I ran 1 hr 45 min on Sunday and I took Monday off. I planned on working out Monday, but my knees made a decision for the rest of me. I need more ice.
I swam Tuesday morning, went to spin Tuesday night and I ran 65 minutes today. So. So. So. Why am I up 4 pounds this month? I am working out 10-14 times per week, I am doing a ton. I eat veg and meat. I don't get it.
That's a lie. I know why, I am eating more calories than I am burning, but still, it sucks big time. I need to cut out the milk. I am down to bare minimum carbs as it is, maybe if I stop drinking the non-fat milk I can drop the fat. Or the 80 calorie costco healthy choice fudge bar. Or the wine.
My cardio guy (I had one 85 pounds ago) said that a glass of red wine is good for the pump. That is each and every day, I get a glass of wine. One glass. One.
It's a big glass.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Training On The Road
The training calendar is all powerful. If it says run 30 minutes, I run 30 minutes. Always. Except when I am travelling. I was in North Carolina last week, my training went to hell. I tried to run on the treadmill at the hotel, I was able run for 40 minutes, then I almost died of boredom. I tried to lift weights, that worked ok, but my training plan is limited in lifting. And, I just did't want to lift so I drank a lot and complained about the lack of proper training facilities.
I got back from my trip on Friday afternoon, I swam Friday afternoon, went to spin Saturday and ran Sunday.
Tomorrow is a day off, so I am going to lift lightly and stretch. Fun stuff.
I got back from my trip on Friday afternoon, I swam Friday afternoon, went to spin Saturday and ran Sunday.
Tomorrow is a day off, so I am going to lift lightly and stretch. Fun stuff.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tenderize Your Shoulders
I read Joe Freil's book, Going Long. He talks about how to prepare for an Ironman. Apparently, I was suppose to be doing weight training and core workouts. Honestly, I am getting beat up by doing a regular workout running spinning swimming, so how in world does he expect me to do weights too. I was tired when I got in the car to drive to the gym.
Last night, Duane and I did 30 minutes of light arm weights and some core work, then we walked next door and had a glass of wine at The Grape Adventure. I thought no big deal, it was an easy workout, I will be fine.
This morning, Jim and Duane and I swam at 6. I wanted to throw up. I was not in a good place. We did 75 yard sprints. We did 20ish 75s, then a 500. I was thinking that lifting weights was stupid and nobody should do it. But maybe I need to rethink that. Maybe I should give up swimming.
Last night, Duane and I did 30 minutes of light arm weights and some core work, then we walked next door and had a glass of wine at The Grape Adventure. I thought no big deal, it was an easy workout, I will be fine.
This morning, Jim and Duane and I swam at 6. I wanted to throw up. I was not in a good place. We did 75 yard sprints. We did 20ish 75s, then a 500. I was thinking that lifting weights was stupid and nobody should do it. But maybe I need to rethink that. Maybe I should give up swimming.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Swimming With the Old Ladies
After yesterday's run, we were looking for some low impact work, so Jim and I go to 24 hour fitness to swim at lunch today, it seemed like a good idea. It was, in that we got to swim for a bit, but it wasn't in that we had to leave early.
There is some sort of demographically bizarre black hole going on at the lunch hour at 24 hour. I think it can make you disappear forever. It is like there is an in-door, but no out-door, a human sucking bottomless pit, a one-way tunnel through space ending at the edge of the universe. You get the idea.
Lunchtime at 24 hour is the place where the eventual effects of Darwin's Beagle are realized, only in reverse. The laws of Natural Selection at 24 hour operate as though reflected in a mirror, left is right, right is left, the middle will not hold.
All of the healthy, under seventy folks have been naturally selected away, leaving the over seventy ladies with saggy arm skin to fill up both the gene pool and the swimming pool with their presence. Honestly, there is nobody there that isn't on six prescription meds to keep their ticker ticking. It's scary. Does everybody turn orange at seventy?
How slowly can you swim? It's like they are doing that slow motion karate thing that some people do in parks on Sunday mornings, only in the pool. One lady got half way to the other end of the pool, but had to come back because her rent is due on Tuesday.
So we swam for thirty minutes and got the hell out of there.
There is some sort of demographically bizarre black hole going on at the lunch hour at 24 hour. I think it can make you disappear forever. It is like there is an in-door, but no out-door, a human sucking bottomless pit, a one-way tunnel through space ending at the edge of the universe. You get the idea.
