Things have gone well since my last post. I can feel myself getting back into training/event season shape slowly but surely. I am not doing big distances yet, but I am maintaing good form while I build up a solid base again. This week - my workouts will increase to 4 miles instead of 5k. I am enjoying being out there again, and I am enjoying tracking my progress. That part is what I'd like to wax nerdy about for a bit.
For just about as long as I have been running, I have used my Garmin. Mostly, I used it just to keep track of how far I'd gone, my *very* roughly estimated pace, and my overall time. The only features outside of raw data collection that I ever really used that were built into it were the Interval workouts - oh man how I love the Garmin features for interval workouts! However, it can do many other nifty things that I hadn't really taken advantage of.
I have their software installed, and honestly I never really liked it that much. I just used it to collect and display the data - but I never like it enough to pair it with the device and do things like establish known courses. I had been using Training Peaks - which is pretty cool - although I must admit perhaps more hard core and tedious to keep up with. I believe I tried the *very* early phases of GarminConnect - and it was very rough in its early stages. I hadn't looked at it in a very long time - until recently. Wow. It has grown and evolved and - it's so amazingly cool.
This week, I got acquainted with it and made some courses out of favorite routes I had run. Then I played during workouts with the feature where you try to beat your course time (so you essentially compete with yourself). That is a lot of fun - and it keeps me from agonizing every second over my pace. It's amazing how uplifting knowing that you are .17 miles ahead of yourself from last time can be. It's even cooler when you see your times show things like being .33 miles ahead of the route. (yeah well i kinda burned out at the end of that one.) Anyhow - I have been enjoying the features I didn't take advantage of and my old Garmin, which is actually on its last leg, seems like a new toy. One that doesn't make me hate myself when I am on the trail. It also gives me realistic things to compete with rather than comparing my current performance with when I was in peak shape after months of intense training.
I'm also really enjoying setting goals on Garmin Connect and watching it track them on there. Very good motivation - plus almost every metric you could ever want about your workout. I've also gotten into the good habit of wearing my HRM regularly again. That data is pretty useful too when you really want to see the progress of your cardio conditioning.
Heat acclimation is happening. I have had good days - and some very very uncomfortable ones - but I can feel myself making the adjustment. The greenbelt and creek are gorgeous right now. Pretty much all around - it's good to be back out there with regularity and I am happily nerding every step of the way. ;-)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Use Your Legs
Hello, fitness blog readers. I haven't had a lot to update about, so I have obviously kept it light. Mostly, I've been just building a base again. That has been harder than I thought it would be - not physically but mentally.
The mental part for me has been trying not to bully myself. Right now my workouts should really be more about increasing my base so that I can then get into quality workouts twice a week. My goal has been to get comfortable with at least 5 miles for a daily workout on hills, technical trails, etc. So far, my base has been improving and it has been very nice to be back. However, old habits are rearing their head.
I'm trying to compete with times and things that I was doing when I was in peak shape before - and I am most assuredly not in peak shape now. I find myself looking at my GPS and agonizing over pace when I should be concentrating on form - and hell - enjoying myself, too.
I have the distances memorized by heart from where I am at and I could easily do a 50k route and know pretty much what mileage I am at. The only thing is- I love Training Peaks and how I can upload and keep records of all of my workouts and have a map of all of the details right there so that I can see my progress. The trick is - I need to just stop obsessing over the data and just run.
I can worry about data when I am doing interval workouts, and hill repeats, and speed workouts. I agonize over the numbers constantly lately. It has not put my head in a good place when I am out there on the trail. So - I'm trying to pledge that I will just not look at it during my daily workouts for a while.
With that said, I have taken a very cautious and focused approach on this season's training and reconditioning. The top of my list this year is that I am not going to accept lazy, lousy form as my norm for running. I am not going to just adopt some comfortable shuffle that I can maintain and stay stuck there. A weak core has been my enemy, and I am doing work to improve that. I effing hate core workouts. All of them. Probably because I suck at them, and I suck at them because my core is weak. Time to get out of that loop. It's a long, tough trip, but I am seeing improvement already.
