Hot flashes and running

Hot flashes and running don't mix! There I was all ready to have a great workout and 6 minutes into the run *POOF!* thermonuclear blast from the inside. Skin on my face prickling. Heat trying to escape every pour of my body. Hair drenched. And it lasted throughout the first mile. I had it.

Switched to minute long sprint intervals for the next 21 minutes, then did some serious incline walking for an additional 20 minutes (up to 10%). Total workout time = 55 minutes

Keira Knightly

I searched playlists on Rhapsody and thought I would try Keira Knightly's "rock" playlist. Cranked it and away I went. Most of the songs were absolutely NEW to me and I loved that. I saved it to use it again.

Today's "easy" 44 minute workout (since the last one was a 45 minute run):

• Powerwalk - Jillian Michaels programed 30 minutes (24 of it at 3.5 mph on 5%-7% inclines)
• Sprints - 14 minutes alternating 4mph and 6 mph

Here is Keira's Playlist

45 minutes - Nonstop

I was really dreading running today after this dismal workout week, but I made myself do it. I guess you can say that the 580 calorie slice of Key Lime pie at lunch inspired me to JUST DO IT.

Ran indoors on the treadmill 45 minutes without stopping or slowing a single time. In fact, as painfully hard as the first 7 minutes were, as as tedious as minutes 8 through 25 were, the last 20 were relatively quicker and easier. Go figure.

In fact, I sped up the last quarter mile.

I *used* to run 48 minutes a day. Pretty sure that is still a long way off but I AM GETTING THERE!!

BAD week

I am going to count this entire week a loss. A horrid workout Monday, no running time Tuesday or Wednesday due to photo shoot stuff, and dumb me put off last nights work out for this morning.

Little did I know I would wake up to raging painful sinuses today.

And I gained 3 pounds???

Tomorrow I wont have any me time either. This new schedule of George's is a challenge. I won't let it beat me. I have to learn to adapt to it.

Next workout time is Sunday morning.

For now, it is soup and the couch.

Disappointing Run

Can I blame it on having taken Dayquil (for the first time) earlier today?

I don't know what happened but I was just WEAK today. I was really struggling at 7 minutes and it took everything I had to make it a full 20 minute run before I stopped. That is pushing my progress back several weeks. I really wanted to keep going but it just wasn't in me today.

So disappointed.

Treadmill tonight:

• 20 minutes non-stop at a mid-range pace (faster than usual but not sprinting)
• 5 minutes at a very brisk walk at 3% incline
• 5 minutes at a moderate walk at 0% incline
• 3 minute cool down

Total calories burned? 300 according to the machine.

Just Doing It

Woke up to a cold, damp gray morning and had no desire to run. Nada. Zip. But my dilemma was I only have so many hours a week alone to do this without an audience or distractions around me. That is why I don't run on Saturdays. NO TIME ALONE. And I only get maybe 2 or 3 hours alone on Sunday.

So, I made myself get up early. Go down a glass of juice, que some music and just do it.

Did I choose to do one of my longer or more difficult workouts? Nope. It was just 25 minutes of alternating (fast and furious almost makes you lose your balance) sprints every other minute.

Was it easy? Nope. I hurt. All over. Hip flexors, feet, even my shoulders and upper back (from arm swinging). Hurt hurt hurt. I sweat. All over. I wanted nothing more than to quit and go sit and vegetate on the couch.

But did I finish? YES! I did. NOW I can go sit and watch football.

Weight Issues

My goal is to run the 5K in Portland, on December 4th, 2011. That is only 11 weeks and 2 days away. My doctor gave me clearance to run again, but I was told to avoid asphalt/street running until I get to a certain weight. Well, that weight is 22 pounds from now.

I have been running a little over four weeks. During those four weeks the scale has gone up and down and up and down the same three pounds. As of today, total NET loss = 1 pound.

Yeah, I feel so much stronger, my clothes are fitting a little looser and muscle weighs more than fat, but that isn't going to help my knees if I don't lose POUNDS before I hit the asphalt for December's run.

Feeling pretty discouraged about the weight right now. I think of every set of tens on the scale as a decade and I just want to get into my next 'decade' down. I am so close but it just isn't happening yet.

Today's workouts:

• Walked two miles at work (1 mile per break)
• Powerwalk - Jillian Michaels Level 2 week 1 day 3 on the treadmill for 25 minutes (7% incline!)
• Sprint intervals at max speed every other mile for 16 minutes.

31 Minutes Nonstop

Last night I got an email response to my last blog. My friend Yaish offered some advice on breathing and provided a link about "High Intensity Interval Training". In HIIT, a runner would alternate "30-40 seconds of jogging or walking with 15-20 seconds of hard sprinting." I thought that I would do a 1:1 ratio instead of a 2:1 ratio and see how that worked.

For the first 16 minutes straight: I alternated one minute intervals of a light jog with a full minute at the fastest full out sprints I could do. This was really helpful and I was finally was able to exhale out smoothly. Of course, that might not work at two sprint minutes, but I will get there. Thanks, Yaish.

