Monday-Thursday, 7/11-14/2021

Monday-Thursday

• 55 minutes of deep water running every morning
• Daily short hike
• 2X physical therapy
• 2X strength work at the gym 

Saturday-Sunday 7/9-10/2022

My knees have been bothering me. The right one has been swelling.  I decided to take a day off from water running on Saturday, and the Y is closed on Sunday. I hiked about 3.5 miles on Saturday. On Sunday, I hiked about a mile with the dog.

I spent a lot of the weekend reading Where the Crawdads Sing. I wrote a review, as usual. You can find it here. I also saw Lost City at the movies. You can find a review of that one here.

Thursday & Friday, 7/7-8/2022

Thursday, 7/7/2022

I was at the pool at 7AM for a Fluid Running class. I felt to much better than the last couple of days.

It is Thursday, so that means back to the gym for 5 X 5s. This workout was much more pleasant than the last, as well.

Friday 7/8/2022

7AM Fluid running, as usual. I did Running Like a Pro to my own music. It was quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, I noticed that my knee was swelling yesterday. It hurt a little today.

I had a physical therapy appointment. I iced at the end of it, because my knee did not feel great.

We did a short hike with the dog (1.5 miles) in the afternoon.

We got Regal Unlimited and went and saw our first movie. We saw Jurassic World: Dominion. This was not my first choice, but my husband got to choose the movie. I did not think that the movie was great, but I did think it was fine. It was exactly what you would expect from a Jurassic Word Movie. There was nothing done especially well. There were holes in the plot, but it was an enjoyable ride.

Click here for movie review.

Wednesday, 7/6/2022

Wednesday, 7/6/2022

I did the Good Times Roll class in the pool. It is a really nice class, but I was on the struggle bus. I still haven't recovered from the 4th. I don't think I drank enough water, yesterday.

I posted on IG today about how I deal with the effects chlorine. You can find the post here. 

    

I had physical therapy at noon. It was uneventful. I'm supposed to be loosening my quads and calves, but I managed to get them even tighter by hiking and weightlifting...sigh

A nice hike with the pooch was had in the afternoon.

Tuesday, 7/5/2022

Tuesday, 7/5/2022

I took it pretty easy in the pool, to tell you the truth. I did a my own workout with music. I was pretty tired form the 4th.

In the afternoon, I went to the gym for 5 X 5s. Again, it wasn't really fun, but I got it done.

4th of July 2022

 This is basically a rest day, but I did do some stretching and took a short (1) mile hike with the dog.

Sunday, 7/3/2022

 We hike Gaviota Peak. See IG post for details.

Saturday, 7/2/2022

I did a 7AM Fluid running class called Fundamentals + 5K. This is probably my least favorite class. I did not like the cuing in the first half. It was a level 1 class, so I expected it to be easy, but the cuing was not consistent with all the other classes I've done. In the other classes, "jog it out," is only said between sets, but in this class, "jog it out" was cued during the working set. It made it confusing. I thought the set was over, but we were in the middle of the set. The second half of the class was a 5k, that is 28 minutes of non-stop running. The 5k was excruciating. The music was crap, as in almost non-existent. If we can't have good music, I wish it at least had a beat that you could follow. My only problem with Fluid running is that there is absolutely no thought as to how even a beat could enhance the workout. The visualization cuing was fine, but with no change of pace I was struggling. My husband said that I had a miserable look on my face. I won't do this class again. I'd rather do a thirty minute interval class, and then put on my own music for a 5K.

When we got home I did an endless amount of PT exercises. I was dragging. then, back to the gym for 5X5s.

In the evening, we went on a 4 mile hike with the pooch.

Friday, 7/1/2022

I went to physical therapy and got some new exercises, today. I can't say that they were fun, but if they were easy, I wouldn't need to do them.

I was supposed to do a class called HIIT a 5K (Combo, Sprints, Run), but to my surprise I had loaded a track workout. I wasn't mentally prepared for it, so I think it was harder than it needed to be.

The physical therapist said that my quads and calves are too tight, so I can't skimp on stretching them.

Thursday, 6/30/2022

I was supposed to do sprint in the pool today, but the dentist told me to take it easy, so I made up my own workout. I set my watch for a 3 minute warmup & cool down and (14) 3 minutes runs, followed by 25 second recoveries. I didn't really recover, I just did another stroke, but the lady on my watch has a limited vocabulary. It was fine. It was a little harder than I anticipated.

