FIT:
99.9% of the time, I feel good after a run. No matter how desperately I want to sleep before a run, a few steps into the run and for hours after the run, I feel really energized. Not so today.
I was eating my extended dinner up to 10 minutes before I left for the run... problem 1. It gets dark at 8pm now, so I had to go.
I started running, and I was tired. It did get a little cooler as the sun went down, but I was still tired. And getting more tired. So I stopped after 3.7 mi. Afterwards, I felt like a big wimp for stopping. But my body really is tired. It's been 2+ weeks of 5 hrs per night with 10 hr workdays 6 days/week, with 2 hrs of sleep 2 nights ago. I did get 11 hrs last night, but I was still incredibly blaaaah in the morning. Should I have pushed it? It would've been good mental training for what it feels like in the last 3 miles of the marathon. Eh... oh well. You learn from bad runs. What not to do. What makes your performance suffer. You learn from good runs, too... what works. Oh well. Some redemption in this run, I guess.
3.7 in 31:19, 8:33 ave. 296 cal.
Splits> 6:32, 6:19, 12:27 for 2, 6:00.
It was a tough day at work. It made finally going home suuuuch a wonderful feeling. Haven't been that excited to be back at my apartment in a while. Oh man...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Aug 28
FIT:
Back in the US... time for a decent-sized run again after 2 weeks of getting in little workouts where possible.
7pm at the Swamp Rabbit trail. Felt pretty good. It was a really nice 50-70 degrees in Mexico, but there was killer altitude in Mexico (1.4-1.65 mi). Here, it was in the 80s, but 0.2 mi. My workouts lately have been short in duration, so my training needed this. I signed up for the Spinx Half Marathon about a month or two ago, and if I want to finish without too much difficulty, I need to start being able to do long runs again.
After 2 laps, I considered just going home with 8.6ish mi, because it was getting a little more difficult at that point, but I felt decent, so I figured I'd add another half a lap. I still felt decent at the half lap turnaround, so I made it a full lap. I was getting thirsty at about 10 mi. The first water fountain I tried was broken - boo. Thankfully, the second one worked. It would've been a painful last 1.5 ish mi without it. Doable, but much more comfortable with water. After the water stop, I felt like I slowed down and was doing more of a cool-down style run, just to get through the distance.
11.9 in 1:38:49, 8:17 ave. 927 cal.
Splits> 13:42 p, 7:11 c, 7:10 p, 7:03 b long, 13:02 c, 7:07 p, 7:06 b long, 6:00 p short, 7:17 c, 7:19 p, 15:47 car.
The last mile was in near-dark, so I kept to the path, rather than the soft, grassy, risky-for-your-ankles sides.
Earlier today, I had felt like my immune system was a bit down. I think part of it might've been 2 weeks of 5 hrs sleep/night catching up with me. It might've also been the start of ragweed season. Or maybe just all the garlic I ate last night and this morning making my throat dry. I got the SuperC Odwalla with 1500% DV of Vitamin C as insurance. I feel fine now. Sleep will be nice. Not sure if I'll get it until the first week of October though.... and if I don't get it then, it may not be until November.
Back in the US... time for a decent-sized run again after 2 weeks of getting in little workouts where possible.
7pm at the Swamp Rabbit trail. Felt pretty good. It was a really nice 50-70 degrees in Mexico, but there was killer altitude in Mexico (1.4-1.65 mi). Here, it was in the 80s, but 0.2 mi. My workouts lately have been short in duration, so my training needed this. I signed up for the Spinx Half Marathon about a month or two ago, and if I want to finish without too much difficulty, I need to start being able to do long runs again.
After 2 laps, I considered just going home with 8.6ish mi, because it was getting a little more difficult at that point, but I felt decent, so I figured I'd add another half a lap. I still felt decent at the half lap turnaround, so I made it a full lap. I was getting thirsty at about 10 mi. The first water fountain I tried was broken - boo. Thankfully, the second one worked. It would've been a painful last 1.5 ish mi without it. Doable, but much more comfortable with water. After the water stop, I felt like I slowed down and was doing more of a cool-down style run, just to get through the distance.
11.9 in 1:38:49, 8:17 ave. 927 cal.
Splits> 13:42 p, 7:11 c, 7:10 p, 7:03 b long, 13:02 c, 7:07 p, 7:06 b long, 6:00 p short, 7:17 c, 7:19 p, 15:47 car.
The last mile was in near-dark, so I kept to the path, rather than the soft, grassy, risky-for-your-ankles sides.
Earlier today, I had felt like my immune system was a bit down. I think part of it might've been 2 weeks of 5 hrs sleep/night catching up with me. It might've also been the start of ragweed season. Or maybe just all the garlic I ate last night and this morning making my throat dry. I got the SuperC Odwalla with 1500% DV of Vitamin C as insurance. I feel fine now. Sleep will be nice. Not sure if I'll get it until the first week of October though.... and if I don't get it then, it may not be until November.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Mexico training recap (Aug 16-27)
Aug 18:
Arrived 2 days ago. Wasn't in a rush to start working out, since the first couple of days, you're just trying to get into a groove at work. I had 3 workouts over 8/14-8/15 anyway, so rest was fine. My first workout at 1.65 mi of elevation was a 50 minute recumbent bike session, covering 14.6 mi in 50 min. During my last trip to Mexico in May, I only did 3 runs over the week-long trip, with no biking. I had two weeks this time. I thought it may be a good chance to give my plantar fascia a bit of a rest. The bike felt way easier than my attempts at running during the last trip. It wasn't hard, but I still pushed some. Read Running Times. 6am, prior to breakfast (I normally always eat before working out, but this was the only way I could fit it in).
Aug 19:
First run this trip. 6am. Kinvaras, Oxysox. My goal for this trip was to do more than 5K, which is all I did on each run last time. So I did 6K. My strategy was to just get through the 5K at an easier pace and then crank it up a little once I got past that milestone. I went slower than I did on my previous trip, but it was easier on my heart and was less painful. This run did a number on my plantar fasciitis, though. It felt terrible the day after. I think it's the lack of arch support in the Kinvara.
Aug 21:
Got 1 weekend day off, thankfully. After a couple of 12hr days and 5 hrs of sleep each night, I needed the day off. Still tired. Didn't get to really catch up on sleep, but the mental break was good. We were going on a short day trip to a valley with a lake to have lunch, so I got in a longer workout before we left. 7am-ish, hit the recumbent bike and covered 24.6 mi in 60 min.
