PT Diaries

With only 32 days before my race I decided to up my training for the next few weeks. On Monday I followed-up my spin class with a five kilometer run on the treadmill. On Tuesday I was pumped and ready to add a five kilometer run after my personal training session with deWolf. I thought this was pretty ambitious. But I was quickly told differently.  Seemingly I should be putting in a ten kilometer run rather than a measly five. I quote, straight from the “Fitness Lord’s” mouth “Lazy! God forbid if you actually put real effort into your training, imagine what you could accomplish.” I laughed because I knew he was somewhat teasing. This is our rapport, this is how we communicate; we banter back and forth, we mock each other and we argue about everything! Amused I said “Oh pleeeze… stop poking the bear already?!” to which he replied “Haha a bear? You’re no bear! You’re as threatening as a kitten!” Alight, I was ready to rumble; in five minutes he’d called me lazy and unintimidating.

As the training session went on he continued the abuse me, poor PT Girl, calling me untrustworthy with no substantial reasoning. Is the “Personal Training Domain” not a place where the client can share stories, concerns and woes?  This is definitely the case on the Biggest Loser. Where is my compassionate Bob? I know Personal Trainers don’t actual take a PT-Client oath but I assumed it went without saying.  What am I supposed to talk about? The character development of the TV series Lost? Movies reviews? Or the weather perhaps? BORING!!

The session wrapped up and during a stretch deWolf started to snicker. “What?” I asked. “Nothing.” he said. I looked up at him unconvinced and he followed with “PT Girl, it’s not all about you, you know!”Absolutely perplexed I said “WHAT?? …It’s not?” Can someone please tell me what this man is talking about?

I changed into my outdoor running shoes and got ready for my run. Listening to Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance my mind drifted and I started replaying the events of today’s session in my head “lazy…kitten… can’t keep a secret… lazy, kitten …it’s not all about you…” As the words ran through my mind I started to laugh and my legs went faster and faster. “Ahhaha, another great workout!” I giggled. I’m looking forward to getting ribbed some more at my next session… Meow!

PT Girl xo

After a three day hiatus I was determined to get back at it today. I was itching to get a long run in but the rain just wouldn’t let up. I checked the Steve Nash Sports Facility website to confirm the spinning class schedule. I could make the 4:30 p.m. session but would have to put aside my extreme dislike of the instructor.  His name is Daniel and although I have to admit he works our butts off during the short 45 minute class, he’s also extremely arrogant and condescending. Twenty minutes into class Daniel walks over to me “Engage your core” he yelled pointing at me. “Are you freaking kidding me?? Calling me out?! ARGH!!” I thought, infuriated.  The class went on and I climbed every mountain he told us to climb and sprinted every time he shouted, getting more and more drenched as the minutes went by. Then out of nowhere “Come on people!! STOP slacking! There’s no point of being here if you don’t do this right! You’re wasting my time and your energy by not efficiently pushing & pulling on the pedals. Besides, you burn more calories by doing it right! I don’t need to burn more calories but I’m guessing some of you here want to…right?” I couldn’t believe my ears!

As soon as the classes ended I grabbed a disinfected towel, wiped down my bike and bolted.  I jumped on the nearest treadmill and started running. I’m told if I’m ever going to attempt a half iron man the most challenging transition is going from riding the bike then switching to running. The first few minutes my legs were a little wobbly but there were no aches or pains.  I felt strong and ran the last ten minutes quicker then usually; pushing until I had nothing left in me. Feeling fantastic I jumped off the treadmill.  “I’m back baby!”

PT Girl xo

Last year I ran my first half marathon falling short of my goal finish time by less than 90 seconds. Determined to run  the BMO Half Marathon under two hours I started a new training program in January with a positive attitude and lots of determination.  I knew I was physically stronger because of all the work I’d been doing with my trainer but my running pace remained unchanged the first few weeks back in training. (I’ve always ran an average pace at 6:19 per km)  Rather than get discouraged I laced up again and thought of my friend Mike (3time Penticton Iron Man Finisher) who always said “The way to become a faster runner is by running!!” Then mid February something changed; one day after work I set out on a short run… and with complete ease I ran 9.1 km in 51 minutes (5:35 per km). I was in shock and honestly thought there was something wrong with my Garmin.  “Where the heck did that come from?” I decided to test myself and my Garmin that weekend and even though I was hung over I managed to run 13 km in 1:14 (5:46 per km). The following week I ran a flat 17 km in 1:38 (5:45 per km) and this past weekend I ran the hilliest 18 km route I could map out and sustained my pace finishing in 1:43 (5:43 per km).  Ok, I know these times aren’t world class by any means but 5:44 per km was my race pace at the half marathon last year and I nearly lost a lung; now I am running this pace without difficulty. So what has changed? How am I gaining momentum? In no particular order here are my theories:

HILL THEORY:

Without fail I’ve been running  my hill intervals once a week mixing it up between doing ten 200 meters up hill & down hill runs in 30 minutes, incorporating five fast 50 meters sprint up a very steep hill at the end of my short runs, as well as mapping out more challenging “hilly” routes on my longer runs.

