Usually, I thrive on races. It's not the race itself that matters so much, but rather the focus that a race gives to my training. Right now, I have no target race. I'm simply working on staying fit, trying to lose some body fat, and waiting for my hamstring to get better.
So, while I start each week with a training plan for the week, I can change things around whenever it's convenient. Yesterday, for example, I was planning to do a lower body lifting workout. But, I was still sore from my Thursday lifting workout, so I decided to ride my bike instead.
I decided I'd ride for about two hours and had a really nice ride. I pushed a bit harder than I'd planned and I was tired by the end, but it was a good workout. After the ride, I goofed off for the rest of the day. My wife and daughter are still out of town, so my son and I had a relaxing day. I did some work, watched a movie, cleaned the kitchen, and watched a baseball game on TV.
My wife ran 27:10 in her 5K on Saturday. Her goal was sub-27, which would have been a 40+ PR for her (she ran 27 flat at this same race 7 years ago when she was 40), but she couldn't quite pull it off. After that race, she decided to stay at her parents' camp a bit longer and skip the race this morning. I was only going to go to the race because she wanted to run, so today's workout was suddenly changed. So, I decided I'd do my lower body lifting day today since I'm finally not sore.
Then, this morning, while I was waking up and stretching a bit, I managed to do something to my right (non-injured) hamstring. You know you're getting old when you can pull a muscle in bed while doing nothing at all.
It's just a minor tweak to the hamstring, but I'll play it safe. So now, my plan is to do an upper body lifting day today and then lower body tomorrow. After I lift, I'll mow the lawn. What an exciting life I lead!
The PRP treatment for my hamstring is in two days. After the treatment, I'll have to take it easy for about two weeks or so. Even though my training has not been targeted to an event, I'm still working hard almost every day of the week. I think some forced rest, or at least some easier training days, will be good for me right now.
Last week, I lifted four times, rode my bike twice for a total of 3.5 hours, and ran once for 90 minutes. That's about nine hours of training. I'm enjoying the variety in my training right now, but I'd really like to get back to being a runner.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Better than expected
I had to run my 8 miler solo this morning, because my wife was out running her 5K. I haven't heard any results from her yet and I might now hear until tomorrow night. After the race, she headed to her parents' camp in northeastern VT for a visit.
I was sore from my last two weight workouts and I was really apprehensive about the run, but it went surprisingly well. I was two minutes slower than last week when I ran the loop with my wife, but I was very happy to run that speed.
Now, I'm watching the Penn State game on TV rather than doing some housework I should be doing.
Tomorrow, I am planning to lift before I put a half-hearted effort into a tough 8 mile race on Monday. I certainly hope that my wife beats me on Monday considering how fit she is right now.
My left index finger is sore and a little bit numb from too much guitar practice. I guess this is my first guitar "injury".
I was sore from my last two weight workouts and I was really apprehensive about the run, but it went surprisingly well. I was two minutes slower than last week when I ran the loop with my wife, but I was very happy to run that speed.
Now, I'm watching the Penn State game on TV rather than doing some housework I should be doing.
Tomorrow, I am planning to lift before I put a half-hearted effort into a tough 8 mile race on Monday. I certainly hope that my wife beats me on Monday considering how fit she is right now.
My left index finger is sore and a little bit numb from too much guitar practice. I guess this is my first guitar "injury".
Friday, September 4, 2009
It really did look easy
But, with each passing hour, I seem to be more and more sore. Now, my quads are getting sore.
Upper body lifting in half an hour. I hope I can make it.
Upper body lifting in half an hour. I hope I can make it.
It looked so benign on paper
Here is last night's workout:
Bulgarian Split Squats: 4x9, 150 seconds rest
Walking Lunges, 8x3, 30 seconds rest
Single leg Romanian deadlifts: 4x6, 30 seconds rest after each leg
Lateral squats: 4x4, 60 seconds rest
This was a leg day with no barbells. How hard could it be?
On Monday, I'd done front squats, back squats and deadlifts in one workout. This had to be way easier. Or so I thought.
For the BSSs, I used 2x30# dumbbells. The weight was perfect for that number of reps and I just barely got through the last set. Hard, but not too bad so far.
