The Dreadmill...

I am a total cold wimp--if its below 40 degrees, I am not going out!  I think that is the Southern Californian coming out in me but I HATE cold.  I hate being cold, I hate the feel of the cold air stinging my lungs, I hate all the bundling up, I hate when my nose runs uncontrollably.  Cold and I just do not get alone!  Since I live in Pennsylvania, I can not escape it.  From November to March it gets cold here.  Since running outside in weather under 40 degrees is just not acceptable to me, I spend a lot of time on the dreadmill.

I am already starting to grow tired of the dreadmill.  Its just so boring!  I watch the clock.  One minute feels like an hour....am I done yet?  I guess I have been doing a lot of complaining about the treadmill lately because a friend tweeted me this article from "Runner's World."  The article points out some of the good things about the treadmill.  You can do hills repeats without hunting for the perfect hill, or having run down it over and over.  You don't have worry about your splits because the belts holds a constant pace. Some I will add myself are that you don't have to worry about getting hit by a car, getting kidnapped, attacked by an animal, slipping on the ice--and you don't have to go out in the freezing cold everyday!  I hate to be negative, so I am really trying to keep the good things about the treadmill in my mind when every I feel dread about hoping on.  I try to tell myself how fortunate I am to be able and healthy enough to run.

With all the good Disney races (Tink and Princess) scheduled for when its cold in good old PA, I guess I better get used to the treadmill. Do you use a treadmill?  Do you love it or hate it?

A dream is a wish...

--Amy

Treadmill Hike

Flipping through Self Magazine the other day, I found a section titled “Lose 8 pounds”.   The article gave diet and workouts to help the readers lose weight.  One of the workouts I found very interesting.  It is called a Treadmill Hike.  Basically, the workout is 20 minutes on the treadmill with varying inclines between three percent and twelve percent.  I have been doing research a lot lately on increasing my walking speed.  I read that walking inclines/hills can help to increase walking speed, so I decided to give this work out a try.  I tore the page out of my magazine, and I headed to the gym. 

The workout calls for the reader to walk at a speed of 3.5 on the treadmill for 20 minutes.  Walking at this speed, the work out would take me just over a mile.  Since I try to run 5k (3.1 miles) on Tuesday and Thursday nights, my plan was to run a mile on the treadmill, then start this routine, then run about another mile, or whatever would take me to 5k.  I got to the gym and jumped on a treadmill.  My favorite treadmill was taken, but that’s ok.

I started running with my Galloway intervals and I hit the one mile mark right around twelve minutes.  I then started the treadmill hike.  Wow!  It was really hard!  I could handle the inclines of three to six fairly easily, but when I was on an incline of seven to twelve, I was really struggling.  I had to hold on just to stay on the treadmill at inclines of eight to twelve.  I was sweating buckets, more than I do when running.  How hard this workout was really surprised me.  I thought--20 minutes, twelve percent…sounds easy, right?  Boy was I wrong.  It was real work!  Once I was done the 20 minutes, I walked two more minutes at zero incline to catch my breath.  I started to run again but I was really tired, huffing and puffing.  I walked another minute or so till I hit the 2.5 mile mark and my workout was over. 

Now I see why the trainer who designed this plan only called for a twenty minute workout.  I think I will go with my above plan once a week—during my easy run nights.  I will not push myself to far beyond what I did last night, hopefully just a little improvement each week.  I do not want to give up a night of running, but I really like how challenging this plan was.  I short run before and after fit well.  I hope this plan increases my walking speed and my fitness level.

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

Here is a link to the article if you are interested.

***Blogorama ends at midnight on September 22!  Don’t forget to enter! 

I have more great giveaways coming in the next few weeks!  Stay tuned.

I’m a Beach Body Coach!

Hello everyone!  I wanted to let everyone know that I am now a Beach Body Coach!  If you are interested some great workouts like Turbo Fire, P90X or Insanity—let me know.  We also have some great nutritional items, like the amazing Shakeology.

