Tennis & Mobility

Yesterday I subbed in to some tennis contract time, so I played doubles tennis for two hours.  It was good to play again after some time off around Thanksgiving.  I felt like I was playing pretty well in terms of net play.

This morning I did my routine for tennis and running strength and mobility.  These are intended to be low-weight, high-rep moves for more accessory-type muscles.  Here are the moves:

• 2 x 15 per arm external shoulder rotations with 5-lb dumbbell
• 2 x 15 per arm vertical shoulder rotations with 5-lb dumbbells
• 2 x 16 steps per side "monster walks" - lateral steps while squatting with a resistance band around the calves
• 15 per leg "sneaky lunges" - walking lunges where the entire sequence is done on tip-toes
• 2 x 15 per leg calf raises with 30-lb dumbbell
• 15 eccentric calf raises
• 3 x 30 sec walking on tip-toes
• 15 hamstring curls on Swiss ball
• 15 per side hip strengtheners (from Runner's World)

Weekend Runs

On Saturday morning, I did the next run on my training scheduled.  This was a 5-mile run at an easy pace of 11:18 min/mi.  It was warmer than the morning before and looked like it could rain, but luckily it did not.  This run went fine.  I hit the correct pace on 3 of my miles and missed the other 2 a little fast.

This morning, I did my first official "long run" of this training plan.  My long run pace is 10:56 min/mi.  I had a 6-mile run.  It was a nice, chilly morning around 40 F, with some Sun.  I hit my times for 3 of the miles, but missed the other 3 a little fast.

Thanksgiving Week Exercise

On Tuesday morning, I did my agility and plyo workout.  It had 8 agility moves and about 8 different plyo exercises.

Tuesday evening, I had gotten an invitation to play tennis, so I played two hours of tennis with some ladies that I know.  It wasn't very serious tennis, but it was fun.  I was happy to get in a little more tennis, because the next time I will play is the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Wednesday morning, I did the fourth workout from Nia Shanks's website.  I changed the sumo deadlift move, since I have a hard time keeping my back straight in deadlifts.  The moves were

• 3 x 5 - 7 Romanian deadlifts with 25-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 8 - 10 close-grip chin-ups
• 3 x 8 - 10 one-arm dumbbell push presses with a 20-lb dumbbell
• 3 x 10 - 15 per leg split-leg squats with 15-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 15 wrist curls with 5-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 15 reverse wrist curls with 5-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 10 - 15 per side upright slow bicycles

Wednesday evening, I did the next run on my training schedule, which was a 3-mile run at a 12:00 min/mi pace.  I did this on the treadmill.

On Thanksgiving, my husband and I were traveling to my mother's for Thanksgiving, so I didn't have time to do any exercise.

On Friday morning, I did the next run on my training schedule, which was actually something differently!  I had to run 4 miles at a faster "easy' pace of 11:18 min/mi.  I also had 4 strides to do during the run.  I ran outside on the local walking/biking path along the Allegheny River.  It was quite cool - a little lower than freezing out, which felt great.  I missed the paces on the first two miles by being a little too fast.

Workout + Run

This morning I did the third workout based on Nia Shanks' website.  The exercises were:

• 3 x 8 - 10 goblet squats with 30-lb dumbbell
• 3 x 10 - 15 decline push-ups
• 3 x 8 - 10 pull-ups (I did negatives for the ones I couldn't do)
• 3 x 5 - 7 Romanian deadlifts with 25-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 15 wrist curls with 5-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 15 reverse wrist curls with 5-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 30s per side side planks, with arm and leg extended

This evening after work, I did the next run on my training schedule, which was yet another run at 12:00 mi/mile pace for 3 miles.  I did this on the treadmill.  One more run like this before I get to start doing some variations!

A lot of tennis + a run

Yesterday afternoon, I had my first session of contract time for tennis.  It's going to be nice to be doing this instead of trying to get courts each week for indoor practice.  During practice, I focused on hitting the slow balls with my own pace and in placing volleys and overheads as put-aways.  I feel like a really did pretty well with that and it was a useful practice.  It was also a good group.

