A Runner's Gotta Run...

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I have become a weather stalker in the worst way possible. Without a treadmill as a backup, planning my runs during the last couple of weeks has required flexibility. The forecast might call for snow and we get freezing rain. The thermometer might say 42 but the streets are coated with black ice because the temperatures dipped below freezing overnight. The polar vortex slips off its rocker and rolls into Chicago once again on gusty winds. You get the picture.

Winter is always a crapshoot but for this outdoor runner, Winter 2019 has really killed my mojo. A runner's gotta run and crappy weather or not, that's what I did. There's a happy ending to this sad, sad story, though...

Monday's icy, snowy run

On Monday, I woke up in a world of hurt. Every joint in my body was having a pain party. After a couple of cups of coffee and some serious self-talk, I took some ibuprofen and made the decision to head outside for a run. When I talked with my rheumatologist a few weeks ago, she reassured me that while my RA activity was low, I could have these "pain" episodes. Ok, then, I thought if it wasn't a flare, I'd see if I could push through the pain. Best case scenario, the run would loosen up my joints. Worst case scenario, I'd head back home and call in sick to work. The outdoor conditions weren't horrible. A predicted ice storm never materialized and instead, we were left with a dusting of snow. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs let me fly. I ran my 6 planned miles and finished with minimal pain and stiffness. Take that, RA!!

The wind was crazy on Wednesday and it was bitterly cold. If I could have run inside, I would have. Instead, I donned my full ninja garb and headed out into the sunshine. This run was HARD. Running into the wind, there were moments of nausea as I pushed my effort to 150% to try and maintain my pace. I called it quits at 4.66 miles. I just could go no further. I felt as if I ran a full marathon that morning.

Don't let the sunshine fool you. It was brutal.

Thursday's strength sesh with Coach Sammy Jo was awesome. I did chest presses 65# x 5 sets and I was feeling it the next day. In fact, I felt everything from my workout and in all the right places. That's when you know you've done it right. I kinda love that. We worked on my hips and glutes, with banded side-steps and pistol squat practice, and finished up with toes to rings, which was fun. Bootcamp was brutal, in the best way. 60 ball slams, 60 abmat sit-ups, 60 shoulder to overhead (with a bar), 60 abmat sit-ups, and 60 ball over shoulders. But that's not all...we finished up with a Tabata of supermans, hollow holds, and planks. 

On Saturday, the CrossFit box held a bootcamp benefit for the American Heart Association. We did a workout which started with a 3 minute row, followed by 1 minute each of thrusters, plank step ups, push ups, ball over shoulder, and abmat situps. After 3 rounds, it was back to the rower to cash out for 3 minutes. It was fun to see Steph, too!

Steph, Sammy Jo, and me

I woke up Sunday morning to 3 inches of fresh snow on the ground and it was still snowing. So I had no excuse but to try out my new treadmill! You can read my review below but I ran 6 miles using 9:1 run/walk intervals. I wasn't feeling great and while I finished my run in under an hour, I had to make a couple pit stops and was really glad I was able to run indoors.

Sunday's run on my new treadmill!
Also sporting a new InknBurn skirt as well as Mizuno Wave Horizon 3s.
 I'll have a review coming on the shoes in a few weeks.

I TRIED IT! ProForm 505-CST

A few weeks ago, I posted my very sad story about the death of my 22 year old ProForm treadmill. I wasn't surprised when it stopped working, as it had been circling the drain for a while. However, I was disappointed that it chose to stop during this ridiculous winter we are having. Knowing that its days were numbered, I had already been eyeing new machines. After one last review of the treadmills that met my criteria, I made a decision to purchase the ProForm 505-CST. Obviously, I've had a great experience with the brand. Reviews for this model were overwhelmingly positive and it was featured as a best buy on Wirecutter. I wanted just the basics--a treadmill that would let me run and accurately track my stats. Interestingly, I paid the same amount for this treadmill as I did for the treadmill I bought 22 years ago! My son Tom easily assembled the treadmill in about an hour and it was ready to go.

The easy to read console

The console has a nice digital display that shows time, distance, speed, calories, and incline. There is also a My Trail tab that shows a 400m track and counts laps. The console has built-in speakers but I will have to connect my iPhone to them using an aux cord. The shelf on top of the console can accommodate a tablet and there's a shelf along the bottom of the console for a book or a magazine. The treadmill has Bluetooth capabilities but only for heart rate monitoring and the iFit app. My treadmill came with a one month free membership to iFit, but as of this posting, I have been unable to connect the Bluetooth to my iPad. I'm not all that concerned since I won't be using the iFit anyways. I will say that I didn't like that I couldn't turn on the treadmill without activating iFit first, which required me to enter a credit card number. I'll need to remember to cancel that membership before the 30 day trial is up. 

As far as performance goes, posted reviews said the treadmill was noisy but I didn't think that it was noisy at all! In fact, compared to my old machine, the new one is whisper quiet! My husband said he couldn't hear me running on it. The platform has shock absorbers and that gives the runner a nice cushiony ride. Folding up the treadmill after a run requires the use of a pin on the side and it's a little tricky. It's going to take me a little while to get used to the digital display and the features. I kept pushing the incline buttons instead of the speed buttons. But overall, I am thrilled with my new treadmill. If you are in the market for a basic, budget, well-built treadmill, the ProForm 505-CST delivers. 

How was your week? Are you battling some brutal outdoor running conditions? Do you test yourself with a run when you're not feeling well? Are you a basic treadmill person or do you like all the bells and whistles?

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