This afternoon I did the next run on my training schedule. The run had 70 min at an easy pace, which I ran at 5.2 mph, and then 10 min at race pace, which is 6.7 mph for me. This run went OK; I wasn't as tired as I expect to me on the last 10 minutes, but the first 70 minutes really seemed to drag. I did this on the treadmill, and the distance came to 7.18 mi. While I did the run, I watched the movie Europa Report, which was quite good.
This evening, we are flying out to Ireland for our vacation! We will be doing a lot of hiking while we are there, and I'm really looking forward to it!
Friday, July 31, 2015
New Upper Body Workout
Yesterday after work, I did the next run on my training schedule, which was a 60-min easy run. I ran at 5.2 mph on the treadmill, so the distance came to 5.2 mi.
This morning I did a new workout for upper body strength that is based mostly on USTA's On the Road Training workout. I added a couple moves, and I'm doing them exclusively with dumbbells, not bands. Here are the moves:
This morning I did a new workout for upper body strength that is based mostly on USTA's On the Road Training workout. I added a couple moves, and I'm doing them exclusively with dumbbells, not bands. Here are the moves:
- Pull-ups: 10 reps
- Superset (2x)
- external shoulder rotations, 15 reps, 5 lb
- 90-90 external shoulder rotations, 15 reps, 8 lb
- Push-ups. I did 60 reps, cycling through 10 each of military push-ups, regular push-ups, and wide push-ups
- Superset (2x)
- Dumbbell push-press, 15 reps, 15 lb for the first set, 12 lb for the second
- Bicep curls, 15 reps, 12 lb
- Superset (2x)
- Low to high pulls, 15 reps, 10 lb
- Straight arm row, 15 reps, 10 lb
- Superset (2x)
- Upright row, 15 reps, 15 lb
- Lateral raises, 15 reps, 8 lb
- Superset (2x)
- Triceps overhead presses, 15 reps, 10 lb
- Single-arm row, 15 reps, 20 lb
- Front raises, 15 reps, 10 lb
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Evening Practice
Yesterday evening, I had a practice with my tennis team. In the first round, my partner, Bhanu, and I lost 5-4. It was a very competitive round. In the second round, my partner, Cora, and I won 6-2. It was starting to get dark in the last few games, so it was a bit of a challenge.
This morning, I did P90X2 X2 Core. I haven't done this workout in awhile, but it wasn't too bad. The bigger problem was just that I was really tired still, for some reason. I burned about 105 calories.
This morning, I did P90X2 X2 Core. I haven't done this workout in awhile, but it wasn't too bad. The bigger problem was just that I was really tired still, for some reason. I burned about 105 calories.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Singles Win!
Last night I played a 3.5 singles match with our team. My opponent was a 3.0 player, so I should've beaten her pretty easily, but that doesn't always happen. In this case, though, I was playing pretty well and won 6-1, 6-2. The other players on our team won, also, and by large margins, so we swept the match!
This morning, I did Insanity the Asylum Speed & Agility. I haven't done this workout for awhile, and I could tell! I was also tired from being up late last night. It is a great workout for cardio and agility. I burned about 255 calories in 45 minutes!
This morning, I did Insanity the Asylum Speed & Agility. I haven't done this workout for awhile, and I could tell! I was also tired from being up late last night. It is a great workout for cardio and agility. I burned about 255 calories in 45 minutes!
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
New Workout
Yesterday I made into a rest day, because there is a conference on campus that I was at intermittently from 8:30am to 9pm. That was a bit much, but fortunately today will be a shorter day.
This morning I started a trial week of workouts focused on tennis improvements. I'm going to have a day of upper body strength work, a day of lower body strength work, a day of core work, and a day of agility work. Today I did the lower body strength work. First, I did walking lunges holding out an 8-lb medicine ball and twisting back and forth with each lunge. I did 6 reps per leg. Next, I did "monster walks", which is walking sideways while squatting and with a band around your calves; I did 16 steps in each direction. Then I repeated those two exercises, but switching to a 5-lb weight for the lunges.
After that, I switched to plyometric moves. I did 20 squat jumps, then 20 jumps onto a 12-in high box. Then I did 20 jumps to the right onto the box, and then 20 jumps to the left onto the box. Then I did 10 pull-ups, with some breaks to get them all in. Finally, I did 20 split squat jumps and 20 tuck jumps.
The last superset of exercises was for the wrist. I used 3-lb weights. First, I did 15 wrist flexions (palms up and lifting up), then 15 wrist extensions (palms down and lifting up), and then 15 wrist radial deviations (thumbs up and lifting up). I repeated all three moves. The wrist flexions were the hardest; I might go to 5-lb weights for the others.
Then I went back and did the lunges, monster walks, and jumping moves again, but with only half the reps.
