Endurance Check in for Fall 2020 ~Run Bike Swim Hike

[Daphne M]

I haven't gotten very far in reading this thread, but already need to reply to Pratima on something directly above.

Originally Posted by Pratima

Yesterday my PT exercises were shifted to more run-focused moves. She had me doing a running motion on a BOSU (sort of running onto it with one foot over and over) to help me figure out what's going on. I have NO glute activation on one side so she had me do just a few simple exercises to help with that. I was so sweaty! I only have about 8 sessions left, I believe, so hopefully it'll be enough. It's such a different approach than the other PT.

Same girl, same! Did variations of this exact same exercise with my chiropractor and of course, one glute was very lazy.

[Daphne M]

Made it through the thread and comments on what stuck in my head:

Vannie - Those cold crisp winter days are coming for you and you will soon be snowshoeing and breathing in new life again. I'm amazed at how many trick or treaters you got. Your decorations must be amazing. I sat outside with a blanket and my mask and handed out candy from a bowl. We used to get 100s of kids, this year we got 8. Partly COVID, partly because my neighborhood was built in early/mid '90s and kids are grown and gone. The next wave is starting to buy in but it's not like it was when we were all young parents with young kids.

Alison - Your weight loss is exactly what I average when I'm eating and doing everything right. Have you hit 50 yet? If so, anything above 1 pound per week is a real accomplishment. I saw that Franny had done that Peloton ride and she is nothing short of amazing. I still have a Facebook profile but only because some of my groups use it to schedule and communicate.

Pratima - Congratulations on the job, which sounds like a mixed blessing. Your daily schedule is brutal and even though my kids are now in their 20s I remember those crazy years well. At any point will your husband switch to a day shift so that he could take the kids to school while you're on your 6 o'clock call? (I feel like the answer is no, but I can hope!) I still get up at 4:30 am -- by choice and preference -- but like Alison, I go to bed at 9 and then I have a horrible sleep pattern of 2 hours on/2 hours off. I guess it works out though, because I usually feel fine during the day.

Pratima - Regarding your hip, FWIW, I did tons of PT and it only helped a little with my hip issues and always temporarily. I didn't get any real relief until my chiropractor went hard at my glute minimus and glute medius with laser, ultrasound, Graston scraping and percussion massager. I would never have gotten better until he got rid of all the adhesions and scar tissue. Two years of PT visits, injections, etc didn't do much for me. Three weeks of the chiro attacking the adhesions and I was a new woman. Just my experience, but it might prove true with you as well. (Mine wasn't just one thing, it was a combo of lots of different areas of tendonitis, disc issues, SI joint issues and torn hip labrums.)

[Daphne M]

Happy Monday, Endurance Chicks!

Crazy warm sunny 70s weather for November here, although still nice and chilly enough in the mornings that the running is a delight. It is a good time to be outdoors.

Saturday
I ran around my neighborhood, came home and did a 20-minute Hydrow rowing workout on my new rower. (DID I MENTION MY BEAUTIFUL NEW ROWER YET IN THIS POST?!!) I think I need to download the Hydrow app so I can check my phone to track which rows I did without tromping down to the basement. (On the other hand, tromping down to the basement gets me some steps and I need all the steps I can get.)

Sunday

Norm made me take a good long break from Nema watching. So first, I ran five wonderful miles on paved trails through the woods and along a stream and a lake. I'm slow and was REALLY slow because I stopped so often to take pictures. The fall leaves are perfection right now. Then I met up with Keith and we walked 4.5 miles together. We've been running and now walking buddies for well over a decade and we have some great conversations - politics, sex, books, sports, journalism -- we cover it all. This was a good one too, but I have big regrets for the endless minutes of his life I wasted trying to explain the complicated plot from a book that I was ranting about only because I was so mad that I read it. Reminded me of when my kids were young and would go into endless detail about the plot of a Pokemon movie. The horror, the humanity.

Anyway it was on track to be a fantastic morning and I even thought I might be able to add on some rowing BUT when I got home Norm and Nema were out in the yard and I couldn't let them labor without me. So I ended up putting in two hours of hard yard work and there is nothing more exhausting, oh my aching back.

Today - After a short neighborhood run, I squeezed in a 20-minute "DRIVE" row with Nick along the Charles and a 5 minute cool down row with Mac on the Connecticut River in Hadley, Mass. On the 20-minute row, as we finished, Nick announced that we were right at HAH-VAHD which made me laugh. In related news, I think Nick is very handsome.

Hydrow Rowing - There are about 1,800 different rows. They fall into different categories (Breathe, Sweat, Drive, Climb, et al) As a novice, I'm simply doing the workouts that it recommends to me when I turn on the machine and trying to focus on good technique. I think my technique must have really needed help because after just a few classes, I'm already covering more meters with each stroke. I know my tendency is always to try to hurry and that makes me choppy and inefficient. I have two cues I keep repeating to myself over and over "relaxed shoulders" (so they don't hunch up toward my ears) and "straight arms." Straight arms was a eureka moment for me. I think I've done 8 or 9 classes now and love the scenery and the instructors.

