Drylands

From middle school through high school I swam every day except Sundays. Two or three times a week after practice we would have additional "drylands" workouts. To a swimmer, this means any physical thing that isn't swimming. 

I like to call my non-running workouts drylands workouts as well. Usually I don't like drylands. I'm not a fan of gyms or weight rooms, cardio stuff is my weakness right now, my arms have always been shrimpy, and who likes planks (not me).

I didn't work this morning, and I didn't feel like running hills, but I really need to whip my cardio into shape. Here's what I did:

1:00 jump rope

15 wall pushups

20 lunges

(repeat all 5x)

This, plus a little stretching, took less than 30 minutes. 

Now, I've seen fancy weighted jump ropes, all different types of cords, wooden handles, foam handles, molded grip handles. I've tried lots of them because I was curious. Is my lack of appearing to jump rope like Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby simply because I had the wrong jump rope?

Deff don't look like that when I skip rope

That question was rhetorical. Obviously it comes down to getting in shape regardless of the tools you have at your disposal. I just happen to have a jump rope that I got from a free event that is the best jump rope I have ever used. 

My high-tech jump rope

The handles are slim and plastic. The cord is a translucent hardish plastic that really stings if you hit yourself with it (ahem). And the handles rotate around the cord without making it all twisted up when you're jumping (that's the most important quality for a jump rope to possess IMO). 

Jump roping kicked my butt today, cardio-wise. I think I have a good amount of muscle because I have to climb a mountain just to get to the metro station, but my cardio and active recovery is pitiful. Here's my resolution to add this into my workouts three times a week!

Do you use jump ropes? Do you like the rope you have?

Life Update! Or, how hills are ruining my life

I moved from Dubai to São Paulo in January 2015. Four months later and I'm feeling more settled in, getting a hang of the language, and am comfortable with my job. Unfortunately though, I haven't exercised with much consistency.

I've run a handful of times, and each time I felt blaaahhh afterwards. Remembering that feeling doesn't help when I'm deciding to stay inside and read or go out and run.

Also, my neighborhood is known as being hip and cool, and pretty crime-free compared to most of São Paulo. Why is that? because IT'S FREAKIN HARD TO RUN HERE! So hard that most robbers are all, 'Damn, I don't wanna run up that hill!' I can't blame them, cuz I don't either. I'm either running knee-pounding downhills with crooked sidewalks that hurt my ankles (and even my knees when I walk a lot), or lung-busting uphills that can compete with the best San Francisco has to offer.

Aw, a beautiful rainbow that, oddly enough, mimics the topography of the neighborhood it is shining on.

I've considered a few options to avoid the hills and find somewhere more 'Alisa Approved.'

1. Walk to a park about 25 minutes away
   Pros: Awesome paths, free exercise machinery, no cars inside the park
   Cons: It takes 25 minutes to get there, and then I will run, and then walk UPHILL back. 1:30+ for a workout is not my idea of convenient.
2. Run downhill to a bike path along the Pinheiros River; take a bus back
   Pros: The sidewalks along this route are mostly wide and flat, pretty river scenery
   Cons: The bus costs money, the river stinks, and the bike path is adjacent to a super noisy highway.
3. Run in a flat business district after I finish teaching morning classes
   Pros: It's flat, and easy to access since I'll already be there
   Cons: It's a business district and is congested with people and traffic. There's also construction in the area. I usually feel devoid of energy after morning classes.

Don't be deceived. Were this facing the other way, you would see sheer cliff.

Option #3 is looking the most attractive at this moment, but that means I'll need to get my life a lot more organized. I'll need to go to bed earlier so I have enough energy after class. I'll need to eat food before I leave for work and pack a post-class snack and a post-run snack. I'll need to stay on top of my laundry so I have clean workout clothes for the days that I need it. Aaand uhhh deodorant. I'll need to pack that.