I take it back
So yesterday we got a bit more information on the trainer that my dance teacher was bringing in to help us out. Turns out he's also a registered nurse and so is well aware of compensating for injuries and such, so the other 'old fart' (aka 'Senior Lady') and I decided to give the training session a whirl.
I picked up some snazzy new running shoes yesterday that go completely against all my aesthetic rules for footwear - they are white and blue! Gah! I never wear white shoes. But they are comfy as hell and properly support my feet that still have the tendency to pronate a bit.
We started out with an easy jog/run. I went slow and steady and was really proud of how well I did. The trails in the park are measured so that if you run the outside trail twice and the inside trail once, you will run a mile. I ran the outside trail 4 times with a very brief water pit stop and the end of each circuit and didn't have to walk until the last lap and then it was only minimal (about 100 steps or so).
And the crazy thing is, I actually enjoyed myself!
We followed up the running with some basic stretches - most of which I already do on a regular basis. And then had a talk about food and nutrition, in which I found out that I was pretty much doing things right (though I do have to cut out the sweets more).
So this trainer guy is a great fit for us. He's Irish and did a bit of Irish dancing as a kid. His sister dances as well. He's a highschool running coach as well as being an RN. He's also worked with the cast of Riverdance to up their fitness level. Apparently when the first group was working up to go on tour it was discovered that they weren't in nearly good enough shape to sustain the practice and performance schedule so they brought in runner and athlete trainers to cross train them and get them into better shape. He really understands what is required for Irish dancing and what we will need to do to meet our goals without injuring ourselves along the way.
So my homework this week is to switch up my gym routine a bit. Instead of doing my usual 25 minutes on the eliptical machine, I am supposed to do 20 minutes on the eliptical and then 10 minutes running on the treadmill. Yay!
I am actually not too sore right now. That may change later tonight, but I will take some advil.
I have a feeling that this is what I need to get myself over this hump and drop the last 10-15 pounds and get my dancing up to the next level.
I picked up some snazzy new running shoes yesterday that go completely against all my aesthetic rules for footwear - they are white and blue! Gah! I never wear white shoes. But they are comfy as hell and properly support my feet that still have the tendency to pronate a bit.
We started out with an easy jog/run. I went slow and steady and was really proud of how well I did. The trails in the park are measured so that if you run the outside trail twice and the inside trail once, you will run a mile. I ran the outside trail 4 times with a very brief water pit stop and the end of each circuit and didn't have to walk until the last lap and then it was only minimal (about 100 steps or so).
And the crazy thing is, I actually enjoyed myself!
We followed up the running with some basic stretches - most of which I already do on a regular basis. And then had a talk about food and nutrition, in which I found out that I was pretty much doing things right (though I do have to cut out the sweets more).
So this trainer guy is a great fit for us. He's Irish and did a bit of Irish dancing as a kid. His sister dances as well. He's a highschool running coach as well as being an RN. He's also worked with the cast of Riverdance to up their fitness level. Apparently when the first group was working up to go on tour it was discovered that they weren't in nearly good enough shape to sustain the practice and performance schedule so they brought in runner and athlete trainers to cross train them and get them into better shape. He really understands what is required for Irish dancing and what we will need to do to meet our goals without injuring ourselves along the way.
So my homework this week is to switch up my gym routine a bit. Instead of doing my usual 25 minutes on the eliptical machine, I am supposed to do 20 minutes on the eliptical and then 10 minutes running on the treadmill. Yay!
I am actually not too sore right now. That may change later tonight, but I will take some advil.
I have a feeling that this is what I need to get myself over this hump and drop the last 10-15 pounds and get my dancing up to the next level.