Early Swim on a Rainy Day

Here's where I spent yesterday morning all before 7am....

My alarm went off at 5:30 am, which meant that I had exactly thirty minutes to get dressed, grab all of my bags {pool bag, work bag, lunch bag, handbag} and drive across town to the community center.  The goal was to be in the pool by 6am and out by 7am...which did happen {give or take five minutes or so}.

Way back in the summer when I was on the "DL" with an Achilles injury I swam a ton and honestly, I never felt better.  Lately I've been craving that feeling of both relaxation and exhaustion from a water workout, so I decided it was time to dip my toes in the pool. 

Since I only had less than an hour, I decided to take an old workout and cut it down to fit my swimming fitness level.  Here's how it went...

Warm-up: 300 yards 

10 x 50 yards {10 seconds rest}

2 minutes rest

5 x 75 yards {40 seconds rest}

2 minutes 

Cool down: 300 yards 

Now that I think back to those summer workouts, I was accomplishing a ton more in the pool.  However, I have to remember that it took quite a few sessions before I was able to do that.  

In case you're interested...here are a few posts from those workouts:

Swimming and Some Coffee 

A Family Wedding {swimming workout is at the end of this post}

 Hot Run, Swim and a New Camera

Swimming Longer and Longer 

After I finished, a treat to myself for getting up early and swimming in cold water was to take about minutes in the hot tub before hitting the shower.  That short period of time felt so good on a dreary rainy morning!

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Last night I had the house to myself, so I wanted to throw together a healthy meal without cooking.  The thought of preparing a meal AND doing the dishes was not in the cards so I tossed together this salad.     

On top of a bed of mixed greens was quinoa, feta cheese, edamame, dried cranberries and walnuts tossed with a lime olive oil and coconut white balsamic vinegar dressing.  It was totally delicious and satisfying.  Plus, I even had some room left for dark chocolate and a glass of my favorite red.  

What type of workouts do you like to do to break away from your normal routine?

Yoga and Running; Plus Some Swimming!

Stand in Mountain Pose.  Dive forward.  Come up to a flat back.  Fold forward again.  Breathe.  Step back to downward facing dog.  Hold here.  Take a few deep breaths.  Come forward to plank pose - top of a push up.  Keep your elbows in and slowly lower to Chaturanga.  Breathe.  Come to upward facing dog.  Breathe.  Flow back to downward facing dog.

Sound familiar?  If so...you know what I'm talking about.  If not, it's a Sun Salutation in yoga.  

Running and yoga are a perfect combination because runners can use yoga to lengthen the muscles that are shortened from repeated running motions.  Yoga also helps runners increase their range of motion {which I need in the Achilles area}.  

As I was researching the correlation, I came across two good articles that talk about how these two activities can come together hand in hand for the positive benefit of the athlete. 

Yoga for Runners

Strike a Pose - From Runner's World

This summer, I started going to yoga classes at The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem.  Even though I have been doing yoga on my own several years, these classes and the awesome instructors are teaching me the proper ways to safely and efficiently carry out poses, and I am enjoying every second.  Running has wreaked havoc on my body over the years...recently with hip and IT band problems over the winter, and continuing on to my never-ending Achilles issues this spring/summer.  I feel that I need an intervention...and yoga is just the key.

I'm not getting any younger {I will be 38 in less than two weeks} and my body often tells me so.  When I go to yoga, I am probably one of the least flexible people in the room.  Last night at class, I determined that my right side is definitely less flexible than my right.  Makes sense -- the IT band tightness and my Achilles tendonitis both are/were on my right.  

It is my goal to go to at least one yoga class per week...two if I'm lucky!  It is my hope that by partnering the two {running and yoga}, my body will thank me in the long run.  

On another note...I am still swimming.  This morning, I got in a really good workout at the pool with Jesse.  

We did an increasing pyramid in the beginning, climaxing with a 500 yard long swim, and then coming back down with a decreasing pyramid.  At the end, we did some really short and fast intervals. 


Here's the workout:


Warm-up - 150y


2 x 150y - 2:44.6, 2:47.6  {1:00 rest in between intervals}


2 minutes rest


2 x 175y - 3:16.9, 3:10.3  {1:15 rest in between intervals}


2 minutes rest


2 x 200y - 3:44.3, 3:40.5  {1:30 rest in between intervals}


2 minutes rest


500y swim


2 minutes rest -- {Note: the times below were to be faster than the ones I did in the beginning of the workout}

200y - 3:34.69 {1:30 rest}

175y - 3:08.3  {1:15 rest}

150y - 2:44.3 

2 minutes rest

2 x 75y - 1:16.1, 1:14.9  {45 seconds rest}

2 x 50y - 46.37, 45.32  {45 seconds rest}

2 x 25y - FAST!!   19.5, 19.5  {45 seconds rest}


Cool down - 100 yards



Phew...I'm tired now!!  Time to start the day.  Have a good one!