With a warm-up and stretch, this all took just under 45 minutes, which wasn't too bad. I burned about 160 calories, which also wasn't too bad.
I realized after the fact that I didn't do enough lunges, because I was supposed to do 12 per leg, not 12 total in each set. Oops! Those are kind of annoying, anyway, because I don't have a lot of room to "walk" in my basement exercise room.
I got the lunges, monster walks, and wrist exercises from USTA's On the Road Training Manual. I forget where I got the plyo moves from, but they are pretty standard lower-body plyo exercies.
This morning I started a trial week of workouts focused on tennis improvements. I'm going to have a day of upper body strength work, a day of lower body strength work, a day of core work, and a day of agility work. Today I did the lower body strength work. First, I did walking lunges holding out an 8-lb medicine ball and twisting back and forth with each lunge. I did 6 reps per leg. Next, I did "monster walks", which is walking sideways while squatting and with a band around your calves; I did 16 steps in each direction. Then I repeated those two exercises, but switching to a 5-lb weight for the lunges.
After that, I switched to plyometric moves. I did 20 squat jumps, then 20 jumps onto a 12-in high box. Then I did 20 jumps to the right onto the box, and then 20 jumps to the left onto the box. Then I did 10 pull-ups, with some breaks to get them all in. Finally, I did 20 split squat jumps and 20 tuck jumps.
The last superset of exercises was for the wrist. I used 3-lb weights. First, I did 15 wrist flexions (palms up and lifting up), then 15 wrist extensions (palms down and lifting up), and then 15 wrist radial deviations (thumbs up and lifting up). I repeated all three moves. The wrist flexions were the hardest; I might go to 5-lb weights for the others.
Then I went back and did the lunges, monster walks, and jumping moves again, but with only half the reps.
With a warm-up and stretch, this all took just under 45 minutes, which wasn't too bad. I burned about 160 calories, which also wasn't too bad.
I realized after the fact that I didn't do enough lunges, because I was supposed to do 12 per leg, not 12 total in each set. Oops! Those are kind of annoying, anyway, because I don't have a lot of room to "walk" in my basement exercise room.
I got the lunges, monster walks, and wrist exercises from USTA's On the Road Training Manual. I forget where I got the plyo moves from, but they are pretty standard lower-body plyo exercies.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Hiking
This morning I did my usual Sunday boxing class. The regular instructor was back. It was a good class!
This afternoon, we did some more hiking to get ready for our Ireland trip. We loaded our backpacks not only with the filled water reservoirs but also with a lot of the other items we will be carrying. We hiked between 5.5 and 6 mi - our two GPSs disagreed on the exact distance. It took about 2.5 hours. We definitely hiked more slowly today with our heavier backpacks.
This afternoon, we did some more hiking to get ready for our Ireland trip. We loaded our backpacks not only with the filled water reservoirs but also with a lot of the other items we will be carrying. We hiked between 5.5 and 6 mi - our two GPSs disagreed on the exact distance. It took about 2.5 hours. We definitely hiked more slowly today with our heavier backpacks.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Race Pace Intervals
Yesterday was my rest day. In the morning, I did my shortened version of P90X2 Recovery + Mobility, which burned about 75 calories. That was really the only activity I did for the day.
This morning, I had practice with my tennis team. In the first round, I played a two-person doubles drill. I won 4-2. After that, since we only had 4 players, we played doubles. My partner and I ended up tying our opponents 6-6 by the time we had to stop. It was a fun set, with a lot of good points.
This afternoon, I did the next run on my training schedule, which called for race pace intervals. First I did 2 x 2 mi at 6.7 mph, alternating with 2 x 5 min at 5 mph. Since a mile at 6.7 mph takes 9 minutes, I did the intervals by time. After this longer intervals, I then did 2 x 1 mi at 6.7 mph, alternating with 2 x 3 min at 5 mph. This all took 70 min and the distance came to 7.36 mi. I was kind of dreading this run, because I thought it was going to be really hard. However, is turned out to not be so bad. The 2 mi intervals went pretty well, but by the time I got to the last 1 mi interval, I was getting worn out. Even so, it made me feel good. It seems like the training schedule and the really easy runs might actually be working!
This morning, I had practice with my tennis team. In the first round, I played a two-person doubles drill. I won 4-2. After that, since we only had 4 players, we played doubles. My partner and I ended up tying our opponents 6-6 by the time we had to stop. It was a fun set, with a lot of good points.
