Weekend goodness and barefoot running

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a restful, relaxing, and fun weekend. One of my closest friends had a big birthday so it was a weekend of celebration on my end, can't complain! Lots of rain in the forecast for the week [of course, Boston couldn't possibly make its residents happy with spring-like weather], while it was 80 and sunny back at home in Denver this weekend. So jealous. Played some lawn games yesterday when it hit a WHOLE 55 degrees. Tropical. In other news it was sort of a big sports weekend. The Nuggets beat the Lakers, I am thrilled. Trading Melo was the best possible outcome for the team, we have been kicking ass. The Final Four games went down, not that I have anything invested at this point since all my teams were out like two rounds ago. I'm rooting for Butler tonight, underdog victories are my jam. First weekend of baseball, Sox are winless, Rockies are 1-1.

Saturday's workout was awesome. My back feels like it has gone through minor trauma, but that just tells me I need to get stronger. It is amazing how your body is designed to give you feedback. Pain = muscular weakness! I put big plates on the bar for power cleans for the first time since college and it felt great. I said a little prayer hoping my back didn't seize up and give out, and someone was listening...I survived and live to tell about it.

Saturday's workout

Power clean progression: 3 x 5 each shrug, high pull, power clean. 1 x 3 power clean. 1 x 2 power clean. I felt good on cleans so I added two extra short sets at 135lb to get some more explosive work in.

Barbell deadlift: 3 x 6 reps at 185lb. I used the trap bar last week which is actually a lot easier on my grip and more conducive to piling on weight. I put 185lb on the normal bar and it was a lot harder! Doing both types of deadlifts will be good for me, I suggest alternating.

Step-ups: 3 x 10 each. I used a 25lb barbell, but you can use dumbells or kettlebells for a similar effect. Technique is really important or you don't get a lot of the benefit of step-ups. Keep the foot on the ground as close to the box as possible to isolate the working leg. Step down completely with both legs between reps. My legs are generally exhausted by the time I get to step-ups but I need to increase weight to at least a 45lb bar next time around. Time to do work.

Reverse lunges: 4 x 10 each. I used 12kg kettlebells, I think they work great for the exercise. Alternate legs and lunge back as far as possible while mantaining balance. I time 1 minute rest between sets to exhaust my legs.

Bench medball crunches: 5 x 20 reps. I maintain that this is the best core exercise I have ever done. Sitting at the end of a bench, hold a medball between your knees [I used 4kg medball], extend upper and lower body completely and crunch together. Hold the sides of the bench for balance. If anyone has killer core exercises, send them my way please!!!

This workout left my back VERY worked out, between the heavier cleans and deadlifts. Make sure that your form is on point, no one wants any pulled back muscles, that is very un-fun.

Sunday's workout

Sunday was my 1 month anniversary out of the boot! For those of you that didn't know, I fractured my left foot at the end of January. I was given vibrams for Christmas [google if you don't know what these are] and they are the most amazing running shoes I have ever put on. The shoe company warns you not to do too much too soon, but I couldn't help myself. When you run in vibrams you feel weightless, amazing, and like you were born to run. Within a couple of weeks I found myself doing sprint intervals 45 minutes at a time. Needless to say, I fractured my foot, as it isn't use to the stress of barefoot running. This was 100% user error. I fully endorse vibrams and can't wait to run in them again, but you have to be really careful. I tend to think I am invincible but this experience taught me otherwise!

So anyway...8 weeks after my initial fracture [Sunday] I was allowed to jog! I WAS SO EXCITED! I miss running so so much, and honestly it is hard to be in tip top shape if you can't run. There is simply no substitute. So I got my gimp workout from Gary, my college trainer, which was 3 mins walk, 2 mins run x 5. I was really nervous because I was going to be devastated if my foot hurt when I jogged, I am so ready to be back into it. All I have to say is that bodies are amazing. ZERO pain during my gimpy workout. Not having run in over 2 months, I didn't exactly feel like an olympic athlete on the treadmill, but the natural feeling of running is coming back slowly but surely. It is unreal that I can push my body hard enough to fracture my foot, wear a boot for a month, and a month after that my bone has calcified enough to run again. Thank God for the healing process!

The road to recovery from stress fractures is slow, but it has been a good lesson for me in patience with my body and creativity in my workouts. I was running 5 times a week before I fractured my foot, so it has certainly been a good challenge keeping myself happy, healthy, and occupied without running. I still believe whole-heartedly in the concept of barefoot running and am eager to get back into as my foot continues to heal. For those of you who don't know much about barefoot running, check out the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. Life changing, seriously. Just be careful and give your body time to adjust to a motion which is COMPLETELY natural, but foreign in the Westernized world of 'supportive' shoes and orthodics.

Happy Monday, make it a great one!