I'm still Sure!

137.8 DOMS! And my foot hurts. Was never going to be a good day anyway as I came to work knowing I had a meeting in which I'd be firing an employee. He did not take it well.

Sanity maintenance cardio - EFX for 30 minutes. Concentrated on fast feet, avg steps/minute of 177 and was paying attention to WATTS for comparison sake - avg of 200 at best guess. Based on perceived effort, am thinking this is reasonable as compared to perceived effort on stairmaster (211.2 steady) or on treadmill when I'm running faster than my average pace.

Headed out of town to a conference tomorrow, hopefully I can get in a little upper body work in the morning, otherwise this week will be a total loss for that. Should be able to run in the mornings before the conference.
 
136.6 Two miles on the treadmill, highlight was when the old Devo song "whip it" came on -increased speed to 7.5 mph and ran the song with a happy grin on my face. Upstairs for a quick round of pull-ups and T2B.
 
Took advantage of the "Cadillac Desert" here in Scottsdale where big water project canals to irrigate the desert mean wonderful running paths exist. Had been mentally prepared to run on concrete but didn't have to as I was on packed dirt for most of the time. Great run, 50 minutes.
 
I initially learned to run off road and still remember the techniques mentally, but in truth I have run tarmac and concrete so long now I find it more comfortable.
The views are generally so much better on off road stuff though and packed dirt wouldn't be too different.
 
Another excellent run along the canal path this morning. New app that allows for drawing a map says it is 6.6km. Was in miles before I saved, hmm, need to go look at settings I guess. Anyway, enjoyed the run, and I'm really happy with the new Mizuno shoes. No idea on time as I forgot to grab a watch as I walked out of the hotel room. Doesn't matter although I did do a little bit of speed work when an especially perky song played, or just "run fast to that pole" sorts of things.

More conference today and then home tonight.
 
Should be a good, normal week for which I am grateful and ready... although for the remainder of this month and all of next, 'normal' will include more running. I am sending in our entries for the 24 hour event today. I am excited and curious to see how far I can go in the allotted time. I've been bouncing around on strategy and plans - at first I wanted to shoot for a good 100k time, and I'm still very interested in that, but I also want to see what I can rack up for total miles within the full 24 hours and if I focus on speed early on, that will not bode well for going the full time allowed... ugh - decisions, decisions.

Weather was gruesome on Saturday and I had gotten home really late Friday night (late conference, wreck on the Interstate, nasty freezing rain once I got close to home and back at higher elevation), so Saturday became a rest day.

Sunday was lovely we went out for a run to the AZ Trail. 6 miles and a couple of minutes faster than last we did it. My average heartrate was a bit lower than it has been while Tom's was higher. Likely not meaningful, just normal variations. Running is so much easier in Phoenix, funny what a difference 6000 feet makes!

It was really cold this morning (19F) when I left home so I hoped the 55 minutes it would take to get to the Buffalo park in town would allow for a nice warm-up, but it was still in the 20's when I got there. Could have used a headband, but otherwise, was OK clothing wise in a long-sleeved shirt, gloves, and my fav Nike warm-ups. Goal was 4 miles at easy pace, possibly to include some fast walking switch-ups:
9:56
9:22
9:15
6:32 half mile walking - 13 min miles would work well over a long time
4:41 running last half mile
 
I'm a classic plodder so 24 hour event would be run at as low a pace as I comfortably can, stop when feeling fatigue, rest for short time to recover without cooling down and go again. Breaks would likely be toilet trips too, always used to make sure there was some roll in hip bag when doing long training runs so this would be the same.
 
Yep, what you wrote is pretty much the plan. Just keep going... it's a strategy that works well for me on long hikes and this won't be much different other than there won't be any big elevation changes. I'll miss those as they are my strength, but will hope to get in more miles without the climbs.

139.0 I was darn happy headed to the gym knowing that today was a non-running workout day! Might be something wrong with that, but honestly, I have never been nor am I likely to be a serious runner. For me, it's about being able to cover a big distance over a long period of time - I like endurance stuff.

Anyway, brief EFX warm-up with moderately fast feet then BOSU lunges for 3 longish songs and step back lunges with 10kg medicine ball for another song. Some BOSU balance work with the 10kg ball too, just because I love to do it.

