Sunday, February 15, 2009
Tequila Sunset
Today's Run: 6.0 miles
Run Time: 1 hr 9 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 955.3 miles
Thoughts on the Run:
If you haven't figured out by now that I'm not superhuman, here's another little entry.
Our daughter had her first singing performance today at a church. It involved singing during the service (parents invited) followed by several hours of games and activities (parents NOT invited).
It was a beautiful service, I was so happy to see her take courage, standing in front of the audience, and sing so beautiful with her team.
Afterwards, my wife and I went on a date.
Now I knew that I had a run scheduled today. I had purposefully skipped a few workouts (two lifting and a jog) because I was feeling run down and needed to recoup a bit. My rest period was over, however, and I had resolved to begin with this longer run.
So as we drove around looking for a place to eat, I knew it wasn't going to be easy when we finally decided on Mexican. While I did choose a decent main meal (steak with beans) I also munched on a lot of chips, and, well, here's the kicker: they were known for tasty margaritas, so I enjoyed one during our date.
Don't get me wrong, I don't see an issue with having a glass of wine or a margarita, it's just that this was the middle of the day and I had a workout planned. The effect that having some alcohol has on me during the day is simple: I get tired.
So we drove home and I was pretty much asleep in the truck.
When we got to the house, I slowly dragged myself out of the truck and decided I was too tired and had already blown my chance of running: I had a drink, plus I had cheese and chips, so my stomach probably wouldn't take it.
However, by the time I was inside, I had a different thought. I made the commitment, and I should stick with it. If it was tougher because of my bad choices earlier in the day, so be it, but why make a few bad choices worse? If it was bad to stray off plan, it would be really bad to skip another workout. It's not like it's a small run that I can easily "make up" either, 6 miles at this stage in my training is one of the key "long" runs I build my progress around.
So, I filled up my water bottles (one with water, the other with Gatorade), strapped on my Shuffle and shoes, and told my ladies I was headed out.
I couldn't have made a better choice.
The sun was low on the horizon but only began to set just as my run finished. The air was cool and there was plenty of shade on my run. Surprisingly, I felt refreshed and my energy came back to me after the first mile. The rest of the run went smoothly ... while I was feeling a little stomach discomfort during the last mile, overall it was a positive run. I actually felt better than last week and finished at the same pace.
As I finished, I just felt TERRIFIC because once again when I could have easily made the excuse to avoid a workout, instead I took the bull by the horns and kept on moving. If I had "given in" and skipped it? I would have spent the night feeling guilty and regretting that I had enjoyed a nice little lunch. Now I was able to enjoy the lunch AND the workout after, and I have the rest of the evening to relax with my daughter and wife.
How cool is that?
Warmly,
Run Time: 1 hr 9 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 955.3 miles
Thoughts on the Run:
If you haven't figured out by now that I'm not superhuman, here's another little entry.
Our daughter had her first singing performance today at a church. It involved singing during the service (parents invited) followed by several hours of games and activities (parents NOT invited).
It was a beautiful service, I was so happy to see her take courage, standing in front of the audience, and sing so beautiful with her team.
Afterwards, my wife and I went on a date.
Now I knew that I had a run scheduled today. I had purposefully skipped a few workouts (two lifting and a jog) because I was feeling run down and needed to recoup a bit. My rest period was over, however, and I had resolved to begin with this longer run.
So as we drove around looking for a place to eat, I knew it wasn't going to be easy when we finally decided on Mexican. While I did choose a decent main meal (steak with beans) I also munched on a lot of chips, and, well, here's the kicker: they were known for tasty margaritas, so I enjoyed one during our date.
Don't get me wrong, I don't see an issue with having a glass of wine or a margarita, it's just that this was the middle of the day and I had a workout planned. The effect that having some alcohol has on me during the day is simple: I get tired.
So we drove home and I was pretty much asleep in the truck.
When we got to the house, I slowly dragged myself out of the truck and decided I was too tired and had already blown my chance of running: I had a drink, plus I had cheese and chips, so my stomach probably wouldn't take it.
However, by the time I was inside, I had a different thought. I made the commitment, and I should stick with it. If it was tougher because of my bad choices earlier in the day, so be it, but why make a few bad choices worse? If it was bad to stray off plan, it would be really bad to skip another workout. It's not like it's a small run that I can easily "make up" either, 6 miles at this stage in my training is one of the key "long" runs I build my progress around.
So, I filled up my water bottles (one with water, the other with Gatorade), strapped on my Shuffle and shoes, and told my ladies I was headed out.
I couldn't have made a better choice.
The sun was low on the horizon but only began to set just as my run finished. The air was cool and there was plenty of shade on my run. Surprisingly, I felt refreshed and my energy came back to me after the first mile. The rest of the run went smoothly ... while I was feeling a little stomach discomfort during the last mile, overall it was a positive run. I actually felt better than last week and finished at the same pace.
As I finished, I just felt TERRIFIC because once again when I could have easily made the excuse to avoid a workout, instead I took the bull by the horns and kept on moving. If I had "given in" and skipped it? I would have spent the night feeling guilty and regretting that I had enjoyed a nice little lunch. Now I was able to enjoy the lunch AND the workout after, and I have the rest of the evening to relax with my daughter and wife.
How cool is that?
Warmly,
Labels: alcohol and running, drinking and running, margarita, running
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Will Somebody Please "Get" Me?
Today's Run: 4.0 miles
Run Time: 41:28 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 949.3
Thoughts on the Run:
I'm writing this with hopes that someone reading this will "get" me. What I mean is really tap into what I'm trying to say, feel, experience, and share this moment. What it means to really keep pushing forward and trying until you reach a point where everything clicks.
