Skipping the cross training challenge

Again, I have left the new-to-you cross training challenge to the very last day of the month.

Maybe I should call this the "feels-like-a-deadline workout challenge?"

Don't get me wrong, being nudged to try new things has been wonderful.

But I was home a whopping 12 days out of 31 this month. On those precious few at-home days, all I wanted was the comfort of routine. The last thing on my mind was looking up a Zumba class or downloading a new workout video.

So what new fitness routine did I attempt this month?

Well, let's just say I skipped it.



I warmed up with a 1.5 mile run, then did 3 repeats of "schoolyard skipping" plus strides and 2 repeats of "high skipping" with strides. I also tried out the foot shuffle, which is much harder than it looks!

The 5 repeats took less than 15 minutes, but this is a high intensity workout. I was drenched in sweat. (Disclaimer: The 80 degree morning may be partly to blame for my sweatiness.)

The verdict: I'll be adding these drills to my speedwork rotation.

Hubby won't be surprised at all when he reads this. I love to skip. I sometimes spontaneously start skipping when we're hiking. (He has pictures to prove it.) But I never thought of skipping as exercise, and certainly never considered it as cross-training.

I also really like the way this Running Times workout is structured, with skipping followed by strides, to build muscle memory into the drill.

My only quibble: I love running because I can do it anywhere, but these drills call for a sports field. First, flat, soft turf is important for safety while doing these drills. (You don't want to roll an ankle by landing on an uneven spot.) Second, even though I was on an athletic field, I was getting funny looks from dog-walkers for both high skipping and foot shuffle...

But I'll brave mockery to skip again!

We'll call this a May cross training success.

Here's quick recap of the other new-to-me cross training challenges I've tackled so far:

• January = burpees - I am not a fan.
• February = cardio kickboxing - liked Jillian Michael's videos enough that I've done several more since February.
• March = stability ball strength training - just glad I didn't crack my skull open.
• April = 100 ups - by far the best new-to-me workout to date. I've added "100 ups" to my strength-training routine every week since I tried them.

Skip with me @RunTraveler

or on Facebook

What would you recommend for June cross training?

Upward mobility (and cross training challenge)

Image source

Today's motivating theme is: "upward mobility"

"The people that get to the top of the success staircase first are the ones that keep moving their feet even if given the chance to ride an escalator. An opportunity to rise to the top should be used as a way to climb faster, not as a chance to relax on the ride up."
~Molly Ford

I was feeling low motivation for long-distance running this weekend, so I took a different approach to keep my feet moving. I split my run in two parts: 1 part muddy trail adventure, and 1 part (slightly) shorter-than-planned road run. The end result: higher total mileage and much more fun!

Speaking of mixing things up... Again, I have left the new-to-you cross training challenge to the very last day. (But I haven't missed a month yet!)

Don't let my procrastination fool you, I love this challenge because it encourages me to vary my workouts, which keeps things interesting after so many years of running. Variety is the spice of life, no?

April's adventure: "100 Ups."
The exercise is deceptively simple. It looks like (and is) slow-motion running in place.
Should be cake, right?

In the true spirit of the exercise, I did the 100 Ups barefoot. By 50, my heart rate had risen. By 90, I could feel tension in my calves and quads. I won't say it burned, but I definitely felt those muscles working.

The verdict: 100 Ups are definitely going in my strength training rotation.

My other new-to-you cross training conquests to date:

• January = burpees
• February = cardio kickboxing (with reviews of free, online workout videos)
• March = stability ball strength training

Also in the new-to-me files: Twitter!

Follow me @RunTraveler

What would you recommend for May cross training?
What do you do to keep training/work/life interesting?

Book review on the run: Born to Run

Born to Run made me want to be a better runner.

Seriously.

And clearly I am not the only person bedazzled by the book. Amazon reviewers give it 4.5 (out of 5) stars, the Seattle PI reviewer writes:

Part adventure story, part runner's diary, and part popular science, McDougall's book ties together unforgettable real-life characters, the close calls of off-the-beaten path investigative journalism, and ongoing research in evolutionary anthropology to produce something epic... You might not think long-distance running sounds as edge-of-your-seat as mountain climbing, but you'd be wrong. Whether you've run a mile recently or not, this is a fascinating and thought-provoking book.

and the Washington Post called it "a thrilling read, even for someone who couldn't care less about proper stride and split times and energy gels."

So when I say that the book made me want to be a better runner, I do not exaggerate.

I read quite a lot (to the point where I really should consider a second job just to keep up with my Kindle habit.)

Despite all that reading, rarely does a book make me want to get up and do something. I wanted to drop everything, tear off my shoes, and cruise barefoot around my neighborhood for a few dozen miles.

But clearly that's not practical without risking injury. So to be both inspired and practical, I've reworked my summer training plan to gradually increase my mileage, and I added some drills to shorten my stride and improve my midfoot (rather than heel) landing when I'm running.

While I'm not out running 50 miles at a time (not yet, anyway) I am taking a page from McDougall's book and running even when it's hot and miserable outside. Being new to the Gulf Coast, prior to reading Born to Run I had resigned myself to mostly indoor running and stationary bike work for the long, hot summer.

But if the Tarahumara (aka Raramuri) people can run in the heat of the Mexican canyons, surely I can put in my regular weekly mileage outdoors.

Running porn

My friend R recently posted a series of links on Facebook under the title "running porn."

After watching, I have to agree.

The most breathtaking is a slow-motion video of the male elite runners at this year's Boston Marathon. The video was shot at 300 frames per second at (approximately) mile 17, by Runblogger.



Is it weird that I find this video so beautiful?

Their running form is so fluid, graceful, and seemingly effortless (in slow motion). This is the kind of video that kindles the desire... to be a better runner.
(Hence: porn.)

And contrast that with Runblogger's video of mid-pack runners at the 10k mark of the Manchester City Marathon (2009). Ouch - the heel-strike on runner 2 and runner 4 makes me wince (and makes me hope I don't look like that when I run)!



Do you ever wonder what your own stride would look like in slow motion?