LISA IN MOTION

Day 7 of #21DayAssKicking If you’re wondering what this is all...

dceventjunkie — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 09:48:25 -0500

Day 7 of #21DayAssKicking

If you’re wondering what this is all about, flip back to my intro post.

I was planning to run again today but there’s ice and snow on the ground so Lee and I took to our basement - home gym (which is luckily fitted with a heavy bag, weights, pull up bar and mini trampoline so we can make a good workout from it).

Day 8: Bootcamp Again.

Day 6 of #21DayAssKicking If you’re wondering what this is all...

dceventjunkie — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 09:42:00 -0500

Day 6 of #21DayAssKicking

If you’re wondering what this is all about, flip back to my intro post.

Took today to cool down with a little yoga instead - and dragged Lee with me again, solid boyfriend!

Day 7: Home Gym

Day 5 of #21DayAssKicking: Intense Abs This says it all, just do...

dceventjunkie — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 09:32:00 -0500

Day 5 of #21DayAssKicking: Intense Abs

This says it all, just do it.

If you’re wondering what this is all about, flip back to my intro post.

Day 6: A little Yoga to cool my jets.

Day 4 of #21DayAssKicking: A "Barre Ride" is No Joke

dceventjunkie — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:54:00 -0500

If you’re wondering what this is all about, flip back to my intro post first.

Yeah, so here’s how a “Barre Ride” goes down…

I signed up for an introduction month at Revolve in Clarendon to throw something different into the mix for the next few weeks. Revolve is an “indoor cycling studio” so when I reserved space for my first class I didn’t think to read class descriptions - spinning is spinning, right? Yeah, um, no. Not that I’m complaining but this totally caught me off guard!

Following 40 minutes of hardcore spinning we dismounted our bikes and thus began the madness. Next I know we’re barefoot gripping our saddles for a never-ending series of ballet plies (basically squats only people try to look more elegant) - on our toes, off our toes, with a ball between our legs, with small weights in our hands….Yup, then some planks and a stretching finale. And finally release from jail.

It was pretty fabulous actually and I know I’m going to feel it everywhere tomorrow - more that the usual spinning class that rips your legs and butt apart, this one really murders them.

Day 5: Intense Abs

Day 3 of #21DayAssKicking

dceventjunkie — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 22:55:00 -0500

If you’re wondering what this is all about, flip back to my intro post first.

Back to Bootcamp this morning…at 6AM. This time the cardio drills (after every 4th station) included boxing gloves and a heavy bag - two of my favorite things :) That said, nothing’s too appealing at the crack of dawn.

We boxed the heavy bag, we lunged with a 40 lb. vest on, we did step up’s with leg raises, chest presses, burpees with a half-moon exercise ball above our head, bear crawls dragging a weight bag, kettle bell swings and arm raises, multiple ab killers…and a half dozen other stations I can’t even name.

But you know what? By 7AM I was ready to take on the world. Damn it felt good to be alive.

Day 4: Back to spinning!

Day 2 of my #21DayAssKicking: Back on the Track. If you’re...

dceventjunkie — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:23:00 -0500

Day 2 of my #21DayAssKicking: Back on the Track.

If you’re wondering what this is all about, flip back to my intro post first.

Today was pretty brutal, but in a different way. Yesterday I was pushed to my limit at bootcamp - a physical limitation. But today played harder on my mind, my ego, and my emotions. It hurt inside and out to struggle through 3 miles recalling how I could pound out 10 and still be smiling…just six months ago. It’s amazing how it takes so long to train the body yet it fades so much faster - a cruel realization!

But I did it, and that counts. So I’ll carry on, one day at a time.

Day 3: Bootcamp at 6am. Womp Womp.

Day 1 of #21DayAssKicking: BOOTCAMP If you’re wondering...

dceventjunkie — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:12:00 -0500

Day 1 of #21DayAssKicking: BOOTCAMP

If you’re wondering what this is all about, flip back to my intro post first.

Brutal. I think my friend Vanessa summed it up well when she asked “do we have to pick up our own vomit too?” I talked the talk all day and come 7pm it was time to walk the walk…or run three flights of stairs 4 times in between 4 sets of ~~various~~ vicious leg, arm, and ab numbing exercises. Oh, and some boxing drills to complete the assault (on oneself).

I felt sick. I felt fabulous. 20 more habit-forming days to go…

The most essential factor is persistence - the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come - James Whitcomb Riley

Day 2: 3 Mile Track Run (a stretch given I’ve ran twice, for 2 miles in the last 2 months since recovery).

