Filles de Fer

Interesting little tidbit that I learned the other day, courtesy of Cap’s roommate (who is in PT school): running on the indoor banked track during the winter is bad for my IT band, and a treadmill set at an incline is better for me!

His reasoning: the banked track, as well as the curvature of the track (since most gyms force people to run/walk/jog in the same direction and alternate by days) makes an uneven surface for my footsteps. This lack of balance is not so great for the knees, especially the IT band.

 I had no clue about this, but it makes a lot of sense - last winter/spring, I trained almost exclusively by running on an indoor track at my gym, and I had some pretty awful IT band problems during/after the Flying Pig 1/2 marathon. In contrast, almost all of my training for Chicago was outdoors, on roads, and my IT band issues disappeared.

I hate treadmills, but I’ll do whatever I can to prevent injuries. Plus, Cincinnati is a very hilly marathon, and I can play with incline to simulate hills - something I can’t do on the track or on the Chicago roads.

I need to find a new gym. Here are my current options (although I’m open to suggestions for reasonably-priced Chicago gyms!):

The gym at school: For $78 per quarter and $39 in the summer, I can go to a rec center with a four-court gym, a six-lane pool, dozens of cardio machines, three racquetball courts and strength-training equipment. It’s open from 8am to 8pm, and is on my commute route between home/school/work.

The gym at work: For $30 per month, I can use the fitness center in my office building, which is filled with top of the line cardio and strength training equipment, expertly designed entertainment systems, beautiful finishes and offer[s] a wide array of innovative classes, personal training, massage, nutrition counseling and much more. It’s just downstairs from work, so I can drop in at the end of the day. The extra bonus is that if I get a membership, I can use the showers on days that I bike to work in the spring. The not-so-bonus part is that I’d be locked into a 12-month agreement, and if I stop working in the building, there’s not much of a point.

Suggestions, anyone?

Most of my workouts consist of running, swimming, or (attempts at) cycling. Makes sense, because those are the activities I’m training for. I also use the cardio and weight machines at the gym. Know what? That can get pretty repetitive. Sometimes, I like to throw something really different into my routine.

Today, I discovered the New York City Ballet Workout. It was playing on OnDemand, and since exercise > laziness, I decided to give it a try.

I am not a ballerina.

I definitely learned how not-graceful I am this morning! The workout isn’t bad, but it’s going to take a few times through for me to be able to keep up with the movements. When I’m not being awkward? It’s great for working on my balance and coordination.