I have stiches in my mouth, so the reason I was supposed to take it easy was so my blood pressure wouldn't go up. I initially thought I'd skip the 5 X5s today, but at the last minute, I decided to go. To tell the truth, my gums were throbbing, but in the end, I was no worse for wear.

Wednesday, 6/29/2022

I had dental work done this morning, and the dentist says I can't work out today. The gal at the office told me that I couldn't work out for a week, but when I asked the dentist, he said that I could do Fluid Running, tomorrow. I don't feel like working out anyhow. My mouth hurts.

I have no training to update today, but I do have a recipe. Click HERE for a yummy Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Smoothie recipe that I posted on IG.

Monday, 6/25/20022

I did a short morning walk with the pooch where I finished an audiobook book called Pale Blue Dot(s) by Erin Mallon. When someone says "pale blue dot," in science fiction, they are usually referring to an iconic photograph of Earth taken on Feb. 14, 1990, by NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft. The image inspired the title of scientist Carl Sagan's book, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space, in which he wrote: "Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us." The title of the book I read is sorta related to the famous pic. The audible only cost me .99. Unfortunately, it wasn't even worth that much to me. It was only an hour and a half, so I finished it, but I'm clueless as to why the book was even written. What is weird to me is that the book got mostly 4-5 stars. How is that possible? I'll have to read some of the reviews. Here is my Goodreads review.

I had physical therapy at noon. The Physical Therapist was pretty positive and gave me some really concrete things that I could work on. Since he just demonstrated the exercises, when I got home, I did them all.

I should have done a Peloton class, but I didn't make it happen.

I had a 7PM reservation at the pool. I've had never gone so late before. I did the Go Big or Go Home (Endurance, Run, Combo, Sprints) class. I was really tired for this class. the class was fine. It was mostly endurance sets.

Weekend, 6/25-26/2022

Saturday, both my husband and I did a Fluid Running class at 7:00AM. I did the 10 Year Anniversary class. I thought it was going to be an easier class, but it was challenging. It ended with ten 30 second sprint repeats with 30 seconds rests. That was a little bit tough (in a good way).

After breakfast, it was back to the gym for 5X5s. Thankfully, it was bench press day, so no overhead press. You know how I feel about overhead press.

We did a four mile hike with the dog, in the afternoon.

On Sunday, I did a lot of housework & just took the dog on a short walk.

I normally don't plan out my Fluid Running week of classes, but next week, I am going to run according to a schedule. Here is my plan.

Monday: Go Big or Go Home (Endurance, Run, Combo, Sprints)

Tuesday: High Gear (Endurance, Sprints)

Wednesday: One Step Ahead (Level 1, Combo)

Thursday: Max Out (Endurance, Sprints)

Friday: Fundamentals +5K

Saturday: HIIT a 5K (Combo, Sprints, Run)

Sunday: 10K Fluid Running (Endurance)

Friday, 6/25/2022

• I went to the pool at 7:30 and only did 30 minutes of Fluid Running. There was a scheduling issue.
• I went on a nice hike with the dog in the afternoon.
• Honestly, I didn't do a whole lot today. Maybe, I'll call it a rest day.

Thursday, 6/23/2022

• 7AM  of Fluid Running

I did a class called Back on Track. The class consisted of two identical routines. You do the first one at an easier effort, and then you do the same routine at a harder effort. I probably did both routines at nearly the same effort. I didn't really go all out, but I didn't take it too easy in the beginning either. Honestly, I didn't really put in the effort that I could have. The thing about water running is that you get what you put into it more than running. If I were running on land, as long as I was running, no matter how slowly, I would stay in at least an aerobic state. With water running, you have to put in the work to be in an aerobic state. If I'm not putting in the effort, my heartrate could fall to 95. You have to be present and serious about the workout.

• 5X5s at the gym

I want everyone to know that I really hate overhead press. I don't use the word hate a lot, but it might be that serious. I have to take a full three minutes between each set if I am going to have any hope of lifting that retched bar. It takes forever, and it never gets any easier.

My son agreed to go on a short hike with me. It is his last day visiting. He goes back to school tomorrow. 

Wednesday, 6/22/2022

 Training

• 7AM Fluid Running: I did a class that was new to me called Fortitude. It is a Level 2, Combo class. I liked this class. It had a little bit of everything. There were longer sets with some sprints. I think it was truly a level two class, but I gave it a good effort. The pool was crowded, but pleasant. I shared with someone who didn't splash at all.

