Gym Etiquette

Last night I hit the gym again for my 20-30 minute recovery run on the elliptical and I have never seen the gym so crowded! All the machines were taken except for the upright stationary bike. So I decided that I would bike until one of the ellipticals opened up. I was a little bit wary of the bike though, because those stationary bikes tend to aggravate my knees a little, which would kind of defeat the purpose of me working out in the gym instead of outside.

Well, 10 minutes into my 20 minute workout, I noticed that the elliptical behind me was open. Hurrah! I jumped on and started programming it. I had just started working out, trying to make up for my time on the bike by jumping into a harder pace than normal when a girl showed up next to me. It was the girl who was on the elliptical before and she said "sorry" and I gave her her keys that were left on the machine. And she was like "No, sorry. I put those on there to save that machine." I didn't realize that you could do that. Every gym I've been to, if you hop off the machine it is fair game for everyone else. And it's not like she was gone for 2 seconds to get water or anything. I mean I had time to look behind me, see it was empty, program it and start my workout. I was ticked off, which I guess she could see, because as I got off the machine she said, "I'll only BE a few MINUTES." in an annoyed sort of way. I thought about saying something to her, but then I realized that I was in the gym with a bunch of other residents that I was sure to run into some other time in the gym and I didn't want to be 'that crazy girl who went bullistic on that other girl'.

So I hopped back on the bike for another 10 and irritated my knee, which I didn't realize until I was finished. Back to icing and anti-inflammatories. Tonight is a rest night and I am going to take full advantage of it.

Elliptical

So, yesterday when I started my run, I noticed a sharp pain in my right knee. I turned around and ran back down the hill to see if it was still there, and it wasn't. But when I ran up the hill on the other side, it came back. I've never actually felt pain like that. It was on the inside of my knee and my knee pain usually comes right above my knee. I also didn't think it was a good sign that it was only in one knee.

So yesterday I took it easy. I iced it a couple of times and took some Aleve.

I decided to try the elliptical tonight (since my knee injuries are usually impact injuries).

The elliptical EXHAUSTS me. And it always looks like you aren't even moving on the elliptical, no matter how hard you are working. I set it to the crazy hill workout and threw in an 8 for resistance. 40 minutes and I was so tired!

Cheater

Last night I was a cheater and went to the gym instead of running outside. It's not even like it was that much colder than usual or even that the grounds were wet or anything. When I was walking to the subway I was just thinking "I REALLY don't want to run in this." In fact, I really didn't want to run at all, but I knew that I owed myself 40 minutes according to the marathon training schedule.

The last time I went to the gym was about a month ago. I wanted to try out the weight machines. I haven't been back because it wasn't a great experience. It wasn't really a BAD experience, it just wasn't great. I THINK its because some of the lights were out or dying, and I'm one of those people who thinks that bad lighting can actually make you feel bad (one of the reasons I can't shop at Walmart...they actually make the light bad so that you keep moving and get out of there faster).

Anyway, last night was actually quite pleasant. They fixed the lights which made all the difference. PLUS, since it is just a gym for the residents of the building they don't make you wear headphones to listen to the TV (which always annoyed me at the Y because they were always catching on things and making my ipod fall to the ground). In fact, Bill and I were the only ones in there most of the time that we were there.So we, of course, watched the Simpsons while working out.

Since I felt like I was cheating by not actually running outside, I set the elliptical program to the hill interval, which I think is the most difficult. I also set the resistance to 6 (I am usually a wimp and do about 2). It was also nice to wear my running skirt again instead of layers and layers of clothes.

At any rate, it's nice to know that I have a gym in my building. Because when I really really don't feel like working out, it's been all too easy to just skip. But having a nice, free gym just an elevator ride away would make me feel waaaaaay too guilty about doing that.

14 miles this weekend! If the snow keeps up I'll have a beautiful run in Central Park!

Back in the Groove

Elliptical running is not the same, but hey, at least I am doing something right?

After Bill left last night I jumped on the elliptical for 4 miles. I don't know WHY it seems to take twice as long to do elliptical work than actual running. It is pretty annoying. But there is no way I could have run outside last night. Dodging traffic is one thing, dealing with the crazy wind is another. Apparantly winds are like at 50 mph or something crazy like that. All I brought are a pair of running tights and some long sleeved tech shirts. Brrr.

I do find it a lot easier to work out since I have a gym right in my building. It is so funny how just a 15 minute drive is such a barrier when it comes to going to the gym.

I am trying to think of practical running things to put on my Christmas list this year. I already asked for a big heavy jacket so I can brave the sub-zero temperatures (if they come). I also signed up for Runner's World (but STILL haven't gotten my first issue :( I know there was a cool website that had all kinds of running gear that I loved, but I guess I have to wait until I get home to remember it. I found them at the Chicago Expo and bought a shirt that said "Marathon Ho", which I find myself wearing all the time. :)

Tonight is weights and maybe biking. Tomorrow I am up at 5am for a long drive to Connecticut. Bleh.

Cancelling my Gym Membership

OK, so even though last night was a perfect night to run, Bill and I went to the gym to cancel our membership. Seriously, we haven't been in like 3 months, so we are just throwing that money down the drain.

So we planned on doing our final workout and then cancelling.

I got on the elliptical for an intense workout. My endorphins were pumping. I felt great. (OK, I also felt really gross. Because I was really sweaty. It was so bad that this woman got on the elliptical next to me, gave the guy next to her a dirty look, and moved to the other side of me. I wanted to be like "Nope! It's not him! It's me!...I know it smells like a gross old man, but it's me." I felt sorry for her.) ANYWAY I felt GREAT. I was like "Wow! This is really getting me out of my running funk!"

Then I started to feel sad. I didn't want to quit the gym.

The gym gives me cross-training. It has the weight machines I need to make sure I don't have knee problems. And it has treadmills for when it's too dark out to run.

Bill finished his workout first and came over to me on my elliptical. I was racing! (2.6 miles in 30 minutes...not a lot for running, but those stupid ellipticals never get you ANY mileage...so that was a good number). I grabbed the handles and pulled closer to him so I could talk to him. "I have a proposition...how about we don't quit the gym?" I listed all of my reasons.

I know. It was probably a stupid mistake. But we are really going to try and go every other day. I think that is reasonable.

So Thursday is the next gym day.

If I'm not blogging about it on Friday I will quit for real. :)

Rained Out!

Well, more like lightning out. Yesterday was super warm, 74 degrees as I was getting out of my car to head into Game Day Sports Cafe for our group run. As soon as I got in it started POURING down rain and the temperature felt like it dropped 10-20 degrees immediately. People were looking outside skeptically. There was also that crazy lightning that you can see fork down to touch the ground. We were all just anxious to get out and get it over with. We waited for like 10 minutes and then Coach Joe announced that we weren't going. He said it was one thing to be out running and then lightning happens, but quite another to send us out in a lightning storm. That's great! Because I remember when I was on the rowing team at UC we would practice in the middle of lightning storms IN THE RIVER. I was completely nervous the whole time. And it seems like it would take a massive lightning storm for them to call off any swim meet I ever participated in. And no, I'm not getting old and scared and over-cautious, I was always nervous about that kind of stuff.

Anyway, I got into the car, called Bill, and told him we could hit the gym together. Back to the elliptical (which is sooooooooo boring). My knee still hurts, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise that I couldn't hit the road, even if it was only 4 miles. (I was going to run with the walking [well, running] wounded.

Running group meets again tonight as a make-up, but I have to take my dog to her first dog training class. She is very much the pack-leader of our family, so controlling her will probably be enough of a work-out for me!