Workout C #6: Early Morning Sweat! (Workout 25)

I got up and worked out before breakfast again. I did really well
and finished Workout C strong. :D

Patrick and I went for a hike today, but I still wanted to lift weights in the morning before we went. After getting really sore and tight after last Saturday's go with Workout C, There were a number of reasons: I was a little nervous about doing it again and didn't want to give in to that. I also want to take a day off between Phase Two (which will finish on Monday) and Phase Three and at the same time to start Phase Three on a Saturday (because we have a little more time for me to figure things out). Finally, we weren't planning on a super-strenuous hike and I didn't want to skimp on working out.

It was a good decision. I was a little bit nervous about it but the workout went really, really well (excellently, in fact) and the hike was no problem at all. 

Today's workout was: 

• Side Plank - 2 x 40 seconds - This went really well today. I finally seem to be getting a handle on the slipping problem I've been having all along with these. I'm glad about that because when I start Phase 3, I'll be leaving the Side Planks for a while. I'm glad to finish them strong. :D 
• Jump Squats - 2 x 10 - I used 15 lb weights this time. I'll go up to 20s next time, though I was definitely getting tired by the end of each of the sets, which is as it should be. I think these are definitely helping me feel more able to move quickly if I want or need to. I like that. 
• Alternating sets of: 
• Reverse Lunges - 3 x 10 - I used 30 lb weights for this again (the second time at that weight). I *believe* I did 3 sets of 10. The last set I sort of lost count and got confused -  I know I did 10 on the right side, but I'm not sure whether or not I did 10 on the left side. I think so. But I definitely spent a few seconds just all of a sudden wondering. Oops. 
• 3-Point Rows (Single-leg, Single-arm Rows) - 3 x 10 - I used a 30 lb weight on these as well. This was definitely the Right Weight - I hit that nice sing when the weight is right and it feels like work but not like strain. I'm pleased because this was also my last time doing rows and I love that Right Weight feeling.
• Alternating sets of:
• Dumbbell Deadlifts - 3 x 10 - I was really particularly worried about these because last time I did these (with 40 lb weights), I tweaked my back a little and I wound out stiffening up all over for a couple of days. It was no fun. Today, they went just fine, no strain on my back at all and I did them very well. I didn't need to worry. 
• Pushups - 3 x 10, 9, 10 - Like the lat pulldowns, this is another exercise where it makes a huge how far apart my hands are. Too narrow and they're *really* hard (and I can only do nine in a set). A bit wider than shoulder width apart and they're good -- I can do 10 but absolutely no more. That's a good place to be. 
• Cardio -- I didn't do any Intervals of Insanity today. Instead, in the afternoon, Patrick and I went down to Calvert Cliffs State Park and went on a 4.7 mile hike. It was lovely. and we had a great time. 

  

  Us on the beach at Calvert Cliffs

So I achieved my goal of finishing with Workout C strong. I'm very glad about that. Phase 2 has been kind of difficult -- the book (The New Rules of Lifting for Life by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove) says that you should be increasing something -- either the weight or the "volume" of lifting -- each workout. I think that pressure had me maybe increasing the weights too much (because I didn't want to increase the number of reps per set and couldn't increase the number of sets) and maybe putting a little too much strain on myself. 

Our travel buddy, Wilson the Bison, with the Calvert Cliffs
behind him. And the Chesapeake Bay.

I have pretty much worked out Workouts E and F, so I'm ready to go there. I'm going to be making some pretty big changes -- swapping in some completely different exercises. The Workout C  exercises that are going to be swapped out for a while are deadlifts (any version of them), rows (any version) and side plank. I'm going to be doing a cable-machine lift (called a "cable pull through") instead of the deadlifts, a raise (one that works the back instead of the rows), and a different core thing instead of the side plank. I'm also going to be radically changing the pushups -- I'll be doing an "explosive pushup", where I actually push so hard my hands come off the support, instead of the regular ones. So I'll be probably back to the hip-high bar instead of the window sill.

There's also going to be a lot of reassorting and re-shuffling, so the pairings of which muscles get worked in alternating sets change. That just keeps my body on its toes and therefore is a Good Thing.

