I found out today that you can just email your blog to update it so here it goes. I just left the gym where I worked out for about 40 minutes only. I was rushing and made more mistakes than you can shake a stick at.
First of all I left some very important equipment home, my briefs. Now this may not seem like much, but it's the worst feeling when you're trying to run 5k in 30 minutes. So tip- always make sure you have all your gear before leaving home.
Next, I have been having this tingle in my left hamstring. It's more annoying than anything else, but it started acting up during my bike ride so I cut that short at 5 miles and hit a treadmill. On the treadmill I walked/ran only a mile. Hammy kept tingling so I figured time for a rest from cardio. I decided maybe a little light weight to stretch it would help and bam! On the third one leg set of leg extensions CRAMP! That's right ouch. Now, here is another tip. If you get a cramp in a muscle you have wrapped, WAIT FOR THE PAIN TO STOP before unwrapping it. I did not and let me say I felt the blood rushing in and I couldn't move my leg for about 4 minutes.
So, my workout was cut short due to plain being dumb. I should have moved to my upper body and just left the lower half alone.
Showing posts with label endurance training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label endurance training. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
My First Ah-Ha's...
Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week by Eric Harr is the name of the book I mentioned in my first blog entry. The book is great and a good foundation for a beginner. I took yesterday off from training as I was and still am a little tired, but I intend on hitting the gym tonight.
As promised, I would share some of my ah-ha moments with all, so here is one. The book I am reading now is about strength training for triathletes (see second blog entry for title). It is great and has a number of different exercises all described along with great illustrations. One new twist I learned today on an age old exercise is on the incline bench press. In this exercise you generally start with your hands in front of you, above your head with your palms facing your feet (while lying on a bench at 45 degrees, feet flat and all that other good stuff of course). Instead, change your palms so they face each other (twist the weights) and start/fininsh in this position. The idea is that from this position you mimic your racing posture more closely as if you were leaning down on your bike. When riding, you would push off your handlebars using your arms and support yourself with your core while continuing to peddle. Changing the position of the weights mimics this push... I will let you know how it works... Next... for the last 2 weeks or so I have had this pain in my left hamstring. It is this dull, annoying pain. I figured I hurt it or strained it working out. I think I finally figured it out. It is my gym bag and brief case - they have me all out of wack when I walk. Before my commute, the gym bag stayed in the car and I walked a few yards with my briefcase only - very little strain. Now, I walk approximately 1 mile combined with all this stuff hanging from my body. So, I need to figure out how to downsize ASAP.
Last thing... Get a good feel for your 1 rep max weight. As you strength train, understanding and documenting this will make a real difference...
As promised, I would share some of my ah-ha moments with all, so here is one. The book I am reading now is about strength training for triathletes (see second blog entry for title). It is great and has a number of different exercises all described along with great illustrations. One new twist I learned today on an age old exercise is on the incline bench press. In this exercise you generally start with your hands in front of you, above your head with your palms facing your feet (while lying on a bench at 45 degrees, feet flat and all that other good stuff of course). Instead, change your palms so they face each other (twist the weights) and start/fininsh in this position. The idea is that from this position you mimic your racing posture more closely as if you were leaning down on your bike. When riding, you would push off your handlebars using your arms and support yourself with your core while continuing to peddle. Changing the position of the weights mimics this push... I will let you know how it works... Next... for the last 2 weeks or so I have had this pain in my left hamstring. It is this dull, annoying pain. I figured I hurt it or strained it working out. I think I finally figured it out. It is my gym bag and brief case - they have me all out of wack when I walk. Before my commute, the gym bag stayed in the car and I walked a few yards with my briefcase only - very little strain. Now, I walk approximately 1 mile combined with all this stuff hanging from my body. So, I need to figure out how to downsize ASAP.
Last thing... Get a good feel for your 1 rep max weight. As you strength train, understanding and documenting this will make a real difference...
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Hitting the Outdoors
Grabbed the bike this morning and hit the park. Did 3 big loops at 1.3 miles each (combined up and down hill and some flat) as well as 15 or so small loops (flat and only .4 miles each). Both loops are paved. I rode home and changed then walked back to park and ran the small loop 6x in about 30 minutes. My whole workout, with the transition, stretching and walking home to cool down was 1hr and 27 minutes long. I felt ok during the run part and was doing 30 second sprints for the last 3 loops. These got me a little winded and my heart rate was at about 87% and one time it measured at 92%, but my body catches up really quick and I recover within a minute (I am paying attention to this).
Had I known in advance that the small loop was .4 miles long I would have kept going and toughed it out. Oh well - there's always tomorrow... Monica had a little lunch ready for me as she was right in thinking I would be starving when I returned - I was... I am now having a protein shake to accompany the great turkey burger I ate. Gonna sit and rest a bit before the housework begins...
Had I known in advance that the small loop was .4 miles long I would have kept going and toughed it out. Oh well - there's always tomorrow... Monica had a little lunch ready for me as she was right in thinking I would be starving when I returned - I was... I am now having a protein shake to accompany the great turkey burger I ate. Gonna sit and rest a bit before the housework begins...
Blog Day 1
Been working out pretty consistently since September/October 2008. Monica (my significant other and inspiration) did the 2 day NYC Avon Walk and trained for it by walking up and down the streets of NYC after work and on weekends for the better part of 5 months as her training. Watching her work out was inspiring and supporting her effort got me off the couch and out there too.