• The entire family went on a 2.4 mile mid-day hike. It was hot.

• 30 minute Peloton class in the evening

 

Tuesday, 6/21/2022

I had a 7AM pool reservation and did the Fluid Running Trifecta class. This was only a level 2 class, but the classes with all the different moves feel more difficult to me than the purely running classes. I liked this class a lot, but it was a tough one.

When I got home, I did a 30 minute Peloton ride. The music was good. I felt challenged the entire ride.

After lunch, I headed to the gym for 5 X 5s. I felt strong!

Monday, 6/20/2022

Oh what a struggle to get out of bed. I was late for the pool reservation, but they aren't supposed to give away your reservation unless you are ten minutes late. I got there about 6 or 7 minutes late and every lane was full (with two people). I asked the ladies in the one lane that people can reserve for one person if I could share. It already had two people, but they let me squeeze in. Even though it was three people in the lane it wasn't crowded. None of us were swimming and none of us needed the entire lane, so we didn't even come in contact with each other. You can only reserve the single lanes for thirty minutes, but the gal who came next allowed me to share as well. She was swimming, but she didn't seem to mind. It worked out. 

Unfortunately, I was so late that I did not get to finish the workout. I had to leave about 5 minutes early because water aerobics was starting.

The Polar H10 was a complete bust. Again, it told me I was dead in the water. I will have to return it. The wrist monitor on my Garmin works sometimes, so I might get heart rate data something occasionally.

The class I did was Let the Good Times Roll. I really like this class. I like the structure of the class and the variety of movement. It is a level 2 class, but I find it very challenging.

After lunch, I went on a very short hike with my kids. They really did not want to go. It was like pulling teeth. 

Fluid Running Review

Fluid Running

Fluid Running is a system that facilitates deep water running. The program comes with everything you need to get started, including a flotation belt, waterproof headphones, four classes and an instructional video. The only extra thing that I needed to purchase was a $10 pull buoy. Everyone won’t need that, but I needed it. There are also additional classes that you can purchase.

The introductory class is 45 minutes long. It is a real class, but the moves are broken down a little more so you can get the hang of it. My first time out, I liked it, but I was really awkward. I didn’t get the strokes down initially. It was harder than I anticipated to get comfortable with the movements. As I did it more, I got better. I did the intro class a few times, before moving on. Here is the data about the time I spent in each zone some heart rate during one of the intro classes. As miracles would have it, my wrist heart rate monitor actually worked throughout the entire class. Most of the time, my wrist heart rate monitor is trash in the water.

Zone 5 Maximum 2%

Zone 4 Threshold 11%

Zone 3 Aerobic 52%

Zone 2 Easy 25%

Zone 1 Warm-up 7%

The percentages are from raw numbers. You can’t interpret heart rate data from activities done in water the same as heart rate data from activities done on land. Your heart rate will be lower in water and your heart rate goes down very quickly in water.. The bottom line is, even during the introductory class, I got my heart rate going.

I haven’t done any land running at all for a almost a month, and I have been doing Fluid running 5-6 days a week. I feel like I’ve done enough classes to really know what I’m talking about as far as using the system. My overall opinion is extremely favorable. I wish that I had discovered it months, if not years ago and used it my previous training. I would have lost a lot less fitness when I had to stop running on land.

Pros:

🔹It’s fun to spend time in the pool.

🔹 It’s a great, zero impact, cardio workout. I don't have a lot of heartrate data, because, despite trying, I can't find a heart rate monitor that works well underwater, but the limited data that I have supports that this is an aerobic workout.

🔹The instructor is awesome with excellent cuing.

🔹 I have a lot wrong with my knees. You can see specifics about that in a previous post. The workouts are pain free, for me. I mean that I feel zero pain!

🔹 I truly believe that you can replace a land, running workout with a water run. The movements are similar to running and my heart rate is similar to an easy run.

Food for Thought:

1️⃣ I workout at my local YMCA. There is a pool that is perfect for doing this workout, but no-one has seen anything like this before. It took a couple of weeks for people to stop staring at me, asking me questions and making comments. People are nice about it, but you definitely can't fly under the radar doing this at a pool. This isn't really a problem for me. I am used to being the unicorn in the room, but it if no-one is doing this, at your pool, people are going to be curious.

