<p>hops:</p>
<p>That’s a great looking gym you’ve got there. That is a ton of equipment! Just one thing… where are the Airdynes? :)</p>
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<p>LOL. Not in this gym. And honestly if it were up to me, we could toss nearly all of that stuff you saw! It’s not very useful…</p>
<p>Leave me the Power Plate, the Pilates Reformer, the Power Rack and platform, the Cable Crossover and the kettlebells and dumbbells. The rest of the stuff can go bye-bye… ;)</p>
<p>LOL, leave it to idad to note the lack of the dreaded airdyne 
it would likely scare off the customers…if they knew what it was. They look cute enough until they’ve beaten the life out of you!</p>
<p>Kudos to all the health and wellness warriors this weekend. Sadly, I was not among y’all. This rib/shoulder/thoratic facet joint thing is not sorted yet, I’m afraid, so it will be a weightless walk on the treadmill for me this a.m without much more.</p>
<p>My party sins involved key lime pie, grand marnier, and the like, but I did manage to avoid bread and did not gain more than a few ounces for the debauch, so I enter my pre-vacation warm-up weeks ready to roll…or amble, as the case may be :)</p>
<p>Had a long weekend away but wanted to make a few comments …</p>
<p>Congrats to MOWC on your run (and GREAT swag!) and to everyone else else hitting the pavement, hills, mountains and basements with workouts!!</p>
<p>Pizza, if I remember correctly, you are in the Chicago area - one of my best friends has worked in several Chicago suburb park districts and all have had the facilities you speak of including exercise facilities, preschools, dance classes, etc. - you are lucky!</p>
<p>Here in Ohio our parks are mostly Metroparks - all pretty much based on outside recreation - trails, biking, running, water-based activities. What you speak of would be located at local Y’s. Same pretty much in Michigan. </p>
<p>Planet Fitness seems to be an inexpensive option here - I am lucky to have an exercise facility on the campus I work at and am VERY thankful for that. Although come to think of it, D lives in Cbus and belongs to a suburb “city” park district exercise facility - so guess it just depends!</p>
<p>Three days away, two beach, rural runs. From lakeside to corn stalk side. :)</p>
<p>Here is middle TN the Ys are the big deal. HUGE facilities with indoor and outdoor pools at many of them. They do get crowded, and we do not belong. We belong to a private club (chain but not a hug chain) called Prairie Life. It’s a really nice facility- it isn’t Cooper’s which we had in Dallas- but it also isn’t even a fraction as expensive! This is not a major issue, but for some reason it is to me! I don’t like when the gym doesn’t provide towels. It just bugs me and is one more thing to remember and then the wet towel is hanging around in your bag or car. Prairie Life has big and small towels.</p>
<p>The taxpayer facilities here are run by the county and are also pretty nice- they are called “___County Recreation Center”. Some are nicer than others, but many have lots of equipment and indoor and outdoor pools. Lots of classes, etc. A good option and you can pay as you go or join (I think). My son swims at one near us when he is home since the pool temp is good (cooler) than Prairie Life which is more geared to the water aerobics crowd.</p>
<p>I ran 1 1/2 miles this morning on my very tired legs. I’m not very sore at all- just tired. I wonder if the Hokas are helping that much with the usual soreness or if it is that the course was so up and down (not to mention my walking breaks…)?</p>
<p>Yes! The towels! I don’t care if they are ratty or worn - just as long as they are clean and can absorb water/sweat! Ours usually has hand towels and then a bigger towel. Sometimes they get low on stock cause I’m guessing the linens disappear - almost went over to Walmart and bought a big bundle of cheap handtowels to donate cause they are so important to me!</p>
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<p>Yeah - it is nice - every town seems to have its own fitness facility which also offers the preschools, dance classes, and other community classes, and they aren’t glitzy, but they are generally well maintained and have everything you’d need. Mine doesn’t offer private Pilates so I go to a private club for that (following a trainer who used to work at my park district), and I go to Corepower Yoga for the hot yoga. My little strip mall has TWO places in it that offer kickboxing! And even some of the small downtown shopping areas have yoga studios, running stores, dance studios, etc. However, we don’t seem to have as many Y’s as MOWC reports in her area.</p>