Where form is concerned I just keep telling myself "use your legs." I was guilty of shuffling before. I could increase my turnover but I was still shuffling. I am learning right now that I can run quite a lot faster if I slightly decrease my turnover and just lift my knees a tad more. It's hard. It's really hard - but I am finding that I catch myself when I stop doing it. Sometimes I have to back off a moment - but it's getting a little better. This time I am determined not to have training that is built so largely of garbage miles: miles run in lousy form that seem to serve no real purpose in a system that is already so good at maintaining equilibrium.
I'm not going to pretend like I am fast - not yet. My goal this year, however, is to improve my pace - and be sane-but-aggressive in doing so. This is going to take commitment to more cross-training, which has been a huge challenge for me in the past. I am happy doing nothing-but-running - but running alone is not going to fix the deficiencies in core strength. If that were true - 4 years of running would have improved it- and what happened instead is now my legs are so muscular and heavy that my weak-arse core can hardly even lift them. It's a case of imbalance that I aim to correct.
Heat acclimation is here. It is not easy. Yesterday was gorgeous but running was very difficult - and it was even worse when I kept checking my progress on my gps and cussing myself at how slow I was going. I could have at least enjoyed the day and remembered that heat acclimation is more about surviving the workouts the first week or so than being a hero. Also - I wussed out of running the cold rain most of last week - so there's that, too.
So - there are some early goals. I'm afraid training for a race is not in the cards for me this semester. There is just too damn much homework. I'm anxious for summer to get here. I think that I may be able to get a summer training/race plan going - even with a summer school class.
Here is to a faster, smarter, stronger season. It's time to run more and jog less. ;-)
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Back to life
After a very long break from a really hot summer, I could not take being away from running any more. I promised myself that when it first started to cool down, that I would get back to the trails.
That time has arrived, and I have slowly eked back into running. It has been mostly very good to be back but there have been difficult elements.
The good part is that is feels good just to be out out there moving again and getting some fresh air. I have never spent these kinds of hours sitting, reading and writing as I have the past copule of months. My body feels awful from it. It's nice that its not so hot that I can actually go out (for short miles) with a couple of water bottles instead of a 2 liter guzzlesack strapped to my back.
Another aspect I especially missed about running is that it really reconnected me with my body and let me experience life outside of my head. I have had to 'live in my head' so-to-speak with the hours of study that I have put in. Combine that with a lack of activity, and it is a recipe for disconnect for me. So - the experience of being out there is nice.
My body seems not to have forgotten the art of how to recover, and I have only been really sore maybe once that I can remember. I've been impressed with how quickly I feel rebuilt after what seems like a brutal workout. (realistically - a total wuss workout.)
However......
I have taken little 'breaks' before and these breaks were just short 'my-body-needs-a-break' breaks rather than the extended break that I just took. This is the first extended break I have taken, and it has been substantial enough for me to lose essentially all of my base.
It feels pretty crummy to struggle through 5k right now. There were recent times where I probably wouldn't even run less than 5-6 miles for most workouts. I will say that in the cool of the morning I have done far better than in the heat of the afternoons.
I can see definite progress, and I certainly feel better. It is very hard to be patient and get even a small base back. At this point my goal is to get comfortable with 6 miles again. Once I am there and we are done with all afternoon heat for the season, I am re-joining my training group. Bandera 25k is the goal this time.
It's good to be back. I will be glad when it's better to be back and when it's all running and not running and having to take the occasional breather. I know that I can get my base back but I have to find a way to be patient about that and not tell myself what pace, what comfort level what I *should* be doing because I always find myself comparing that to when I was in my best shape, which is stupid. I'm not sure why I expect to immediately be where it took me months of work to be before, but some naive inner part of me thinks that I can 'pick up where I left off.'
This is one of those ridiculous double-think things I try to sell myself. Like "healthy pastries": would you like your dose of cyanide full strength, or merely diluted?
