moscowmusings

[moscowmusings]

Twilight runs and adrenaline. A mental trick to increase your speed

Living in Moscow can be great, we get very long, cool summer days, with excellent evenings and long twilights, perfect for those 9-6 office workers. You can finish work at 6, get home, change, and still have plenty of time to do your run. What happens when we hit September and October, though, the days get shorter and your runs end up being shorter. Early this week I had a run that was 6.5km, during which I set a PR on a 5k...and how? By running and thinking "oh god, the sun is setting!!"

Twilight runs are beautiful and can be so refreshing. The heat of the day is dying down, there's generally a cool breeze and people are walking their dogs, which just makes a run more enjoyable. It can be wonderful in the city.

And then it gets dark.

The street lights come on.

And things get scary. 

Living by a big park I tend to avoid the side of the street that borders the park after sunset, seems only logical. Lots of trees and bushes and it's better to be safe than sorry. 

So a few days ago, as I was doing my recovery run, the sun set, the twilight was in full swing and I was about halfway through my 6.5km run. That's when my adrenaline kicked in. 

Knowing I had a limited amount of light left, I was running at a pace above my average and managed to hit my 5k at 31:54! A new high!

And this got me thinking. I had a specific amount of time to finish in (before all the weirdos come out), and knowing that made me go a little faster and made me be a little tougher on myself (I didn't take a walking break). 

Deadlines. 

Although I don't suggest putting yourself in a stressful situation, give yourself deadlines.

Something reasonable. 

If you run a 30 minute 5k, tell yourself you'll finish it in 29:30 and stick to it. Go just a little bit above your comfort pace, keep an eye on your timer, if you're lagging, pick it up.

Soon enough, that will become your new comfort pace. 

This weekend, try it.

I certainly will.

[moscowmusings]

I have learned the secret to teleportation!! - A cry of outrage from a loyal Nike runner

For the last couple of years I’ve been a loyal Nike customer. Almost all my workout stuff has come from Nike stores, and I have been willing to pay the prices they ask for their stuff. I have the $100 pants, the $60 shirts, the nearly $50 sports bras, the $100+ shoes. I paid those prices because I liked both the quality and design of those things. And I still do. My Nike shoes bring me joy with every run, my Nike workout clothes all do what they promise to do and look pretty great while they do it. I only have one problem with ONE Nike product

The Nike Run Club app.

When I first began running a year ago I started with a couch to 5k app, and then I noticed a Facebook friend was always posting about his runs with the pace, time and distance and even the route he took. I thought “NEAT” and I saw the little Nike swish on the side of the posts and went and got myself that app. Things began in the most wonderful way. I would go out running, the app would tell me I’ve run THIS much as THIS pace. I moved into the gym for a while and had to manually log my distance and time, so things were ok. But with the coming of summer, I began to run outside again. That’s when the trouble started.

I admit that part of my route is in the forest, so I have learned to ignore the slight change in accuracy during one part of my runs. But today I ran by the side of the road and I had THE BIGGEST glitch on the planet. Basically, I went to sleep a semi fit regular person, and woke up as a runner Olympic gods would be jealous of. Look at these split times. 

I can not only do a marathon in under 2 hours, I can do it under 30 minutes!!! 

Another problem I’ve had with the app is that it takes a really long time to sync. Now, that is not a problem only I have had. Currently, I still have five runs syncing starting from THURSDAY.

 I just want to run and be given more or less correct times and distances. I’ll be happy with a 50 meter/km loss of distance, that’s fine. But please Nike, what is going on with your app?!?!?! 

[moscowmusings]

My journey to fitness: TRX and pump

Last timeI wrote about the workouts I’ve tried at home, such as P90X and Les Mills. This week I will talk about the gym classes I’ve tried. Some time in December of 2015 a friend of mine told me about this class that she wanted to try, so we both decided to sign up for a trial class. The hard part being over, I had no choice but to go to my scheduled class two weeks later. And I fell in love.

At the time, the place where these TRX classes were held was a tiny basement studio that wasn’t too well ventilated, but I still went 2-3 times a week. It was great because I got a full-body workout and it was a great way to relieve some stress after work.

The way these classes were structured was arms, legs then abs, rinse and repeat five times. Every Wednesday was two long rounds. TRX really gets through to your core and works the sweet molasses out of it. A few weeks in, I was already feeling stronger, my posture was getting better. A few months later and I felt like I could kick some a** and hold a plank for ages. That’s when I started to feel like I needed more and began running.