If you've read my journal, you'll know that for several years now I've been writing about my journey to achieve a feat that is well beyond my comfort zone: to run an ultra-marathon. It's been a very human journey. I've created my own obstacles, had my own ups and downs, and have been far from consistent, with gaps of months going by in limbo between having the focus and consistency to train the way I need to train.
This past fall was a turning point for me as I decided to quit trying and start doing and began to take an attitude of getting it done no matter what. It wasn't about being a different person or having special skills or even following some arcane "trick" ... it was simply a pure choice and sticking with it.
You see, despite the roller coaster ride I've had one thing remain the same throughout: my commitment. I haven't given up. And I feel I can't fail if I don't stop.
So today could be considered and "ordinary" day - nothing much different than any other day. I woke up feeling tired, decided to sleep in and do my run in the evening.
The first thing I noticed was that instead of dreading the run during the day, I was really excited and looking forward to it. I had a mindset that it is a beautiful day (66 degrees when I came home) and a perfect evening to run, and that by doing so I would still be 100% on my schedule for training.
I even brought a bottle of Gatorade to drink on the way home so I would be hydrated and not have any excuse to linger, but just lace up and head out.
That's exactly what I did. I stepped in the house and could smell the wonderful dinner my wife had cooked. She knew I was going to run so she already prepared a bowl for me to heat up. I laced up, put on my Garmin watch to pace my run, turned on my Shuffle, and was on the road.
I always struggle out the gate but because I write this journal and focus on how my body responds, I know it's part of my warm up process so I just grit my teeth and work through it until I'm warmed up. Sure enough, the first mile I was feeling great. In fact, instead of getting tired, I was getting more invigorated. I felt fantastic!
So I stepped up the pace for the second mile. Halfway point and I was still going strong. On the way back, I hit Hamburger Hill in stride and did not slow (OK, so maybe I DID slow but I felt like I was going on pace ... I certainly didn't stop). In fact, it wasn't even a battle to get all the way through that hill. Coming down for my last mile, I was pumped. I felt I could even beat a 10-minute mile pace.
One thing I learned was that when I check my watch and my pace constantly during the run, it does nothing but create stress and cause me to artificially vary my pace. So I've learned how to glance at my watch at just the right angle so I see the mileage but not the time. I don't worry about it, my goal is distance, not pace, so I make sure I go the distance and sort out the pace when I'm done.
I had so much energy that last mile that I just flew ... I even pumped it into a semi-sprint and was going better than a 7-minute mile. It felt GREAT - the night was cool and clear, and I finished with gusto.
Here's what I want you to get: I finished with a rush. A feeling of accomplishment. A feeling of being fit, in shape, and conquering. The feeling like I can take on anything. A rush of good feelings: euphoria.
Rewind to some of my previous journal entries. You'll see me tired, struggling, in pain, trying my hardest just to get into the routine. Then read today.
THAT, my friend, is the reward. When you stick with it long enough to get out of your own way, you reap the benefits and rewards. I'm in a zone now where my workouts aren't something that I have to push myself to do, but instead lift me and pull me into them. They no longer wear me out: I might be physically tired, but they energize me and give me more energy. They don't take an hour out of my day, but give back because I am happier and more productive. THAT is the key to all of this and where you deserve to be, and THAT is why you make your lows high and your highs low until you reach the zone and create your life the way you want it to be, on your terms, even if you have to pave the road before you can drive on it.
Best of success,
Run Time: 41:28 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 949.3
Thoughts on the Run:
I'm writing this with hopes that someone reading this will "get" me. What I mean is really tap into what I'm trying to say, feel, experience, and share this moment. What it means to really keep pushing forward and trying until you reach a point where everything clicks.
If you've read my journal, you'll know that for several years now I've been writing about my journey to achieve a feat that is well beyond my comfort zone: to run an ultra-marathon. It's been a very human journey. I've created my own obstacles, had my own ups and downs, and have been far from consistent, with gaps of months going by in limbo between having the focus and consistency to train the way I need to train.
This past fall was a turning point for me as I decided to quit trying and start doing and began to take an attitude of getting it done no matter what. It wasn't about being a different person or having special skills or even following some arcane "trick" ... it was simply a pure choice and sticking with it.
You see, despite the roller coaster ride I've had one thing remain the same throughout: my commitment. I haven't given up. And I feel I can't fail if I don't stop.
So today could be considered and "ordinary" day - nothing much different than any other day. I woke up feeling tired, decided to sleep in and do my run in the evening.
The first thing I noticed was that instead of dreading the run during the day, I was really excited and looking forward to it. I had a mindset that it is a beautiful day (66 degrees when I came home) and a perfect evening to run, and that by doing so I would still be 100% on my schedule for training.
I even brought a bottle of Gatorade to drink on the way home so I would be hydrated and not have any excuse to linger, but just lace up and head out.
That's exactly what I did. I stepped in the house and could smell the wonderful dinner my wife had cooked. She knew I was going to run so she already prepared a bowl for me to heat up. I laced up, put on my Garmin watch to pace my run, turned on my Shuffle, and was on the road.
I always struggle out the gate but because I write this journal and focus on how my body responds, I know it's part of my warm up process so I just grit my teeth and work through it until I'm warmed up. Sure enough, the first mile I was feeling great. In fact, instead of getting tired, I was getting more invigorated. I felt fantastic!