Some jerk stole my Garmin out of my truck a few months back. I admit that I loved my Garmin, and I found it especially useful when I was doing quality workouts and distance training. I also logged every workout from my Garmin to TrainingPeaks and it essentially became a self-updating workout blog with stats and things I wanted to see about my workouts. That part I miss. The part that I do not miss is that I would often engage in the aforementioned pace/distance games with my mental self way-too-often on workouts that were not about pace or distance or speed. Somehow, it turned me into my own e-bully. This was nice for interval workouts and ones that I really wanted to push, but it was a habit that I did not shake when it was not needed, and it often reared its head at bad times during certain runs when I would get really disappointed with how slow I felt I was going in relation to how fast that I wanted to go. Again, that can be nice when you need or want to push, but when you are just doing survival miles to build your base it can put you in a bad mental place. It seemed that when I was starting new training cycles this was pretty par for the course, too.
With that said I am actually enjoying getting back to running with my plain old Timex Ironman watch. No GPS, no screaming at myself every 5 seconds, and not knowing exactly how many miles I have or haven't gone but a rough approximation. I mentally know the miles on most of the greenbelt from my house enough to where I have near GPS idea of it anyhow. For now, I will stick to being 80's runner with my ultra modern digital watch. It shows me time and I can keep up laps, and I'm not judging myself by the second on pace.
That time has arrived, and I have slowly eked back into running. It has been mostly very good to be back but there have been difficult elements.
The good part is that is feels good just to be out out there moving again and getting some fresh air. I have never spent these kinds of hours sitting, reading and writing as I have the past copule of months. My body feels awful from it. It's nice that its not so hot that I can actually go out (for short miles) with a couple of water bottles instead of a 2 liter guzzlesack strapped to my back.
Another aspect I especially missed about running is that it really reconnected me with my body and let me experience life outside of my head. I have had to 'live in my head' so-to-speak with the hours of study that I have put in. Combine that with a lack of activity, and it is a recipe for disconnect for me. So - the experience of being out there is nice.
My body seems not to have forgotten the art of how to recover, and I have only been really sore maybe once that I can remember. I've been impressed with how quickly I feel rebuilt after what seems like a brutal workout. (realistically - a total wuss workout.)
However......
I have taken little 'breaks' before and these breaks were just short 'my-body-needs-a-break' breaks rather than the extended break that I just took. This is the first extended break I have taken, and it has been substantial enough for me to lose essentially all of my base.
It feels pretty crummy to struggle through 5k right now. There were recent times where I probably wouldn't even run less than 5-6 miles for most workouts. I will say that in the cool of the morning I have done far better than in the heat of the afternoons.
I can see definite progress, and I certainly feel better. It is very hard to be patient and get even a small base back. At this point my goal is to get comfortable with 6 miles again. Once I am there and we are done with all afternoon heat for the season, I am re-joining my training group. Bandera 25k is the goal this time.
It's good to be back. I will be glad when it's better to be back and when it's all running and not running and having to take the occasional breather. I know that I can get my base back but I have to find a way to be patient about that and not tell myself what pace, what comfort level what I *should* be doing because I always find myself comparing that to when I was in my best shape, which is stupid. I'm not sure why I expect to immediately be where it took me months of work to be before, but some naive inner part of me thinks that I can 'pick up where I left off.'
This is one of those ridiculous double-think things I try to sell myself. Like "healthy pastries": would you like your dose of cyanide full strength, or merely diluted?
Some jerk stole my Garmin out of my truck a few months back. I admit that I loved my Garmin, and I found it especially useful when I was doing quality workouts and distance training. I also logged every workout from my Garmin to TrainingPeaks and it essentially became a self-updating workout blog with stats and things I wanted to see about my workouts. That part I miss. The part that I do not miss is that I would often engage in the aforementioned pace/distance games with my mental self way-too-often on workouts that were not about pace or distance or speed. Somehow, it turned me into my own e-bully. This was nice for interval workouts and ones that I really wanted to push, but it was a habit that I did not shake when it was not needed, and it often reared its head at bad times during certain runs when I would get really disappointed with how slow I felt I was going in relation to how fast that I wanted to go. Again, that can be nice when you need or want to push, but when you are just doing survival miles to build your base it can put you in a bad mental place. It seemed that when I was starting new training cycles this was pretty par for the course, too.
