As the season progresses, we keep looking at the measurable accomplishments, like heart rate during our runs and rides, or our weight. Well after my first month or so of base building, I look back at where I was in comparison to where I am now. Below are the goals I had set out for myself for the last 4 weeks.
Where do I want to be in the next 4 weeks?- Lose Weight- 5K pace improved by 5%- Belt tightened by one notch
How did I do, well here are the results
- Lose Weight – lost 5 pounds - 5K pace improved by 5% - cut 15.2%
- Belt tightened by one notch – one notch achieved.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Looking at the results it appears that my goal for my 5k pace was not high enough, or I was so far out of shape when I began that there was no were to go but up. With the weight loss, there is not as much as I would have like to have seen, but the rate is right where is should have been for long term health.
What should I look for over the next 4 weeks? The path that I am on is a good one and there is time before triathlon season begins in the area. Therefore, for the next 4 weeks, my goals are going to remain the same with the exception of improving my 5k pace by 10%. These will keep me on track for a summer of fun.
They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. Over the past month I have developed a few good habits. There are a few more that I want to incorporate into my life. With March being a very crazy month in our household, the few habits that were developed are actually remarkable. Now with those ingrained, more can be added on top of them. Today is a new day and I don't want to wonder a year from now why I didn't start some of these things today.
The other day I saw the first Robin of the season. It seems that it is later in the year then normal, but it is one of the first signs of spring. Spring means that we can finally get outside and get off the dread mill or hamster wheel. To up my volume, this weekend will be the start of the kids getting out with me. The goal with them in the beginning is to make it fun and keep them safe. So for the youngest, it may just be a mile or less in the jogging stroller and with the oldest about a mile of more on his bike while I run/jog with him. I may have to go out and get some miles in before swinging by the house and getting one or both them to finish off the workout.
One of things that I've been mulling over in my head is a 5k race in my hometown in July. My hesitation is from not knowing who the race involves. In the city, a 5k race draws all kinds of age groupers and athletes. But in the sticks, I am making the assumption that the racers will only be the young kids. So, for this year, I may try to check out the race and maybe volunteer for it. I do have to be in the area then and would like to get a workout in though and the race would be a great way to do it. I don't know?
Today's experiment is going to be an after dinner smoothie. There are always bananas and fruit in the house, but I want to get some vegetables into this one. We'll see what happens and I'll report out on it.
Small steps are better then no steps.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Rolling, Rolling, Rolling
Well, I made it through building up the intensity for 3 weeks. Now I get to take it easy for a week. Well, not really take it easy; just back it down to where I was the week before last. All I have to say is that I didn't think I would make it, but my medium effort of a couple weeks ago, now is my easy effort. For the aging age grouper I am, being able to spend a half hour every day at lunch the progress feet great. In the past, I haven't taken the time to do it right.
This last weekend I started rolling my ITB. WOW that was painful the first couple of days. I have always suffered from knee problems and that was being attributed to all the basketball that was played over the years. After listing to a podcast that stated 90% of all runners with knee problems actually have a tight ITB, a foam roller became part of my home gym. The first morning my legs felt like I had received a message. The next workout was one of the best in a long time. Rolling is in the plan from here on.
A couple days before the roller arrived the workout was spent in the pool with one goal; LEARN TO FLIP TURN.. With the limited time and wanting to work it until my form deteriorated, I was able to get 15 -20 minutes of swimming in. So for the next 4 weeks, I am going to plan one swim session in a week for nothing but drills and flip turns.
A week ago there was a debate about wither to do another 4 weeks of base training of start with the speed work. Well, there is time and I haven't done it in the past, so the next 4 weeks are going to be more base training. If a sufficient base can be built it will help more in the long run and the speed work can always be done later. Besides, there is a greater chance to get injured with speed work especially if there is an insufficient base. I am not in this to set speed records or to win, the goal is to be healthy and enjoy life.
Here in the Midwest the weather is finally starting to warm up. Well it did a week ago and then the temperature dropped 20 degrees F for this week. The temperature is supposed to climb throughout the week so hopefully we can get the kids out in the jogging stroller on the weekends. This can only add to the time that I get out and get active.
