THE WORKOUT: 30 minutes Boxing/Sparring -> transition quickly to 30 minutes of Spinning at medium-high intensity -> transition quickly to 30 minute run medium-high intensity.
In lieu of swimming, I'm substituting my heavy bag workout in the swim portion of this brick. Although it's not the same motion and muscles used, I'm using it to simulate fatigue experience during the swim and not necessarily as a swim workout... just so we're clear ;) I'll post the heavy bag workout I do in a later post. It's a really great whole body workout. I think I already said I'll post that workout, looks like I need to get on that!
I ate A LOT yesterday! I was still 300 calories shy of my recommended amount for the day of 3600, but it was better than any of the days in the past few weeks. I've got to say I feel so much better! Weird, I'm not starving myself and my body thanks me!
In turn, the whole workout was great today. I slowed just a little bit on the last mile of my run, but overall I felt really good.
Here's the run info.
Friday, June 8, 2012
6.7.2012 (Brick) Spinning-Running
THE WORKOUT: Spin 30 minutes -> transition quickly to a 30 minute Run.
First brick workout in years! Since triathlon is it's own sport it it's to be trained as such. Even though there are three distinct components, Swimming, Biking, and Running, they all need to be treated as one event to get your body used to riding after swimming and running after swimming AND riding.
Enter the brick. It's just a workout where any of the two components are done together. So, today is a riding and running brick.
I working on training in increments of time right now rather than in distance. The total workout today was 60 minutes, which each half being 30 minutes. The transition time between the two is not race speed. That will come later on.
It was another basic spin and then off on the run. I'm still working on getting my daily nutrition dialed in. I have such a hard time getting in the calories I need... I just don't like to eat, so that presents a little bit of a problem. Much of the time I am forcing myself to eat, because I really don't feel like it or I don't think of it and my wife has to remind me. I wish there was just a simple Jetson's style pill to take. Daily and in workout nutrition played a part in the run of this workout. I hadn't eaten enough the previous day. I had a caloric deficit of about 900 calories. In workout, I failed to take a gel at 45 minutes into the workout. The later part of the run suffered because of it. It's a work in progress.
Here's the Endo info:
I'll skip the Spin info on Endo, it's just a 30 minute spin.
Here's the run...
First brick workout in years! Since triathlon is it's own sport it it's to be trained as such. Even though there are three distinct components, Swimming, Biking, and Running, they all need to be treated as one event to get your body used to riding after swimming and running after swimming AND riding.
Enter the brick. It's just a workout where any of the two components are done together. So, today is a riding and running brick.
I working on training in increments of time right now rather than in distance. The total workout today was 60 minutes, which each half being 30 minutes. The transition time between the two is not race speed. That will come later on.
It was another basic spin and then off on the run. I'm still working on getting my daily nutrition dialed in. I have such a hard time getting in the calories I need... I just don't like to eat, so that presents a little bit of a problem. Much of the time I am forcing myself to eat, because I really don't feel like it or I don't think of it and my wife has to remind me. I wish there was just a simple Jetson's style pill to take. Daily and in workout nutrition played a part in the run of this workout. I hadn't eaten enough the previous day. I had a caloric deficit of about 900 calories. In workout, I failed to take a gel at 45 minutes into the workout. The later part of the run suffered because of it. It's a work in progress.
Here's the Endo info:
I'll skip the Spin info on Endo, it's just a 30 minute spin.
Here's the run...
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
6.6.2012 Spinning
THE WORKOUT: Spin at medium-high intensity for 60 minutes.
It's been so nice outside that I've really been enjoying running outdoors and have put spinning off for a little while. I'm still getting my bike back in road condition. I need to get a new tire, then lube the chain, and most likely some fine adjustments to shifting. So, spinning is it for right now, which is fine because I really like my spinning bike and I don't necessarily need to be getting the real feel of the road again yet. I'm still getting my engine back into shape, soon we'll start working on the rest. Just a basic spin of about an hour.
It's been so nice outside that I've really been enjoying running outdoors and have put spinning off for a little while. I'm still getting my bike back in road condition. I need to get a new tire, then lube the chain, and most likely some fine adjustments to shifting. So, spinning is it for right now, which is fine because I really like my spinning bike and I don't necessarily need to be getting the real feel of the road again yet. I'm still getting my engine back into shape, soon we'll start working on the rest. Just a basic spin of about an hour.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
6.5.2012 Running
THE WORKOUT: 30 minute Run with intervals -> 1 minute High-Intensity, 2 minutes Medium-Intensity for the duration of the run.
