Jill Will Run

Running requires all of the muscles in your legs to be firing properly… a weakness or imbalance in one area can cause injury or pain in another.  The bummer of all this is that just running on its own, is NOT going to be enough to build that strength, you’ve gotta do the work beyond just getting the run in.

Cindy Sites, founder of The Figure Method and owner of Go Figure Fitness Studios has provided this workout to Jill Will Run readers that will work at strengthening and toning your thighs from the front (quadriceps), rear (hamstrings) and outer (gluteus minimus) to make sure you are keeping things balanced, without requiring any equipment!

Forward Leg Lift: This move, a variation on the ballet battement, tones quads and adductors (the inner thigh area–one of the weakest muscles in a woman’s body). It creates muscles that are toned and lengthened, not big and bulky.

Instructions: Stand with your back against the ballet barre (or chair, stairway bannister, kitchen counter…anywhere you can find balance!). Extend one leg out and lift and lower in a challenging range of motion, toes pointed, 20 times. Then, un-point the toes, flex the foot, and do 20 more reps. Switch to the opposite leg and repeat.

Reverse Leg Lift (ballet arabesque): The reverse leg lift uses the same principle as the forward lift, but works the back of the leg rather than the front. You should feel a contraction in the entire back of the leg, from the glute to the ankle.

Instructions: Stand next to your point of balance, holding on with your right hand. Bend your left knee slightly and raise the right leg in a challenging range of motion, toes pointed, 20 times. Then, un-point the toes, flex the foot, and do 20 more reps. Switch positions, putting your left hand on the barre/point of balance, bend your right knee slightly, and repeat the leg lift with the left leg.

Ballet First Position/Plié: The plié is arguably the most famous ballet position for a reason: it’s a fantastic work out for the entire leg, targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glute muscles. Note: Those with knee sensitivity should opt out of first position and proceed to second position.

Instructions: Squat, heels lifted and touching, knees spread to create a diamond shape between your heels and your pelvis. Lift up one inch, down one inch, never moving your seat below your knees. Repeat 20 times. Break for a moment and repeat.

Ballet Second Position/Plié: This variation on the plié is a very effective, total leg workout. Make sure your heels are lifted (ballet term: relevé) the entire time to feel the full effect.

Instructions: Squat, knees facing out, facing your barre or point of balance. Lift your heels and adjust your position until you feel that your leg muscles are fully engaged. Hold the position for 60 seconds, or lift yourself up one inch, down one inch, never moving your seat below your knees. Repeat 20 times. Break for a moment and repeat.

Hamstring Press (ballet attitude position): This move is excellent for toning and strengthening the back of the thigh (hamstring).

Instructions: Stand with arms lifted in front of you, one knee slightly bent and the other leg behind you at a 90 degree angle. With your toes pointed, lower the leg so that your toe touches the floor, then come back to the 90 degree angle. Repeat 20 times. Break momentarily and repeat 20 more times, with un-pointed toes and the foot flexed. Then repeat on the opposite leg.

Runner’s Lunge: After contracting the thigh muscles with the above exercises, it’s important to give yourself a great stretch to lengthen the muscle. This position stretches out the back of the leg and thigh and is a perfect way to end a rigorous workout.

Instructions: With your right leg at a 90 degree angle and right foot firmly planted, extend the left leg behind you, being sure to keep your left heel lifted. Fold your arms into a prayer position and hold. Repeat on the opposite leg.

Disclaimer: I am not a fan of exercise programs that promise to make you “drop inches” or to change your body shape completely.  What I am a fan of is exercises that promise functional gains.  We can’t all look the same and we’re not all cut from the same mold, so any exercise programs that promise to change your fundamental structure, well… that’s just a bunch of bull****.

A while back I wrote about how I went to a Dahn Yoga class as part of a Groupon and how I had more classes to use. I mentioned that I found the class kind of weird and not at all like “yoga” as I’ve come to know and love yoga. And then people started sharing with me concerning stories about it being a cult.

Yikes…

So short answer is, no… I did not go back.

Longer answer:
At first I thought I could go back with an investigative reporter mindset. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn’t enjoy the environment all that much. The energy levels of the staff were all over the place, some of them seemed almost crazed they were so energetic and others seemed like they were pissed off at the world.

If it truly does have a cult tie (and I’m not saying that it definitely does or does not) I’d like to avoid that. I would want to assume that I’m strong enough to avoid a “cult” but who knows… most people who get caught up in those probably feel like they should have been strong enough to avoid that!

