Guest Hosting the Weekly Wrap!

August 13, 2017 by 70 Comments

Happy Sunday and welcome to the Weekly Wrap!

I am so excited to be this week’s guest host while Holly and Tricia enjoy some time off from hosting duties this summer. Weekly Wrap brings together such a great group of active women supporting each other, and I am honored to be guest hosting.

If you’ve never joined the Weekly Wrap, I encourage you to dive right in! The rules are pretty simple. Visit and comment on as many blogs as you can, including the host blog. Please don’t just link and leave – let’s support each other! It’s a great way to discover new blogs and make new friends!

If you were here for my last Wrap, then you may remember I skipped last week’s long run, as my lack of quality sleep had left me totally drained. Well, what I didn’t share was that my left ankle was feeling super tight and my upper calf was sore, and I think even if I’d had the best of sleep the ankle would have kept me from hitting the road.

So, how did this week shake out?

Monday: I wasn’t taking any chances with the ankle, so I headed to my PT/chiro. The verdict? Ankle immobility was affecting my fibula head – I’ve been here before and had to fess up to lagging on any of my ankle exercises. So you can guess what my homework was!

Tuesday: After checking in with my RC coaches, we were in agreement to skip the speed work and cross train instead. So, I made a long-overdue return to my gym and hit the Arc Trainer. 40 minutes of cross-training done!

Wednesday: Yoga  – keeping to this month’s goal of at least one weekly session.

Thursday: Strength day including ankle work.

Friday: I was so hoping to run, and while the ankle felt better, it didn’t feel great. Back to the Arc Trainer I went for another round of cross-training, followed by foam rolling and more ankle work.

By the way, if you missed my post about the benefits of the Arc Trainer, you can read it here.

Saturday: Rest day filled with shopping and errands, and yes, more ankle work (are you sensing a theme?)

Sunday:  5-mile run! Babying my ankle all week paid off with a glorious morning run. OK – it was ridiculously humid, but I was running so I didn’t care. My pace was solid, and best of all the ankle stayed quiet until the last half mile – I’m calling that a win! Nice to end the week on a high note.

This week also brought some fun stuff in the mail, including these beauties:

One of my birthday presents from my hubby – Saucony Zealot 3

And, the August StrideBox arrived!

I have really been enjoying these StrideBoxes! It’s been a great way to discover some new products. This month’s box includes items from Bakery on Main, Eboost, Hungry Buddha, Vital 4U, Zealios, No Sweat, and Gear Well – all of which are new to me. Can’t wait to try them all! Huge thanks to the nice folks at StrideBox for the goodies.

So that’s my week, and now I’m off to enjoy some lazing on the deck 🙂

I'm hosting this week's #WeeklyWrap! Come on over and join this fun link-up! Share on X


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Filed Under: #StrideBox, Arc Trainer, Cross-training, listening to your body, Saucony, Weekly Wrap

5 Reasons to Love the Arc Trainer

August 11, 2017 by 8 Comments

This week my cranky ankle has forced me to find new ways to get some cardio in so I darkened the doorways of my gym (I cannot remember the last time I was there!), and re-introduced myself to the Arc Trainer.

After Tuesday’s sweat fest that left my quads and glutes burning, I was quickly reminded why I love this machine. So for this week’s Friday Five, I’m sharing some reasons to hit the Arc Trainer!

Cardio without the pounding – the Arc Trainer really allows you to get your heart rate up for a good cardio workout without the pounding of other machines. I have never been able to get my heart rate going on an elliptical or stepper, so for me, this is a huge win!

Easier on the joints – According to Cybex, who makes the Trainer, the arc path of the foot pedals moves legs in a biomechanically correct pathway and avoids allowing the toe to move behind the knee, which can stress the joint. The Arc Trainer is designed to only generate force during the weight bearing cycle of your gait, with the goal of increasing your calorie burn with reduced stress on the ankle, knee, and hip joints.

Range of muscle engagement – the Arc Trainer offers a wide range of variable resistance and inclines. Higher inclines emulate a stepping motion, targeting your quads, while lower inclines with increased resistance target your glutes and hammies. If you use the Total Body model then you can also use the moving handles to work your arms and chest. (Side note: the Trainer has two models – Total Body and Lower Body – lucky for me, my gym has both!) I like that the Trainer’s display screen features a “muscle map” so you can see which muscles you’re targeting as you adjust the incline and resistance.

Program variety – the ability to mix and match the range of resistance settings and inclines means you can continuously challenge yourself. The Trainer also features both high and low-intensity pre-programmed workouts. Basically, the way you use the machine can be very different from one day to the next – helps to keep the boredom factor down, which is tough on any cardio machine!

Offers both strength & endurance – you can strengthen multiple muscle groups while improving your endurance, getting a bigger bang for your workout!

Check out 5 reasons to use the Arc Trainer! #FridayFive Share on X

I was first introduced to the Arc Trainer more than a year ago by Trainer Stacy, but with time away from the gym had forgotten just how effective it can be. I’m now looking forward to making it a consistent part of my training!

I’m joining in with Rachel from Running on Happy and Lacey & Meranda from Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five link-up!

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Arc Trainer, Cross-training, Friday Five