Outside Running

Yesterday I ran outside for the first time. Since I started my running program, C25k, I have been running on the treadmill at my gym. I ran on the treadmill for two reasons: 1) It was too cold to run outside, and 2) Running outside intimidates me. Yesterday was the first "kinda warm" day this season, so I strapped on my tennies and headed outdoors. I downloaded a GPS feature to my C25K app on my phone. This helped a ton! I was able to start the day's run and the app tracked my speed, distance, and calories for me. Someone asked me if running outside was harder or easier than running on the treadmill. I said both. The actual mechanics of running was a little harder because you have to propel yourself forward, instead of the belt on a treadmill doing it for you. But it was easier in the sense that time moved quicker. The scenery gave me something different to look at and allowed me to take my mind off of running and how tired I was becoming. Also, I noticed that I burned the same amount of calories (according to my heart rate monitor) as I do on a treadmill, but I didn't sweat as much. I'm sure it was because it was a little chilly outside. But I loved running in the fresh air; I get so hot at the gym. I'm not sure if I will run outside all the time now, but I will surely switch it up more often. On a side note, with my run yesterday I met my new running record-- 28 minutes without stopping!!! I will do this a couple more times and the next interval up is 30. Pretty soon I'll be ready for my 5k!

What a drag...

(Warning: This post is a rant, and if you don't want to hear me complain, don't read it.)

Today I have just felt EXHAUSTED! Just mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted. It really started yesterday. I drug myself to the gym and ran over 2 consecutive miles yesterday. The running itself was fine, but in my running log, I recorded that I was tired and fatigued. This morning, I was almost late to school. I overslept- yikes! I woke up later that I normally leave the house. Whoops! All day teaching I just felt like I could close my eyes and fall asleep on the spot. I went to a meeting tonight, which wore me out even more, then went to Zumba. It didn't start until 8pm and I was there 20 minutes early. Usually I do some cardio like the stairmaster or bike ahead of time... but not today. I just sat by the door watching the clock tick. I even almost left because I almost fell asleep waiting. During the class I could not give it my all. My body ached and I just was not in the right mindset to work out. I stuck it out and stayed the whole hour, but it was not easy. It's a little discouraging for me because I have been doing so well and working out has been a thrill. But not the last two days. I don't know if it is because I am getting sick (a lot of my students have been passing around a bug), or if it is because my body is tired from working out so much. Whatever it is, I hope I can kick it because I want to workout and feel good again. Well, its about 9:30 pm now and I think I'm gonna go to bed. Hopefully in the morning I wake up refreshed and strong!

My New Toy

Now nothing can stop me! I just got my Timex Digital Heart Rate Monitor in the mail. It is wonderful! After digging up some reviews on the internet and asking some friends, I have found my newest essential work out tool. For those of you who might not be familiar, a heart rate monitor (HRM) is a device that allows you to measure your heart rate in real time. It comes with a strap that you secure around your sternum. That is the part that measures your beats per minute. It then transmits the information to your watch. I can time my workout, see what my highest and lowest heart rates were during the workout, and even how many calories I burned.

With my heart rate monitor I completed a fitness test that showed me what my maximum heart rate is. Then I learned about 5 "zones" in which I can workout. The levels are different percentages of your maximum heart rate. For example the level 1 zone is the least strenuous. Your don't burn as many calories. Zone 5 will push you closer to your maximum heart rate. For the best fitness results, it is best to workout in the different zones throughout the week.