Just did some intervals over 4 miles. After warming up, I did high intensity for 1 minute and recovered for 2. My Nike running shorts with the phone pocket weren't clean, so I had to wear some old school running shorts I've had for about 9 years. So, I didn't bring my phone since I had no other recourse but to hold it... and I didn't feel like doing that.
There's no map on the info below. I'm trying to figure out how to add that post workout.
Just did some intervals over 4 miles. After warming up, I did high intensity for 1 minute and recovered for 2. My Nike running shorts with the phone pocket weren't clean, so I had to wear some old school running shorts I've had for about 9 years. So, I didn't bring my phone since I had no other recourse but to hold it... and I didn't feel like doing that.
There's no map on the info below. I'm trying to figure out how to add that post workout.
Monday, June 4, 2012
6.4.2012 Cross-Training
THE WORKOUT: 30 minutes custom heavy bag routine. 30 second rounds with 10 second rests for the duration of the exercise.
A pretty routine heavy bag workout today followed up by some core work with my favorite free-weights, 40 lb salt bags. They're only $5 each and are great for lunges, back, abs, shoulders... almost anything! Even curls if you're strong enough, which I am not, nor plan to be. If it happens it happens, just saying it's not a goal. Anyways, standard heavy bag workout. Love it because I can get in a great whole body workout and have a great time doing it. Also a great way to let out some frustrations... if you ever have those. I've got videos of the workout I do, I'm working on putting it into a single video, then I'll post it. I don't think it's necessary to post the Endo info, it's just time. I went for 30 minutes.
A pretty routine heavy bag workout today followed up by some core work with my favorite free-weights, 40 lb salt bags. They're only $5 each and are great for lunges, back, abs, shoulders... almost anything! Even curls if you're strong enough, which I am not, nor plan to be. If it happens it happens, just saying it's not a goal. Anyways, standard heavy bag workout. Love it because I can get in a great whole body workout and have a great time doing it. Also a great way to let out some frustrations... if you ever have those. I've got videos of the workout I do, I'm working on putting it into a single video, then I'll post it. I don't think it's necessary to post the Endo info, it's just time. I went for 30 minutes.
6.3.2012 Running
THE WORKOUT: Long Run 1.5 hours
Yesterday was my long day. After taking Friday off and shooting a wedding on Saturday I just really wanted to get out and go. The hard part is that I've not yet figured out nutrition on wedding day to prepare for a long run the next day. We're lucky if we get 30 minutes to eat total from about 9am to 11pm. As I've said before, it's a pretty tiring ordeal even in good shape.
So, trying to make up for my poor nutrition on Saturday took up much of the day Sunday as I got in some fuel and hydrated for the run. That finally put me heading out just after 2pm.
The first three miles went fine, mile 4 I developed an intense side cramp that I was finally able to get to go away before mile 5. 5-7 were pretty uneventful, other than getting lost on the trail and having to take a different route, I was able to get back to my pre-staged water and gel I'd left earlier in the day. I had already eaten three Strawberry Shot Bloks and was making my way slowly through the other three as I went through miles 6-8. I experienced a few more side cramps, ran through them, and maintained my pace. My ITB's were both giving me some problems, the discomfort never developed into much swelling so I continued, but stretching those babies out is something I'll have to work on. In the first Half-Marathon I did back in the early 2000's I had a really bad problem with my right ITB. At mile 9 I had to stop and walk and stretch it out for quite some time. It had swollen up to about the size of a golf ball (no joke), there was just this swollen ball off the right side of my right knee and it rendered me almost immobile. I ended up finished in 1:38, but was out of training for a while afterwards. That injury and my torn meniscus have caused me to change from a heel strike runner to running on the balls of my feet and not hitting my heels at all, but that's a story for another post I suppose.
So, 8-10 were nice. I got into a nice groove and before I knew it the two miles were up. I was beginning to get weak and had that one gel left, but I didn't want to take it too early and bonk with a mile left. I knew it would be good for at least 3 miles, so I decided to take it at 10. 10-13 went by really fast, on mile 12 I thought I might have my fastest split. I was feeling really good and moving along at a decent clip, then there was a long slow grinder of a hill that took the wind out of my sails. It also upset my goal of finishing 13 with a faster split. Then all of the sudden it was over!
I had just finished the 4th run in my life of greater than 10 miles and I felt really good!
Fast forward 2 hours and the picture isn't so pretty. I started to get REALLY bad stomach cramps and was so weak that I could barely peel myself off the floor. I laid on the floor for a good 45 minutes trying to make it through the cramps. Finally took some Immodium (at the recommendation of my awesome saint of a wife) and they began to get better. I really needed to hydrate. I had lost 4 pounds in the course of the run and it was making me feel pretty dang bad.
