Week 5: July 18- July 24
Monday:
I was scheduled to have an early morning strength workout with Moiria today but my body was still feeling the effects of the strenuous workouts the day before and canceled the workout. Throughout the day I focused on hydrating lots more than usual due my low energy level.
I did attend the Body Flow class in the evening and even that seemed more challenging than normal to me. I’m hoping that this hot spell that is going through the area will past sooner rather than later.
I also decided to hold off on my weekly swim lesson with Derek. I haven’t had much time in the last week to practice some of the things we worked on during the previous lesson.
Tuesday:
I woke up and literally had to drag myself out of bed in order to attend Moira’s AM bootcamp. I’m glad that I got up and went through the workout but at the same time I was really tired throughout the class and then the remainder of the day.
The track workout was canceled due to the heat index so I decided to get my run done inside on the treadmill. It felt great to have a cool fan blowing on me as I ran. It was also nice to have a t.v. right in front of me as I ran. It was still hard to believe that I’m running inside in the summer due to the weather!!
Wednesday:
Since I was having a tough time getting up early this week I decided to try a different hot yoga class this week in the afternoon as opposed to the morning. This week I tried the Warm Flow class at 5:30-6:30. Although it wasn’t as hot as the normal Hot Flow class that I attend it was still very challenging. One of the differences was the use of the foam roller.
The group workout was canceled tonight, again due to the heat. I made the decision again to run inside on the treadmill at Harbor. It felt good to have completed the runs even without feeling like all my energy was fully drained. The one thing I found out recently about running on a treadmill is to make sure you have the incline set to at least 1.0. This helps to simulate what it would be like to run outside.
Thursday:
I completed a strength workout with Moira. We completed a number of different functional exercises that worked my core and upper body muscles.
Friday:
I decided to take the day off from the any sort of exercise due to the Tough Mudder event that I would be completing on Saturday.
Saturday:
I participated in the Tough Mudder event held at the Devil’s Head Resort. I won’t go into a lot of detail because it would be better to just look up the event on the internet in order to see some of the events. It was a crazy experience and something that I would highly recommend people try.
I think that all the workouts that I’ve done at Harbor and the running that I’ve completed really prepared me for this event. Out of the nearly 7,000 that completed the event many struggled with throughout.
Sunday:
I met the Fleet Feet group for a 13-mile run at the Panera Bread on University. We ran through the UW campus and over to the east side. Although I was technically supposed to go 16 miles today my legs and body were pretty sore from the Tough Mudder. I thought that just completing the 13 miler would allow me to keep my distances up while not over doing it with my body.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Week 4: July 11-17
Week 4: July 11 – July 17
Monday:
Strength:
I was excited to get going with the week. This week and next week I don’t have anything specific planned so I’m hoping to buckle down and stick with my plan for the next two weeks. I’m also hoping to really focus on my nutrition and avoid the sugar!!! We’ll see how it goes.
I met for a workout with Moira. We did a number of different strengthening type activities. The toughest by far was three different stages of a hip strengthening activity using the TRX. We also did some different activities using the swiss balls and dumbbells in the free weight rooms. Outside of the actual workout we continued to discuss nutrition. One of the things we agreed to do was to do a weigh-in and body fat check every week.
Flexibility:
I attended the weekly body flow class. Another great class, although it seems harder for me this week for some reason. One of the most relaxing times of the week is the last 8 minutes of the class.
Swimming:
I had my 3rd class with Derek, Harbor’s swim coach. First off I have say how nice it is to learn the proper swimming technique from a coach who definitely knows what they are doing but is also patience. Derek does a great job of teaching while still allowing me to discuss mistakes on my own. We worked on kicks, breathing, and body position for the majority of the lesson. These are also the three aspects of swimming that I need to continue to work on throughout the week. A suggestion for a practice workout that Derek gave me was:
-Kicking with the kickboard on my back for 50 m.
-Kicking with the kickboard on stomach for 50 m.
-Spear drill 50 m on both sides.
-Kickboard comeback
Tuesday:
AM Boot camp:
I attended the AM boot camp led by Moira. We did four rounds of 5 activities per rounds. It really kicked butt! I left dripping with sweat.
Track Work:
I met the Fleet Feet group at the Madison Memorial Track to work on some speed work. We did a build set of 100’s and 200’s and then a speed set of 800’s. Very, very challenging but good!
Wednesday:
I ended up doing some different things on Tuesday night that kept me up to late to attend hot yoga in the morning. At night I met up with the Fleet Feet running group and ran a solid 5 mile loop on the far west side.