Aug 23:
I normally eat like 10 minimeals per day, so having 3 big meals with timings that I can't control, between which I get hungry, was difficult. And the big meals... you don't always have the option to get what you're in the mood for. The content was decent 80% of the time, but having restaurant food 100% of the time for 2 weeks gets kind of old. I missed getting to choose the timing and amounts of my meals.
Got the opportunity to try playing Squash with about 10 guys from work. Never played before, and they decided to let me go first... it would've been good to watch someone play first, but they were being nice to give me a chance. I ended up playing 4 games (first to 9 points wins). During the first game, I completely missed the ball 95% of the time. It was tough. During the next game, it was a little better. During the game after that, I could do basic hits alright and was feeling much more comfortable. During the last game, I felt comfortable enough to try a bit of strategy in hitting off the side walls. It was cool to see the progression. It's a really fun game - requires a lot of acrobatics/quick sprints to move around and get the ball. I'm looking forward to trying again next time. I think it'll go well. You get a better feel for how to position your body and the size of the racket and how the ball bounces and moves each time. During squash, I banged my outer lower left knee, but it was alright. My right lower butt was a bit strained, too, afterwards, but it was fine as well.
Afterwards at 10pm, still with no dinner, I really needed to get in some miles, so I got 3.1 on the treadmill. I had potato chips as a snack in the afternoon, so I was okay. I was also still kinda full from the week of big meals. I had meant to program a manual workout with even 1 degree incline, but somehow, it ended up getting set to hills, which was actually better for me. The incline was 1 min @ 0 degrees, 1 min at 1.5-4.3 degrees, for the duration of the run. I did it in 26:14, 8:28 pace. Decent. I think my body has been adapting to the elevation. It's a decent time (compared to the May trip's), and even better considering the hills. FYI, May's paces were 8:25, 8:45, and 8:29 for the three 5Ks I did at 1 degree of incline.
Aug 24:
The next morning, at 6am, I knew a shakeout workout might help, after lots of minisprints and jumping around during squash, and then the good hill workout. I didn't have much time, so I just squeezed 13.5 mi in 30 min on the recumbent bike. It was harder to walk today, even with the shakeout. My legs were just tired from the previous night. The next day, I was delightfully sore, too... mostly in the lower butt.
Skipped the next 2 days of potential workouts, even if I had been in the mood, so that I wouldn't have to truck around wet dirty laundry.
Aug 27:
The morning of my flight, it was okay to work out and have sweaty clothes, since I'd be able to wash it later that day back at home. I got in a last run at altitude. 4.0 in 35:12, 8:48 ave. Before breakfast again. I had had a massive dinner the night before (tired & mentally drained, so I overdid it a bit). Wore the Saucony Paramount, knowing better than to use the arch-less Kinvaras again until my plantar got better. It was nice. Splits> 9:03, 8:49, 8:48, 8:31. This was in Mexico City (1.4 mi elevation), rather than Toluca (1.65 mi elevation), so I figured it may feel a bit easier.
Later that day, once I was at home, I considered going to bed early but ended up getting in a 60 min strength session, to stay on schedule. My quads/hips are stronger than ever. I think the adaptations from the plyos sessions from 6-2 weeks ago finally kicked in.
Arrived 2 days ago. Wasn't in a rush to start working out, since the first couple of days, you're just trying to get into a groove at work. I had 3 workouts over 8/14-8/15 anyway, so rest was fine. My first workout at 1.65 mi of elevation was a 50 minute recumbent bike session, covering 14.6 mi in 50 min. During my last trip to Mexico in May, I only did 3 runs over the week-long trip, with no biking. I had two weeks this time. I thought it may be a good chance to give my plantar fascia a bit of a rest. The bike felt way easier than my attempts at running during the last trip. It wasn't hard, but I still pushed some. Read Running Times. 6am, prior to breakfast (I normally always eat before working out, but this was the only way I could fit it in).
Aug 19:
First run this trip. 6am. Kinvaras, Oxysox. My goal for this trip was to do more than 5K, which is all I did on each run last time. So I did 6K. My strategy was to just get through the 5K at an easier pace and then crank it up a little once I got past that milestone. I went slower than I did on my previous trip, but it was easier on my heart and was less painful. This run did a number on my plantar fasciitis, though. It felt terrible the day after. I think it's the lack of arch support in the Kinvara.
Aug 21:
Got 1 weekend day off, thankfully. After a couple of 12hr days and 5 hrs of sleep each night, I needed the day off. Still tired. Didn't get to really catch up on sleep, but the mental break was good. We were going on a short day trip to a valley with a lake to have lunch, so I got in a longer workout before we left. 7am-ish, hit the recumbent bike and covered 24.6 mi in 60 min.
Aug 23:
I normally eat like 10 minimeals per day, so having 3 big meals with timings that I can't control, between which I get hungry, was difficult. And the big meals... you don't always have the option to get what you're in the mood for. The content was decent 80% of the time, but having restaurant food 100% of the time for 2 weeks gets kind of old. I missed getting to choose the timing and amounts of my meals.
Got the opportunity to try playing Squash with about 10 guys from work. Never played before, and they decided to let me go first... it would've been good to watch someone play first, but they were being nice to give me a chance. I ended up playing 4 games (first to 9 points wins). During the first game, I completely missed the ball 95% of the time. It was tough. During the next game, it was a little better. During the game after that, I could do basic hits alright and was feeling much more comfortable. During the last game, I felt comfortable enough to try a bit of strategy in hitting off the side walls. It was cool to see the progression. It's a really fun game - requires a lot of acrobatics/quick sprints to move around and get the ball. I'm looking forward to trying again next time. I think it'll go well. You get a better feel for how to position your body and the size of the racket and how the ball bounces and moves each time. During squash, I banged my outer lower left knee, but it was alright. My right lower butt was a bit strained, too, afterwards, but it was fine as well.