2️⃣ At some point, you may want to upgrade your equipment. Don’t get me wrong. The equipment that came with the program is a bargain and will do the job. The headphones that come with the system work for what you need them to do, but their Bluetooth range is limited. You can't swim across the pool without loosing the Bluetooth connection. I don't need headphones for swimming, so it's not an issue for me, but someone who does swim laps might want to invest in headphones that can do double duty. I did upgrade my belt. A $10 pull buoy in concert with the belt that came with the program worked fine for me, but I really wanted to ditch the buoy so I bought a different belt. It just depends on how floaty your body is whether you’ll need a buoy or not. Everyone does not need a buoy.

Cons: 

🔹The workouts are pricey.

🔹If you workout at the Y, like me, constantly making reservations to use the pool is inconvenient.

🔹The music is forgettable. There will be no songs that you know. Music motivates me. I wish that the music was better. By better, I mean anything that has ever been played on any radio station over the last 50 years. This is really my only gripe with Fluid Running.

Pro Tips:

1️⃣ If you are a gal, I recommend wearing a one piece. Even better yet, I’d say go for a long sleeve once-piece. If you wear a bikini, you might not like the feel of the belt against your skin, and the the tan lines will be plain weird, if you swim outside. I actually bought a swimming unitard which I love.

2️⃣ If you are traveling to a pool, a 5-gallon bucket is the easiest thing to use to carry your equipment.

3️⃣ I drive home wet in a swim parka. It is so much easier than changing. Swim parkas are pricey, but you can get a lightly used one off of Posh for half price.

If you are thinking about adding deep water running to your training, I would highly recommend Fluid running over just doing it on your own with some free you tube videos. You will need some instruction as to actually do the moves correctly, and it is much easier to maintain intensity with the benefit of cuing.

Sunday, 6/19/2022

 Rest day, but I did go hiking in the morning. We went about 4.5 miles.

There was a vulture on the back fence. I think that they are weirdly pretty for some reason.

We ended the day with a Father's Day BBQ. I tried to get my husband to let the kids cookf ro him, but he decided to BBQ for us instead.

Saturday, 6/18/2022

 Training

• I was at the pool at 7AM with another brand new heart rate monitor. I used the Polar H10. It said that I was dead after 15 minutes in the water. I revived at the 45 minute mark for a second, but then went immediately back into cardiac arrest. I'm going to give the monitor one more try and then return it. I guess there is no way for me to accurately check my heart rate. I've tried everything that I can think of. For what its worth, for the first 15 minutes, my heartrate was mostly between 130-138. I did Fluid Running's Running Like a Pro again, to my own music.

• It was back to the gym after breakfast for 5 X 5s.

Friday, 6/17/2022

Today's Training

•  1.37 early morning hike with the dog. It was nice and foggy, so I figured he'd like it.

• I did a Fluid Running class at high noon. I have extremely sensitive skin, so I'm battling a chlorine rash. I just got some powdered vitamin C that I am going to mix with water and spray on after I get out the pool. I ordered a pre-swim cream that has got good reviews on Amazon. Hopefully, I can get through the next few days. I created a run on my Garmin that copied one of the Fluid Running classes that was just running with a pretty easy sequence, so I could listen to the music that I wanted during the class. My Garmin won't tell me anything except run or recover, so I have to memorize the intensity of each step. If I had the Garmin on my wrist, I could look down and get more info, but Bluetooth does not work in water, so I left the watch on the side of the pool. I could not do this for a more complicated class, but this one had a simple repetition, so I was able to easily memorize the routine, and it worked great. The pool was super crowded, but I shared a lane with someone who could actually swim and did not splash crazily in my face, so I was happy.

• I planned to do a Peloton class in the evening, but I'm so sore. I have no idea why. Ok, maybe its (3) workouts a day for the past week, but I've hit the limit, so no Peloton for me today. I'm going to vacuum and mop instead.

Thursday, 6/16/2022

Training:

• 7AM at the pool Fluid Running. I did Running on Empty. It is a track workout. I truly felt like I was doing a track workout it. It was hard, but in a good way. I also think I finally really understand the leg stroke. It was a great workout overall.

 

 

• Rehab-ish Knee Exercises

When I got home, I had a protein shake and settled into knee focused exercises while I watched the hearings.

• After lunch, I headed to the gym for a round of 5 X 5s. I didn't want to be there, but I felt strong nonetheless.

• The dog doesn't care if I'm tired. We took him on a hike in the late afternoon.

• Finally, a short Peloton class with Tunde. I did a 90's hip hop class that I love so I got through OK.
  
  
  

Wednesday, 6/15/2022

Yesterday's calorie goal was 1700 calories with 95 grams protein. I hit both numbers perfectly.