So I stepped up the pace for the second mile. Halfway point and I was still going strong. On the way back, I hit Hamburger Hill in stride and did not slow (OK, so maybe I DID slow but I felt like I was going on pace ... I certainly didn't stop). In fact, it wasn't even a battle to get all the way through that hill. Coming down for my last mile, I was pumped. I felt I could even beat a 10-minute mile pace.
One thing I learned was that when I check my watch and my pace constantly during the run, it does nothing but create stress and cause me to artificially vary my pace. So I've learned how to glance at my watch at just the right angle so I see the mileage but not the time. I don't worry about it, my goal is distance, not pace, so I make sure I go the distance and sort out the pace when I'm done.
I had so much energy that last mile that I just flew ... I even pumped it into a semi-sprint and was going better than a 7-minute mile. It felt GREAT - the night was cool and clear, and I finished with gusto.
Here's what I want you to get: I finished with a rush. A feeling of accomplishment. A feeling of being fit, in shape, and conquering. The feeling like I can take on anything. A rush of good feelings: euphoria.
Rewind to some of my previous journal entries. You'll see me tired, struggling, in pain, trying my hardest just to get into the routine. Then read today.
THAT, my friend, is the reward. When you stick with it long enough to get out of your own way, you reap the benefits and rewards. I'm in a zone now where my workouts aren't something that I have to push myself to do, but instead lift me and pull me into them. They no longer wear me out: I might be physically tired, but they energize me and give me more energy. They don't take an hour out of my day, but give back because I am happier and more productive. THAT is the key to all of this and where you deserve to be, and THAT is why you make your lows high and your highs low until you reach the zone and create your life the way you want it to be, on your terms, even if you have to pave the road before you can drive on it.
Best of success,
Labels: benefits of running, commitment, euphoria, rush
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Sunday Six
Today's Run: 6.0 miles
Run Time: 1 hr 9 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 945.3
Thoughts on the Run:
Whew! We're getting closer to the first 1,000 miles. Exciting!
Today was a great run. I didn't dread it one bit. I was looking forward to it. I knew it might be a challenge because of my tough leg day yesterday, but I was eager to try it out and see how it felt.
I slept in and caught up on some much-needed rest, then cooked a delicious breakfast (if I do say so myself): two whole eggs and two eggs whites scrambled with chipotle-flavored Tabasco sauce, organic hashed browns with red pepper and olive oil, and chicken sausage. It was delicious!
I waited two hours and then set out on my jog. I decided to try something different for hydration this time. As you may know from reading my blogs from last year, hydration has been my biggest challenge. Most of the time I would fall way short and end up getting nauseous or dizzy. I figure as a bigger guy than most runners, my needs are a bit higher. However, when I'd bring lots of fluid and drink it down constantly, I'd end up with major stomach discomfort.
This year because it's been cool, I've avoided the hydration (during the run) issue for the most part. Now it's starting to warm up and I'm running longer distances. I almost talked myself out of bringing fluids today, but then realized how ridiculous that would be ... I'd be on my feet for well over an hour in the hottest part of the day.
So I tried something new. I brought two 16-oz bottles, but instead of filling them both with just water or just Gatorade, I did one water and one Gatorade. The water alone doesn't do well for me because I sweat a lot and therefore lose plenty of sodium. I need the electrolyte replacement. On the other hand, I get sick of drinking Gatorade because after awhile it is just too sweet tasting to me.
So, I brought both and alternated between the two.
The second thing that I did was instead of sipping constantly, which seems to cause me to have the stomach discomfort, I swigged every mile. Each mile I would grab one or the other bottle and then take three big swigs.
This strategy seemed to work out. I never felt like I was running low on fluids and I did not have any stomach discomfort.
I have to say this run was one of the first times I can truly say I tapped into what I would call a true "runner's high" or second wind. I was about 4 1/2 miles into the run when I came upon my old nemesis, "Hamburger Hill" and began the long (1/2 mile) ascent to the top. By this time, my legs were on fire and I was getting a little tired from the run. I instantly felt drained as I began to climb the hill and for a second my mind was saying, "Maybe we'll walk it."
My iPod Shuffle, upon hearing these thoughts, decided it was time to kick into action and obediently switched to a high-energy, upbeat song. The driving rhythm was too much to allow me to slow down and I had to clench my feet and start pumping my arms and begin to pace myself up the hill.
Suddenly a strange thing happened. It was like my vision narrowed for a brief second and I had tunnel vision. I was afraid I was starting to get dizzy and would have to stop, but then I realized my eyes were just intently focused on the ground in front of me. I was aware in my peripheral vision of the trees going by on my left and the cars in the street on the right, but I was tuned out of the distance I had to go and focused solely on the rhythm on my pace as I ran up the hill. My breathing settled into a cadence and I no longer felt like I was gasping for air. The pain left my legs and my whole body just felt nice and light.
In this state I pushed easily to the top and continued on. It lasted the remainder of the run and felt great. In fact, when I finished, I was still a good 1/2 mile from the house, so I went ahead and ran most of that as well.
It was a great run that I enjoyed and I'm happy to have made it through this week with all of my schedule workouts. I'm looking forward to another abundant and successful week to come!
Warmly,
Run Time: 1 hr 9 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 945.3
Thoughts on the Run:
Whew! We're getting closer to the first 1,000 miles. Exciting!
Today was a great run. I didn't dread it one bit. I was looking forward to it. I knew it might be a challenge because of my tough leg day yesterday, but I was eager to try it out and see how it felt.