Compared to running on flat surfaces, hills force the muscles to contract quicker as a result making them more powerful.  While hill training the muscles can develop two to three times as many muscle fibers as running on flat surfaces.

The benefits of hill training:

• Helps stride frequency & length
• Aids develop power & muscle elasticity
• Encourages the proper use of arm action during the driving phase
• Improves strength endurance
• Short hills – develops maximum speed & strength
• Mixed hills – improves lactate tolerance
• Downhill – develops control & stabilization as well as improved speed

PERSONAL TRAINER THEORY:

I’ve been seeing my current personal trainer twice a week for about six months now. We spend a lot of time focusing on strengthening my core. A strong core will improve your posture, making it easier to stay upright and thus run more efficiently. Implementing a weekly core workout to your training is certain to improve your running performance.  Try using the Medicine Balls, Kettlebells, Stability Ball, Bosu Ball or a stability board to keep the workouts interesting and varied.

Strong leg muscles are another key component to running efficiently. One method of achieving stronger legs is by incorporating Plyometric Exercises: a form of exercise that requires your muscles to reach peak force in a very short amount of time.  My training session always involve exercise such as squat jumps,  jump to box, split squat jumps and lateral hurdle jumps to name a few. I’ve been told these kinds of exercises will improve my speed and power. The third component of my training sessions is intervals: sprint intervals on the treadmill (flat and hills) and sprint drills with Resistance Bands (flat and hills).

ACID ZAPPER THEORY:

This natural supplement was introduced to me last year by an associate. I started taking it religiously in January when I started my training.  “Acid Zapper® is a mineral based composition that boosts body alkalinity to systemically neutralize metabolic acids created during exercise, helping athletes train harder and achieve peak performance.” * This product is 100% natural certified drug free. It is said to reduce recovery times, increase endurance and help with minimizing muscle cramping.  I can tell you first hand that Acid Zapper has definitely reduced my recovery time and has completely eliminated the muscle cramps I used to get in my legs.  Although difficult to prove, I believe Acid Zapper has had a huge impact on my over all endurance and performance.

PT Girl xo

* http://www.acidzapper.com/

Two sleepless nights and too many GG martinis made it difficult to wake up this morning. I pried myself out of bed and shoehorned a cup of Cheerios and skim milk down my throat. It was another gorgeous West Coast morning, the sun was shining but the city was still sound a sleeping. I ignored my dehydration and set out slowly trying to stay focused on my breathing.  As I neared the second kilometer my mind drifted and for some reason I started to think about the Personal Trainers in my life…

I signed up with my first Personal Trainer in search of a quick fix to shed few pounds. I didn’t enjoy working out, I was closed minded, stubborn and above I refused to set foot in a gym.  My first trainer Steve had the biggest challenge; not only did he have to train me in the rain; he would have to change my mind set on fitness.  In the end, he definitely played a role in my new found love of exercise. I gained confidence during our time together by running my first 10 km race and overcoming my fear of gyms. (For more on Steve refer to blog entries February 1 & 3)

I meet my second Personal Trainer Greg at the Steve Nash Sports Facility where he taught a spin class. Fourty-five minutes of nonstop spinning combined with cranked tunes and his vibrant energy made for an awesome workout.  By the end I was soaked and instantly infected by his positivity. I was determined to hire him as my personal trainer.

Yup! It was that easy; I cheated on Steve and coming clean was the only thing that would ease my guilty conscious. I dreaded having to call Steve and tell him I wouldn’t be seeing him anymore. I remember a moment of sadness while saying goodbye and said “This isn’t personal.  I’ve had great time training with you. Keep in touch.”

Since my cardio was decent now Greg thought it was time to focus on developing my overall strength. Weights and fitness equipment were foreign to me which made the training sessions with him challenging.  Lunges and burpees were his favorite torture devices. I wanted to curse him so many times… but he was so nice, I just couldn’t. This past summer, trying to schedule my sessions with him proved difficult due to an increase in my workload, so I decided to take a few months off from Personal Training. The weather was fantastic and I took advantage of it as much as possible, clocking 30-40 kilometers of running a week.

