“We need coaches to prescribe rest rather than workload, as athletes will always overdose.” –Jureg Feldman, FACT Canada
“You need to take two full rest days immediately.”
My trainer was scolding me! I couldn’t believe I was hearing this — again. I thought to myself, I’m running less, like he asked. I’m cross-training MORE, like he said. I even have biceps from doing nearly 30 straight days of workouts! He should be impressed!
I could feel my skin getting warm. I felt ashamed of myself for not being able to do more and ‘get away with it’. He could see it on my face, yet he continued to lecture me. He asked me honestly why I am afraid of a rest day. Is it because I am afraid I will lose all the I’ve worked for and gain 100 lbs back because of too much rest? I replied that that’s part of it, but it’s also that I feel this need to cross something off my list every day. That workout is one thing I know I can do, and do right. The satisfaction I get can’t be gained from RESTING.
When I rest, it feels like everything is on hold. I feel like someone hit the pause button on my progress and growth, and I’m not getting any better that day. When in fact, all the gains we make from our workouts are made when we are resting and recovering. In my case, my heart rate was incredibly high, a sure sign of overtraining. My heart couldn’t repair itself when it hadn’t had a rest day in 30 days. My heart. I need my heart! I took those two rest days, plus some.
The dilemma for athletes isn’t that we can’t and won’t do more. We’ll do it all, if you ask us. We’ll run every damn day, each one harder than the next. We’ll push it with two-a-days, always rise to the occasion, and we cannot say no to a challenge.
Our bodies will pay the price for it. We’ll suffer injuries, fatigue, burnout.
My solution: in order to be able to FEEL like I did something to better myself on my rest days, I decided to stretch really well on those days. I’ll warm my body up just a bit, and then stretch it out. I can ‘check’ that off my list and try to remind myself I’m getting better that day.
How do you react to being ‘held back’? Is it hard to take a rest day? Does anyone remind you to get the rest you need?
Everybody’s talking about Pinterest lately. Amy mentioned it a while back on this blog too. When I initially signed up I got really into pinning motivational fitness photos and mantras. (You can check out my board here.) Lately though when I scroll through people’s fitness pins, my eye has been drawn to all the mini-circuit workouts that are being posted. For example:
I’ve been stuck at home with a sick kid or two a number of times this winter. Each time that has happened I’ve had to motivate myself to get in my workout in a less than ideal environment. I get bored doing the same dvds over and over again but I also need a “plan of action” when I exercise at home otherwise I’ll get distracted by chores, children or the couch/dvr combo. So I started nabbing different circuits that I found on Pinterest and trying them out and after a little while I was inspired to start creating my own combinations. Here’s a super short one I made up for fun one night:
50 Jumping Jacks 40 Squats 30 Bicycle Crunches (Right + Left = 1 rep) 20 Static Lunges (20 right AND 20 left) 10 Push Ups
Do this series THREE times through. If you’re feeling feisty, change the push ups to burpees.
On paper it looks simple enough, but just doing short cardio circuits like these for 15-20 mintues raises your heart rate and you’ll work up a pretty decent sweat. Not bad for when you’re busy and don’t have a lot of time to spare!
Are you on Pinterest? Are you inspired by the fitness boards too?
Well it looks like our “weekly” link round up has turned into more of a… monthly thing. But that’s ok! Here are a few little gems you might want to check out while you’re sipping your morning coffee this weekend:
Now that the Indoor Marathon relay events are over, you’re just itching to get back to the Pettit for a run, aren’t you? I know we are! We’re looking forward to the Stride & Glide at the Pettit, and this year they’ve added an outdoor 5k next door at State Fair. Read on for more information about the events:
Stride & Glide at the Pettit
IndependenceFirst is hosting our third annual Stride & Glide on March 3, adding an outdoor 5K at Wisconsin State Fair Park to our indoor family-friendly fun run/walk/ice skating event at the Pettit National Ice Center. Both options support the services and advocacy that IndependenceFirst provides for people with disabilities.