Thursday:
I completed a strength workout with Moira today. The workout again focused on doing a circuit of 4-5 different exercises for 3-4 different rounds. During the breaks in between we talked a lot about nutrition. This continues to be a struggle for me. My addition to sugar and balancing out carbs and protein are the two biggest obstacles that I need to overcome. The biggest success I have had over the past two weeks or so is that I’ve given up eating all that laffy taffy.
Friday:
I completed my first solo tempo run through the pheasant branch conservancy. This was a challenge but it was one that I was ready to handle. The weather was still ridiculously hot and humid. My goal pace was to average 7:36 miles. I think my average was a bit closer to 7:40 when it was all said and done. Overall, I felt better about doing it by myself and have the energy and the ability to push on.
Saturday:
My scheduled workout today was an easy 5-mile run but I took advantage of another group run opportunity. I ended up running around 7 miles with some trail runners. The North Face store sponsored a trail run with one of their professional athletes leading the charge. It was something different and it was really cool. We spent time going through the trails around the Picnic Point area of the UW-Madison campus.
Sunday:
The hot weather continued throughout the area. My training plan had me running 13 miles. I was able to connect in with a couple other runners and we decided to meet at 6:30 run for 30 minutes and then meet up with the group that would be running at 7. Well, even at that early hour the air was thick and hot. After meeting up with the group run at 7 am and completing 9 of the 11 scheduled miles I had to stop. I was out of water and my feet felt as if I had stepped into a puddle of water. My clothes were sopping wet!
Monday:
Strength:
I was excited to get going with the week. This week and next week I don’t have anything specific planned so I’m hoping to buckle down and stick with my plan for the next two weeks. I’m also hoping to really focus on my nutrition and avoid the sugar!!! We’ll see how it goes.
I met for a workout with Moira. We did a number of different strengthening type activities. The toughest by far was three different stages of a hip strengthening activity using the TRX. We also did some different activities using the swiss balls and dumbbells in the free weight rooms. Outside of the actual workout we continued to discuss nutrition. One of the things we agreed to do was to do a weigh-in and body fat check every week.
Flexibility:
I attended the weekly body flow class. Another great class, although it seems harder for me this week for some reason. One of the most relaxing times of the week is the last 8 minutes of the class.
Swimming:
I had my 3rd class with Derek, Harbor’s swim coach. First off I have say how nice it is to learn the proper swimming technique from a coach who definitely knows what they are doing but is also patience. Derek does a great job of teaching while still allowing me to discuss mistakes on my own. We worked on kicks, breathing, and body position for the majority of the lesson. These are also the three aspects of swimming that I need to continue to work on throughout the week. A suggestion for a practice workout that Derek gave me was:
-Kicking with the kickboard on my back for 50 m.
-Kicking with the kickboard on stomach for 50 m.
-Spear drill 50 m on both sides.
-Kickboard comeback
Tuesday:
AM Boot camp:
I attended the AM boot camp led by Moira. We did four rounds of 5 activities per rounds. It really kicked butt! I left dripping with sweat.
Track Work:
I met the Fleet Feet group at the Madison Memorial Track to work on some speed work. We did a build set of 100’s and 200’s and then a speed set of 800’s. Very, very challenging but good!
Wednesday:
I ended up doing some different things on Tuesday night that kept me up to late to attend hot yoga in the morning. At night I met up with the Fleet Feet running group and ran a solid 5 mile loop on the far west side.
Thursday:
I completed a strength workout with Moira today. The workout again focused on doing a circuit of 4-5 different exercises for 3-4 different rounds. During the breaks in between we talked a lot about nutrition. This continues to be a struggle for me. My addition to sugar and balancing out carbs and protein are the two biggest obstacles that I need to overcome. The biggest success I have had over the past two weeks or so is that I’ve given up eating all that laffy taffy.
Friday:
I completed my first solo tempo run through the pheasant branch conservancy. This was a challenge but it was one that I was ready to handle. The weather was still ridiculously hot and humid. My goal pace was to average 7:36 miles. I think my average was a bit closer to 7:40 when it was all said and done. Overall, I felt better about doing it by myself and have the energy and the ability to push on.
Saturday:
My scheduled workout today was an easy 5-mile run but I took advantage of another group run opportunity. I ended up running around 7 miles with some trail runners. The North Face store sponsored a trail run with one of their professional athletes leading the charge. It was something different and it was really cool. We spent time going through the trails around the Picnic Point area of the UW-Madison campus.