With that said I am actually enjoying getting back to running with my plain old Timex Ironman watch. No GPS, no screaming at myself every 5 seconds, and not knowing exactly how many miles I have or haven't gone but a rough approximation. I mentally know the miles on most of the greenbelt from my house enough to where I have near GPS idea of it anyhow. For now, I will stick to being 80's runner with my ultra modern digital watch. It shows me time and I can keep up laps, and I'm not judging myself by the second on pace.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
News.
It has been forever since I posted. There is good news, and there is bad news. Right now, it would be nice just to make sense of it.
Today felt like an all-time low, physically and mentally, in running for me. The past couple of summers, I was very strong in the heat and did fantastic. I don't remember heat acclimation EVER being this difficult with me, and I'm not doing anything different than I have in the past.
It seems like for the last week, any time I go out, I can run for about 1.5-2 miles before I just have to stop and walk some...and end up spending the rest of the workout just doing intervals, except my intervals are more like 1-1, or 2-1, instead of 4-1 like they should be. I haven't even tried to go more than 4 miles, and I usually think if I'm running less than 6 miles, I shouldn't bother unless it's a tempo run or speed workout. Anyhow - running has been MISERABLE. The ability and the will to keep going simply is not there. It's just so ridiculously hot. What I used to love to run in, I now completely hate and despise because it makes me feel so utterly like hell and seems to suck the life out of me, rather than put it back in. It's hard to believe I ran so much, and so well, in this before.
I know that it takes time to heat acclimate again, and god knows I was super acclimated in summers past. (like going out with a 113 degree heat index and feeling great on a 6 miler). Right now I am really frustrated. I have even considered shelving my running shoes until late fall.
The reason I have been doing these runs in the hottest part of the day is to make myself get used to the heat, and that always worked like a charm in the past. For some unknown reason, it is just not working this time around.
A couple of my friends have said they are also having a hard time with the heat, too, and said they can't run squat in it.. That eased my frustration with myself some. It's early in the summer. (okay it's not even summer yet) It's insanely hot, and I guess I need to remind myself that it will get better, even though right now it feels like it will only lead to death.
The last *great* run I had was my last long run that I did early in the morning. I think i am going to move back to morning running, as much as I freaking hate to run in the morning. At least I *can* run then, and it feels like I'm getting a workout, instead of merely trying to survive the blistering heat.
The nutritional changes I made have worked wonders, when I have stuck to my guns, which I mostly have. I did let some sugar work back in for about 1 week, and I noticed it had an immediate effect. I haven't been on a scale in ages, but from measurements and appearance, I'd say I easily dropped 15-20lbs. I have more to go, and if I can just get my f'ing body to cooperate with running, I'll have the rest off in no time.
Oh, precious heat mojo, how I want you back. We have a lot of summer ahead of us, and running has been so completely awful that I have seriously considered stopping. I do not like to have those thoughts.
Today felt like an all-time low, physically and mentally, in running for me. The past couple of summers, I was very strong in the heat and did fantastic. I don't remember heat acclimation EVER being this difficult with me, and I'm not doing anything different than I have in the past.
It seems like for the last week, any time I go out, I can run for about 1.5-2 miles before I just have to stop and walk some...and end up spending the rest of the workout just doing intervals, except my intervals are more like 1-1, or 2-1, instead of 4-1 like they should be. I haven't even tried to go more than 4 miles, and I usually think if I'm running less than 6 miles, I shouldn't bother unless it's a tempo run or speed workout. Anyhow - running has been MISERABLE. The ability and the will to keep going simply is not there. It's just so ridiculously hot. What I used to love to run in, I now completely hate and despise because it makes me feel so utterly like hell and seems to suck the life out of me, rather than put it back in. It's hard to believe I ran so much, and so well, in this before.