As I write this morning I'm still recovering, and feeling better. Now I just need to figure out a game plan for in run hydration and pre and post-workout nutrition. I'll just be doing some cross-training later today with the heavy bag and give the legs a rest before tomorrow.
All in all it was a great run and I'm thoroughly happy with my average of 7:50/mi. I was expecting between 8:00-8:30. The run info is below.
Yesterday was my long day. After taking Friday off and shooting a wedding on Saturday I just really wanted to get out and go. The hard part is that I've not yet figured out nutrition on wedding day to prepare for a long run the next day. We're lucky if we get 30 minutes to eat total from about 9am to 11pm. As I've said before, it's a pretty tiring ordeal even in good shape.
So, trying to make up for my poor nutrition on Saturday took up much of the day Sunday as I got in some fuel and hydrated for the run. That finally put me heading out just after 2pm.
The first three miles went fine, mile 4 I developed an intense side cramp that I was finally able to get to go away before mile 5. 5-7 were pretty uneventful, other than getting lost on the trail and having to take a different route, I was able to get back to my pre-staged water and gel I'd left earlier in the day. I had already eaten three Strawberry Shot Bloks and was making my way slowly through the other three as I went through miles 6-8. I experienced a few more side cramps, ran through them, and maintained my pace. My ITB's were both giving me some problems, the discomfort never developed into much swelling so I continued, but stretching those babies out is something I'll have to work on. In the first Half-Marathon I did back in the early 2000's I had a really bad problem with my right ITB. At mile 9 I had to stop and walk and stretch it out for quite some time. It had swollen up to about the size of a golf ball (no joke), there was just this swollen ball off the right side of my right knee and it rendered me almost immobile. I ended up finished in 1:38, but was out of training for a while afterwards. That injury and my torn meniscus have caused me to change from a heel strike runner to running on the balls of my feet and not hitting my heels at all, but that's a story for another post I suppose.
So, 8-10 were nice. I got into a nice groove and before I knew it the two miles were up. I was beginning to get weak and had that one gel left, but I didn't want to take it too early and bonk with a mile left. I knew it would be good for at least 3 miles, so I decided to take it at 10. 10-13 went by really fast, on mile 12 I thought I might have my fastest split. I was feeling really good and moving along at a decent clip, then there was a long slow grinder of a hill that took the wind out of my sails. It also upset my goal of finishing 13 with a faster split. Then all of the sudden it was over!
I had just finished the 4th run in my life of greater than 10 miles and I felt really good!
Fast forward 2 hours and the picture isn't so pretty. I started to get REALLY bad stomach cramps and was so weak that I could barely peel myself off the floor. I laid on the floor for a good 45 minutes trying to make it through the cramps. Finally took some Immodium (at the recommendation of my awesome saint of a wife) and they began to get better. I really needed to hydrate. I had lost 4 pounds in the course of the run and it was making me feel pretty dang bad.
As I write this morning I'm still recovering, and feeling better. Now I just need to figure out a game plan for in run hydration and pre and post-workout nutrition. I'll just be doing some cross-training later today with the heavy bag and give the legs a rest before tomorrow.
All in all it was a great run and I'm thoroughly happy with my average of 7:50/mi. I was expecting between 8:00-8:30. The run info is below.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
6.2.2012 Progress Report
I just thought it'd be a good idea to go back and look at where I was when I began in January and see how it compares to now. In January, I had become tired of slowly gaining weight. I hadn't done much since I tore my meniscus in 2008 and we had our son Liam in 2009. I'd jog every once in a while and was always dreaming of getting back into shape. I just never took the action to make it there though.
There were a few things that pushed me to finally quit putting it off, get off my lazy butt, and start working! In no apparent order they are...
I was starting to feel really sluggish and lazy. Liam was growing up, getting bigger, and I was getting weaker. I would lift him up sometimes and hurt my back or feel really fatigued. I just didn't have a lot of energy. I felt like such a slug when I'd have to forego playing with him because I had just tweaked my back... I'm only 31! I shouldn't be having those concerns!
I was getting close to 200 lbs. I have vowed to never go over 200 lbs, for me it just seems like way too much considering where I've been and I just never want to get there. For other people with different goals, I understand 200 is fine. I'm not saying the number itself is bad... for me it is bad. I hit 193, which is about 15-20 lbs more than I was in the best shape of my life. Being only 7 lbs from hitting 200 I had to do something, if I didn't I know for sure I would make it there.
