Val's Training and Musings

[Valkyrie]

I went back to the beginning of one of my journals to pull up some stuff about me/my training journey. So here goes:

I lift, I love it...been lifting on and off since my teens. I'm 49 and lifting has been my salvation and my restoration quite a bit through the years. I train at at two gyms now. I was almost hit during one of my runs back in August, so I joined another gym closer to home so I can do my cardio in the evenings without risking getting hit.

I practice Tai Chi and Qigong and three years back this month started formal training in Kung Fu. I train a blend of Shaolin, Wu Shu, Choy Li Fut, and Wah Lum. I am one of the few adult female students in the kwoon. And I am the oldest student in the kwoon. I've also started my weapons training. Bo staff, broad sword and the fan as well as some knife work. But...I've been out of training a lot this year due to a family member fighting cancer. I should be returning to my training soon.

I'm lactose and gluten intolerant and a diagnosis of Hashimoto's really tossed a wrench into things. I have other health-issues, Fibromyalgia and some nerve damage from a severe run-in with Lyme disease a couple years back, and also trouble with Leptin resistance, but I cope and work around them to pursue the things I love.

I am an avid backpacker/outdoors woman. All my lifting training has been geared for functional strength and stability on the trails for the past couple of years. I am brutal in my self-assessments and work hard to correct my 'weakness' to improve my performance on the trails...and now in the kwoon as my martial training has become my 'other' love.

Was out of training more or less for nearly 6 months due to what was probably a hair-line hip fracture last summer so I lost a lot of trail time. Did a 6 day, 5 night backpacking trip with my hiking partner a short while back and was happy to discover that my recovery left me with only a little bit of soreness in that hip and only when I had to walk on pavement while carrying my 40 pound pack.

My training journals are never 'just training info' ... I don't mind a bit of chatter and I don't mind visitors stopping by to say hello and ask questions.

Welcome to my world.

[Valkyrie]

Saturday's Training:
Cardio: Elliptical - 60 minutes - mostly steady state - 20 pound vest.

[MaNiCC]

Subscribed

[Valkyrie]

Cool!

BTW...this 'rest' thing is driving me nuts today. I want to hit the trails for a run...but my lower body is still feeling it from my work the other day...I'm trying to be good here!

[Veritas_Aequitas]

can't wait to read more!

[Valkyrie]

Originally Posted by Veritas_Aequitas

can't wait to read more!

LOL! I'm a 'chatter' in my journals. There will be lot's more!

Monday's Training - Leg - auxiliary day

Zerchers - bottom-up (Off low set pins)
3s x 8rr x 95/115/135#
Zerchers - top positon (Off the hooks)
3s x 8r/8r/5r x 95/115/135#
*Did not rest long enough for that last set. :-/

Pull-throughs
Deep Squat position
3s x 8r x 50/60/70#
*Start from 60 next time - hips are stable enough for more weight.
Stiff-legged w/Hip thrust at 'top' position *Basically as if you were finishing a deadlift pull.
3s x 8r x 50/60/70#
*Same as above - start @ 60 next time.

Sled (lying) Leg Press
3s x 8r (narrow/medium/wide foot position) x pin@ 80/90/100#
*My other gym doesn't have this type of sled. Chose this instead of the Hack sled. Didn't kill the pressure points on my shoulders like the Hack sled does. I like it. I was able to go deeper without pain. Always a plus!

45* Leg/Calf Press
3s x 15r (legs)/15r (calves) x 180#
Light weight/high reps...basically 'burn out' sets. It worked. I was soaked and felt like I needed a bucket. ;-)

I'm happy with things today.
Mission accomplished on the auxiliary work. I was a little worried about the hip I fractured last year since I torqued it a bit during that backpacking trip the beginning of the month. Held up well so it's all good.

Finished everything and remembered: I might be out on the bike trail with my daughter-of-my-heart tomorrow! We did a little over 25 miles last week! We want to do more this week. Duoh!