I know that it takes time to heat acclimate again, and god knows I was super acclimated in summers past. (like going out with a 113 degree heat index and feeling great on a 6 miler). Right now I am really frustrated. I have even considered shelving my running shoes until late fall.
The reason I have been doing these runs in the hottest part of the day is to make myself get used to the heat, and that always worked like a charm in the past. For some unknown reason, it is just not working this time around.
A couple of my friends have said they are also having a hard time with the heat, too, and said they can't run squat in it.. That eased my frustration with myself some. It's early in the summer. (okay it's not even summer yet) It's insanely hot, and I guess I need to remind myself that it will get better, even though right now it feels like it will only lead to death.
The last *great* run I had was my last long run that I did early in the morning. I think i am going to move back to morning running, as much as I freaking hate to run in the morning. At least I *can* run then, and it feels like I'm getting a workout, instead of merely trying to survive the blistering heat.
The nutritional changes I made have worked wonders, when I have stuck to my guns, which I mostly have. I did let some sugar work back in for about 1 week, and I noticed it had an immediate effect. I haven't been on a scale in ages, but from measurements and appearance, I'd say I easily dropped 15-20lbs. I have more to go, and if I can just get my f'ing body to cooperate with running, I'll have the rest off in no time.
Oh, precious heat mojo, how I want you back. We have a lot of summer ahead of us, and running has been so completely awful that I have seriously considered stopping. I do not like to have those thoughts.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
My Review of Timex Ironman Global Trainer GPS Sport Watch
The Timex Ironman® Global Trainer® GPS sport watch helps you get the most out of your training by providing the tools needed to monitor, analyze and improve your workout.
Disappointing overall
By austinjason from Austin, TX on 5/19/2011
Cons: Short Battery Life, Difficulty finding signal, Flimsy Charger design
Describe Yourself: Power User
How are you with directions: Great w/Directions
Was this a gift?: No
As a long-time Garmin GPS user who was ready for something new and different, I bought this GPS expecting to like it at least as much as I had liked all of my other Timex Ironman watches.
The customizable screens were nice, and the ability to jump from one type of workout like you would expect was there, although I found the menuing system a little cumbersome.
From the get-go I found that this GPS had a MUCH harder time finding and locking onto a good signal than my Garmin units did. I did find it to be accurate once it got a signal, but often had to start workouts with no signal because I was so sick of waiting around for it to get a signal. (and this is in clear, open area with no cloud cover) I was disappointed with the battery life, though. This is definitely not a watch for ultra training runs and CERTAINLY not long events, especially (and ironically) something like an Ironman.
What really tore it for me is the horrible charger design. The entire leverage of it on one side is held in place by this utterly flimsy plastic tab. Once this tab breaks, there is absolutely NO way that you can charge the unit again, unless you buy another charger from Timex. This is not that uncommon of a problem, despite the fact that Timex seems pretty defiant about it. After a back and forth with them, I finally decided to return this GPS. I absolutely would NOT recommend buying this 1st gen product.
I will definitely be pulling my old Garmin back out of the drawer with renewed appreciation for it.
(legalese)
Friday, February 11, 2011
Reset
Lots to catch up on here. I will start by saying, that I am not really happy with myself right now, because I have not been getting my workouts done lately, none of them.
I got sick a few weeks back, and had to miss a few days & long run. Then, we had awful weather that I was not willing to run in. the following week, and also stupidly missed days I could have run when it was gorgeous, but I didn't go for whatever lame reason. The litany of weak excuses could go on forever, and that is what I feel like crap about - bottom line - when the workouts are important to you, you get them done, and for some reason mine just fell to the back burner. I'm not sure why I lost all motivation - especially since I was doing so well. Although the biggest reason is that my workout room is torn all to hell right now while it is getting redone. I have made it a point to move everything out of the way so that workouts will start happening again regularly.