You can participate as an individual or with a team! Participants can pay a fee or raise pledges to support IndependenceFirst. All participants receive a commemorative long-sleeved t-shirt, or a cool, moisture-wicking tech shirt may be substituted for only $10 more.
Registration fee: minimum pledge or contribution of $25 for adults (ages 12+) before Feb. 17, 2012 ($30 after Feb. 17) or $15 for youth (ages 4-11). Kids 3 and under are free (strollers welcome at the indoor portion of the event).
Saturday, March 3, 2012 Stride & Glide Schedule
8 a.m. – 9 a.m. 5K Registration (Register in the Pettit Center)
9 a.m. Outdoor 5K Wheelchair Start
9:15 a.m. 5K Run Start
9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Indoor Fun Run, Walk, Wheelchair Roll & Ice Skating Registration
10 a.m. – Noon Indoor Fun Run, Walk, Wheelchair Roll & Ice Skating
Register online by visiting www.StrideandGlide.org and clicking on “Register.” To register by phone or e-mail, please call (414) 226-8386 V/Relay or e-mail mhupfer@independencefirst.org. Please register by February 17, 2012.
For some people eating healthy comes naturally. Others find it easier to exercise consistently but have a hard time being as diligent with diet and nutrition. I’ve always fallen into the latter category. You’ll have to hold me down to get me to take a rest day from running but when it comes to food, I want it all. There was an interesting article in Time magazine a couple of years ago called “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.” While I think the title is a little disingenuous, I could totally relate to some of the points discussed. For example, I’m a big “rewarder” when it comes to exercise and food. Just finish a long run? Let’s have a hot fudge sundae! Complete a big race? Order pizza! While it’s fine to celebrate these accomplishments with our favorite foods from time to time, it was getting to the point where I was rewarding smaller and smaller things. As in, “I worked out this morning!” or “I just ran 3 miles!”. You know, things that probably didn’t need to be rewarded with french fries and Skittles.
Anyway, a couple of months ago I decided it was time to take a harder look at what I was eating and why. I wasn’t gaining weight (ok, maybe a couple of pounds!) but I didn’t feel as good as I thought I should for how much working out I do. I could be better and I knew it. So I decided to revisit a little thing called Food Journaling. I know, there are TONS of calorie counting sites out there. (Calorie Count, My Fitness Pal, and Fat Secret to name a few.) But I’m not even talking about counting every single calorie that passes your lips. Sometimes all it takes is a notebook, pencil, and the willingness to be honest about what you’re putting into your body.
I started out the day after Thanksgiving just wanting to write down what I ate. Not the calories, just the foods. Interestingly, just having to put the pen to paper made me want to eat better things. Something about the accountability of it all made me start to change my habits. I started eating a lot more vegetables and fruits and cut way back on processed foods and sugar. I mean, do I really want to write down that I ate an entire jumbo bag of Sour Patch Kids? Nobody else was seeing these logs but I still didn’t want that staring back at me. After a couple of weeks I did transition to logging foods on a calorie count website but I’m starting to move away from that again since I don’t like all the numbers running around in my head. I feel like it’s too easy to get obsessive about hitting an arbitrary number instead of just eating the foods that your body needs.
Food journaling works for me in spurts. It’s not something that I feel like I can do all the time, every day of my life. But it’s a great way to get back in touch with healthy eating habits if when I feel like I’m getting out of control. Right now I feel like I’m in the “zone” nutrition-wise and I don’t really need to log things anymore. I managed to drop a few pounds in December of all months and got my butt back into some jeans that I had almost given up on. I also feel more energized in my workouts, which had begun to get a little tedious after a summer of big training ended. I’m sure I’ll have set backs and slip ups down the road but journaling is something that I can always come back to in order to get my mind and body in check.
Have you ever considered climbing to the top of the US Bank building? You know, the tallest building of Milwaukee’s skyline? Well it’s time to climb!