~Tracy





 

Summer Clothes Cleaning

Good morning!  

How are you today?  I'm ok.  This morning I set out to do a 4 mile run, my most since this whole Achilles tendonitis thing started, but I only got in 3.  I am starting to get really bummed because the pain has gotten a little better, but with everything I am doing {stretching, icing, PT}, it should be gone...in my opinion.  I asked John {the PT} today and he said it is just taking longer to heal due to the location of the inflammation.  I have a follow-up doctor's appointment on Monday with the orthopedic surgeon, so I will have a few questions for him when I go there.  

While at PT, they put me in this "sling-like" contraption to really get a thorough stretch.  They can adjust the level of intensity, and once they have it at the desired setting, I sit there for about 5 minutes {it seems like 55!} while my Achilles stretches.  Take a look...

Let me just say...I'm glad when the timer rings! 


As for today's post...I did some clothes cleaning yesterday.  It took me all afternoon to go through my closet, drawers and bins to try on and decide to whether keep, pitch or sell my wardrobe.  Since Christmas, my workouts have really picked up and by doing so, I lost at least a size...maybe two.  So, most of the clothes in my closet are too big.  I know that's not a bad problem to have, but I did have my work cut out for me while going through the process.  

After it was all said and done, I am giving away three full garbage bags to the thrift shop and I have all of this to sell at our yard sale in a few weeks...

  
My husband thinks it looks like a store!

I have to admit, I am not a neat knick.  Nor do I need things to be in perfect order.  But when I do get to go through my things, it feels so gosh darn good to toss things out and put things back in their places.  This is something I do every summer with not only my clothes, but the girls' clothes as well.  As a matter of fact, in the summer, I am pretty much a tornado that spins through the house.  


Among my clothes and accessories, I found these...

...my old college uniforms.  You see, school always ended at the beginning of May, but we didn't have the NCAA meet until the end of the month so school was closed by the time we were finished with our season.  Hence...the collection of singlets that I still have and cherish.  


Last night, Payton and I had a girls' night.  Fred went to the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game to see Philadelphia Phillies' Chase Utley rehabbing in the minor league.  We decided to do our favorite...Panera Bread and a Red Box movie.  I got my usual...Chicken Tortilla soup and a piece of bread, while Payton got her fav...Broccoli Cheddar soup.   

And for dessert...Low fat Peanut Butter Pie yogurt with graham crackers and peanut butter cups on a cone {obviously}!

  
On the agenda for today: baking a few treats for our cabin retreat this weekend and a committee meeting for the LVHN Marathon for Via, plus Laurel's yoga class in the evening.  I hope you have a great day!

Enjoy!

Tracy 







    

Swimming and Some Coffee

Good morning, everyone!


I hope you're having a good day so far.  Yet again, I went over to the pool for a workout earlier but I decided to not run since this weekend, running is the only thing I will be able to do at the cabin.  For workouts, I'm thinking that this week will look like this:

Today: Swim

Wednesday: Swim and run

Thursday: Swim

Friday - Sunday: Run

Again....this is what I HOPE to accomplish!! 

I'm also hoping to sneak in a yoga session at some point, but that may not happen.  We'll see...

So for today's workout, Jesse had me do about a mile and a half worth of pool time.  I was pretty tired after some of the intervals because not only is the distance increasing, but I am getting faster as well.  

 

 

Workout du jour: 

150y warm-up
6 x 50y as part of the warm-up on 15 seconds rest {not timed}

Set One:
100y - 1:44.9 {1:00 rest}
2 x 25y - 19.79, 22.01  {30 seconds rest}
100y - 1:44.6  {1:00 rest}
100y - 1:43.5 

2 minutes rest

Set Two:
150y - 2:45.6  {1:15 rest}
2 x 25y - 20.6, 22.3 {30 seconds rest}
150y - 2:43.8 {1:15 rest}
150y - 2:43.2 

2 minutes rest

Set Three:
200y - 3:43.1  {1:30 rest}
2 x 25y - 20.2, 22.2 {30 seconds rest}
200y - 3:39.2 {1:30 rest}
200y - 3:37.6 

2 minutes rest

400y swim / Cool down {not timed}


The purpose of the two short 25 yards in the middle of each set was to make me a little more tired when completing the final two intervals.  It worked!  I was really exhausted...especially after the first set.  I think I eventually got into my groove and just plowed through the rest of the session.  I really like swimming 200s...call me crazy!

Now as I type this...I am enjoying a delicious cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee and I just devoured some Greek yogurt with fruit.  That's the one thing about swimming...I have a ferocious appetite after the workouts!  

All you runners...what do YOU think of cross-training, such as swimming?  Have you ever tried anything else besides running?

Enjoy your day!  


Tracy