Today's Cardio:
3.60 miles @3.5 mph with/20 pound vest - varied incline throughout

*May not do cardio tonight if we decide to head out on the mountain bikes tomorrow.

[Valkyrie]

This is some of what I do:

Pics of my hike with Gypsy the beginning of the month...and my bike ride with my daughter-of-my-heart last week:

Val's North-South Trail Facebook Album

Val's Southwick, MA and Farmington Greenway Bike Trail Facebook Album

My bike is a 'hybrid'. I do road, rail-trails, and trails with it.
I power-walk, hike, trail run, backpack, and snowshoe. I've taken to the gym and gotten off the road for a bit. I was nearly hit early one morning in August doing road work. I was not a happy camper and have had so many near misses right here close to home that I've decided road-work may not be such a hot idea when I run. Trails and the gym are much safer.

[Valkyrie]

Okay...so telling my daughter-of-my-heart that I pretty much have to double my cardio due to my thyroid and saying last week: "Let's leave earlier next week so we can get a few more miles in..." are a 'deadly' combination. We ran the route through MapMyRide.com and we put in 39.66 miles!!!

And she was ahead of me the whole way home! Man o' man that girl is a speed-demon! LOL! We took a different route back to her place...and forgot about the hill! And then don't we both forget to shift lower down ...we lost our momentum and our balance and laughed ourselves silly.

She gets off her bike when we get back and said: "My legs are finally wobbly." I gimp off my bike and tell her, "My quads are furious! And my butt is sore from the saddle!" I get home (an hour drive) and she calls to tell me her legs feel fine now. Oh to be 27 again! LOL!

We had a blast. So...today's cardio:
39.66 miles
Rail-trail, reservoir trail (we took a short side trip), and road on my mountain bike most of which were on the:
Farmington Canal Trail
*Which is part of the:
Farmington Valley Greenway.

[Valkyrie]

Wednesday's Training

Chest - Bi's - Tri's
DB incline press
3s x 8r/10r/12r x 30/25/20#
*30's went up too easy...but the right elbow tweaked and complained. So I figure I had better not go beyond the 30's just yet.
Pec-Dec
2s x 9r/8r x 60/70#
Cable cross-overs
1s x 20r x 20#

Alt. DB curls
3x 10r/12r/15r x 20/15/12#
*Sigh* Should have started with the 25's - worried the right elbow would complain again...and it didn't.
Over-head cable curls
2s x 12r/15r x 30/20#
EZ bar - cable curls - elbows tight and back
1s x 15r x 30#

Cable straight bar press
3s x 8r/10r/12r x 60/50/40#
Machine press
1s x 12r x 60# - inner setting
1s x 12r x 60# - outer setting
Machine triceps extension
1s x 20r x 20#

Today's cardio:
Treadmill intervals - 6 HIIT - 35 min.

PM Cardio:
Elliptical - steady state/weight vest @ 20# - 45 min

[Valkyrie]

Well now...this morning the muse hit hard and I worked on an article I've been wanting to get at for quite some time. Had all the notes, just needed to sit down and start pulling it all together. With all the cancer battles in my family the past few years and taking my niece in early this year it's been ages since I have been able to concentrate on my writing and I have a ton of stuff in various stages...so I went with it!

Which is cool as I got quite a bit done, but being the insomniac that I am...I was up last night watching Rambo: First Blood and then reading. I quit writing around noon and went off to catch up with Gypsy as we had arranged since I was out on the rail-trail Tuesday instead of my usual visit with Gypsy (we go over our training and diet strategies and plan hikes and such), so by the time I got to the gym and even though I ate really well...I got through my shoulder work and realized that I was too beat to do back. Which I like to do on a different day anyhow, but tomorrow I have to catch up on the shopping as my freezer is just about empty and my cupboards are going to be bare shortly too. Sooo, back day may get blown off this week since I'm committed to my grandies soccer jamboree on Saturday.