I slept in and caught up on some much-needed rest, then cooked a delicious breakfast (if I do say so myself): two whole eggs and two eggs whites scrambled with chipotle-flavored Tabasco sauce, organic hashed browns with red pepper and olive oil, and chicken sausage. It was delicious!
I waited two hours and then set out on my jog. I decided to try something different for hydration this time. As you may know from reading my blogs from last year, hydration has been my biggest challenge. Most of the time I would fall way short and end up getting nauseous or dizzy. I figure as a bigger guy than most runners, my needs are a bit higher. However, when I'd bring lots of fluid and drink it down constantly, I'd end up with major stomach discomfort.
This year because it's been cool, I've avoided the hydration (during the run) issue for the most part. Now it's starting to warm up and I'm running longer distances. I almost talked myself out of bringing fluids today, but then realized how ridiculous that would be ... I'd be on my feet for well over an hour in the hottest part of the day.
So I tried something new. I brought two 16-oz bottles, but instead of filling them both with just water or just Gatorade, I did one water and one Gatorade. The water alone doesn't do well for me because I sweat a lot and therefore lose plenty of sodium. I need the electrolyte replacement. On the other hand, I get sick of drinking Gatorade because after awhile it is just too sweet tasting to me.
So, I brought both and alternated between the two.
The second thing that I did was instead of sipping constantly, which seems to cause me to have the stomach discomfort, I swigged every mile. Each mile I would grab one or the other bottle and then take three big swigs.
This strategy seemed to work out. I never felt like I was running low on fluids and I did not have any stomach discomfort.
I have to say this run was one of the first times I can truly say I tapped into what I would call a true "runner's high" or second wind. I was about 4 1/2 miles into the run when I came upon my old nemesis, "Hamburger Hill" and began the long (1/2 mile) ascent to the top. By this time, my legs were on fire and I was getting a little tired from the run. I instantly felt drained as I began to climb the hill and for a second my mind was saying, "Maybe we'll walk it."
My iPod Shuffle, upon hearing these thoughts, decided it was time to kick into action and obediently switched to a high-energy, upbeat song. The driving rhythm was too much to allow me to slow down and I had to clench my feet and start pumping my arms and begin to pace myself up the hill.
Suddenly a strange thing happened. It was like my vision narrowed for a brief second and I had tunnel vision. I was afraid I was starting to get dizzy and would have to stop, but then I realized my eyes were just intently focused on the ground in front of me. I was aware in my peripheral vision of the trees going by on my left and the cars in the street on the right, but I was tuned out of the distance I had to go and focused solely on the rhythm on my pace as I ran up the hill. My breathing settled into a cadence and I no longer felt like I was gasping for air. The pain left my legs and my whole body just felt nice and light.
In this state I pushed easily to the top and continued on. It lasted the remainder of the run and felt great. In fact, when I finished, I was still a good 1/2 mile from the house, so I went ahead and ran most of that as well.
It was a great run that I enjoyed and I'm happy to have made it through this week with all of my schedule workouts. I'm looking forward to another abundant and successful week to come!
Warmly,
Labels: long run
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Leg-a-Palooza
Today's Run: 3.0 miles
Run Time: 31:12 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 939 miles
Thoughts on the Run:
Before I share my run, I wanted to point a "shout out" to my daughter. She was recently selected as a spokesperson for the American Heart Association (AHA) so she along with my wife had a short television spot on our local Fox channel talking about the new Go Red for Women campaign. You can enjoy the clip by clicking here ... congratulations Lizzie!
Today I'm going to call "Leg-a-Palooza" because of what I did to my legs. I am wondering how my 6 mile run tomorrow will go, all things considered.
Yesterday was Men's Fraternity. I wake up at 4:45 am and head in early so I can meet with others at our church before going into the office. As I'm not a huge fan of setting my alarm clock for 3:45 am, I usually either do my training in the evening or push it to a double-up on Saturday.
Today was a double-up, that turned into a triple-up. First, my workout was legs. I had a phenomenal workout. I'm getting better with the form and bar positioning on my front squats, and loading a respectable weight. Leg extensions were great (lots of pain and loud sounds emanating from the basement as I did those). Dead-lifts are by far my strongest lift and the one I love to hate. Knocked those out and had a huge jump in strength with my leg curls.
My legs were toast and I could barely walk up the stairs. I had promised my daughter we would go to a local event. A Lego Robotics team was demonstrating what they do (yes, there are Lego robots ... and competitions ... and they have tasks and other interesting things to do). If I was going to get in my run, it had to be right after the workout.
It was "only" three miles so I set out and hit the pavement. I must have looked a little funny limping along at first. My legs did not feel that great and the struggle it took me to reach the end of my block made me wonder if this was an exercise ... in futility (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun). But as I turned the corner and started to "warm-up" (as if the previous 40 minutes of pushing steel wasn't enough to get the ticker going) I started to feel much better and settled into a good pace. By the time I had wrapped up the first 1.5 miles and turned around to head home, I was feeling great. My only mistake: even for such a short run, it was "hot" by my standards (after a sub-30 degrees Fahrenheit runs, the 55 today felt hot) and I did not bring fluids. My mouth was feeling quite dry.
I managed to push hard and made it non-stop with a decent pace. Legs were sore but usable. I enjoyed the presentation with my daughter and how the young team (ages 9 - 14) learn how to work as a team, how to construct the robots and learn things like how you can have a light weight frame and an agile robot but it is prone to falling apart, or a sturdy frame but a sluggish robot, or how they actually program its tasks. Pretty amazing!
