Can you handle the HEAT?

Here's last night's HEAT class. It was a toughie! Sweat galore!

Equipment needed: stability ball, body bar, mat. Each set is a cardio burst, then legs, then upper body, then core.

jacks (hold the ball and move it up and down as you do each jack OR add 1 bounce per jack)
plie holding the ball overhead, then plie with a side bend
bentover row standing on 1 leg and kneeling into the ball, holding the bar in one hand
back extensions on the ball

shuffles side to side
curtsey lunges taking the ball overhead and down to the floor with each lunge
pushups on the ball
plank on the ball

lunges (quick ones behind and to the sides)
split squat with a twist (down, twist right, center, up, down, twist left, center, up, etc.)
dips on the ball
plank tuck on the ball

mountain climber (push the ball against the wall for this one)
ham curl (heels on the ball, lift hips up, roll ball in toward butt)
upright row/overhead press with the bar
bridge with heels on the ball

military jog (hold ball or bar overhead)
plyo lunges (lunge position, down and up a few times, jump and switch, repeat repeat repeat)
bicep curls
crunches on the ball

x-country ski
side squats
skullcrushers
Russian twist with the ball

FLYERS!!!!!

I may not have time to post this tomorrow, so...


LET'S GO, FLYERS!!!!!!!!!!

Fun with Plyometrics

Last night's HEAT class was a toughie! After a longer-than-normal warmup, we did a higher intensity movement followed by a similar lower intensity/impact version, one minute each. After 5 different pairings, we recovered by doing 2 minutes of bicycles for abs. Then 5 more pairings and 2 minutes of bicycles again.

SET 1
squat jump 1 minute
squat 1 minute

skater's leap 1 minute
alternate side lunges 1 minute

power jacks 1 minute
jumping jacks 1 minute

high knees 1 minute
jog in place 1 minute

mountain climber 1 minute
pushups 1 minute

2 minute bicycle

SET 2
football feet 1 minute
jog in place 1 minute

plyometric lunges 1 minute
alternate rear lunges 1 minute

suicides 1 minute
stair run 1 minute

walking plank + 2 pushups 1 minute
plank 1 minute

crazy jacks 1 minute
jog in place 1 minute

2 minutes bicycle

Then we went to the mats and did some leg extensions and abductor/glute work. Then more abs and core and a big stretch.

Broad Street Run Race Report - Vengeance Now

Background
2003 - Ran the Broad Street Run with a friend who failed to tell me (a) she was on the Atkins Diet, and (b) she had done the fat fast the entire week prior to the race. It became the Broad Street Walk when she couldn't even make it to the first mile marker. Broad Street 1, Theia 0.

2006 - Ran the Broad Street Run with two friends, got separated pretty quickly, and got to about the 10K mark before I went up on the sidewalk to pass after getting boxed in by the crowd, rolled my ankle off said sidewalk, and went down in a heap. Sprained ankle, sprained Achilles tendon, and two torn ligaments in my foot. Broad Street 2, Theia 0.

2007 - Started to train for the Broad Street Run until my doctor strongly advised against doing any distance running. He was a fertility doctor. I was in my second round of (unsuccessful) fertility treatments, so I promptly dropped out of my training. Broad Street 3, Theia 0.

2008 - My revenge race.

I followed my coach's training plan of 4 runs per week and added all my usual cross-training and classes -- anywhere from 3-8 fitness classes (indoor and outdoor boot camp, step aerobics, Spinning) and 1-3 days of weights each week. When race day arrived, I felt pretty good. I was confident I could finish in 1:27 but hoped I'd be closer to 1:25. My stretch goal was 1:23, but I knew that'd be challenging.

Clock time = 1:31:55
Chip time = 1:27:16
Actual running time (subtracting a 1 minute pee break behind a dumpster) = 1:26:15

Lots of lessons learned yesterday.

Bad
1. I'm not nearly sore enough today, which clearly tells me I had more to give yesterday. I could have and should have pushed harder.

2. My nutrition was Teh Suck. I felt hungry and weak at about Mile 6. Must work on better nutrition the day/night before and the morning of a big race.

3. Cherry caffeinated sport beans apparently upset my stomach. :(

Good
1. For once, my pacing was pretty much spot on. I'm very pleased.
8:49 (so crowded! plus I wanted to start easy)
8:39
8:41
9:44 (aforementioned pee break)
8:32 (water)
8:37
8:39 (water)
8:35 (Gatorade)
8:29
8:28

2. I got a 5+ minute PR over my only other 10-mile race this past January.

3. I actually finished and stayed upright the entire 10 miles!

Best of all

Biron for President!

'Nuff said.

Let's go, Flyers! (eh eh eheheh) (again)

I. Love. The. Flyers.