My Workout Pet Peeves

Seriously, I promise I'll post pictures from the Riverbank Run soon. I'm just really technology impaired and have been too busy to take 2 hours to sit down and figure out how to put pictures on this thing.

Anyway, at The Lift last night we had a substitute instructor. I'm not the type of person who will leave as soon as they see that the regular person isn't there, but it does grind my gears just a bit. I believe it takes at least 2 workouts with someone to get into the groove of what they do, so when a new person comes I feel a little lost. (Yes, I know everyone gets sick/deserves a vacation.) This prompted me to come up with a list of other things I dislike about group workout classes.

1. Techno covers of Top 40 music. If I want to hear a Miley-wannabe singing "I Can't Wait To See You Again", I'll watch American Idol.
2. Working one muscle group almost exclusively in a class that is geard toward a whole body workout. I'm training for a half-marathon for God's sake. My legs are getting plenty of work, thank you. I'm all for squats and lunges but can a girl get a bicep curl please?
3. Slippery gym floors and slippery steps/bosus DO NOT MIX. Let's get some rubber feet for those steps!
4. There's really no need to talk like the Sit & Be Fit lady on speed. (Those of you that grew up watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood on Billings PBS know exactly what I'm talking about.) I know that's not your real voice because I heard you talking to your friend before class so just stop it!
5. Lunges. Just lunges in general.
6. I'm perfectly capable of doing crunches on my own. What I'm not really capable of doing on my own is timed planks. (It's pretty hard to look at your watch when you're supporting all of your weight on your arms.) This is why timed planks are a good activity for a group exercise class, and crunches are a lame activity. Creativity is a must!
7. I know the instructor wants to get a workout too, but when someone is bending exclusively at the waist during squats you should probably take a second to correct that, no?

I'm really not trying to be a grumpus here. I did have a good workout and I've got some sore muscles today so it's not like the whole night was a total loss. And I know all the squats and lunges are good for my running. I'll make sure to say a special thank you to our substitute instructor if I make it through 6 miles on Sunday!! :)

Riverbank Run

I loved doing the Riverbank Run! It was really fun, and I finished in about 39 minutes, which is great for me! In comparison, in Wednesday's run, I ran 3 miles in about 45 minutes. Pictures to come!

Here's a link to the results: http://www.theracershub.com/results_view.php?id=859&result_type=db&highlight=Hoover

And a link to the Missoulian story about the event: http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_9b581d34-4fda-11df-ab77-001cc4c002e0.html

I'm definitely going to do more 5k races!

This Little Piggy...

Well, despite the nasty blisters on my arches due to the aforementioned stupidity, last night's run went fairly well.

I have been trying to cut back on my Ibuprofen use for the past couple of weeks, because I think it was giving me headaches. I haven't taken any all week, and my shins hurt a bit at the beginning and end of my run last night, but they feel great today. I'm so relieved that they seem to FINALLY be getting better!!

During my run last night, the 2nd and 3rd toes on my left food hurt bad. I'm thinking it was just a cramp since they felt fine immediately after my run and haven't bothered me since. I'll keep you posted on this newest malady.

The Riverbank Run is Saturday. (I still haven't registered, better get on that today!) I'm going to try to drag Ryan out of bed to take a picture of me at the finish, so I'll try and post that, along with my results and a general summary, this weeekend.

Sock Lesson Number 2 or Sometimes I Do Really Stupid Stuff

An important note: Forgetting to put socks in your gym bag and going without them on your hike to the M leads to really smelly feet and blisters EVERYWHERE.

Those of you who know and love me and my feet can appreciate how truly gross my running shoes will quickly become if I keep this up.

Sock Lesson #2: Throw an extra pair or two in your gym bag and keep them there. Seriously.

Update

Well, another week has gone by without a post. I promise I haven't just dropped off the face of the planet, and I AM still running. I'm also working on moving into a new apartment so I'm pretty overwhelmed with many tasks and projects that aren't related to running.

I am still planning on doing the Riverbank Run on Saturday, though I haven't registered yet.

This weekend, I was in Great Falls visiting the grandparents, so I missed the Sunday long-run. I did run 2 miles on their treadmill, but just couldn't bring myself to do 5 miles alone on a treadmill. At least I got a run in, right? And I'm going to try to go enjoy the sunshine with an M hike after work tonight. That might not happen, however, depending on what news I get from my new property management company. Sigh.

In other news, I did some clothes shopping this weekend and am pleased to report I bought two shirts in a size smaller than I was wearing before! My body is currently a pear-shaped nightmare but that will....eventually....change. I hope. Regardless, it's nice to see my hard work paying off in more ways than one!

Also, my amazing boyfriend bought me a bike for my birthday! I'm so excited to ride to work this summer and save money on gas as well as get some extra exercise in. I also have lots of friends who I've already been hitting up to come on bike rides with me!

I will definitely post some pictures of the new bike and hopefully from the Riverbank Run in the next week!

The Sock Lesson

Up until recently, one thing I haven't had too much of an opinion on in regards to running is socks. Are running socks really necessary? Or will my funny-stripes Costco socks hack it? The answer, readers, is yes, running socks ARE really necessary, and NO your Costco socks won't suffice.

About three weeks ago, on the would-be 3-mile run that Lisa and I managed to turn into an almost 4-mile run (thanks to some less than stellar directions), I started to feel some rubbing on the arch of my left foot. Stupidly, I didn't stop to fix the problem. I ended up with a blister on the arch of my foot, presumably from socks that were too thin and/or wrinkled.

Last week, I ran my 4-mile run in Billings wearing thick FitSox brand Runner's Edge socks. I didn't even feel the existing blister, and no new ones appeared.

This week, on a similar 4-mile run, I wore thin socks again. I thought they would be fine, because they were supposedly "performance socks." Not so. I now have a blister on the arch of my right foot, and a new blister underneath the old, almost healed blister on my left foot.

Lesson learned. Thick socks = happy feet.

I'm Still Plugging Along...

Dear Readers,

I genuinely apologize for my lack of posts lately! On top of running, there is a lot going on in my personal/work/Alpha Phi lives that has kept me from the keyboard. However, I AM still keeping up with my training, for the most part.

On Sunday, since I was in Billings for Easter weekend, I missed training class. However, I DID have a great 4-mile run with my dad! I think I'm finally reaching the coveted threshold where adding an extra mile on to a run isn't as tough as it once seemed. (I'll get back to you on if I still feel that way after we get to 5 miles in two weeks!)

Aside from that, I've been enjoying some 2- and 3-mile runs with Lisa on Wednesdays and Sundays, (when we don't get lost!) and am either running 1-2 miles, going to The Lift, or hiking the M on off days. I really hate running by myself so it's usually hiking the M or running on the treadmill in front of the TVs at the gym. I know that's not as good for me but at least I'm doing it! I've said it before, but I'm thinking cross-training is key!

My shins are still hurting, but it's not getting any worse so I guess that's a good thing. I'll take what I can get!

I recently got a blister on the arch of my left foot, but that turned out to be a lot more minor than I thought it would be. Nevertheless, I'm saving the thin Gold-Toe socks for short runs and sticking with my Runner's Edge FitSoks for the long runs!

Thank you all so much for your encouragement and positive thoughts! Writing this blog and knowing you're all rooting for me is making this easier and way more fun, AND forcing me not to quit! (Because that would be REAL embarassing.)