As I began to walk with her, I wanted to do more (go figure-inside joke) hence our joining the NY Sports Club. At first, I thought it would be a waste of money, but I now realize it was the best decision we ever made, especially choosing the passport membership. This isn't a commercial for NYSC, but rather a testament to how guilty you will feel shelling out the cash each month and not having the excuse "the gym is too far away to get to." In NY there is a NYSC on almost every corner, they're as bad as Starbucks... This convenience made it easy for me to get to the gym and now I use it more than Starbucks in both NY and NJ for my total workout - swim, bike and run as well as strength and endurance training. Point is to train for anything it needs to be convenient first. It can't interfere with your life, but instead it must fit in. Once this happens you are good as it will become part of your life and instead of squeezing in the workout, you will start to squeeze in life around the workout.
Over the last month, Monica has given up her apartment and we haved moved into the NJ house permanently. I knew I would look forward to this, but not for all the the reasons I oirginally thought. I thought it would be great to have the space and amenities of home, but instead I am finding that the commute is the part I am enjoying the most. Weird! Here is why... I am finding that working out and training for a triathalon is not as easy as an 8 week program that says do this and you will be fine. Ok, I am sure I will be - I am clocking in 5k in about 30 minutes and 12 mile bike rides in about the same time or a little more. Ok, so they are still indoor times, but 6 month ago most folks that know me would have laughed to hear me say this. Now, back to the original point - why commuting is good. I get to read. Sounds crazy, so I will explain...
When I started with this crazy triathalon idea I figured I would train a few hours a week and done. Well, Moinca got me a great beginners book for Christmas this year (it's upstairs and I am too lazy right now to go get it - haha!) but I will post the name next time. Point is, I read it last week while commuting. The first week in March. For the last 3 months I have missed out on all the good info the book had. I am now able to tweak my training a bit and hope to see new and better results geared more specifically toward my goal - My First Triathlon - The Staten Island Flat as a Pancake Sprint in June 2009.
I joined the USAT this past week (http://www.usatriathalon.org/) and hit the pool for the first time in 20 years yesterday - yep 20 years I said. I did swim in HS and was pretty good then, so while a little rusty I realized swimming is like riding a bike... Another great thing happened yesterday also, I bought 2 more books... The first one (it's right here next to me) Strength Training for Triathletes by Patrick Hagerman. Wow! I must say that while I was in the gym and I am feeling better than ever strength training for a tri (at least for me) is a bit different than training to look good on the beach...
I have found a new appreciation for sport especially the endurance part. The really great thing about this new book and my commute is that I am certain I will be incorporating the techniques by next weekend (I should be able to finish it this week while going back and forth to work). BTW, I don't do everything I read. I pick and choose:
As I began to walk with her, I wanted to do more (go figure-inside joke) hence our joining the NY Sports Club. At first, I thought it would be a waste of money, but I now realize it was the best decision we ever made, especially choosing the passport membership. This isn't a commercial for NYSC, but rather a testament to how guilty you will feel shelling out the cash each month and not having the excuse "the gym is too far away to get to." In NY there is a NYSC on almost every corner, they're as bad as Starbucks... This convenience made it easy for me to get to the gym and now I use it more than Starbucks in both NY and NJ for my total workout - swim, bike and run as well as strength and endurance training. Point is to train for anything it needs to be convenient first. It can't interfere with your life, but instead it must fit in. Once this happens you are good as it will become part of your life and instead of squeezing in the workout, you will start to squeeze in life around the workout.
Over the last month, Monica has given up her apartment and we haved moved into the NJ house permanently. I knew I would look forward to this, but not for all the the reasons I oirginally thought. I thought it would be great to have the space and amenities of home, but instead I am finding that the commute is the part I am enjoying the most. Weird! Here is why... I am finding that working out and training for a triathalon is not as easy as an 8 week program that says do this and you will be fine. Ok, I am sure I will be - I am clocking in 5k in about 30 minutes and 12 mile bike rides in about the same time or a little more. Ok, so they are still indoor times, but 6 month ago most folks that know me would have laughed to hear me say this. Now, back to the original point - why commuting is good. I get to read. Sounds crazy, so I will explain...
When I started with this crazy triathalon idea I figured I would train a few hours a week and done. Well, Moinca got me a great beginners book for Christmas this year (it's upstairs and I am too lazy right now to go get it - haha!) but I will post the name next time. Point is, I read it last week while commuting. The first week in March. For the last 3 months I have missed out on all the good info the book had. I am now able to tweak my training a bit and hope to see new and better results geared more specifically toward my goal - My First Triathlon - The Staten Island Flat as a Pancake Sprint in June 2009.
I joined the USAT this past week (http://www.usatriathalon.org/) and hit the pool for the first time in 20 years yesterday - yep 20 years I said. I did swim in HS and was pretty good then, so while a little rusty I realized swimming is like riding a bike... Another great thing happened yesterday also, I bought 2 more books... The first one (it's right here next to me) Strength Training for Triathletes by Patrick Hagerman. Wow! I must say that while I was in the gym and I am feeling better than ever strength training for a tri (at least for me) is a bit different than training to look good on the beach...
I have found a new appreciation for sport especially the endurance part. The really great thing about this new book and my commute is that I am certain I will be incorporating the techniques by next weekend (I should be able to finish it this week while going back and forth to work). BTW, I don't do everything I read. I pick and choose:
- WHAT I CAN DO
- WHAT I FEEL LIKE DOING
Not everything I have read makes sense for a 39 year old first timer. So, I am accepting what does work, adapting what I want to work and disregarding what doesn't work for me.
Well, I am done typing for today. My goal for this blog is to try and document my experience for myself and others. I will add what I learn as I go - my eureka moments as well as my how dumb could I have beens. I will add my workouts as well as times and other personal items. I will also add info from the books I am reading like: what is exercise volume and how to calculate it and the difference between endurance, hypertrophy, power and strength. I will do this because this is a great reference tool for me and maybe anyone that reads this.
Well, wish me luck and if you endeavor to complete your first tri or any goal remember one thing:
YOU ONLY FAIL IF YOU DON'T EVEN TRI. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!
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