. Instead I was a bookworm drama geek all through high school, practically allergic to exercise. I didn't really start until I was 25, but I feel like I've made up for that lost time.

      Right now I am not running because my acupuncturist recommended against any high-impact exercise while I'm trying to conceive. I miss it, though! So strange to miss something that I once loathed. :-)

      Good job, we're here for you!

      by Erika on Wed May 07, 2008 at 11:37:08 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • Thanks Erika. (0 / 0)

        I remember those runs well, it was a path directly behind your parents house. I don't know why we were so insecure about our bodies because looking back, we weren't even close to being chubby. In any event, those runs with you are where I realized that I loved to run.

        I ran again today, so if I can get through the next two weeks, I'll be alright. Other than the fact that I can't walk up or down the stairs, I'm feeling good.

        ...I was a bookworm drama geek all through high school, practically allergic to exercise

        You are so funny. I was the sometime bookworm cross-country geek that was addicted to working out.

        by sandrab on Wed May 07, 2008 at 04:10:32 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  • Okay (0 / 0)

    I got inspired.

    Yesterday at DD's tumbling class the instructor informed me that all the spin bikes were for sale, $100. She picked me out a nice one and offered to hold it for me till we move into our new home.

    Of course yesterday I also "suspended" my gym membership for 6 months (till DD# 2 is 4 months old) I figure it will take that long to really establish her nursing/napping schedule. That way I will know when to go to the gym.

    by Suzanne77 on Thu May 08, 2008 at 05:15:38 AM PDT

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