A Good "OW"

So Thank you for your suggestions on my post about knee pain. For some reason, I never would have even thought strength training would help. To be honest, I've been shying away from squats, lunges, and other moves that would work my legs, for two reasons:

1. I hate them.

2. I always had some sort of dull pain after running, so I figured strength training would just aggrevate that.

Yesterday I hit the gym after work, spending 40 minutes on the eliptical, with slight discomfort but definetly not pain, and nothing like monday, at least. I stretched out afterwards, feeling good about my workout so far, and went to the free weights section.

I go to two different planet fitness gyms. One is in my work building, and one is in the town next to mine, just built last summer. I only go to the one in my hometown on weekends, mainly because it's always packed on weeknights, and also because besides being crowded, I have noticed people standing around judging others before. Like groups of girls, standing in a corner, watching people working out and laughing at them. I heard a guy make a comment about my weight as I was walking by him before.I've had a guy stand and watch me do free weights, like seriously stand there and watch me with his friends.

 It's just a terrible atmosphere. And judging by how trashy the town next to mine has become, It  really shouldn't surprise me. The one in my building is never too busy, filled with a lot of older poeple/ athletic people who are there to work out. I like the atmosphere more, and definetly prefer it, even though the machines are a lot older.


Anyways I also like how big the free weights section is at my work gym, so I set up a mat, grabbed some dumbbells and went to work.
My workout went as such: (with 7.5 pound weights)
12 arm curls with lunges, X2
12 hammer curls, with lunges (opposite leg) X2
12 side lunges with shoulder press (both legs)
15 front raises (I think that's what they are called) with squats
15 side raises with squats
stationary squat with 20 tricep kickbacks

then I took two 10 pound weights and did
10 alternating arm curls, 10 alternating hammer curls
20 side bends
15 dead lifts X2
stationary lunge with 20 one arm dumbbell rows (each side)

And I did a few ab moves and the nautilus machines. Overall I felt awesome afterwards. Any pain I had in my knee actually lessened with all the workouts, which suprised me!And it made me realize that I was making excuses for not working my legs, and I was hurting myself because of it! I am going to make use of my sparkpeople membership to look up more strength training moves to try out, and see how it goes. I am doing a video tonight, and then planning on hitting up the gym on Saturday as well, so hopefully I will have a few more moves to add in then.

I can say though, judging by the pain in my legs, I definetly worked myself, and I won't lie, I love that feeling! Hopefully this helps get rid of my knee pain, and make me into a better runner!