Afterwards at 10pm, still with no dinner, I really needed to get in some miles, so I got 3.1 on the treadmill. I had potato chips as a snack in the afternoon, so I was okay. I was also still kinda full from the week of big meals. I had meant to program a manual workout with even 1 degree incline, but somehow, it ended up getting set to hills, which was actually better for me. The incline was 1 min @ 0 degrees, 1 min at 1.5-4.3 degrees, for the duration of the run. I did it in 26:14, 8:28 pace. Decent. I think my body has been adapting to the elevation. It's a decent time (compared to the May trip's), and even better considering the hills. FYI, May's paces were 8:25, 8:45, and 8:29 for the three 5Ks I did at 1 degree of incline.
Aug 24:
The next morning, at 6am, I knew a shakeout workout might help, after lots of minisprints and jumping around during squash, and then the good hill workout. I didn't have much time, so I just squeezed 13.5 mi in 30 min on the recumbent bike. It was harder to walk today, even with the shakeout. My legs were just tired from the previous night. The next day, I was delightfully sore, too... mostly in the lower butt.
Skipped the next 2 days of potential workouts, even if I had been in the mood, so that I wouldn't have to truck around wet dirty laundry.
Aug 27:
The morning of my flight, it was okay to work out and have sweaty clothes, since I'd be able to wash it later that day back at home. I got in a last run at altitude. 4.0 in 35:12, 8:48 ave. Before breakfast again. I had had a massive dinner the night before (tired & mentally drained, so I overdid it a bit). Wore the Saucony Paramount, knowing better than to use the arch-less Kinvaras again until my plantar got better. It was nice. Splits> 9:03, 8:49, 8:48, 8:31. This was in Mexico City (1.4 mi elevation), rather than Toluca (1.65 mi elevation), so I figured it may feel a bit easier.
(seconds post-run)
Later that day, once I was at home, I considered going to bed early but ended up getting in a 60 min strength session, to stay on schedule. My quads/hips are stronger than ever. I think the adaptations from the plyos sessions from 6-2 weeks ago finally kicked in.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Aug 14
FIT:
Plantar fasciitis, plus a related tendon/ligament/whatever-is-on-the-outside-of-my-left-foot popping with each step, a tight right hammie/IT or something. Results of the race. Not terrible or unusual. I just need to recover and take care of myself. I iced, massaged, and stretched yesterday. That was good. I need to stretch again today, especially the right IT.
I was going to run today, but then I felt the things listed above. I was just going to take a rest day, which would've been fine, but when I went outside for a moment to make a phone call, it felt relatively cool, and it had just started to sprinkle. Wanted to run, felt decent enough to try, so I went.
I'll be in Mexico for 10 days starting from Tuesday, which means arduous treadmill runs at altitude. I'll be lucky to do more than 3.1 miles on a single run. That's my goal this time. It'll be interesting to see how my body adapts... 1) how quickly I adapt compared to my last 5-day trip there, when I did 3 runs, each somewhat easier than the previous one, and 2) how my adaptation goes for this longer 10-day trip. I was kind of wiped out by the last day last time, maybe due to altitude (although I would've thought that the first few days should've been the worst), but maybe due to other things. Nutrition was okay, with papaya every morning and a little bit of fruit or veg at the other meals, and lots of chicken. Sleep and stress were better than normal trips, I'd say. Maybe my immune system was down just from minor whatevers that weren't strong enough to make me sick but were enough to just weaken a little. We'll see.
Yeah, so, I wanted to get one last outside run in. Plus, an outside run was necessary if I was to do any running at all today, since my legs didn't really want the impact of a treadmill (and never the road).
It was good. Body held up. Kinks were definitely there and maybe were exacerbated a bit, but the bloodflow will help with other things. It was good to get my cardio systems working, too. Always feels so good to feel the effort of your heart... makes you feel alive.
Oh, it ended up not raining while I was out, but it was still good.
4.4 in 36:42, 8:17 ave. 353 cal.
Splits> 6:43, 6:15, 6:16, 5:57, 5:52, 5:37.
Plantar fasciitis, plus a related tendon/ligament/whatever-is-on-the-outside-of-my-left-foot popping with each step, a tight right hammie/IT or something. Results of the race. Not terrible or unusual. I just need to recover and take care of myself. I iced, massaged, and stretched yesterday. That was good. I need to stretch again today, especially the right IT.
I was going to run today, but then I felt the things listed above. I was just going to take a rest day, which would've been fine, but when I went outside for a moment to make a phone call, it felt relatively cool, and it had just started to sprinkle. Wanted to run, felt decent enough to try, so I went.
I'll be in Mexico for 10 days starting from Tuesday, which means arduous treadmill runs at altitude. I'll be lucky to do more than 3.1 miles on a single run. That's my goal this time. It'll be interesting to see how my body adapts... 1) how quickly I adapt compared to my last 5-day trip there, when I did 3 runs, each somewhat easier than the previous one, and 2) how my adaptation goes for this longer 10-day trip. I was kind of wiped out by the last day last time, maybe due to altitude (although I would've thought that the first few days should've been the worst), but maybe due to other things. Nutrition was okay, with papaya every morning and a little bit of fruit or veg at the other meals, and lots of chicken. Sleep and stress were better than normal trips, I'd say. Maybe my immune system was down just from minor whatevers that weren't strong enough to make me sick but were enough to just weaken a little. We'll see.
Yeah, so, I wanted to get one last outside run in. Plus, an outside run was necessary if I was to do any running at all today, since my legs didn't really want the impact of a treadmill (and never the road).
It was good. Body held up. Kinks were definitely there and maybe were exacerbated a bit, but the bloodflow will help with other things. It was good to get my cardio systems working, too. Always feels so good to feel the effort of your heart... makes you feel alive.
Oh, it ended up not raining while I was out, but it was still good.
4.4 in 36:42, 8:17 ave. 353 cal.
Splits> 6:43, 6:15, 6:16, 5:57, 5:52, 5:37.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
RACE REPORT: Ready for Fall? 5K
Venue: Milliken Aboretum, 8:30am
Temps: 74 and cloudy. Felt humid, but overall cooler than it has been in recent days.
Competition: Pre-season cross country race for middle school, high school, college runners as well as an open race
I like XC races. It's different running on all-grass. There's something raw and deeply natural about it. You roll across varied terrain. You encounter more changes in elevation, and you need to be a little more agile and careful about footing. It's slower, but it's easier on the body to go on soft surfaces and to be able to use the neglected stabilizer muscles.
Lead-up...
The night before the night before, sleep was so-so... probably 5.5 or 6. I had had a tiring week at work, but my immune system made it through. I usually don't eat anything special the day before races. I did have guests over, though, so I can show you pictures of dinner...
(Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, baked with 75% light Vermont Cheddar, Garlic+Italian Seasoning, and Parsley... first time I've tried making it, after hearing about it at Hungryrunnergirl.com... it was a hit! And it's only $1.09 per pizza-worth of dough.)
(Chicken in Cream of Mushroom Casserole with Carrots and Peas, topped with 75% light Vermont Cheddar, chives, parsley, and garlic+Italian seasoning. I know the two dishes look like they're the same color, but underneath the topping, it's colorful w/ the carrots and peas. And zooming in on the pic will make it look a little more appealing. It was tasty, trust me.)
We also had Organic mixed greens with fat free Feta and Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Anyway, I slept 5 hours. While we were playing Guesstures (as I was watching a teammate, not acting), I banged my right knee on my couch armrest, and it hurt some to walk. So I iced before bed. Good choice, I think, b/c it was 90% better in the morning. Phew.
Had my warm-up shower to get loose (the warm running water is magic), and had 2 cups of room-temp water + instant decaf + coca. Wouldn't recommend the recipe, but it gives me a little lift, and there are probably lots of antioxidants in it. Plus, it helps with using the bathroom = more speed. To avoid during-race bathroom needs or the need to wait in long bathroom lines 30->0 minutes before race start, I think it's best to wake up 2-3 hours before the race and refill yourself with water, so that you're back at the normal hydration state by race time.
Race started at 8:30, so I got there at 7. I had eaten bread pretty late at night, so I wasn't that hungry, but I had some Whole Grain Goldfish and 2 Clif Roks (protein balls). Went to the porta potty 2x. In line with the muscle tension tuning theory from Steve Magness (http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21918), I did my 0.5ish mile warmup on the road, rather than on the grass, to keep my legs snappy. I started at about 8:10. Then, I switched into spikes (another reason I like XC races - an excuse to use spikes) and did dynamic stretching, range of motion leg swings, and striders.
There wasn't a huge number of runners. The line was decently long horizontally, since this is a specialty XC course, and the start was maybe 2-3 deep, so everyone got to go out at about the same time. There were lots of HS age kids. Some looked like middle schoolers, and a few college or slightly post-college and older people around.
The race start was delayed for like 5 minutes for some reason, but eventually, we started. Everyone went out fast, and I felt like 80% of the field was ahead of me in the first 200m. And even I had gone out too fast. Bulleted out but took the speed down a bit after maybe 200m. Shouldn't have gone out so fast at the very start. There was no reason to, since the crowds were thin anyway. Oh well.
The first half of the course was mostly normal grass, which made the spikes advantageous. I hit the the 1-mi mark at 6:51, which would be fine for a 50 degree run on the road, but was probably a little too fast for this 74 degree XC run. Hit the 2-mi mark at 7:09 (exactly 14 min, or 7:00/mi ave). I might've done the passing 65% of the time, and got passed 35% of the time. At times, I realized that I had been going too fast and had expended muscle integrity, so I'd get things under control a bit and just focus on recovering a little while rolling and putting distance down without straining myself.
The course got a little less spike-friendly for about 0.5 mi at around the 2-mi mark, with hard dirt with pebbles unevenly scattered around. It was fairly short, though, and didn't cause problems... just a little less comfortable.
The last mile is always tough. Just hang in there. This part snakes around a bit... just hang in there. I drafted off a boy for a while. "I'm getting a ride on the boy bus," I told myself. He pulled away after maybe half a mile of this. Then came the short but steep hill right before the finishing line. Then, giving whatever you have left for the final stretch. Got close to the boy again but didn't pass him.
Good effort. As always, having a little difficulty standing from being so out of breath at the end. Left it all out on the course. After the race, I had delightful & much-needed orange Gatorade and 2 bananas.
I finished 10th for the women, in 22:23. They gave overall prizes 10-deep, so I just made it, haha. Originally, 2 boys' names had somehow gotten on the list, so while they were reworking the results, it was a little more suspenseful for me to find out if I'd be top-10. The times ranged from maybe 19:30ish, and at the rate they were going, with a couple of 19+ performances and a good number of 20+ performances, I didn't think I had a chance, but it worked out. In any case, they gave 1st in age group awards too, so I would've gotten that had I not gotten this.
The race was only $10, but since it's a pre-season race focused on young runners, Brooks sponsored swag and prizes, which was really nice. They had shorts, hats, shirts, socks, and a couple of long sleeve tees, plus a waterbottle. I picked the long sleeve - it's somewhat too big, but that's alright. The DeFeet socks and Drawstring bag was swag.
3.1 in 22:23, 7:13/mi ave. D'oh... 0:35/mi too slow... big diff... I guess it's the heat + terrain, though. We'll see what happens this fall & winter.
Splits> 6:51, 7:09, 7:38, 0:45 for 0.1... d'oh... 7:38... haha.
After the race and before the awards, I did a 0.2 mi cool-down, but even that was hard to manage. After the awards, though, to take advantage of the great course and mostly cloudy weather, I re-ran the course at an easy pace, just to get in some more training for today. It was hotter, of course, but still bearable at 10:30am.
Had another cup of Gatorade (the race hosts were still around and gave me some) and carrots after that. Got home and had chicken and bread from yesterday, plus milk.
3.1 in 25:55, 8:22 ave. Even here, I started slowly but then naturally got looser and sped up. It was a nice cool-down, and I would've went through with doing another lap, but my left leg started acting up a bit, so I played it safe.
Temps: 74 and cloudy. Felt humid, but overall cooler than it has been in recent days.
Competition: Pre-season cross country race for middle school, high school, college runners as well as an open race
I like XC races. It's different running on all-grass. There's something raw and deeply natural about it. You roll across varied terrain. You encounter more changes in elevation, and you need to be a little more agile and careful about footing. It's slower, but it's easier on the body to go on soft surfaces and to be able to use the neglected stabilizer muscles.
Lead-up...
The night before the night before, sleep was so-so... probably 5.5 or 6. I had had a tiring week at work, but my immune system made it through. I usually don't eat anything special the day before races. I did have guests over, though, so I can show you pictures of dinner...
(Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, baked with 75% light Vermont Cheddar, Garlic+Italian Seasoning, and Parsley... first time I've tried making it, after hearing about it at Hungryrunnergirl.com... it was a hit! And it's only $1.09 per pizza-worth of dough.)
