Mid-Week Recap (Day 40)

So far, this week’s been a little bit of a whirlwind for me but I was still able to get a leg workout in on Monday and a long run on Tuesday. I’m not sure why/how this happened, but ever since yesterday evening, I’ve had this nasty cough that hasn’t let up so I decided to take it easy today and rest.

This weekend’s going to be a little crazy for us, but providing that my cough has gone away tomorrow, I’ll definitely be in the gym. Daniel and I are also going to a place called Pursuit OCR on Sunday, so as per usual, I’ll be sure to blog it and let you guys know how it went.

Here is the run that I did

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And as for my leg workout, I was feeling super lazy Monday afternoon and decided to just do it in my living room! I have the Nike Training Club app on my iPod, which is a Godsend if you’re looking for a quick supplement to your workout. The workouts generally range from 10 minutes-45 minutes and vary in intensity. Since I was doing legs, I went to the “Get Focused” area of the app and scrolled through until I found some leg workouts. I picked Leaner Legs and Beach Legs, (a cumulative workout time of 30 minutes)…boy did it kick my butt!

As I talked about in my last running blog post, I decided to focus on more compound exercises in efforts to save time. Since I’m looking to cut some mass, I’m ok with not doing as many isolating exercises. If you guys have any questions about my exercise plan/my diet plan, feel free to comment below!

 

-Running Fast, Lifting Heavy

 

Product Review: TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller

Price: $59.99 CAD

Note: my cat thought is was a toy for him…hence the nicks.

Whether you’re a runner or a weight lifter, you’re definitely familiar with foam rollers. I can honestly say that foam rollers not only prevent/reduce sore muscles, they even speed up recovery too. One day, my boyfriend came home with the TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller in toe. After YEARS of not rolling out after a workout/run, my whole body, (primarily my legs and back), were tight beyond belief. I decided to set up shop on my living room floor and roll out, (to the best of my abilities). Here’s what I thought of it in the few weeks that I’ve used it:

• It’s lightweight and fairly easy to travel with since it’s hollow.
• The grid-like design really kneads into tight muscles.
• It’s excellent for rolling out all regions of the back, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and IT bands.

Some cons that you may want to be aware of:

• The roller is quite firm, (which I love, but not everyone is a fan and may want something softer).
• The length of the roller makes it a little tricky to balance on.
• It doesn’t get areas like the calves or adductors very well, (I would recommend the TriggerPoint GRID STK Foam Roller for this).

Overall, it’s definitely a great roller, especially if you’re on the go and want to take it with you. It also comes in different colours, so you really can’t go wrong!

Running Fast, Lifting Heavy Approved: Yes, (but not for calves or adductors)

 

-Running Fast, Lifting Heavy

End of Week Check-In (And a Question for You All) (Day 35)

This week was a bit of a rough week. While I finished 2/3 runs, I only got in one weight training day. Midterms have seemed to be monopolizing my time, so it’s been really hard to get to the gym and do my thing. I also did an interval run at my neighbourhood track, and I saved my run, (by accident), half way through so my Garmin didn’t record the rest…I just felt like a hot mess this week. That being said, I got a massage, got my hair done AND got a manicure. Maybe this was just a recovery week? Below is the shoulder workout I did:

-Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 12lbs @ 31 reps

-Shoulder Press: 25lbs @ 30 reps

-Reverse Flyes: 60lbs @ 25 reps

 

And these are the runs I did :

-Interval Run: 2.55mi, 27:50. moving time, 10:55mi/hr (note: auto-pause is fixed, yay!)

-the second run is an interval run, but I paused halfway through so my pace and distance isn’t accurate

A question to you guys: do any of you have a method to planning your strength training days in addition to your running days? I have four strength training days right now: legs, chest and triceps, back and biceps, and shoulders. I think the main issue is that there’s too many weight training days which often leads me to having to stack strength training and running in the same day, (something that a senior university student doesn’t always have the time to do). Any thoughts or suggestions? All are welcome!

 

-Running Fast, Lifting Heavy

Massage Recovery

 

Remember how I said I was going for a massage and I was going to report back to you on how it went? Well, today’s the day and I feel absolutely fabulous. I went to a place called Massage Addict in the Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto. I frantically ran in because I was a few minutes late and still had to fill in the new patient forms, but my anxiety dissipated as soon as I walked into the door. The calm music mixed with the friendly receptionist was just what I needed to shift from stressed to relaxed.

My massage therapist’s name was Leslie and she pretty much had the hands of God. I told her about my run coming up, how much mileage I rack up in a week and the strength training exercises I do. Based on that, she was able to identify the tight areas of my body, (apparently my soleus in both calves are in rough shape), and then work her magic. I think what made it so great was that she really customized the massage to me. Rather than just doing a full body massage, (which I did get), she really focused on the areas that I said I have trouble stretching. Did I mention that she also played Kanye’s Graduation album during my massage? I think it’s pretty spectacular that she asked what kind of music I was into and had a playlist ready to go.

