Body Pump

Body Pump is a lot harder than it used to be.   For those of you who aren’t familiar with body pump, it’s a 60 minute, high repetition weightlifting class.  You can find out more here.  The class is great for cross-training.  I have fewer running aches and pains if I keep up with my body pump at least twice a week. 

Lately, though, it’s been wearing me out. 

Usually when I miss a week or two of class, the first time back is rough.  I’m sore and worn out . . . if not by the end of the hour, within two hours after the end of the class.  But the subsequent classes get easier as my body remembers the routine. 

That’s not happening anymore.  Every class in the last few weeks has been a challenge.  During class, I have to take breaks as my temperature and heart rate get too high and threaten light-headedness.  After finishing this afternoon’s class, I had to sit in the car for a few minutes waiting to recover before I felt comfortable enough to drive.  On one hand, I was happy that I had an effective workout.   I’m getting more bang for my workout buck.  On the other, I realized I’m going to be exhausted for the rest of the day.  

I’ve been finding the same result with running.  If you read my last post about Drew Hills, you know how much effort I put into that run.  The day after Drew Hills, I was useless.  Completely spent.   I’m still pleased with the workout, but I wished I would have had enough energy to get an easy run in the next day, too.  It didn’t happen. 

A cute picture of Daughter taken shortly before Body Pump today.  

I’ve been planning my workouts more carefully with this newly developed, post-workout, intense fatigue.  I skipped my long run this past weekend because I needed a whole day to work on my thesis.  If I would have ran first, I would have been too tired for intellectual thought.  Even with a nap.  (See my post on Mental Fatigue) Husband tells me this tiredness will probably only get worse. 

Scheduling workouts has been a struggle.  My runs have been sporadic, which is SO unlike me.  (Ask my coaches.  During training, I don’t miss runs.  Ever.)  I’ve been doing pretty well with body pump classes.  I need to work harder at getting runs in.  Yet, at the same time, I feel like any kind of forward progress is good for me right now.  When I was pregnant with Daughter, I didn’t run a single mile.  Then 2 years later I ran a 3:35 marathon.  With this new baby, I’ve logged over 300 miles already.  I’m already in much better shape this time around.  On the days I miss a run for whatever reason (don’t want to be worn out, just ate, too exhausted from work . . .) I usually get a lake walk in.  This past week, I walked around Lake Harriet on 3 different days.  It makes me feel better.  It’s forward progress.

In the next few weeks, I plan to get back up to 3 runs a week while maintaining my 2 body pumps.  They may have to be lower intensity runs, but they will be runs.  A month from today, I will be submitting my thesis to my committee and will have a HUGE time suck taken away.  Then I’ll have nothing but time to run and lift and play with my 2 year-old and be tired.  I’m looking forward to it.