Sticking to your training plan when traveling

It can be challenging to stick with our training plans while traveling, for work and for pleasure. We usually recommend cutting back the miles so you can enjoy your vacation or not be overly stressed about fitting in a long run.

Meghan was just on a work trip for 7 days so she had to rearrange her training schedule to fit her work schedule. Here’s what she did to keep up her fitness and get her miles in. She was in Mexico City with a photographer so she was at the mercy of the light and the photographer’s schedule. While this got her awesome pictures, it didn’t leave a lot of time for working out. She decided to cut way back on her miles and focus on strength this week. Mexico City has terrible traffic so they walked a lot (5-8 miles a day) so she was conscious of how much her legs were doing. 

The end of the race made for a perfect picture!

• Monday – travel day
• Tuesday – 30 min run on treadmill and 5 minutes of abs
• Wed – 15 mins of strength in hotel room
• Thursday – 20 min run and 10 mins of strength in hotel gym
• Friday – 20 min total body workout
• Sat – 20 min HIIT workout
• Sunday – 5.5 mile run (and she found a race!)

Traveling can be stressful so we always recommend going with the the least stressful option – finding a treadmill or cutting back on your miles. 

Strength exercises we all need

If you are a client or follow our blog, you know we love our cross training - yoga, strength classes, spin, and any other fun class that is out that. I've been reminded of how important it is to running this past month. After coming off an injury and doing a ton of physical therapy work, I started running in mid February. I started off slowly - no more than 30 minutes, every other day. I was doing my therapy exercises and feeling good. Somewhere along the way, I started to slack off on the therapy exercises. I can't pinpoint it exactly but I think it was after I ran 6 miles pain free. I thought "I'm better!" And that equated to not having to continue my exercises - WRONG!

I'm still running pain free but after a few weeks of not really doing any strength (yikes - Jessica would scold me), I can feel it - little aches and pains, my legs are too sore after hills. So, I signed up for some strength classes and recommitted to doing my exercises. I do them 2x a week and go to a strength class 1x a week. For now, this is what works with my schedule and life. The results? I feel stronger on the hills and I'm now sore but in the right places!

If you need some ideas, here's what we recommend:

• Clamshells
• Bridge lift series
• Sit ups (with knees at 90 degrees)
• Squats
• Backward lunges
• Plank (30-60 seconds, option to move into side plank)
• Multiplanar single leg exercises

And, for those of you who need some extra motivation, a class is always a great idea. Find an instructor you like and a smaller class so you get the form correction.

ClassPass is Worth Every Penny

By Jessica Green

Last month I fell in love with ClassPass. If you’re like me, and looking for assistance in getting your butt to a cross training class, you will love ClassPass too. 

After completing the NYC Marathon last fall, I took some time off from running and cross-trained a bit (once or twice a week). But, in all honesty, as soon as my three weeks off from running were done, I dropped all strength work and returned to the trails as my exclusive form of exercise. After two months of pretty much zero strength training, I was left with a weak everything. Then I started ClassPass and for the last four weeks, I’ve spent at least two days a week adding strength classes to my weekly routine and I already feel like a stronger, healthier runner. Plus, I’ve found some pretty awesome classes in Portland!

What is ClassPass? “ClassPass is a monthly membership to the best boutique fitness classes in your city. There are thousands of classes available to ClassPass members, including cycling, pilates, yoga, strength training, dance, martial arts, and more. For $79 - $99 a month (price varies by city), ClassPass members get unlimited classes to studios in the ClassPass network. While members can take as many classes per month as they'd like, they can visit the same studio up to 3 times per monthly membership cycle.”

The best part of ClassPass for me is that I have a nontraditional work schedule and ClassPass allows me to find classes at anytime of the day by searching only one site. On ClassPass’ website and app, I can search for a specific type of activity by time (and location) and come up with several different class options at various studios throughout Portland. Once I choose my class, all I have to do is click “reserve” and I’m good to go.

No more remembering my log in information for each studio’s mindbody account.  No more hunting down class schedules and whether there is space. Also, no more wondering where a good studio is. I trust ClassPass to partner with quality studios and this way I’m way more inclined to try out new places.

The other best part – it’s completely worth your money. All you need to do is show up to six to seven classes in a month that each cost $15 each and you’ve made your money back. Chances are, with ClassPass, you’re going to show up to more than that and it’s likely that your classes are more expensive than $15! They make it so easy that you WILL go.  And you won’t get sick of any one particular class because you have access to what feels like a million others. 

Finally, while some might not like that you are limited to 3 classes per month at a studio, it’s perfect for those who like to change things up from week to week or can only seem to make one time a week at a particular studio. This way, you have access to the cheaper monthly rate for those 3 classes, plus a cheaper rate for all the other places that offer classes at different times on days you can make. 