(This could be interesting...I don't know much about soccer, and tend to get really bored at stuff like this. So I'm bringing a book and I may run the track in between the girls games. Or even power walk between the three school campuses.)

So...all that said:
Thursday's Training
Shoulders

Complex: Push Press to Behind-the-Neck Press
*I start the first rep of each set from a hang clean, then alternate between the push press to the BTN press.
3s x 8r x Olympic bar
Alternating Arnold Presses
3s x 2r/4r/6r x 25/20/15#
*right elbow went after two clean reps on the first set, wasn't happy with 20's either. *Sigh* Wrong time at the wrong gym to ask for a spot.
Front DB Raises
3s x 8r/10r/12r x 12/10/8#
Lateral Raises
3s x 8r/10r/12r x 15/12/10#
Face-pulls
3s x 12r/10r/8r x 50/60/70#
*For some reason I started off too light, so I just reversed my usual way of doing things - nice change even though it was a bit unplanned.
Smith Up-right Rows
1s x 20r x 20#
*Normally I would work on doing at least a few high pulls, but I didn't trust my elbow today...and I was getting so darned sleepy

Cardio:
Treadmill intervals - 6 HIIT - 35 min

[Valkyrie]

Cardio:
Trail Run - 4 mile (+/-)
Intervals, hill sprints, power-hiking
Elevation:
Min - 669 ft
Max - 889 ft
Ascent: 233 ft
Decent: -282 ft

[Valkyrie]

I meant to add this link to my journal(s) today. It's a very good article (with vid clip) about how to tape your feet to prevent blisters.

How To Tape Your Feet To Prevent Blisters

I had to tape up a couple of my toes during my backpacking trip, and a couple days ago the callus pads that had blisters form beneath had to be cut off. So to run until the pads reform and my toes are not so tender I'm taping them since my toes hate bumping even a minimal toe-box and one foot pad is not healed enough for me to run barefoot.

[Valkyrie]

Monday's Training
Back - Rack Pulls

One-arm DB Rows
3s x 6r/6r/6r x 60/65/70#
*Wrapped right elbow...it bothered me. Didn't quite have the range-of-motion I had in the left. Hmmmm.
T-bar Rows
2s x 8r/8r x 50/60#
Chest-to-Incline BB Rows
1s x 20r x 40#

Seated Rows
3s x 8r (wide/med/narrow - all palms facing) x 70#
Lat Pull-downs
3s x 8r (wide/med/narrow) x 60#
*Ow! For the first time in ages I didn't use a palms facing grip on the wide and medium. I won't do that again. Right elbow was furious.

Rack Pulls
set 1 x 8r x 135#
set 2 x 3r x 155#
set 3 x 3r x 175#
set 4 x 3r x 195#

Monday Cardio:
Treadmill - 35 min - 6 HIIT

[Valkyrie]

The weather has been awesome...so I'm probably going to be on the trails more than in the gym since winter is right around the corner.

Today's Trail Training
Taped my two small toes and my middle toe on each foot today.

4+ miles

Elevation
Minimum: 702 ft
Maximum: 889 ft
Ascent: 302 ft
Descent: -213 ft

Uphill sprints:
I stay on the balls of my feet for these, leaning forward and 'digging in', always have your arms in a 'fluid' ready position similar to a maritial arts ready position. You never know when you will need to grab a root, sappling or exposed ledge/rock to keep from going backwards if you hit unstable footing.

If your arms are swinging down by your sides you're more apt to face plant if your footing slips.

Downhill 'scramble'
Think 'light' here. I do these when I hit a steep downhill grade that is littered with loose gravel. Around here we have a lot of oaks..so add small round(ish) acorns to that mix and you can see why you don't want to put your whole foot down. All you will do is set yourself up for an adrenaline laced single-footed slide downhill on that one foot.

This is a light, quick step. Lift with your knees, do not push off with your toes, pushing off with your toes also sets you up for an adrenaline rushed slide.