Next, headed into the weight room for pull-ups and toes 2 bar, quickly racked up 16 and 20 respectively, but could tell I haven't been doing the upper body work as I was dropping off the bar quicker than I should after doing fewer reps. Don't know why I thought I would be able to maintain without doing the work, but one can live in hope! Hate to think what pushups will feel like tomorrow since I've been an ever greater slacker on those.

Finished up with some single arm rows (10x60x2 each arm) and a nice bit of foam rolling.
 
I try to cling to all areas of fitness and improve them all. It's not totally possible but that won't stop me.
Gaining in one will mean losing something else, my aim is always to minimise loss then the gain is more rewarding.
Running is one of those things I have always been able to get back into really easily especially distance. The other stuff I do has been hard work but I still love it.
Upper body will still be important on running, not as much on power but definitely balance and stamina.
 
138.2 Considered a run in the park and maybe doing the exercise stations as well since it wasn't too cold and because with a big winter storm supposed to move in, opportunities for this will go away for a week or so, but was running a little late so opted for the convenience of the gym.

Stairmaster, level 10 for 35 minutes. Really don't get how I can be working my a$$ off, sweating buckets, and my heartrate is only in the 140-150 range. It feels as if I'm working much harder than when running. 195 floors climbed and 396 calories for what that is worth.

3 sets of 8 pushups that were of surprisingly good quality - hadn't expected much given mediocre performance on pull-ups yesterday. Out of time so no weights yet again.
 
Per my grumbles yesterday, a few friends tried to suggest I'm just in better shape than I know but I think Tom is probably correct in that the stairmaster is intense but quiet in that one's upper body is still, just the legs are moving, arms and upper body are really just along for the ride, thus no air movement. This explanation does not explain how my HR was typically in the 160-174 zone over a year ago when I was last doing stairmaster regularly... Just in case, I might change the battery in the monitor since I recently replaced the battery in the watch, and really, why am I so fussed about this anyway? Inconsistancy bugs me for one, and a niggling part of my brain is concerned that my max HR is starting to drop due to age... I did hit a 182 this summer in a 10k, so I'm not dead yet, but did my heart finally get the memo that I turned 50??

137.2 Active recovery day for me - was a little tempted to go for a run in the rain (hasn't changed to snow yet) at Buffalo Park, but Thursday is such a low energy day for me always, it just wouldn't have been that good.

Instead, did some fit ball work along with many yoga poses/routines and can tell I NEED to do this more often as I was tight in places that I didn't even know I was tight.
 
I virtually never check HR I am used to translating PRE and boringly accurate at guessing HR from there. When I check it I am rarely more than 5 bpm out, I know I need to get a life.
Don't like distractions when training, even when I carry phone to measure run I only look at it at the end.
 
Fun fact* about MHR: When younger, training can actually reduce MHR, as the cardiovascular system gets more efficient at handling each individual beat, meaning that while an untrained youngster may cap out at 200+ BPM, someone more trained may have a heart so efficient that they simply can't generate enough effort to get their heart rate that high. When older, training can increase MHR, because if you can only get your heart rate up to 120BPM, it won't take much stress at all to kill you, so the adaptive responses to exercise make your heart able to tolerate more work.

*By "fact," I mean I was taught this 5ish years ago, and my resource may very well have been wrong, and I haven't fact-checked at all since then.
 
Crazy thing is I used to run at 10mph average 2/3 of my current weight and average 180 - 185 bpm. Now I average just over 7.5mph am by definition 1.5 times as heavy and average close to 180bpm. The thing that has remained consistent is my training heart rate so I tend to view ARMHR as total fiction, RPE is definitely better.
 
I tend to let environmental conditions impact my RPE - if I'm not happy about something - it's too warm, too windy, too whatever, the mentals kick in and mess with my brain and thus RPE. I spend plenty of time completely gadget free, not even wearing a watch (and given I still have a flip phone/dumb phone - no gadgetry there, and it rarely goes with me) so the HRM is just a toy I break out sometimes.

That said, I have been paying more attention to consistancy across activities such as noting watts on various cardio machines and to a very loose degree, paying attention to HR vs. watts. The lower HR on stairmaster has happened a couple of times and I really don't have an explanation given higher watts on stairmaster than watts displayed while running on the treadmill with related HR in the 160's.

Mysteries of life, I guess.

137.4 2.5 miles easy pace on the treadmill, 26 minutes. Pull-ups and T2B were better today, got some sets of 5 instead of barely making 3's. 17 pull-ups and 25 T2B. Finished with some foam rolling and stretching (have decided I need to do a minimum of 1 song worth of stretching daily).

