Weights, Chiro and a Gym?

Well, I managed 18 miles last week and most of it feeling fairly good. The glute hasn’t been complaining too much, I ran 4 days including back to back on Saturday and Sunday. 6 on Saturday and only 3 on Sunday as I didn’t want to push more than 18 miles. The 6 went fine and this weekend I’m hoping to get 7 or 8 for a longer run, just slowly building back up. I’ve been the chiropractor 3 times now and bought a package (my insurance doesn’t cover it cause they are out of network doesn’t health care stuff suck?) to make things a big cheaper so I’m set for going at least another 10 times and will evaluate after that what I might do. I had my evaluation to go over my x-rays and such as well yesterday and was given got exercises along with a breakdown of all that is out of wack. Apparently I've done something to get my low back on the left side out of form...the muscles are tight and pulling on things, getting my hip out of alignment and shortening my left leg, all this led to my glute tightening up and pulling wrong and hence the tight hurt feeling in my glute. The right side is down and out of wack a bit due to overcompensation (love all my technical terms?) :) of course. All pretty much what L had suggested might be wrong. So now I have the area for him to work on and get loosened up and between that and the adjustments things should be back to normal soon I hope. Actually I had a pulling sensation on my IT band, and when I saw the chiro last night my back had something that was twisted weird...so we are working on that and my upper back where I have tightness as well (where all my stress goes) so all this should help...I’ve done 4 miles on Tuesday with a friend, no time yesterday for yoga due to meeting friends after the chiro appointment so hopefully I can get that in tonight after a quick run (might do a short one at lunch and again after work, once inside and once out more on that in a second).

On a really happy note too, I got home and my Bowflex weights had arrived yesterday. Remember they were supposed to be filled in 3-5 days and shipped 7-9 days after that? I ordered them either Thursday or Friday last week from buy.com. Had notification on Saturday that they had shipped, I tracked on Monday and saw nothing, but on Wednesday they were there…talk about an awesome day!! They are very cool too. They adjust super easy and have a nice comfy grip. Not having worked out with them, but for anyone not wanting to buy a ton of weights, I’d highly recommend them. I’m also probably going to be joining Bally's. Not the greatest gym around my area, but I'm getting a pretty good deal that figures to about $17 a month andit has a pool and indoor track (11 laps to a mile) along with equipment and a few classes that might work in my schedule (not as many as another gym in the area, but again for the price and I don't use classes that much anyway)...It will be a nice alternative in the winter and not overly expensive, convenient to work and a nationwide membership so if I’m traveling and can find one I have other options too. I’m checking it out at lunch today and most likely will sign on. Can’t beat the price vs other options in my area for $60-70 a month…

Also looks like I now have a pace bunny for Twin Cities next year. A friend has kindly offered to pace me to my time goal (to be announced after training has commenced and is going well)…that makes me happy too. Between one on the course and L on the sidelines to carry water and such for me, I should really be able to pull the run provided I get the training in!!

New Toys

They are ordered...will be on the way in 3-5 days according to buy.com and I got free shipping so 7-9 days delivery (but seems sites always say that and usually it doesn't take nearly that long). So within 2 weeks my new toys will be here and I'm so excited to get back to some sort of weight training. I might need to somehow find a way to have a weigh bench at some point too, but for now I do have an exercise ball and that will be good to at least use to a degree. I couldn't pass up the deal. I found them for $120 on Amazon with free shipping, $100 on GNC.com with free shipping and $100 on Buy.com with free shipping...but if you haven't used Google check out you can use it and get another $10 off so for $90 I have them being shipped to me...Exciting stuff!