Lunchtime at 24 hour is the place where the eventual effects of Darwin's Beagle are realized, only in reverse. The laws of Natural Selection at 24 hour operate as though reflected in a mirror, left is right, right is left, the middle will not hold.
All of the healthy, under seventy folks have been naturally selected away, leaving the over seventy ladies with saggy arm skin to fill up both the gene pool and the swimming pool with their presence. Honestly, there is nobody there that isn't on six prescription meds to keep their ticker ticking. It's scary. Does everybody turn orange at seventy?
How slowly can you swim? It's like they are doing that slow motion karate thing that some people do in parks on Sunday mornings, only in the pool. One lady got half way to the other end of the pool, but had to come back because her rent is due on Tuesday.
So we swam for thirty minutes and got the hell out of there.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Grease Your Feet
Duane told me to grease my feet with Bag Balm on long runs. I do, and I don't have blisters, so maybe its a good idea. Maybe, maybe not, I don't have a double blind scientific study going here. It just seems sort of logical.
I ran a PR today, 10.04 miles, 1 hour, 44 minutes. I know that is slow, compared to everyone that owns running shoes, but I don't care, its a PR for me so there you go.
I got home, powered down 12 ounces of water, then 12 ounces of choco milk, two handfuls of cashews, took a shower then ate a full plate of chicken meatloaf and about three cups of broccoli with some cheesesauce. I asked Patty if the cheese sauce was fatty or diety. She said it is sort of in the middle. I don't care that much, since I think I burned maybe 20 thousand calories on my run. I think I need a quart of ice cream to balance the day out.
By the by, I went to a benefit dinner last friday, bought some wine in the blind purchase thing. You throw twenty in, they give you a bottle of wine with a bag over it so you can't tell if it is cheap wine or expensive. Rumor has it that all the wine was 20 bucks or more, so you can't lose. I bought 3 bottles, one of them turned out to retail at 165. So, the plan is to take that bottle to IM Coeur d'Alene, open it and give everybody a glass. There will be 15 folks there so it will be small glasses. Or maybe I will drink it tonight if I don't start feeling better. My knees are barking.
I ran a PR today, 10.04 miles, 1 hour, 44 minutes. I know that is slow, compared to everyone that owns running shoes, but I don't care, its a PR for me so there you go.
I got home, powered down 12 ounces of water, then 12 ounces of choco milk, two handfuls of cashews, took a shower then ate a full plate of chicken meatloaf and about three cups of broccoli with some cheesesauce. I asked Patty if the cheese sauce was fatty or diety. She said it is sort of in the middle. I don't care that much, since I think I burned maybe 20 thousand calories on my run. I think I need a quart of ice cream to balance the day out.
By the by, I went to a benefit dinner last friday, bought some wine in the blind purchase thing. You throw twenty in, they give you a bottle of wine with a bag over it so you can't tell if it is cheap wine or expensive. Rumor has it that all the wine was 20 bucks or more, so you can't lose. I bought 3 bottles, one of them turned out to retail at 165. So, the plan is to take that bottle to IM Coeur d'Alene, open it and give everybody a glass. There will be 15 folks there so it will be small glasses. Or maybe I will drink it tonight if I don't start feeling better. My knees are barking.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Spin Class Blows
I am told that you need to be in pretty good bike shape to complete an Ironman. You need to put in the hours. OK, so I live in the Seattle metro area and in case you didn't know, it rains a lot here in the almost great Pacific Northwest. When it rains, the roads get slippery and bikers fall like leaves. I don't like to hit the pavement on a bike. I have done it, it hurts, it's dangerous and honestly, I just don't like it. I do not like it, Sam I am.
So to get the hours in, I ride a lot in spin class. Spin class is basically a hot room with smelly people riding stationary bikes, sweating on the floor. I sweat and sometimes I drool a little. I always give a little more than the other guys. I give extra drool. Usually, in a long sticky drool string hanging out my mouth.
One problem in spin class is attention span. It wanders. When you ride a real bike, on a warm sunny day with friends, it can be a fun thing. The scenery changes, you have to pay attention to other riders and dogs and cars, you can stop on the ride and eat donuts or get a coffee. There is a lot going on.