This afternoon, I did the next run on my training schedule, which called for race pace intervals. First I did 2 x 2 mi at 6.7 mph, alternating with 2 x 5 min at 5 mph. Since a mile at 6.7 mph takes 9 minutes, I did the intervals by time. After this longer intervals, I then did 2 x 1 mi at 6.7 mph, alternating with 2 x 3 min at 5 mph. This all took 70 min and the distance came to 7.36 mi. I was kind of dreading this run, because I thought it was going to be really hard. However, is turned out to not be so bad. The 2 mi intervals went pretty well, but by the time I got to the last 1 mi interval, I was getting worn out. Even so, it made me feel good. It seems like the training schedule and the really easy runs might actually be working!
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Evening Practice
Yesterday evening, I had a practice with my tennis team. In the first round, my partner, Lindsay, and I won 4-3. In the second round, my partner, Bhanu, and I won 5-4. Both rounds were a lot of fun, with many good points. It's nice when the practices are competitive and not "courtesy tennis".
This morning, I did P90X3 Eccentric Lower, preceded by Cold Start. This workout went fine. I burned about 85 calories. Afterward, I ran on the treadmill for 20 min at 5.2 mph, yielding a distance of 1.73 mi.
This afternoon after work, I did my tennis speed and power workout. I wasn't really feeling like doing it today, but it turned out OK once I got to the court to do it. I burned about 280 calories.
This morning, I did P90X3 Eccentric Lower, preceded by Cold Start. This workout went fine. I burned about 85 calories. Afterward, I ran on the treadmill for 20 min at 5.2 mph, yielding a distance of 1.73 mi.
This afternoon after work, I did my tennis speed and power workout. I wasn't really feeling like doing it today, but it turned out OK once I got to the court to do it. I burned about 280 calories.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Long Easy Run
Yesterday after work, I did the next run on my training schedule. It was supposed to be a 60-min easy run, but since I was in meetings all day and didn't get to do my usual walking around, I made it 70 min. I ran at 5.2 mph on the treadmill, so the distance came to 6.07 mi.
This morning, I did P90X3 Triometrics, preceded by Cold Start. This workout felt pretty hard to me today, especially the actual jumping moves. I think my balance might have been a bit better. I burned about 135 calories. Afterward, I ran 20 min on the treadmill at 5.2 mph, for a distance of 1.73 mi.
This morning, I did P90X3 Triometrics, preceded by Cold Start. This workout felt pretty hard to me today, especially the actual jumping moves. I think my balance might have been a bit better. I burned about 135 calories. Afterward, I ran 20 min on the treadmill at 5.2 mph, for a distance of 1.73 mi.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Club Night
Last night I went to Club Night at TCCP. This is some low-pressure, round-robin tennis, often mixed. In the first round, I played singles and ended up winning 4-3. The funny thing about the round was neither of us could hold our serves - we did the exact opposite! In the second round, I played mixed doubles. My partner and I ended up losing 3-4, but it was fun. In the last round, I also played mixed doubles, and again we lost 3-4, but it was another fun round. It was SO HOT, but once the Sun went down, it started to feel a little better.
This morning, I did P90X3 Incinerator, preceded by Cold Start. I was supposed to do Eccentric Upper, but switch to Incinerator. For Eccentric Upper, I really need to use pretty heavy weights, which has been bothering my left hand/forearm/elbow; with Incinerator, I can use a bit lighter weights and go for more reps. I burned about 85 calories.
This morning, I did P90X3 Incinerator, preceded by Cold Start. I was supposed to do Eccentric Upper, but switch to Incinerator. For Eccentric Upper, I really need to use pretty heavy weights, which has been bothering my left hand/forearm/elbow; with Incinerator, I can use a bit lighter weights and go for more reps. I burned about 85 calories.
Monday, July 20, 2015
P90X3 MMX
This morning I did P90X3 MMX, preceded by Cold Start. This is a good workout, and it's fun. It was good at motivating me when I woke up still tired from all the hiking yesterday. I burned about 165 calories.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Hiking in Rock Creek
This morning I went to my usual Sunday boxing class. However, the usual instructor wasn't there today. The pro that taught the class usually teaches kickboxing, so I don't go to his classes much. While we didn't do any kickboxing today, he definitely put us through a hard class. Lots of cardio without many breaks.
This afternoon, my husband and I went hiking on some of the unpaved trails in Rock Creek Park. We're going to be doing lots of hiking in Ireland, so we thought it would be a good idea to re-acquaint our feet with our hiking boots and check out our equipment. I have a new Camelbak backpack with a bigger (3 liter) water reservoir. We hiked for about 1.5 hours. Runkeeper on my phone said we went about 6.6 mi, while my husband's GPS app said we went about 6.9 mi. It doesn't matter too much. We didn't have any problems, but it was SO hot. We were totally soaked with sweat by the time we were done.
