Aside from running

I thought I would take this week to explain the other side of my off-season workouts. Other than running, I still have to keep my upper body in check with core and lifting. Core is the easy part because there is no equipment needed; just a flat soft surface and 15 minutes of your busy day. Lifting is another story. I only have a set of 15 and 20 lb dumbbells and one 50 lb barbell. Every once in a while after my runs I will alternate between lifting and core. For lifting, I use the barbell for cleans, snatches, and curls. I then turn to my 20-pounders for benches, triceps, more curls, and forearms. Still, it can be difficult to get a decent workout when lifting really light weights, and plus the workout room at my school is way too small and always over so overcrowded that it can be impossible to get a turn on any machine. On every other day I come home from running and take a short rest before starting my core workout. My core exercises typically consists of 30 second-1 minute in-and-outs, v-ups, Russian-twists, leg-lifts, flutter kicks, and planks (both front and side). We do not typically do v-ups or flutter kicks in practice, but I find they give an extra challenge and more awarding results. After all, by doing gymnastics for 9 years up until 8th grade, I kind of got an unfair head start on getting a tough core and upper body. There are times when one of my parents will take the weights out of the room to use for themselves; to which I compensate with true improvisation. Out of major desperation, I use an old huge and heavy empty liquor bottle that used to belong to my grandfather and do my curls and forearms with that instead. This is leading me to the idea of spending a little extra money when I get older to have my own small home workout room. After all I feel like it would be worth it not to have to spend more money in the long run on a gym membership like my fitness-crazed mother. I don't want to have to keep trying to make room for myself in my own bedroom for doing home workouts, and a gym membership is 1. Expensive and 2. Embarrassing if you lift less than others around you or forget how to use a machine (I know, I hold myself to a higher standard than I should, but you still get it). The sad thing is that it has been a long time since I have had a period of tie where I a consistently in the weight room. Due to time and scheduling, being a high school senior and all, I haven't had more time for non-school related issues. But I hope to get back on track (literally) this spring; which by the way has now been delayed to March 21st. Just my luck, right?

Almost time for the season

Part of me was almost nervous to run again in that same area in my neighborhood for fear of falling trees. After all, I had already been stopped by the police while driving to and from school for tree work areas and had to go an alternate route. I still find it difficult to update this blog because, lucky for me, outdoor track is beginning very late this year and will be the shortest season for this year. What a way to end my last high school running season. In the meantime the Coach Monz sent out an email of the indoor track banquet (which I will most likely not be attending) on March 17th. Funny because the new outdoor season starts on the 18th. As opposed the March 6th when it usually starts. Monz sent out an email detailing a workout schedule of slowly building up on the time for runs and then ending the week with a shorter but faster tempo run. And as the weeks go on, slowly growing toward Kenyan runs. While distance rarely goes into the weight room, as bulging muscles make it awkward to run distance events, he did add cleans, deadlifts, and running arms. He also added core exercises with v-ups, planks, Russian-twists, and lunge curls. He also reminded us to warm up, stretch out, and use a foam roller before and after workouts. At some point, he also wanted us to do hill sprints either up at Regis College or any either hilly spot we can get to. Lucky for me I have been doing all of this all along, and I was grateful to my dad for recommending running the Meadowbrooke hills for the last 4 weeks. They suck a@# but they are worth it to stay in good running shape.
But after two straight days of 4+ mile runs, I decided to take a short day. I just went around Loring Rd and Summer St, back to Meadowbrooke and back down to my house: in total about 2-2.5 miles. The other thing that can keep me from actually going out and running is the ever-changing weather (people from Boston will understand); it will be 30 degrees one day and then 65 the next. Constantly breathing in cold or hot air will make running uncomfortable and make my chest ache. This is why I try to run in the afternoon on cold days and at night on warm days. Plus running very early or very late eliminates the possibility of seeing someone from school on the road. During each of my shorter runs, I go up to my local aqueduct and take a short 5-minute rest before cutting through the forest (my shortcut) and jogging back to my house. It can be hard to keep this up without a specific schedule and writing about these runs when you forget everything as soon as its over doesn't help me.