When you are in spin class, its just hot and smelly. You just suffer and your attention span shrinks to the size of a pea. The fun is left at the door. I can't wait for it to warm up so I can go outside and ride.
I iced both knees in anticipation of my run tomorrow. Looking forward to that. I drool when I run too.
So to get the hours in, I ride a lot in spin class. Spin class is basically a hot room with smelly people riding stationary bikes, sweating on the floor. I sweat and sometimes I drool a little. I always give a little more than the other guys. I give extra drool. Usually, in a long sticky drool string hanging out my mouth.
One problem in spin class is attention span. It wanders. When you ride a real bike, on a warm sunny day with friends, it can be a fun thing. The scenery changes, you have to pay attention to other riders and dogs and cars, you can stop on the ride and eat donuts or get a coffee. There is a lot going on.
When you are in spin class, its just hot and smelly. You just suffer and your attention span shrinks to the size of a pea. The fun is left at the door. I can't wait for it to warm up so I can go outside and ride.
I iced both knees in anticipation of my run tomorrow. Looking forward to that. I drool when I run too.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
I was Running and Running, Then I Got Tired
Last night, due to bad karma and pre-IM worry, I couldn't fall asleep until about two. That is two in the AM. I had just enough time to start a dream where I was both good looking and a gifted triathlete, then the alarm yacks up a headbanger noise to ruin the best part of my day. I hit the snooze to try to recapture the dream. I swung and miss. I'm up, sort of. The pets are up.
I am walking down the hall in the dark, I left the hall light off so it doesn't shine in the bedroom and wake Patty. As I walk down the hall, the stinking pets attack. They cross in front of me, back and forth, back and forth. They are doing a synchronized serpentine thing, trying to trip me up. They are kind of mean about it. If you don't feed them, they keep running between my feet, trying to trip me and make me fall. I'm late.
John is in the driveway to pour me into the front seat, we swing by and pick up Jim and are at the pool at 5:25. In the morning. That is the AM.
The RTB regulars are there, making me look bad. They swim well. I practice breathing underwater. Breath in water, cough it out, gag, breath more water in, feel some stomach bile coming up, fight off the barf instinct, breath in more water, choke, swallow the stomach acid and keep moving.
10 sets of 200 yard sprints, half with hand paddles, half without. My shoulders scream in pain. I like to swim. Sure. If you bleed in the pool, do they ask you to leave? I check for blood in the water, hoping to get ejected. No luck. Maybe I have a canker or a pustule that needs attention. I start to check my arms and legs and Jim says '25 yard sprints, on the thirty, three, two one, go' I launch and flail down the pool. A little barf comes up my throat, into my nose, 'three, two one, go'. I balk. Jim takes off, I follow. I make four sprints then get out of the pool. Screw it. John and Jim keep going. I am such a loser.
We planned on swimming then running. I mention that we might be better off going to Starbucks after the swim. Recovery is important too. Jim agrees. John is driving, so we skip Starbucks and John parks at the trailhead. John takes off, runs 4 miles. Jim and I slow down to some super slow pace, we do 3 miles.
I get home, eat eggs mixed with egg whites for breakfast, roast beef sandwich with one slice of bread for lunch, peanut butter for a snack and Pappa Johns thin crust pizza for dinner, total 1969 calories. And wine, which my doctor said I should have for my heart, so I don't count that. I need a skinny cow or two.
I am walking down the hall in the dark, I left the hall light off so it doesn't shine in the bedroom and wake Patty. As I walk down the hall, the stinking pets attack. They cross in front of me, back and forth, back and forth. They are doing a synchronized serpentine thing, trying to trip me up. They are kind of mean about it. If you don't feed them, they keep running between my feet, trying to trip me and make me fall. I'm late.
John is in the driveway to pour me into the front seat, we swing by and pick up Jim and are at the pool at 5:25. In the morning. That is the AM.
The RTB regulars are there, making me look bad. They swim well. I practice breathing underwater. Breath in water, cough it out, gag, breath more water in, feel some stomach bile coming up, fight off the barf instinct, breath in more water, choke, swallow the stomach acid and keep moving.