This afternoon, my husband and I went hiking on some of the unpaved trails in Rock Creek Park. We're going to be doing lots of hiking in Ireland, so we thought it would be a good idea to re-acquaint our feet with our hiking boots and check out our equipment. I have a new Camelbak backpack with a bigger (3 liter) water reservoir. We hiked for about 1.5 hours. Runkeeper on my phone said we went about 6.6 mi, while my husband's GPS app said we went about 6.9 mi. It doesn't matter too much. We didn't have any problems, but it was SO hot. We were totally soaked with sweat by the time we were done.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Long Easy Run
This morning I had practice with my tennis team. Unfortunately it started raining about halfway through. In the only round I got to play, I won at singles 6-0, 2-0. I was definitely playing a different opponent than on Thursday night!
Around lunchtime, Bill and I went to REI to get some clothes and other items in preparation for our trip to Ireland in a couple weeks. In particular, we both needed rain pants to put over our hiking pants - it's likely we'll be hiking through some rain.
This afternoon, I did the next run on my training schedule, which was a 90-min easy run. I ran on the treadmill at 5.2 mph, so the distance came to 7.8 mi. It's amazing to me that a run that takes such a long time does not exhaust me! I watched the movie Sunshine during the run. The first 73 minutes of it was very interesting and quite good, and then it turned into a horror movie on and off for the rest of it, which was disappointing and unnecessary. And I really have no desire to watch horror while running!
Around lunchtime, Bill and I went to REI to get some clothes and other items in preparation for our trip to Ireland in a couple weeks. In particular, we both needed rain pants to put over our hiking pants - it's likely we'll be hiking through some rain.
This afternoon, I did the next run on my training schedule, which was a 90-min easy run. I ran on the treadmill at 5.2 mph, so the distance came to 7.8 mi. It's amazing to me that a run that takes such a long time does not exhaust me! I watched the movie Sunshine during the run. The first 73 minutes of it was very interesting and quite good, and then it turned into a horror movie on and off for the rest of it, which was disappointing and unnecessary. And I really have no desire to watch horror while running!
Friday, July 17, 2015
Beep Test
Yesterday evening I had a practice with my tennis team. Before the practice, I did an aerobic capacity test called the Beep Test. I installed an app for this test on my phone, which makes it convenient to do. You run continuously between two markers that are 65 ft apart; the app puts out timed beeps, and you have to reach each marker before the next beep. Gradually, the time between the beeps gets less and less, so you have to run faster and faster. The speed you need to run starts out at about 5 mph. Well, I was disappointed that I only completed level 5 before I had to give up because I was panting so hard. The speed I was at was about 6.9 mph. I know that I can run faster than that, but apparently not so continuously - you do about a minute at each speed level (with multiple beeps) before the speed increases. I'd like to improve on this, but I have no idea when I'd fit it into my schedule - I hope my actually running training will help me improve.
After I did the Beep Test, I did a few spider drills, and then players were arriving for practice, so we started warming up early. I played singles in both of my rounds, which was very humbling. I played against two of our best 3.5 singles players, and they cleaned the court with me. In the first round, I lost 6-0, 1-0. Not even that many deuce games - my opponent had lots of well-placed shots and took advantage of my serve pretty much every time. In the second round, I lost 6-2, 2-0. Even though the scores aren't that different, I was definitely doing better in this round. My partner made some mistakes on my serve. However, she was really good at coming in to the net and putting it away.
Today is my rest day, so this morning I did my shortened version of P90X2 Recovery + Mobility. I burned about 75 calories.
After I did the Beep Test, I did a few spider drills, and then players were arriving for practice, so we started warming up early. I played singles in both of my rounds, which was very humbling. I played against two of our best 3.5 singles players, and they cleaned the court with me. In the first round, I lost 6-0, 1-0. Not even that many deuce games - my opponent had lots of well-placed shots and took advantage of my serve pretty much every time. In the second round, I lost 6-2, 2-0. Even though the scores aren't that different, I was definitely doing better in this round. My partner made some mistakes on my serve. However, she was really good at coming in to the net and putting it away.
Today is my rest day, so this morning I did my shortened version of P90X2 Recovery + Mobility. I burned about 75 calories.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Easy Run
Yesterday after work, I did the next run on my training schedule: a 60-min easy run. I ran at 5.2 mph on the treadmill, so the distance came to 5.2 mi. The easy runs are still feeling pretty good! I probably should've done this one outside, but I was too lazy to deal with the hassle of driving through traffic down to the trail.
This morning, I did P90X3 Decelerator, preceded by Cold Start. The workout went OK. I did 6 pull-ups for each pull-up move, which was good! I burned about 105 calories.
This morning I was at my lowest weight in almost two months! I am finally getting the chance to take off the weight I gained over Memorial Day!
This morning, I did P90X3 Decelerator, preceded by Cold Start. The workout went OK. I did 6 pull-ups for each pull-up move, which was good! I burned about 105 calories.
This morning I was at my lowest weight in almost two months! I am finally getting the chance to take off the weight I gained over Memorial Day!
