Crash and Burn: Labor-Day Tread Workout!!

I am not your average fitness guru. I aim to draw blood, sweat, and tears!! Bring you to the edge of reason, oblivion, and madness. Yes, you may experience all three in my class.... If you would be so lucky! "Welcome to Hell!" as one proudly wacked-out "treadie" would say to a "newbie." Words so fitting for an hour of ruthless affliction coming from a lady with flaming red hair, unhinged and as crazy as her Monday morning crazies. 

If you are still living after Monday's CRASH AND BURN session, show your face! 

Have no fear! You may be the lone survivor...haha! 

So dare you try this? Are you afraid? YOU SHOULD BE!!!!! It will drive you to the brink, and if you have any backbone at all you will fight back, you will stay on course.... You will finish!!! All the while listening to Metallica's "Master of Puppets" and "Fight Fire with Fire" of course.

After 5 minute warm-up:

1.  90 sec       full sprint (100% max) repeat 1 and 2, four times.
2.  90 sec       recovery  (jog or walk)
3.  90 sec       full sprint on 5 grade hill (100% max) repeat 3 and 4, four times.
4.  90 sec       recovery  (jog or walk)
5.  20 sec       full sprint on 12 grade hill (100% max) repeat 5 and 6, eight times
6.  10 sec       recovery  (straddle treadmill)
7.  90 sec       recovery  (jog or walk)
8.  90 sec       full sprint on 10 grade hill (100% max) repeat 7 and 8, four times.
9.  60 sec       recovery  (jog or walk)
10. 3 min       5 k pace  (80% of max) 
11. 1 min       recovery  (jog or walk)
12. 80 sec      400 meter sprint (.250 miles) repeat 12 and 13, two times
13. 80sec       recovery  (jog or walk) 
14. 2 min      walk then stretch for 5 minutes

If you're thinking, "Hell's Bells" I'm not doing this, then good, you probably couldn't hack it. Just keepin' it real my lovelies. But, if you're like my T-house pack of crazies then you know how to roll, punch after brutal punch. 

So GET CRACKIN. If you're one of the lucky ones who makes it past the burning, raging fire in your legs, throat, arms, backside, and lungs, you've earned your stripes and have become the best of the best, a tried and true ATHLETE!

BRING IT!!!!!!!!

Tread Interval Extreme!

Hot off the press! PLEASE eat a good meal before you come tomorrow. This workout is designed to burn through a lot of energy! And if you're not prepared, I may have to revive you;) Monday is usually "repentance" or "penitence" day in my tread class...hence the weekend and its' possible misdeeds:) So,  please come prepared to battle in one of my most extreme tread classes ever!!

And if you can't make it, try it at home, at the gym, wherever. Don't forget to report back. And please don't tell me it was fun...FUN is not extreme. Extreme is misery, at least temporary. And yet, beneficial... as many of you have to come to know about my manic Monday methods.

See you tomorrow my hardcore treadies! 

bp = back pedal 
ssr = side shuffle right
ssl = side shuffle lef 

Monday Interval XTREME!!
Minutes	Incline	Speed	Intensity
5 min	1	4 to 6	50 to 60 %
30 sec	1	8 to 10	90 to 100%
30 sec	5	8 to 10	90 to 100%
1 min	1	3 to 5	40 to 50%
repeat 4xs
20 sec	15	6+	90 to 100%
10 sec	15	rest	0
repeat 8xs
2 min	1	3 to 5	40 to 50%
1 min bp	15	2 to 3	80 to 90%
30 sec	15	2 to 3	40 to 50%
1 min ssr	15	2 to 4	80 to 90%
30 sec	15	2 to 3	40 to 50%
1 min ssl	15	2 to 3	80 to 90%
repeat 3xs
1 min	1	2 to 3	40 to 50%
30 sec	1	8 to 10	90 to 100%
30 sec	8	8 to 10	90 to 100%
60 sec	1	3 to 5	40 to 50%
repeat 4xs
20 sec	15	speed walk	90 to 100%
10 sec	15	rest	0
repeat 8xs
2 min	1	3 to 5	40 to 50%
5 min	1	4 to 6	50 to 60%
stretch!

Run Like Flo Jo: Melissa's 90 Min Tread Workout!