For the next 15 minutes straight: I went to my comfortable jog mode. At the 23 minute mark I was READY TO QUIT. Those intervals earlier wore me out. Then I thought about my Facebook friend Richard. He weighs over 300 pounds, and is out there walking 2 to 3 miles during the hottest times of the day while I am indoors in a dust free, wind free, sun free climate. How DARE I give up! So thinking about Richard working so hard inspired me to work hard. In fact, I even threw in another FULL SPRINT interval at minute #28. Thanks, Richard.

TODAY's SUMMARY:

• Walked 3 miles at work (1 mile per break)
• Ran 31 minutes non-stop indoors
• Had my first success in deep breathing
• Felt my jeans sagging in the hips area today

GOALS:

• Start losing the pounds so I can run on asphalt (doctor set my goal at 16 to 21 more pounds)
• Keep working on breathing

Learning to Breathe

Breathing is the hardest part of running outdoors on the track for me. Each time I go out it feels like I can't get my breath and when I finally stop running I am panting like huffing and puffing like crazy trying to get my breathing back to normal.

Very bothersome. This doesn't happen though when I run my normal pace indoors.

To increase my lung capacity I decided four days ago to increase two out of three of my indoor workouts to full on sprint speeds. Today I wanted to match my very last sprint workout which was running a full (treadmill) mile at 2 MINUTES less than my comfort zone.

I did it and beat my 2011 (treadmill) mile time by an additional 25 seconds.

And was panting and wheezing afterward.

When running I try very hard to breathe in deep and exhale slowly. This just doesn't work for me yet. I am able to easily breathe in deep and smoothly as I run, but I have to exhale by blowing out mt breath in several bursts. I am hoping that I can get this breathing thing under control before it cools down enough to get back outdoors on the dirt.


I did a SECOND workout today as well (since I did my sprints so fast). Used the iFit pre-programmed Power Walk workout for 25 minutes. It too, had me huffing and puffing like a steam train taking a hill. It also had me calling "Jillian" the trainer, a bad name a few times.

2 minutes faster

I figured today's short range run could be used to challenge my lung capacity. After all, that is where I am weakest on the outdoor track.

Hopping on the treadmill (it is still a late in the season 90 degree muggy here) I cranked the treadmill up one full mile per hour faster than my norm. Sounds like a little until you try it. WOW!!!!

That didn't last long. Maybe a little under half a mile? I then compromised and finished out the rest of the full mile at .5 to .7 extra miles per hour faster. STILL a significant speed increase.

I cut two minutes off my normal treadmill mile!

My lungs were gasping for breath and my heart rate was through the roof. Yay! Mission accomplished. Yup. Lungs and heart definitely need more work.

Hindrances: Running so hard my lungs couldn't keep up (still need to work on breathing) and to remember to put my long hair in a pony tail first. Half way through my long hair began sticking to my back and shoulders. Funny what can annoy you when you are working out.

30 minutes 16 seconds: NONSTOP :)

I was going to just run 20 minutes but since I missed a workout due to the flu two days ago I figured I had some making up time to do.

I put on a 30 minute songlist and made myself keep running until the end of the last song. Thankfully I didn't have any more songs on that playlist!!!

Yeah, I ran indoors today. It is a sauna out there. Shelby ran outdoors and said her hands swelled up. If it had been me who ran outside I probably would have keeled over and woke up to some cute young paramedic leaning over me who was thinking to himself, "These old ladies really ought to know better".

And being real here, there is no shame in a 30 minute run on a treadmill. That is still a huge improvement over my first weeks. Step by step - I am getting there!

Too Hot

I had a trainer today - Jillian Michaels.

That is because last night was photo processing time after George and Shelby left so I didn't get my run in and then when I woke up today I wasn't feeling so great. Sneezing, sore throat and sinus pain. Great. Allergies! Then I noticed that it was pretty warm out.

It is already 80 degrees out at 11am. Highs at five today expected to reach 92. Is this the hottest day of 2011 for us? Normally that isn't a high temp for me, but pick up a 25 pound sack of dog food and go try running a mile in that weather.

I decided to work inside instead and plugged my long neglected Jillian Michael's I-Fit POWERWALK workout card into my Nordictrak treadmill.

I can't say enough good things about this set-up other than it is purely a love-hate relationship.

25 minutes of Jillian Michael's Power Walk at 5% to 7% inclines at a speed of 3 to 3.2mph may not sound rough but don't let that fool you. I was breathing harder and sweating more profusely than I do when I jog around the track. I can't tell you how happy I was when it was over. I didn't remember this as a cardio workout but it was.

Looking forward to cooler temps but it doesn't appear that will be anytime this coming week.

Another Goal Met - And Then Some!

Last week - I set my goal for today to be an 18 minute treadmill run...without stopping. So today after work I cranked the stereo/surround sound with a random mix, and set off to run 18 minutes.

At 15 minutes things started to get really tough but for reasons other than fatigue:

• Sweat began running down onto my eyeglasses and into my eyes but my towel was not within reach (and I did NOT want to stop!).
• The little window cooler was set on the lowest setting and the vent was aimed away from me.
• The song that came on for my last minutes was "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson... draggy... HARD to run strong in the last stretch with a song that makes you want to swing in a hammock sipping a fruity drink

Still, I kept remembering: If I don't do it today, I won't be stronger tomorrow.

Then at 18 minutes I remembered what Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper of Biggest Loser always say - "You can do ANYTHING for a minute".

I ran not 18, but 20 minutes without stop. I needed that. =)