So - I'm hitting reset. I also posted pretty lofty goals about the Nueces 50k, what I was not looking at was the actual date of the race, and where I was at in relation to that. That would have meant me starting over fresh and getting ready for a 50k (including taper) in barely 7 weeks. I had held on to some of my base, but not nearly enough for that, especially when you consider how incredibly hard that course is. So, I opted to move my 50k race to the following month (Hells Hills), and I will drop down to the 25k at Nueces and really concentrate on my hills and still building my base for that race. (I will be way past 25k by then, but 50k would bee too much). Anyhow, I'm excited to at least have specific goals to train for.
A thought keeps crossing my mind, over and over for the past several weeks. There seems to be some little voice nagging me to do a triathlon this year. The thought of getting ready for a tri sort of terrifies me. I have managed to be pretty mediocre at one sports discipline, and I cannot imagine having to take on 3 at once, especially since I don't have a lot of experience with cycling (like race/road cycling) and almost zero with swimming. Maybe that's why I feel like I need to do it - to conquer a fear &/or try to break into some sort of new ground.
I do have a really nice tri bike already, that has mostly been on the trainer, although not even on that in a while. (for shaaaaame.) I need to find a beginner tri training program that will put up with a slow old newb.
Luckily, I don't feel like I have moved backward in terms of gaining weight or losing a lot of muscle in this lazy time, but I am lamenting the amount of progress I could have made in this time with each type of workout had I not found stupid reasons to keep me from doing what I know is good for me.
Oh well, live, learn and do better. This looks like a gorgeous weekend we have on slate, and I will be out on the trail again.
I got sick a few weeks back, and had to miss a few days & long run. Then, we had awful weather that I was not willing to run in. the following week, and also stupidly missed days I could have run when it was gorgeous, but I didn't go for whatever lame reason. The litany of weak excuses could go on forever, and that is what I feel like crap about - bottom line - when the workouts are important to you, you get them done, and for some reason mine just fell to the back burner. I'm not sure why I lost all motivation - especially since I was doing so well. Although the biggest reason is that my workout room is torn all to hell right now while it is getting redone. I have made it a point to move everything out of the way so that workouts will start happening again regularly.
So - I'm hitting reset. I also posted pretty lofty goals about the Nueces 50k, what I was not looking at was the actual date of the race, and where I was at in relation to that. That would have meant me starting over fresh and getting ready for a 50k (including taper) in barely 7 weeks. I had held on to some of my base, but not nearly enough for that, especially when you consider how incredibly hard that course is. So, I opted to move my 50k race to the following month (Hells Hills), and I will drop down to the 25k at Nueces and really concentrate on my hills and still building my base for that race. (I will be way past 25k by then, but 50k would bee too much). Anyhow, I'm excited to at least have specific goals to train for.
A thought keeps crossing my mind, over and over for the past several weeks. There seems to be some little voice nagging me to do a triathlon this year. The thought of getting ready for a tri sort of terrifies me. I have managed to be pretty mediocre at one sports discipline, and I cannot imagine having to take on 3 at once, especially since I don't have a lot of experience with cycling (like race/road cycling) and almost zero with swimming. Maybe that's why I feel like I need to do it - to conquer a fear &/or try to break into some sort of new ground.
I do have a really nice tri bike already, that has mostly been on the trainer, although not even on that in a while. (for shaaaaame.) I need to find a beginner tri training program that will put up with a slow old newb.
Luckily, I don't feel like I have moved backward in terms of gaining weight or losing a lot of muscle in this lazy time, but I am lamenting the amount of progress I could have made in this time with each type of workout had I not found stupid reasons to keep me from doing what I know is good for me.
Oh well, live, learn and do better. This looks like a gorgeous weekend we have on slate, and I will be out on the trail again.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
results!!