If you were alive in the 80's you'd probably remember Flo Jo, aka Florence Joyner. Considered to be the "fastest woman of all time," Flo set world records for the 100 and 200 meters, which have yet to be challenged. I remember, as a kid being fascinated by her athletic power and speed...AND by her freakishly long fingernails!!

So you want to run like Flo Jo? You got to train like Flo Jo. Sure, she had natural talent, good genes, and an able body, but that will only get you so far. You want to look and feel like an athlete, you have to TRAIN like one.

So, try this 90 minute treadmill workout on for size. It's vigorous. It's intense. Lots of speed, power, and endurance drills. The goal is to try and reach 1,000 calories burned and/or 8 miles. Most of us made it this past Monday in class. Way to go ladies!!! (At least, my "treadmill" burned 1,100 calories. haha! Sadly, I left my heart rate monitor at home.)

Before you attempt to do this, and "run like Flo Jo," be prepared! Have water and Gatorade/Powerade handy. Eat a nourishing and healthy breakfast and drink about 20 ounces of water an hour before go time. Make sure to wear good, comfortable running shoes that give your toes some wiggle room and have good arch support. This will kick your behind like no other, so please keep your fitness level in mind and how you're feeling. Walk if you need to. And if you get light headed, nauseous, or dizzy, today is probably not your day. Stop the workout, lay down, put your feet up, and breathe. There's always tomorrow:)

Here we go!

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Minute              Incline            Pace

1-5                     0                       5.5

5                        5                       5

6                        5                       6.5

7                        6                       4.5

8                        6                       6.5

9                        7                       4

10                      7                       6

11                      8                       3.5

12                      8                       5.8

13                      9                       3.5

14                      9                       5.8

15                      10                     3

16                      10                     5.7

17                      11                     3

18                      11                     5.6

19                      12                     3

20                      12                     5.6

21                      13                     3

22                      13                     5.5

23                      14                     3

24                      14                     5.4

25                      15                     3

26                      15                     5.3

27-32                 5                       5.5

32:00                 0                       9.5

32:30                 0                       9.2

33:00                 0                       8.9

33:30                 0                       5 (after 90 sec. recovery, repeat 5 times)   

47                      0                       7.0

50                      0                       7.5

53                      12                     3.0

55                      12                     6.5 (sprint 20 sec, jump off 10 sec; repeat 8 times)

59                      0                       3.0

61                      0                       5.5

63                      3                       5.5

65                      3                       6.0

67                      0                       7.0

70                      0                       5.0

71                      0                       7.5 (try to get half a mile in 4 min.)

75                      0                       5.0

77                      0                       8.5 (1 lap around the track (.250), 90 sec.)

78:30                 0                       3.0

80                      3                       5.5

83                      3                       6.0

86-90                 0                       3.0

 

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Don't Do This!!

Yeah, we look rather cute and sassy! In our little outfits and tutu's! Of course this is the "before shot." You'll see an "after shot" a little later. (BTW, I'm the one on the right with the pink skull tutu from Hot Topic and piggy tails;)

For people who know me or want to get to know me, I'm the "keepin it real" kinda gal. I don't necessarily air all the details of my comings and goings, but you get a good sense of who I am and what I'm about... "beautifully flawed" and unafraid to tell the world about it! haha. (ok...maybe not everything.)

We can all learn from each other right? And though I "preach" certain principles as a trainer, sometimes, well, I EAT MY WORDS!!!!

I ran the Provo Half Marathon with some of my "besties" yesterday. Went in completely confident that I was going to nail it! Cement in my best time and make my clients and treadmill class members proud. (Yes, I have a big mouth and told them I was running this, even invited anyone is earshot.) 

Every week I get up in class and proclaim the "do's and don'ts" of proper running and racing technique. Sure, I try to practice what I preache....most of the time. But EVERY TIME I get cocky and cavalier about anything, it turns around and bites me in the butt!

So, beginning to end, this is the breakdown of my race with all the "don'ts," which I actually "did." So basically, you'll take my experiences and do the opposite, ok?...haha!  Some of you might be a little shocked with my revelations, but hopefully you'll appreciate that I'm on this journey just like you. Sometimes we all go against our better judgement. That's human nature, right?

