I completed a marathon! Here's my recap.
My girlfriend and I had gone to a Fiona Apple show the night before so we were up way past our bedtimes. This caused us to have kind of a slow start. After stopping in Seattle for breakfast, we were on our way to Portland. The drive down was nice. There wasn't too much traffic and the weather was fine. We rolled in to Portland at around 3 or 4 and checked into the McMenamins Crystal Hotel. It's a nice place and was within walking distance to the Hilton, where the Expo was.
The Expo was kind of a maze but I managed to find where to get my bib without too much trouble. They always set up expos so that you are forced to walk through all the vendors, which is kind of annoying. I had to walk to the other end to pick up my shirt and then walk through more vendors to get out the door.
That evening we met up with some friends at The Doug Fir Lounge for dinner. I had the mac n cheese because I thought it might be the most carbohydrate heavy item on the menu. Some of their cocktails sounded tasty but I didn't think drinking booze would make the race any better in the morning. After dinner it was off to bed for a sleepless night!
I got out of bed at 5:20 am and had a bagel and started getting ready for the race. It was probably a little too early but I wanted to get at the starting line with plenty of time to spare because I screwed up on my registration and got assigned to the "fast people" corral. I definitely would have been in the way if I started there so I wanted some extra time to figure out what a more appropriate corral would be. I saw a pacer for 5 hours in coral D and thought that was close enough. I found a good spot and anxiously waited for the start.
The race started at 7 and it took about 15 minutes for my corral to get to the starting line. The whole time I was thinking to myself, "What did I get myself into?" That feeling went away as soon as the race started and the excitement took over. Portland sure knows how to start a marathon! There were marching bands, Chinese dragon dancers, rock bands and a ton of fans.
Things started pretty smoothly for me. I was careful to keep my pace in check and kept the 5 hour pacer ahead of me. I did start to worry after 2 or 3 miles when my right leg started getting really stiff. It was a sensation I had not experienced while running before and it was way too early for something like that to be happening. I missed the first water station, which was fine, but I made sure to walk through the second one. Doing so kind of reset my leg and the stiffness went completely away. Relief! Somewhere around mile 7 the racers started thinning out so I decided to try to move up a little and really focus on my form. I was able to pass the 5 hour pace group and I thought I actually had a shot at finishing in under 5 hours. My goal was to just finish but doing so in under 5 would have been pretty nice! I managed to keep a decent pace for the next 6 or 7 miles, but at mile 15ish, things started falling apart. My muscles were started to get sore and were on the verge of major cramping. Unfortunately this was how the next 10 miles went. I was forced to walk more than I would have liked but I did run the vast majority of it and I was determined not to have my first marathon a DNF.
Miles 20 through 26.2 are almost indescribable. It was hard. The hardest thing I've ever been through. Every muscle in my legs hurt and it felt like they could completely seize up at any moment. My pace started to drop quite a bit and the 5 hour pace group passed me at mile 23. Oh well! It was kind of a relief in a way because I could just focus on finishing at that point. Despite how miserable I felt, I never once thought about quitting and all thoughts of why I was attempting a marathon vanished. I was going to finish this thing.
The last mile starts at one end of the Hawthorne Bridge. I was trying to focus on how close I was by thinking about how far a mile is back home on all those training runs. It's not that far! That didn't work. That last mile felt like 5. I made it, though. Crossing that finish line was relief like I had never felt before. I could not believe that it was over. I was in a daze. I wandered through the too blocks after the finish line picking up my medal, pausing for pictures and grabbing some of the food they had set up but I hardly remember any of that. I eventually made my way through and found my girlfriend. We went directly to the beer garden for the most deserved beer of my life.
I had a less than impressive time of 5:14:23 but I'll take it. This was the most rewarding experiences of my life and I don't think any race will be quite like it.
Thanks for reading! This blog will most likely be pretty much retired at this point. I'll update sporadically with updates on races I've run and any other running related information I feel should be shared. For now I am going to take a bit of a break from training and then perhaps do another round of Insanity while I figure out what my next race will be.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Week whatever - ChiRunning and some new gear!
Long time no update! Sorry about that. I did my peak 20 mile run a week ago. Before I started I texted my girlfriend to let her know where I planned to run and how long I anticipated it would take in case I got hurt or kidnapped or something. The problem was that I had originally planned to do 18 miles but about 4 miles in I decided to just do the whole 20 and be done with it. Unfortunately the run didn't go that well. My hip flexor/groin got really sore and I ended up having to walk more than I would have liked and also caused my running pace to severely decrease. This ended up causing my run to last over an hour longer than I planned and created on worried girlfriend. The whole thing reminded me of this blog and my sudden lack of posts. I hope ya'll weren't worried!
Training hasn't been going great. I believe my last post was about a knee injury I sustained. It wasn't really a running injury but it did prevent me from doing much running for about a month. During that downtime I did a lot of research on how to safely start running again and also how to run without injury. That's how I discovered ChiRunning. I'm not going to go in to specifics but it promises injury free, effortless running by improving your form. I've been practicing it for a little over a month and I think it is making a difference. I learned that my form (while not terrible) wasn't the greatest. I was a heel striker, especially when I increased my speed, and that was causing a lot of shock on my knees. ChiRunning, along with other running forms, focuses more on a midfoot strike which is more efficient and less jarring of an impact. This midfoot strike led me to my first new piece of gear. My Newton Distance running shoe! They are designed for midfoot strikes. At first I wasn't totally sold on them because I was still landing too much on the heel. After my first 2 mile run I was shocked at how much wear was on the heel. These shoes are not designed to be run in like that so the heels are made of soft foam that really can't take much friction. I worked on increasing my cadence and posture and now I am more of a midfoot striker and am really loving the shoes. That style of running uses muscles that I'm not used to in the calf area so there is a long adjustment period before one is able to switch to using them exclusively so unfortunately I will not be able to wear them at the marathon.
