Final Form Check

Since the start of the year, I've been working with Casey at Therapydia Denver. He's analyzed my running form, given me enough exercises to keep me busy, had me run keeping time with a metronome, and forced me out of my comfort zone. And I am extremely grateful for all of it.

I’ve posted about our sessions a few times - here, here, and here (if you want to catch up). After a few years dealing with a recurring and nagging shin situation - which, full disclosure, is not completely gone but is dissipating - and knowing that my natural running posture is extremely inefficient, when Therapydia offered a run assessment and a handful of follow-up sessions in return for sharing the experience, I couldn’t turn it down.

After my sessions with Casey, my form is more efficient and I’m running a bit faster. When he first watched me run and we looked at the video during the assessment, I almost wanted to hide. As he described it, I was actually leaning back a little. And clearly, backwards is not where a runner wants to go. 

Check out these before and after photos. I'm not falling forward (even though that's how I felt when I started trying this!), but there is a difference in both my upper body posture and my leg drive.

 

I still have to work on building strength in my glutes, but that does take time and it has gotten better, as you can see in the before and after photos below. For a lot of us runners, the last thing we want to spend time on is strength work, but it's incredibly important. And not just when we're in PT, but for forever and a day!

What I hadn’t expected was that by leaning forward, I’m also running a tad bit faster; it's harder to slow down and run at an easy pace. Which can make my sluggish runs feel even more difficult.

One time this didn't bother me was when I ran the Tenacious Ten 10M in Seattle in April and finished with a much faster time than I expected. Although, running at sea level also likely played a role in that finish time.

I’ve enjoyed working with Casey, and it’s been great to see improvements along the way and have a solid plan moving forward (aka: stick with the exercises!). When I told him I had registered for a 10 mile race he was fully supportive and confident that I could do it, which definitely helped me feel more confident in my decision to go after my longest race in years. And it turned out great!

There are 11 clinics around the country and based on my experience - and the feedback of my two friends who’ve now also visited Therapydia - I absolutely recommend them if you’re feeling a little twinge, need help coming back from an injury or just want to get your running form analyzed.

Thanks for coming along with me on this journey. I'd love to hear about yours or answer any questions you have about the experience! Happy running, friends!

This post is sponsored by Therapydia. All opinions are my own.

Form Check, Part 3

It's time for another check in!

I've been working on my running form since the start of the year with the help of a Physical Therapist, Casey, from Therapydia Denver, (full transparency: this is part of a series of blog posts sponsored by Therpydia) with the goal of becoming a more efficient, and less injury-prone running. What this means in real life, is that I'll be able to run more and hurt less!

What all of us runners want, right?

Over the last several weeks I've focused on exercises and relaxed running. I still have work to do, since it's never really over, but watching the video during my last session it was clear I'm making good improvements. 

Each session at Therapydia begins with a warm-up, followed by a run on the treadmill while Casey captures video to get a closer (and slower) look at my gait, and then we go through a series of exercises, typically a mix of old and new.

The mix of exercises to build core, glute, and hamstring muscles coupled with retraining my mind and body to run more relaxed, is how I'm really going to improve my form.

I have two groups of exercises to do, three times a week each: floor and standing. Depending on the day and how much time I have at home or at the gym to get them done, I may just do one group or I'll do both. If I'm being real, it also depends on how much energy I have.

Standing exercises

• Monster walks with a band around ankles
• Speed skaters with a band around ankles (make it tougher standing on a balance/cushy mat so it's not so stable)
• Single leg dead lifts with a kettlebell (if you're new to these, try the first few days without any weights, or very light ones and don't worry about reaching the ground, keep your hips parallel to the ground and back straight)

Floor exercises

• Hamstring curls with a exercise ball and band just above knees (or not)
• Bridges on a Bosu and band just above knees (to make it a bit harder: "march" by lifting one foot up - leg straight out, then the other)
• Side plank/clamshell combo with or without the band just above knees
• Alternating planks - alternate between standard forearm plank and side planks
• Kneeling band push is a bit awkward, so the photo below helps illustrate it. Tie a knot at the end of a band and secure it in a door, the pull it taught and kneel on the knee closest the door. Push the band forward so arms are straight, then pull it close to the body, and repeat. This core exercise requires some good balance.