US Bank Center
The Fight for Air Climb is 8 weeks away and Fit Milwaukee has started a team. We have 8 weeks to train!
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When I first started running a few years ago, I thought running was everything. After exhausting nearly every type of running event from fun 5k to trail marathon, I decided this is the year to try some other ways to stay fit. The first thing on my radar is the Fight for Air Climb at the US Bank Building.
The Climb is a challenge you can take on as a team or individual, and it takes place on March 17 this year. The event has you climb 47 floors of the US Bank Building, which is 94 flights or roughly 1,034 steps. They say if you can walk a mile, you can do this event.
Fit Milwaukee has started a team and we want you to join us! In order to sign up, head over to the Fight for Air Climb registration page and search for team “Fit Milwaukee”.
Training
In order to prepare for the challenge of all those stairs, you’re probably wondering how to train. Here’s what I think will work best for taking on such a climb:
Make a page/card/spreadsheet/whatever works for you, with three columns:
Strength
Speed/plyometric
Endurance
Then, under each column, list potential workouts (or pieces of workouts). Plot out one or two days a week when you can visit some stairs. Your endurance and strength don’t necessarily need to be done on stairs, and when they are, they don’t need to be the tallest stairs in the city, just enough to be able to do a few flights at a time. When that day comes up on your schedule, you can pick/choose what you want to do from the list.
Mark your calendar off for these training days, alternating which type you do. You can rotate through the types of workouts in a 1,2,3 pattern, or mix it up. I feel that as long as you have the endurance down, the rest will come with a few sessions. You may be doing some of the stuff already!
1. Strength
This workout isn’t “explosive”, just repetitive strength movements that you should be able to do for 30 mins or more. Mix up a good routine of squats and lunges to build up your leg strength. Of course, strong abs and upper body will help you pull yourself up using the handrail, so pushups, dips, and planks will help you there. Try a bootcamp, build your own workout using Gain Fitness, or challenge yourself to the 30 Day Shred.
2. Speed/Plyo
This workout will give you fast feet, and it won’t take long. Start with 2-3 mins of explosive work (surrounded by a warmup/cooldown). Each week, add a minute or a few flights of stair sprints.
Stair stuff:
Run stair repeats: run up a few flights as fast as you possibly can, then walk/jog down. repeat for 10-15 minutes. (do a warmup and cool down)
Other stuff, do for a minute at a time and build from there:
Jump rope: (regular, on one foot, alternating feet, double jump rope, or rock star jumps)
High knees: Think of it as running in place, bringing your knees up to about hip level. Tilt your pelvis forward and push!
Butt kickers: Run in place but literally kick yourself in the butt.
Hackey sacking: Run in place, but kick your foot up and in, toward your opposite hip, and tap it with your hand. Alternate feet. It will kind of look like you’re playing the drums.
3. Endurance
Hit the stairs, just climb. A lot. Up, down, up, down, up, down. The endurance stuff SHOULD take you 30 minutes or more. If you’re a runner, your long runs cover some aspect of endurance, but you still want to get your body used to the repetitive climbing. So find some stairs, climb up, and alternate between taking the elevator down (better for the knees) and walking down (it’s good to do the opposite motion of climbing, for balance in your muscles). Now climb up again. Take your time, find a nice even pace. Worry about speed only on the speed days, and your climbing will gradually improve on its own as you become more fit. Once a week should do it for this endurance workout.
~~~~~
So, do you feel confident that you could climb 1,034 steps by March 17th?
Fit Milwaukee would like to introduce one more team for the Indoor Marathon Relay events!
TEAM ZAMBONI!
Kristi
Kristi
The first race I ever did?
Kenosha Tremper Invitational (high school CC) 1997
My favorite piece of running gear?
DryMax socks
What is your favorite Milwaukee area running event?
Storm the Bastille, running through downtown at night!
If you could run anywhere in the world, where would you run?
On a trail (anwhere) as long as it’s fall!