Today's Training:

I wanted to repeat, yesterday's, early morning Peloton class, but when the alarm rang, I didn't get up. I did make it to the pool for 7AM Fluid running. I did the same class as yesterday. I was sure I'd have heartrate data this time but again, it didn't work. I don't think the monitor is compatibles with my watch. Tidal Wave is a nice class. It's mostly intervals, which is what I like but I need some endurance work. Back to Running Like a Pro, tomorrow. I think that one is boring, but I've got some plans to snazz it up a bit.

I did a 30 minute Peloton ride a little later in the day. I tried a new instructor, Sam Yo. the class was the Motown ride. I was feeling really tired, but I gave it as much as I could.

I ended the day with a mile hike with the dog. 

 

Tuesday, 6/14/2022

 Yesterday's calorie goal was 1700 calories with 89 grams protein. I was well within the calorie count but below protein goals by 20 grams

Today's Training:

I got up early to get it done.

• 5:30 AM 30 minute Peloton Casablanca Records cycling class

I was really tired, and Cody was sloppy with his cuing, but the music was fire!

 

• 7:00 AM Fluid Running at the pool

I wore my new heart rate monitor, but the data didn't upload. I did Tidal Wave. It is a level 3, 57 minute class. This is one of my favorite classes. I like the intensity. I like the structure of the class too. It starts with track running. Then it goes to cross country movements and ends with sprints. The sets are repeated.  

• 5 X 5 workout at the gym with some additional exercises. I was truly done after that. I felt good about all I accomplished, but time for lunch and break.

• I ended the day with a short hike (about .9 miles) with the dog. I did not want to do it, but the dog needed to get out.

Monday, 6/12/2022

The calorie counting has begun. I'm going for 1700 calories a day and hoping to burn 700 though exercise 5 days a week. That leaves me really trying to figure out if water running burns as many calories as they say. I don't burn 100 calories a mile running. It is something like 85-90 a mile. If water running and land running burn the same amount of calories, I should be burning about 500 calories during 55 minutes of water running. If I can stick to my calorie count, I guess I'll have some proof one way or another.

Today's Training:

• Some basic rehab-ish exercises (hip, core, etc.)

• Fluid Running: Run with a Pro, Level 3, 55 Minutes

This class did not go as smoothly as I hoped. A guy did not want me in the lane with him.  It was ridiculous. He eventually moved to another lane when one opened up, but not before engaging me in conversation which both annoyed me and interrupted my workout. I could go on and on and tell the story, but I'm trying not to give energy to stupid stuff. This guy was definitely not worth my energy.

Run with a Pro has been my least favorite class, but I'm going to reserve judgement, because, in all fairness, I was discombobulated and in a bad mood after the encounter with the weirdo.

• 30 minute Peloton cycling class: XOXO Cody

This class hit the spot. Even after going to the store and doing errands, I was still irritated from the pool encounter. Cody talked his usual raunchy trash and told me I was great. It was just what I needed.

I'll let you know tomorrow, if I hit the calorie goal. In case you are wondering how I have so much time in the day to work out, it is my first day of summer vacation!

Training Update

My training after my last marathon in December did not go as planned. My left knee has been uncooperative. I am also having a serious issue with my lower leg as well. The pain in my lower leg rarely hurts when I run, but the pain is acute at night. I have not had an MRI of the lower leg. My guess is a stress fracture, but it could be a ligament issue. In any case, in talking with my health care provider, I have decided that the I am going to take 6 weeks off of running without getting an MRI. It will take at least 4 weeks to get an MRI, and I don't feel like dealing with insurance. I have been fighting so hard with my insurance related to my knee that I just need a break. It seems like no matter what the problem is, the recommendation would be the same. That is to take 6-8 weeks off running and go to PT.

My knee is a different issue. I had an x-ray and an MRI. I have a handle on what is wrong with it. I have degeneration and a linear tear of the medial meniscus, grade 2-3 chondromalacia, cartilage loss, arthritis and bone spurs. There are treatment options for me that are not covered by insurance. There are also options that are covered, but the doctors who can help me are out of network. I have opted for sodium hyaluronic acid injections (not covered, of course) and physical therapy. If that does not help as much as I need it to, I'll have to re-engage in the insurance war.

Where does that leave me? I'm going to stop running for 6 weeks concentrating on rehab and retaining as much fitness as possible. Starting today, I'm going to document my workouts here to keep myself accountable.