Saturday, April 2, 2011

End of workout cycle

I give myself a failing grade for my workout cycle. My last post was January 22. It is now April 2 and I have hardly gotten off my couch. I am sick today an have been for the last week. But I actually ran 1.5 miles and did some light cycling. Spring has rolled around and the sun has come out around here. I saw some old pictures from 2009 when I was in pretty decent shape. I got a little nostalgic. No better time than now to start moving again.

I head off to Hawaii this week. This is a great time to get started again. I am shooting a reality-style TV show in Kona Hawaii with some Ironman athletes. Maybe I'll have a chance to start back in the water, on the back, and on the road.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Bringing It!: Guitar, ALS and Unstoppable Spirit . . . Film Dir...

Bringing It!: Guitar, ALS and Unstoppable Spirit . . . Film Dir...: "At 16 years old, Jason Becker had already become a legend in the guitar scene. At 20, he was diagnosed with ALS - a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's diseas..."

Saturday, January 22, 2011

2 Weeks In

I am 2 weeks into the program and I am doing okay. I have missed a few workouts but I have executed a few workouts as well. I am back on the the bike and in the pool. I am also doing very light weights.

This week was interesting. On Tuesday I did every lap of my 2500 yd swim and headed straight to weights. I am not a weight person anymore so I struggled immensely. It was a very successful day and for one day I felt I was back to where I was. The next day I woke up early and went straight on the bike without thinking. It was a good move because if I had an opportunity to think about it I would have skipped.

Thursday and Friday I skipped due to the crippling pain Tuesdays weights caused. Pathetically, I inflicted the damage by doing merely 3 sets of 10 squats with no weights. As I may have mentioned I am woefully out of fitness in the weight room.

But I am still at it. Training Peaks is the bomb. Every night my workouts are in my email. I have an opportunity to plan my day around my workout. My expectations are reasonable this go-around. I am allowing some skip days for recovery and scheduling reasons, but since I am committed to this, I get right back at it the next days.

Today was another miss due to my childcare responsibilities. We are toilet training Ainsley. Tomorrow I have a 1 hr bike and 1 hr run. Hoping to get them both in somehow.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

2 Days Down

Two days into the training program. This is my third and I am taking the day off. The first day was a 45 minute bike. That I got on it was a huge victory, that I rode it for about 45 minutes was as well.

Yesterday was a swim with some light gym exercises. That I got to the gym was a huge victory, hat I got to the pool was as well. Once I jumped into the pool I realized how much this is going to suck. The last time I did Training Peaks was about 2 or 3 years ago and all the familiar memories came rushing back. Long workouts, cold days in the pool endless laps, fatigue. Triathlete are literally crazy people. I gutted through 30 mins of swimming in very cold water and did some half-ass exercises in the gym.

My life schedule does not have this much training built into it. The last time I was on this program I did not have kids in school and other kids not in school. Juggling these training hours is going to be really tough. Yesterday was a mother.

Today I am really really tired and need a break. I am going to lay off until I am ready to train again and then hit the workouts. Hopefully tomorrow I will be back in the pool and the gym floor.

Enthusiasm level - 2
Readiness - 1
Fatigue - 10
Happiness that I am back doing this again - 5

I am going to stick with this program as best I can. I will skip when I need to and I will not beat myself up mentally is I skip. Hopefully in this process I will find a healthy equilibrium for training.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

18 months since my last post? Good God

A lot has happened since I last posted. Good thing blogs age better than fruit. No one is supposed to read this so I don't care what I say but I need to do something to get myself back in gear physically. I mean I am in good shape for a bum, but for my adult sport of triathlon I am a mess.

For a few months I have been telling myself to get back into the swing of things. It's just so easy to do nothing. I mean no pain, so its easy to no gain.

It's not like I've done nothing for 18 months. I've actually worked out sort of regularly. In 2010 I focused a lot on cals (pushups and chins), and running, with some swimming and cycling mixed in. In my personal life I quit drinking. I also worked toward eliminating meat and dairy from my diet. I also dedicated myself to learning guitar by joining a band and taking lessons. All those changes have altered my life both physically and emotionally.

Physically I feel good but not great. My fitness is probably fine for beginners but I am way off what I was. But I am not sure what I want out of my fitness existence. I feel the Ironman/half-Ironman fitness level is an all-encompassing endeavor that causes tons of physical pain and ripples throughout our life. The sprint/Olympic fitness triathlon fitness level seems practical but even that is a commitment.

So now I am searching for continued balance in my personal by adding a fitness element. I'm back on the Training Peaks software after false starts on consecutive weeks. Each evening I am emailed next day's workout. It's a very good system and provides a solid routine for getting going.

Tomorrow is a 45 minute bike. I have the indoor trainer in my office but my bike is currently a coat rack and my workout area is a dumping ground. So now half my workout will entail digging out a workout space. If I get the bike on the trainer and find a pair of bike shorts it will be a monumental victory.

Current weight - 161 (I don't eat meat or cheese anymore so I eat much less fat)
Fitness level - weak
Readiness - Unbelievably not ready
Excitement level (1-10) - 2
Enthusiasm (1-10) - 1