My next piece of gear is the new Columbia Omi-freeze Zero line of sports clothing. It supposedly has a special material that cools you down more as you sweat. I bought a shirt and hat made of the stuff. I didn't really notice it cooling me down any better, but I do like the shirt. It is constructed well and the material is nice and light.
I also bought a pair of Injinji toe socks because I heard they are great for preventing blisters. I have had a very painful blister on my left foot that has really being ruining my form so I've been trying everything to help with that. The Injinji toe socks are great for preventing blisters, I think, but the one that was already formed still felt like shit. I have a theory that that blister is what caused the groin pain in my long run. I think I was compensating for the pain and ended up using the groin muscles more than I should. The groin pain led me to my next piece of equipment...
...The Stick! I did some research in to how to deal with sore muscles and came across The Stick. It's a similar idea to a foam roller, I think. You basically roll it over all the muscles areas on your body to give yourself a nice massage. I discovered by using it that I had a knot in my shoulder, back and a huge one in my right calf. Oh boy did that calf one not feel good to roll out! Yeoowwwch! I can't believe I was running on that thing and didn't know it. I'm looking forward to seeing my my running improves as a result of using the stick. I guessing my recovery time will.
That's about all for this post. Less than two weeks until the big day! I'm getting pretty nervous...
Training hasn't been going great. I believe my last post was about a knee injury I sustained. It wasn't really a running injury but it did prevent me from doing much running for about a month. During that downtime I did a lot of research on how to safely start running again and also how to run without injury. That's how I discovered ChiRunning. I'm not going to go in to specifics but it promises injury free, effortless running by improving your form. I've been practicing it for a little over a month and I think it is making a difference. I learned that my form (while not terrible) wasn't the greatest. I was a heel striker, especially when I increased my speed, and that was causing a lot of shock on my knees. ChiRunning, along with other running forms, focuses more on a midfoot strike which is more efficient and less jarring of an impact. This midfoot strike led me to my first new piece of gear. My Newton Distance running shoe! They are designed for midfoot strikes. At first I wasn't totally sold on them because I was still landing too much on the heel. After my first 2 mile run I was shocked at how much wear was on the heel. These shoes are not designed to be run in like that so the heels are made of soft foam that really can't take much friction. I worked on increasing my cadence and posture and now I am more of a midfoot striker and am really loving the shoes. That style of running uses muscles that I'm not used to in the calf area so there is a long adjustment period before one is able to switch to using them exclusively so unfortunately I will not be able to wear them at the marathon.
My next piece of gear is the new Columbia Omi-freeze Zero line of sports clothing. It supposedly has a special material that cools you down more as you sweat. I bought a shirt and hat made of the stuff. I didn't really notice it cooling me down any better, but I do like the shirt. It is constructed well and the material is nice and light.
I also bought a pair of Injinji toe socks because I heard they are great for preventing blisters. I have had a very painful blister on my left foot that has really being ruining my form so I've been trying everything to help with that. The Injinji toe socks are great for preventing blisters, I think, but the one that was already formed still felt like shit. I have a theory that that blister is what caused the groin pain in my long run. I think I was compensating for the pain and ended up using the groin muscles more than I should. The groin pain led me to my next piece of equipment...
...The Stick! I did some research in to how to deal with sore muscles and came across The Stick. It's a similar idea to a foam roller, I think. You basically roll it over all the muscles areas on your body to give yourself a nice massage. I discovered by using it that I had a knot in my shoulder, back and a huge one in my right calf. Oh boy did that calf one not feel good to roll out! Yeoowwwch! I can't believe I was running on that thing and didn't know it. I'm looking forward to seeing my my running improves as a result of using the stick. I guessing my recovery time will.
That's about all for this post. Less than two weeks until the big day! I'm getting pretty nervous...
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Week 25 continued...
Well shit. That knee pain I mentioned at the end of my last post turns out to be a bigger deal than I originally thought. I tried to go on a little walk during a break at work the day after the run in which the pain emerged. I went about two blocks and my knee started getting really stiff and I couldn't walk without limping. It doesn't really hurt but it just doesn't feel right. I decided to take a break from all the training until my knee feels normal again It's been about four days now and it is definitely feeling better but not enough that I would risk running on it. I did do a 30 minute workout on my stationary bike today and that felt good. Hopefully I can get back to running soon but I know not to rush these things.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Weeks 19-25
I've been doing a pretty shitty job updating this compared to my Insanity blog. The problem is that this blog just isn't as fun to write and is probably much less fun to read. I'll keep having periodic check-ins up to the marathon and then much much less after that.
Week 19
Monday - 11 mile run
Tuesday - recovery
Wednesday - 30 min on stationary bike
Thursday: VACATION
Friday: VACATION!
Grade: F
Week 20
VACATION!
Grade: F-
I don't know about you duders but I cannot workout on vacation. There are mental blocks and it was 100 degrees in Montana which really limits the amount of physical activity that is possible. Plus I was hungover for half of it.
Week 21
Monday: 3 mile run
Tues: Cardio Power and Resistance
Weds: Nada
Thurs: 30 min stationary bike
Fri: 3.2 mile run
Sat: Pure Cardio
Sun: Rest
Grade: C
Week 22
Mon: 12.5 mile run
Tues: Recovery
Wed: Mowed the lawn!
Thurs: 30 min stationary bike
Fri: Plyometric cardio circuit
Sat: 6.4 mile run
Sun: walked the dogs a mile or two
Grade: A!
Week 23
Mon: 30 min stationary bike
Tues: Cardio Power and Resistance
Wed: 3.2 mile run
Thurs: 30 min stationary bike
Fri: 14 mile run
Sat: Recovery (Plus I had no time because I had to get down to the Subpop Silver Jubilee!)
Sun: Rest
Grade: A!