The problem with the TRX class I was going to was the trainer, to be quite honest. When I started going, this was a small studio in the basement with 7 spots per class with four classes a night. This was when the trainer paid attention to the people in the class and tried to mix it up. Some months later they moved to a larger space, with up to 16 spots a class, and that’s when we lost him. It’s a lot harder to keep track of 16 people, and he pretty much already knew the regulars were doing everything right and rarely checked on us. It all really depends on the trainer you have. I still love it, and might get a set of TRX loops in the future for myself. At the time the winter was setting in, and I got a gym membership solely to use the treadmills. The TRX studio I was going to had also raised prices, so I was forced to choose between TRX or running in the gym. I chose the gym. And that’s where my story of going to pump class begins.

This was probably the most fun I’d had in a gym class for a while. On one of my sister’s visits here, I got her a two week membership to my gym and we went together in an attempt to keep off the winter holiday weight. At one point she said “let’s try one of these classes in the schedule” and it happened to be pump class, which Im guessing is what the gym named a class based on the Bodypump program.

This class uses barbells mixed with simple exercises, and I have to say it got me the best results. Instantly I went down in size and weight because I was mixing running 2-3 times a week with a once a week pump class. The exercises included squats, split squats, deadlifts, bicep curls, lying down tricep stuff and we usually finished off with ten minutes of abs. This is a class I would recommend to those who are looking to add a strength routine to their cardio for best results. Doing just cardio or just strength doesn’t really get you the balanced results you’re most likely seeking.

If you’re currently saying “noooo, I don’t like squats” let me tell you a secret, NEITHER DID I. It was amazing how much I used to hate squats. But the second you begin to notice your legs getting more and more toned and the amazing definition you get only from squats, you will love them. They’re not even that bad if you’re doing them right. For me, somehow adding the weight to my squats made me pay more attention to my form and I started doing them correctly. For runners, any leg strength exercise is magical.

In the end, between TRX and Pump, I would probably pick…

…

I really don’t know, they’re both great programs. If you’re running and looking for a strength program, pump is great, but if you’re not a runner and just want an overall workout, I would probably go for TRX. Although, from someone who has been down that path, you’ll start running soon enough because after a few months TRX three times a week won’t be enough. Once you start this workout thing, you won’t be able to live without that sweet exhaustion that comes after each workout.

Check back next week for the next installment of this series, I will yammer on and on about running and how much my ankles and knees hate it, but my lungs, brain and probably heart love it!!

[moscowmusings]

Long runs and mittens and whiskers on kittens.

And how ever the rest of that song goes. It’s not necessarily during the long run that I love it, but I love having finished it!

This weekend was a record setting long run for me. I did 12.5k, went to a new part of the park and beat my 5k record by a full minute! (I’m going by the time I set in the Wall street run in NYC on May 18). 

Let’s start from the beginning, the 12.5k. It was tough, that’s for sure. I deliberately chose a route that had me going up and down hills because I realized I will never have the perfectly flat run, so I might as well get used to running up and down hills.

Running 12.5 was tough, I made stops at around 3.2k, 6k, 8k, and I do believe 10k. By the time I reached the 9th kilometer I was just shuffling my feet. The interesting part of this is that you do start to shuffle your feet, don’t give in to it. I did this several times during my run today, I noticed I was shuffling and felt that I still had strength in my legs. This was my mind giving in. So what I did was start to lift my feet and try to run with my legs, and not my arms. Another thing I did notice recently is that I run more with my arms than my legs. That’s not something you want. Our legs are strong, let them do their work. 

The second part of the records I set today, the new park. I am fortunate in that I live beside a pretty big park and I have quite a few options of where to run. Running a new route made it easier because I was distracted from the tiredness of my legs by the new surroundings. 

The third record was my time. I made 5k in 33:34, a full minute earlier than my time two months ago where I came in at 34:37 and I do believe 4 minutes faster than when I started in the fall when I ran a 5k in 37:34. Somehow these numbers are all similar, I’m not sure what’s going on there, but that’s how they look.

My lesson for the day- Your legs are stronger than you think, don’t let your mind control your workout!