Name the top three items on your running bucket list.
1. qualify for Boston under the new standards
2. run NYC, Chicago, and Marine Corps Marathons
3. run a multi-day relay
Maressa
Maressa
The first race I ever did? I ran in high school, so technically it was some random meet in 1996; however, since I started rerunning post babies/college/etc. the inaugural Summerfest Rock ‘n Sole Half Marathon was my first race.
My favorite piece of running gear? Toss up between my GPS watch and a really great sports bra.
What is your favorite Milwaukee area running event? Storm the Bastille
If you could run anywhere in the world, where would you run? Running the marathon on the Great Wall of China would be pretty darn cool….
Name the top three items on your running bucket list.
1. Have my entire family participate in the Disney Marathon race weekend.
2. Run the Paris marathon
3. Qualify for Boston.
Steve
Steve
The first race I ever did?
Devil’s Challenge, Baraboo, WI
My favorite piece of running gear?
Blue hat (winter)
What is your favorite Milwaukee area running event?
Fish Day Five, Port Washington, WI
If you could run anywhere in the world, where would you run?
The Pacific Northwest
Name the top three items on your running bucket list.
1. Half Marathon in Newfoundland
2. run through Vienna,
3. to beat Sheila in a race.
Jen
Jen
The first race I ever did? Race for the Cure
My favorite piece of running gear? iPod
What is your favorite Milwaukee area running event? The DEER RUN!! 10K Late April in Fabulous Brown Deer!
If you could run anywhere in the world, where would you run? The Great Wall of China
Name the top three items on your running bucket list.
1. Qualify for Boston
2. Run Boston
3. Run Boston again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for sharing, Team Zamboni!
Looking forward to seeing all you relay runners tomorrow at the Pettit!
Fit Milwaukee would like to introduce TEAM B.A.S.E (Ben, Alex, Sheila, Emily aka Boston, Athlete, Stamina, Endurance)
Emily
Emily
The first race I ever did?
The Cudahy run
My favorite piece of running gear?
Headphones or sports bra.
My favorite Milwaukee area running event:
Bastille’s Days and Al’s run.
If you could run anywhere in the world, where would you run?
Ireland.
Name the top three items on your running bucket list.
1. Run a marathon
2. Run my third 1/2 marathon under 2 hours
3. To not fall on my face ever again.
Ben
Ben
The first race I ever did?
Big Berry Run (Cedarburg)
My favorite piece of running gear?
Orange shorts
What is your favorite Milwaukee area running event?
Fish Day Five
If you could run anywhere in the world, where would you run?
Great Wall of China
Name the top three items on your running bucket list.
1. Complete an Ironman
2. Break 3:15 in a marathon
3. Run the NYC Marathon
Alex
Alex
The first race I ever did?
2007 Chicago Half Marathon. Between mile 11 and 12, I told my self NEVER AGAIN….. thirty-something half marathons and 10 full marathons later, I’m still at it
My favorite piece of running gear?
My blue short-sleeved Nike dri-fit t-shirt. It is my “race shirt” and I have set almost every single PR, from 5K to the marathon, while wearing it. It will most likely be making an appearance at the indoor marathon relay.
What is your favorite Milwaukee area running event?
South Shore Half Marathon. $12 for a bib, a course that measures 13.1 miles, and a great group of runners. The rest of running is just fluff.
If you could run anywhere in the world, where would you run?
Trail running in the Pacific Northwest. The weather is always nice and it’s so beautiful out there.
Name the top three items on your running bucket list. 1. Boston Marathon 2. New York City Marathon 3. Eugene Marathon
Sheila
Sheila
The first race I ever did?
400M, 4 x 400M and 800M in high school. My adult running career began in 2008 at the Chicago Half marathon.
My favorite piece of running gear?
Toss up between my Injiji Toe Socks, a great dri fit hat or my vintage road runner “good luck” broach.
What is your favorite Milwaukee area running event?