I didn’t like the way the class spent time at the start beating the abdomen. It wasn’t hard punching, just drumming on the abs… but it doesn’t seem useful or normal to me.

So… how about some other options for some REAL yoga, not weird-chanting-martial-artsish-pseudo-yoga?

Of course, there is always the option of finding a yoga studio. But how do you find the right one? Well, if you live in certain cities, you could buy a Passport to Prana pass. Once purchased, this card grants you access to one class at each of the participating studios in your town. So you get a little “passport” to tour the yoga in your world.

Sadly, they don’t have this available in Las Vegas yet, but they are in the following US cities as of this writing:
ATLANTA, BOSTON, CHICAGO, DALLAS, DENVER, LOS ANGELES, MIAMI, NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, PORTLAND, SAN DIEGO, SAN FRANCISCO, SEATTLE, TAMPA BAY
And the following Canadian cities:
CALGARY, EDMONTON, MONTREAL, OTTAWA, TORONTO, VANCOUVER, VICTORIA, WINNIPEG

Another option, that only requires a computer and internet access is Gaiam TV. I signed up for a 30-day free trial for this site at the end of 2011. (They offered 30-days free immediately upon launch to people who had purchased from Gaiam before. The standard for anyone right now is 10-days free.) There are a wide variety of videos available, not just yoga but ones from Jillian Michaels, Walk Away the Pounds series, Tai Chi, Kickboxing, etc.

I tried Kathryn Budig’s Aim True yoga class on there and was really impressed. So if you get on Gaiam TV or if you just find this DVD available, give it a try. She has a very clear manner for instruction and her voice is calming without sounding like she’s trying too hard to be new-agey.

In addition to fitness/yoga workouts, they have movies/tv shows/interviews with a wide range of authorities on a wide range of health-related topics. From environment, spirtuality, metaphysics, etc.

They have an iPhone app too, but when I used it the class offerings via the app were extremely limited and that annoyed me. Upon first launch, the app didn’t seem to offer much, but perhaps they’ve improved now. I’ve let my Gaiam TV trial lapse, but I’d consider signing up as a paying member at some point.

(I just didn’t earlier, because I had my Groupon to Dahn Yoga to use… and that really panned out for me!)

Sometimes life throws you a curve-ball.  And sometimes that curve-ball hits you smack in the head*, leaving you dazed, confused, bewildered and angry.

That’s how I’ve been feeling for almost a month now.
Dazed, confused, bewildered and angry at the curve-ball that  hit me pretty hard.

Those feelings aren’t that healthy, especially considering I’m just keeping them trapped inside and stewing.  I’ll probably schedule an appointment with my therapist (whom I haven’t been seeing as frequently lately) just to process all of this.  I’m not sure I’m ready to discuss all this with anyone other than my therapist. I feel like I need the safety that her couch brings and the non-judgment that she offers.  (It’s not like the stereotype where I lay on a couch… I just sit on a couch in her office while talking to her.  FYI.)

But I need to do some things on my own to improve my outlook.  So right now my plan is:

1. A walk or run of at least 1 mile each day, mid-day in the sunshine.  Take special note of how lucky I am that I can do that and other good things in my life.
2. Daily meditation.  At least 10 minutes, sitting or laying still while using the Simply Being app in my iPhone.

It’s not a cure-all… but it’s a start.  I do feel a little less like I’m drowning after these activities.

I am also planning on putting together some artwork in my office.  I haven’t done much with my office since moving to the new house. (There’s even a big box of stuff sitting in the corner. Occasionally I rummage through it to find something. I’m really lacking storage in the room now that I’m down a closet and a desk.)  Now that the new year has started, I’m back to sitting in that lonely room for long hours each day.  I need stuff to cheer me up on the walls.  I think I’m going to do a couple of things:

Buy this:

Source: etsy.com via Jill on Pinterest

Print this:

Source: balancingeverything.com via Jill on Pinterest

I need to find some inexpensive white frames for these. I understand IKEA has a ton of those things… but we don’t have an IKEA. Got any suggestions?

*I got hit in the head with a baseball at one of my brother’s little league games when I was a kid. That’s exactly the feeling… Dazed, confused, bewildered and angry. My analogy is spot-on… for those of you who don’t know.

Do you do compression?

Compression has been a popular part of sports recovery for a long time, it is part of the standard RICE formula.
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate

Lately there are more and more options on the market to aid in compression as opposed to the old school methods of wrapping an ace bandage around your body.  Compression has also moved beyond the realm of recovery… athletes are using it during training as well.