That was my longest run to date. It went pretty well. I prepared for it by eating a ton of carbohydrates for the 2 or 3 days leading to it and I had Gatorade and some energy gels packed with me. The trail I took was pretty convoluted and not really well marked. I think I ended up somewhere.... Anyway, about the time I realized that I was lost was about the time that I needed to turn around anyway. I need to figure that out because I am depending on that trail for long runs. I really don't feel like taking my neighborhood loop 5 times. Also, there is a difference between recovery and rest. Recovery is after a particularly grueling workout where a rest is needed to recoup and prevent injury. Rest is more for mental recovery.
Week 24
Mon: Pure Cardio
Tues: 3.2 mile run
Wed: Plyometric cardio circuit
Thurs: No time. I had tickets to see David Byrne and St. Vincent!
Fri-Sun: I was in Montana again for a wedding. It was very hot there.
Grade: D
Week 25 (Current week)
Mon: Nothing. I was very tired from the trip to Montana so I needed a nap after work.
Tues: 3.2 mile run
Wed: Cardio Power and Resistance
Thurs: 6 mile run
We are up to date! I will probably repost this week with the next post with the rest of the week added. My run today was good but I actually had to cut it short by half a mile. My left knee really started aching so I had to walk the last bit. I'm hoping it was caused by bashing it against my counter while trying to wiggle in to my compression shorts and not from the run itself. It would really blow to get injured this late in the game.
I'm not going to proof read this post so ignore any grammar/spelling mistakes unless they are really bad. In that case, please let me know!
Week 19
Monday - 11 mile run
Tuesday - recovery
Wednesday - 30 min on stationary bike
Thursday: VACATION
Friday: VACATION!
Grade: F
Week 20
VACATION!
Grade: F-
I don't know about you duders but I cannot workout on vacation. There are mental blocks and it was 100 degrees in Montana which really limits the amount of physical activity that is possible. Plus I was hungover for half of it.
Week 21
Monday: 3 mile run
Tues: Cardio Power and Resistance
Weds: Nada
Thurs: 30 min stationary bike
Fri: 3.2 mile run
Sat: Pure Cardio
Sun: Rest
Grade: C
Week 22
Mon: 12.5 mile run
Tues: Recovery
Wed: Mowed the lawn!
Thurs: 30 min stationary bike
Fri: Plyometric cardio circuit
Sat: 6.4 mile run
Sun: walked the dogs a mile or two
Grade: A!
Week 23
Mon: 30 min stationary bike
Tues: Cardio Power and Resistance
Wed: 3.2 mile run
Thurs: 30 min stationary bike
Fri: 14 mile run
Sat: Recovery (Plus I had no time because I had to get down to the Subpop Silver Jubilee!)
Sun: Rest
Grade: A!
That was my longest run to date. It went pretty well. I prepared for it by eating a ton of carbohydrates for the 2 or 3 days leading to it and I had Gatorade and some energy gels packed with me. The trail I took was pretty convoluted and not really well marked. I think I ended up somewhere.... Anyway, about the time I realized that I was lost was about the time that I needed to turn around anyway. I need to figure that out because I am depending on that trail for long runs. I really don't feel like taking my neighborhood loop 5 times. Also, there is a difference between recovery and rest. Recovery is after a particularly grueling workout where a rest is needed to recoup and prevent injury. Rest is more for mental recovery.
Week 24
Mon: Pure Cardio
Tues: 3.2 mile run
Wed: Plyometric cardio circuit
Thurs: No time. I had tickets to see David Byrne and St. Vincent!
Fri-Sun: I was in Montana again for a wedding. It was very hot there.
Grade: D
Week 25 (Current week)
Mon: Nothing. I was very tired from the trip to Montana so I needed a nap after work.
Tues: 3.2 mile run
Wed: Cardio Power and Resistance
Thurs: 6 mile run
We are up to date! I will probably repost this week with the next post with the rest of the week added. My run today was good but I actually had to cut it short by half a mile. My left knee really started aching so I had to walk the last bit. I'm hoping it was caused by bashing it against my counter while trying to wiggle in to my compression shorts and not from the run itself. It would really blow to get injured this late in the game.
I'm not going to proof read this post so ignore any grammar/spelling mistakes unless they are really bad. In that case, please let me know!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Weeks 15, 16, 17 and 18 I think
Alright, time for an update. I haven't been totally slacking this past month. Here's what I've done!
Week 15
Monday - Max Cardio Conditioning
Tuesday - 6.3 mile run
Wednesday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Thursday - 3.2 mile run
Friday - Nothing!
Saturday - 54 minutes on stationary bike
Sunday - Rest
Total miles: 9.5
Week grade: D
Week 16
Monday - Mowed my lawn!
Tuesday - 3.06 mile run
Wednesday - Cardio Power and Resistance
Thursday - Pure Cardio
Friday - 3.2 mile run
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - 3 mile run
Total miles: 9.2
Week grade: B
Week 17
Monday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Tuesday - Nothing
Wednesday - NOTHING
Thursday - 3.2 mile run
Friday - Cardio Power and Resistance
Saturday - 10 mile run
Sunday - Mow lawn
Total miles: 13.2
Week's Grade: C
Week 18
Monday - Rest
Tuesday- Pure Cardio
Wednesday - 3.1 mile run
Thursday - 30 minutes on stationary bike
Friday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Saturday - 3.2 mile run
Sunday - 30 minutes stationary bike
Total miles: 6.3
Week's grade: B
I've been coming up with a better, more consistent program for me over the past month. I'm still testing it out but I think it will be good. I'll go in to more detail if I stick with it. I've also come up with a new grading system for my week grade's but it is a little complicating and I am still fine tuning it. It involves number of workouts, quality of workouts and number of days skipped for no reason. That's why week 18 has a better grade than week 17 even though I ran half the miles. Not that the grade really matters at all.
