Tag: ClassPass

January-March Injury Update

Posted in ClassPass, RunningTagged , 2 Comments

I think the title of this post says it all. I started drafting it in January during twice-weekly physical therapy. I tried a 0.75 mile jog in early January and felt fine during (great, even!) but despite stretching after, my hamstring was very aggravated the next couple days. I gave it another 4 weeks and tried a mile on Super Bowl Sunday but was met with the same effects the week after. In the time since, I read something, somewhere, about people performing marathon training on largely on an elliptical just to reduce impact. While I have no plans to take it that far in terms of mileage, I’ve decided to incorporate the elliptical and hopefully a super cushioned treadmill into my game plan, along with the Alter-G at my PT’s office. I’m happy to report that I ran 6.5 miles on the elliptical this week (with 2 runs and around a 6 mph pace). Pain-free.

417

I downgraded my Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (in DC) entry to the 5K and while I may not PR, I’m really excited to be doing a race for the first time since Halloween. After that, I can better assess my ability to run the Broad Street Run (also a 10 miler, in Philadelphia) on May 1.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2016:

  • the possibility of a late spring half (Brooklyn is out but maybe something else in that time period)
  • Run commuting to/from work (new job has showers! Also it’s about time I get a running backpack with a water bladder.)
  • NYCM training? I had to pay for the registration (goodbye $$), but am still a ways out from being able to assess whether it’s going to happen or not
  • Trying more of the workouts and moves from (Dr.) Jordan Metzl’s book Running Strong.

ClassPass updates and reviews to come. The new job has made me switch up my gym and class routine and locations quite a bit and I’ve struggled to get into my preferred spin days and times. On the plus side, I’ve been trying more yoga classes and have improved my planking and push-ups thanks to barre classes.

December Injury Update

Posted in ClassPass, Cycling, RunningTagged , , 1 Comment

 So, the rest of November and all of December has been busy for me, but not with running. I stopped after the 10/31 10K to give my Achilles tendinitis some rest. I’m delighted to report that pain there has eased off, but unfortunately I have been experiencing more pain in my right hamstring and glute (and piriformis). I finally went to a renowned sports doctor (musculoskeletal care and all) and he diagnosed me with ischeogluteal bursitis. So I’m not running for the rest of the year. Come January 1, 2016, I plan to dip my toe back into it (or do a Polar Bear Plunge in Coney Island, effectively dipping my toes into the Atlantic Ocean after a quick sprint on the beach) slowly.

I wisely did not sign up for any winter races or early spring ones. I’m hoping to be well enough to do the Cherry Blossom 10 miler (I won lottery entry) in early April, then squeeze in either a later April half or the Brooklyn Half May 21. My new physical therapist assures me this is all quite possible.

I’ve been filling my running time with other fitness, mainly through ClassPass. I’m at the 3 times a month maximum at RowHouse and approaching it at Flywheel. I’ve also taken a few dance classes with friends. Despite my few years dabbling in ballet, tap, and jazz back in elementary school, picking up hip hop dance choreography is not one of my strong suits. It’s more fun with friends because I can laugh at myself and my inability to shake it during the Hotline Bling Remix.

I also have hopped on a real bicycle (not just stationary ones in spin class). I rode from TriBeCa to 125th St. and back with a friend during the amazing weather this past weekend, where I took the picture above. I’m coming for you, George Washington Bridge and Little Red Kighthouse!  I rode 15.5 miles roundtrip (and usually hit over 20 miles during spin class), so actually going somewhere will feel great in that distance will feel great. I just had to add a cycling tag to this post because this was only my 4th time out on the bike this fall, but I foresee more of it in my future (weather cooperating).

ClassPass Adventures in November

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After my 10K on 10/31, I watched the New York City marathon for hours, cheering on friends and teammates.  Rather than experiencing total runner FOMO, it got me pretty pumped about (hopefully, assuming no injuries or illness) running the race next year. NYC 2016 will be my first marathon. And maybe my only marathon (famous last words for runners). But let’s focus on making it to that starting line first.

After mainly taking spin and yoga my first 2 months with ClassPass, I decided to try to branch out a little with rowing classes at Row House. Most of their classes are a Full Body 50, which incorporates different speed/strength workouts on the Erg, then a bit of HIIT and other bodyweight moves interspersed. I usually warm up with 2000m on the erg at the gym, but I’ve never tried crew or anything and didn’t know how weak my form was. I was focusing more on strokes/minute but not really noticing my split times. The instructors at Row House are very helpful on getting you to slow down and assess your form before speeding up and trying power strokes. I took my first class at the Chelsea location and was sore in my arms and shoulders for 2 days after. I immediately signed up for more classes at the Columbus Circle location with Matt. Both studios are clean and modern (if a bit cramped in the locker room/bathroom areas) and have good playlists pumping along with the ability to dim the lights in crucial push moments. The workout has left me around a 7 on a scale from 1 to dripping with sweat. I’m taking another Row House Full Body 50 on the morning of Black Friday, which I assume will shake me out of my post-Thanksgiving slump.