These exercises along with some drills on the treadmill and stretching have been my routine. Oh, and a nice 30-minute yoga break we've been doing at work once a week, courtesy of a colleague who is also a yoga teacher. I cannot say enough good things about the ability to take 30 minutes out of our fast-paced, busy weeks to stretch and clear our heads.  

I have another session coming up soon where we'll do another check of my running form, see if these exercises are actually turning into something, and maybe I'll get more to add to the routine. I feel like things are improving and with my sights set on a race now, that provides extra motivation to keep doing the work. 

If you're looking for the other posts in this series, you can catch up here:

• Getting Started on the Right Foot
• Becoming a Stronger Runner, Part 2

What is one of your favorite exercises that keeps you running strong?

This post is sponsored by Therapydia. All opinions are my own.

Saturday Sweat

I love Saturday’s. And not just because I don’t have to sit at a desk all day, but because it’s a day to follow my passions. To do what I love. And one of those things is to sweat! Usually Saturday morning is filled with a run and some strength training since the length of my workout isn’t determined by what time I have to get on the bus to Boulder.

But last weekend Woody and I started a new Saturday morning routine: boot camp at Genesis Fitness.

A friend of Woody’s has been coming here for a while now and (easily) talked us into trying it. Three months ago I would have never thought I could make it through a class they were taking, but with the 30 Day Shred videos I’ve been doing lately, I have become noticeably stronger!

The gym is pretty basic, but it has tons of equipment – definitely enough to make for a tough workout!

The class is based on circuit training, so we get in groups of 4 and rotate through each station. Each week there’s a different instructor for the Saturday morning drop-in class (only $5!) we’ve been attending, so you never know what you’re going to be in for! This week we had Garth, the owner, who devised a killer workout with a ton of exercises. (I did not do well on those up downs at this station, but was killing it on the step hop-overs by the 3rd rotation!) Last week we had Micki, who put us through a tough Super Bowl-themed workout, trivia and all.

The treadmill station is my favorite – obviously.

There are a lot of really strong people in the class, but everyone is so focused on they’re workout and when they need to rotate, that no one is judging anyone else. It’s all on you, but you also have your team to support and keep you motivated and working hard. I was a bit nervous about being on Woody’s team, since he is so much stronger than me, but it turns out not to be a big deal, really. Partially because I’m keeping up pretty well!

I can definitely feel a difference since I started mixing up my workouts at the end of December. Woody and I plan to keep going to this class through mid-March at least, when we’re in a wedding in Florida, but I’m guessing we’ll continue to go after. Except on race days, of course! (By the way, I am confident that this strength building, and the isometric exercises are going to make be a better runner, too.)

If you’re not running, what’s your favorite way to mix things up? * Have you taken a boot camp class? What did you think? * How do you spend Saturday morning?

Working Out After Work and Focusing

I didn't workout yesterday morning due to the torrential downpour and high winds. Woody is out of town for a few nights for work. I had to kill time till the 9:30pm game time for the MSU vs. Duke showdown in the Big 10/ACC Challenge. My strength training has taken a major hit since I started working again and had to shorten my daily workouts. All of these things made me decide to try an after work workout last night.

I got home, got changed, and ran down the few flights to the gym in our apartment building. It's not big but it has a good amount of equipment and was sufficient for what I wanted to do last night. I started with an easy 5 minute warm up on the stationary bike and then moved to the free weights. I did some crunches, planks and used a couple machines before I finished with another 5 minutes on the bike and a run up the stairs back to our apartment.