1.  I didn't sleep a wink the night before. Probably because I washed my spaghetti down with too much Diet Coke and Cheesecake!!! On top of that, the whole week I wasn't able to sleep or eat much, for other reasons. NOT GOOD! 

2.  That morning I woke up at 5 am to get ready. I was soooooo tired. More than usual. My stomach was in knots, so I wasn't able to eat much of anything. I was draggin', so to wake me up, I drank another Diet Coke on the way to meet the girls! What was I thinking????! Not much.

3.  When we got to the start line, I was thirsty and a bit dehydrated (thanks to my diet coke genius). There was no water, so I would have to wait until the 4 mile mark. Still quite fatigued, I then consumed part of my runner's powerade "slime" for energy. Not recommended on an empty stomach. Awesome combo!

4.  I was in the first wave of runners, the under 2 hour group. I can't lie. I am very competitive. So, it takes me a lot of restraint to hold back, which I should have done at the beginning. We started up at Sundance resort and had a little over a 3 mile distance downhill. Think in terms of "blue," or "black diamond" steep. Crazy! At the start, people were literally sprinting down. Again, against my better judgement, and I always tell people NOT to do this, I sprinted right along with them. No previous warm-up or stretch. I'm talkin, beginning the race in an ice cold standing position and GO!! Full sprint! I think it was around 30 degrees out. Yeah...I know.

5.   Thing is, the whole time I was pounding down the mountainside, my instincts were telling me to "SLOW DOWN. This is crazy. You're going to burn out pretty soon, and it will be hard to finish." In other words, I knew that as soon as I accumulated enough lactic acid in my legs, from anaerobic "sprinting," it would be near impossible to flush it out, which would slow me way down. And like I've always said: a proper, steady warm-up gets oxygen to your lungs and blood allowing you to go longer and eventually faster in a race. I KNEW that. But, for some reason, I went against my own logic, ego set in and I was determined to sprint past all those other runners.

6.  As I was heading down, probably at a 6 mile an hour pace, my big toes were on FIRE!!! I thought for sure the toe nails had been ripped off. Hurt so bad, and then they were numb. From feet to knees. I felt like I was running on stumps. Weird. Kind of nervous I was going to face plant it at some point. Luckily, that didn't happen. But, my toe nails are now totally black, and I wonder if I will eventually lose them. (For your viewing pleasure, see "after" photo below:)

7.  From start to finish, my stomach was in knots. I haven't experienced this symptom in a race since my first half in 1994. It was so frustrating, because I truly wanted to stop and just walk. I was miserable and fighting through the whole race. Although I wanted desperately to stop I knew I couldn't. I had dragged three buddies with me to this race and told practically everyone I knew that I was doing it. I couldn't back down. Once I commit to anything, I finish, even if I am crawling to the end.

8.  OK, so I usually never have to stop at those porta-potties, but I did yesterday. TWICE!!! And, if you've ever run a race competitively, you know when you stop cold, it's agony to start again. And it WAS! I'm talking knives shooting up the legs pain. But, when you gotta go, you gotta go. In that regard, I really didn't have choice. (although, all my bad choices earlier pretty much led me right to those porta-potties!)

OK, so I did finish the race. Not with a time I wanted, but I finished.  It was hard man! I ain't gonna lie. But, my girlies were with me. And they did awesome! Much better than me. I'm still glad I did the race even though as I write this now, my toes are bruised and I can hardly stand up. It was worth it, because you learn from mistakes, right? And when you conquer an obstacle, big or small, you're always going to come out ahead...even if your time sucks!! haha.

I know, ewwww, but owwwww too!

Are You a Chest Breather Or a Belly Breather?

Source: runnersworld.com via Elena on Pinterest

Yes, it matters, especially if you're an athlete trying to win a race. The method and manner in which you breathe can influence a big win, or a disappointing loss. In my treadmill classes we talk a lot about effective breathing techniques. I found this awesome article from "Runner's world" magazine that offers effective breathing exercises and techniques.  And how should we be breathing exactly? First of all, most of us have been conditioned to chest breathe, not belly breathe.

Basically, "every time you breathe in, your belly should fill up like a balloon.... And every time you breathe out, that balloon should deflate. When you chest breathe, your shoulders get tense and move up and down. That's wasted energy-energy you should conserve for running." Question answered? Yep, getting air "belly-up" is the best way!

Check it out!