January was for clean eating, February is for ass-kicking. I...

dceventjunkie — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:00:00 -0500

January was for clean eating, February is for ass-kicking. I tried to get back in the bootcamp game and lasted a week before I was hit with chronic hives - WTF? Yeah, still trying to find the root cause of those. Anyways, I allowed it to deter me for a while but it looks like I may spend more time than expected trying to sort that out - so it’s back to the grind, hives and all.

We hear so much about how it takes 21 days to form a habit, right? Well, taking that to heart, I’ve drawn up a 21-Day Kick Ass Plan to get back in the game once and for all. Yes, it looks extreme. Yes, I know I don’t need to do something every day for life - that’s why I ended up with achilles tendentious the first time. But I have to do something drastic to kickstart my body into believing in me once again! So I’m going to do SOMETHING, every day for 21 days - no excuses, no exceptions, no bullshit. I’ve got a 10-miler in April and my first half marathon to conquer in May, the time is now.

This ass-kicking includes hourly bootcamps and spin classes, 3 weekly runs (outdoor track and trail), and a little yoga and boxing drills. I’ve scheduled a lot of it in the AM so if something crops up I can still make up for it in the evening. I’m okay if I go off schedule, DOING SOMETHING COUNTS, I just need to visualize a plan to get motivated.

So, it’s Day 1 of #21dayasskicking (yes, I’m going to tweet and tumble this daily to hold myself accountable, first up this evening is bootcamp (indoors, thankfully!)

It’s January 2013, a new year and 5 months since my...

dceventjunkie — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 09:05:00 -0500

It’s January 2013, a new year and 5 months since my achilles injury. And it’s finally time to get back on the wagon. The problem with me is that it’s all or nothing. Doing half-assed boxing classes where I had to avoid all the sprints and jumps and interval jumping jacks just pissed me off, I didn’t see the value. So I did nothing. And when I do nothing I eat everything (that I want to eat). So now 5 months later my pants are tight, the weighing scales is a total pr!ck and I’m annoyed. I’m annoyed because I know better. I’m annoyed because I could have at least eaten better and wouldn’t have undone so much of what I’d achieved. Well listen, I didn’t pack back on 20 lbs or anything I’m just bang outta shape and toxic with crap food. I went to Ireland for the holidays and boy did I go to town - Mom’s cooking, the chipper, tasty beverages… you get the idea.

So with very little pain in my achilles (a small bit here and there), an expanding waistline, and a pissed off Lisa - it’s go time. Before I hit the gym I had to clean up my diet. I joined Grant Hill’s #30DayTransformation to get me motivated and have Lee (my better half) on board with eating better. Basically it’s a Paleo diet (only they’ve all forsaken alcohol too and I’m not on board that ship), clean grain-free unprocessed eating. It’s a good thing I like to cook because you have to invest time in the kitchen to rock this one. I dropped $500 at Whole Foods just to get started *palm face*…but nothing worth doing ever comes easy.

The eating part hasn’t been too bad though - a little sugar craving here and there and bumpy moods as the body adjusts - compared to the first time I cleaned up my act, that was pure torture. Anywhoooo….getting back to exercise was a different story. Not yet brave enough to hit the cold pavement running I joined a local indoor bootcamp class on Saturday and a yoga studio. Both are unlimited monthly commitments and meant to jump start my activity level and get my energy up before I return to running and boxing. Let me tell you something - I was CRIPPLED for 2 days. Even getting through the class was miserable…I hid in the toilet on several occasions to compose myself. I suppose I could have eased back in and half-assed the class but it’s not my style. I pushed my limits, as I do, and made it through. And hated it. So I paid for a month and went back at 6am this morning. And it sucked again. And it will keep on sucking until I get my head back in the game - because that’s what you do - you push through and suck it up. It takes 21 days to form a habit (some wise fool once said so it must be true) and I’m on day 4. Bitter, party of 1! Alas, I’ll carry on…

Kites rise highest against the wind—not with it ~ Winston Churchill

The last post I wrote ended with these words: Regardless, I’m...

dceventjunkie — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 09:04:36 -0400

The last post I wrote ended with these words:

Regardless, I’m running that damn marathon November 18th — even if it’s the first mile I run from now till then.

