Monday, December 29, 2014

Weekly Update - December 29

Well, I survived the Holidays and managed to lose weight!  I was down to 105 yesterday but indulged with heaping plates of nachos to hide my tears of shame while watching the Lions inevitably blow yet another game to the Packers.  I only worked two days last week so it was a great week for training (bike and run at least).  I could get used to these 5 day weekends!

Weight - 207.6 (down .4).  This will drop 2 pounds within the next day or two so I'm not concerned that it was a small drop.  My goal for December was 5 pounds and I am already down 6.4 so anything else will just be gravy (healthy, low fat, and probably tasteless gravy).

Swim - Nonexistent, but by choice.  I'm not sure if I even want to head to the pool next week with influx of the resolution crowd.

Bike - 4 Rides, all Sufferfest videos totaling 4 hours and 40 minutes and approximately 61.79 miles.  The mileage figure is low as I know I average more than 13 mph.  I am working with the folks at Trainer Road to see if we can fix that as I would like to track mileage for 2015 and it's hard knowing that 3-4 months worth or riding is underestimated.  This was my longest trainer ride to date (1:52).  I definitely need better shorts/bibs.

Run - 6 runs totaling 3 hours and 20 minutes, 19.57 miles.  My running went great this week and I was even able to get outside... in shorts... in late December... in MI!  I will stick with 20 miles next week, 3 runs of 2 miles, 2 runs of 4 miles, and a long run of 6.  I'm well on my way to the 30 - 35 mile weeks I would like to have for the majority if the year.  I've already noticed an improvement on the Barry P plan as my long run pace was around 10:13 for 6 miles with an average HR of 150, which is low to mid zone 2.


Monday, December 22, 2014

Newton's First Law (kind of)

Today was a slow day at work and I spent most of it at my desk.  I was worn out and tired by the time I arrived home and didn't feel like doing anything, despite the fact that I hadn't really done anything.  Eventually I forced myself to hop on the treadmill and run just under 4 miles.  While running I started thinking about how much more difficult it is to find the motivation to run after a day of sitting still, which lead me to Newton's first law.  To paraphrase, a fat ass at rest tends to stay at rest.  This couldn't be more true.  I have to constantly remind myself that once I get out there and do something I will enjoy it, I just need to have the inspiration to get off my butt and get moving. 

Weekly Update - December 22

Last week went well, though I'm struggling with a few of my goals.

Weight: Last week 211.2.  This week: 208.  Down 3.2 pounds

My diet was solid taking into consideration that we went up north Friday.  It's amazing how often I am sidetracked when I'm outside of my normal routine, which is detrimental to my overall weight loss as we seem to go somewhere 2 - 3 weekends each moth.  Fortunately I was able to stick with the plan aside from a few minor slip-ups.

Swim: Goal 2x.  I swam once, for a total of around 2,000 yards.  I'm struggling to get to the pool in the morning.  I am not a morning person by nature and my wife and dogs are incredibly cute and inviting snuggled up warm in bed.  If I can make it a habit for few weeks I will be fine, but I struggle to stick with my routine if I skip early morning workouts on the weekends.

Run: Goal 6x.  Actual 4x for 12.6 miles.  My IT band started bothering me so I decided to take an additional two days off and use last week as a cutback week.  I am concerned my mileage is too high and will need to monitor how I feel.  At this point there really isn't any hurry as my first big race isn't until the end of April and my weekly long run is already over 5 miles.  5 months should be plenty of time for me to take it easy.

Bike:  Goal 3x.  Actual 3x.  I broke down and bought all of the Sufferfest videos last week (Merry Christmas to me!) and am loving them!  Unfortunately it's hurting my swim as all I want to do is ride my bike 2 - 4 hours per day.  I completed Revolver, Blender, and Hell Hath No Fury.  It's probably time to retest my ftp as these workouts weren't as difficult as I expected.  I should probably rest for a day or two prior to doing this as I want fresh legs for an accurate test.

I have decided to scrap my goals for December and just go with whatever seems like the most fun, aside from running.  I might cut back to 5x per week instead of 6, but I will try to stick to a plan as I know I won't run if I don't.

I am working on my goals for 2015.  I have certain races I would like to finish so those are easy, but I struggle setting my mileage goals for each of the three disciplines.  I should have something ready for next week.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Run Pacing

Run pacing is something that I struggle with.  I've been following the Barry P plan from SlowTwitch and recently read Don Fink's book on half ironman training and set my zones up accordingly.

Max HR - 193 (during an all out spring the last 200m of a 10k)

Zone 1: 125 - 143
Zone 2: 144 - 164
Zone 3: 165 - 172
Zone 4: 173 - 183

My half marathon pace from October was 9:55 / mile.