10 sets of 200 yard sprints, half with hand paddles, half without. My shoulders scream in pain. I like to swim. Sure. If you bleed in the pool, do they ask you to leave? I check for blood in the water, hoping to get ejected. No luck. Maybe I have a canker or a pustule that needs attention. I start to check my arms and legs and Jim says '25 yard sprints, on the thirty, three, two one, go' I launch and flail down the pool. A little barf comes up my throat, into my nose, 'three, two one, go'. I balk. Jim takes off, I follow. I make four sprints then get out of the pool. Screw it. John and Jim keep going. I am such a loser.
We planned on swimming then running. I mention that we might be better off going to Starbucks after the swim. Recovery is important too. Jim agrees. John is driving, so we skip Starbucks and John parks at the trailhead. John takes off, runs 4 miles. Jim and I slow down to some super slow pace, we do 3 miles.
I get home, eat eggs mixed with egg whites for breakfast, roast beef sandwich with one slice of bread for lunch, peanut butter for a snack and Pappa Johns thin crust pizza for dinner, total 1969 calories. And wine, which my doctor said I should have for my heart, so I don't count that. I need a skinny cow or two.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Morning Run
6:30 AM at the track for a speed workout. It was dark, so I wore a stupid headlamp thing that flopped around and wasn't bright enough to help.
Four negative split 800s with a 400 slow jog between each. That last one was a grunt. I don't do negative splits. Ever. I try, but I am always tired at the end and blow up.
And now for the good news. I gained two pounds this week. So that helps.
Four negative split 800s with a 400 slow jog between each. That last one was a grunt. I don't do negative splits. Ever. I try, but I am always tired at the end and blow up.
And now for the good news. I gained two pounds this week. So that helps.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Day Off
Not a lot to say. I took today off. Yesterday was a hard day, so I just ate chocolate and added about a half pound of muffin top.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Another Long Run
9.15 miles, 142 minutes, exhausting. I was done when I was done. So to speak.
Duane and Jim and I took off, John met us on the trail and we ran together. Gary is our other training partner, but he had kid duty so he couldn't make it. I like the group, all good guys, all better athletes than I am. I am coming to grips with the bottom of the pecking order. At some level, it is important, that athletic thing, but on the other hand, it has nothing to do with me completing Ironman. I think about it this way; My lack of athletic ability isn't a limiter, it's just something I need to deal with. My limiters are, in no particular order, poor swim technique, below average swim stamina and a crooked swim path, over-aggressive bike riding leading to early stamina depletion, poor run form, poor run stamina, old knees that get sore running. With all of those, poor athleticism isn't even making the top 10. In a way, that is a good thing. Weird how that works out.
When I got home from my run, I put on compression socks, fixed a protein smoothie, put my feet up with ice packs on both knees. Patty got home 30 seconds later with groceries, which she told me to bring in. I refused. That was dumb.
I have been training for about 2 weeks straight with no days off, I am tired, I might take a day off tomorrow. Maybe I will just read a book about training for an Ironman. That seems like a good substitute.
Duane and Jim and I took off, John met us on the trail and we ran together. Gary is our other training partner, but he had kid duty so he couldn't make it. I like the group, all good guys, all better athletes than I am. I am coming to grips with the bottom of the pecking order. At some level, it is important, that athletic thing, but on the other hand, it has nothing to do with me completing Ironman. I think about it this way; My lack of athletic ability isn't a limiter, it's just something I need to deal with. My limiters are, in no particular order, poor swim technique, below average swim stamina and a crooked swim path, over-aggressive bike riding leading to early stamina depletion, poor run form, poor run stamina, old knees that get sore running. With all of those, poor athleticism isn't even making the top 10. In a way, that is a good thing. Weird how that works out.
When I got home from my run, I put on compression socks, fixed a protein smoothie, put my feet up with ice packs on both knees. Patty got home 30 seconds later with groceries, which she told me to bring in. I refused. That was dumb.
I have been training for about 2 weeks straight with no days off, I am tired, I might take a day off tomorrow. Maybe I will just read a book about training for an Ironman. That seems like a good substitute.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Bike
Today was a bike day. I try to bike three times a week and I needed two hours on the bike to finish out my week. Today was also a beautiful day, with a warm, blue sky so we should have ridden outside, but we rode in spin class. So that was mistake number one. We wasted a beautiful day.
Our spin instructor blew a fuse and yelled at the class. It went on for a while and was really a great way to ruin a workout. I should have just walked out. That was mistake number two. But I needed the workout so Duane and I just made up our own workout.
