On Sunday, I decided to go back to Poor Farm Park and do another ride. It was still kind of cold and windy but I have all the proper gear for such occasions. This time, I decided to also bring my running gear in case I got a wild hair and wanted to do a short run after my ride. Sunday's ride was much better than Saturday's ride. I felt more confident and stronger than on Saturday. I rode more hills, rode at a faster pace, and ended up with a longer ride. After my hour on the mountain bike, I put on my Vibram Five Fingers and went for a short run. I ended up with just over two miles of running. My running pace was slower than that first 1 miler I did on the road. Trail running always results in slower times. But I felt pretty darn good and was pretty happy about my workout. I also have started my gradual build up. I did about 40 minutes of biking on Saturday, and then 56 minutes on Sunday. Next time, I will shoot for an hour or more of riding.
After my workout, we made our grocery list and headed for Whole Foods where we stocked up for the week on healthy foods. Typically now I always make sure to get all my healthy snacks so that when I get hungry at work I have something good at my desk. I load up on bananas, oranges, and apples. I also have been doing fruit/protein shakes so I loaded up on fresh berries. I got all the popular berries. Straw, blue, black, and rasp. There is nothing like blending a small amount of milk, a banana, some straw, blue, black, and raspberries, some whey protein powder, some ice, and some chia seeds into a smoothie and having it as a post workout recovery drink.
After our trip to the grocery store, Melissa was off to the pool where she has started to do workouts with a group. I did the opposite. I actually took a nap. I had wanted to do some more working out but I guess my body had other ideas. After my nap, I did rouse myself and push myself to do all my PT exercises. It is important for me to keep up with my PT as I don't think I will be able to compete without staying on top of it.
On Monday, I did my upper body and ab workout. Recently I had added triceps dips and traditional bench press to my round of exercises. One thing that is nice about my upper body and ab workouts is that they don't take as long so I can finish up earlier and we can get started on dinner earlier.
On Tuesday, I emailed someone I used to work with at an old job to ask him some workout. questions. Nick is an accomplished weight lifter with National Championship awards. He has won the strongest man in Virginia award and is very serious about his workouts. In the strongest man in Virginia contest, they competition is pretty straight forward. Participants do bench press, dead lift, and squats. Whomever lifts the most combined weight wins. Nick's total weight that he lifted with the 3 exercises was 2000 pounds. Yes. That is not a typo, two thousand pounds.
Nick gave me some good advice for some exercises to add to my workout. I am getting stronger and had specifically asked him about whether I should get bigger dumbbells for my curls or get a curling bar. He explained the advantages and disadvantages of each pieces of equipment but also he told me not to forget about good old fashion exercises like push-ups and what not. I had been finishing off my round of weight lifting with push-ups on the BOSU ball but after hearing his advice, I realized there was a lot more I could do.
Tuesday was another night of PT but earlier tonight I added some things into my routine. I started with the dumbbell curls, then shoulder presses, then dumbbell flys, then some chest presses. Then I moved on to the triceps dips which incorporates your own body weight. Next I did bench press. None of this was really new but instead of waiting until the end of my workout to do dips, pull-ups and push-ups, I put them into the rotation. I do 10 reps on each exercise so after my bench presses, I did dips (not quite 10 as I struggled to get six), then pull-ups (2 and half maybe), and then 10 BOSU push ups.
I was breathing hard after this first set and I could tell that I was on to something. I did my second set and started on my third. About half way through my 3rd set, I started to tire out. This was another clue that I was onto something. I worked hard to finish my sets and I was even able to do 10 dips on my last set. But those last 10 BOSU ball push-ups were rough. When I was all finished, I was spent. While making my post workout smoothie, I noticed that the milk carton felt heavy and my arms quivered as I poured the milk. I was definitely onto something. This is the kind of workout I am looking for. I want to push my body hard. I feel like I accomplished that tonight.
Tomorrow is PT. And I got a new piece of equipment. I had been using two five pound ankle weights wrapped around one ankle to do my leg lifts. It was hard work just to get the one weight wrapped around the other. Earlier tonight, I picked up two 10 pound ankle weights so now I won't have to struggle with my five pound weights. Also these weights are adjustable which is a bonus. Let me just clarify that the ankle weights are not used to strengthen ankles. They are used to strengthen quads. Someday I will mock up some pictures and diagrams to detail all of these exercises. I will have to garner some help from a certain someone to help me take the photos.
4 comments:
That berry-banana-milk combo sounds inviting but perhaps a bit acidic. You are rapidly reaching the point where any good-tasting food (loaded with fat and salt, of course) will seem odious!
You are pressing really hard on these workouts and PT’s and that is good, Just be sure that you listen when you’re body says ‘NO’, especially when it comes to the knees!!
a certain someone will gladly art direct your photo shoot.
nice reading about your re-entry into heavier workouts in your last two posts. looking forward to seeing you guys for the monument avenue 10k. i realized earlier this week that there is no way that i will get enough training in to have the stamina to make 10k at my desired time (1 hour . . . last time i ran a 1:02:xx). so i am embarking on a bold strategy to try to make my goal. in my workouts between now and the 27th, i am going to introduce a little more "speed," i.e. faster pace than i usually do. i am hoping that on race day i am at least a little more used to a faster pace. my strategy is to run the first two miles as well as the final 1.2 miles at a faster-than-normal pace, helped by adrenaline. for miles 3, 4, and 5, i have worked out a strict run-walk rotation (mostly run, with brief one-minute spells for quick recuperation). if i keep to my plan, i will stay on pace overall. an hour isn't that great a time, but for me it would be an improvement of over two minutes, so that is what i'm trying for.
Good goal. Nothing wrong with a brief walk break. In fact some coaches recommend that strategy. During your training, make sure you warm up first. Also you may want to try intervals. They are easiest at the track but you can do them around the neighborhood. After a warm up, run about 800 meters at a sustainable but fast past. Recover with jogging or walking for 400 meters and then do the interval again. Interval training should only be done once a week. Try to get in a few long slow runs on on the remaining Saturdays. You may wannt to build up to the 6.2 miles since there are only a few Saturdays left. Melissa is running 5 tomorrow.
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