I've been following the Barry P plan for 4 weeks and I'm not sure how quickly you are supposed to notice an improvement, but I've either made some significant strides or my HR monitor is messed up.  Here is an example:

Week 2: 1.5 mile run @ 10:49 pace with average HR of 145
Week 4: 5 mile run @ 10:18 pace with average HR of 137 (it seems crazy that this would be a zone 1 run)

I changed the battery in my HR monitor to see if that makes a difference and should have some idea after today's run.

In the past I've always used perceived exertion to set my pace, which is usually dictated by my legs.  Lately my legs seem to be the limiting factor as I can definitely push the pace while the HR stays lower.  Part of this can be attributed to my legs being tired from the increased workout of swimming, cycling, and running.

I don't know if there's any right or wrong answer, but for now I will try to run based on HR and will channel my inner Jens Voigt when my legs protest (SHUT UP LEGS!).

Weekly Update - December 15

The past week went well.  My daughter is still recovering from a rough cold/flu but fortunately she didn't pass it on to anyone as she's had it for more than two weeks now.  We celebrated our first Christmas party of the year with the in-laws and a good time was had by all.

Last week's training:

Weight Loss: Last week: 214.  This Week: 211.2.  Down 2.8 pounds.

My diet was solid during the week and as good as can be expected with holiday gatherings Saturday and Sunday.  The friends we visited on Saturday are the ultimate enablers when it comes to a bad diet so I was glad to get out of there without slipping.  One interesting note, she bought me gluten free muffins, and while they were delicious, I felt like crap both days I had one.  My body seems to be sensitive to chemicals and I'm guess the muffins were laced with crap to allow them to actually function as muffins without blueberries.

Swim: Goal 2x.  I swam twice last week for a total of 4,100 yards in 2:05.  In the past I've struggled to get past the 20 minute mark on any given day, but having a planned workout seems to help me focus.

Run:  Goal 6x.  Actual: 6x, 16.5 miles.  I hit every running goal this week and have actually done so for the past month.  My heart rate monitor is acting screwy so I replaced the battery but haven't had a chance to test it since.  Sunday's run was interesting as I didn't check the weather before we left town and it ended up being 50 degrees.  Unfortunately I only brought wool socks, pants, and a long sleeved shirt to run in.  To say I was overheating was a bit of an understatement.  Gus ran most of the miles with me and the highlight of the week was when he ran away from a 25# dog absolutely terrified (Gus weighs 50#).  You can see when we came across the dog on the Strava profile from the run.

Bike:  I struggled with my cycling last week and only squeezed in one workout on the trainer, my goal is 2 - 3x per week.  I need to do better at this but struggle getting out of bed in the AM when it's a home workout.  For some reason I do fine if I am leaving the house (swim, meeting someone for a run, etc).  I am going to try my first Sufferfest video tonight.

Core:  I only managed one core workout.  I have a history of back problems and need to fix this.  Unfortunately it's my least favorite thing to do.

Overall, a decent week but not great.  I'm hoping the Sufferfest videos will help with my desire to get on the trainer!




Tuesday, December 9, 2014

December Goals

It's a little late to be posting about December goals, but since I've had them in mind for awhile now I think it's fair to hold myself accountable.

Weight: Lose 5 pounds (Starting weight 214.6 12/8/14).  I was off work last week but stayed in town.  My wife and I went out to eat everyday for lunch and I drank too much wine in the evening.  Things got out of hand and it was essentially a stroll down memory lane as to why I was so fat at one point.  I can't believe I used to eat like that everyday and actually got to the point where I craved healthy foods... how crazy is that?!?

Swim:  Get to the pool at least 2x per week.  I've been reading Don Fink's Iron Fit Secrets for Half Iron-Distance and will be borrowing his swim workouts.

Bike: Hop on the trainer at least 3x per week.  I love my bike so this isn't too much of a struggle, aside from finding time.

Run: Continue the Barry P plan (6x per week).  The Barry P plan is from the SlowTwitch message boards.  It calls for 6 runs per week; 3 short, 2 medium, and 1 long.  Your medium distance runs are 2x the length of the short runs and the long run is 3x the distance of the short run.  For example, I started with 15 miles a week and my distances were 1.5 miles, 3 miles, and 4.5 miles.  I hadn't run in 6 weeks due to various injuries and was around 20-22 miles per week before I was hurt.  15 seemed like a reasonable number and my body seems to be holding up (this will be my 4th week on the plan).

Core: Force myself to complete at least 2 core workouts per week.  I am starting with Jason's basic core routine over at Strength Running.  Since I have no core muscles I am starting with 2 rounds of 30 seconds per exercise.

I'm off to a good start this week as I hit the pool Monday morning, completed a short run, and finished a core workout.  I woke up early this morning and put in an hour on the trainer and will run with Gus (my labradoodle) this afternoon.