I won’t lie – I skipped a few days this week. But on the days that I didn’t skip, I worked in the 100-Up Major this time. One word: wow. They don’t call this major for nothing. Perhaps I’m not the most athletic minimalist runner in the universe….well okay, I’m definitely not. So maybe this was harder for me than it will be for you. But the first day I attempted the 100-up Major, I nearly fell over after 7 reps. I wish I had it on camera! It was like a slow listing to the right, and a few more reps I would have landed on my ass. I think part of the problem is that the only time I have during the day to do these in peace is first thing in the morning, and my joints are not exactly in tune yet. Not to mention my ankle ligaments that still need some time. At night my husband is home, and for some reason I am not really that comfortable bouncing around the living room with him watching. Maybe it’ll be less embarrassing once I’m more graceful at it. Maybe.

So the 100-Up minor does a lot for my hip muscles. The 100-up major? Had me sore in the following places the next day: shoulders, upper ribs, lower abdomen, hips, calves, shins and the arches of my feet. I mean, not since the pushup have I worked so many muscle groups all at once. Not to mention these are all the parts that get the most tired and sore after my long runs, so these are the perfect muscle groups to be targeting. I’m thankful that it’s only 100 reps, too, because it’s difficult to keep up. It’s harder than running, and I think that is why W.S. George found this exercise helpful. If in practice you work harder than you’ll need to during the test, then you’ll pass with flying colors.

I am hoping that a good dose of this exercise will help my ankle strength and prioperception, as well, something I definitely lack.

How are your 100-ups going?

And on another note, I wanted to pass along a link to this video that I saw this morning on Run Barefoot Girl‘s blog. Shelley Viggiano, an ultra runner, creator of the famous Mind the Ducks 12-hour Run, and truly an inspiration herself, shoots video of her husband on his  first 100-mile race. By the end of it I was feeling a lot of different emotions, among them pride, happiness and nothing short of absolute inspiration. Now, more than ever, I feel as though at some point in my life I will become an ultra runner. Maybe not 100 miles, but hey…a girl can hope.

From the description it seems a lot of folks had already seen this two-part video, but if you haven’t, it’s really something to behold.

Burning River 100-Mile: Part 1

Burning River 100-Mile: Part 2