Here is the pencilled version of my cover. Tomorrow is my last class: inking!
Here is the pencilled version of my cover. Tomorrow is my last class: inking!
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I have one more cartooning class left this summer when we'll be inking our comic book covers (I'm still in the middle of pencilling it). Here are some samples from my sketchbook over the summer.
As mentioned in my previous post, these are some things I've learned to help anyone who's interested in starting or improving their running. This is not about how to run faster or train harder or lose weight, but rather how to enjoy your body in motion.
Equipment & Attire Good shoes are a must. I strongly recommend going to an actual running shoe store where the sales associate is trained to look at your gait and ask questions about any conditions or symptoms and advise you accordingly. Such stores also often let you try running in the shoes before purchasing. Worn-out or improperly fitting shoes will affect your knees, and possibly your hips and back, creating any variety of symptoms. In warmer weather, I sweat like a beast, and so tend to wear shorter, breathable shorts and tank tops, but I also find that my thighs and armpits rub a bit. So, especially for my longer runs, I rub some anti-chafing goodness on. In cooler weather, I try to layer in such a way that the clothes don't interfere with my movement. I try to run with as little as possible on me so as to keep me focused, to enjoy the environment, and to help keep proper form. I sometimes run with my phone or house keys in my hand, but that's about it. To reduce the need for carrying water, I make sure I hydrate regularly throughout the rest of the day, and to run in the cooler parts of the day. If you listen to music and you're running outside, make sure you can still listen for traffic, bike bells, and other important noises. If you're carrying extra weight, distribute it evenly, strap it to you tightly, and monitor your gait. Planning and Logging Pick a training plan that helps you increase distance in small increments. When training for a half-marathon a number of years ago, even though I was doing intense strength training and aerobics and felt I could handle more, I ended up putting on too much distance too fast and injuring myself (in fact, I ran a half during training but was then unable to compete). This time around, I followed this plan. I created and printed out a schedule for myself based on the plan. Each day, I would record what I did (if it differed or added detail to what was scheduled that day) and how I felt before and during the exercise in an effort to prevent injury by resting and strengthening as needed. Stretching Before Both sitting and intense exercise can leave your muscles tense and tight, and I find I need to make sure I warm up and stretch my muscles before getting going. Static stretching is a no-no for cold muscles. I tend to use yoga as a warm-up, completing several sun salutations until I feel warm and loose. I also like to include Warrior 1 and 2 and triangle pose in the mix (after the lunges in the sun salutation sequence).
Stretching After
Many of the poses used in the sun salutation are perfect for stretching afterward as well, so I often do these and simply go deeper or hold for longer. Downward dog is excellent for the calves and upper back, the lunge and warrior poses are fantastic for the hip flexors, and triangle is great for hamstrings. I also include the following:
Supplementary Training
On my off days, I did some kind of non-impact cross-training (biking, Vinyasa yoga, TaeBo, walking/hiking), as I find it's important for me to move every day to manage pain and maintain flexibility and joint mobility. Plus, it just makes me feel happier! I also made sure to strength-train regularly, including this either before or after running or cross-training. My chiropractor mentioned that some of my lower back stiffness was the result of lacking mobility in my mid to upper back, and it's generally a good idea to strengthen the back as it often gets neglected. I find two-arm rows (at a variety of angles), as well as TYIs work very well for me. Here are my other go-to exercises, which address the lower back, transverse abs, glutes (medius and maximus), hamstrings, and quads:
I hope you find this information helpful and enjoy your body in motion! Please include any comments or questions below.
My summer has been ... weird. Two months is a long time to be off from teaching. My days consist of a mix of planning for the fall (which is hard because of quite a few unknowns regarding instructional hours and classroom setup, and also lacking contact with other teachers), relaxing, taking a cartooning class at ACAD, and committing to enjoying outdoor activity. I suffer from chronic back pain (about 8 years now) that gets worse during the school year because of frequent and prolonged sitting. When I was in Lethbridge, biking and/or walking every day helped alleviate the pain. Despite fairly regular strength training during the school year, I found myself in a lot of pain again in April and decided I'd try to get back into running. My theory was that more upright movement = happier back. I took 3 years off after injuring my knees due to over-training for a half marathon, and I wanted to be really careful getting back into it. I started a 14-week 'couch to half marathon' training plan that I found online and am delighted to say that, for a few weeks in a row now, I've been able to comfortably run 8k on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 16k on Saturdays - a routine I hope to maintain at least until September. After reaching 16k, I didn't feel the need to be able to run longer than that, as I'm not training to compete but rather to increase my strength and endurance, and to decrease my pain. I've learned many things the hard way (I ran regularly for 5 years before my 3 year break), and in my next post, I'm going to share tips and tricks for enjoyable, pain-free running. |
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