[moscowmusings]

3 ways to stay cool on a long run

Alrighty! I know last week I promised that I would be writing the next installment of my journey through the magical land of fitness, but I’m afraid this week I’m going to interrupt myself (how rude!) and talk about Long Runs.

Now, the long run, “what is it?” you may ask. “is it a run with long strides? is it a

 biscuit of some sort? perhaps it’s the head that I found in the lake” (apologies, but the Nightmare before Christmas started to play in my head all of a sudden as I wrote that.. I don’t usually find heads in lakes, and certainly hope you don’t either)

The long run doesn’t have to be a half marathon, it’s simply a run that is longer than your usual run. My personal comfort distance ranges between 5 and 7k, so a distance of 10 and up is a long run. If you generally feel comfortable with 10k, (aren’t you the fancy pants) then a long run would be a 14-16k for you. And if you’re an insane marathon style runner who can do a 20k just to beat someone else’s distance that month, then you’re most likely looking at a long run of 25-30k (which, to me seems like an impossible distance....for now). 

Whatever your long run distance, we are all the same people, made from the same stuff, and we all feel the summer heat the same. And this brings me to my subject today: HOW to stay cool this time of the year. 

We all know July and August are a nightmare for runners, here in Moscow we’ve been blessed with a cool summer until this weekend when temperatures have risen and have started to threaten most runner’s will to get out there. The thoughts of “Well I missed this morning, and it’s getting hot out there, and it’s so nice and cool in here” increase in frequency the higher the temperature goes, but here are some of my tips on avoiding overheating and getting through that long run (or any run) in the middle of summer. 

Always remember that when you run, you’re sweating a lot, especially in the summer. Never forget to drink water before, during and after a run. If your long run is anywhere over half an hour, think about bringing a small bottle of water with you. I generally keep an eye on how much water I drink in my daily life and avoid water draining things like coffee, so I’m alright for half an hour before I get thirsty on my run. If you drink coffee on a daily basis, then it’s very likely you’re going into the run mildly dehydrated, so keep a bottle with you. If you ever start to feel like something is wrong - stop, drink and cool down, no run time or extra km is worth risking your own health. 

In the summer time, your best friends are the trees. If you have a large park near your home, then do your summer runs there. Large, wooded areas are usually a few degrees cooler than the asphalt covered streets of the city. They’re also a lot more relaxing to run in. And if you’re stuck in the city, then stick to the shady sides of the streets, it will make your run easier and you will protect your skin from the sun. 

If you’re a morning person, try to get your run done before 10-11 am when the day begins to heat up. If you’re more of a night owl, go for the late afternoon. The best time of day for a run, in my opinion, is the morning. Everything hasn’t had time to heat up yet and a wonderful breeze is more likely. You also have more energy because you haven’t done anything yet. Once you’re done with your run and your post-run shower and it’s not even noon yet, that gives a psychological energy boost because look at you, getting things done!!

On that note, I post my Long run from this morning! I will write a separate post on how this went, so keep watching this blog for more!!

And hey, check back next week when I continue the series I have interrupted on my journey through fitness and the things I’ve learned.

[moscowmusings]

Home workouts: P90x and Les Mills

Last week I talked about working out at home vs working out in a group. This week, I’m going to cover the workouts I’ve done at home. In the last three years, I’ve stuck mostly to P90x and Les Mills.

I tried the P90x program back in 2012-2013 and though I didn’t exercise all 6 out of 7 days (I usually went for the 5 day schedule in the program) I think I made it through the 90 days once. It did have a good effect on me, in general toning and endurance. But I gradually got tired of it because it really is quite intense, and there was always the dread of Plyometric days. Not to say that I didn’t like it.

 My cats especially liked to sit on the ironing board where the laptop stood playing the dvd and watch me as I huffed and puffed my way through things.

It’s definitely a program for people who are already on a medium level of fitness, and NOT for those with weak knees, as I learned during Plyometrics and some of the leg exercises. The workouts are all about 60-90 minutes long. Even the Yoga routine is quite intense and will have you sweating like there’s no tomorrow. It’s great if you can spare an hour to an hour and a half a day on working out and would like to see results pretty quickly (I should mention that those results will come if you don’t end up shouting “STUFF IT TONY!” at the screen, which I’ve done during some of the tougher moves).

What was great was that you had the printout sheets to follow along and record how many reps you did of certain exercises, you could see the progress you’d made week after week. What wasn’t great was hearing Tony’s jokes over and over again, but I guess that’s what happens when you workout to a video. 