New to ClassPass in Portland? Try 2 months of ClassPass for $79 (The typical price of 1 month).

Cross Training to Get a PR

Training for a PR in any distance race is a rewarding yet challenging endeavor. It can be tough on your body and mind. We have found that focusing on specific workouts and understanding how to recover and use rest days are the key ingredients to running a PR. Most training plans will have key workout days and rest days; what many plans lack is cross training. Understanding how to cross train and use recovery days will make you a stronger and faster runner.
 
We distinguish between two types of cross training activities: (1) Cardio, which is spinning, elliptical, bike intervals, walking, swimming, aerobics classes, and (2) Strength, Conditioning and Flexibility which includes Pilates, yoga, boot camp, and strength sessions or classes. Both types are important while training and for overall injury prevention and long term running health.
 
Cross training days are important because they help you help build aerobic fitness and muscle stability. By increasing overall aerobic fitness, you force the heart to pump oxygen through the body at a quicker rate. Over time, this makes your heart stronger, which enables it to deliver more oxygen to the muscles, and helps your muscles use oxygen more efficiently. Running is one of the best aerobic activities there is, however, just like your muscles, you need to switch up your cardio so your body can react and learn to work hard under all types of work. Muscle stability will help ward off injury and give you a much more solid base to increase speed. Running can overwork certain muscles, such as the hamstrings and quads, and essentially ignore major stability muscles including glute medius. Strength training brings more balance to your body.

Be careful to not overdue it on your cross training days. Too much intensity within a week can actually weaken your muscles. Classes are great because the instructor takes you through an array of work - hills or intervals, for example in a spinning class or full body strength workout in a boot camp class. If you workout on your own, it’s important to vary your cross training and make it counts towards strength, stability and fitness.Below, we have listed a few cross training ideas that will help elevate your training:

Spring Intervals

6-8 Sets of 30 seconds max effort speed intervals (ideally you are standing and the resistance is high). Recover at a very low and comfortable level for 2 minutes in between each sprint. Warm up and cool down for at least 10 minutes each. Do this only 1x a week.

Easy, Recovery Ride

30-60 minutes at an easy relaxed pace that is similar to your effort on an easy run. This is a great option to improve blood circulation the day after a hard run workout. You can do this workout up to 2x a week.

Strength Workout Do 2 sets of each exercise 2-3x a week. Avoid doing a lot of lower body work the day before a hill or track workout. (you can watch a demo of each exercise on our YouTube channel)

• Month 1: Plank (60 sec) | Side Plank (30 sec each side) | Lower Back Extensions - modified superman (60 sec) | Push-Ups (10-15x) | Bridge lifts (15x) | Bridge with Single Leg Walks (60 sec) | Single Leg Deadlift (30 sec each side) | Single Leg Calf Raises (15x each side) | Glute Press Up (30 sec each side) | Clamshells (12-15 each side)

• Month 2: Plank Walks (45 sec) | Side Planks (45 sec each side) | Single Leg Bridge Lifts (30 sec side) | Pushups (20x) Single Leg Deadlift (45 sec each side) | Single Leg Calf Raises (20x each side) | Glute Press Up (45 sec each side) | Clamshells (20 each side) | Squat Jumps (30 sec) | Reverse Lunge (30 sec each side) | Lateral Lunge (30 sec each side)

Raising the Barre

Today, Coach Bex talks about her cross-training and why she has incorporated barre classes into her training. Have questions for her? Email her: Bex@hotbirdrunning.com

I regularly get asked by clients what they should do on days they aren't running. Cross-training is an essential part of the training process, and should not be neglected. While the answer "anything but running" is true, it's also not very specific. Strength training is important, and I also try to incorporate spin and yoga into my routine, but recently my favorite cross-training activity is barre. A Pure Barre studio opened up in my neighborhood a few months ago. Having never taken a barre class before, I didn't know what to expect. What I found was 55 minutes of tiny, isolated movements focusing on individual parts of the body, and a crazy soreness to follow the next day. I was hooked. I signed up for an unlimited month and fell in love. That was during my off-season. These days, while training, I like to hit a barre class 1-2x/week.

One thing I like about Pure Barre is that it is low-impact. Barre classes combine elements of pilates, ballet, and yoga along with an arm workout with light weights. This means that I can take a class on the same day as a shorter run, as it won't stress my body too much. It's especially good for core work. Runners often neglect the strength aspect of their training. Barre classes are a great way to get in the strength work and feel graceful while doing it. Plus I always like being in a class, the instructors motivate you to push yourself and embrace your strength. I highly recommend looking in your area to see which barre offerings are available to you!