annerj

My long run was 12.5 miles this week. I did it in Rock Springs Wy (6500 Ft....a bit of a change from DFW where I've been running). Felt good the entire way and upped the pace for the last couple miles.

So for the week I got in 8.5 hard miles (4.5 and 4), 1 lift, 12.5 long run and an hour on the bike as alt cardio.


I took 2 days off for Travel home from DFW and into Wyoming for some snowmobile action.

MapleLeaf

I just came back from voluntarily participating in the police fitness test here in Toronto. Surprisingly I passed (see note below)

My pace in their shuttle run is a slight bit slow at the 7.5 min mark (you are running ~11 mph at this point), but not bad.

Who knew I was in decent shape.

(the police fitness test is sprinting a 25m course 4 times, climbing a flight of stairs each time and on laps 2 & 4 also jumping a 4 foot fence. then you wrestle a machine with 70 lbs resistance, back and forth in a 180' arc 6 times, then to a grip test with a min of 35 lb per hand, distance of 1' in a butterfly motion, then you wrestle again with a backwards grip, then grip test again, finally drag a 150 lb dummy 25m. just when you are done, you settle for 10 min then do the back and forth run, with an ending speed of between 11 and 12 mph.)

Guess I can no qualify to be a donut shop employee

magiciansampras

Today was a nice and easy 3 miler to recover from yesterday's long, and diahrea-inducing, run. The legs felt pretty good, a bit tired maybe but nothing major. Nice weather out there, about 35 by the Charles River.

Total distance was 3.18 miles, time of 26:14 making that a nice and easy 8:15 pace. Forerunner 201 says 497 calories burned in the effort.

Depending on how I feel tomorrow I'll either do a speedwork 5 miler or an easy 5-6 miler. We'll see!

pinniped

Yesterday: 6.51 miles, 51:38. A tad under 8 pace. I was in a pretty good zone...

magiciansampras

I'd say. Nice job!

annerj

Stairmill for 30 minutes (2.5 miles) last night. (1 floor = .02 miles).
4-5 miler tonight.

nd_eric_77

WOW, my cardio workouts on elliptical machines did NOTHING for the muscle endurance needed for yesterday's skiing. Granted, that was my first skiing outing in 4 years, but still! My muscles just did not give the performance for which I had hoped. That said, I did have a great time, and did not shy away from any black diamonds or tree skiing. I'll still press onward in the workout regime. Am considering running in a 5k on Saturday morning - to get a feel of my true cardio fitness level.

annerj

Let me first qualify this and say that I do elliptical once a week as an alt. cardio.

Elliptical machines are great if you have an injury or as I use them as a "day off" workout (to keep things loose). But IMHO they are not a great cardio workout. For me it’s easier to push myself on the treadmill, outside running, stairmill and even on a stationary bike.

richard

Today, when I ran, a little boy saw me and said, "mom, look, that man has feet!"

I ran. 43F. outside, very humid and miserable, gray. Ran on pavement. Focused mostly on adducting, picking up my feet (lots of emphasis on this), curling up my toes a little when I remembered, bending knees and falling on my feet without extending them out, falling quietly and lightly and easily as possible.

It went much better.

2.33miles, 4.6mph avg, 30 minutes. Slightly faster than before. A few times I sensed my pushing off with my big toe and inside of foot hurting. Mostly I picked up my feet. This must become a HUGE emphasis. Pick up feet, adduct, knees bent, fall lightly under or behind my body as if writing a line behind me.

Felt much better.

redbeard911

I prefer the elliptical. I usually do elliptical 1x week, swim 1x week, spin class 1x week, maybe treadmill in lieu of swimming (pool is heavily chlorinated) I rank the workout quality like this:

1. Spin class
2. Swim
3. Elliptical
4. Treadmill
5. Other stationary bike

Aside from swimming, I gauge the workout by how soaked my shirt is when I'm done. I do cardio first, then change my shirt and do weights. Spin class is 100% soakage.

annerj

Interesting. I'd go

1. Treadmill
2. Spin Class (I agree its total sokage)
3. Stair mill (Not the stair stepper but the "rolling" stairs)
4. Swim
5. Stationary Bike
6. Elliptical

What kind of speed/time are you doing the treadmill for that it falls so low on the list?

If I'm doing both cardio and weights I MUST do weights first. I can go all out on a run after weights but don't seem to be able to give weights 100% when I've already run.

magiciansampras

My workout quality:

Treadmill
Spin Class
Swimming
Stairs
Bike

That's it. I don't consider the elliptical a workout. It really does nothing for me unless I go so fast and hard on the highest level, I look like an idiot.

nd_eric_77

The elliptical controversy deepens ... I have been using elliptical in order to get my heart rate into the "cardio zone" and keep it there. Granted I do not get a soak-through, it is one cardio exercise which I have been able to do consistently. I have never had any luck running on treadmills because I simply do not have a natural tendency to run at a consistent speed. I don't mind "looking like an idiot" due to pushing hard on the ellipticals, and it would appear that I need to push harder than I have been so far.

I would like to add outdoor running into my workout mix, but as a Texan working in DEN, weeknights are just a bit too chilly for my comfort.

annerj

*sigh*....I'm a Coloradan working in Texas (and have been for nearly a year).

pinniped

BTW, just read the BQ times posted in this thread. Count me in the "over 80 qualifer" based on the time from my first marathon.

Now that I've done 6, I'm closing in on the sixty year old guys. If I ever qualify for Boston, it'll be quite a few years down the road...