Training Truths: ZOOMA Week 3 - Building Strength

ZOOMA week 3 was about building strength with more miles, increasing the distance on my long run, and adding more running days to the schedule. In addition to what was on my training plan, I also added a couple more cross-training workouts.

I felt really good on all of my runs, but by Friday my legs were toast from barre classes. I met the planned mileage for the week and the goal for the Summer Run Challenge that I've been doing, but from now on, I will limit cross-training workouts to non-running days or after shorter runs.

Sunday - Zip lining in West Virginia which gave my arms and core a really good workout (recap here).

Monday - 3.75 mile treadmill run after arriving home from WV on a rainy evening (370 calories)

Tuesday - 3 mile run at the beach with mrC and Stand Up Paddleboardng - recap coming soon! (320 calories)

Wednesday - 3 mile run with mrC and SurfnTurf (307 calories + 374 calories)

Thursday - 3 mile run and back to another Booty Barre class using my Groupon deal (317 calories + 398 calories)

Friday - Checked out a new local barre studio and class called Barre Burn (aka glutes on fire) with oldestC and then ran 8 miles downtown after (321 calories + 865 calories)

Saturday - SurfSet with mrC. I woke up with very sore legs so this class was a challenge for me (374 calories)

A friend commented to me on how lucky I am to have all this time to run and go to fitness classes, and I couldn't agree more. I have been trying to take full advantage of my summer vacation and cross all the goals off my summer-to-do list (read post here). During the school year my focus turns to running because it's challenging to squeeze in exercise around teacher duties, sporting events, and family time.


Does your fitness focus change throughout the year?

Fitness Friday: A Running Dream

Do you ever have dreams about running?

I do. I used to have dreams about playing soccer when I was younger. Even after I got hurt playing in college, the dreams continued. Since I couldn't play soccer anymore, I started running.

When I started dreaming about running, I knew that I had a new passion.

I recently read the young adult book The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen and couldn't put it down.

This book is about a high school runner who loses her leg after an auto accident and her graceful, brave triumph over adversity to return to running with the help of her family and friends.

When I began reading this book, I couldn't stop thinking about the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. People who have essentially faced the same challenges as the fictional character of Jessica. We hear their stories and updates in the news, but there is so much that they have to face that we will never truly understand. This book, although fictional, gave me an insight that has made me appreciate the strength, resilience, and courage it takes to literally get back on two feet and step up to a new starting line.


Have you read a good book lately?

Fitness Friendly Girls' Weekend in West Virginia

I had my first visit to West Virginia when I went to see my good friend for some much over-due girl time. I arrived on Friday afternoon and we kicked off our weekend with some manis and pedis. Since the weekend would be full of new adventures, we fueled up with some gluten-free pizza and vino!

On Saturday we drove to Blackwater Falls State Park. The park offers lots of hiking trails and scenic overlooks. We decided to do the Lindy Point Trail. It was a beautiful trail with rhododendrons flanking both sides.

Just before leaving for WV, the FlipBelt I won from Fairytales and Fitness arrived. It was perfect for storing my phone during the hike. My friend liked it so much she ordered one for herself and her mom!

The overlook -

215 steps down to view the Blackwater Falls.

On Sunday we drove to West Virginia University's Outdoor Education Center in Morgantown for some zip lining. After a brief summary of the course and filling out paperwork, the instructors got us into our harnesses and took us through a mini-lesson on the how-tos of zip lining.

For the next two hours, we zipped...

walked across a sky bridge...

and rappelled.

Zip lining is a total body workout. Between hanging on to the bars (arms) and holding up your legs (core) and hiking (legs), we were worn out…but still smiling!

Have you been on any outdoor adventures lately?

Training Truths: ZOOMA Cape Cod Week 2 + #KeepItTight

My goal for week two of my ZOOMA Cape Cod half marathon training was to get in my mileage before heading to West Virginia on Friday for a weekend visit with one of my best gal pals. It wasn't easy to squeeze everything I wanted to do in around the other things I had to do, but I did it. Looking at the vision board I made as part of the 30 Day Fitness Challenge (details here) gave me inspiration.

As the weeks start to pass and mileage continues to increase, I'll be making recovery part of my daily routine. One easy way to do that is wearing the compression sleeves I received from Pro Compression to try out as part of a Sweat Pink Ambassador campaign.