After the massage was done, Leslie showed me some stretches that can help with my tight soleus muscles. It’s crazy to think that in my couple years of running/weight lifting, I’ve never stretched that particular muscle. Kind of embarrassing. She also gave me a recommendation for a yoga app since I was talking about how I hadn’t done it in a while. Overall, it was an amazing experience!

 

Running Fast, Lifting Heavy Approved: Yes

 

-Running Fast, Lifting Heavy

End of Week Check-In (Day 29)

This week was definitely challenging. Getting back into training when you’ve been off for two weeks isn’t easy. I also had a bit of a rookie moment: after going on two runs with my new Forerunner 25 and seeing how slow my pace was, I realized auto-pause off. Now that I’ve turned it on, I’m looking forward to seeing my normal pace again.

The race is officially four weeks away and I honestly couldn’t be more nervous. I feel like I’m not prepared enough and haven’t been training hard enough. Anyone else feel this way before a race as well? I’m hoping with a good week of training under my belt, my mentality will change.

Due to the fact that my auto-pause was off, I’m not going to include the stats of my long run or progression run, however I did a chest and tricep workout on Wednesday that’s outlined below:

Tricep Extension – 15lbs @ 45 reps

Chest Press – 50lbs @ 41 reps

Overhead Tricep Extension – 50lbs @ 45 reps

Peck Fly – 50lbs @ 45 reps

Tricep Kickbacks – 15lbs @ 38 reps

Dumbbell Bench Press – 25lbs @ 31 reps

If anything, I’m looking at dropping some mass right now, which is why the reps are high. I could definitely lift a lot more if it I was aiming for fewer reps, (right now, I aim for three sets @ a minimum of 10 reps and a max of 15).

On another note, I’m booking an appointment with an RMT, (registered massage therapist), so once I go to that appointment, I’ll write a post for you guys to let you know how it went.

 

-Running Fast, Lifting Heavy

Product Review: Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrator

Price: $24.99 CAD

First product review! I plan on doing these frequently, so keep your eyes peeled as I’ll be reviewing everything from supplements to gear and all that falls in between.

I was always reluctant to try Vega products; the plant-based idea made me think that taste would be compromised. With some persuasion from my boyfriend, I finally caved and tried a few of their products, (with the Hydrator being one of them). Here’s what I thought of it:

• The flavour that I got is berry, AND IT ACTUALLY TASTES LIKE BERRY! Astounding, since a lot of supplements don’t taste like the flavour listed.
• It has zero calories/serving which is a huge bonus. I used to drink the instant powder form of Gatorade after runs which is loaded with calories, (and loaded with excess sodium).
• The price is kind of steep considering how little of a container it is, (148g), however the scoops are super concentrated so one scoop is more than sufficient.

The only con I can think of is the price, however this is justified by the concentration of the scoops, ensuring that each container stretches a long way. I used to get headaches ALL THE TIME after runs. Even after running only two miles my head would start to feel wonky. The Gatorade did help, but I was looking for a healthier alternative, especially if I was going to be using it a couple times a week.

My boyfriend Daniel also uses it in a shaker cup if he’s planning on doing a longer workout, or if he’s doing a workout/yoga combination. It’s also great for that purpose as well!

Running Fast, Lifting Heavy Approved: Yes

 

-Running Fast, Lifting Heavy

Mid-Week Recap (Day 24)

I decided to revamp the blog a bit and shift my focus to races that I’m training for and any progressions/downfalls that result from that. Because of this, I deleted my first blog post since it doesn’t really fit the bill.

Anyways, today was the first day that my ear infection has subsided enough that I was able to continue training for the Downsview 8k (I’m current 24 days in). I’m pretty excited for this run for two reasons: one, the course is in the Downsview Hangar so it’s entirely flat (maybe a pr is my future?) and two, it’s the first race I’m doing with my boyfriend Daniel. To train for it, I’m using the Nike 10k Training Plan and just scaling back the miles to the lesser amount required. I had amazing success with this training plan when I trained for the Toronto Women’s 10k in August, so I figured I shouldn’t mess with a good thing.

Since today’s the first day I’ve actually felt decent enough to run in about two weeks, my pace was about a minute slower than I’m capable of running (I ran 4mi at 47:53). I should also point out that I’m not a fast runner to begin with, if anything, I’m on the slow side. I’m hoping with more time that will change.

Daniel got me a Garmin Forerunner 25 for my birthday, so I got to take it out for its first run today! Running without a phone is pretty liberating. I’m actually kind of embarrassed to say I heavily relied on my phone during runs. Since I have a Galaxy 6 and I’m not crazy about Google Music, I run with my iPod as well. Now that I don’t run with a phone anymore, I need to find a belt of sorts to carry my iPod and keys…I’m so close to a hands-free run!

Tuesday’s Stats

4 mi @ 11:57/MI, 47:53 minutes of Moving Time

 

-Running Fast, Lifting Heavy