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Tennis Speed and Power
Yesterday after work, I did my tennis speed and power workout again. I didn't change anything about this workout - this is the fifth time I've done it. It took about 65 minutes and burned almost 300 calories. It's hard to tell if it's helping me much, but I do feel it in my arms with the medicine-ball throws. I think my back-pedaling is getting faster.
This morning, I did P90X3 Total Synergistics, preceded by Cold Start. This is another workout that is a mixed-bag to me, because it's sort of a mix of different types of exercises. I guess I would prefer all strength, or all core, or all plyo, or whatever, rather than jumping from type to type. At any rate, I burned about 125 calories. After I finished, I did a shortened version of P90X3 Dynamix, doing only the moves focusing on the legs.
This morning, I did P90X3 Total Synergistics, preceded by Cold Start. This is another workout that is a mixed-bag to me, because it's sort of a mix of different types of exercises. I guess I would prefer all strength, or all core, or all plyo, or whatever, rather than jumping from type to type. At any rate, I burned about 125 calories. After I finished, I did a shortened version of P90X3 Dynamix, doing only the moves focusing on the legs.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Easy Run
Yesterday after work, I did an easy run on the treadmill. I ran for 40 min at 5.2 mph, so the distance came to 3.46 mi. A lot shorter than my other runs recently! I was pleased that I still had the energy to make this feel easy, since I've been running so much recently.
This morning, I did P90X3 Triometrics, preceded by Cold Start. The workout went OK - I burned about 135 calories. Afterward, I ran for 20 min on the treadmill at 5.2 mph, for a distance of 1.73 mi. Got to get a little extra calorie burn!
This morning, I did P90X3 Triometrics, preceded by Cold Start. The workout went OK - I burned about 135 calories. Afterward, I ran for 20 min on the treadmill at 5.2 mph, for a distance of 1.73 mi. Got to get a little extra calorie burn!
Monday, July 13, 2015
Activities Near Uniontown, PA
Yesterday I had to go to a wedding shower in Uniontown, PA, which is a 3-hr drive from my house. It seemed like a waste of a weekend day to spend 9am - 12pm and 3-6pm driving on either side of the shower, so I decided to look for interesting activities to do near Uniontown.
Before the shower, I went to Laurel Caverns, which is the largest natural cave in Pennsylvania. I took the 1-hr guided tour, which went through many of the main caverns. Some of the connecting passageways were quite narrow and/or low. The cave does not have a lot of stalactites or stalagmites, which the guide explained was because of the type of rock involved. It was an interesting experience.
After the shower, I went to Ohiopyle State Park to do some walking and running. This park is a trailhead for the Laurel Highlands Trail, which is a pretty well-known, cross-country, long hiking trail. I had been thinking about doing some hiking on this trail. However, I only had about two hours to spend, and I didn't think that would get me too far out-and-back, and probably wouldn't burn that many calories.
Instead, I decided to walk and hike on the easy Great Allegheny Passage, which is a walking/biking trail that runs from Pittsburgh, PA, to Cumberland, MD. The section in the park runs along the Youghiogheny River. It's a very nice trail, with a wide, non-paved, but nicely-maintained surface. It's similar to the C&O Canal Trail in Maryland, but actually even wider.
I walked on the trail for about 30 min, then ran for about 1 hr (turning around halfway), and then walked again for about 30 min. The walking segments totaled about 47 min and 3.1 mi, which is an average speed of about 4 mph. The run totaled 5.25 mi in 1:00:20, which was an average speed of 5.22 mph - pretty good! I had a hard time keeping the run "easy" with my heart rate, because it was so nice and cool and the path was so wide, it was easy to start running faster. Toward the end of the run, it started to sprinkle a bit. There was so much canopy that I didn't feel it much, but by about 1/3 of the way into my second walking segment, it started coming down harder. Fortunately I was already pretty soaked and it wasn't too cold, so it wasn't a big deal.
This morning, I did P90X3 The Challenge, preceded by Cold Start. My numbers were 25 push-ups and 5 pull-ups. I hit all my push-ups, so with the burnout at the end, it means I did 224 push-ups! I didn't quite make 5 pull-ups each move, so I had more like 38 + 8 burnout pull-ups. Not bad! But for all that, I burned about 85 calories. Sigh.
Before the shower, I went to Laurel Caverns, which is the largest natural cave in Pennsylvania. I took the 1-hr guided tour, which went through many of the main caverns. Some of the connecting passageways were quite narrow and/or low. The cave does not have a lot of stalactites or stalagmites, which the guide explained was because of the type of rock involved. It was an interesting experience.
