1/2 Run - Personal Training and Treadmill Run

5 miles on the treadmill at 1% incline. Max 6.8, min 5.0, average 5.3.

Did the run after my first 'real' personal training session. We got these training sessions a part of a package that kept our renewal rates down by a significant chunk. I'm not sure where the money is going to come from if I need/want session after the 4 I have. Val and I will have to figure that out.

This session finished my assessment with some sort of standing squat thing that I did a couple dozen times while he looked at me. Then finally a 45 minute block of instruction of using the foam roller (and its friend the medicine ball) to do stretching. Supposedly the SMR type rolling/stretching works better than the old fashioned static stretching I 'grew up' with.

One of the bigger tricks he showed/told me was to stop on any 'hot spots' for 30 or 40 seconds and just sit there. I've just been rolling back and forth and it's helped, but stopping and going a little more slowly really helped. He also mentioned that when doing your calves you shouldn't roll back and forth. Ankles to knees, reset, and repeat. Apparently there are some one-way valves in the calf area that rolling 'down' can affect and create varicose veins. (I think that's what he said. :)).

The medicine ball was for some point rolling on the inside of the thighs (adductors) and calves, as well as up the side of the back. Painful but effective. He worked the upper body as well. One of them was using the roller lengthwise down the spine and you hold your arms at 90degree angles and just sit there. his elbows touched the ground. Mine just hung out there in space. :) Even he commented that we 'might' need to work on my range of motion a little. :)

He also had what seemed to be some good input on the form/biomechanics thing with my right foot. According to him strengthening my glutes (butt), quads (thihg) and the front of my calf (soleus?) would really help me keep proper form.

I've got a strength training session with him on Tuesday, so we'll see how that goes.