I started week 19 off with an 11 mile run and it went pretty well! I'm telling you this now because I have no idea when I'm going to update again. I have another week of working out and then I'm on vacation. I'm going to be visiting my brother, who is also big on physical fitness, but we also like to eat out and drink a lot when we are together so I doubt there will be any exercising happening.
Week 15
Monday - Max Cardio Conditioning
Tuesday - 6.3 mile run
Wednesday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Thursday - 3.2 mile run
Friday - Nothing!
Saturday - 54 minutes on stationary bike
Sunday - Rest
Total miles: 9.5
Week grade: D
Week 16
Monday - Mowed my lawn!
Tuesday - 3.06 mile run
Wednesday - Cardio Power and Resistance
Thursday - Pure Cardio
Friday - 3.2 mile run
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - 3 mile run
Total miles: 9.2
Week grade: B
Week 17
Monday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Tuesday - Nothing
Wednesday - NOTHING
Thursday - 3.2 mile run
Friday - Cardio Power and Resistance
Saturday - 10 mile run
Sunday - Mow lawn
Total miles: 13.2
Week's Grade: C
Week 18
Monday - Rest
Tuesday- Pure Cardio
Wednesday - 3.1 mile run
Thursday - 30 minutes on stationary bike
Friday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Saturday - 3.2 mile run
Sunday - 30 minutes stationary bike
Total miles: 6.3
Week's grade: B
I've been coming up with a better, more consistent program for me over the past month. I'm still testing it out but I think it will be good. I'll go in to more detail if I stick with it. I've also come up with a new grading system for my week grade's but it is a little complicating and I am still fine tuning it. It involves number of workouts, quality of workouts and number of days skipped for no reason. That's why week 18 has a better grade than week 17 even though I ran half the miles. Not that the grade really matters at all.
I started week 19 off with an 11 mile run and it went pretty well! I'm telling you this now because I have no idea when I'm going to update again. I have another week of working out and then I'm on vacation. I'm going to be visiting my brother, who is also big on physical fitness, but we also like to eat out and drink a lot when we are together so I doubt there will be any exercising happening.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Week 13 & 14 - "Recovery"
I read somewhere that a good rule of thumb for recovering from a hard run is to take it easy for one day per mile. That is exactly what I’ve been doing! I haven’t really been following my diet by eating out a lot (Scuttlebutt, Brooklyn Brothers Pizza, Quinn's Pub, Kingfish Cafe, Lost Lake Cafe, and the always excellent Bitterroot BBQ) and drinking a lot of booze. There is nothing better than enjoying a beer on a hot day outside! I also went to a METZ show in Seattle that totally blew me away. This hedonism has been fun, but my 13.1 days of recovery is over and my wallet is empty so it is time to get back to training and healthy living!
The recovery period hasn’t been totally devoid of exercise. I did attempt a run a few days after the half marathon because I was curious as to how quickly my body could recovery. My muscles felt fine but my knees ached quite a bit. I did another run a week later. My knees were better but still achy. I did manage 4.5 miles with that run. Other than that I’ve just been taking the dogs for long walks, which has been fun. Also, the weather has been great so I've been riding my bike to work every morning.
Tomorrow I will get back into the swing of things by doing an Insanity workout. I think I’ll have to cut those workouts out when my mileage gets higher but I’m not quite there yet. I’m looking forward to it!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Week 12 - Half Marathon
Week's Grade: A+
Monday: Max Cardio Conditioning
Tuesday: 4.2 mile run
Wednesday: Core Cardio and Balance
Thursday: 3 mile run (I think)
Friday: REST
Saturday: REST
Sunday: 13.1 mile run
Total miles: 20ish
I probably worked out a little more than I should have since this was supposed to be a taper week, but I don't think it really hurt me any. I decided to do Core Cardio and Balance because that is the Insanity workout that you do for an entire week in between months one and two. It is much more laid back than normal Insanity workouts and I think it helped keep my muscles awake but not overwork them. Sunday was the Heroes Half Marathon in Everett, WA. It was my second half marathon, the first being the Amica Seattle Half Marathon last November. I finished yesterday with a time of 1:49:42 (8:22 pace). My previous PR was around 2:18:00 so I shaved off almost a half hour which is something I'm pretty proud of.
Now I need to figure out where to go with my training for my first full marathon. The next one in my area is in June but I doubt I'd be ready by then and I don't think I'd be able to get race day off from work. I think I'll plan on doing one in Portland, OR in October. That is a ways away and I don't want to peak too soon so I need to figure out just how many miles to run and what kind of workouts to do. I also might not update every week because I think the posts will start to get even more boring than they are now... Decisions decisions!
Monday: Max Cardio Conditioning
Tuesday: 4.2 mile run
Wednesday: Core Cardio and Balance
Thursday: 3 mile run (I think)
Friday: REST
Saturday: REST
Sunday: 13.1 mile run
Total miles: 20ish
I probably worked out a little more than I should have since this was supposed to be a taper week, but I don't think it really hurt me any. I decided to do Core Cardio and Balance because that is the Insanity workout that you do for an entire week in between months one and two. It is much more laid back than normal Insanity workouts and I think it helped keep my muscles awake but not overwork them. Sunday was the Heroes Half Marathon in Everett, WA. It was my second half marathon, the first being the Amica Seattle Half Marathon last November. I finished yesterday with a time of 1:49:42 (8:22 pace). My previous PR was around 2:18:00 so I shaved off almost a half hour which is something I'm pretty proud of.
Now I need to figure out where to go with my training for my first full marathon. The next one in my area is in June but I doubt I'd be ready by then and I don't think I'd be able to get race day off from work. I think I'll plan on doing one in Portland, OR in October. That is a ways away and I don't want to peak too soon so I need to figure out just how many miles to run and what kind of workouts to do. I also might not update every week because I think the posts will start to get even more boring than they are now... Decisions decisions!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Week 11
Week's grade: D
Monday - Max Interval Circuit
Tuesday - Stationary bike, 40 minutes
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - NOTHING
Friday -NOTHING!