I finally tried Flywheel at the Chelsea location and was a fan. my instructor Johnny was super high-energy and I ended up in the front row, so I felt like I was giving some energy right back. I came in 3rd in the class, which made me want to work even harder the next time. I’m having the best time reading Flywheel bios. What would mine say? I also love the “Never Coast” shirts and gear, which is amusing since I really enjoy coasting while on a real bike outside. My experience fly-ing so far makes me want to try FlyBarre as well since I’ve only been to PureBarre and have yet to experience much barre variation.

SURFBORT.

My most outside-the-box ClassPass experience so far has been at SurfSet, where you work out on surfboards that sit on top of 3 large balls. You use your core a lot to stabilize while doing the moves (lunges, planks, push ups, etc). I left feeling sore in my core after my first class, then had some thigh DOMS more after my second. The instructors (Diana and Aaron) are super helpful for newbies and will offer modifications for those who want to keep it simple or people who feel comfortable and want to kick it up a notch. And yes, they will totally take your picture on a surfboard for you afterward.

Training Recap 10/5 – 10/11

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After last week’s tumbleweed gif, I’m tempted to post one of EVEN MORE tumbleweeds representing my nonexistent miles, but will refrain because then I’m just pushing this metaphor too far.

Monday: Running club meeting, where we focused on upcoming marathons. I had 2 slices of pizza but made the mistake of watching MNF after and drinking.

Tuesday: 1 mile warmup and cool down for my 3-mile tempo run after work on the West Side Highway, with plenty of foam rolling before and after at the gym. I grabbed a peanut butter protein smoothie from Gregory’s Coffee then headed to a book launch party and reading for Slaughterhouse 90210 at my beloved .Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. There were free drinks but I wisely did not partake.

Wednesday: After a very intense and lengthy dentist appointed, I tried a Boxing Burnout class at Overthrow. Their description on ClassPass: “Overthrow New York is to boxing what soul cycle is to cycling, creating a training experience and filling a need for a functional, efficient, and group oriented boxing workout in the fitness world!” Needless to say, there were no candles or encouragements to ride as a team. I got there early but they were out of wraps, so the front desk guy advised me not to punch too hard. OK, can do. We learned the basic punches and had a cardio warmup in fighting stance, then got to hit the bags (3 to a bag). I’m left-handed but it just made more sense to do everything right-handed with lots of left crosses. We did this in HIIT circuits, which was pretty cool because I knew that by the 5th set, I could really wail on the bag. We then formed two lines facing each other and did a mix of planks, push-ups, mountain climbers, and crunches. It was pretty brutal on the knees and the floor was both wet (from sweat and/or spilled water?) and managed to chip off in small pieces onto my back when laying down. I would definitely try this class again but wear a t-shirt to encounter fewer floor mysteries. I was so glad that I filled my water bottle up in the sink before class because it was pretty warm and musty and everyone without water looked like they were dying. Also, there were about 20 people in the class and 19 were female. I could tell some were regulars, but the instructor was pretty good at helping us newbies acclimate.

I stupidly stopped by Juice Press after and should have gotten a smoothie with more protein, but instead grabbed a $10 bottle of Fountain of Youth. I really need to re-join people for Saturday morning long runs so I can #willrunforjuice.

Thursday: Normal gym time, with a rowing warmup (2000 meters), then lots of back, chest and arms strength. Grabbed Korean fried chicken and beer after at WA Bar & Kitchen with my lifting partner. Their wings are on the saucy side, so I might just stick with BonChon which has more combo options.

Friday: My favorite 6:30am ride with Nikole at BYKlyn. Easy on the knees and Achilles with the added bonus of hills and a great soundtrack. I was exhausted after and might have taken a little nap before work and after my much-needed shower.

Saturday: I walked around Prospect Park and the Greenmarket, which were both overflowing with participants of the Brooklyn Rock and Roll Half Marathon. I met up with some friends who had run it for brunch and felt both inspired and terrified for my upcoming San Francisco Nike Women’s half.