It has been a while since I"ve updated here. I'm mostly here to celebrate results, but also note some things that need improvement.
I wish that I had decided to take SOME kind of metrics (weight, BMI, musc %, fat %, etc) before I started my new fitness & nutrition plan. I can really REALLY see results in the mirror, but I have no idea where I started, or even where I am at now. I have flat out avoided the scale and concentrated on my nutrition and workouts. Having had several people I know say something to me recently about it being noticeable, I'll take that as a good sign that I'm not just seeing things ;-)
I have done really well on the nutrition part, and I don't remember feeling better. Also, the results that were supposed to come from this change are already showing themselves. However, the workout part I have only done so-so on. Some of it was when I was feeling a little under the weather, some of it was the hustle of the holidays combined with poor time management, and other times it has been merely pure laziness. So, while I had planned to start with 3 good workouts a week and ease back into a 5 or 6 day a week schedule, I didn't manage that. I have, at least, gotten 1-2 GOOD workouts in per week, but that really isn't enough, not by a longshot.
Even with those sparse workouts, I am seeing improvements when I do them, and I am seeing exactly the things change in my fitness and appearance that I had hoped to achieve. I've also been very pleasantly surprised at how GREAT I felt running the few times I went back out with friends.
Last week, I even managed about 7 miles with some friends on the road. I don't think I ran once for about 6 weeks or so, then the first time I went back out we did 4 miles and I felt GREAT the entire time. Last week felt good too, but had some big hills at the end and I was very very toasted at the end of that one, but felt awesome afterward.
So, I've held on to a LOT of my aerobic fitness level while also building my core. I need to continue with this same nutrition program, but really commit, in earnest, to more workouts/week and not letting other things get in my way.
I see no reason, if I continue with this, why I can't meet or exceed my springtime fitness goal!
I miss running a ton - really I do. I can see that this break, and this change is great for me, but I am ready to train for a big event again. Perhaps this spring I will be ready. I'm also being goaded about doing a tri - I am soooooo apprehensive and doubtful of my tri abilities. We'll see.
I wish that I had decided to take SOME kind of metrics (weight, BMI, musc %, fat %, etc) before I started my new fitness & nutrition plan. I can really REALLY see results in the mirror, but I have no idea where I started, or even where I am at now. I have flat out avoided the scale and concentrated on my nutrition and workouts. Having had several people I know say something to me recently about it being noticeable, I'll take that as a good sign that I'm not just seeing things ;-)
I have done really well on the nutrition part, and I don't remember feeling better. Also, the results that were supposed to come from this change are already showing themselves. However, the workout part I have only done so-so on. Some of it was when I was feeling a little under the weather, some of it was the hustle of the holidays combined with poor time management, and other times it has been merely pure laziness. So, while I had planned to start with 3 good workouts a week and ease back into a 5 or 6 day a week schedule, I didn't manage that. I have, at least, gotten 1-2 GOOD workouts in per week, but that really isn't enough, not by a longshot.
Even with those sparse workouts, I am seeing improvements when I do them, and I am seeing exactly the things change in my fitness and appearance that I had hoped to achieve. I've also been very pleasantly surprised at how GREAT I felt running the few times I went back out with friends.
Last week, I even managed about 7 miles with some friends on the road. I don't think I ran once for about 6 weeks or so, then the first time I went back out we did 4 miles and I felt GREAT the entire time. Last week felt good too, but had some big hills at the end and I was very very toasted at the end of that one, but felt awesome afterward.
So, I've held on to a LOT of my aerobic fitness level while also building my core. I need to continue with this same nutrition program, but really commit, in earnest, to more workouts/week and not letting other things get in my way.
I see no reason, if I continue with this, why I can't meet or exceed my springtime fitness goal!
I miss running a ton - really I do. I can see that this break, and this change is great for me, but I am ready to train for a big event again. Perhaps this spring I will be ready. I'm also being goaded about doing a tri - I am soooooo apprehensive and doubtful of my tri abilities. We'll see.
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