As we drove home, we discussed how beautiful the day was and my daughter had her heart set on hiking Kennesaw mountain. How could I resist? So my "triple" workout came when we came home, put on the tennis shoes, and headed back out to the mount for an hour and a half hike. It was beautiful, perfect weather and we had a wonderful time. We really enjoyed the time together and came home exhausted and ready to relax and unwind.
Warmly,
Run Time: 31:12 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 939 miles
Thoughts on the Run:
Before I share my run, I wanted to point a "shout out" to my daughter. She was recently selected as a spokesperson for the American Heart Association (AHA) so she along with my wife had a short television spot on our local Fox channel talking about the new Go Red for Women campaign. You can enjoy the clip by clicking here ... congratulations Lizzie!
Today I'm going to call "Leg-a-Palooza" because of what I did to my legs. I am wondering how my 6 mile run tomorrow will go, all things considered.
Yesterday was Men's Fraternity. I wake up at 4:45 am and head in early so I can meet with others at our church before going into the office. As I'm not a huge fan of setting my alarm clock for 3:45 am, I usually either do my training in the evening or push it to a double-up on Saturday.
Today was a double-up, that turned into a triple-up. First, my workout was legs. I had a phenomenal workout. I'm getting better with the form and bar positioning on my front squats, and loading a respectable weight. Leg extensions were great (lots of pain and loud sounds emanating from the basement as I did those). Dead-lifts are by far my strongest lift and the one I love to hate. Knocked those out and had a huge jump in strength with my leg curls.
My legs were toast and I could barely walk up the stairs. I had promised my daughter we would go to a local event. A Lego Robotics team was demonstrating what they do (yes, there are Lego robots ... and competitions ... and they have tasks and other interesting things to do). If I was going to get in my run, it had to be right after the workout.
It was "only" three miles so I set out and hit the pavement. I must have looked a little funny limping along at first. My legs did not feel that great and the struggle it took me to reach the end of my block made me wonder if this was an exercise ... in futility (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun). But as I turned the corner and started to "warm-up" (as if the previous 40 minutes of pushing steel wasn't enough to get the ticker going) I started to feel much better and settled into a good pace. By the time I had wrapped up the first 1.5 miles and turned around to head home, I was feeling great. My only mistake: even for such a short run, it was "hot" by my standards (after a sub-30 degrees Fahrenheit runs, the 55 today felt hot) and I did not bring fluids. My mouth was feeling quite dry.
I managed to push hard and made it non-stop with a decent pace. Legs were sore but usable. I enjoyed the presentation with my daughter and how the young team (ages 9 - 14) learn how to work as a team, how to construct the robots and learn things like how you can have a light weight frame and an agile robot but it is prone to falling apart, or a sturdy frame but a sluggish robot, or how they actually program its tasks. Pretty amazing!
As we drove home, we discussed how beautiful the day was and my daughter had her heart set on hiking Kennesaw mountain. How could I resist? So my "triple" workout came when we came home, put on the tennis shoes, and headed back out to the mount for an hour and a half hike. It was beautiful, perfect weather and we had a wonderful time. We really enjoyed the time together and came home exhausted and ready to relax and unwind.
Warmly,
Labels: american heart association, lego robots, running, weight lifting
Thursday, February 05, 2009
4 More
Today's Run: 4.0 miles
Run Time: 40:46 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 936.3 miles
Thoughts on the Run:
Ran 4 miles. In the evening. It was cold and dark. It's done. 'Nuff said.
Run Time: 40:46 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 936.3 miles
Thoughts on the Run:
Ran 4 miles. In the evening. It was cold and dark. It's done. 'Nuff said.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Training Outside of the Box
One of the biggest things I think has helped me not only stick with training and not make excuses, but also have fun, is learning to train outside of the box. What I mean by training outside of the box is being creative and creating solutions for every situation. One of the most common complaints and excuses for skipping a workout is "I don't have the equipment" or "I'm on the road" or "The gym was busy." If you learn how to be creative and adapt, you can always have a successful workout.
As an example, when I did door-to-door personal training, one of my clients had a universal gym. It had a great vertical bench press attachment but virtually nothing for the back in a rowing motion. Imagine how surprised my client was when I showed him how he could stand and face the bench press contraption, and turn it into an instant rowing machine!
Of course this comes with all of the standard warnings about not using equipment as intended, following safety precautions, etc, but is an example of creating value out of a situation and not having to go out and buy all new equipment.
The techniques I used today in my upper body workout are actually quite simple but for some people not so obvious.
I started out with a standard bench press and then did a push-up superset. Many people have seen the commercials on television for special push-up contraptions that allow you to get a better grip instead of having palms flat (some even twist). If you have standard hex dumbbells, here is an easy solution: just grib a light weight dumbbell in each hand, and use those to elevate your grip from the floor. Simple and easy to do and reduces the strain on your wrists without investing in a fancy contraption.
For my back I was doing dumbbell rows. For this segment I'm doing both arms at once, so I elevate the bench enough so my dumbbells are not touching the floor when my arms are extended, and then go to work. I did a cable row superset.
For shoulders, it was the Arnold press. Nothing new there, but then I did a front raise super set. For some reason, people seemed to be locked into the belief that the shoulder is mainly a single-armed dumbbell muscle. I always see people doing side and lateral (to the front) raises with dumbbells. My front raise was using the EZ-curl bar. It has a nice grip. I simply grab the bar shoulder width, then raise it with my arms locked in front so my arms are parallel, pause, then lower. You'll notice an immediate difference from using dumbbells. Most importantly if you have a shoulder/scapular imbalance which many people do, with dumbbells you may tend to shrug one side. This helps you balance the lift and avoid that shrug.