SMALL STEPS are better then NO STEPS
This last weekend I started rolling my ITB. WOW that was painful the first couple of days. I have always suffered from knee problems and that was being attributed to all the basketball that was played over the years. After listing to a podcast that stated 90% of all runners with knee problems actually have a tight ITB, a foam roller became part of my home gym. The first morning my legs felt like I had received a message. The next workout was one of the best in a long time. Rolling is in the plan from here on.
A couple days before the roller arrived the workout was spent in the pool with one goal; LEARN TO FLIP TURN.. With the limited time and wanting to work it until my form deteriorated, I was able to get 15 -20 minutes of swimming in. So for the next 4 weeks, I am going to plan one swim session in a week for nothing but drills and flip turns.
A week ago there was a debate about wither to do another 4 weeks of base training of start with the speed work. Well, there is time and I haven't done it in the past, so the next 4 weeks are going to be more base training. If a sufficient base can be built it will help more in the long run and the speed work can always be done later. Besides, there is a greater chance to get injured with speed work especially if there is an insufficient base. I am not in this to set speed records or to win, the goal is to be healthy and enjoy life.
Here in the Midwest the weather is finally starting to warm up. Well it did a week ago and then the temperature dropped 20 degrees F for this week. The temperature is supposed to climb throughout the week so hopefully we can get the kids out in the jogging stroller on the weekends. This can only add to the time that I get out and get active.
SMALL STEPS are better then NO STEPS
Friday, March 12, 2010
Work the Plan
Over the past couple of weeks, the time to workout has comprised mostly of lunchtime workout. This has been working great and not so great. By having a consistent uninterrupted time to workout, I no longer can put off workouts because of life getting in the way. So there goes that excuse. Next up is going to be, "I'm too tired" or "My knee hurts". These are all the excuses that I've used in the past and I am sure that I will use them in the future. I remember clearly during a sprint distance triathlon a couple of years ago, shortly after starting the swim, I said to myself "What am I doing here". Of coarse that year, I hadn't gotten a single swim in before the race and my workouts had been limited to once or twice a week. Basically, I had no plan and it showed in my attitude and ultimately the results. I finished dead last in my age group. That is not a fact that I tell people very often. The question now becomes how do I prevent that from happening again?
In the past, I almost always had a plan. But it was always a plan that even from the start was impossible for me to accomplish. Yes, there were A, B and C races, with stages along the way for peak performance coming just in time for the A race. But the hours that I planned we such that they could not be met without myself or my family having to sacrifice way too much. What is different this year? For starters, my races are marked on my calendar, my start point to peak just in time for my A race was marked. From there this years plan completely diverges from those of the past. This years plan only covers the next 4 weeks. No longer does it cover every day from now until the end, it is broken down into small manageable session. Why 4 weeks? As most of you know, periodization training is in 4 week blocks, 3 weeks of build and 1 week of rest.
The planned hours no long is a wish list of training time; it is an actual time that can be scheduled. Yes it is not the duration that most think that is needed, but it is the time that I as a husband and father have. How am I going to build endurance with limited time available? After doing some research, it looks like the endurance and fitness can be achieved through intervals. Once a base is built, intervals will be used to develop speed and add fitness. The question of the hour is, should my plan be to do base training for an additional month (which I have time for) or do I jump into the intervals and work on building my speed? I have another week or two to decide. To come to a decision, I will sit down and look at where my weaknesses are and where the focus needs to be.
Plan the work and work the plan
In the past, I almost always had a plan. But it was always a plan that even from the start was impossible for me to accomplish. Yes, there were A, B and C races, with stages along the way for peak performance coming just in time for the A race. But the hours that I planned we such that they could not be met without myself or my family having to sacrifice way too much. What is different this year? For starters, my races are marked on my calendar, my start point to peak just in time for my A race was marked. From there this years plan completely diverges from those of the past. This years plan only covers the next 4 weeks. No longer does it cover every day from now until the end, it is broken down into small manageable session. Why 4 weeks? As most of you know, periodization training is in 4 week blocks, 3 weeks of build and 1 week of rest.