Tomorrow is a 90 minute run. Arf.
Our spin instructor blew a fuse and yelled at the class. It went on for a while and was really a great way to ruin a workout. I should have just walked out. That was mistake number two. But I needed the workout so Duane and I just made up our own workout.
Tomorrow is a 90 minute run. Arf.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Run then Swim
I knew this one. I knew it and I sort of lost all sense of reason. The rule is if you are going to do a brick or double up your training, don't run then swim. Swim first, then run. Or swim, then bike. Whatever you do, swim first.
I did the opposite. I ran at lunch for 50 minutes, then I swam at 3:30. So about 40 minutes into the swim, my middle toe on my right foot cramped, then my right calf, then my left calf. They didn't cramp a little, the cramped down huge. It didn't hurt as much as a getting hit in the face or losing a limb, but I think it hurt almost that much. I stopped swimming, stretched the toe and both calves out, swam again, BAM cramped again. I ended up just swimming through the cramps. They didn't go away, they just hurt. So I got about 50 minutes of swim in. It would have been an hour, but stupidity got in the way. That happens.
I did the opposite. I ran at lunch for 50 minutes, then I swam at 3:30. So about 40 minutes into the swim, my middle toe on my right foot cramped, then my right calf, then my left calf. They didn't cramp a little, the cramped down huge. It didn't hurt as much as a getting hit in the face or losing a limb, but I think it hurt almost that much. I stopped swimming, stretched the toe and both calves out, swam again, BAM cramped again. I ended up just swimming through the cramps. They didn't go away, they just hurt. So I got about 50 minutes of swim in. It would have been an hour, but stupidity got in the way. That happens.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Running Mad
I had a rough couple of days at work. I was ticked off. First, I kept getting called to fix stuff that wasn't mine to fix, then a guy kept interrupting me. Every time I talked, he interrupted and it just irritated the crap out of me. I tried to ignore it, but that just made it worse. Dick.
So I went for a run. I figured I needed the workout anyway, and running would give me a chance to work out my issues.
The first twenty minutes were great. I was fast and running smooth, I wasn't tired at all. As I ran, I kept replaying in my mind the film of the guy who was interrupting me. Over and over, he kept interrupting, and I ran faster and faster as I got madder and madder. I had the dog with me, he kept getting in the way, I kicked at him, but missed so my knee hurt. Then at the 30 minute mark, I was full of adrenaline from the looping film of the interrupter and I was tired from running too fast. I felt like throwing up. Too much adrenaline makes me feel sick. My stomach cramped and I gagged.
I walked for a minute, then ran home, still mad, but now I was mad at the interrupting guy who ruined my run. He's a dick. I was mad at the dog too because my knee hurt.
I guess the lesson here is don't run mad unless you like to throw up. And maybe if you run with the dog, don't hyper-extend your knee when you kick him.
This week my calendar calls for eleven and a half hours of run/swim/bike/lift. I should hit that spot on if I go an hour tomorrow and two and a half hours Saturday. Saturdays and Sundays are always big days, since there is more time available.
I am going to ice my knees one more time and go to bed.
So I went for a run. I figured I needed the workout anyway, and running would give me a chance to work out my issues.
The first twenty minutes were great. I was fast and running smooth, I wasn't tired at all. As I ran, I kept replaying in my mind the film of the guy who was interrupting me. Over and over, he kept interrupting, and I ran faster and faster as I got madder and madder. I had the dog with me, he kept getting in the way, I kicked at him, but missed so my knee hurt. Then at the 30 minute mark, I was full of adrenaline from the looping film of the interrupter and I was tired from running too fast. I felt like throwing up. Too much adrenaline makes me feel sick. My stomach cramped and I gagged.
I walked for a minute, then ran home, still mad, but now I was mad at the interrupting guy who ruined my run. He's a dick. I was mad at the dog too because my knee hurt.
I guess the lesson here is don't run mad unless you like to throw up. And maybe if you run with the dog, don't hyper-extend your knee when you kick him.
This week my calendar calls for eleven and a half hours of run/swim/bike/lift. I should hit that spot on if I go an hour tomorrow and two and a half hours Saturday. Saturdays and Sundays are always big days, since there is more time available.
I am going to ice my knees one more time and go to bed.
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