I didn’t have the “before and after” moment with p90x mainly because I didn’t change my eating habits. Eventually, I found that the lack of music in the videos was a little tiring, I’m one of those people who needs exciting music to get me going, a little addicted to that. My favorite video out of the whole program was Kenpo, it reminded me a lot of the Billy Blanks videos I used to do. I also generally like to kick at non-existent things.

Then came Les Mills. Oh, to count the ways I love the Les Mills Combat program. The team of Rachael Newsham and Dan Cohen. They’re great together and Dan has an INCREDIBLE energy. His shout of “POWAAAAAAAA” during the HIIT Power always gave me the extra push I needed to finish the workout. The energy of the team on the screen is contagious and they really make you feel like you’re having fun, and not just jumping around.

A note on the music choices, I’d have to say they’re all great. They fit the moves quite well, and it makes it easier to follow along. Hearing a song from Les Mills recently, I started to get that same wonderful feeling I had when I was doing the workout and my body instantly was ready to go and kick some butt, I could ALMOST remember the moves. Bottom line, the music motivates and inspires you to keep going.

This program has 30, 45 and 60 minute workouts, all peppered with HIIT workouts. I love the quick 30 minute one, you’re done before you know it but you’ve also had a good workout, the 60 live video is fantastic. I always loved doing the running man in the end. Somehow this workout GIVES you energy!

Between these two workout programs, P90X is definitely the more intense one, but Les Mills is so much fun and generally doesn’t ask you to have a pretty empty schedule.

And that’s my two cents on two of the workout programs I’ve tried.

Check this page next Sunday for a short recap of the gym classes I’ve tried and what I would recommend to those thinking of joining one.

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

[moscowmusings]

7 tips on how to enjoy your speed run

In the last three weeks, my schedule has become a little more full than in previous months, but I’m making time for running. I think as long as there’s sunshine and light when I get home I can still squeeze in a run. 

According to my training plan, this week was a light one. I had two speed runs and one recovery run.  A little bit on the speed runs this time. These are runs when you go at your fastest for a short distance. In my case it was 400 meters the first time and 200 the second time. Although I’m not a fan of being out of breath or going VERY fast, I have come to enjoy these. 

Here are some of the things that I have learned about speed runs

 They are deceptive little things, 400 or 200 meters are a MUCH longer distance when you’re running at your top speed. So don’t underestimate the distance, and don’t overestimate your own ability. Just do your best.

Let me explain, start with about 90% and then when you’re in the last quarter of the distance, push it. Otherwise, you end up doing really well in the first half and being reduced to pretty much a shuffle in the end. I found that starting at 90% and then picking up the pace makes for a more natural transition from resting to full speed.

 If you have 4 or 6 or 8 or whatever number of runs, try to think of it as two pairs, or three pairs. I find thinking of them in sets makes the run easier and makes me run faster. If you’re running in an area where you’re going back and forth, think “three back and forth” instead of “six runs”

Not the coloring kind. My speed runs the other week were tough because I kept glancing at my phone to check my distance and I was never quite sure where the middle and the end were. This week, my second (and fastest run so far), I did on an almost flat stretch of sidewalk between two bus stops, which just happen to be a little over 400 meters apart. This helped me a lot because I actually had something to look at, a finish line of sorts. Even if it’s just two trees, it’s easier with a finish line in sight.

Don’t run with thoughts of “ah, halfway, three-quarters, almost there”. Try to focus on your legs, your breathing, your arms, your stance. Every part of your run is important, and on a speed run, form is extremely important. Due to faster speeds, you’re increasing pressure on your feet, and if you’re not paying attention, rolling an ankle at this speed could have you down and out for weeks. I like to focus on my breathing and how I’m putting my feet down, as a person with weak ankles, my greatest concern is a rogue pebble on the ground bringing me down... on that note

As you’re running, don’t go off into your own little world. That’s dangerous on so many levels. Speed runs are best on a track or at least some kind of flat area (pavement isn’t great on anyone’s knees, but let’s face it, we all run on pavement whether city streets or park walkways). Don’t do a speed run on the trails of some park, that pebble will bring its friend the tree root along and you’ll be lucky to get out with just minor injuries. So watch the ground, don’t slump over, but keep an eye of what’s coming ahead, dips in the ground, unexpected potholes, branches, rocks etc. 

