Born Again Gym Rat: Breaking the 7-mile Mark

Friday, July 24, 2015

Breaking the 7-mile Mark

Seven miles might not mean much to the average distance runner. Heck, it's kind of paltry. But I'm not a distance runner. I'm not even a runner. Jumping jacks is too much impact on my knees so forget about running or jogging, whether on pavement or a bouncy treadmill. I'm a low-impact kind of gal so it's always going to be a cross-trainer or elliptical. On Fridays, which is Leg Day, it's both. I wear the Asics leather trainers because I wore the Saucony leather ones yesterday for kickboxing. I need the protection for my toes. On Leg Day, I need the support because Smith Split Squats puts a lot of pressure on your feet, and it's important to have a stable stance.

Today I can use the only cross-trainer I really like. There's only one of these in the entire gym, and although it's a LifeFitness like the 8 other cross-trainers, it's a bit different. Its TV monitor is built into the large function panel, so there's no additonal mounted screen blocking my view of the gym and I can see all the other TVs if I want. There are monitors on all the treadmills in front of the cross-trainers, and a few mounted from the ceiling. This machine doesn't have a functioning CC so viewing the built-in TV is a bit boring. I find that if I watch the screen, my speed starts to deteriorate and mileage suffers. I don't even know how people can read books and magazines while on these things, but I see people doing just that. Like most of my college-peers, I tend to be intensely focused on the task at hand. (I was told that by a doc at the Student Health Services when she tried to get a knee reflex response from me.)

I've adjusted to not having the Stretch Cage by doing a few lunge-like stretches after my first 30 minutes. I don't believe in stretching before a workout because muscles and tendons need proper warming up before being stressed like that. I also don't believe in the 5 minute warm-up walk, or the 5 min cool-down walk. "Cool downs" are the best time to do those stretches. Muscles and tendons are warm and flexible, and much less injury-prone. The Mat Stretching that I do is a combination of static and dynamic movements, and it's not uncommon for me to actually bust a sweat during it all.

from 101marathoners.com

My Leg Day routine was fairly standard. Because I could get 12 reps last week at 110 lbs on the Smith Split Squat, I decided to repeat it today. And then added two more sets. It leaves me a bit breathless. I might up the weight a little more. Or not. My shorts are getting waaaay too snug. I debate whether to do more than a few sets of Smith SLDLs and decide not to because I'd rather focus my energy on the GHRs. Those suckers are still hard! However, I was quite tickled to see actually leg biceps. They're nothing spectacular, with thin muscle bellies. But to someone who's never had visible leg biceps, well, they're a welcomed surprise.

None of this seems to impact my ability to do the Interval program on the elliptical for 30 minutes. I keep half an eye on my heart rate, but mostly I do the Interval program in reverse: run as fast as I can when the level and resistance is low, and then slow to a brisk jog as the level and resistance increases. And then, as an afterthought, and because the opportunity arose, I got on the Step Mill for 15 minutes to do a little LISS. Even at a leisurely level 4 pace, sweat is running off my nose as I trudge. I'm happy. I don't even feel all that tired. But my stomach has been rumbling intermittently all throughout my workout, especially during cardio. Maybe I should try and eat breakfast again before my workouts?

Friday Leg and Cardio Day Workout
(7.17 total miles; 10,128 lbs moved)