I was out of town over the weekend. I lifted Thursday night, and then had some stuff to do at the ski mountain before I left for a long drive on Friday. The weekend was busy and workouts just never happened. I got home late Sunday night and pretty much went straight to bed. Then last night, I had another meeting at Sugarbush. I know that ski season is getting close when I find my self at Sugarbush 2 or more times were week, even without my ski gear. I got home late last night, drank a beer, and fell asleep.
This was my first four day break from exercise since the four days right after I injured my hamstring in April.
I was intelligent enough to turn down a request to play some 3-on-3 football this weekend. I think I've learned that lesson pretty well.
Since the beginning of June, I've been following a fixed workout schedule that I purchased from a company called Precision Nutrition. If I'd stuck with eating well the whole way through the program, I think I'd have some good results to show. I'm strong right now, but I am no lighter than I was at the beginning of June. That probably has something to do with not drinking for four months, and then returning to drinking some beer once football season started.
Starting today, I go back to being self-coached, and I'm going to start a weightlifting routine called Strength 1 from a book called The New Rules of Lifting. I saw my brother over the weekend. He is 3 years younger than I am. His squat is marginally better than mine, my deadlift is marginally better than his, but his bench press just kills my best. I can look at him and see how much his strength has improved. I don't understand the difference between our progress. He and I lift about the same number of days per week, we both lift hard, and then I run on days that he takes off. Maybe running is the problem (if so, it's going to stay that way).
But, over the next few months, I'd like to make some good progress in the powerlifts, work on my speed on the treadmill, and start enjoying ski season. For now, we can still run outside due to the lack of snow, but daylight is certainly at a premium, so I'm starting to use the treadmill more and more.
4 comments:
What did you decide about teaching the ski stuff this season? I may have missed that detail somewhere.
The ski mountain relented on the controversial issue, at least for those of us who work every weekend and have been there for a while. I think we are going to lose a couple instructors, but the really experienced people got what they wanted and all stayed.
Yes, running is the problem.
I can outrun the lifters, and outlift the runners, but I can't outrun the runners, and I can't outlift the lifters.
If you want to be GOOD at one of them, then quit the other : )
You know Jim, right now I'm happy with that status. I think it will have me in good shape for skiing season - much more versatile than I've been in the past when my focus was more on running. We'll see.
Somehow, my passion for running seems to be waning and I'm enjoying the lifting. I'm old enough that I'm just going to do what I enjoy, even if it confuses other people who think I define myself as an ultrarunner. It's quite possible that I'm simply no longer an ultrarunner and that doesn't worry me at all (at the moment).
Post a Comment