Social Run & Dynamic Warm-Up Class

Last night I met up with the uber cool TNSR at Lululemon for the weekly social run. (click on images to enlarge)

Why no, there was no photoshopping involved. They’re just super acrobatic.

I cranked out a sunny/windy 5k at 7:45 per mile.

Not sure what I was looking/laughing at. I guess I was a happy runner.

There were a few people there who had just run and/or spectated the Boston Marathon, so it was cool to get their stories!  One of them is the super speedy Dr. Logan Sherman.  He’s still sore from his 2:30-something finish, but he and his co-horts from the chiropractic office took time to teach us some good dynamic movements.

Dr. Sherman instructing us.

Hey, I’ve done this in yoga!

I’ve done this in yoga too!

They might have been messing with us on this one.

But it was all smiles in the end.

It worked!!! Look how fast I am – like I’m a flying blur!

Anyways, some good tips.  I still need to read the handouts they gave us, so hopefully I can report back with some more specifics later on.

How bout you?  Do you do dynamic warm-ups before a run?  Did you know incorporating moving yoga poses in your warm up could help your running?  What could I have been looking at during the run?!?

-Scott

 

32 Miles on a Dreadmill

The good news is that my knee is feeling better, not 100%, but tolerable to run on it now.  So I was able to get back into my Disney Dopey Challenge training this week.  It culminated with a weekend of 4, 9, & 19 mile runs on Fri, Sat, Sun.

The bad news is that we got totally iced over this weekend.  Everything has a layer of ice.  Everything.  No snow, all ice.  So I wasn’t able to run outside.  I had to do the 32 total miles all on treadmills.

All that white stuff looks like fun snow, but is actually pure evil ice.

I don’t know how you treadmill runners do it.  I was so bored, I was this close to offing myself.

I set the pace at just under my target marathon pace (around 8:50 per mile), and went to town.  So it took me around 3 hours to finish the 19 miles.  That’s a long time to run on the hamster wheel.

I never run with music, but thought it would help with the treadmill boredom.  Problem is that when I plugged them in, they kept getting some sort of electric feed from the treadmill that sent a shocks into my ears.  I didn’t feel like getting shocked in my ears for 3 hours straight, so I took them off.

And to make it worse, the gym’s TV’s went out with an hour to go.  So I really had nothing to listen to or look at while I ran.  It was pure mental torture.

Sunday’s miles.

On a side note, after this experience, I really don’t think training on a treadmill is good for you.  It’s not like normal running at all – no turns, no real hills, no real speed changes (I know you can “simulate” the last two, but it’s not quite the same).  Plus, since the treadmill is moving, I believe it’s basically doing some of the work for you because you don’t have to use the energy to propel yourself forward.  That is why they say you should set it to an incline of at least 1 to better simulate outdoor running.  So that’s what I did – yup, the 3 hours of running was all uphill at a perfectly constant pace.  Also, my chiropractor said I was way out of alignment, and in spots that I’m normally not after outdoor running (like the inside of my knees) – I’m blaming it on the ‘mill.

The good news is that I was still able to get the miles on my feet.  And I know that I can run that long without stopping once at what is supposed to be my goal marathon pace.

Here’s hoping the ice melts soon because not only was my vehicle slipping and sliding on the way to the gym, but never want to run on a treadmill again! (No offense to those of you who do – I know some don’t have an option and some even enjoy the treadmill)

How bout you?  What’s the furthest you’ve ever gone on the treadmill?  How would your brain react to running in place for 3 hours with no TV, music, etc. (mine was fried)?

Jarrod Shoemaker & Normatec

Last weekend I had a chance to meet Olympian and champion Triathlete Jarrod Shoemaker.  He was making an appearance at a local tri shop which also houses a sports chiro office that my buddy works at.  They were having a sort of open house, so I went into their open house.  I listened to Mr. S’s talk while I tested out some normatec leg sleeves, as the office had a few of them available.  I didn’t take a picture, but my friend Ann took one during her session this week, so I stole it (sorry Ann) – Here’s the view:

Oh great, now I need to find a matching top!

The sleeves inflate like a blood pressure gauge does on your arm.  It inflates at different points and at different intensities.  I don’t know no much about science and stuffs, but they say it helps aid recovery from tough workouts by forcing your blood to move around.  I didn’t ask too many questions, I just jumped in.  Like I said, it felt like a blood pressure thingy, and it kind of felt good.  It’s not painful at all, it just gets tight in different areas at different times.  After they took em off, I didn’t really notice feeling any different, but I bet if I used these things regularly, I would be able to tell a difference.

Apparently TONS of pro athletes have these at home and zip em up while they chill on the couch.  I wish I had one at home…Does anyone have $1700 that I could like…have?

Anyway, while I sat there, Mr. Shoedude did his talk.  I want to share a few of the main points that I took away from him.

I guess he knows what he’s talking about.

-He said he eats several small meals all day long so that he’s not hungry and his body has calories to use as fuel.  This includes eating right before he goes to bed.  I know that goes against everything you’ve ever been told, and I’m paraphrasing here, but he said he wants his body to spend his sleeping hours using energy to digest that food instead of his muscles and stuff.  Now remember, he’s a world class athlete and probably burns a ton butt more calories during his workouts then the average Joey.  His metabolism is probably off the charts.

-He also credits chiropractic care and massages for helping keeping him healthy.  I’m glad to hear this as I visit a chiro regularly and feel it helps me tremendously.  Massage is another story.  I so badly want to go and go regularly (to get a massage that is), but honestly, it’s been about 5 years since I had one, besides the self massages my foam roller and golf ball give me.  I should really change that.

-Finally, he also said that when he got into racing, he started as a runner.  Problem was he kept getting hurt – IT Band, etc.  Then he realized that his whole life he had played multiple sports (soccer, baseball, etc.).  So he gravitated to triathlons.  That way he could still be doing different sports within one sport.  The lesson I take away from this is that everyone should train like a triathlete, even if you aren’t one.  You need to do more than just run, or you risk injury.  That’s why I run, yoga, soccer, lift, bike, etc.  Cross training so that I can stay healthy enough to run injury free!

Anyways, that’s all I got.  Have any of you ever used those sleeves?  What do you think of em?  What else do you do to recover?

-Scott