Cross Training for Running

Ed -

So I've had a lazy week running-wise.  Did that 7 mile "fast" run at 7:36 pace then followed up the next day with 3 miles easy (8:30 pace), but I didn't do the long hills I planned for Thursday morning.  I was still sleeping in after a two plus hour drive back from Northern Virginia and a visit with several high school friends.  We had a great dinner and all, but if you ever driven down 95 from DC towards Richmond, you know what went on.

Accidents and construction.  Didn't get home till after midnight so I bagged the run.

I made it to kettle bell class this morning, though, just fine.  And you know what I learned?  I don't have a core.

I have decent looking abs, don't get me wrong.  Not that it's a ripped 6 pack, but you can see the ripples and it's nice and firm.  However, when we did the kettle bell toe touch thing where you lie on your back, raise your legs to 45 degrees, extend your kettle bell with two hands above your face, then lift your shoulders up off the floor and reach for your toes with the kettle bell I simply didn't move.

No movement.  Lots of grunting, but no movement.

I wiggled all over the place and my legs swung up and all around, but the only part of my upper body that would move was my chin.  I'm sure Bob would have a really nice visual right here like "I looked like a catfish flopping on the bottom of a skiff while a troop of cub scouts cheered and farted," but I'm not sure what he'd come up with.  Ross the extremely fit trainer shouted all sorts of encouraging stuff, but my abs weren't going to pull my shoulders anywhere.

We switched to a leg lift exercise and that went better, then right into a bicycle type maneuver where I actually got my shoulders up some.  Then we rested 30 seconds to do it again.

The second set actually was a little better than the first and I think its because I had myself balanced a little better, but after about four good squeezes and some definite, although limited, motion from my upper body; my abs were seriously burning.

The third set was just ugly all the way around.

Ross said we all did great, but I'm pretty sure he rolled his eyes at me and I had this flashing image of him in a blue shirt with brightly colored patches and a yellow bandanna tied around his neck.  Still he talked to me a little and said we'd continue to work on core stuff after all of the other swinging, punching and squatting we were doing with the kettle bells.

"You're gonna get strong," he said.

No doubt in my mind.

Have to get a long run in sometime this weekend and keep on schedule for the fall races!