Got about 8 inches of snow overnight, but temps are slated to warm today, then cool off again with lots more snow predicted for today, tonight and Saturday. I'm thinking maybe some snowshoeing or an XC tour could happen this weekend!
 
137.2 Saturday we spent digging out from a major dump - 15 inches of heavy wet snow (we usually get light powdery stuff) Meant we were digging out the root cellar and basement stairs, clearing paths, and knocking snow from the trees - we had branches breaking under the weight. Excellent all-over workout!

135.8 Sunday we had had enough of the winter wonderland and given it was still snowing, we decided that Tom's idea of an "assault on Mt Humphries" was likely not safe - would have been good with clear skies - 3600 foot climb to 12600 on snowshoes. Oh well, we will do it another day - likely Turkey Day weekend.

Instead, we headed to the gym for an extended session. I had planned on doing at least 10 miles, mixed run/walk to work at finding a pace I could happily sustain for most of the day in the 24 hour race. I was feeling great up to 6 miles - running 9:33/walking 4.5-4.7, then my tummy went seriously sour and I just couldn't get past it. Didn't really have the right stuff with me, I likely needed some electrolytes and something light & salty such as crackers. I hung on walking for another 1.25 miles but had to cut it short.

135.8 Tummy is still whacked today, so no workout, just got in some good stretching and some hot tubbing where I blasted my achilles tendon with the jet.
 
Hope stomach is settled. I wouldn't expect this to have been activity based after that distance in your case.
I used to make a simple energy and hydration drink, water with maximum glucose and salt the body would absorb instantly, which is a tiny percentage. Tasted like slightly bizarre water but it never settled on my stomach and I assume it helped when I did a few serious endurance events, don't know as never did one without. Marathon alone I would use what was provided be it water or energy drink, but I did a couple of half ironman triathlons and they only handed stuff out on the run section so I used my own on the cycle.
 
Knowing I was going to be working for a longer period of time than usual, I should have taken stuff to eat and drink on Sunday and didn't (well, not nearly enough and not the right stuff). We also went late afternoon and I had eaten only lightly since breakfast (which was huge as always - I adore breakfast!). I'm like you, Tony, on the grazing/eat all day plan, and to go a long time without food messes with me badly.

135.6 Happily my tummy is back to normal today and decided it was an excellent day for LUNGES!

EFX on the gluts program for 15 minutes, avg 181 steps/minute so snuck in some excellent fast feet training (rough average of 200 watts), then BOSU lunges for a 5 minute song - really went deep to work my hip flexors. Those were so good, I went for another long song on the BOSU, a song of step back lunges with the 10kg medincine ball, and finished up with a song of side lungs/squats with the 10kg medicine ball.

Once my legs were toast, I headed into the weight room. Bars were in use and I was waaaaay overdue for overhead press. I knew I would have lost ground as I haven't done them in oh... 3-4 weeks, but sheesh, this was grim! 5x55, 4x60, 4x60. Ugh, 70 wasn't that hard not too long ago and I at one point last summer I was pushing toward a SRM of 80... Oh well, I'll hit it next summer when I'm back to working it 2-3 times a week. Tried front squats as they work in well with OHP, but knee said lunges were enough, so only 1 set of 8 @ 55lbs.

On a happier note, last winter the best I could do on the cable chest press was eeking out 2 sets of 8 @ 25-30 lbs. Today I quickly realized that was far too easy, so ramped up to 45lbs and did 2 sets of 8. Did a set of pushups afterward - yep, same muscles are tired so that is where the gains came from. I prefer pushups, but handy to know.
 
136.6 Was a little short on time today, so despite thinking I was going to run, once I got to the gym, decided that stairmaster looked far more attractive as I would push myself harder than running. 25 minutes at level 10, something like 130 floors climbed. Well beyond "glowing" as there were big drips all over the machine...

Couple of songs of rolling and stretching since my thighs and bum were all complaining about those lunges from yesterday.

Holiday weekend for me - tentative plans include snowshoe tomorrow - not sure if it will be before or after dinner. It will just be the 2 of us so I do not go bonkers on food unlike most Americans. As long as there is pie and good mashed potatoes, Tom is a happy man. Other options for the weekend include a Grand Canyon hike or climbing Mt Humphries - either will be great.
 
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