Sunday: Staten Island 5K. I wanted to PR and go for sub:26 (a logical next step, my current PR is 26:16 from NYCRuns Memorial Day 5K), but I went out too fast (like 20 seconds per mile too fast on the first 2 miles) then crashed on the third during a slight incline for a bridge. The finish was spectacular, but I knew I had missed my PR. I ended up getting an extra 4 miles in while waiting for the Staten Island Half finishers to come in, then was rendered pretty much immobile because I had stupidly raced in my Brooks Pure Cadence instead of my Brooks Ravennas. I really feel the difference after more than 4 miles, mainly due to the heel-toe drop difference. Race report to come later this week before I leave for SF.

Training Recap 9/28-10/4

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Mileage? What mileage? I’m not tapering quite yet, so this week was painfully short on runs but high on wedding-related fun. And sleep. I went to bed before 11pm every night (wedding night excluded) but somehow just didn’t wake up early to run. Gif below is of “nth week of training # of runs”. Nothing to see here, folks. It is also the longest tumbleweed .gif I’ve ever found.

I managed 2 miles of speedwork on the treadmill Wednesday, then an Open Align class at Bend and Bloom Yoga after a light dinner. I had tried out Gentle Flow and Restorative the previous week and found it very relaxing and gentle on the Achilles. This one promised to be “a great class for those recovering from injuries”, but more active overall. The instructor was a substitute but I liked her blend of being both soothing and spunky. We finished with working on shoulder stands, which I haven’t tried in months. I had a few awkward collapses, but ended up getting into it and eventually into plow pose. I’m planning on trying their Sweet Relief class next, which has an hour of vinyasa flow, then 30 minutes of yin and stretches. Too bad it’s on Friday nights.

I’m excited to announce that this workweek will include a belated long run, tempo run, strength training, and my first crack at a boxing class. Oh, and the Staten Island 5K on Sunday.

Training Recap 9/21 – 9/27

Posted in ClassPass, Desserts, Running, TrainingTagged , , 1 Comment

This recap is going up a day late and is very short on running. Seriously, stop here if you want to read about all the miles I logged. Read on if you want some ClassPass recommendations or talk about J-shaped ice cream.

Monday: Rest day.

Tuesday: Missed a run in the morning. Showed up to the gym expecting to have time to run, but didn’t. However, I knocked out some serious weight training. My shoulders and chest were sore for days after with DOMS.

Wednesday: 5 mile group run to a beer garden. I did all 5 miles very conversationally. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever talked quite so much during a run. I as worried about getting tired legs after the big hill or around mile 3, so we kept it slow. But it was fun! We ran to a beer garden, Greenwood Park, where I happily wolfed down a (fried) chicken sandwich and fries and slowly sipped on a beer. I jogged half a mile to the subway on the way back and was experiencing some heel pain, so I made sure to foam roll and stretch after I got home.

Thursday: “Ratchet Zooba”, a class put on by Banana Skirt Productions with my friend who is a regular. IT WAS SO FUN. They’re part of ClassPass and I definitely think I’m going to max out the 3x/month allotment with them. It’s really nice to take a class with friends so you can let loose and be silly. Will, the instructor was really helpful for us first-timers. There was lots of jumping around, but it felt pretty easy on the joints overall. There was also twerking. I am sad to say that our photo is not on their Instagram. I tried to really strike a pose (a crucial component of the class is voguing, so I felt briefly like I was on an episode of America’s Next Top Model when Miss J directed them on that. I never know what to do with my arms when posing in general.

I got pretty sweaty, then we met with friends for BonChon. Nothing says post-workout meal like Korean fried chicken and tteukbokki covered with mozzarella. Then I went to a nearby bar to watch football, where I slowly sipped on an Oktoberfest beer while yelling at the projector. Which made my morning pretty rough.

Friday: Another early wake up call for 6:30am spin class at BYKlyn. I might max out on this studio’s 3x/month allotment on ClassPass. Shoes are $3, however. This makes me wonder if I should get my own cycling/spin shoes (I do currently have access to a bike that requires them) or just keep coughing it up (I rarely have cash on me) or only go to spin studios where shoe rental is included. I survived on my <5 hours of sleep, but was going a little easy on the resistance. I finally cranked it way up on the last few songs, then had a fairly springy walk back to my apartment. At work,  I made it through a Board meeting, wolfed down a Chipotle barbacoa burrito, then got to unexpectedly head home early because of Pope Francis’s visit in midtown. Needless to say, there was lots of cold brew and a nap and I STILL went to sleep at 10:30pm. My running pal Carla always says “it’s the night before the night before” so I felt good about how well-rested I was going to be.