Vannie - How's your rowing coming along? I'm excited to compare notes with someone.

[AlisonH]

Daphne: Good to see you! Your rower sounds great. This weather really has been amazing, but looks like tomorrow it comes to an end. We've been doing Burke Lake with a 5 minute walking warmup then 10:00 run/1:00 walk. Yesterday it took us 56:50, which isn't too bad. I'm 49, so right at that super-fun stage of life. My running friend is 7 years older than I am, but she had none of the problems I do (which is just about every symptom of perimenopause there is), so she's no help, LOL! She however had both shoulders re-built in the last few years. The Peloton app has been my fitness savior as well. Denis is my pretend boyfriend. I love the cycle rides, and I do a lot of the core workouts. I want to like the yoga, but I'm not clicking with it. I still have my ancient spin bike with no metrics, but I'm hoping to get the Schwinn that Pratima has in a few months.

Pratima: Sorry work is so slow still. Hopefully it'll get more interesting, maybe if we ever get a real budget. I know continuing resolutions affect our training money. I hope you like Body Beast. I'm struggling a little getting used to the bulk phase, but overall I'm happy with doing it.

Vantreesta: I watch TV too close to bedtime too. I put something mindless on to calm down after the day. I'm watching old episodes of Frasier lately.

Workouts: Like I said, I started the bulk phase of Body Beast. It moves even faster, so I have to get used to the new moves. So far Sagi is nicer to the cast in this phase too, but I still have a few workouts to go. I usually run on Wednesdays at lunchtime with Jean, but it's supposed to rain hard tomorrow. Jean couldn't run today, so I did our hill route by myself. Usually she pulls me along and I struggle to keep up with her, but I was really upset about something at work today, so my anger got me through the route 57 seconds faster than with Jean last week! I felt so good with that speed progress (still only 10:29 mile for 2.4 miles, but way faster than earlier this year).

I'm off tomorrow for the federal holiday, and since it'll be rainy, I plan to do the Beyonce Peloton ride from last night and maybe another artist series one since each is only 30 minutes. We usually hike on Veteran's Day, but I don't think we will tomorrow. I work Thursday and then am off again Friday, and I plan to hike somewhere then. I need one more fall day in the woods.

[Vantreesta]

My brain is tired so just a check in tonight, no personals. My uncle passed away yesterday and aunt's test came back positive. We are completely ice covered with snow on top of that. We didn't walk at all today. Cyric threw up a couple times last night, once this morning and again while I was making supper tonight. He seems to be doing better now. He refused supper last night and breakfast this morning but he chose to eat tonight. Hopefully whatever it was is out of his system.

We were at my father-in-law's over the wknd. I was a slug and my body wasn't happy about it, but I did make a cute Santa bottle or Mason jar cozy. Yesterday I had to get groceries and still undecorating so I never worked out. Today I did Qi Gong 30-day challenge day 5, a 15-minute beginner rebounder workout from San Fran Fitness on YT, Zumba 20-Minute Express, Crossrope 14-Day Beginner Challenge day 8 (I started this in February!) and day 6 of the DYY Anti Back Pain challenge. I ordered a replacement monitor for my rower so I'm putting off Rowvember till that comes. Spent the rest of the day undecorating and watching more movies. I should finish packing everything up tmrw finally. I hope so anyway! The house looks like a disaster and I'm looking forward to getting it back in order.

[Daphne M]

Alison - I will check out your Peloton pretend BF Denis. I can't imagine anyone replacing Hydrow pretend BF Nick in my heart, but a little competition sounds very wonderful.

Body Beast - I only know Sagi through my Hammer & Chisel workouts. He was quirky but in a funny way. I didn't really like Sagi or Autumn that much but I did like the H&C workouts themselves. IIRC the recommended rotation with them was nuts though.

Vannie - I'm so sorry for another loss in your life. And sorry that Cyric wasn't well. Our pets are such a source of comfort and joy when the human side of things is painful. I hope things get better. And selfishly, I hope your replacement monitor comes soon so I can follow along with you. I am loving my hydrow rower and find the rhythm of rowing and the stunning scenery on the videos to be a real source of happiness right now.

Me -
Yesterday

• 22 minutes of a Peloton run with Becs that Cleda recommended
• a 20-minute Hydrow "climb" row with Nick on Lake Champlain in Vermont
• a 1-mile power walk outside

Comments:

Cleda was right about the Becs run, it was good. (Sixties run with Becs from 11/7/2020) I even forgave Becs for the constant "add point 1, add point 1, add point 1, add point 1." It's a 45 minute run but I only did the first half. Onward to the "climb" row in Vermont, which was the hardest one I've done yet and left me a little shaky. And finally, the outside walk, which is for my mental health. I try to get out for a walk every day, whether it's only 15 minutes or longer, there is something about daylight and fresh air that is necessary to my existence.