And last, but not least, 

I like to pay attention to my breathing and my legs as I’m running. When I started this running thing months ago, I had the worst time. My breathing would get painful within five minutes and my legs would want to give in within seven. These days, as I’m doing my speed run I like to think about my breathing, counting the breath to step ratio (it was suggested to me that a 3 step inhale and 3 step exhale were best) as well as how my legs feel stronger these days and can handle the speed much easier. 

And as a closing message, here are my results this week. Proving that anyone can run, because if I can achieve these speed run results in a few weeks, then anyone can. 

Images from picjumbo.com and Upsplash.com

[moscowmusings]

Color run Moscow

Today I took part in a color run called “Krasochnyi Boom” (Colorful Boom...?) here in Moscow. It was a 5 k which pretty much just wanted to get you nice and messy and covered in paint. 

The fun of it was that it was just a 5k, but it was in a location that was completely new to me. Along the way, there were four points where volunteers threw paint at us. 

The nightmare was that the location had us going downhill for the first kilometer, and then for some reason, the next 4 were all uphill. I don’t see the logic of it, but the views from the route were wonderful. It was a challenge and I walked only a couple of stretches uphill when my legs were just giving in. 

With a record pace of 6′58″ I would have to say this was a great experience, and I plan on coming back. 

Here’s a video I found from today’s run from youtube (from user Eugene)

[moscowmusings]

Benchmark, Long runs, Speed runs, where have I gone? an update

Recently I have started a new job which is really eating into my blogging time, but fear not, it is NOT taking away my time running, I make the time to get my runs in on schedule, as I am still with the NRC app’s training program and do not intend to quit. October 31 is still my end goal to reach the distance of 21 km, or a

 HALF MARATHON. So here is a quick catch up of what I have done and noticed in the last two weeks.

Since the last time I wrote, I have done 7 runs (and I promise not to disappear for quite so long from now on. It has been 15 days, which puts me at Day 34. In that time I have done this

Three recovery runs

A long run that beat my recent records for distance

A speed run and a benchmark run (with a recovery run in between)  that challenged my pace

And this morning a long run which made me question everything from my hair follicles down to the soles of my feet

My lessons are the following:

1. Work is no excuse to let your fitness routine die. If it’s still light out, there’s plenty of time to come home, change and get back out there

2. If you work in an office, your legs will rejoice in the movement after a long day of inactivity

3. Your stress levels definitely decrease after a nice run and you feel like things are going to be great.

4. A lack of sleep has a HUGE effect on your speed, so you’re not getting slower, you’re just sleepy

5. My best pre run snack remains a banana, it’s light, but has the right mix of everything you need to keep hunger away at the end of the day and give you that energy boost you need to get through it. 

I have never regretted going for a run, I always regret planning a run and not going through with it. 

If it’s on the schedule, do it!

And if it’s not, put in on the schedule and do it anyway!

That’s my short recap of the last two weeks of running. Day 35 (aka tomorrow) I do my first fun run in Moscow!!!!! 5k !! 

Look out for my next installment of “My journey to fitness” coming out tomorrow! 

[moscowmusings]

Gym or home workouts? Part 2 of My journey to fitness.  A walk through diets, Tae Bo, Les Mills, TRX, Pump and Running.

Being a shy person, when I first started working out, I began it with home videos. I still remember the first home workout I tried, it was with my older sister. She was in college and I was either a junior or senior in high school. It was still on a VHS tape and it was Claudia Schiffer’s Upper body and Lower body workout (two tapes). I did not enjoy it one bit.

Sometime later, when I finished high school, I ended up having a year where I 

stayed at home and prepared to go to college. At the time I was living in a small and boring town and the only form of entertainment was either my extensive collection of Simpsons episodes, or the VCD (this was in the time when you had to stop in the middle of the movie and change disks) of Billy Blank’s Tae Bo, to which I was also introduced by my sister (who happens to be at the beginning of my love of any workout program, since she does the “hey! I found this new thing! Let’s try it!”)

It was fun, and each time 8 pm came around, I started to feel like I HAVE to do it, otherwise, I’ll be so bored. We worked out together in a pretty small room, but we managed to coordinate our movements (lots of arms and legs swinging about) so that we fit in that small space. My best memory of that workout was when the lights in our house went out and we had JUST gotten warmed up, we knew the program by heart by then and just continued it in total darkness. It’s a wonder no one ended up with a black eye.  