(Chicken in Cream of Mushroom Casserole with Carrots and Peas, topped with 75% light Vermont Cheddar, chives, parsley, and garlic+Italian seasoning. I know the two dishes look like they're the same color, but underneath the topping, it's colorful w/ the carrots and peas. And zooming in on the pic will make it look a little more appealing. It was tasty, trust me.)
We also had Organic mixed greens with fat free Feta and Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Anyway, I slept 5 hours. While we were playing Guesstures (as I was watching a teammate, not acting), I banged my right knee on my couch armrest, and it hurt some to walk. So I iced before bed. Good choice, I think, b/c it was 90% better in the morning. Phew.
Had my warm-up shower to get loose (the warm running water is magic), and had 2 cups of room-temp water + instant decaf + coca. Wouldn't recommend the recipe, but it gives me a little lift, and there are probably lots of antioxidants in it. Plus, it helps with using the bathroom = more speed. To avoid during-race bathroom needs or the need to wait in long bathroom lines 30->0 minutes before race start, I think it's best to wake up 2-3 hours before the race and refill yourself with water, so that you're back at the normal hydration state by race time.
Race started at 8:30, so I got there at 7. I had eaten bread pretty late at night, so I wasn't that hungry, but I had some Whole Grain Goldfish and 2 Clif Roks (protein balls). Went to the porta potty 2x. In line with the muscle tension tuning theory from Steve Magness (http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21918), I did my 0.5ish mile warmup on the road, rather than on the grass, to keep my legs snappy. I started at about 8:10. Then, I switched into spikes (another reason I like XC races - an excuse to use spikes) and did dynamic stretching, range of motion leg swings, and striders.
There wasn't a huge number of runners. The line was decently long horizontally, since this is a specialty XC course, and the start was maybe 2-3 deep, so everyone got to go out at about the same time. There were lots of HS age kids. Some looked like middle schoolers, and a few college or slightly post-college and older people around.
The race start was delayed for like 5 minutes for some reason, but eventually, we started. Everyone went out fast, and I felt like 80% of the field was ahead of me in the first 200m. And even I had gone out too fast. Bulleted out but took the speed down a bit after maybe 200m. Shouldn't have gone out so fast at the very start. There was no reason to, since the crowds were thin anyway. Oh well.
The first half of the course was mostly normal grass, which made the spikes advantageous. I hit the the 1-mi mark at 6:51, which would be fine for a 50 degree run on the road, but was probably a little too fast for this 74 degree XC run. Hit the 2-mi mark at 7:09 (exactly 14 min, or 7:00/mi ave). I might've done the passing 65% of the time, and got passed 35% of the time. At times, I realized that I had been going too fast and had expended muscle integrity, so I'd get things under control a bit and just focus on recovering a little while rolling and putting distance down without straining myself.
(at about the 1.5 mi mark)
The course got a little less spike-friendly for about 0.5 mi at around the 2-mi mark, with hard dirt with pebbles unevenly scattered around. It was fairly short, though, and didn't cause problems... just a little less comfortable.
The last mile is always tough. Just hang in there. This part snakes around a bit... just hang in there. I drafted off a boy for a while. "I'm getting a ride on the boy bus," I told myself. He pulled away after maybe half a mile of this. Then came the short but steep hill right before the finishing line. Then, giving whatever you have left for the final stretch. Got close to the boy again but didn't pass him.
(stopping my watch)
Good effort. As always, having a little difficulty standing from being so out of breath at the end. Left it all out on the course. After the race, I had delightful & much-needed orange Gatorade and 2 bananas.
I finished 10th for the women, in 22:23. They gave overall prizes 10-deep, so I just made it, haha. Originally, 2 boys' names had somehow gotten on the list, so while they were reworking the results, it was a little more suspenseful for me to find out if I'd be top-10. The times ranged from maybe 19:30ish, and at the rate they were going, with a couple of 19+ performances and a good number of 20+ performances, I didn't think I had a chance, but it worked out. In any case, they gave 1st in age group awards too, so I would've gotten that had I not gotten this.
The race was only $10, but since it's a pre-season race focused on young runners, Brooks sponsored swag and prizes, which was really nice. They had shorts, hats, shirts, socks, and a couple of long sleeve tees, plus a waterbottle. I picked the long sleeve - it's somewhat too big, but that's alright. The DeFeet socks and Drawstring bag was swag.
3.1 in 22:23, 7:13/mi ave. D'oh... 0:35/mi too slow... big diff... I guess it's the heat + terrain, though. We'll see what happens this fall & winter.
Splits> 6:51, 7:09, 7:38, 0:45 for 0.1... d'oh... 7:38... haha.
After the race and before the awards, I did a 0.2 mi cool-down, but even that was hard to manage. After the awards, though, to take advantage of the great course and mostly cloudy weather, I re-ran the course at an easy pace, just to get in some more training for today. It was hotter, of course, but still bearable at 10:30am.
Had another cup of Gatorade (the race hosts were still around and gave me some) and carrots after that. Got home and had chicken and bread from yesterday, plus milk.
3.1 in 25:55, 8:22 ave. Even here, I started slowly but then naturally got looser and sped up. It was a nice cool-down, and I would've went through with doing another lap, but my left leg started acting up a bit, so I played it safe.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Aug 11
FIT:
Yesterday - spinned. And that was about all I could manage. I pushed pretty hard for 42:45, and despite having 1/2 a protein powder drink afterwards, I was done. I tried to run, but the hard treadmill just wasn't friendly towards my feet, so I stopped after a minute. I debated for a while whether I should go ahead and grocery shop for guests I'm having over on Friday, or if I should maybe go for an outside run. I ended up shopping, since I was already out, and then it was dark.
The previous day, I had felt mentally sick/tired/sluggish at work. I think it was an accumulated amount of working tons and not sleeping regularly. My eating had been a bit out of whack the previous week, with me not wanting fruits or veggies as much as I normally do. I knew I needed sleep and maybe some vitamin C to make sure I didn't put myself at risk with a compromised immune system.
Felt somewhat better after 9.5 hrs of sleep that previous night (to make up for 5.5 the night before), but even that was not enough. So spin was all I did the next day. No run.
42:45 of biking, 32.7 mi (sounds hiiiigh).
Today... felt better, though I still could use more sleep. Had 6.5 hrs last night, still not enough.