Saturday - Stationary bike 30 minutes
Sunday - 5 mile run
Oh my, what a disaster. I have excuses, though! I had planned on doing a 10 mile run on Wednesday, but that day happened to be my 31st birthday and I was able to talk myself in to playing Ni No Kuni all day instead of run. You shouldn't have to work out on your birthday anyway. Thursday was someone else's birthday in Seattle followed by a show later that night (Lady, who I highly recommend you check out). I had to hightail it to the city right after work so I had no time. Friday I had my annual evaluation at work which was scheduled a half hour after I normally would get off and I didn't have time after it was finished. I had ANOTHER birthday to go to in Seattle on Saturday but I was able to get out of my rut and get an easy workout in prior to that. Pretty poor effort but I'm okay with it. I need to start tapering anyway since the half marathon is exactly one week away!
Tomorrow I will do a Max workout but I will plan on taking it easy for the rest of the week.
Monday - Max Interval Circuit
Tuesday - Stationary bike, 40 minutes
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - NOTHING
Friday -NOTHING!
Saturday - Stationary bike 30 minutes
Sunday - 5 mile run
Oh my, what a disaster. I have excuses, though! I had planned on doing a 10 mile run on Wednesday, but that day happened to be my 31st birthday and I was able to talk myself in to playing Ni No Kuni all day instead of run. You shouldn't have to work out on your birthday anyway. Thursday was someone else's birthday in Seattle followed by a show later that night (Lady, who I highly recommend you check out). I had to hightail it to the city right after work so I had no time. Friday I had my annual evaluation at work which was scheduled a half hour after I normally would get off and I didn't have time after it was finished. I had ANOTHER birthday to go to in Seattle on Saturday but I was able to get out of my rut and get an easy workout in prior to that. Pretty poor effort but I'm okay with it. I need to start tapering anyway since the half marathon is exactly one week away!
Tomorrow I will do a Max workout but I will plan on taking it easy for the rest of the week.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Week 10
Week's grade: A+
Monday - Max Interval Plyo
Tuesday - 5 mile run
Wednesday - Pure Cardio
Thursday - 5 mile run
Friday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Saturday - 12.1 mile run
Sunday - Rest (with a two mile walk with the dogs and mowing the lawn)
Total Miles - 22
10 weeks already? Man, time flies. I'm happy that I was able to break the 20 weekly mile mark. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to get my long run in on Saturday because the weather was pretty shitty. I got up early because it was supposed to be nicest in the early morning. It started out cool and dry but by the end it was cold and wet. There's no telling what the weather will be like on race day (two weeks from now) so it was good for me to get a little wet. Today would have actually be a good day for a long run. It hailed and rained earlier but now as I write this the sun is peaking through to say, "Hello!"
Monday - Max Interval Plyo
Tuesday - 5 mile run
Wednesday - Pure Cardio
Thursday - 5 mile run
Friday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Saturday - 12.1 mile run
Sunday - Rest (with a two mile walk with the dogs and mowing the lawn)
Total Miles - 22
10 weeks already? Man, time flies. I'm happy that I was able to break the 20 weekly mile mark. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to get my long run in on Saturday because the weather was pretty shitty. I got up early because it was supposed to be nicest in the early morning. It started out cool and dry but by the end it was cold and wet. There's no telling what the weather will be like on race day (two weeks from now) so it was good for me to get a little wet. Today would have actually be a good day for a long run. It hailed and rained earlier but now as I write this the sun is peaking through to say, "Hello!"
Monday, April 8, 2013
Week 9
Week grade: B+
Monday - 4.5 mile run
Tuesday - 46 minutes on stationary bike
Wednesday - 5 mile run
Thursday - NOTHING!
Friday - Pure Cardio
Saturday - 10.1 mile run
Total miles: 19.6
Oh man, I was so close to breaking the 20 weekly mile mark! That's okay, it's the long run miles that count. My goal this week was to do a 10 mile run and I wasn't expecting to be able to meet it because of the shitty weather we've been having lately. I was checking the forecast all day at work on Saturday and at some point it changed from 100% rain to 0% rain. I saw it as a sign and I went for it. Unfortunately the wind did not let up like the rain did. I had 20 mph headwinds for most of the run (I swear it kept changing directions just to torture me) but I did it and I am proud. I really needed that run because the half marathon is in 20 days. Hopefully I can get up to a 12 mile in the next two weeks.
I didn't give myself an A this week because of the skip day on Thursday. I didn't need a rest or anything, I just had no time for a workout. I had to work all day and then hightail it to Seattle to meet up with my lady for some dinner.
My weight has dropped at a faster rate this week. I am happy about that. I decided to really work at reaching my target weight so I can start to eat more. Eat! Eat! Eat! I think the extra calories will be important when I start on my really long runs.
Monday - 4.5 mile run
Tuesday - 46 minutes on stationary bike
Wednesday - 5 mile run
Thursday - NOTHING!
Friday - Pure Cardio
Saturday - 10.1 mile run
Total miles: 19.6
Oh man, I was so close to breaking the 20 weekly mile mark! That's okay, it's the long run miles that count. My goal this week was to do a 10 mile run and I wasn't expecting to be able to meet it because of the shitty weather we've been having lately. I was checking the forecast all day at work on Saturday and at some point it changed from 100% rain to 0% rain. I saw it as a sign and I went for it. Unfortunately the wind did not let up like the rain did. I had 20 mph headwinds for most of the run (I swear it kept changing directions just to torture me) but I did it and I am proud. I really needed that run because the half marathon is in 20 days. Hopefully I can get up to a 12 mile in the next two weeks.
I didn't give myself an A this week because of the skip day on Thursday. I didn't need a rest or anything, I just had no time for a workout. I had to work all day and then hightail it to Seattle to meet up with my lady for some dinner.