Now they say “the third ones a charm”…

My current and third Personal Trainer is deWolf.  We meet a few years ago when Steve sent him as a substitute to one of my sessions.  Back then any kind of stand-in or unfamiliar person training me would have normally sent me into a tizzy but deWolf had a calming aura and his “leave your drama for your momma” * straight forward attitude was refreshing; we quickly develop an amusing banter. I wanted him as my trainer from that day on but we don’t always get what we want…not even me!

Circumstances changed and we’ve been training together for the last six months. I’ve never felt stronger and I’ve never been faster.  deWolf knows how to push my buttons and get’s me to work hard. “My pain is his happiness!” I smirked.

“HONK!! HONK!!” the sound jolted me back to reality. Startled, I looked up and quickly dodged a three thousand pound metal weapon “Sweet Jesus! My bad, my bad” I sighed, waving apologetically at the annoyed driver. My heart was pounding so hard I could see it rise through my lululemon shirt. Once I crossed the street I stopped and took a couple deep breaths to try and calm my palpitations. I realized I couldn’t hear anything around me and turned down volume on my iPod then checked my Garmin watch. I couldn’t believe it; slightly hung-over and totally sleep deprived I had just ran thirteen kilometers in one hour and fourteen minutes. (My race pace last year) Ecstatic with my progress, I dashed for home quickly forgetting my about near death experience.

PT Girl xo

*deWolf

I’m a stiletto girl at heart and until I started running a few years ago, I didn’t own a pair of sneakers or what I called flat shoes.

Did you know that the stiletto shoe was named after a dagger in the 1930’s? I think that sublimely the name is partially what makes women feel so powerful.  How can you not feel sexy in a pair of five inch black patent Gucci stilettos?  This style of shoe elongate our legs, making us look taller and thinner. We stand prouder and something about them makes us exude confidence.  This type of shoe is clearly not designed for comfort;  so I was very familiar to foot pain and I often doubled my agony by purchasing my heels too small, cramming my big eight and half size feet into a seven and half.

But I didn’t know true foot soreness until I experienced running blisters!  I ran in a size eight pair of stylish looking NIKE‘s for almost 2 years. My feet were always covered in blisters, even drawing blood on my longer runs. I was constantly soaking my throbbing feet and spent a small fortune on Band-Aids. One day I noticed that my middle toe was black and over time the nail fell off. It was then I told myself “If I’m serious about running I need to accept my real foot size.” I decided to go to a pro running shop and get advice on purchasing  the proper type of running shoe for my feet. I was advised to buy a more practical sneaker (such as New Balance or Mizuno) in a half a size bigger than my true size. The thought of buying a size nine shoe was mortifying to me, but my feet have never been happier.

I will always be a lover of  the stiletto shoe, but now I wear the right size and even though I look like big foot I run in comfort.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

PT Girl xo

My fitness journey started about three and half years ago… let me rewind.
I wouldn’t say I was fat  but soft and definitely out of shape. At 27, standing 5’6” I weighed in at 140 lbs. Ok…ok… I lie… 145 lbs. I loved smoking, especially when I consumed excessive amounts of alcohol. (I’ve managed to give up the smoking a few years ago.)

On the weekend I’d eat out with friends, consume thousands of calories in wine, GG martinis and shooters. When the dj went home and the lights were turned on I would head to the nearest drive-thru for my night cap.

My exercise routine involved online shopping for Billy Blank Tae Bo tapes. I attempted the workouts a few times telling myself that Billy’s 30 minute routine would melt away the cheese curds and gravy from the last poutine I ingested.

So how did I end up in a park discussing my fictional fitness goals with Steve the Personal Trainer of Pulse Personal Training I asked myself as I sat in the spring grass trying my damnedest to look interested in his pitch. I was completely out of my element; I hated everything about gyms (hence the outdoor meeting), my cardio was horrible. I wasn’t able to jog for more than 5 minutes and my attempt at doing a push up was comical.

Over priced Lululemon wear, skinny bitches & meatheads made me nauseous… and yet there I was nodding my head in agreement to Steve’s every word as he kept nattering seemingly unaware of my discomfort. As my uneasiness transformed to irritation I couldn’t help but to think about the two people who were to blame for me handing over my first of many cheques to Steve, not to mention that my ass was now wet!

Who are the culprits responsible for me dishing out tens of thousands of dollars on Personal Training? Mike a coworker and overzealous fitness freak who was training for his second Iron Man and Julie a good friend who always shared in my over indulgence of food & booze. Mike’s daily tales of swimming, running and cycling and Julie’s admission she’d been seeing a personal trainer was just the right formula to summon guilt about my own complacency. I cursed them both as Steve said “12 more squats, come on!”

PT Girl xo