After the shower, I went to Ohiopyle State Park to do some walking and running. This park is a trailhead for the Laurel Highlands Trail, which is a pretty well-known, cross-country, long hiking trail. I had been thinking about doing some hiking on this trail. However, I only had about two hours to spend, and I didn't think that would get me too far out-and-back, and probably wouldn't burn that many calories.
Instead, I decided to walk and hike on the easy Great Allegheny Passage, which is a walking/biking trail that runs from Pittsburgh, PA, to Cumberland, MD. The section in the park runs along the Youghiogheny River. It's a very nice trail, with a wide, non-paved, but nicely-maintained surface. It's similar to the C&O Canal Trail in Maryland, but actually even wider.
I walked on the trail for about 30 min, then ran for about 1 hr (turning around halfway), and then walked again for about 30 min. The walking segments totaled about 47 min and 3.1 mi, which is an average speed of about 4 mph. The run totaled 5.25 mi in 1:00:20, which was an average speed of 5.22 mph - pretty good! I had a hard time keeping the run "easy" with my heart rate, because it was so nice and cool and the path was so wide, it was easy to start running faster. Toward the end of the run, it started to sprinkle a bit. There was so much canopy that I didn't feel it much, but by about 1/3 of the way into my second walking segment, it started coming down harder. Fortunately I was already pretty soaked and it wasn't too cold, so it wasn't a big deal.
This morning, I did P90X3 The Challenge, preceded by Cold Start. My numbers were 25 push-ups and 5 pull-ups. I hit all my push-ups, so with the burnout at the end, it means I did 224 push-ups! I didn't quite make 5 pull-ups each move, so I had more like 38 + 8 burnout pull-ups. Not bad! But for all that, I burned about 85 calories. Sigh.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Race Pace Intervals
This afternoon I did the next run on my training schedule, which called for race pace intervals, followed by strides. According to the pace I want to run my 10K race at, 6.7 mph, I needed to do 5 x 1 mi at 6.7 mph, alternating with 5 x 0.5 mi at 5.0 mph. At those speeds, that effectively becomes 5 x 9 min at 6.7 mph, alternating with 5 x 6 min at 5.0mph. At the end, the strides were 4 x 30 sec at 7.5 mph, alternating with 4 x 45 sec at 5.0mph. With all of this, the distance came to 8.02 mi in 1:20:00.
I expected this run to be very hard, because this was the run (without the strides) that I couldn't even finish the first time it was on the schedule at the end of May. However, I definitely got it done without it killing me. I did take some breaks during the race pace intervals - next time I will try to cut those down. Even so, I think it went very well. Maybe all the really easy runs are finally helping me out!
I watched a move to distract me: The Fountain. This was an interesting movie, with a lot of evocative and interesting visuals. Certainly more of a thoughtful movie than an action movie, but it did keep me entertained.
I expected this run to be very hard, because this was the run (without the strides) that I couldn't even finish the first time it was on the schedule at the end of May. However, I definitely got it done without it killing me. I did take some breaks during the race pace intervals - next time I will try to cut those down. Even so, I think it went very well. Maybe all the really easy runs are finally helping me out!
I watched a move to distract me: The Fountain. This was an interesting movie, with a lot of evocative and interesting visuals. Certainly more of a thoughtful movie than an action movie, but it did keep me entertained.
Saturday Boxing
Yesterday was my rest day, so I didn't do any activity in the afternoon or evening. I did do some yard work.
This morning I was supposed to have a practice with my tennis team. However, it was raining when I got up and it didn't look like it would dry out in time, so I canceled it. Instead, I went to a boxing class. The class was OK - he does keep us moving. I burned about 320 calories.
This morning I was supposed to have a practice with my tennis team. However, it was raining when I got up and it didn't look like it would dry out in time, so I canceled it. Instead, I went to a boxing class. The class was OK - he does keep us moving. I burned about 320 calories.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Speed and Power
Yesterday after work, I did my tennis speed and power workout again. It took about 65 minutes, and I burned almost 300 calories. The weather was looking like rain, but it only sprinkled on me.
Today is my rest day, so this morning, I did my shortened version of P90X2 Recovery + Mobility. I burned about 75 calories.
Today is my rest day, so this morning, I did my shortened version of P90X2 Recovery + Mobility. I burned about 75 calories.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Long Run
Yesterday after work, I did the next run on my training schedule, which was a 60-min long, easy run. I ran at 5.2 mph, so the distance came to 5.19 mi. The time passed by pretty quickly on this one, since I was watching on of my favorite Stargate SG-1 episodes: "Failsafe". (It's all about a possible asteroid impact, and I teach two classes on asteroids, one of which deals with the asteroid impact threat! Total geek out!)
This morning, I did P90X3 Agility X, preceded by Cold Start. I burned about 185 calories. Afterward, I did a 20-min run on the treadmill at 5.2 mph, which came to 1.73 mi.