I'm really glad I did this. I realized that I really have lost some strength that I need to rebuild. I also noticed, looking in the mirror, that I've gained more weight than I'm comfortable with. I've felt it but seeing it in that mirror, for some reason, really hit home and I need to focus and loose a few pounds. After my first injury last year and not being able to workout for a while, I gained a few pounds but compared to when we got married, it's more than just a few. Looking at our honeymoon pictures while writing yesterday's post, I remembered how thin I was compared to now and how strong and good I felt. I want to get back there. I really wish I had kept a food log back then that I could refer to. Truthfully, I don't know what I weigh right now. I have an idea, but not an exact number since I hardly weigh myself. I really don't feel comfortable right now and that's the main reason why I need to focus and loose some weight. Plus, it'll help me with my running! I know this isn't going to be easy for me, especially during the holidays when everything seems to be calling my sweet tooth's name, but I have to do it for my health and my general well being. I'm going to use my own tips, and yours, to stay motivated and reach my goal!

I really liked doing this quick workout last night and I'm going to add at least one after-work workout to my schedule each week. It only takes about half an hour and I can definitely make time for that!

Once I got back I made a healthy dinner for one. Eggs, whole grain sprouted bread, hummus, salad with hericot verts and a pear.

Then I hung out and anxiously awaited the start of the basketball game! Unfortunately the game didn't turn out how I had hoped it would.

I did get to the gym this morning and no soreness yet from last night's workout. They opened late today, so all I could fit in was my cardio and a little stretching and I may head back down to the gym in our building tonight!

Do you ever split up your workouts because of time?
************
last night's workout -
5 minute bike warm-up
3x10 of each:
hammer curl
bicep curl
overhead tricep extension
tricep dips
upright row
lat pull down
leg extension
2x40sec planks
100 crunches
5 minute bike cool-down

today's workout -
45minutes/5.25mile elliptical
1x40sec plank
1x50sec plank
stretching

Setting a Routine

I'm following through on my word and posting my new strength routine today! Now, not all of these moves require weights, but all are meant to increase my level of strength.

I've broken the routine into 3 days:
A) Back & Biceps
B) Core & Legs
C) Triceps & Shoulders

Back & Biceps:
Lateral Pull Downs (using machine)
Seated Row (machine and/or resistance bands)
Bicep Curls (weighted bar or dumbbells)
Hammer Curls (dumbbells)
One Arm Lateral Row (dumbells)

Core & Legs:
Mountain Climber (using floor, bench or exercise ball)
Traditional Plank (floor and exercise ball)
Bird & Dog (dumbbell)

Side Plank (floor)
Lunge with Rotation (medicine ball)
Weighted Lunge (bosu ball)
Prone Hip Extension (bench)

From womenshealthmag.com
Lateral Shuffle (with resistance band)
Weighted Step Ups

Triceps & Shoulders:
Overhead tricep extension (dumbbells)
Tricep Dips (bench)
Tricep Kickback (bench or exercise ball)
Front Arm Raise (dumbbells)
Internal Rotation (standing or exercise ball)

Obviously, the Core & Legs days will be longer than the others but because the abdominal muscles can handle stress more consistently than other muscle fibers, I can do some core work (regular crunches on the exercise ball, the pilates hundred, double leg & single leg stretches) on the other days as well.

I plan to do the Biceps & Back and Triceps & Shoulders exercises two days a week and Core & Legs one to two days. I will give myself a little leeway if I'm pressed for time and skip one or two of these moves, but for most part my goal is to stick to this plan.

Unfortunately, it looks like I have to wait until tomorrow to get this started. Woody and I woke up this morning to crazy wind and rain outside! It sounds like a hurricane! So, we decided to make today our 'off day' rather than force ourselves out in the nasty weather. But, I'll let you know next Monday how the first week goes!

Do you follow a strength routine or stick mostly to cardio? Do you focus on one or two muscle groups or all?