Then the lunges. I used 2x50# DBs. The rest interval seemed to last about 10 seconds at first, and 5 seconds by the later sets. Suddenly, I was soaked with sweat.
On to the single leg RDLs. I used 2x40# DBs for these. I have to be a little bit careful with any type of RDL these days. They really stress my left hamstring injury and I don't want to injure it any more than it's already hurt. If I was completely healthy, I would have used at least 50# DBs for this lift. As I worked through this set, I started to feel the accumulated effects of the workout. This wasn't as easy as it looked.
Finally, one lift to go. To be honest, I really dislike lateral squats. It's a lift that nobody else does and they look really dorky. I was using a single 70# DB last night, held at chest level in two hands to start. Then, I lift a leg high to make sure I get the hip to "open up" as I step to the side, dropping to a squat with my weight on the extended leg. Then, back to the middle position and repeat on the other leg. Four sets of four. By the time I was done, I was completely soaked with sweat. I just sat on a bench for five minutes, recovering and toweling off, before I grabbed my bag and headed home to cook dinner.
I'm sore today.
Tonight I'll do an upper body workout after work. Tomorrow, I won't get to run with my wife, so I'll do 8 miles on my own. My wife, son and daughter are all racing a 5K tomorrow morning, and somebody has to go to the farmers market. So, I'll do the shopping and then run on my own while the rest of the family races.
I'm really proud of my son, who volunteered to run with his younger sister, so my wife can actually race rather than run with my daughter.
I spent some time working on open and power chords with the guitar last night. I was trying to play some signature riffs from well-known songs. Some of the songs I worked on were Ironman, Jenny (867-5309), and Maggie May. Ironman was the only song that I got down so that my wife recognized it. And even there, I got the first five notes down, but the four 16th notes to start the second measure were a struggle.
As I was practicing last night, I was thinking about Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers". I kept thinking about the Beatles and Gladwell's magical 10,000 hour mark to achieve excellence in a discipline. If I practiced for an hour a day, every day, it would take me until I'm 74 to be an excellent guitar player. But, if I don't practice, I'll eventually be 74 anyway (or dead) and I won't be any better than I am now. I may as well keep going.
Five days until my PRP treatment.
Bulgarian Split Squats: 4x9, 150 seconds rest
Walking Lunges, 8x3, 30 seconds rest
Single leg Romanian deadlifts: 4x6, 30 seconds rest after each leg
Lateral squats: 4x4, 60 seconds rest
This was a leg day with no barbells. How hard could it be?
On Monday, I'd done front squats, back squats and deadlifts in one workout. This had to be way easier. Or so I thought.
For the BSSs, I used 2x30# dumbbells. The weight was perfect for that number of reps and I just barely got through the last set. Hard, but not too bad so far.
Then the lunges. I used 2x50# DBs. The rest interval seemed to last about 10 seconds at first, and 5 seconds by the later sets. Suddenly, I was soaked with sweat.
On to the single leg RDLs. I used 2x40# DBs for these. I have to be a little bit careful with any type of RDL these days. They really stress my left hamstring injury and I don't want to injure it any more than it's already hurt. If I was completely healthy, I would have used at least 50# DBs for this lift. As I worked through this set, I started to feel the accumulated effects of the workout. This wasn't as easy as it looked.
Finally, one lift to go. To be honest, I really dislike lateral squats. It's a lift that nobody else does and they look really dorky. I was using a single 70# DB last night, held at chest level in two hands to start. Then, I lift a leg high to make sure I get the hip to "open up" as I step to the side, dropping to a squat with my weight on the extended leg. Then, back to the middle position and repeat on the other leg. Four sets of four. By the time I was done, I was completely soaked with sweat. I just sat on a bench for five minutes, recovering and toweling off, before I grabbed my bag and headed home to cook dinner.
I'm sore today.
Tonight I'll do an upper body workout after work. Tomorrow, I won't get to run with my wife, so I'll do 8 miles on my own. My wife, son and daughter are all racing a 5K tomorrow morning, and somebody has to go to the farmers market. So, I'll do the shopping and then run on my own while the rest of the family races.