I am making progress in losing the weight I gained over our Memorial Day vacation, but I'm still not back down to that level. Too may other special events have come up during which I've eaten too much.
This morning, I did P90X3 Agility X, preceded by Cold Start. I burned about 185 calories. Afterward, I did a 20-min run on the treadmill at 5.2 mph, which came to 1.73 mi.
I am making progress in losing the weight I gained over our Memorial Day vacation, but I'm still not back down to that level. Too may other special events have come up during which I've eaten too much.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Evening Practice
Yesterday evening I had a practice with my tennis team. We played some singles first. I won my singles 3-1 over my opponent. Then we played some doubles. My partner, Donna, and I got ahead 3-1, but ended up losing 5-4 by the time we had to stop. Our opponents definitely picked it up and started playing better, especially at the net.
This morning I did P90X3 Decelerator, preceded by Cold Start. I burned about 105 calories.
This morning I did P90X3 Decelerator, preceded by Cold Start. I burned about 105 calories.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Singles Win!
Last night was the first match for both my 3.0 and 3.5 summer singles teams. The 3.0 team won two of the three courts, so they got an overall win.
I played in the 3.5 match. My opponent was a 3.0 (albeit a good one), so I shouldn't have had such a hard time against her, but I did. I won the first set 6-3. We were on serve until about 3-3, and then I broke her serve twice and got the set. In the second set, we were pretty even until about 4-4, and then I made a bunch of mistakes and lost the next two games. I'm not really sure what I did, but it was not good. We started the match tie-breaker with about 12 minutes left. I had been playing so badly at that point that I decided to just play as conservatively as possible, keep the ball in play, and not lose points - if the tie-breaker timed out and didn't count, I would win. Of course, I got down 1-4 pretty fast. I fought back and by the time the match was called, I was ahead 8-7. The match tie-breaker didn't count, so I won because I won more games.
We won the other two courts as well, so the 3.5 team got a clean sweep to start the season, which was nice!
This morning I did P90X3 Eccentric Lower, preceded by Cold Start. This is a pretty good workout, although I hate lunges. I was also pretty tired from the late match. I burned about 95 calories.
I played in the 3.5 match. My opponent was a 3.0 (albeit a good one), so I shouldn't have had such a hard time against her, but I did. I won the first set 6-3. We were on serve until about 3-3, and then I broke her serve twice and got the set. In the second set, we were pretty even until about 4-4, and then I made a bunch of mistakes and lost the next two games. I'm not really sure what I did, but it was not good. We started the match tie-breaker with about 12 minutes left. I had been playing so badly at that point that I decided to just play as conservatively as possible, keep the ball in play, and not lose points - if the tie-breaker timed out and didn't count, I would win. Of course, I got down 1-4 pretty fast. I fought back and by the time the match was called, I was ahead 8-7. The match tie-breaker didn't count, so I won because I won more games.
We won the other two courts as well, so the 3.5 team got a clean sweep to start the season, which was nice!
This morning I did P90X3 Eccentric Lower, preceded by Cold Start. This is a pretty good workout, although I hate lunges. I was also pretty tired from the late match. I burned about 95 calories.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Two Easy Runs (Edited)
(I edited this from the original, adding in my Saturday afternoon activity.)
Saturday afternoon, I did a walk around Grosse Pointe to look at some of the GP Benches , which are decorated, sponsored benches placed around Grosse Pointe. Many of them are quite pretty, so I thought it would be nice to view some, and a good excuse for a walk.
Well, it turns out that it can be harder to find a park bench than you might think. They are not always located right at the addresses listed on the map for them - they can be around the corner, or on the other side of the building, and so on. Some of them seem to be missing. However, I did end up viewing 15 of the 41 benches. This bench below, Monarchs in the Garden, was my favorite.
The walk took me about 90 minutes and was a little over 5 miles - my GPS glitched at the beginning, so I don't know the exact distance.
Yesterday morning I did a 40-min easy run in Grosse Pointe before we left. I ran 3.48 mi in 40:25, which was an average speed of 5.17 mph. It was another beautiful morning, although my legs were a little tired from the day before.
After that, we drove back home to Maryland.
This morning, I did P90X3 Eccentric Upper, preceded by Cold Start. This workout is hard on my left forearm/elbow, but I got it done. I burned about 80 calories. Afteward, I did a 20-min easy run on the treadmill: a speed of 5.2 mph, which gave a distance of 3.46 mi.
Saturday afternoon, I did a walk around Grosse Pointe to look at some of the GP Benches , which are decorated, sponsored benches placed around Grosse Pointe. Many of them are quite pretty, so I thought it would be nice to view some, and a good excuse for a walk.
