Tower of Terror Training

Can you believe it's June already!? When did that happen?! I am excited that it's finally starting to feel like summer here in New Jersey. Thanks warm weather for finally deciding to show up!

Now that June's here it also means that training for the Tower of Terror 10 Miler starts today. I have to admit that I haven't really done much running since the Nike Women's Half Marathon. During training and the half I developed a HUGE blister on my left foot from my orthotics. So I had to send my orthotics out to be adjusted which gave my blister some time to heal and not look so scary. My orthotics came back at the end of last week, just in time to start up this next round of training-yay!

My goal for this training cycle is to complete the whole thing! In my 2 prior training cycles I haven't stuck to the schedule as well as I should have for various reasons. I know I'm capable of running a better race but I just need to stick to the plan! Since I have been running for more than a year but not so consistently I've decided to follow Jeff Galloway's finish in the upright position plan. Originally I was going to select the time improvement plan, but right now I need to focus on completing a training schedule and feeling strong at the end of a race. My past 2 races I've always lost steam towards the end and want to avoid that this time around. 

The other areas I want to focus on are weight lifting and nutrition. I'd like to work in Body Pump classes as cross training twice a week. I also really need to start eating better to keep my body fueled properly. I'm starting off slowly by tracking meals into MyFitnessPal again but would like to slowly transition over to clean eating. I've been browsing blogs for recipes and meal plans to get some ideas. If anyone has any resources that helped them transition to clean eating, please, let me know! 

QOTD: Are you starting training for Tower of Terror or another fall race? 

Don't forget DVC and Passholder signups for the Star Wars Half-Marathon weekend are tomorrow at noon!

BodyPump

My gym happens to be one of the gyms that offers Les Mills BodyPump. It's a class I've been wanting to try for a while and finally got around to it on Tuesday. BodyPump is described as, "one of the world's fastest ways to get in shape as it challenges all of your major muscle groups while you squat, press, lift and curl." Naturally, I dragged Bryan along with me and boy are we both still feeling it. 

The class had about 30 people in it total so it was packed. I asked the teacher what I would need to get started. She set me up with a barbell, weight plate, free weights, yoga mat, and step platform-that's it? I managed to get all the stuff back to my acquired spot and we jumped right into the workout. 

My arms were tired within the first 10 minutes. This class is no joke! A lot of the movements are similar to lifts I had learned in my brief stint at crossfit which helped me tremendously. Had I not known the proper technique for these moves prior I might have found it a little more difficult.

What I like about this class compared to crossfit is it that instead of lifting the heaviest weight possible a few times, you lift a lighter weight a greater amount of times. All sections of the workout are paced to upbeat songs which really helps you power through. 

The class was broken down into multiple sections, each section targeting the specific area we were working on. Before each section the teacher would briefly explain it, let us know where we could make modifications if we need to etc. 

Overall, I loved the fast paced feeling of this class. It's exactly what I've been looking for as cross training for running. Not only does it help strengthen my legs with moves like squats, it also adds in core work, and of course plenty of arm movements to make sure they're looking good for summer! I can't wait to go back next week and see what this class can do for me in the long run.

QOTD: Have you even been to BodyPump? What were your impressions?

Rock Climbing

Last weekend I got the chance to go rock climbing. If you had asked me prior to last weekend I would've been like "I love rock climbing," because you know, going a few times on cruise ships, and on smaller walls totally makes me an expert. Guys, this place I went to was INTENSE. These people are no joke. Is this what it feels like when people stumble into the running community? 

There were easy walls, the grips were animals and letters (yup, we started here), medium walls which were slightly taller and had more traditional grips. Then harder walls such as one with splits where you had to climb in between the crevice, and walls that were inverted. Each wall included colored tape paths for you to follow depending on your desired difficulty level.

See the rhino grip below my foot?!

Anyways I had a blast and got in an awesome workout at the same time. We had 90 minutes of climbing with a guide from the gym. They started us off on one of the easier walls to get a feel for our skill level. As our time went on we tried more and more difficult walls. It was great to be able to conquer walls that inverted over the ground (scary!) but the more difficult the walls were, the more tired they made us. The trick to keep from getting too tired was to use your legs to get you up the wall more than your arms. This seems counter intuitive but you got up the wall faster and kept your arms feeling fresh. 

This wall kicked my butt-see the crevice to the right...
I think I'll need more practice first

On my last wall I had obviously been using my arms a little too much on the previous walls because they were shaking and I slipped a few times-oops! Luckily you're harnessed in so you end up just awkwardly hanging in mid-air. Once you made your triumphant climb to the top you got to repel back down the wall. As a group we decided the repelling down the wall was the best part, except for the part where you have to climb up the wall first haha!  

Going back down the wall-weeee!

Overall I think this was a great cross training workout and had a blast. I may look into going rock climbing again in the future!

Lauren

QOTD: Have you ever been rock climbing, or do you do some unique cross training?