first haircut!
Originally uploaded by renfield
and I ran, I ran so far away...
Never mind that A Flock of Seagulls totally rocks it. This post is about running.
Today I ran on the super high-tech running machine (Don't call it a treadmill! I been here for years, rockin' the mic...) at the gym.
This marvel of modern technology has a built-in TV with cable and satellite, blue-LED back-lit, ergonomically sculpted controls, a plethora of settings, more computing power than a late 20th century CRAY, built-in heart monitor, and not one but TWO emergency crash-stop mechanisms.
But the best thing about is: I set it for 7 clicks an hour, and I ran. For an hour.
I suspect that whilst my gate could technically be called "running", i.e. I have both feet off the ground at one point during my stride, it certainly isn't fast.
As I may have mentioned before, I have spent the past few years relearning how to walk and run. I have now successfully changed my general mode of bipedal locomotion enough for it to be considered kinda strange looking to anyone bothering to pay attention.
Not this weird, but the concept is basically the same; don't twist the upper body, keep the shoulder in-line with the hip, move from the center and the legs will follow. As the hip goes forward, the shoulder goes DOWN and circles forward to follow, using the back, letting the arms swing naturally. Another way to think about it is imagine that the legs are attached under the chest or that the hips are under the armpits.
Anyway it may be odd, but I find it incredibly efficient, easy on the ankles and knees, stable, smooth, and lots of fun.
So there I was at a stable clip of 7 clicks, playing for an hour with landing on the balls of my feet (wearing my awesome shoes of course), bouncing my gait, rolling my hips forward, leaning in and doing a falling-stride, trying a smoothy (basically use the legs as shock absorbers and don't let the upper body bounce in the vertical plane at all).
After an hour, I was moderately sweating and my pulse had doubled from its usual 55 bpm to 110, and then quickly cooled down.
When I finally stepped off the machine I was actually a little wobbly. I had spent such a long time running in place that I kind of had that near-vertigo feeling of getting off of a really long escalator or something; like I was not moving appropriately in relation to the world.
Did a few pull-ups and a then a nice big stretch. Wow, after running for an hour my legs were really limbered up and I could split wide and bring my upper body really low!
Also practiced a couple of head-stands against the wall; absolutely no idea where straight-up is so cannot balance without a wall, but it's a great core workout and feels nice to get all the blood flowing upside down for a few minutes.
I assume I burned a decent amount of calories in an hour; I maintained a slow and steady low-impact pace and was never breathing too hard, as opposed to the punishing run flat-out, walk for a bit, repeat several times circuit that the girl next to me put herself through. She sweated like a grad student defending her thesis but she was skinny in all the right places and had hair like a pony, so who am I to judge?
So the verdict: now that the muggy humidity and rain of summer is upon us, I like running on a machine. The TV is boring, but I can look out the window and listen to my iPod.
Problem is I haven't acquired any new music in over a year, and the right song REALLY makes running fun.
So I need some suggestions for good running music, preferably of the hard and/or techno variety.
Today I ran on the super high-tech running machine (Don't call it a treadmill! I been here for years, rockin' the mic...) at the gym.
This marvel of modern technology has a built-in TV with cable and satellite, blue-LED back-lit, ergonomically sculpted controls, a plethora of settings, more computing power than a late 20th century CRAY, built-in heart monitor, and not one but TWO emergency crash-stop mechanisms.
But the best thing about is: I set it for 7 clicks an hour, and I ran. For an hour.
I suspect that whilst my gate could technically be called "running", i.e. I have both feet off the ground at one point during my stride, it certainly isn't fast.
As I may have mentioned before, I have spent the past few years relearning how to walk and run. I have now successfully changed my general mode of bipedal locomotion enough for it to be considered kinda strange looking to anyone bothering to pay attention.
Not this weird, but the concept is basically the same; don't twist the upper body, keep the shoulder in-line with the hip, move from the center and the legs will follow. As the hip goes forward, the shoulder goes DOWN and circles forward to follow, using the back, letting the arms swing naturally. Another way to think about it is imagine that the legs are attached under the chest or that the hips are under the armpits.
Anyway it may be odd, but I find it incredibly efficient, easy on the ankles and knees, stable, smooth, and lots of fun.
So there I was at a stable clip of 7 clicks, playing for an hour with landing on the balls of my feet (wearing my awesome shoes of course), bouncing my gait, rolling my hips forward, leaning in and doing a falling-stride, trying a smoothy (basically use the legs as shock absorbers and don't let the upper body bounce in the vertical plane at all).
After an hour, I was moderately sweating and my pulse had doubled from its usual 55 bpm to 110, and then quickly cooled down.
When I finally stepped off the machine I was actually a little wobbly. I had spent such a long time running in place that I kind of had that near-vertigo feeling of getting off of a really long escalator or something; like I was not moving appropriately in relation to the world.
Did a few pull-ups and a then a nice big stretch. Wow, after running for an hour my legs were really limbered up and I could split wide and bring my upper body really low!
Also practiced a couple of head-stands against the wall; absolutely no idea where straight-up is so cannot balance without a wall, but it's a great core workout and feels nice to get all the blood flowing upside down for a few minutes.
I assume I burned a decent amount of calories in an hour; I maintained a slow and steady low-impact pace and was never breathing too hard, as opposed to the punishing run flat-out, walk for a bit, repeat several times circuit that the girl next to me put herself through. She sweated like a grad student defending her thesis but she was skinny in all the right places and had hair like a pony, so who am I to judge?
So the verdict: now that the muggy humidity and rain of summer is upon us, I like running on a machine. The TV is boring, but I can look out the window and listen to my iPod.
Problem is I haven't acquired any new music in over a year, and the right song REALLY makes running fun.
So I need some suggestions for good running music, preferably of the hard and/or techno variety.
pull-ups
So we did many a pull-up on PCP. And I hated them.
Near the end, Patrick hooked me up with my very own Perfect Pull-Up Bar.I installed it in the door frame between my kitchen and the living room.
I still hate pull-ups. And could rarely motivate to do them.
Then last night in class, Hamazaki-sensei was running us through some back exercises. It was crowded, and I was up in the front near the stereo as that was the only place with any room left to stand.
Sensei came up behind me, pointed to my back and told the class "Do them correctly, and your back will look like this!"
So now whenever I get hungry and go into the kitchen, I grab the bar and do 10 pull-ups. Because they work.
I am officially insane now, thanks.
Near the end, Patrick hooked me up with my very own Perfect Pull-Up Bar.I installed it in the door frame between my kitchen and the living room.
I still hate pull-ups. And could rarely motivate to do them.
Then last night in class, Hamazaki-sensei was running us through some back exercises. It was crowded, and I was up in the front near the stereo as that was the only place with any room left to stand.
Sensei came up behind me, pointed to my back and told the class "Do them correctly, and your back will look like this!"
So now whenever I get hungry and go into the kitchen, I grab the bar and do 10 pull-ups. Because they work.
I am officially insane now, thanks.
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