I managed an OK run last night too. For the first time in a long time I wore my Garmin and had a 5 mile run in 45:41 which is an OK pace, all things considered. I probably could've gone faster, I wasn't too winded and it is not a flat course by any means. Overall I was happy with it. I was too sore to attempt yoga last night, that Tuesday night workout kicked my butt on sore muscles, but at least this morning I'm feeling much better so I'm going to do the strength session tonight, then will plan maybe a 6 mile run tomorrow for a "longer" run, since tomorrow is the better day of the weekend. I'm hoping for a short easy 3-4 on Sunday for a 4 day running week. Might get an hour yoga session in too on Sunday. I do really like the yoga DVD I have for strength and flexibility, it's Rodney Yee, and there are two workouts, each about 20 minutes which is about a perfect session, I can always add to it if I want more poses that aren't covered since there are a number of poses I've enjoyed in classes. One thing I'd really like to find though is a good Power Flow Yoga DVD. Does anyone know of one? I used to love Power Flow class when I was a gym member and felt it was a good workout...particularly when I could get up at 5:30 and do the workout before work...nothing like feeling so good about yourself in the morning...I used to be on a good schedule to run in the morning and know that by next summer, to meet some of my goals, I'm going to have to do that again, but for now, I'd like it if I could get up, at least to start, just 2 days a week and do my yoga in the morning before work...it's only 20 minutes sooner...one of these days I'll try it. Means getting up at 6 instead of 6:30...I can do it...I think...

Chiro and Other Things

Last night was my first appointment with my new chiropractic place. I signed up for an initial assessment, x-rays etc while at Twin Cities Marathon Expo with a place that has people that are runners, in fact the doctor I saw is herself a runner and has the marathon bug…she has run 6, including Boston, so that tells me I’m with the right person! I told her my goal was to run next year to get that qualifier and that I need to get everything worked out and will be running a hard half or two early next year to get the preferred start coral for Twin Cities next year. Getting to the office, they have massage chairs to sit in while waiting, nice, then I went into the room, had x-rays (of which I’ll get copies next appointment), and a muscle scan that shows where you are most tense, gee, surprise, I was tight on low back and upper back (I always run tight). After that they used the muscle stimulator thing to loosen me up, along with a heating pad, then while waiting for a massage table I was laying on a water massage bed (or I could’ve sat back in the massage chair), I had the first adjustment, which my sacrum cracked so well on each side, then upper back and one other area in my neck that I hadn’t known was tight but she found and adjusted on one side, hopefully next time I’m relaxed enough to let it happen on the other side too…Anyway, overall a good visit and I’m going back on Monday to get the x-rays, all assessments and results along with exercises to do that will help get everything back in place. L is back next week too to work on me with massage so that should help everything get back to normal I hope…

Also, new excitement…I’m pretty sure I’m going to get those Bowflex weights I posted a couple messages back…they are $150 on Bowflex’s site, plus $50 shipping…I found them on eBay for a bit cheaper and then Amazon for even cheaper and free shipping, then on another place or two for even better than the others…In fact I think I might get them shipped for $60-80…can’t pass that up. They are nice in that they adjust from 2.5 up to 20 pounds in 2.5 pound increments, at most I’d maybe eventually want a couple of 25s, but in lots of working out, I never have used more than 20s really for most things…so I think this will be good for me. Cheaper than the 50 pound ones by a lot and I think much more useable for me. Plus they take up very little space…nothing like eight sets of weights in one set that can hold at 20 pounds…I’ll slowly build up my little home gym…just need the space to have it all out and set up on a regular basis.

I wanted to run after my appointment last night, but have adjusted my schedule because it was fairly late when I got home and I thought maybe I should hold off one more day. Tonight I’m going to go for 4-5 miles, then I’ll run both Saturday and Sunday and then not again till Tuesday. I got my yoga flexibility DVD out on Tuesday and did it, 25 minute workout and I felt things stretching. I’ll eventually add more poses on my own, but it felt pretty good, except the relaxing pose at the end, my back was tight and couldn’t relax, was feeling a little uncomfortable so I cut that part short, but the rest went well.

Current focus:

• Running back up to 20 miles over the next 2-3 weeks
• Yoga for more flexibility and strength back to 2 times a week at least
• At least during the week keeping track of food in Fitday.com for the next two weeks to get a base on where to start moving forward on my eating