I needed a run, since the last one was on Sunday. I had the option of doing an outdoors run on the grass, but Steve Magness of Runblogger.com made good points in Running Times magazine about tuning the tension in your body to be sharp on race day (http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21918). In all the running books I've read, I don't recall seeing this topic/theory fleshed out as much as it is here. I have heard about faster runners being more economical by being less flexible, but this goes into so much more. So I did a treadmill run, which provides more tension building than soft grass runs. I also added about 5 striders in the last 0.5 mi of the 3.5 mi run. We'll see how it goes! Oh yeah, the race on Saturday is an XC race. I think tension (to a certain extent) would help nevertheless.
3.5 in 27:38, 7:54/mi. Hope the magic comes on race day! Estimated temps as of now... 74 degrees w/ 30% chance of rain. Warm. But the 3 sessions of plyos that I've done in the past month should help bring some magic. So should the extra training volume I've been getting with all the spinning.
Splits> 8:29, 7:51, 7:39, 3:37 for 0.5.
Yesterday - spinned. And that was about all I could manage. I pushed pretty hard for 42:45, and despite having 1/2 a protein powder drink afterwards, I was done. I tried to run, but the hard treadmill just wasn't friendly towards my feet, so I stopped after a minute. I debated for a while whether I should go ahead and grocery shop for guests I'm having over on Friday, or if I should maybe go for an outside run. I ended up shopping, since I was already out, and then it was dark.
The previous day, I had felt mentally sick/tired/sluggish at work. I think it was an accumulated amount of working tons and not sleeping regularly. My eating had been a bit out of whack the previous week, with me not wanting fruits or veggies as much as I normally do. I knew I needed sleep and maybe some vitamin C to make sure I didn't put myself at risk with a compromised immune system.
Felt somewhat better after 9.5 hrs of sleep that previous night (to make up for 5.5 the night before), but even that was not enough. So spin was all I did the next day. No run.
42:45 of biking, 32.7 mi (sounds hiiiigh).
Today... felt better, though I still could use more sleep. Had 6.5 hrs last night, still not enough.
I needed a run, since the last one was on Sunday. I had the option of doing an outdoors run on the grass, but Steve Magness of Runblogger.com made good points in Running Times magazine about tuning the tension in your body to be sharp on race day (http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21918). In all the running books I've read, I don't recall seeing this topic/theory fleshed out as much as it is here. I have heard about faster runners being more economical by being less flexible, but this goes into so much more. So I did a treadmill run, which provides more tension building than soft grass runs. I also added about 5 striders in the last 0.5 mi of the 3.5 mi run. We'll see how it goes! Oh yeah, the race on Saturday is an XC race. I think tension (to a certain extent) would help nevertheless.
3.5 in 27:38, 7:54/mi. Hope the magic comes on race day! Estimated temps as of now... 74 degrees w/ 30% chance of rain. Warm. But the 3 sessions of plyos that I've done in the past month should help bring some magic. So should the extra training volume I've been getting with all the spinning.
Splits> 8:29, 7:51, 7:39, 3:37 for 0.5.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Aug 7
FIT:
Got in a great workout today.
Past 24 hrs... rough night last night... didn't fall asleep until 4am. I started getting sleepy, thankfully, at around 2am, and it was almost a relief from the duress. I was still somewhat charged up, though, and at 4am, I was thinking about still waking up at 6am for a run outside, but when the alarm rang, snoozed it. Snoozed through the Sunday School alarm, too, and woke up on my own just in time to go to the worship service.
Groceries, ate, napped, ate some more, Walmart, gym. Now we're at about 10pm.
I thought about just getting in a few miles, possibly a LR, but 4 miles would've been good. When I stepped on the treadmill and started watching tv on it, I was so happy. Big difference from the previous night. What a roller coaster. Anyway, I was inexplicably happy just to be running and watching food tv in a nice air-conditioned gym.
Since there's very little variation in footstrike muscles on the treadmill, I had to shake it up, and hills was a nice way to do it. Normally, I do it by increasing speed, but the hills were a really nice alternative. I need to work on my hill strength anyway.
2 mi warmup going from 7-7.5mph @ the typical 1 degree (that's how long it took for my legs to start complaining about the unchanging angles), 1 mi @ 7.5mph @ 3.5 degrees, 1 mi @ 7.5mph @ 1 degree, 1 mi @ 7.5mph @ 3.5 degrees, 2 mi to pick it up a little bit @ 7:53 and 7:37 pace @ 1 degree, 0.5 mi @ 7.5mph @ 5 degrees, 0.5 mi cooldown @ 7.5 mph @ 1 degree.
8.0 in 1:04:07, 8:01 ave... keep that up for a 3:30 marathon... [salivate].
Had a couple swigs of protein shake during the run... having a 1:4 protein:carb drink during exercise reduces muscle damage significantly (68% in one particular study with cyclists). I didn't need the carbs for a run of this duration, but the bit of protein (maybe 5 grams) was satiating. Had maybe 3oz of water, too. 68 degrees, with a fan, Kinvaras w/ soccer socks.
Afterwards, I walked a bit to get my legs loose, then it was time to add some more volume. Spinned while reading Running Times again... so nice. Time went by medium-speed this time. Only did 30 min before I decided I was getting a little tired of working out. After I walked and stretched a bit, I felt as if I could do another round of a run or bike, but it was 12:30ish am, so I'll save it for another day, haha. Besides, on the run, my legs were getting a little pounded... mostly probably just the impact from the plyos 4 days ago... not the running itself... but I should be careful not to overdo anything.
22.5 mi in 30 min, level 4 (which probably means nothing)... okay, remember last time I did the spin bike for 60 min it said I went 41.5 mi and burned 825 cal? I still think 41.5 is high, even if 22.5 in 30 may be conceivable, but the cal counter said 44 this time... dumb.
FUEL:
I used to need to track everything I ate (timing, portions) as a way to rationalize what I was eating and to not overdo anything, and it was helpful at the time to be a little obsessive about it. I don't need to do this anymore, but it is interesting to be able to go back and get snapshots of how I fueled in the past, if I want to do any sort of comparison for nutritional or running performance purposes. It's nice for menu ideas, too. Today, I feel like listing stuff (not timing) just to have a snapshot of today, in case I get curious in the future.