You are going to sit back a bit on your haunches, and lean your upper body/torso forward just a bit. If you lean your upper body back too much you set yourself up for a nice landing on your backside if your stride goes out from under you, which it will if you are not 'compact' enough going down.

Keep your core tight! It helps keep you balanced and light.

Uphill side-to-sides - pushing off from the edges
Some of my trails are narrow and steep sided. So I will use a side-to-side 'push off' from the edges of the trail with the balls of my feet. Almost like doing side lunges, but you are running and pushing off from the the edge of the trail.

Downhill side-to-sides - pushing off from the edges
Pretty much the same move but going down hill.

Uphill Crossovers
Turn to the right and crossover going up with your left, step out with your right, crossover again with your left. Each time your right leg crosses over, count a rep. Do 5-10 (depending on the length of the hill) then turn to your left and cross over with your right, step out with your left and crossover again with your right. Count your rep.

Uphill side-shuffle
Speaks for itself - shuffle sideways up a hill.

Downhill side-shuffle
Speaks for itself - shuffle sideways down a hill.

Slow uphill run
Speaks for itself. A slow run up a long hill.

Boulder bouncing
This is great for balance and agility. This is all balance work. Moving from boulder to boulder at a quick clip. Landing lightly and not pausing long enough to slide off in any direction. I've been doing this as long as I can remember. You have to be more cautious with a loaded pack as the pack weight can shift and toss you aside.

Boulder climbing
Speaks for itself

Power hiking
Like power walking, but I'm striding along in the woods with my pack on working to build up speed in my stride for longer hikes.

Water courses
Some I jump over, some I run right through, some I have to carefully navigate.

When I train on the trails my stride is very different from the way I would walk down the street in town. I tend to stay forward a bit, bearing my weight lightly from the middle to the balls of my feet. When I am hiking and my foot comes down I 'land' more toward the ball of my foot. My heel does not strike down first. If you are doing it correctly you feel your toes spread out. When I lift off, I'm lifting more with my knees. Not pushing off from my toes.

If you were to track me through the woods you would notice very light heel contact on the flat, almost none going up or down hill. I have found that it saves my knees and hips if I do not strike down with my heel first. When I run I land on the middle to the front of my foot. Never on my heel. I just cannot stand the concussion of landing on my heel.

I only purposefully push off from my toes/balls of my feet when I do side-to-sides.

The places I tend to choose for training have a great variety of footing. Some old pavement, old gravel roads, hard-packed trails, loose gravel trails, spongy swampy trails, old fields, pine and hemlock groves with dry spongy trails, sandy trails. Steep climbs, long climbs, short descents and long descents.

I have to be ready to jump over downed trees without much notice and often purposefully choose trails where I know I will need to do more jumping and hurdling than running.

A good day of aggressive trail training leaves me with sore calves, quads, hams, glutes and abs. And if I've done a lot of uphill sprinting and climbing...sore upper body as well.

[Valkyrie]

Well...it looks like I'll be running more for a while. My beloved daughter-of-my-heart signed up for a half-marathon in January. To be part of her support team I'll be running more often and lifting lighter for a while. She trains better if she has someone she can 'compete' with and/or check in with. I tend to hit the trails and gym earlier than her since she has to get the kids off to school. But I know if I text her and say, "I'm running right now, where are you running today?" It will be just the motivation she needs to not give up on following her dream of running this marathon with her friend.

[Valkyrie]

Found out today that my oldest niece is signing up for the marathon too. So she'll be running with my daughter-of-my-heart.

I've been training on the trails. Haven't logged my mileage all that often; missed two days due to rain. So let me try to play 'catch up' here.

This weekend I was off backpacking with a 3/4 loaded pack at the Chesterfield Gorge and along the Westfield River above the Knightville Dam. I did get some great pics I'll have to post. Torqued my right knee a bit and took Sunday off to rest it.

Been running at the Conant Brook dam quite a bit. Various loops from 3-6 miles depending on my mood.