<p>There are SO many fitness facilities it’s really amazing. I have no reason to believe there’s anything special about Chicago necessarily in this dimension. In addition to the park districts, there are lots of X Sport and LA Fitness centers to choose from, which is nice because park districts do close early on holidays. Even the small downtown areas often have personal-training storefront shops and yoga studios. </p>
<p>I’ve determined that one thing that keeps me going is a lot of variety, so it helps me to “mix it up” and go to different places / try new things.</p>
<p>~ 6.4 mi steady rolling hills run </p>
<p>I went earlier than I have been this summer, so I saw many people I haven’t seen in a long time. A bunny and a new grandbaby, too. Perfect day, just beautiful. I ate two strawberries and a spoonful of peanut butter an hour or so before running and had a few swigs of water as well. That seemed to solve the side stitches problem.</p>
<p>That’s a distance - 6+! And a bunny and baby to boot! :)</p>
<p>Interesting conversation re: what to eat/drink before a workout. Just had this conversation yesterday - usually I will drink a glass of water, and have a half a banana before going out for a morning run. If it’s a race, I will also have some peanut butter - maybe on a small piece of bagel. If it’s a night run, I usually eat a light dinner and then run about 2 hours later. </p>
<p>But yesterday I got up and left for a run without eating/drinking a single thing (what was I thinking?!) I realized it about a minute after I started running. Since I usually sweat a good bit I made the decision to run my planned distance but to take rest breaks so my body could cool down a bit - so a minute walk every 5-10 minutes. I completed the run and it may have been mental, but I have to say that it wasn’t my best performance operating with NOTHING in my stomach.</p>
<p>Thanks, Abasket. I like the 1/2 banana option, too, but the one in the kitchen right now is destined for the compost bin, seeing as the only other thing it might be suitable for at this point is banana bread, and I’m not feeling inspired to bake. ;)</p>
<p>DebT. Unless your banana is total mush, slice it up in chunks .Fold them up in aluminum foil and put them in the freezer.
Frozen banana chunks are awesome…like tiny banana popsicles…also really good chopped up and put on top of Greek yogurt.</p>
<p>I know it’s prob. totally wrong but I’m worthless if I don’t eat in the a.m I get up really early so I have plenty of time. I eat a small bowl of oatmeal/cereal w/ skim milk.
Then I read the news on my Kindle, check emails and CC while my breakfast settles. An hour or so after eating,I’m good to go. </p>
<p>Ran 3.5 this a.m. w/ avg. 9:52. Weather was nice and I wanted to keep going but we’re headed out of town tomorrow afternoon for a long weekend at the coast and I had a bunch stuff to get done. I did throw in some pushups, ladder climbs and jumping.
jacks and glut. crunches before hitting the shower.</p>
<p>Stuck my arm in the blood pressure machine at the gro. store on Sunday. HR was 55.</p>
<p>Yeah, if I have the time to eat and let it digest then that’s a good method. But usually time constraints are either get up and run now or just wait and do it in the evening. I’m definitely a breakfast eater though so I’m sure to have that full breakfast (oatmeal or yogurt or eggs or whatever) sometime after the run.</p>
<p>Also wanted to ask Pizzagirl - you mentioned doing C25K at 6 or 7 mins/mile. How many minutes are you doing that speed at?? Without being REALLY skilled at running (still a newlywed as less than one year), I would seriously be worried about falling flat on my face - a risk I’m not willing to take!!!</p>
<p>I think pizzagirl was talking about miles per hour- 6mph is 10 minute miles.</p>
<p>Ahh, that’s a little different! I’m picturing a little energizer bunny…</p>
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<p>That would be Ohio or BB. :)</p>
<p>Anything longer than 3 miles, that would be BB!</p>
<p>No, I can do a few 8 minute miles, but 6 or 7 - that’s beyond my skills. :)</p>
<p>MOfWC, which Hoka shoe do you like? My friend has been complaining about her shoes giving her troubles…</p>
<p>Or if you were meaning “keeps going and keeps going”, Abasket, yes, PG, particularly on the weekend you sure do seem to do that! But I think none of us are coming anywhere near close to MOWC.</p>
<p>LOL. We all have our strengths- that’s for sure!</p>
<p>BB- I like several of the Hokas. The Bondi B 2 is excellent. The Bondi Speed 2 is essentially the same, but with speed laces. The newest shoe is the Kailua (women’s) and it is not as high off the ground as the other Hokas, but is still cushioned. For a first time Hoka person, I think I would go with Bondi B 2. There are deals to be found…</p>
<p>Yup, when it comes to being the energizer bunny of running, no one can beat MOfWC! Even the pace bunny. :)</p>