The Discovery Run, great mid length, COSTUMES, it’s literally in my running neighborhood, and candy at the end!
If you could run anywhere in the world, where would you run?
Paris, London, China. Viewing History by way of my feet.
Name the top three items on your running bucket list.
1. Qualify for Boston and then run it
2. 1st place overall in a non-community charity race
3. Run a marathon in a different country Addendum: To continue to beat Steve in races
The big day is coming up: the Milwaukee-area runner’s reunion that we refer to as the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay! Here are a few tips to get you through the day… sort of like an FAQ from what we’ve learned in previous years.
Team Pit Areas: When you arrive at the Pettit Center, once your team captain has picked up your team’s race bag, you will be able to claim a spot for your team along the side of the track. Before the race starts you can place your belongings, warm ups, and water bottles here, and during the race it will serve as your ‘home base’. This is where you can cheer for your team and swap out runners, or you can find another location along the track tag in and out. Although these areas will not be pre-assigned, Fit Milwaukee will have a tent/area roped off for our teams to gather near. We’ll believe we’ll be set up near the northeast corner of the track.
Chip timing: Your chip will be attached to a velcro strap that you will fasten around your ankle. DO NOT wrap the strap around your wrist! Your time will not be recorded this way. During the relay you should switch chips by stepping off the track into the pit area. Please move fully off the track so you won’t get run over by other racers passing by! We’ve found it’s helpful for the person wearing the ankle strap to come fully off the track and place their foot out, while the person about to run grabs the strap from their leg and places it on their own. And, GO!
Lanes: The track at the Pettit has two lanes. If you are a slower runner make sure you keep to the outer lane and always pass on the inside. Doing so will prevent collisions and keep the flow of runners moving without bunching up. Many runners use the term ‘Left’ or ‘Passing’ to indicate to a runner that they’re about to pass. You should always attempt to ‘check your blind spot’ when you are going to pass a slower runner ahead of you.
Dividing laps: This is purely up to the teams to decide how to divvy up the laps. Some four-member teams may simply decide to do four legs of 6 1/2 miles each, while others may break it down further in hopes of being able to run faster for a shorter amount of time. A good option might be to have each person run twice for about 3 1/4 miles each. This way each runner will be able to rest for a fair amount of time before having to run again. Some teams don’t like this choice because it offers too much time between legs to cool down in the 55 degree arena, and choose to run something like 4-10 laps at a time. Of course you can break it down even further but remember if you are a competitive team, you may lose seconds each time you move off to switch the timing chip.
What to Wear? It is approximately 55 degrees inside the Pettit Center, but it’s dry and often feels cooler than that. For the average runner, a long-sleeve shirt, shorts, and a light hat and gloves should be fine. Spectators might want to wear heavy coats, hats and gloves because it can get cold sitting in the stands. Remember, there are no headphones or earbuds allowed on the track.
What to Bring: Please remember that there will be no cups on or near the track or serve water/Powerade in cups during the race. You should bring your own bottle for your hydration needs. Consider keeping water, gels or snacks in your team pit areas so you can refuel in-between turns on the track. Remember, you’ll also want to bring warmer clothes to wear when you are not running. When you’re switching from running to standing around, you’ll wish you were wearing winter coats and mittens like the spectators are!
Lap Counting: Help your teammates out! It can get easy to lose track of how many laps you’ve run amidst all the excitement of race day. A good idea is to have designate a lap counter to back up each of your runners while they are out on the track in case they end up feeling a bit lost. As you near the end of the race, the number of laps you have remaining will be announced so there’s no need to keep an overall count for the team. Some people use their Garmins with their GPS turned off. Some choose to count using rubber bands that they move from one arm to the other. I’ve used the ‘ABC’ method in the past, thinking of a word that starts with each letter as opposed to remember the number you’re on. In any case, it will help everyone on the team if two people are communicating the number of laps until the runner tags out, shouting or holding up how many laps you have remaining when you’re getting ready to make that switch.