I closed out with pull-ups. Again an exercise people shy from because it's so difficult. I was surprised to learn some people avoid it completely because even if they have a pull-up bar, they have no pulley for lat-pulldowns in the house and no partner to do assisted pull-ups so it becomes that elusive exercise that "someday" I may be able to do.
This is where a cheat ... albeit a controlled, safe cheat ... can help. I set a goal of, say, 12 pull-ups. While I used to be able to do these weighted when I was training for bodybuilding, I can barely do a few body weight pull-ups right now. No problem! I set the goal for 12 and execute as many pull-ups with perfect form as I can. Then, I still finish the 12, this time assisting myself. Basically, I use my legs to jump and gain momentum. The rule is that I still clear the bar, and am able to control myself enough to at least lower slowly. So I'm not pulling up from a dead hang, I'm launching up but then lowering myself more slowly. Sometimes I'm going down faster than others!
If you think this is "cheating" and not receiving the benefit of the exercise, you haven't tried it. The first time I learned this technique, I was sore for days afterwards and I was amazed at how fast I was able to master pull-ups. The goal is obviously to end up doing the target repetitions with no assistance, but this creative compromise will help you advance to that goal instead of having to give up and settle for dumbbell rows every week.
It was a good workout, now on to breakfast!
As an example, when I did door-to-door personal training, one of my clients had a universal gym. It had a great vertical bench press attachment but virtually nothing for the back in a rowing motion. Imagine how surprised my client was when I showed him how he could stand and face the bench press contraption, and turn it into an instant rowing machine!
Of course this comes with all of the standard warnings about not using equipment as intended, following safety precautions, etc, but is an example of creating value out of a situation and not having to go out and buy all new equipment.
The techniques I used today in my upper body workout are actually quite simple but for some people not so obvious.
I started out with a standard bench press and then did a push-up superset. Many people have seen the commercials on television for special push-up contraptions that allow you to get a better grip instead of having palms flat (some even twist). If you have standard hex dumbbells, here is an easy solution: just grib a light weight dumbbell in each hand, and use those to elevate your grip from the floor. Simple and easy to do and reduces the strain on your wrists without investing in a fancy contraption.
For my back I was doing dumbbell rows. For this segment I'm doing both arms at once, so I elevate the bench enough so my dumbbells are not touching the floor when my arms are extended, and then go to work. I did a cable row superset.
For shoulders, it was the Arnold press. Nothing new there, but then I did a front raise super set. For some reason, people seemed to be locked into the belief that the shoulder is mainly a single-armed dumbbell muscle. I always see people doing side and lateral (to the front) raises with dumbbells. My front raise was using the EZ-curl bar. It has a nice grip. I simply grab the bar shoulder width, then raise it with my arms locked in front so my arms are parallel, pause, then lower. You'll notice an immediate difference from using dumbbells. Most importantly if you have a shoulder/scapular imbalance which many people do, with dumbbells you may tend to shrug one side. This helps you balance the lift and avoid that shrug.
I closed out with pull-ups. Again an exercise people shy from because it's so difficult. I was surprised to learn some people avoid it completely because even if they have a pull-up bar, they have no pulley for lat-pulldowns in the house and no partner to do assisted pull-ups so it becomes that elusive exercise that "someday" I may be able to do.
This is where a cheat ... albeit a controlled, safe cheat ... can help. I set a goal of, say, 12 pull-ups. While I used to be able to do these weighted when I was training for bodybuilding, I can barely do a few body weight pull-ups right now. No problem! I set the goal for 12 and execute as many pull-ups with perfect form as I can. Then, I still finish the 12, this time assisting myself. Basically, I use my legs to jump and gain momentum. The rule is that I still clear the bar, and am able to control myself enough to at least lower slowly. So I'm not pulling up from a dead hang, I'm launching up but then lowering myself more slowly. Sometimes I'm going down faster than others!
If you think this is "cheating" and not receiving the benefit of the exercise, you haven't tried it. The first time I learned this technique, I was sore for days afterwards and I was amazed at how fast I was able to master pull-ups. The goal is obviously to end up doing the target repetitions with no assistance, but this creative compromise will help you advance to that goal instead of having to give up and settle for dumbbell rows every week.
It was a good workout, now on to breakfast!
Labels: home gym, pull-ups, shoulder exercises, training at home
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Redemption: The Uphill Battle
Today's Run: 3.0 miles
Run Time: 30 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 932.3
Thoughts on the Run:
Part of the reason I share this journal is so that the readers understand just because I made a tremendous change in my life and have been training consistently for nearly a decade now, doesn't mean it's easy or I don't have my challenges. While it does become more of a habit and your inclination is more towards working out than not, there are still struggles and mind games.
I'm a little fortunate because I have experience, habit, and routine, and more importantly I have the hundreds of blog readers who are my "accountability" group. You can't imagine how motivating it is to say, "I'm going to quit today ... no, wait, then I'll either have to write about quitting or just skip my blog and they'll know ... wait, I think I CAN do this." LOL ... sometimes pain is a positive motivator.
This morning was a challenge because once again I just didn't feel in the game. I came downstairs and always bring my gear because usually once I'm awake, I'm good to go, but I felt miserable. It was 28 degrees outside and the humidity is 50%. No way. There was no real way to shuffle my schedule so I was ready to throw up my hands in defeat.
I don't like my treadmill because it is consumer, not commercial, grade and so at my weight it doesn't like to run flat (friction gets too hot). So I have to run at an incline.