SportsCompression.com has the goal of providing top quality compression products to athletes, because they themselves are athletes too! They have a variety of products (socks, sleeves, apparel, braces) that they have tested and deem to be of top quality. They offer a 30-day money back guarantee as well, so if you’re not happy you have a chance to get your money back (as long as you keep the original packaging) and they also have a price-match guarantee. [source]

They were kind enough to send me a pair of pink CEP compression socks, which was fun to get my first pair of compression socks.  Here’s the official marketing speak:

For all Runners and Endurance Athletes: The scientifically optimized pressure flow provides muscles with the maximum amount of oxygen and energy during performance and recovery.

The times when the sole purpose of socks and stockings was to protect feet from blistering, are over. CEP provides the first functional sport sock with a unique compression profile, scientifically proven to increase blood circulation, and consequently, increase performance.

Achilles Tendon Support: Additional support of the Achilles tendon protects and prevents irritable tendons.

Padded Foot Soles: Special support of the foot sole prevents irritations caused by pressure spots.

Ventilation Channels: For a pleasant foot climate and reduced friction.

3-D Fit: The socks adjust to the anatomy of the leg and foot for a perfect fit, thanks to the three-dimensional manufacturing process.

And the “official” Jill speak:

Awesome! They come with instructions on how to put them on! For some reason I get a kick out of clothes that come with instructions, because it seems like clothes should be fairly self-explanatory!  The instructions say to turn them inside out and then place your foot on the foot spot and unfurl the sock up your leg.  That seemed ridiculous to me, so I just scrunched them down to fit my foot inside and then pulled them up my leg.  That worked fine.  They were comfy, I wore them on a run but I also think they would be a nice option to wear for recovery from a long run.

Not only does SportsCompression.com sell compression products, they have links to information on the science behind compression and medical studies on the subject.  They also have info on using compression for travel benefits, helping to avoid DVT from sitting for long periods of time. Their site is easy to navigate, loads quickly. This isn’t a web-technology blog, so I won’t dissect how their site holds up against various validations… but I did check!

So here’s my only dilemma…  SportsCompression.com has offered me the opportunity to hold a giveaway on here.  But I honestly feel like giveaways don’t receive the kind of interaction that I’d like.  People seem to gloss over them.  So if you are interested in the possibility of a compression giveaway, chime in via the comments.  If there seems to be interest, I’ll have another post for a giveaway.

Legalese: SportsCompression.com did provide me with a pair of socks for free in exchange for spreading the word about their business. Everything posted here is based on what I wanted to say though.

Winners announced in the My Run DVD Giveaway:
[...]

Jabra Sport Bluetooth Stereo Headset is a really long title for a product… but it’s also a pretty nice little gadget. Short and simple explanation: it is sport headphones that connect to your bluetooth enabled phone so you can listen to tunes without cords dangling around and take calls while you’re on the go.

(Not that I’m really into taking a lot of calls on the run. I was immediately struck by one of the Siri ads when it was first released that had a guy running and scheduling meetings via Siri. That didn’t look productive to me… that looked stupid to me! The run should be an escape from that nonsense!)

Messy ponytail run day... Hadn't planned on modeling the Jabra Sport this day, but then decided to snap the shot!

Likes:

• Good sound quality
• No cords
• Quick easy pairing with my iPhone 3gs (Yes, I’m still on the 3gs… I’m so out of date!)
• Easy to use buttons
• Voice feedback letting you know the device is on, paired, turning off, etc.
• Built-in FM radio
• Works with Endomondo Sports Tracker to pause and get feedback on workout.
• Comes with different ear gels to get a more customized in-ear fit

Dislikes:

• I felt the over-the-ear part was kind of bulky
• Having to charge my headphones. I’ve had a few times when I went to use these and found the battery was drained.
• Wearing a bud in each ear while running outside… I just really feel that isn’t safe, makes it harder to hear the cars or weirdos approaching.

Apparently these are “military-grade” rain, dust and shock protection. Not exactly sure what kind of testing that entails, but it makes them sound pretty tough. These are actually pretty useful for house-cleaning too. I actually find that I catch headphone cords on lots of things when wearing them around the house to clean. It’s no fun having your headphones violently yanked from your head by a cabinet as you reach for some cleaning chemical!

MSRP for this is $99.99, you can find it for various prices on Amazon (I found it for $79.99 in limited stock to $90.)

FCC Legalese: These were provided to me free of charge from the folks at Jabra. They didn’t give me any instructions on what to write, this post contains my own random thoughts.