Day 7 Challenge: Make a Vision Board

Sunday:
3 mile run after church and grocery shopping. It was humid, my legs felt heavy, and my sports bra felt too tight! Not a great start to week 2 training. Day 7 fitness challenge (323 calories)

Monday:
5 mile run and I was out the door before 6:20 AM…the earliest I've ever gotten out the door on my own. Worth it. Much better run than Sunday. Day 8 fitness challenge followed by a little recovery in my compression sleeves (check them out here) (538 calories)

Ready for my next workout!

Afternoon SurfSet class with oldestC…it was a #sweatfest! But awesome, of course! I'm pretty sure that I recruited another urban surfer (421 calories)

Tuesday: 
Officially my rest day for the week, but I did Day 9 fitness challenge, and walked on the treadmill for 3 miles while using my treadmill desk to do some homework at the same time! (191 calories)

Wednesday:
5K run to the beach and back as part of my training and a virtual 5K a friend was hosting as part of a fundraiser. Humidity was higher plus the hills on the route had me worried, but then I ended up with negative splits! Day 10 fitness challenge (338 calories)

SurfnTurf class. I'm beginning to like this class more and more. The half surf, half bootcamp style is a fun way to mix up my cross training (414 calories)

Thursday:
A night of storms that ended with the power going out at 330 AM did not alleviate the humidity for my 6 AM out-and-back run. At least not as much as I thought it would. It was a struggle all the way back to the driveway, but nothing a little recovery on the couch with a good book couldn't take care of. Day 11 fitness challenge (680 calories)

No more sore muscles!

Total calories burned this week: 2905 

What I like about Pro Compression:

• Made in the USA!
• Calf sleeves support important muscles but I can also wear my favorite flip flops :)
• The material is thinner and offers moisture control
• They make calf sleeves and socks
• SOCK OF THE MONTH offered at a discount
• True Graduated Compression technology (graduated compression decreases from the bottom to top, with a pressure profile that must be 100% at the ankle (b), 70% at the calf (c) and 40% at the thigh (g). This helps promote blood flow from the lower extremities back to the heart)

If you're looking for no hassle compression sleeves or have been wanting to try them, use code PINK to get 40% off your entire purchase at Pro Compression.


Use my ZOOMA Discount Code for 10% off registration:
CCAMB2

Mizuno Wave Paradox Review

A support shoe that is also light weight? That is exactly what Mizuno created and aptly named the Wave Paradox released in January of this year.

A month ago I received a pair of the Wave Paradox from Mizuno to try out. The Wave Paradox is a new shoe in the Mizuno support lineup. At first glance they look like they might be heavy. They are not.

I was intrigued by how a shoe could look so meaty yet be so lightweight, so I did some research. According to Mizuno, they applied lightweight construction to everything they knew about control to create this 8.6 oz support shoe.

Most of the support comes from the double fan wave of the heel. If you're not familiar with Mizuno's wave technology, it works like your car's suspension - absorbing the force and spreading it out when your feet hit the ground.

The wider heel and forefoot gauges also offer stability, although that big gap just eats up rocks. Since I live in the land of no sidewalks, my Wave Paradox gobble up stones like the Cookie Monster.

The upper is inspired by a Japanese doodling technique and looks like curved lines, but up close you can see that the lines are actually straight.

While I'm on the topic of appearance, when it comes to color combinations, Mizuno nailed it. Not only do the colors look good, but the their representation of energy (orange) and stability (blue) reinforces the whole idea of paradox.

This shoe is very different than the neutral Wave Rider 17 that I was wearing previously.

Over the years, I have been able to alternate between support and neutral Mizuno shoes pretty easily (although it is not really recommended). Even when I reached out to Mizuno, they said,

@RunningEscapade It depends. Generally speaking, it's best to stick with the type of shoe which works best for you. 1/2
— Mizuno Running (@MizunoRunning) July 22, 2014

@RunningEscapade If you can safely alternate between a neutral and support shoe, there isn't any negative to doing so. 2/2
— Mizuno Running (@MizunoRunning) July 22, 2014

Since it works for me, I'll be keeping the Wave Paradox in my shoe rotation.

What type of shoe do you usually wear?