But I stray from the question I asked: Gym or Home?

My home and gym workout experiences are pretty balanced, and I’d have to say that both have their pros and cons

The pros of working out at home:

-          Work out any time you choose

-          Save time (you don’t need to spend time getting to and from the gym)

-          No gym showers, enjoy your home shower

-          For the shy or self-conscious, no one else is watching (except the cat or dog..or quite possibly the people you live with

-          Look as foolish as you want while figuring out the moves and steps (not like the time I tried Zumba, I felt about as graceful as a monkey at  a ball)

The pros of working out in the gym (as in a group workout)

-          There’s an instructor who can correct your form

-          Once you’re there, there’s no backing out. You’ve come to the gym, you’ve put on your clothes. Might as well work out.

-          If you have a gym buddy, no excuses, it’s a good way to motivate each other

-          You have access to the equipment you definitely don’t have at home

-          It’s a great place to be social (before or after the workout, talk to me during the workout and I’ll sweatily growl at you)

When I worked out at home, I never could imagine working out in a group, but in the last 18 months, I’ve really come around to working out in groups. It definitely gives you more motivation to do your best and not quit halfway. Though I still prefer running alone unless it’s in a race, my 5k PR was set during the Wall street Run in NYC this May. I suspect it was a mix of jetlag (I had arrived two days before), the crowd around me and the fact that the course was mostly downhill to Battery Park.

Check this page next Sunday for a short recap of the workouts I’ve done at home. Part 3 will be P90x and Les Mills.

[moscowmusings]

My journey to fitness.  A walk through diets, Tae Bo, Les Mills, TRX, Pump and Running. (Part 1: Diets)

This is not my usual running update, today I will start a short series of posts, where I will share with you the programs, diets, and workouts that I have tried over the years, some successfully, some not so much. Over the course of the 

last 7 years I’ve managed to lose (and keep off) 18kg, all without going crazy, of course, I don’t exactly have one of those “before and after” photos with the words “in x amount of days” under it, but it’s helped me to accept how I look simply because I knew that with each passing year I was getting better and better.

I would like to start with a short recap of diets that I’ve tried… namely one… South Beach, it was the only diet that I ever truly tried, stuck to and, quite frankly, it changed things for me. Sure I still eat cake, and pasta, and all the things you’re not supposed to eat on a diet. The change comes in how often and how much of it you eat.

What made this diet stand out for me was that it approached the word “diet” from the original meaning of it “the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats”, meaning this wasn’t a diet you “went on” and then ended and went back to your ways, it required you to change your habits for good.  

I tried the South Beach diet back in possibly 2006, and since then, you can say I’ve been on the third phase of it. I eat all the things you can’t eat in phase 1 or 2, but (except for holidays) it’s always in the back of my mind. When I feel like I’ve been a little relaxed (like that pizza I had last week) I tighten things up and take a step back into phase 2. And I don’t have to go back to the book and look at the recipes. What that diet gave me was an understanding of HOW to eat, not a specific list of dishes I could make.  Most of it makes sense, so it’s not that hard to stick to. Bottom line: More fruits and vegetables, less processed foods. Makes sense.

Since then, I’ve learned to pay attention to what I eat and how those foods affect my body. For example, a few months ago I saw a pretty intense video on dairy, and couldn’t face my favorite morning yogurt for a while, or that glass of milk I loved to drink once in a while.  I figured I’d come off the impression the video made and eventually start eating dairy again. Though I have in a way brought back some limited dairy things, I have lost my love of the yogurts that I had every morning (and sometimes afternoon and evening).  As a result, 7 kg have left me! I didn’t change my workout schedule, I didn’t change any eating habits, all I did was cut out those yogurts (which I now realize are truly PACKED with sugar).

So to anyone thinking of dieting, don’t go on a crazy diet that promises 10 pounds a week, just stop and evaluate what you eat, and make some small changes in your kitchen, your body will thank you for it.

Another thing I like to do once in a while is keeping a food diary. Anytime I feel like I’m consuming too much in a day, I start writing things down. I’m guilty of snacking too much in the day, so what I do is break it down into three meals, and if it’s not part of it, I simply don’t eat it. Highlighting things helps a lot – RED for bad, GREEN for good, and try to make the list more green than red each day.  A week or two of this, and your body responds with fewer cravings in between meals.