Sunday:
The hot weather continued throughout the area. My training plan had me running 13 miles. I was able to connect in with a couple other runners and we decided to meet at 6:30 run for 30 minutes and then meet up with the group that would be running at 7. Well, even at that early hour the air was thick and hot. After meeting up with the group run at 7 am and completing 9 of the 11 scheduled miles I had to stop. I was out of water and my feet felt as if I had stepped into a puddle of water. My clothes were sopping wet!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Week 3: July 4- July 10
Monday:
I didn’t accomplish a lot today with the holiday. It was some well needed R and R though after a two tough days of workouts.
Tuesday:
Again, I was out of town overnight and wasn’t able to make the AM bootcamp with Moira. I was back in town early enough to attend the Fleet Feet track workout. What a butt kicker!!! All the workouts start with a mile warm up and end with a mile cool down. On this particular day I had to be timed doing a 2.4 KM race (6 laps around the track). This was hard enough! After this I had to do the following: 100m-200m-300m-400m-400m-300m-200m-100m; in between each of these intervals we had to do a 10 burbies or 10 toe touches. It was one of those workouts in which you feel like you’ve accomplished something after it’s done. Unfortunately, after the workout my right hip/butt felt as if I had pulled a bit of the muscle. I’m hopping it won’t prohibit my future workout!
Wednesday:
Hot Yoga!!! It was nice to be back into the routine of getting up early to do yoga. Part of my weekly training routine is to complete the Hot Power Flow class at the Harbor Wellness Center from 5:45-6:45. When my alarm went off the first thing I wanted to do was to hit the snooze and go back to sleep for the extra hour. Well, so much for that!!! I was able to overcome my lazy inner voice and get up to do the class.
This week Tammy R taught the class. I’ve had her teach my first several classes so I was familiar with her style. The initial 10-15 minutes of class were challenging but soon after I was able to climb back into a routine that allowed me to continue. Again, at the end of class and throughout the rest of the day I felt like I had additional energy coupled with the pain in my hip/ butt from the previous night was extremely reduced.
Running- I again met the Fleet Feet group for a run through the Pheasant Branch Conversancy. Although I was only supposed to do 5 miles I felt so good that I did an additional 7.5 miles! My hip/butt only felt a little bit sore, ahhh the benefits of hot yoga!!!
Thursday:
Today I completed another strength workout that was laid out by Moira in the Free Weight area of HAC. Usually I play racquetball or swim with a friend of mine but my schedule didn’t allow me to.
Friday:
Another challenging tempo run with Moira. This was a shorter than normal (only 2 miles of actual tempo) I really worked hard and it felt good. Although my legs still aren’t exactly feeling the best. We spent a majority of the time as we did a cool down and after talking about nutrition. I’ve really let my nutrition slide over the past 5-6 weeks and my performance is effected by it. I’ve avoided weighing myself over the past few weeks because in the back of my head I knew the results weren’t going to be pretty.
A tool that has been helpful to me in the past is a calorie tracking app for my phone. One app that I used last summer and fall was called: My Fitness Pal. It was a great app that was easy to use as you begin to track your food intake. What I’ve switched to last spring is the Live Strong app. I like the Live Strong app because it allows you to put in the specific time of day as opposed to just putting in breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Saturday:
I did an easy 5-mile run through the Pheasant Branch Conservancy with a friend. Things went well although the heat and humidity was ridiculous.
Sunday:
I was scheduled to run a 10-mile smooth and easy run today. I met the Fleet Feet group in the Olin South Parking Lot for a run down the Lakeshore Trail, another great place to run in Madison. We started at 8 am, which was the first mistake. The temperature was already in the low 80’s by that time. I ended up going at a faster than my scheduled 8:30 pace. My average pace was around 8:10 per mile. The weather got the best of the group so I only ended up running 8 miles.
I didn’t accomplish a lot today with the holiday. It was some well needed R and R though after a two tough days of workouts.
Tuesday:
Again, I was out of town overnight and wasn’t able to make the AM bootcamp with Moira. I was back in town early enough to attend the Fleet Feet track workout. What a butt kicker!!! All the workouts start with a mile warm up and end with a mile cool down. On this particular day I had to be timed doing a 2.4 KM race (6 laps around the track). This was hard enough! After this I had to do the following: 100m-200m-300m-400m-400m-300m-200m-100m; in between each of these intervals we had to do a 10 burbies or 10 toe touches. It was one of those workouts in which you feel like you’ve accomplished something after it’s done. Unfortunately, after the workout my right hip/butt felt as if I had pulled a bit of the muscle. I’m hopping it won’t prohibit my future workout!