My weight has dropped at a faster rate this week. I am happy about that. I decided to really work at reaching my target weight so I can start to eat more. Eat! Eat! Eat! I think the extra calories will be important when I start on my really long runs.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Week 8
Week grade: B
Monday: Max Cardio Conditioning
Tuesday: 9.01 mile run
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 4.5 mile run
Friday: Cardio Power and Resistance
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest
Total miles: 13.5
I took some extra rest days this week. Wednesday was originally supposed to be Plyometric Cardio Circuit but after the long run that would probably do more harm than good. Saturday wasn't a total rest day by any means. I had the day off and the sun was shining so I finally got around to mowing (part of) my lawn. That is a total bitch in the early spring in the pacific northwest so it ended up being a decent workout.
I am actually considering cutting out the Insanity stuff completely. It might be better to do that program as a winter tradition when the weather sucks. It kind feels weird using a workout DVD when it is so nice outside. I'll stick with it, though maybe with a modified schedule, up until my half marathon. After that I'm thinking my mileage will be too high and the my body won't have time to recover with the intense Insanity workouts. I am a little concerned that I won't get enough cardio without them, though.
Happy Easter!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Week 7
Week's grade: A
Monday - 8 mile run
Tuesday - Pure Cardio
Wednesday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Thursday - 6.3 mile run
Friday - Max Interval Circuit
Saturday - 3.43
Sunday - Rest
Total weekly miles: ~18
Not a bad week! My weekly routine was totally out of whack because of some crappy weather. Monday and Thursday were going to be Insanity days but I just played it by ear. If there wasn't any rain, I ran. The weather is looking much better this week so maybe I'll be able to break 20 weekly miles. I have a little over a month before my half marathon so things are looking good.
Monday - 8 mile run
Tuesday - Pure Cardio
Wednesday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Thursday - 6.3 mile run
Friday - Max Interval Circuit
Saturday - 3.43
Sunday - Rest
Total weekly miles: ~18
Not a bad week! My weekly routine was totally out of whack because of some crappy weather. Monday and Thursday were going to be Insanity days but I just played it by ear. If there wasn't any rain, I ran. The weather is looking much better this week so maybe I'll be able to break 20 weekly miles. I have a little over a month before my half marathon so things are looking good.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Week 6
Week's grade: B+
Monday: Max Interval Plyo
Tuesday: 3.01 mile run
Wednesday: Pure Cardio
Thursday: 5.1 mile run
Friday: 4.1 mile run
Saturday: Cardio Power and Resistance
Sunday: Rest but I will end up walking over 3 miles before the day is done.
Total miles: ~12.2
As you can see I did not do a long run this week. The weather has been really wet and windy. I'm not committed enough to spend an hour in that crap. Work has also been very stressful and has taken up some of my free time. I guess that should be fine. A "light" week might be something that I've needed for a while. I know work will be better now and I hope the weather will be too!
Tomorrow I start out next week with Max Interval Circuit. I consider that to be the hardest of the Insanity workouts!
Happy St. Paddy's day!
Monday: Max Interval Plyo
Tuesday: 3.01 mile run
Wednesday: Pure Cardio
Thursday: 5.1 mile run
Friday: 4.1 mile run
Saturday: Cardio Power and Resistance
Sunday: Rest but I will end up walking over 3 miles before the day is done.
Total miles: ~12.2
As you can see I did not do a long run this week. The weather has been really wet and windy. I'm not committed enough to spend an hour in that crap. Work has also been very stressful and has taken up some of my free time. I guess that should be fine. A "light" week might be something that I've needed for a while. I know work will be better now and I hope the weather will be too!
Tomorrow I start out next week with Max Interval Circuit. I consider that to be the hardest of the Insanity workouts!
Happy St. Paddy's day!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Week 5
Grade: A
Monday - Max Cardio Conditioning
Tuesday - 3.13 mile run
Wednesday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Thursday - 3.12 mile run
Friday - Cardio Power and Resistance
Saturday - 8.01 mile run
Sunday - Rest
Total miles: 14
This was a very good week in all departments, fitness and life. As you can see I managed to get all my workouts in, increased my long run mileage and got over 10 miles/week for the first time in this round of training. The weather on Saturday was beautiful. It was in the 50s and the sun was shining. That's perfect running weather! Both of my knees started to get pretty stiff at the 4 or 5 mile mark. They didn't hurt but it was uncomfortable. I did some research and it could be that I'm just over working them. I knew going in to this that doing Insanity and running might be a little too much and I might need to scale back some as my mileage gets higher.
I finally got around to registering for my next half marathon. It will be the Heroes Half in Everett, WA. I am committed now!
Monday - Max Cardio Conditioning
Tuesday - 3.13 mile run
Wednesday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Thursday - 3.12 mile run
Friday - Cardio Power and Resistance
Saturday - 8.01 mile run
Sunday - Rest
Total miles: 14
This was a very good week in all departments, fitness and life. As you can see I managed to get all my workouts in, increased my long run mileage and got over 10 miles/week for the first time in this round of training. The weather on Saturday was beautiful. It was in the 50s and the sun was shining. That's perfect running weather! Both of my knees started to get pretty stiff at the 4 or 5 mile mark. They didn't hurt but it was uncomfortable. I did some research and it could be that I'm just over working them. I knew going in to this that doing Insanity and running might be a little too much and I might need to scale back some as my mileage gets higher.
I finally got around to registering for my next half marathon. It will be the Heroes Half in Everett, WA. I am committed now!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Week 4
I gave my workouts letter grades last week and I kind of like that! This week I'll give myself a B+. It would be an A but I skipped a day because I am still undisciplined.