Breakfast: Skim Milk (just this, b/c I was still fueled from a vegan corndog at 2am)
Lunch: 1 small Green Bell Pepper w/ Cilantro Hummus, 1 carrot, 1 vegan Corndog w/ mustard and ketchup (1:2 ratio of sauce:corndog)
Dinner: Tortilla Chips w/ 75% light cheddar and Salsa, 1 Kiwi
Snack: Goldfish
Workout: Whey Protein + Water
Second Dinner: Mixed Greens w/ feta & balsamic, Banana, Peanut Butter
This isn't that typical... so maybe I'll give a few more data points from the weekdays later this week.
Got in a great workout today.
Past 24 hrs... rough night last night... didn't fall asleep until 4am. I started getting sleepy, thankfully, at around 2am, and it was almost a relief from the duress. I was still somewhat charged up, though, and at 4am, I was thinking about still waking up at 6am for a run outside, but when the alarm rang, snoozed it. Snoozed through the Sunday School alarm, too, and woke up on my own just in time to go to the worship service.
Groceries, ate, napped, ate some more, Walmart, gym. Now we're at about 10pm.
I thought about just getting in a few miles, possibly a LR, but 4 miles would've been good. When I stepped on the treadmill and started watching tv on it, I was so happy. Big difference from the previous night. What a roller coaster. Anyway, I was inexplicably happy just to be running and watching food tv in a nice air-conditioned gym.
Since there's very little variation in footstrike muscles on the treadmill, I had to shake it up, and hills was a nice way to do it. Normally, I do it by increasing speed, but the hills were a really nice alternative. I need to work on my hill strength anyway.
2 mi warmup going from 7-7.5mph @ the typical 1 degree (that's how long it took for my legs to start complaining about the unchanging angles), 1 mi @ 7.5mph @ 3.5 degrees, 1 mi @ 7.5mph @ 1 degree, 1 mi @ 7.5mph @ 3.5 degrees, 2 mi to pick it up a little bit @ 7:53 and 7:37 pace @ 1 degree, 0.5 mi @ 7.5mph @ 5 degrees, 0.5 mi cooldown @ 7.5 mph @ 1 degree.
8.0 in 1:04:07, 8:01 ave... keep that up for a 3:30 marathon... [salivate].
Had a couple swigs of protein shake during the run... having a 1:4 protein:carb drink during exercise reduces muscle damage significantly (68% in one particular study with cyclists). I didn't need the carbs for a run of this duration, but the bit of protein (maybe 5 grams) was satiating. Had maybe 3oz of water, too. 68 degrees, with a fan, Kinvaras w/ soccer socks.
Afterwards, I walked a bit to get my legs loose, then it was time to add some more volume. Spinned while reading Running Times again... so nice. Time went by medium-speed this time. Only did 30 min before I decided I was getting a little tired of working out. After I walked and stretched a bit, I felt as if I could do another round of a run or bike, but it was 12:30ish am, so I'll save it for another day, haha. Besides, on the run, my legs were getting a little pounded... mostly probably just the impact from the plyos 4 days ago... not the running itself... but I should be careful not to overdo anything.
22.5 mi in 30 min, level 4 (which probably means nothing)... okay, remember last time I did the spin bike for 60 min it said I went 41.5 mi and burned 825 cal? I still think 41.5 is high, even if 22.5 in 30 may be conceivable, but the cal counter said 44 this time... dumb.
FUEL:
I used to need to track everything I ate (timing, portions) as a way to rationalize what I was eating and to not overdo anything, and it was helpful at the time to be a little obsessive about it. I don't need to do this anymore, but it is interesting to be able to go back and get snapshots of how I fueled in the past, if I want to do any sort of comparison for nutritional or running performance purposes. It's nice for menu ideas, too. Today, I feel like listing stuff (not timing) just to have a snapshot of today, in case I get curious in the future.
Breakfast: Skim Milk (just this, b/c I was still fueled from a vegan corndog at 2am)
Lunch: 1 small Green Bell Pepper w/ Cilantro Hummus, 1 carrot, 1 vegan Corndog w/ mustard and ketchup (1:2 ratio of sauce:corndog)
Dinner: Tortilla Chips w/ 75% light cheddar and Salsa, 1 Kiwi
Snack: Goldfish
Workout: Whey Protein + Water
Second Dinner: Mixed Greens w/ feta & balsamic, Banana, Peanut Butter
This isn't that typical... so maybe I'll give a few more data points from the weekdays later this week.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Aug 6
FIT:
Time for a run again... only my second this week. Ended up having 3 bike sessions this week, though. Once my gym membership runs out, I'll be back to more outdoors work. It was good to get some uneven grass time today, since I have an XC race next weekend.
Just wanted to get in whatever I could. It was about 79 degrees and cloudy at 8pm... not bad, but I still went fairly slowly, I felt. My heart got a good working, though. That's what's important.
4.4 in 37:56, 8:35 ave. 369 cal.
Splits> 6:40, 6:27, 6:22, 6:16, 6:13, 5:55.
It was nice running outside. Maybe I can do it again tomorrow.
My right hammie is a little strained from the plyos session, I think. It'll recover, though. An update on my plantar fasciitis... I guess it has improved some... maybe 50%. I think the plyos this time made it a bit worse. But normally, it'll hurt in the morning, and it'll be okay enough that I forget about it the rest of the day. It makes the thought of a morning workout really tough, though.
My legs had been feeling pretty used this morning, left over from the plyos+bike day, followed by a second bike day. But the run helped with recovery, I think. Blood flow and using the muscles works wonders!
Time for a run again... only my second this week. Ended up having 3 bike sessions this week, though. Once my gym membership runs out, I'll be back to more outdoors work. It was good to get some uneven grass time today, since I have an XC race next weekend.
Just wanted to get in whatever I could. It was about 79 degrees and cloudy at 8pm... not bad, but I still went fairly slowly, I felt. My heart got a good working, though. That's what's important.
4.4 in 37:56, 8:35 ave. 369 cal.
Splits> 6:40, 6:27, 6:22, 6:16, 6:13, 5:55.
It was nice running outside. Maybe I can do it again tomorrow.
My right hammie is a little strained from the plyos session, I think. It'll recover, though. An update on my plantar fasciitis... I guess it has improved some... maybe 50%. I think the plyos this time made it a bit worse. But normally, it'll hurt in the morning, and it'll be okay enough that I forget about it the rest of the day. It makes the thought of a morning workout really tough, though.