Saturday: Rested those legs, aside from some walking around Manhattan. During said stroll. I received 2 boxes of free Pocky from a truck, which I am currently munching on. The promo lady asked which flavor was my favorite (they were just handing out chocolate) and I had to say green tea but also the one with the panda on it, which is cookies & cream. I’d better start drafting my posts on snacks. While shopping with friends in SoHo, I finally got to try Play J ice cream on its final weekend. So nice I had to get it twice (went Sunday as well). I got the combo vanilla/chocolate and it was great. The cone sort of tastes and has a similar texture to Kix cereal. I’m bummed they won’t be parked in SoHo for the fall.

I had a brief evening excursion to Queens but was again in bed at 10:30pm, ready enough for that 5:30am wakeup call.

Sunday: Bronx 10 Mile day of reckoning. Recap to come, but I’m pretty much all smiles despite my slowness.

Holding my J in the wrong direction
Holding my J in the wrong direction

Training Recap 9/13/15 – 9/20/15

Posted in ClassPass, Running, TrainingTagged , , 3 Comments

I’m now in the homestretch for training for the Bronx 10 Mile(r), but it doesn’t feel like it. I’ve been having Achilles pain since late August and it’s vacillated a lot this month, seemingly independent from my attempts at stretching, foam rolling, and cross training. I had hobbled through a slow solo 6-miler on the Saturday of Labor Day before hopping a train to Amagansett and distinctly remember wincing with pain as I climbed or hobbled down the house’s stairs that weekend. Then I was back to normal for a few days.

Monday: Running club meeting, where I gave a recap of the Fifth Avenue Mile, ate some pizza, then got some foam rolling advice from a friend. Another member is also not currently marathon training and is also using ClassPass, so we like to compare our mileage and favorite studios..

Tuesday: I wanted to run a morning loop of Prospect Park, but it didn’t happen despite going to bed at 10:30pm. I managed to run after work (dropping my stuff off at the gym) along the West Side Highway with a .5 mile warmup, 3 miles, and .5 mile cooldown back to the gym. My final mile was the fastest but my 2nd was the slowest. I originally had hoped for a tempo pace (Tempo Tuesdays are definitely a thing). at the gym, I had wanted to hit the weights but was starving and decided foam rolling and stretching was the best use of my time. Then convinced myself that lugging 30 pounds of home supplies and groceries home from Target counted as lifting.

Wednesday: PureBarre in Greenpoint with a friend after work. I took the 7 train from the new Hudson Yards stop then walked across the Pulaski Bridge. It’s kind of exciting to know that in 58 weeks or so, I’ll be running across that bridge as part of the NYC Marathon. This was only my 2nd barre class ever and it felt a lot easier than the first. Maybe that’s because a 6:40pm start time is just naturally my preference compared to a 7:30am start time, but I think that knowing some of the moves (still not sure about the difference between a hold and a freeze between tucking means) helped quite a bit. I got to the point of quivery exhaustion a few times.

Thursday: Another failed morning running day, which means I had to get in a few miles at the gym along with strength work. Managed 2 miles of the hill workout on the treadmill at a pretty fast pace before feeling the time crunch. Foam rolled and stretched along with getting in triceps curls, the assisted dip machine, and lat pull-downs. I’m getting slowly closer to being able to do a pull-up (and a chin-up).

Friday: 6:30am 45-minute spin class at BYKlyn. They don’t have any metrics (as opposed to the spin studios where I’ve been more frequently, Peloton and Swerve) but we did an Empire-themed ride, ensuring that I would have “Drip Drop” stuck in my head the rest of the day. I wasn’t dripping with sweat near the last 15 minutes so I decided to really crank up the resistance all the way and feel those hills. It got me thinking about the hills I’ll face in San Francisco. Brutal, but a great way to start the day.

Saturday: 8am Group run day. I found someone else who wanted in the 6-8 mile range at a 10-minuteish pace. I had run one to the park meeting spot, so hoped to get another 7 in. For whatever reasons, I really struggled through the last 3 miles and the climb up the Brooklyn Bridge both ways. We made some water stops but was still feeling dehydrated on the waterless way back. I’m in the market for a running backpack with bladder capabilities. I brought a Gu gel along to practice fueling but didn’t ingest it, so I think I’ll stick to solids during next week’s race. I tried my new foam rollers out at home after while drinking a smoothie.

Sunday: Afternoon restorative yoga. I think I’m going to make a habit out of this to really stretch out on a weekly basis.

Totals: 14 running miles, ?? miles on a spin bike. 2 gym visits, 3 ClassPass classes, endless foam rolling.