Yesterday evening, my husband and I had a 7.5 mixed combo match.  We won 6-2, 6-2 in 58 minutes.  My husband was really "on", with amazing forehand groundstrokes and good hands at the net.  The opposing woman really couldn't handle his pace on the returns.  I was playing well, also, and got some volleys and overheads like I had been practicing. The four games that we lost were on the opposing man's serve.  I was having trouble with the spin on them, even though they weren't extremely high-pace.  I adjusted my distance from the baseline and started doing better, but that was definitely our weak spot.

This morning, I did the next run on my training schedule.  This was another 3-mi easy run at a 12:06 pace.  Since I could run this outside, I had to stick with the pace instead of letting the treadmill do it.  It really felt slow at first.  I ended up with an average pace of 11:55 min/mi, so I missed the run a bit.  It was a nice day for running, at about 50 F and windy.

A Match and a Run

Yesterday morning, I did another strength training based on Nia Shanks's website.  The exercises were:

• 3 x 5 - 7 Romanian deadlifts, with 25-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 8 - 10 chin-ups - I do 3 or 4 regular and the rest negative
• 3 x 8 - 10 dumbbell presses with 20-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 10 - 15 per leg walking lunges with 15-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 15 wrist curls with 5-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 15 reverse wrist curls with 5-lb dumbbells
• 3 x 10 - 15 Swiss ball curls

Last night, my husband and I played a 7.5 mixed combo match.  We played against a 4.5 man, who had a really hard serve, and a 3.0 woman, who was very inexperienced.  We won 6-2, 6-1, but it wasn't a very fun match.  It was just too on and off with the hard and then softs shots.

This morning I skipped my workout in order to get a little more sleep, since I have had three 9pm tennis matches this week, and I have one more on Saturday.

This evening after work, I did the next run on my training schedule.  This one was the same as Wednesday night:  3 miles at a 12:00 min/mi pace.  I did this on the treadmill at 5.0 mph.  It went OK.  I am trying to keep my cadence up, close to 180 SPM and concentrating on not getting lazy and taking a break on the rails.

Three Days and Two Matches

Monday evening, I played a 6.5 combo match.  Unfortunately my partner and I lost.  We played against two pretty even-level and consistent players.  I could not protect my partner well enough against them.  We lost 6-1, 6-2, if I remember correctly.

Tuesday morning, I did the first workout I have put together from Nia Shanks' website.  The exercises were:

• 3 x 8 - 10 squats (I used 30 lb dumbbells)
• 3 x 8 - 10 bench press ( I used 30 lb dumbbells)
• 3 x 8 - 10 one-arm rows with opposite leg extended (I used a 25 lb dumbbell)
• 3 x 10 - 15 back extensions
• 3 x 15 wrist curls (I used 5 lb dumbbells)
• 3 x 15 reverse wrist curls (I used 5 lb dumbbells)
• 3 x 60s plank

Tuesday night, I played a tri-level match.  My partner and I ended up playing really well together, and we won 6-4, 6-4 against a strong pair.  It was a lot of fun, and the win felt good!

This morning, I did an agility and plyo routine.  I have 8 agility sequences that I do for 30 sec each, with a 30-sec break in between.  Then I do some plyo.  I got some calf plyo moves from a recent Runner's World magazine.

This evening, I did the first run following Billy's training plan to get me a PR on my next half-marathon.  It called for 3 miles at "easy A" pace, which was 12:06 min/mi.  I did this on the treadmill at 5.0 mph.  Boring, but I did it with absolutely no breaks.  It started out feeling a little hard, but then it was OK.  It shouldn't be hard at that pace, but for some reason I think it's harder to run on the treadmill.

Strength & Mobility

This morning I did my tennis and running strength and mobility workout.  This mostly works accessory muscles and calves and hamstrings.  It's high-rep and low weight.