The planned hours no long is a wish list of training time; it is an actual time that can be scheduled. Yes it is not the duration that most think that is needed, but it is the time that I as a husband and father have. How am I going to build endurance with limited time available? After doing some research, it looks like the endurance and fitness can be achieved through intervals. Once a base is built, intervals will be used to develop speed and add fitness. The question of the hour is, should my plan be to do base training for an additional month (which I have time for) or do I jump into the intervals and work on building my speed? I have another week or two to decide. To come to a decision, I will sit down and look at where my weaknesses are and where the focus needs to be.
Plan the work and work the plan
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Magic Bullet - Keep it Up
I think I found the magic bullet. Today I was able to get a workout in during lunch. My gym is pretty close to my work and I ran out during lunch for a trial run to the gym. It took a little longer to get there then planned so my workout was a little shorter then I would have liked. All told, I got a quick swim in to work on my breathing and stroke turnover. It apparently worked. The tell is that my shoulders are a little sore, which feels great.
Being that I work at a couple different locations, and that my gym has multiple locations, I can get a workout in at lunch at both locations. So for now I have scheduled my lunch hours over the next month for workouts and hopefully no one squats on my time with another meeting. The plan will be to get a run or ride in on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and a Swim in on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If I am lucky, maybe I can get a second workout in at home while the kids sleep.
A half dozen years ago I read a book by Total Immersion on triathlon swimming. Along with it I had a DVD that demonstrated the drills to improve the efficiency of your stroke. While traveling for work, I would go out for a run then when back at the hotel, I would review a drill a day and then head to the hotel pool and practice one of those drills. This was great for my stroke and I improved dramatically. Unfortunately I have misplaced the DVD and now have to purchase a new one.
After all the started and then getting pulled off track, I am excited about being able to find a consistent time to get a workout in. Now to make workouts as effective as possible I need to do some planning. For my riding and running I use a heart rate monitor and have been researching how to best use heart rate to get the most out of workouts. The biggest thing is to find your maximum heart rate. For this there are a few different methods. The most accurate is a time trial run or ride. Not wanting to subject myself to this, there are a couple of formulas. The most widely used and the least accurate is to subtract your age from 220 and the resultant is your max HR. Seeing that the winter time is time for rebuilding a base, the goal is to workout in the 60~70% of max range. So for the next month, that’s were I will be.
I have a friend that says "Losers Complain while Winner Train". So it is time to plan the training and work the plan.
Being that I work at a couple different locations, and that my gym has multiple locations, I can get a workout in at lunch at both locations. So for now I have scheduled my lunch hours over the next month for workouts and hopefully no one squats on my time with another meeting. The plan will be to get a run or ride in on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and a Swim in on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If I am lucky, maybe I can get a second workout in at home while the kids sleep.
A half dozen years ago I read a book by Total Immersion on triathlon swimming. Along with it I had a DVD that demonstrated the drills to improve the efficiency of your stroke. While traveling for work, I would go out for a run then when back at the hotel, I would review a drill a day and then head to the hotel pool and practice one of those drills. This was great for my stroke and I improved dramatically. Unfortunately I have misplaced the DVD and now have to purchase a new one.
After all the started and then getting pulled off track, I am excited about being able to find a consistent time to get a workout in. Now to make workouts as effective as possible I need to do some planning. For my riding and running I use a heart rate monitor and have been researching how to best use heart rate to get the most out of workouts. The biggest thing is to find your maximum heart rate. For this there are a few different methods. The most accurate is a time trial run or ride. Not wanting to subject myself to this, there are a couple of formulas. The most widely used and the least accurate is to subtract your age from 220 and the resultant is your max HR. Seeing that the winter time is time for rebuilding a base, the goal is to workout in the 60~70% of max range. So for the next month, that’s were I will be.
I have a friend that says "Losers Complain while Winner Train". So it is time to plan the training and work the plan.
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