It was dated August 23rd, almost two months ago, and I meant every word. Since then I’ve seen an Orthopedic Specialist and endured twelve (time consuming and boring) sessions with a physical therapist. I’ve done the stretches, stayed off the track and out of the boxing gym — and I feel pretty shitty because of it. But I listened to the doctor, took every piece of advice and stuck to the plan.

Today is the morning after my first run in eleven weeks, a steady 2 miles to get started. It’s not perfect but it’s not painful, and more importantly it’s a start. I’ve had to face a difficult choice regarding the Philadelphia Marathon in recent weeks and am sad to say it won’t be my day. Bold words (such as those quoted above) will be preached again, but I’ve learned a lot about Achilles Tendonitis recently — enough to know my bold words run the risk of lifelong injury, a risk I’m not willing to take.

My training begins again in preparation for a Spring 2013 Marathon…only I’ll try to respect “rest” days and stop trying to beat my own best every damn time I hit the track. But I’ll be running. And boxing. And I’ll be getting back to mastering a damn pull-up!

Carry on.

So…there’s been no posts here since my...

dceventjunkie — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:20:53 -0400

So…there’s been no posts here since my “I’ve Overtrained..” one. Yup. It’s been an emotional battle since then. For several months I’ve been up at the crack of dawn, daily, running or boxing. With an apparent Achilles Tendonitis creeping up on my left leg I took to rest, that was three weeks ago. Since then I’ve tried to run twice and failed by mile 3. I’ve continued to box, although not as often as I was. I attempted swimming and was bored to death. I’ve done the icing, the roller stick, bought the pacer and HRM. And I’m scheduled to see an Orthopedic Specialist this coming Thursday. So not excited to hear what he has to say as I’m pretty sure it lies somewhere in between “rest for 6 weeks” and “rest for 8 weeks”. Womp womp.

Here’s the thing…I can’t rest. Not in that way. Assuming I’m right I foresee a return to spinning classes, I need something ass kicking and swimming doesn’t do it. I’ll stick with boxing, maybe reduce it to 2-3 times a week and avoid the movements that impact my achilles.

Regardless, I’m running that damn marathon November 18th — even if it’s the first mile I run from now till then.

I've Overtrained, I Think

dceventjunkie — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:00:00 -0400

Tough lesson learned this week as I attempted to get back up on the treadmill for a short run ‘post’ achilles pain. Seems it’s not all that post. It felt fine walking but on mile three of my run I had to stop and limp back to my apartment. I chatted with @GrantHillFit about it and he shared some of the most informative content around the subject via a post by Sock Doc (which you can find here). Here’s my current analysis of my own situation…

I’ve overtrained. My Dad asked me that very question last week and I shot him down. How could I be over doing it if I was following a strict marathon training plan written by a seasoned professional? Never mind the boxing and yoga, that’s not causing a pounding to my calves, we’re just looking at the running here.

Perhaps it’s not so much the distance but the speed I am pushing myself at. Sock Doc’s article taught me the difference of training in the aerobic state versus the anaerobic state. Now I have no idea what state I’m in as I’ve never actually worn a heart rate monitor. Yes, yes, it’s just been ordered along with my Nike+ GPS SportWatch so I can figure this out. But my guess is that I’m spending too much of my workout time in an anaerobic state, coupled with the fact that marathon training requires 4 weekly runs and now averages 20-25 miles per week (with 107 days to go). That’s a lot of pounding. A part of me hopes I’m wrong, I don’t want to run slower. But I do need to figure this out and get it sorted, we’re on a schedule here!

Have you ever dealt with achilles tendonitis? Is it caused by gait as someone mentioned? I hate the thought of that, rethinking how I move…

Anyone have any advice on cleaning boxing wraps? I put the first...

dceventjunkie — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 19:02:12 -0400

Anyone have any advice on cleaning boxing wraps? I put the first pair in the washer and they went to shreds. This is the second pair so I steeped them (notice the black water?!) and left them out to dry on the balcony. Next they’ll have to be ironed. Kind of ridiculous! Is it normal to expect to buy a new pair every 5 wears or so instead?

A Week of Limping: From Achilles Aches to Kick Boxing Glory

dceventjunkie — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 18:24:00 -0400

Last Sunday I ran 9 miles (per my training schedule) and felt some soreness in my achilles for the first time. I skipped boxing Monday to take a rest day and ran 4 miles Tuesday morning — much to my regret.

I spent the next three days limping around. Research and advice from more seasoned runners identified it as Achilles Tendonitis, something that can go on for days, weeks, or months…a scary thought. I opted to stop my runs immediately and took to daily ice packs.