We’ve talked about #runstreak and #plankaday, now I’m adding my own daily dose of activity: I’m doing 30 days of the 30 Day Shred. As Jillian says, ‘it’s a little bit old school, but really effective’! I’m about halfway though and I wanted to share my findings so far.
The Shred
I picked up the DVD at Target not really knowing what to expect. I’ve never done a workout in my living room before, and I didn’t think that would work for me. But once I moved some furniture around and got started, I found that it was energetic and fun, and it was over before I knew it! After a few days, I realized it’s actually quite perfect for me and I’m strongly considering quitting my gym membership.
The 30 Day Shred video is $9 at Target, or you can grab it on iTunes or Amazon for a similar price. It’s a series of three 20-minute workouts with three levels of intensity. You’ll need some hand weights – I like 3′s and 5′s, and a mat if you’re on a hard floor.
The Challenge
The reason I’m challenging myself to 30 days is because if I know anything for sure when it comes to fitness or any area of life, it’s that consistency matters. And if I can find something I don’t hate doing, then I’m willing to rock it out until I burn it out. What I really like about it is that it switches up so you do 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs — and that one minute is the longest minute of your life. Now that I’ve made it halfway through I wanted to share what I’ve found so far.
The Levels
I believe you’re supposed to start with Level 1 and do it for 10 days before progressing to Level 2 for 10 days, and so on, but I felt I’d get bored with that pretty quickly. I started on Level 1 the first day, moved to Level 2, and then was afraid to see what was in store for me for Level 3 so I alternated the first 2 levels for the first week. But after that I decided, what the heck, I’ll give Level 3 a shot. It was really challenging but with the baseline I got from getting through 1 and 2, I found that Level 3 got better the second time I tried it.
Jillian: She is amazing. A crazy person, but amazing. She really makes me feel like I want to keep working hard. She gets a little nudge in just when I think I want to quit, “Don’t give up on me now. If you want a 20 minute workout, you can’t phone it in. Stay with me! Think about swimsuit shopping!” Or, she’ll be real honest when helping one of the girls, pointing out that she’d love to have abs like that and she’d do just about anything to get them. Well, Jillian’s abs are damn fine but it’s nice to be reminded that everyone has to work hard to get a great body, and everyone has an area they’d like to improve, even if they are a superstar trainer hot-body like Jillian Michaels!
Anita: There are two examples to follow, and my favorite has got to be Anita because although she is shredded and could clearly do all three workouts back to back without breaking a sweat, she shows us the ‘easy’ version of the exercises, going for half the range of motion and altering some of the plyometrics movements to just be regular movements. “If you think you’re gonna die, watch Anita!” It’s nice to follow along with her before I’m comfortable with a move or when I need a break (shh, don’t tell Jillian I took a break!).
Natalie: If you want to follow along with ‘my girl Natalie’ (as Jillian says) wow, more power to you. This girl’s high-knees are through the roof, and her butt-kicks are insane. Mostly though, she just does the full range of motion during each exercise. One thing I just have to call out, though — I find it hard to believe those ladies are using 5lbs dumbbells for every workout. For example, jumping jacks with weights? Those are HARD. Also, (teehee) Natalie totally cheats when Jillian isn’t looking. I giggle when she gets busted not going into a full squat in Level 2.
The Results
Since I’ve been doing the Shred every day, I’ve noticed my thighs trimming down quite a bit, a reduced ‘pooch’ (as Jillian calls it), and my arms and back are starting to see a lot of definition. Some of the more strenuous moves like ‘skaters’ and high knees were too much for me at the beginning and I thought “Well, that’s just something I’m not good at.” A few days later, I’m skating right along with Natalie. Just keep at it.
If you’re doing the 30 Day Challenge, make sure you add in a rest day each week, maybe even 2. I’m making my rest day a light Shred day using no weights or smaller weights, and skipping anything that would burn my muscles or get my heart rate up too high.
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