I'm really proud of my son, who volunteered to run with his younger sister, so my wife can actually race rather than run with my daughter.
I spent some time working on open and power chords with the guitar last night. I was trying to play some signature riffs from well-known songs. Some of the songs I worked on were Ironman, Jenny (867-5309), and Maggie May. Ironman was the only song that I got down so that my wife recognized it. And even there, I got the first five notes down, but the four 16th notes to start the second measure were a struggle.
As I was practicing last night, I was thinking about Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers". I kept thinking about the Beatles and Gladwell's magical 10,000 hour mark to achieve excellence in a discipline. If I practiced for an hour a day, every day, it would take me until I'm 74 to be an excellent guitar player. But, if I don't practice, I'll eventually be 74 anyway (or dead) and I won't be any better than I am now. I may as well keep going.
Five days until my PRP treatment.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Bike Ride
I was tired yesterday and my hamstring was complaining. At the same time, the day was too beautiful to do nothing at all. So, after work, I picked up some groceries, picked up my daughter from school, and headed home to ride my bike. I decided that I'd ride for about 90 minutes, but I wouldn't push the pace at all.
And, that's just what I did, and it was a nice, pleasant ride.
Today's scheduled workout is a lower body lifting workout, and I decided to do it this evening rather than getting up at 5:00 to lift before work. So, I'll stop at the gym on the way home tonight for my lifting.
This coming weekend, there are a number of local races. There is a big 5K on Saturday - a race I run most years. Last year, I surprised myself when I ran 20:51, about 45 seconds faster than I thought I'd run. This year, I'd be lucky to break 28 and I'd probably hurt my hamstring, so I'm staying away. My wife will run the race though. She hasn't run since 2002, when she ran 27:00, and I'm pretty sure she'll beat that time this year.
On Monday, my wife and I are both planning to run a very low-key local 8-mile race. This race was popular in the 70s and into the 80s, but died out many years ago. Last year, it was resurrected and it's now more an "event" than a race. I've been told that as many as half the participants walk the race and most are there for the big pot luck afterwards. We didn't run the race when it was brought back last year, but we're planning to do it this year. Hopefully, my wife won't beat me too badly.
And, that's just what I did, and it was a nice, pleasant ride.
Today's scheduled workout is a lower body lifting workout, and I decided to do it this evening rather than getting up at 5:00 to lift before work. So, I'll stop at the gym on the way home tonight for my lifting.
This coming weekend, there are a number of local races. There is a big 5K on Saturday - a race I run most years. Last year, I surprised myself when I ran 20:51, about 45 seconds faster than I thought I'd run. This year, I'd be lucky to break 28 and I'd probably hurt my hamstring, so I'm staying away. My wife will run the race though. She hasn't run since 2002, when she ran 27:00, and I'm pretty sure she'll beat that time this year.
On Monday, my wife and I are both planning to run a very low-key local 8-mile race. This race was popular in the 70s and into the 80s, but died out many years ago. Last year, it was resurrected and it's now more an "event" than a race. I've been told that as many as half the participants walk the race and most are there for the big pot luck afterwards. We didn't run the race when it was brought back last year, but we're planning to do it this year. Hopefully, my wife won't beat me too badly.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Dragging
Yesterday, after work, I had been thinking about going for a run. Instead, my son and I took the dogs for a walk. I was just dragging - tired and feeling beat up.
By 8:00 last night, I was in bed. I read for a little while, but I was asleep really early. I was too tired to even play around with my guitar for a while. I slept until 6:30 this morning - very late for me. After a few rest days last week, I had a series of great workout days. And then, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.
This morning, my hamstring is sore - more than usual as of late. So, rather than running tonight, I think I'll go for a bike ride. The bike seems to be kinder to my hamstring than running. It's going to be a beautiful day and I want to do something outside, so a bike ride should be perfect.
Tomorrow morning, I have a tough leg workout in the gym, so I'll definitely take it easy on the ride tonight.
Seven days until my PRP treatment.
And, the college football season starts tomorrow night. The entire reason that I have a satellite dish is so that I can watch college football. My brother got his season tickets for Penn State recently. He is giving me two pairs of tickets (games against Temple this month and Minnesota next month), and then he and I are going to the Ohio State game together in November.
