On Friday I went to a Google Places event with Chris Powell, the trainer on “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.” I have watched a few episodes of “EM: WLE” after I came home over the summer to find my roommate TRANSFIXED on the couch watching the episode about the PE teacher. “I want to get a trainer like that,” she said, “but I’d have to be — like — two hundred pounds.” Yeah, someday I should tell her I used to weigh more than that, right?
As the event was described, Chris was going to talk for about 10 minutes and then put us (about 25-30 people, some “Google Power Users,” some bloggers, probably some regular gymgoers who snuck in) through a 45-minute workout. He did talk briefly about how he encourages his clients on the show to view a workout as “taking [their] body on a journey,” then we warmed up with some stretching for 10 minutes and then he explained the workout, a Crossfit-inspired (so he said) team workout with 5 stations:
- 75 high knees
- Burpees (or pushups, modified pushups, jump-outs as needed), as many reps as possible
- Situps with knees bent and arms extended, a.m.r.a.p.
- Thusters with a 20 lb or 40 lb weight (or just the bar as needed), a.m.r.a.p.
- Rest
We each rotated as the person doing the high knees finished their set. We did this for 20 minutes (6 rotations? 7?) and it was killer. Well, the situps and high knees weren’t too bad, but oof, the rest of it. Then we did a little stretching and were on our merry way with a copy of Chris’s book (haven’t read it yet, might do).
Chris and his wife walked around giving pointers and encouragement, although I’m not sure I agreed with their attitude of “don’t worry about form, just do it as fast as possible!” Also, I would have liked him to explain how he uses these sort of high-intensity interval workouts with his clients — I would think they aren’t just doing 35 minutes a day, and probably have to do certain modifications starting out.
I never get invited to these blogger things, I am too uncouth, but I understand a special fitblr someone put me on “the list” (thank youuuu) and I am always ready to snoop around at someone else’s gym. Stray observations: This 24 Hour Fitness was a lot nicer than I expected — lotta exposed brick, tons of open machines — and I liked that they had member success stories posted in the gym with before-and-after pictures. But the towels were teeny and instead of water fountains (“bubblers” for my WI peeps) they only had soft drink machines. They also had Law & Order on TV in the locker room, which may be a bonus to some and a distraction to others. (Come on, it was an episode about a crime connected to an online forum for moms. The dangerous Internets!)
On Saturday I was supposed to run the Joe Kleinerman 10K and for the first time in over a year… I bagged the race. Since I got back to NYC I’ve been waking up with these headaches (not hangover related, thx) and Saturday’s was the worst yet. I ended up staying mostly horizontal until about noon as I tried to feel human again. Couldn’t read except briefly, couldn’t listen to music.
I felt really guilty about it and told myself as soon as I could stand up without my head spinning I’d get up and do my long run (I was scheduled to do the 10K + 2 more to make 8) that day. Well… I didn’t. I procrastinated for SO LONG that I wasted the whole nice day, went to the gym telling myself I would do it on the treadmill, DIDN’T… I behaved abominably. I was telling myself “Okay, you are going to do this” like a kid and my kid-brain was saying back “No I won’t!!!”
Well, I can happily say that even as I procrastinated that run for over 24 hours, I finally put my stupid shoes on and did it today. I wanted to quit about 5 times, but I made the mind run the body and I did it. I am committed to not missing any long runs this training cycle as I feel that was my main hindrance in Philadelphia training that contributed to my poor performance (well, that and not being able to find a Porta Potti for 2 miles). If I can hit all of those, then I will feel satisfied with my upcoming races even if I don’t PR.
I still haven’t bought compression socks, so after my run I put on knee socks. Same thing, right? Now I’m all cozy and full of salad.