Check this page next  Sunday for a short comparison of workouts at home and workouts in the gym.

[moscowmusings]

Day 19. Run 12. Long Run

This long run was my first truly LONG run. 9k is quite the distance for me. 

It was quite difficult, once again I got caught in some rain and had to wait it out at a bus stop for a few minutes. Luckily, it only lasted a few minutes and I was able to continue my run. 

I have noticed more progress from the previous runs, I can now run 4.75 km before I need to stop to catch my breath. I remember the days back in September when I was using the “Couch to 5k” app and barely making it to 3 minutes before I had to walk. These days I can go a full 30 minutes without stopping at a fair pace. It’s not quite a 3-hour-marathon pace, but it’s progress.

Since it was a long run, there were no additional exercises that I did, running for 55 minutes straight was enough for my legs and I happily went home. 

This was also the run when I tried running with an arm band phone case. I got a really cheap one (and I mean cheap. Something like $4 on Aliexpress) but I was not disappointed. It didn’t bounce and my phone was very happy in there. I was even happier because I wasn’t carrying my phone while running and the headphone wires didn't bounce all over. 

Overall, it was definitely a success. The next run I have scheduled is a Recovery 4.5k.  

[moscowmusings]

Day 18. Run 11. Benchmark Run

Today was my second Benchmark run. I would have to say there are improvements. Of course my pace today was a little skewed, thanks to a three-minute rain that I got caught in.

Here’s the breakdown of the Benchmark run. 

1. 7 minute warm up run

2. 3 minutes of giving it your all

3. 5 minute cool down run at a slower pace

I got caught in this rain at around minute 5, and after that my pace went crazy. My first benchmark run, at the beginning of this program, was 7′21″ per km, today was a 6′29″. I would say, even with the app malfunctioning, I still did a much better job than I did ten runs ago.

A little note on the NRC app program itself. It combines speed runs, long runs, tempo runs and benchmark runs, all peppered with recovery runs, to push you to improve your times and distances. This mix of runs allows you to see what you’re capable of and in only 11 runs I’ve noticed that my legs are definitely stronger. It was after my first tempo run that I noticed that I was doing my recovery run at a slightly faster pace and it was after the first speed runs that I noticed my breathing can handle a faster pace as well.

Looking at a picture of myself from a year ago and now, I have to admit I’m loving the changes that have happened since I began this fitness journey (which I will recap for you in my next entry) and I’m nowhere near giving it up, in fact, I’m slowly starting to look towards my kitchen to see where I can make some changes to help me along this path. I invite you to join me and let’s all see where all this running will lead me.

[moscowmusings]

Day 16. Run 10!!!

Technically, today I have the “Core to floor” workout on the NTC+ app, but instead, I chose to do a run. 

On today’s menu was a lovely 5km run. And it really was lovely. The sun was out, the skies were blue and the temperature was a lovely 21C. 

I tried to do the run without stopping today, but it didn’t quite work, I stopped at 2.5km, walked for about 30 seconds and then did the other 2.5km on my path. It was mildly tiring today, maybe it was because I was dressed a little too warm for the day, after a week of 10C I didn’t believe my phone when it said 21C.

In addition, there were:

1. 80 squats

2. 25 split squads per side

3. 1 minute plank

Overall, I have lost roughly 30 seconds on my time per km in these ten runs. Let’s see where the next 10 runs take me.

[moscowmusings]

Day 14. Run 9. Speed Run

Today is Just Do It Sunday, (and in a certain place I love, it’s also a chance to get some juice for running). So I just did it. 

The weather in Moscow, yet again, let me down and I woke up to the wonderfully dreary and cold day. But, I wasn’t about to miss my run. “A little rain, PISH, POSH” said I “No rain is going to stop THIS gal!” And I got suited up, and up and up (10 degrees and wind out there) and went out. 

A side note on the dressing up. In such weather I generally wear a workout top (sleeveless) and on top of that a long sleeve top, and I went with a warm zip up hoodie today, for extra warmth, since it looked like it’s was pretty humid. A note to those thinking of running in Moscow weather, when it’s cool and cloudy, be ready to wear an extra layer, that damp air gets in between the fibers of your clothing! 