I decided to become a Coach because I believe in the products and I use them.  Now don’t worry!  I promise I will not bug you about Beach Body products all the time! I find it really annoying too!  I may from time to time do a workout review and product giveaway, but the focus of my blog will stay the same.  My goal is for all of us to cross the finish line at the Disney Princess Half Marathon! 

If you have any questions about any Beach Body products, don’t hesitate to ask!  I am here to help.  Please consider signing up for a FREE membership at www.teambeachbody.com and request me as your coach (amysmith7). 

Here is a link to my page:  http://www.teambeachbody.com/amysmith7

Enough about that, I had another great run tonight!  I ran 3.1 miles in 36:35.  That is a pace under 12 minutes per mile!  My goal now is to slowly add miles while keeping this pace. 

How is your training going?  Are you where you want to be?  What are you doing to improve?

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

***I have some great giveaways coming up!  Stay tuned!

A Great Run!

I had a great run today! 

I slowed down on my training in April/May because I was in a funk about my daughter health problems.  I got over it and started training again at the end of May.  Since then, my running has not been quite as fast or long as it was before I slowed down my training.  Well, as of tonight—I’m back!  I ran a time that is where I was before!  I did a 5k run on the treadmill at my gym in just under 36 minutes.  While this is not a great time for some of you, it’s a great time for me!  I did walk/run intervals, walking at 3.5 and running at 6.4.  If I can keep this pace up for my 10k in September, I will meet my goal of qualifying for corral C at the Princess Half Marathon in February!

I have a question for you guys.  Every time I run, about twelve minutes in, I get a terrible cramp on my right side.  It is so bad that I have to slow down and walk for several minutes.  Sometimes it goes away, sometimes not.  I asked my doctor of Thursday about it and she thinks it has to do with having to much in my stomach when I run.  That is why I was researching prerunning eating and posted what I did yesterday.   Sometimes I think that is the reason, sometimes I don’t.  For instances tonight, I ran at about 9:30 PM.  I hadn’t eaten since about 6 PM.  Has this happened to anyone else?  What can I do to make the cramp go away, or better yet keep it from ever coming back? 

Ok, on to the Sweaty Band giveaway winner!  The winner is Kim!  Kim, email me your address and I will get it right out to you!  (amysmith7@comcast.net)

I have several more giveaways lined up!  Stay tuned!

A dream is a wish….

--Amy

Where Is Your Favorite Place to Run?

Over the weekend, my family took a trip to my in-law’s beach house near Ocean City, MD.  We had a great time and I got a chance to run early one morning.  I have run this course before—down the blacktop road, then on a sandy path by the water, and then back on a blacktop road to the house.  It is a short course, about three miles.  I have decided this is my favorite place to run.  The sandy area is challenging, while the blacktop is a good place to warm up and cool down.  The scenery the entire time is so peaceful and really motivating.  I really love running by the water.  Yesterday morning was the most enjoyable run I have ever had.

This got me thinking, where is my favorite place to run?  I do the majority of my running on the tread mill at the gym late in the evening after my kids are in bed.  I don’t hate running on the treadmill, but I don’t love it either. I love running outside.  I also run on a path around my neighborhood.  The path is nice, but full of really steep hills, which I don’t enjoy.  The path is a great place to run, but not work on time.  It does not simulate most normal race terrain, but the hills are a great workout. 

Where is your favorite place to run?  Do you run inside or outside?  What time of day? 

A dream is a wish your heart makes......

--Amy

Disney Princess Half Marathon registration opened today!  I am registered!  Are you?

Don’t forget to register for the SPIbelt giveaway!  It ends soon!

I also wanted to let everyone know that I have been accepted into a Blogorama Bonanza!  It is a group of 200 bloggers who will all be doing big giveaways at the same time.  Keep an eye out for this huge event!  If you are a blogger, please check and join! 

http://www.jylasthreeofusgiveaway.org/

****I have been working hard to set up some more GREAT giveaways for you!  Keep an eye on my blog to find out what they are!