I am really excited about my new "toy". I have been logging calories according to what different websites and fitness programs say. I am always curious as to whether the cardio calories that I'm logging are accurate. Now I don't have to wonder :) This is perfect because myfitnesspal.com, which is the online service I use to log calories, urges users to eat the calories they burn. I don't want to log too many calories because I don't want to eat calories that I didn't burn. I also don't want to log too few calories and not get credit for the hard workout ;)

March Weigh-In

Changes in Weight and Measurement Since Last Month

Weight: -7.4 lbs
Waist: -1 in
Arm: -0.5 in
Bust: -1 in
Thigh: -0.5 in
Hips: -0 in


Total Changes in Weight and Measurement

Weight: -15 lbs
Waist: -3.5 in
Arm: -1.5 in
Bust: -2 in
Thigh: -1 in
Hips: -1 in

March Goals

Since a new month is coming up, I thought I'd take the liberty of setting some goals for myself. Some are fitness related, others are not. If you talk with me or see me throughout the month of March- feel free to ask me about these goals and keep me accountable! :)

1. Do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred at least 4 times a week.

2. Drink at least 10 cups of water a day.

3. Read my Bible daily.

4. Call and catch up with a friend or family member daily.

5. Be able to run 30 minutes without stopping.

Running Record :)

I just ran 25 minutes without stopping!!! It's a new record for me and I am so happy :) I never thought I would be able to run-- let alone over two miles at once!! I'm getting closer and closer to my 5K :) Just thought I would share my little victory.

Proper Running Mechanics

For the last couple weeks I have noticed a dull pain in my right knee. Its nothing sharp or unbearable, but it is definitely noticeable. And it doesn't always happen only when I'm running, I even feel the pain between runs. I know that "running" doesn't cause knee pain or injuries, but it is HOW you run. And so I decided to start taking a closer look at my mechanics of running.

When I went to BlueMile to purchase my running shoes, I got to see a video of my feet running on a treadmill. I noticed then that my fight foot points outward as I run. My left foot is nice and straight, but my fight foot is almost at a 10 degree slant to the right. I decided that my right foot slant could be the cause of my knee pain. It made sense because it is my right knee that hurts and not the left.

For my last two runs, I focused on pointing my right foot forward. It actually took a lot of effort. It felt like I was running pigeon-toed. While the unnatural feeling was difficult to withhold the duration of the run, I think that I found the culprit of my knee aches. I noticed that running with my foot forward, took the pain away from my knee.

However, because my ankle is now overcompensating and doing something so "unnatural", I noticed an ankle ache today. I am not going to give up though. If I continue training my body and teaching it to run properly, it will be well worth the temporary aches and pains. I decided to do a little research to see if my findings were common. This is part of an article from the Washington Running Report:

Keep your feet pointed in the direction you are running: If your feet splay out to the side as you run, it could create knee pain while running any distance because you are torquing your knee with every foot strike. This will eventually over- stretch the medial ligaments and tendons of the knee and lead to pain and/or injury (medial meniscus tendonitis). You will feel it as a sharp pain on the inside (medial side) of your knee.

Here is what happens. If your feet splay out with every step, you will land on the outside edge of your heel and your ankle will collapse inward. This causes over-pronation and creates a torque in your lower leg that is equivalent to someone grabbing your ankle and twisting it to the outside almost 1800 times every 10 minutes! (That is the number of strides you will take with each leg if you run a 10-minute mile with a 36 inch stride.) It does not take very many miles of running this way for your knees to start feeling the stress. Running this way could eventually hyperextend the medial ligaments and tendons of your kneecap.

What to do: Learn to run with your feet pointed in the direction you are headed. But do not just point your foot forward. Rotate your entire leg inward towards your centerline until your feet are parallel and pointing forward. This will strengthen your adductors (the muscles that run along your inner thighs) and straighten out your legs. This allows your knees to hinge in the direction they were designed to, instead of twisting as they bend.

If your feet turn out, your heel will strike on the lateral side and your ankle will pronate as your ankle supports your weight. If your feet splay out a lot, it will probably feel like you are pigeon-toed when you try to point your feet forward. If that is the case, rotate your legs medially only as far as you can, without feeling discomfort. Increase the amount you rotate your legs inward in small increments over a number of weeks or months, to give the muscles, tendons, and fascia in your legs, feet, and knees time to adjust to the new direction of movement. Changing the biomechanics of your body takes time and persistence, but it is well worth it if you never have to deal with knee pain again.