I was just about to throw in the towel when I sat back and thought about what that meant. I'm not a quitter and there was no real reason to give in. Why was I resisting? Maybe some self-sabotage and an excuse to feel sorry for myself? I'm above all that.
Truth is, there was no real reason. I was just making weak excuses.
So I headed downstairs, put the treadmill on a 6.5 incline (I told you it was an uphill battle) and began to redeem myself for wanting to quit.
I was not about to engage in a boring run so I decided to get creative. I started out in cycles of 5.0 mph, then 6.0 mph, then 7.0 mph, then I'd drop back to 5.1, 6.1, 7.1. That worked well until about 5.5 mph and then at the 7.5 I was struggling (remember, I'm going on a steep incline the entire time). So, I dropped back to 5.0 mph and worked my way up to 6.0 mph adding 0.1 every minute.
I was just over 2.0 miles when I started walking back down. This time I'd wait two minutes before dropping 0.1 miles.
It's all mind games to keep it interesting. I was actually starting to get a little dizzy, gasping for air, feeling like my chest would explode, my feet pounding, and just reached 3.0 miles. My goal was 4.0 miles but right then the treadmill gave me it's own mini-blessing: it gave up the ghost, made a cruel beeping sound and flashed red error warnings in my face. Right at 3 miles.
I stepped off the defeated piece of equipment. I thought I was imagining light steps, but the reality of mass and gravity took their toll on the belt and the poor thing just couldn't keep up. Because of the steep incline and intervals I had burned a whopping 700 calories. Of course, it's all relative (I don't take the machines at face value, just numeric).
It was a victory because I don't have to miss any of my schedule. Even though it was a mile short of the scheduled workout, I actually have a 3 mile workout planned for Thursday. So, in keeping with my philosophy of adapting, I just swapped the workouts ... today was the 3-miler, I'll make the 4-miler on Thursday and still reach my goal for the week.
How's that for redemption?
I'm glad I didn't give up or quite, and that I can write to you about victory and not defeat. Now it's time to wake up my daughter and have some breakfast with her.
Have a blessed day,
Run Time: 30 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 932.3
Thoughts on the Run:
Part of the reason I share this journal is so that the readers understand just because I made a tremendous change in my life and have been training consistently for nearly a decade now, doesn't mean it's easy or I don't have my challenges. While it does become more of a habit and your inclination is more towards working out than not, there are still struggles and mind games.
I'm a little fortunate because I have experience, habit, and routine, and more importantly I have the hundreds of blog readers who are my "accountability" group. You can't imagine how motivating it is to say, "I'm going to quit today ... no, wait, then I'll either have to write about quitting or just skip my blog and they'll know ... wait, I think I CAN do this." LOL ... sometimes pain is a positive motivator.
This morning was a challenge because once again I just didn't feel in the game. I came downstairs and always bring my gear because usually once I'm awake, I'm good to go, but I felt miserable. It was 28 degrees outside and the humidity is 50%. No way. There was no real way to shuffle my schedule so I was ready to throw up my hands in defeat.
I don't like my treadmill because it is consumer, not commercial, grade and so at my weight it doesn't like to run flat (friction gets too hot). So I have to run at an incline.
I was just about to throw in the towel when I sat back and thought about what that meant. I'm not a quitter and there was no real reason to give in. Why was I resisting? Maybe some self-sabotage and an excuse to feel sorry for myself? I'm above all that.
Truth is, there was no real reason. I was just making weak excuses.
So I headed downstairs, put the treadmill on a 6.5 incline (I told you it was an uphill battle) and began to redeem myself for wanting to quit.
I was not about to engage in a boring run so I decided to get creative. I started out in cycles of 5.0 mph, then 6.0 mph, then 7.0 mph, then I'd drop back to 5.1, 6.1, 7.1. That worked well until about 5.5 mph and then at the 7.5 I was struggling (remember, I'm going on a steep incline the entire time). So, I dropped back to 5.0 mph and worked my way up to 6.0 mph adding 0.1 every minute.
I was just over 2.0 miles when I started walking back down. This time I'd wait two minutes before dropping 0.1 miles.
It's all mind games to keep it interesting. I was actually starting to get a little dizzy, gasping for air, feeling like my chest would explode, my feet pounding, and just reached 3.0 miles. My goal was 4.0 miles but right then the treadmill gave me it's own mini-blessing: it gave up the ghost, made a cruel beeping sound and flashed red error warnings in my face. Right at 3 miles.
I stepped off the defeated piece of equipment. I thought I was imagining light steps, but the reality of mass and gravity took their toll on the belt and the poor thing just couldn't keep up. Because of the steep incline and intervals I had burned a whopping 700 calories. Of course, it's all relative (I don't take the machines at face value, just numeric).
It was a victory because I don't have to miss any of my schedule. Even though it was a mile short of the scheduled workout, I actually have a 3 mile workout planned for Thursday. So, in keeping with my philosophy of adapting, I just swapped the workouts ... today was the 3-miler, I'll make the 4-miler on Thursday and still reach my goal for the week.
How's that for redemption?
I'm glad I didn't give up or quite, and that I can write to you about victory and not defeat. Now it's time to wake up my daughter and have some breakfast with her.
Have a blessed day,
Labels: hill running, redemption, treadmill
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Learning to Fly
Today's Run: 5.0 miles
Run Time: 55:17 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 929.3
Thoughts on the Run:
Today was a beautiful run.