Well, it turns out that it can be harder to find a park bench than you might think. They are not always located right at the addresses listed on the map for them - they can be around the corner, or on the other side of the building, and so on. Some of them seem to be missing. However, I did end up viewing 15 of the 41 benches. This bench below, Monarchs in the Garden, was my favorite.
Yesterday morning I did a 40-min easy run in Grosse Pointe before we left. I ran 3.48 mi in 40:25, which was an average speed of 5.17 mph. It was another beautiful morning, although my legs were a little tired from the day before.
After that, we drove back home to Maryland.
This morning, I did P90X3 Eccentric Upper, preceded by Cold Start. This workout is hard on my left forearm/elbow, but I got it done. I burned about 80 calories. Afteward, I did a 20-min easy run on the treadmill: a speed of 5.2 mph, which gave a distance of 3.46 mi.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Long Easy Run
This morning I did the next run on my training schedule, which was a 70-min easy run. I'm still in Grosse Pointe, so I ran down Lakeshore Drive, which goes along Lake St. Clair. It's pretty, and there's always a bit of a breeze off the lake. I ran 6.25 mi in 1:12:58, which gave an average speed of 5.14 mph. This is in line with the easy run speed I have been doing on the treadmill, so that was good.
I might finally be getting the point behind the really easy runs. It was such a beautiful morning today and such a nice setting, I felt like I could just keep running and running. The run wasn't killing me, like it sometimes feels like. I just hope that my speed really does increase like it's supposed to.
I might finally be getting the point behind the really easy runs. It was such a beautiful morning today and such a nice setting, I felt like I could just keep running and running. The run wasn't killing me, like it sometimes feels like. I just hope that my speed really does increase like it's supposed to.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Easy Run & Golf
Yesterday afternoon, I did an easy run on the treadmill to burn some calories. I ran at 5.2 mph for 40 min, which gave a distance of 3.46 mi.
I wanted to burn some calories because yesterday after dinner, we got on our way to Grosse Pointe, MI, to visit my in-laws. I always eat too much on trips. Since we had to leave after my husband's work, we only got to part-way through Ohio before we stopped for the night. I slept horribly, despite being tired.
We got started pretty early today and arrived in Grosse Pointe before lunch. In the afternoon, we played a round of golf at the Detroit Country Club. I played pretty badly, as usual, but at least it was a beautiful day.
I wanted to burn some calories because yesterday after dinner, we got on our way to Grosse Pointe, MI, to visit my in-laws. I always eat too much on trips. Since we had to leave after my husband's work, we only got to part-way through Ohio before we stopped for the night. I slept horribly, despite being tired.
We got started pretty early today and arrived in Grosse Pointe before lunch. In the afternoon, we played a round of golf at the Detroit Country Club. I played pretty badly, as usual, but at least it was a beautiful day.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Easy Run
Yesterday after work, I did the next run on my training schedule, which was a 40-min easy run. I ran on the treadmill at 5.2 mph. The distance came to 3.46 mi. So far, the slightly increased speed still feels "easy".
This morning I did P90X3 Triometrics, preceded by Cold Start. It went OK. I burned about 125 calories.
This morning I did P90X3 Triometrics, preceded by Cold Start. It went OK. I burned about 125 calories.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Evening Practice
Yesterday evening I had a practice with my tennis team. First, we played 4 games of singles. I tied my opponent 2-2. Next, we played some doubles. My partner, Mary Ann, and I lost 7-6. It was a lot of fun and very competitive! Luckily we didn't get any rain or thunderstorms.
This morning, I did P90X3 MMX, preceded by Cold Start. This is a fun workout. I burned about 200 calories.
Before I went to work, I took a short walk around the neighborhood. It was a beautiful morning!
Lately I have been trying to not sit around so much at work. The past few weeks, I've been doing an afternoon walk through my building. Well, my building connects to a couple other ones, so if I walk around all the connecting floors and then go upstars, I get a pretty good walk. It takes 20 - 25 minutes, and I get about 2500 steps. I don't want to walk outside, because this time of year it's usually pretty hot and I'd get sweaty and sunburned. I do have to take it a little easy inside so that I don't start sweating too much and get smelly. The joys of sweating at the drop of a hat!
This morning, I did P90X3 MMX, preceded by Cold Start. This is a fun workout. I burned about 200 calories.
Before I went to work, I took a short walk around the neighborhood. It was a beautiful morning!
Lately I have been trying to not sit around so much at work. The past few weeks, I've been doing an afternoon walk through my building. Well, my building connects to a couple other ones, so if I walk around all the connecting floors and then go upstars, I get a pretty good walk. It takes 20 - 25 minutes, and I get about 2500 steps. I don't want to walk outside, because this time of year it's usually pretty hot and I'd get sweaty and sunburned. I do have to take it a little easy inside so that I don't start sweating too much and get smelly. The joys of sweating at the drop of a hat!
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