Happy to say after three days of full rest (okay, so perhaps some abs and planks) I thought it best to ease back in with a boxing class before I hit the track again. On Saturday my schedule only allowed for the KICKboxing class so I gave it a whirl…and man did I get my ass beat. I thought the boxing class was rough, but this was vicious. Twice during the class I almost walked away to vomit, yeah, it was that bad (or good depending on how you look at it).

I awoke this morning and cried in pain! I couldn’t fully stretch my legs, as in I couldn’t fully straighten them to walk. There’s something so glorious about that pain, you can only understand it if you willingly put yourself through it! When you are in that state you know it’s only going to be worse the next day…so I went to yoga to stretch it out, and then back to kick boxing for another hour of glory. No pain no gain, right? ;)

Alright. I’m finally posting a picture of my stomach....

dceventjunkie — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:46:30 -0400

Alright. I’m finally posting a picture of my stomach. It’s far from ready, but it’s come a long way from the owl muffin top I still had earlier this year. #absmission 2012 continues.

Yesterday I ran the LoziLu Women’s 5K Mud Run with some...

dceventjunkie — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 11:04:00 -0400

Yesterday I ran the LoziLu Women’s 5K Mud Run with some friends in Leesburg, Virginia. After an hours drive we put on our war paint (read: cute, colorful headbands from our goody bags) and took off in the rain. It was a short distance yet set over rough terrain, not a race I will endanger my ankles to run again. The obstacles were mildly entertaining with plenty of opportunity to get muddy (and extremely wet!)

I will admit it wasn’t all that easy. In the bottom picture, if you look closely enough… that’s me (the black sheep) scowling at myself after clearing the jump. Problem was I didn’t have enough upper body strength to pull myself up on the first attempt and was kicking and spluttering before using the lower side as a crutch to get me over the high part. This comes back to my hatred for pull ups. But I’m going to have to suck it up and add hanging and pull up training into my routine. I have another Tough Mudder this September and although more team-inspired work, the walls they have you mount are double the size of this baby!

Photo

dceventjunkie — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 10:28:27 -0400

Pinterest is good for something — like eye catching images with...

dceventjunkie — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 08:10:17 -0400

Pinterest is good for something — like eye catching images with workouts that look relatively simple and easy to follow. This is one of them, but don’t get swept away by my use of “easy” and “simple”…this is a bitch! Especially if you run through them without rest. I’ve added this routine following my runs which are 4 days a week.

Yes, I’m still out for those damn abs.

I stopped by Pacers to pick up Body Glide yesterday, a new...

dceventjunkie — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:00:00 -0400

I stopped by Pacers to pick up Body Glide yesterday, a new necessary addition to my beauty regime, and grabbed a few of these Accel Gel packets without much thought. At home I took a moment to read the ingredients: Water, Fructose, Sucrose….ugh. Are they all like this? For longer runs I’m going to need something along the way and everyone says get gel packets but this sounds gross. Question: are these the typical ingredients to expect from them all or are there better brands?

Happy Independence Day! I will admit to indulging in a little...

dceventjunkie — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 19:22:00 -0400

Happy Independence Day! I will admit to indulging in a little extra wine with a small side of sugar but I began my day with 5 miles on the treadmill and a new yoga class at a local studio.

Run: Nike tells me it included beating yesterday’s pace at the first 5K making it to that point in 24 minutes and 17 seconds (5 seconds faster than yesterday). It was an easy going run but I’ve recently learned a lesson the hard way — I need body glide and I need to apply it regularly! At first I thought it was the wrong clothing but it appears to be an issue once I go over a certain distance or time (my friend Patrick might be right that 5 miles is that marker). I stopped by Pacers in Clarendon and got a glide stick…and I’m thinking this might work for avoiding blisters with the new sandals I got?!!

Yoga: I’ve been walking by Tranquil Space yoga studio (Virginia Square Metro, Arlington) on my way to boxing several mornings a week and have been contemplating more regular yoga classes. Then a co-worker told me they are now offering a summer special at $50 for the first month for new perspective members only. All you can yoga for $50? I’m in. Regular rates are not so generous so I plan to get as many sessions in as I can and truly determine if I want to stick with it as a regular member or get packs of 10s here and there. Time will tell. Today’s class was good, although super packed given the holiday.

On track this week to total 18 miles on the treadmill/trail, 4.5 hours of yoga, 2 hours of boxing, and an hour of personal training with new MyBootcamp trainer, Nathan.