My legs had been feeling pretty used this morning, left over from the plyos+bike day, followed by a second bike day. But the run helped with recovery, I think. Blood flow and using the muscles works wonders!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Aug 4
FIT:
Yesterdayyyyy, personal training time with Kevin Cambell (the Bob Harper lookalike). Ready for some more punishment.
On the menu...
- Vert jumps touching the wall, 2 min
- 20 unweighted barbell deadlifts
- Hang from bar, make toes touch bar... only did it like 5x before I had to switch to halfsies.
- 20 unweighted barbell deadlifts
- Hang from bar, knees to elbows... only managed a few before I had to switch to halfsies.
... thought my abs were stronger than that... but maybe it's the back or something that does the work
- 20 barbells w/ 20lbs deadlifts
- Frog jumps, 1 min
- Lunge jumps, 1 min
- 90 degree Scissor kicks while laying on back, 1 min
- Box jumps, 2 min... didn't quite get my footing on the box and slipped off 2x and hit my shins...
... my balance or focus or strength was reallly off today
- Plank w/ knee crawl
- Situps w/ feet anchored and upper body hanging off a bench
- 20 Tricep dips
- 50 woodchops per side w/ 6lb medball
- 20 Burpees w/ legs splitting out instead of the pushup
- 45-35-25 lb kettlebells, 20x each
Got a little dizzy/fuzzy a couple times from lack of O2 or something. Off today.
Spinned afterwards for 60 min. Okay... it was disappointing when I saw that the distance meter would keep cranking up even when I purposefully pedaled extremely slowly. The distance and calorie counters are a joke. It says I did 41.5 mi in 60 min... no way was I pedaling 41 mph. The machine was even set on level 4/20. I don't know what's wrong with it. It also says I burned 825 cal. Not in 60 min I didn't.
Oh well, still a decent way to get a bit of training volume in. Time went by less quickly this time, even though I was reading the same magazine as last time. The text looked really tiny, and it was harder to zone out. I think my brain was still fuzzy. I did crank up the tempo a little bit when Kevin and his next client were on the machine next to mine. Having people around makes you work harder. Strange how that works. I thought I was pretty self-motivated, but people boost it even more.
Today...
I considered whether I wanted to work out today after a challenging workout yesterday that leaves me somewhat sore today. I decided yes, so that I could potentially get the exercise-while-depleted training effect, and also get in a little more volume this week. Then, I had to decide... run outside, or go to the gym. It was cool outside, and I would've done that, but I didn't get out of work until 7:30 (after getting in at 8:00), so gym it was. My legs couldn't take the hard surface of the treadmill, and my back is all sore from yesterday, so bike it was... recumbent bike, so that my back could rest. Watched the Food Network's Chopped... interesting show... they give contestants an eclectic mix of ~4 ingredients, and they have to somehow pull it together into a dish.
Bike session... 60 min, 590 cal, 19.3 mi. More reasonable, although my [limited] experience tells me that your body can generate more power on a stand-up bike vs. a recumbent bike, so maybe it's supposed to be lower.
Afterwards, tried running a couple of steps, but the treadmills at the gym have no cushioning, and my body couldn't take it. I ended up using the punching target for 10 min instead. I think I could go at it harder today than last time, now that there's more muscle memory.
Yesterdayyyyy, personal training time with Kevin Cambell (the Bob Harper lookalike). Ready for some more punishment.
On the menu...
- Vert jumps touching the wall, 2 min
- 20 unweighted barbell deadlifts
- Hang from bar, make toes touch bar... only did it like 5x before I had to switch to halfsies.
- 20 unweighted barbell deadlifts
- Hang from bar, knees to elbows... only managed a few before I had to switch to halfsies.
... thought my abs were stronger than that... but maybe it's the back or something that does the work
- 20 barbells w/ 20lbs deadlifts
- Frog jumps, 1 min
- Lunge jumps, 1 min
- 90 degree Scissor kicks while laying on back, 1 min
- Box jumps, 2 min... didn't quite get my footing on the box and slipped off 2x and hit my shins...
... my balance or focus or strength was reallly off today
- Plank w/ knee crawl
- Situps w/ feet anchored and upper body hanging off a bench
- 20 Tricep dips
- 50 woodchops per side w/ 6lb medball
- 20 Burpees w/ legs splitting out instead of the pushup
- 45-35-25 lb kettlebells, 20x each
Got a little dizzy/fuzzy a couple times from lack of O2 or something. Off today.
Spinned afterwards for 60 min. Okay... it was disappointing when I saw that the distance meter would keep cranking up even when I purposefully pedaled extremely slowly. The distance and calorie counters are a joke. It says I did 41.5 mi in 60 min... no way was I pedaling 41 mph. The machine was even set on level 4/20. I don't know what's wrong with it. It also says I burned 825 cal. Not in 60 min I didn't.
Oh well, still a decent way to get a bit of training volume in. Time went by less quickly this time, even though I was reading the same magazine as last time. The text looked really tiny, and it was harder to zone out. I think my brain was still fuzzy. I did crank up the tempo a little bit when Kevin and his next client were on the machine next to mine. Having people around makes you work harder. Strange how that works. I thought I was pretty self-motivated, but people boost it even more.
Today...
I considered whether I wanted to work out today after a challenging workout yesterday that leaves me somewhat sore today. I decided yes, so that I could potentially get the exercise-while-depleted training effect, and also get in a little more volume this week. Then, I had to decide... run outside, or go to the gym. It was cool outside, and I would've done that, but I didn't get out of work until 7:30 (after getting in at 8:00), so gym it was. My legs couldn't take the hard surface of the treadmill, and my back is all sore from yesterday, so bike it was... recumbent bike, so that my back could rest. Watched the Food Network's Chopped... interesting show... they give contestants an eclectic mix of ~4 ingredients, and they have to somehow pull it together into a dish.
Bike session... 60 min, 590 cal, 19.3 mi. More reasonable, although my [limited] experience tells me that your body can generate more power on a stand-up bike vs. a recumbent bike, so maybe it's supposed to be lower.
Afterwards, tried running a couple of steps, but the treadmills at the gym have no cushioning, and my body couldn't take it. I ended up using the punching target for 10 min instead. I think I could go at it harder today than last time, now that there's more muscle memory.
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