By 8:00 last night, I was in bed. I read for a little while, but I was asleep really early. I was too tired to even play around with my guitar for a while. I slept until 6:30 this morning - very late for me. After a few rest days last week, I had a series of great workout days. And then, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.
This morning, my hamstring is sore - more than usual as of late. So, rather than running tonight, I think I'll go for a bike ride. The bike seems to be kinder to my hamstring than running. It's going to be a beautiful day and I want to do something outside, so a bike ride should be perfect.
Tomorrow morning, I have a tough leg workout in the gym, so I'll definitely take it easy on the ride tonight.
Seven days until my PRP treatment.
And, the college football season starts tomorrow night. The entire reason that I have a satellite dish is so that I can watch college football. My brother got his season tickets for Penn State recently. He is giving me two pairs of tickets (games against Temple this month and Minnesota next month), and then he and I are going to the Ohio State game together in November.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
August Review
I had a great overall month in August, despite a relatively low number of running miles.
I ran 57 miles, in a total of 11 runs, with a long run of 10 miles.
I rode my road bike 3 times for a total of 95 miles, with a long ride of 46 miles. All three rides were hilly.
I lifted 15 times during the month, doing body split workouts each time (upper body or lower body only in a single workout).
I played around with my diet, virtually eliminating grains and sugar, just to see what would happen. I did have one meal during the month that included bread and a dessert, but otherwise, I stayed away. My weight dropped four pounds during the month. I also believe that I gained some muscle mass, so my fat loss is probably greater than 4 pounds. It was easier to make these changes than I thought it would be. I used fresh fruit for my carbohydrate needs during or after workouts.
I completed my 3rd consecutive calendar month without alcohol. I can't remember the last time a summer passed without a few or more gin and tonics passing my lips. I'll continue that habit into the fall.
My hamstring didn't get any worse, and my running gradually got faster through the month. I don't know if that's because I dropped a few pounds, because my hamstring is slowly healing, or something else. But, my runs this past weekend were the best I've had since before I got hurt in April.
And, I bought a new used electric guitar.
All in all, it was a pretty good month.
This morning, I started September with a tough upper body lifting day, including 5x5 of neutral grip pull-ups. I actually managed to get through the pull-ups, something I could not have done a month or two ago. I added some core work to the end of the scheduled workout today.
Tonight after work, I'm going to take the dogs out for a walk, but nothing tougher than that. Tomorrow, I'll go for a run. It looks like the first half of September is likely to be sunny and warm, despite cold temperatures last night and tonight.
Eight days until the PRP treatment.
I ran 57 miles, in a total of 11 runs, with a long run of 10 miles.
I rode my road bike 3 times for a total of 95 miles, with a long ride of 46 miles. All three rides were hilly.
I lifted 15 times during the month, doing body split workouts each time (upper body or lower body only in a single workout).
I played around with my diet, virtually eliminating grains and sugar, just to see what would happen. I did have one meal during the month that included bread and a dessert, but otherwise, I stayed away. My weight dropped four pounds during the month. I also believe that I gained some muscle mass, so my fat loss is probably greater than 4 pounds. It was easier to make these changes than I thought it would be. I used fresh fruit for my carbohydrate needs during or after workouts.
I completed my 3rd consecutive calendar month without alcohol. I can't remember the last time a summer passed without a few or more gin and tonics passing my lips. I'll continue that habit into the fall.
My hamstring didn't get any worse, and my running gradually got faster through the month. I don't know if that's because I dropped a few pounds, because my hamstring is slowly healing, or something else. But, my runs this past weekend were the best I've had since before I got hurt in April.
And, I bought a new used electric guitar.
All in all, it was a pretty good month.
This morning, I started September with a tough upper body lifting day, including 5x5 of neutral grip pull-ups. I actually managed to get through the pull-ups, something I could not have done a month or two ago. I added some core work to the end of the scheduled workout today.
Tonight after work, I'm going to take the dogs out for a walk, but nothing tougher than that. Tomorrow, I'll go for a run. It looks like the first half of September is likely to be sunny and warm, despite cold temperatures last night and tonight.
Eight days until the PRP treatment.
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