I wanted to be a good example for my son(s), #2 was on the way at the time. I've always pictured myself running, riding, and just being active with them and the way things were going for me, I would easily be left in the dust and not much of an inspiration. I want to be the kind of Dad that inspires his kids through actions and accomplishments, rather than just saying, here's a bike go ride... or here's a bat and glove go play. Then telling them stories of how good of shape I was in earlier in life. It's possible to be in good health throughout your life, so many people have proved it. Age is no excuse, especially not for me.
Finally, there was a movie... Warrior. I've never been into MMA, I respect it and the athletes, but I've never followed it or had the desire to do it. It's just a really great movie and story. The story in itself is really inspiring, a struggling guy with his family uses his natural talents to support his family and fulfill his desire to do what he's good at... at least that's what I got out of it! I see myself a lot in that guy and it inspired me to do better, much better. I know that I can begood great if I apply myself. I just have to commit and I think I'll surprise even me.
So for the progress up to this point.
I weighed around 193 lbs in January, right now I'm hovering between 184-186, I'll call it 186.
My resting HR was 63, it's now 52.
My fastest mile time has improved from 7:11 to 5:54.
My distance and the speed at which I cover it is constantly getting better too.
On April 21st I ran the Garmin 5K in 21:11. I know it's not great and it's not as good as I used to be, but it's heading in the right direction and I know I'll get better. My training 5K times are already better than that. We'll see what I do on July 4th in my next race. My goal is to finish between 18-19 minutes.
So, this is all from January to now. I don't have any bike or swim data yet. I'm going to start working those in soon. I've been doing work on the spin bike, but nothing to note any progress.
In short, I'm getting lighter, faster, and stronger!
Here's a graph from Endomondo of my running workouts from January to now. You'll have to click on it to see it bigger. But as you can see in green, I'm putting in progressively more miles (green), my average speed is getting faster (dark blue), my average mile times are in turn getting lower (light blue).
There were a few things that pushed me to finally quit putting it off, get off my lazy butt, and start working! In no apparent order they are...
I was starting to feel really sluggish and lazy. Liam was growing up, getting bigger, and I was getting weaker. I would lift him up sometimes and hurt my back or feel really fatigued. I just didn't have a lot of energy. I felt like such a slug when I'd have to forego playing with him because I had just tweaked my back... I'm only 31! I shouldn't be having those concerns!
I was getting close to 200 lbs. I have vowed to never go over 200 lbs, for me it just seems like way too much considering where I've been and I just never want to get there. For other people with different goals, I understand 200 is fine. I'm not saying the number itself is bad... for me it is bad. I hit 193, which is about 15-20 lbs more than I was in the best shape of my life. Being only 7 lbs from hitting 200 I had to do something, if I didn't I know for sure I would make it there.
I wanted to be a good example for my son(s), #2 was on the way at the time. I've always pictured myself running, riding, and just being active with them and the way things were going for me, I would easily be left in the dust and not much of an inspiration. I want to be the kind of Dad that inspires his kids through actions and accomplishments, rather than just saying, here's a bike go ride... or here's a bat and glove go play. Then telling them stories of how good of shape I was in earlier in life. It's possible to be in good health throughout your life, so many people have proved it. Age is no excuse, especially not for me.
Finally, there was a movie... Warrior. I've never been into MMA, I respect it and the athletes, but I've never followed it or had the desire to do it. It's just a really great movie and story. The story in itself is really inspiring, a struggling guy with his family uses his natural talents to support his family and fulfill his desire to do what he's good at... at least that's what I got out of it! I see myself a lot in that guy and it inspired me to do better, much better. I know that I can be
So for the progress up to this point.
I weighed around 193 lbs in January, right now I'm hovering between 184-186, I'll call it 186.
My resting HR was 63, it's now 52.
My fastest mile time has improved from 7:11 to 5:54.
My distance and the speed at which I cover it is constantly getting better too.
On April 21st I ran the Garmin 5K in 21:11. I know it's not great and it's not as good as I used to be, but it's heading in the right direction and I know I'll get better. My training 5K times are already better than that. We'll see what I do on July 4th in my next race. My goal is to finish between 18-19 minutes.
So, this is all from January to now. I don't have any bike or swim data yet. I'm going to start working those in soon. I've been doing work on the spin bike, but nothing to note any progress.
In short, I'm getting lighter, faster, and stronger!
Here's a graph from Endomondo of my running workouts from January to now. You'll have to click on it to see it bigger. But as you can see in green, I'm putting in progressively more miles (green), my average speed is getting faster (dark blue), my average mile times are in turn getting lower (light blue).
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