Next workout is scheduled for Monday. I can't actually think of any reason why it won't happen Monday, but who knows. It should be my last time with Workout D and I'm hoping to finish that one strong as well. The only exercise I'm really worried about is the shoulder presses -- I'm not making an progress with those and the weight still hasn't gotten to that Right Weight feeling (though I've been at 20 lbs for all of Phase 2). Goal for the Workout -- This will be my last time with Workout D and the last workout of Phase 2, I want to end both really strong and happy. 

Run Fifty-Two: Best Pace and Distance!! :D :D

I thought I'd gone well, but not *that* well!
Woo-hoo!! 

Patrick and I went on a long hike (just a squish shy of seven miles) on Saturday. It was awesome but pretty rugged -- we went up to a mountain ridge with a nice view both east and west. It was a lot of fun, though I did get my first ever injury on the trail. (I stepped on a stick and wound out with it jabbing into my shin.) Fortunately we both carry first aid kits, so Patrick doctored me up on the trail and it appears to be just fine. Anyway, minor boo-boo aside, it was a great hike. Once again, I did really well as far as endurance and go-up-hill-ability. Delightful!! 

Us at the top of our hike on Saturday. The little guy on Patrick's
shoulder is Wilson the Bison. He's our adventuring companion
 and traveling buddy.

Anyway, after our awesome hike on Saturday, I decided to go to the treadmill today rather than run on the street. My feet and legs are a little sore from the hike and I wasn't sure how the cut on my leg would react to the pressure of running (as far as bleeding through/around the bandage I have on it). I didn't want to wind out a mile from home with my leg bleeding or my foot going gimpy.

I wasn't expecting for it to go as well as it did. I mean seriously, y'all!! I was thinking that I'd have a serviceable run -- getting out there and doing more than nothing at all. Instead I got a totally unexpected Best Pace and Distance!! :D Woo hoo!! I did a lot of running at 4.5 miles an hour and a lot of walking at 3.5 mph. That's awesome!!

And I felt really good the whole way -- I didn't have any trouble with my the cut on my leg (or the sort of latent blister on my foot) or anything. Awesomeness!

Next run is scheduled for Wednesday. I expect, based on the weather reports, that I'll be in the gym on the treadmill. Goal for the run: Keep getting better and keep feeling *awesome* about it!!

Run Forty-Eight: I really did run on Tuesday!

I felt so good when I was running on Tuesday!

I really did go for a run on Tuesday evening between work and our awesome, awesome anniversary dinner. It was actually an excellent run on the treadmill -- though the best distance in the picture can't be trusted because the time is a little longer than usual. (Only 30 seconds longer, but the best distance is only by 1/100th of a mile.) Anyway, I'm not putting much stock in that. 

What I am putting stock in is that it felt amazing -- light and easy and I could breathe and it was all really good. 

And then I came home and we had our anniversary dinner (steak with a bleu cheese pan sauce and roasted broccoli) and it was even better. 

It wasn't supposed to be a 4.3 mile hike, but we
got on the wrong trail and had to come
back to the car along the road. 

Wednesday morning early we went for a two-day trip on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. We drove down to the south end of Skyline Drive and proceeded north. We did a couple of nice hikes on Wednesday -- totaling about 3 miles -- then stayed the night at Skyland, a wonderful lodge in the park. We sat in our cabin and watched the sun set over the Appalachian mountains last night, then fell asleep really early. This morning, we got up and did another hike up to the peak of Hawksbill Mountain that was about 4.3 miles. 

The coolest thing about the hikes was that I could do them -- last year when we were on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I had a terrible trouble with anything like hills when we were hiking. Even the shortest up-hills, I had to go very slow and stop often to catch my breath. It was disappointing and I was really upset with myself.  I love hiking -- getting out into the mountains and the trees and away from the noise is a balm to me -- so not being able to do it was incredibly sad. 

This year, because of running, I didn't have to stop once on any of the up-hill hikes, not even for a moment, not even going up to the top of the mountain. I'm crazy pleased about that. 

So with a run on Tuesday, my next run would ordinarily been today, but instead we did a big hike and it was awesome.

Next run is scheduled for Saturday. We've got some plans and the weather seems like it will be dodgy, so I'll probably be on the treadmill. Goal for the run: Be AWESOME!