Today

• 2+ mile walk outside
• 30 minute "sweat" row on the Hydrow rower with Serra
• 5-minute cooldown row with Dani

I've rowed 6 days since I got the rower and focusing on technique and endurance. Today's 30 minute row is my longest one yet. I'm working toward my 100k meter badge! I think I'm around 20K now. Whee!

[Vantreesta]

Thanks, all, for the condolences and prayers. 2020 needs to end.

This morning I did Qi Gong 30-day challenge day 7, Zumba (same one as yesterday), Crossrope 14-Day Beginner challenge day 9 and the 10 minute shoulder fix from YTU Upper Body Series. I discovered my shoulders aren't up to jumping rope two days in a row. I was hoping to finish the challenge this week but I'll have to switch to every other day till I build up shoulder endurance. I was overslept this morning and am tired so heading to bed soon. Cyric was back to himself today so I am very grateful for that. I love that weird little dog so very much!

[AlisonH]

Vantreesta: So sorry to hear about your uncle. Glad Cyric is back to himself.

Daphne: Part of why I like Denis so much is his connection to his music. The other part is he’s easy on the eyes. I prefer his current short hair to his man-bun look from earlier this year. Seriously though, his classes are perfect for me. The Alex and Tunde Beyoncè class was amazing. I didn’t even like all their song choices, but their connection to the music was off the charts. ETA: just saw it’s your birthday. Happy Birthday!!!

Beast Body: I spoke too soon—Sagi bugged me in Wednesday’s workout telling me to”man up” 7 times. I get that it is geared toward men more than women, but I found that annoying. And he called one of the cast members “pretty boy” over and over in today’s workout. That felt too much like bullying. I still have one more bulk workout to try, and then I repeat them for 4 more weeks.

Going from Sagi straight to Eoin is a complete 180. I did PY4H after getting beastie, and it calmed my soul.

[Daphne M]

Vannie - Cyric is a LITTLE dog? For some reason I pictured a big old Siberian husky. No idea how I came up with that. Jumping rope and I do not get along. It was so fun when I was a kid but that was a very long time ago. Back when I had Monica as a personal trainer she used to make me do jump rope intervals a LOT and I glared murder thoughts at her the whole time.

Alison - Thanks for the birthday wishes. It was such a fun day. That Sagi stuff would annoy me too. What you said about Denis and his connection to the music is great. I really click with the instructors that can do that and those are the ones I come back to over and over. Selena (on the tread) does that for me.

Me - Still in my Hydrow Rower honeymoon. It just feels like medicine for my body. My COVID fight or flight coping response is definitely flight, so I've been running more than I should. And on my rest days I walk REALLY fast because I'm stressed and/or angry. Felt like I was always aching and sore all over. But this rower feels like it's helping me heal. Of course, fitness buddy and VFer Cleda has been a ridiculous influence on me and she's gotten me on the hunt for badges and other little extras. (Cleda downloaded the app for a 30-day trial.)

• Wednesday - 2.5 mile outdoor walk + 30 minute climbing intervals row with Serra + 5-minute "technique" cooldown (Hozier soundtrack)
• Thursday - 2.5 treadmill run with Becs + 20 minute "Fat-Burn Cardio Row" with Laine + 5 minute technique cooldown row with Nick + 10 minute Hydrow "Post Row Mobility" workout with Peter (this felt great). Much longer workout than usual because I took the day off work. In the afternoon, my daughter and I went for a 5-mile hike in a nearby state park looking for eagles. Great birthday.
• Today - 3 mile outdoor run + 10 minute "journey" row on the Hydrow (no instructor, just the boat flying along Lake Champlain to your own music mix) + 5 minute cooldown row with Sera.

Peloton-related - My son was over yesterday to help celebrate my birthday and he's got a Peloton bike on order! I'm so excited for him. Pre-pandemic he was a big gym-goer, but since COVID he's mainly running outside (in DC, with a mask on) or doing bodyweight only. He will get a ton of use out of the bike and I think it will help him with feeling confined in the city. (I'm nervous about activities downtown this weekend -- both sides are planning to show up and make some noise.)

[Vantreesta]

Just a quickie for now so I don't forget to answer Daphne's question. No, Cyric isn't a little dog, he just seems so much smaller than my other dogs did, for some reason. But at 62-64 or so pounds, he is only a few pounds lighter than Chianna was (she was half husky so maybe that's why you were thinking Cyric was) and a few pounds more than D'Argo was. He is a German Shepherd/Australian Cattle Dog mix (with some American Eskimo apparently thrown in somehow for good measure ). Best description I can give is a mostly black German Shepherd with a naturally bobbed tail (which often leads us to affectionately call him Little Nubber ). He has been through so much with me, making all the trips to AZ with me when my mom.was sick, except when I flew out last Christmas. He has severe trust and anxiety issues with all but a handful of people but with ones he likes he is just the sweetest dog, and to me he is so worth all the headaches he can cause!

Happy belated birthday! Mine is tmrw. All I'm hoping for is that hubby doesn't have to work.