Monday - SKIP :-(
Tuesday - Run 3 miles
Wednesday - Max Interval Circuit
Thursday - Stationary bike 30 minutes
Friday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Saturday - 7 mile run
Sunday - Recovery
Total miles: 10
I did Max Interval Circuit on Wednesday. It was the workout I skipped on Monday and I figured the two workouts I cannot skip are my MAX workouts and the long runs.
I wanted to run on Thursday but my work schedule was screwy all last week so I didn't get home until later and the weather was pretty crappy. The weather was crap on my long run as well. I had a 20 MPH headwind for about 3 miles of it but I kept a 9:04 mile pace which is really good for me. In the past a long run would be more around 10:30. I think there are a few factors that improve my pace. First is just being in better shape. Insanity really helped my cardio. My resting pulse rate was down to 58 beats per minute the other day. Before I started Insanity it was around 80. Next is my weight loss. I am down almost 10 pounds since my last half marathon. It saves quite a bit of energy not lugging that around! Then we have my improved nutrition. Using myfitnesspal to make sure I am eating enough has helped immensely. Last is the shoes. I love the Ghost 5s. I can't believe I ran on my old shoes for so long!
I'm hoping to get over 10 miles total next week. That should be easy to do as long as the weather cooperates.
Monday - SKIP :-(
Tuesday - Run 3 miles
Wednesday - Max Interval Circuit
Thursday - Stationary bike 30 minutes
Friday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Saturday - 7 mile run
Sunday - Recovery
Total miles: 10
I did Max Interval Circuit on Wednesday. It was the workout I skipped on Monday and I figured the two workouts I cannot skip are my MAX workouts and the long runs.
I wanted to run on Thursday but my work schedule was screwy all last week so I didn't get home until later and the weather was pretty crappy. The weather was crap on my long run as well. I had a 20 MPH headwind for about 3 miles of it but I kept a 9:04 mile pace which is really good for me. In the past a long run would be more around 10:30. I think there are a few factors that improve my pace. First is just being in better shape. Insanity really helped my cardio. My resting pulse rate was down to 58 beats per minute the other day. Before I started Insanity it was around 80. Next is my weight loss. I am down almost 10 pounds since my last half marathon. It saves quite a bit of energy not lugging that around! Then we have my improved nutrition. Using myfitnesspal to make sure I am eating enough has helped immensely. Last is the shoes. I love the Ghost 5s. I can't believe I ran on my old shoes for so long!
I'm hoping to get over 10 miles total next week. That should be easy to do as long as the weather cooperates.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Week 3
If I were to rate my weeks so far they would be as follows:
Week One: A
Week Two: F-
Week Three: B
I was going to give week three a C based on the amount of workouts I actually did but I decided to bump it up a letter grade because the quality of the workouts was pretty good. Here's the week's review:
Monday: SKIP
Tuesday: SKIP
Wednesday: Pure Cardio (Insanity)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Cardio Power and Resistance (Insanity)
Saturday: AWESOME 6 miles.
Sunday: attempted my own ab workout that sucked but then did 24 min on the stationary bike even though it is supposed to be my rest day.
Total miles: 10
I feel good! What a great rebound after the horrible week two that I had. Going forward I'm hoping this will be the norm.
My run on Saturday was one of the best I've ever had. I did a 10K distance in 52 minutes. That is the fastest I've ran that distance (or any distance, really) since high school. Next week I'll try a 7 miler but at a more reasonable pace.
Oh! I replaced my Garmin Forerunner 305 with the Garmin 10.
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| Garmin 10 v. Garmin Forerunner 305 |
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Week 2
What a training disaster! I've been on a staycation and have not figured out how to work out while having so much free time. I'm pretty prone to bad behavior when I have a lot of free time so running and Insanity were way to the back of my mind as I ate a ton of good food that is bad for me. Plus, my brother is in town visiting me and we tend to go out and drink alcohol when we are together. I guess this week is a mulligan. I'll be back for a half week of training next week, followed by some hardcore focus.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Week 1
Monday - 3 mile run
Tuesday - 30 minutes on stationary bike
Wednesday - Pure Cardio (Insanity)
Thursday - 3 mile run
Friday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit (Insanity)
Saturday - 5.2 mile run
Sunday - Cardio Abs (Insanity)
Total miles: 11
Monday was my first run of 2013, my first run since the half marathon and my first run since I finished Insanity. I also got to try out some new gear! It was my inaugural run using my Brooks Ghost 5 shoes and I love them! I can't believe I didn't upgrade to some higher end shoes two years ago. I'm hoping that wearing the appropriate shoes will help alleviate some of the knee problems I've had in the past during long runs. I also used my 4th gen iPod Shuffle for the first time. I'm not a fan. It was very frustrating figuring out how to make a playlist with (the horrible) iTunes 11 that included podcasts and music. I figured it out but the process was much easier with my first gen Shuffle and out of date iTunes software. I also think the 4th gen might be too small. I had difficulty clipping it to my collar without hitting "next". Hopefully I'll get used to it. I think I will get a new GPS watch soon. My Garmin Forerunner 305 is just too damn big and hasn't been syncing right with my computer. I might downgrade since I am using my Polar 4 heart rate monitor instead of the one built in to the Garmin. All I really need is my calories burned and distance. Keep it simple!
I was only planning on doing a 4 mile run for my first "long run" but I felt good so I decided to go further. I was being a little cautious when planning the runs because I had no idea how far I'd be able to go since I haven't run in over 2 months. The first run was a little worrisome because my calf muscles were pretty tight and I had a bitch of a side stitch but my second run was easy and the long run felt like I hadn't taken any time off.
Doing Insanity every other day definitely makes it more bearable. We'll see how next week goes when I work in a MAX workout.
Speaking of next week, my brother is going to be visiting so I'm not sure if I'll be able to stick with my schedule for all the days. It is possible I will be nursing a hangover instead of working out at least one of the days...
All in all, it was a great first week!