For the first time this training cycle, I was able to wear shorts on my outside run. It was a nice and perfect 55 degree Fahrenheit with a clear sky and beautiful sunshine. I wasn't sure if I would make my run because we had such a full schedule today. I ended up sleeping in and catching up on plenty of sleep. I've been very disciplined about getting up and training, but that has meant sacrificing a little bit of sleep to wake up in the early hours to get my training done. Today, I slept in and instead of my typical 5 - 6 hours of sleep, received 10 hours of sleep! It was great.
We shifted our schedule around a little bit and I decided to go running in the afternoon. It was the perfect time of day. I knew because the sun was out and the weather was warmer that I should consider taking along hydrating. I usually wear basketball-style shorts that have no pockets, but I have a pouch that straps around my waist and can hold two water bottles. This is what I use to train with until I need over 32 oz of water, then I switch to a hydration pack that I wear on my back.
I took the two "essentials" with me: a driver's license for identification and a phone for communication. Then it was one bottle of water and I was on my way.
I still struggle for the first mile but I've learned it's because I need to warm up so I push through it and make it to the point where I'm warmed up and feel good. The run was just pleasant ... I had great tunes playing in my iPod, there was a cool breeze blowing and I felt on top. I was so excited to be exercising on my schedule and to not have missed a workout.
Of course, "missed" is a relative term. I've certainly created compromises, but I believe that is a key to success. When I doubled-up a workout the other day, instead of a high-impact run, I cross-trained on the recumbent bike. My cross-training philosophy is simple: I train the same duration as I would if I were running, so a 3 mile run would be a 30 minute bike ride for my cross-training. Yesterday, instead of a scheduled short run, I had a father-daughter date and we square danced for an hour and a half. It was a great time and an example of combining fitness with family.
Today's run I felt like I was learning to fly. I say that because despite some hills that always challenge me, I just kept feeling better and better. Unlike the runs I journaled over the fall of 2008 (not so long ago) that seemed more like survival than training, I've reached the point where I feel the benefits of being fit and enjoy the challenge of pushing my limits. I just had a rush going up one hill where the combination of focusing on the rhythm of the run, keeping my cadence as the hill tried to slow me down with gravity, listening to the music and just enjoying the sunshine and the breeze ... it felt wonderful.
The end of the run became a bit of struggle as the sun started to bear down on me. Fortunately I brought plenty of liquid and was able to just focus on the goal. The last hill really became "counting power poles" meaning my goal was never the summit of the hill - it was the next power pole, then the next one, then the next one and so on until I reached the top.
The best news is that at the end of the run, I was able to finish strong and not feel "spent".
Now I'm going to relax and enjoy the remains of the day. My daughter is at choir practice and when she returns we have a movie date and then a nice splurge meal for the Super Bowl celebration.
Take care,
Run Time: 55:17 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 929.3
Thoughts on the Run:
Today was a beautiful run.
For the first time this training cycle, I was able to wear shorts on my outside run. It was a nice and perfect 55 degree Fahrenheit with a clear sky and beautiful sunshine. I wasn't sure if I would make my run because we had such a full schedule today. I ended up sleeping in and catching up on plenty of sleep. I've been very disciplined about getting up and training, but that has meant sacrificing a little bit of sleep to wake up in the early hours to get my training done. Today, I slept in and instead of my typical 5 - 6 hours of sleep, received 10 hours of sleep! It was great.
We shifted our schedule around a little bit and I decided to go running in the afternoon. It was the perfect time of day. I knew because the sun was out and the weather was warmer that I should consider taking along hydrating. I usually wear basketball-style shorts that have no pockets, but I have a pouch that straps around my waist and can hold two water bottles. This is what I use to train with until I need over 32 oz of water, then I switch to a hydration pack that I wear on my back.
I took the two "essentials" with me: a driver's license for identification and a phone for communication. Then it was one bottle of water and I was on my way.
I still struggle for the first mile but I've learned it's because I need to warm up so I push through it and make it to the point where I'm warmed up and feel good. The run was just pleasant ... I had great tunes playing in my iPod, there was a cool breeze blowing and I felt on top. I was so excited to be exercising on my schedule and to not have missed a workout.
Of course, "missed" is a relative term. I've certainly created compromises, but I believe that is a key to success. When I doubled-up a workout the other day, instead of a high-impact run, I cross-trained on the recumbent bike. My cross-training philosophy is simple: I train the same duration as I would if I were running, so a 3 mile run would be a 30 minute bike ride for my cross-training. Yesterday, instead of a scheduled short run, I had a father-daughter date and we square danced for an hour and a half. It was a great time and an example of combining fitness with family.
Today's run I felt like I was learning to fly. I say that because despite some hills that always challenge me, I just kept feeling better and better. Unlike the runs I journaled over the fall of 2008 (not so long ago) that seemed more like survival than training, I've reached the point where I feel the benefits of being fit and enjoy the challenge of pushing my limits. I just had a rush going up one hill where the combination of focusing on the rhythm of the run, keeping my cadence as the hill tried to slow me down with gravity, listening to the music and just enjoying the sunshine and the breeze ... it felt wonderful.
The end of the run became a bit of struggle as the sun started to bear down on me. Fortunately I brought plenty of liquid and was able to just focus on the goal. The last hill really became "counting power poles" meaning my goal was never the summit of the hill - it was the next power pole, then the next one, then the next one and so on until I reached the top.
The best news is that at the end of the run, I was able to finish strong and not feel "spent".
Now I'm going to relax and enjoy the remains of the day. My daughter is at choir practice and when she returns we have a movie date and then a nice splurge meal for the Super Bowl celebration.
Take care,
Labels: running
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