I decided to add a warmup and cool down run today (as you can see above), both of 2 km. So I started pretty well with a 7′14″ km and then got to a nice, flat and straight area and got ready for my speed run. Some extra stretches and ankle warmups, and I was off.

I never realized how long 400 meters are. But I managed to do the fastest average I’ve ever done! (when the app wasn’t malfunctioning, it once recorded me doing a 2 minute kilometer... no kidding!). Four takes of this, and by the last 400 meters, I was so glad to be done with it. 

After a nice cool down lap of 2km, at a slower pace, just taking it easy, I went to my favorite spot for post run exercises and stretches and did an additional

1. 75 squats

2. 25 split squats on each leg

3. 1:05 of a plank 

4. 0:35 of side planks on each side

5. 20 pushups off a bar.. so I was maybe halfway down.

All in all, I am starting to feel some positive changes in my running since I started this. My pace has gotten slightly faster, especially since my Tempo Run, and my legs are starting to feel stronger, partly because of the squats and split squats, which are fun AND helpful!. Thanks to my Nike Structures, my ankles no longer feel like the ankles of a 90 year old after I run, which is a tremendous thing! 

On Tuesday I have my tenth run (out of 64), so I’ll be about 15% done with the program. 

[moscowmusings]

Day 12. Run 8. Recovery Run

Alright, let’s see, the run today?

I originally had a run scheduled by the app for today, but I was feeling wonderful after my last run, and what IS 1.5km? So I moved things around and was supposed to have my run YESTERDAY. Until I saw the skies.

When the time came to run the wind was howling, the room was freezing and my app told me it’s 15 degrees outside and it would start raining at any moment. So, like a wise person, I decided against this silly plan and moved my recovery run back to its original time spot, today.

That brings us to today. It’s still freezing outside (freezing for July), 15 degrees and windy, but I suited up and got out there. 

the run scheduled for today was a 3k recovery run, but I’ve decided the app isn’t giving me enough kilometers a week for me to feel like I’m actually running, so I added 2k for a total of 5k.

Another thing I would like to add about today’s run, is it’s possibly the Tempo run from the other day that reminded my legs that they are capable of running faster than a 7′24″ average, which is the first thing I noticed as I ran today. I actually felt stronger, and managed to do this run at a faster pace and with two stops- one at 2.2 km and another was at 3.6 km but that was because street washing trucks were coming at me and I had to practically dive for the bushes not to be splashed by the water. 

Since it started raining as I ran, then quickly stopped, my extra exercises for the day were mildly affected by the soggy ground, and all thoughts of planks went out the window. But I did:

1. 70 squats

2. 22 lunges (as I now realize they are called split squats....oops)

3. 20 pushups

Another add on for the day came from the NTC app, the companion to the NRC app. I did the 15 minute, low intensity “Plank Splitter” workout at home. That includes walking planks, side planks with leg lifts, High plank arm reaches, and all sorts of fun things. All 20 seconds long, for a total of 15 minutes. Let me tell you, if you want a nice plank addition to your run for some core strength, start out with this workout. It’s just enough to really feel the workout, but not enough to be quite dead after. 

On the next installment: Speed run . 4 x 400m . Will I make it? 

[moscowmusings]

Day 10. Run 7. Tempo Run

The Mission: 1.5 km on a faster pace than my usual

The equipment: One playlist of new running songs, One pair of shoes, and a full running outfit (Im not running in my underwear!)

The result: ... well it’s in the picture... go look up!!! 

The run today was a challenging one. It was short, but it’s the longest I’ve ever gone at a quick pace. Ten minutes of pushing my speed. 

For my run today, I chose a part of my street that I knew was more or less flat so that I wouldn’t have to be dealing with uphill and downhill patches, just my speed. At around 1 km my legs decided to slow down, it could have been psychological because, hey, only 500 meters left right? But the last 200 meters or so, I pushed to keep the speed up.

Trying to keep up the tradition of adding exercises to the run, today’s selection was:

1. 65 squats

2. 20 lunges each side

3. 20 pushups

4. plank 1:05 and side plank 0:35 each side

And as of yesterday, I am registered to run a pretty fun 5k on July 30, and a medium level of fun 5k on the 22nd of July!!! Exciting! Going to start my collection of running bibs!... I seem to have lost my bib from the NYRR Retro 5 Miler from last month, which is so sad, out of 10,000 runners, I was number 110!