Tuesday - 30 minutes on stationary bike
Wednesday - Pure Cardio (Insanity)
Thursday - 3 mile run
Friday - Plyometric Cardio Circuit (Insanity)
Saturday - 5.2 mile run
Sunday - Cardio Abs (Insanity)
Total miles: 11
Monday was my first run of 2013, my first run since the half marathon and my first run since I finished Insanity. I also got to try out some new gear! It was my inaugural run using my Brooks Ghost 5 shoes and I love them! I can't believe I didn't upgrade to some higher end shoes two years ago. I'm hoping that wearing the appropriate shoes will help alleviate some of the knee problems I've had in the past during long runs. I also used my 4th gen iPod Shuffle for the first time. I'm not a fan. It was very frustrating figuring out how to make a playlist with (the horrible) iTunes 11 that included podcasts and music. I figured it out but the process was much easier with my first gen Shuffle and out of date iTunes software. I also think the 4th gen might be too small. I had difficulty clipping it to my collar without hitting "next". Hopefully I'll get used to it. I think I will get a new GPS watch soon. My Garmin Forerunner 305 is just too damn big and hasn't been syncing right with my computer. I might downgrade since I am using my Polar 4 heart rate monitor instead of the one built in to the Garmin. All I really need is my calories burned and distance. Keep it simple!
I was only planning on doing a 4 mile run for my first "long run" but I felt good so I decided to go further. I was being a little cautious when planning the runs because I had no idea how far I'd be able to go since I haven't run in over 2 months. The first run was a little worrisome because my calf muscles were pretty tight and I had a bitch of a side stitch but my second run was easy and the long run felt like I hadn't taken any time off.
Doing Insanity every other day definitely makes it more bearable. We'll see how next week goes when I work in a MAX workout.
Speaking of next week, my brother is going to be visiting so I'm not sure if I'll be able to stick with my schedule for all the days. It is possible I will be nursing a hangover instead of working out at least one of the days...
All in all, it was a great first week!
Hello!
Hi. This blog is the continuation of the blog I started to document my journey through the Insanity workout. That can be found here.
I guess I'll start out with a little background. All through junior high and high school I was a member of our cross country team so I ran quite a bit. I never was very good at it but it did keep me in decent shape. Once I got to college I could not find time to keep running regularly because of all the time I spent studying and partying. Eventually the large amounts of food and alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle caused me to start packing on the pounds. This trend continued after college when I started a career that required me to work the swing shift and spend much of it sitting on my butt. In 2010 I was required to do a biometric screen for my health insurance and was pretty shocked when I found out that I had broke the 200 pound mark. Weighing in at 210 and having a very high blood pressure and cholesterol for someone in their 20s was a real wake up call and I decided to be responsible and try to get healthy again. I started out by using a rowing machine every day after work which I eventually replaced with a stationary bike. As I started getting in better shape the exercise equipment wasn't really cutting it anymore so I decided to take up running again. That wasn't fun, as anybody who has ever started running can remember but I was determined and a little stubborn. My running kept improving and my diet got healthier resulting in me losing most of the weight I needed to.
Having reached my weight loss goal, I needed something else to keep me motivated. My ability to run further and further made the choice to try to run a half marathon pretty obvious. I ran my first one in Seattle in November of 2012 and it was a great experience. Now I want more so I have my eyes set on running a full one this summer.
The first part of my marathon training started a week after I finished the half marathon. I needed a break from running but not working out. I did a lot of searching and settled on doing the Insanity workout program whose infomercials you see when you wake up at 3 am on the couch. I figured it would be great to help me with my goals because it has a huge cardio focus and I figured it could help me lose the last of the fat I've been struggling to lose.
Insanity was great. It helped me get in the best shape of my life and now that I'm done with the program, it is time for me to ease back into running. I would hate to lose the results that I worked so hard to achieve with Insanity, so I am attempting to do create a training program that works in Insanity workouts and running. I have the program on paper up until my next half marathon in April of 2013. It might be too intense but it is a work in progress. You'll just have to follow my updates to find out!
I guess I'll start out with a little background. All through junior high and high school I was a member of our cross country team so I ran quite a bit. I never was very good at it but it did keep me in decent shape. Once I got to college I could not find time to keep running regularly because of all the time I spent studying and partying. Eventually the large amounts of food and alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle caused me to start packing on the pounds. This trend continued after college when I started a career that required me to work the swing shift and spend much of it sitting on my butt. In 2010 I was required to do a biometric screen for my health insurance and was pretty shocked when I found out that I had broke the 200 pound mark. Weighing in at 210 and having a very high blood pressure and cholesterol for someone in their 20s was a real wake up call and I decided to be responsible and try to get healthy again. I started out by using a rowing machine every day after work which I eventually replaced with a stationary bike. As I started getting in better shape the exercise equipment wasn't really cutting it anymore so I decided to take up running again. That wasn't fun, as anybody who has ever started running can remember but I was determined and a little stubborn. My running kept improving and my diet got healthier resulting in me losing most of the weight I needed to.
Having reached my weight loss goal, I needed something else to keep me motivated. My ability to run further and further made the choice to try to run a half marathon pretty obvious. I ran my first one in Seattle in November of 2012 and it was a great experience. Now I want more so I have my eyes set on running a full one this summer.
The first part of my marathon training started a week after I finished the half marathon. I needed a break from running but not working out. I did a lot of searching and settled on doing the Insanity workout program whose infomercials you see when you wake up at 3 am on the couch. I figured it would be great to help me with my goals because it has a huge cardio focus and I figured it could help me lose the last of the fat I've been struggling to lose.
Insanity was great. It helped me get in the best shape of my life and now that I'm done with the program, it is time for me to ease back into running. I would hate to lose the results that I worked so hard to achieve with Insanity, so I am attempting to do create a training program that works in Insanity workouts and running. I have the program on paper up until my next half marathon in April of 2013. It might be too intense but it is a work in progress. You'll just have to follow my updates to find out!
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