Monday I did some indoor interval conditioning 5-10's meaning: 5 minutes of stair work and 10 minutes of elliptical work - repeat - in my weighted vest/20#.

Didn't go far at all yesterday since my niece's dirtbag bf was around and I do not trust him. So it became an unplanned rest day.

Today was a trail training/trail run day. I headed over to the Shenipsit State Forest and managed to get in about 7.9 miles.

Minimum elevation: 574 ft
Maximum elevation: 1,056 ft
Ascent: 781 ft
Descent: -417 ft

[Valkyrie]

Last Wednesday's training (Before I forget again!) I went in not feeling 100% and by the time I got to my deads I knew for sure I was coming down with some sort of bug. I'm just starting to feel better today. (Sunday)

Upper Body

DB front raise to db lateral raise
2s x 12r x 15#
Face pulls
2s x 12r x 50#

DB Incline press*
2s x 12r x25#
Barbell bent-over rows*
2s x 12r x 65#
*Did one set of DB presses - then went right to the rows - back to the presses; then finished with the last set of rows. I love when I can set up like this. It was nice and quiet in the gym.

Hyper extensions
2s x 15r x body weight
Decline crunches
2s x 15r x body weight
Same routine as above - one set of H-extensions - go immediately to the crunches, back to the extensions - finish with the last set of crunches

Dead lift platform (Lever/plate-loaded)
2s x 5r x 100#
*This is where I was positive I was getting sick. I nearly passed out every time I pulled. I didn't dare go beyond 100#...not to mention my lower body freaking pitched a hissy fit after the run the day before.

[Valkyrie]

Alrighty...my training has changed a bit. Two of my close family members are entered in a half marathon in January. So as part of their support I've been doing more running and mountain biking. (Although I just took two weeks off of all training to deal with some family trauma.)

So....I'm back 'tuit' this week as the family has taken up enough of my training time.

Monday Cardio:
Power hike at Quabbin Reservoir
8.1 miles in approximately 2 hours (Yes, I can walk much faster than I run!)
Minimum elevation: 423 ft
Maximum elevation: 840 ft
Ascent: 646 ft
Descent: -659 ft.

Went back on my clean diet this past Friday. Had one last stress related splurge on Thursday after getting through all the court baloney and have decided enough-is-enough when it comes to mistreating myself by not eating correctly.

I've cut my caffeine intake down to 1 or 2 cups of black coffee in the AM (Keeps my asthma in check.), and have decided to add 2-3 cups of decaffeinated green tea. I'm working to increase my water intake. The colder it gets...the less I want to drink. Not a good habit for the amount of time I like to spend out on the trails, especially on the days I run them.

Weather permitting I'm hoping to get one long hike (5+ miles), or trail run in a week; then fit shorter runs or treadmill work in between my lifting days and possibly do three miles after lifting on my non-leg days. My daughter-of-my-heart got a 10 mile run in last week...so I have some catching up to do on my long day!

Lifting is going to be light and varied for a while. Especially when it comes to leg work. I've decided not to worry about any one part/area (in other words stop stressing about my shoulders not being what I want)...but to have fun and probably experiment more with complexes.

[Valkyrie]

Tuesday's Training

Randy Couture style Complex:

Randy Couture Complex Training

Randy Couture Complex Training

Set 1 x 8 reps of each exercise x 45#
Followed immediately with:
Incline/stair push-ups x 8 reps x 45#
Stair bb calf raises x 15 reps x 45#

Set 2 x 5 reps x 45#
Followed immediately with:
Incline/stair push-ups x 5 reps x 45#
Stair bb calf raises x 15 reps x 45#

Set 3 x 3 reps x 45#
Followed immediately with:
Incline/stair push-ups x 3 reps x 45#
Stair bb calf raises x 15 reps x 45#

Finished up with:
Barbell curls x 3s x 8 reps x 45#
Bent over barbell kick-backs x 3s x 15 reps x 45#

That's it. Short, sweet, and a lot of fun.