Oh, Stairs
About once a week, I try to run stairs. Some weeks I miss, meaning the next time will likely be harder. Stairs are not forgiving when missed.
Florida, for the most part, is flat. I have relatives near the Clermont area where there are some rolling hills. Not in St. Pete. I don't think overpasses count.
Often, I run stairs at the five-story parking garage at work. My routine is to jog up and down seven times. The quick workout makes me feel like I've accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. Why? Because it hurts! Stairs never fail to push me. I'd like to be able to do more, but I'm usually dragging and out of breath by the last rep. Especially if I've missed a week or more.
The way down is not always better than the way up, either. At the beginning, sure, it's nice. But soon jelly legs kick in. I think I could grab the rails if I needed to prevent a tumble.
Why are stair jogs important to me?
Living in a flat area, I struggle when I have a race somewhere hilly (i.e. The Claw Run and Hood 2 Coast). Stair training helps make up for the lack of terrain. Also, my running in general benefits with the building and strenghtening of muscles.
It must be easy for me to walk upstairs, right? Wrong! To get to work, I walk up three flights. I'm winded every time. Doesn't seem to matter how much stair jogging I do.
A while ago, I mentioned trying to be more consistent at home doing push-ups, sit ups, and hand weights. All good ways to strengthen muscles since I don't have a gym membership. Yeah. Not so much happening there. One of the reasons I jog from work is because I don't want to do anything by the time I get home.
Note to self: Just do! There is no try.
Florida, for the most part, is flat. I have relatives near the Clermont area where there are some rolling hills. Not in St. Pete. I don't think overpasses count.
Often, I run stairs at the five-story parking garage at work. My routine is to jog up and down seven times. The quick workout makes me feel like I've accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. Why? Because it hurts! Stairs never fail to push me. I'd like to be able to do more, but I'm usually dragging and out of breath by the last rep. Especially if I've missed a week or more.
 |
| At the top of the world! Er, the fifth floor |
 |
| This way to feel the burn |
Why are stair jogs important to me?
Living in a flat area, I struggle when I have a race somewhere hilly (i.e. The Claw Run and Hood 2 Coast). Stair training helps make up for the lack of terrain. Also, my running in general benefits with the building and strenghtening of muscles.
It must be easy for me to walk upstairs, right? Wrong! To get to work, I walk up three flights. I'm winded every time. Doesn't seem to matter how much stair jogging I do.
A while ago, I mentioned trying to be more consistent at home doing push-ups, sit ups, and hand weights. All good ways to strengthen muscles since I don't have a gym membership. Yeah. Not so much happening there. One of the reasons I jog from work is because I don't want to do anything by the time I get home.
Note to self: Just do! There is no try.
I'm not so good on my strength training either but I've just installed a couple of apps on my iPhone and they've kept me motivated for a whole week now. That's pretty good for me.
ReplyDeleteAlways good to have motivators. A friend of mine has a very special running app on her iPhone. When she starts the program, she hears zombies chasing her through her headphones. Talk about motivation!
ReplyDelete