Wednesday:
Hot Yoga!!! It was nice to be back into the routine of getting up early to do yoga. Part of my weekly training routine is to complete the Hot Power Flow class at the Harbor Wellness Center from 5:45-6:45. When my alarm went off the first thing I wanted to do was to hit the snooze and go back to sleep for the extra hour. Well, so much for that!!! I was able to overcome my lazy inner voice and get up to do the class.
This week Tammy R taught the class. I’ve had her teach my first several classes so I was familiar with her style. The initial 10-15 minutes of class were challenging but soon after I was able to climb back into a routine that allowed me to continue. Again, at the end of class and throughout the rest of the day I felt like I had additional energy coupled with the pain in my hip/ butt from the previous night was extremely reduced.
Running- I again met the Fleet Feet group for a run through the Pheasant Branch Conversancy. Although I was only supposed to do 5 miles I felt so good that I did an additional 7.5 miles! My hip/butt only felt a little bit sore, ahhh the benefits of hot yoga!!!
Thursday:
Today I completed another strength workout that was laid out by Moira in the Free Weight area of HAC. Usually I play racquetball or swim with a friend of mine but my schedule didn’t allow me to.
Friday:
Another challenging tempo run with Moira. This was a shorter than normal (only 2 miles of actual tempo) I really worked hard and it felt good. Although my legs still aren’t exactly feeling the best. We spent a majority of the time as we did a cool down and after talking about nutrition. I’ve really let my nutrition slide over the past 5-6 weeks and my performance is effected by it. I’ve avoided weighing myself over the past few weeks because in the back of my head I knew the results weren’t going to be pretty.
A tool that has been helpful to me in the past is a calorie tracking app for my phone. One app that I used last summer and fall was called: My Fitness Pal. It was a great app that was easy to use as you begin to track your food intake. What I’ve switched to last spring is the Live Strong app. I like the Live Strong app because it allows you to put in the specific time of day as opposed to just putting in breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Saturday:
I did an easy 5-mile run through the Pheasant Branch Conservancy with a friend. Things went well although the heat and humidity was ridiculous.
Sunday:
I was scheduled to run a 10-mile smooth and easy run today. I met the Fleet Feet group in the Olin South Parking Lot for a run down the Lakeshore Trail, another great place to run in Madison. We started at 8 am, which was the first mistake. The temperature was already in the low 80’s by that time. I ended up going at a faster than my scheduled 8:30 pace. My average pace was around 8:10 per mile. The weather got the best of the group so I only ended up running 8 miles.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Week 2: June 27-July 2
Week 2: June 27- July 2nd
Monday:
Strength
I had to drag myself out of bed for the morning strength workout with Moira but I’m glad I did. We focused on number of different exercises and went through them in several times. Although I couldn’t remember all of the different exercises, here’s a summary:
Gravitron Pull-Ups
TRX Rows
TRX Negative Rows
Dumbbell rows
One Leg Isolating Tough Downs
Free Motion Machine wood choppers
Hip Lifts with Feet on Swissball
Push Up Cross over
Lunges pushing off shoe glides
Flexibility
I participated in body flow at the wellness center from 6-7
Swimming
I had my second class with Derek in the lap pool. Last time he showed me some things to start with. He also encouraged me to work on the way in which I glide through the water and kick. Here’s a sample work out he gave me to practice:
-Glides -Glides with a kick
-Kick on a side
-Breathing practice on the wall
-Kick Board Catch Up
The second lesson started with me doing a breathing activity as I moved down a lane in the lap pool. After this warm up I did a number of glides to show Derek how my progress was. As expected I still needed to work on my form a lot. We spent the remainder of the lesson working on specifically kicking. I’m hoping to work on my swimming again and continue to take several more lessons with Derek.
Tuesday:
AM Bootcamp- I completed another grueling workout led by Moira. There was a several other participants which helped for Motivation. We did a number of different stations and rotated through them several times.
Wednesday:
I was out of town in the morning so I was unable to attend Hot Yoga, which I greatly missed, but I’m looking forward to doing next week. I was able to make it back in time to do a 5 mile group run on the Military Ridge Trail in Verona.
Thursday:
I completed a strength workout in the Harbor Weight Room and Sport Court Area that was designed specifically for me by Moira.
Friday:
This was my second Tempo Run in the Pheasant Branch Conversancy. Although it is extremely difficult, as Moira reminded me, this is the type of workout that helps you get faster. I’m really hoping to get more comfortable going at such a fast pace. This week we were able to keep a more consistent 7:20 pace over the course of the three mile loop.
The other aspect of my session with Moira was to talk about nutrition. She strongly encouraged me to take a better account of what I’m putting into my body. This has been really hard. Although I’ve lost lots of weight over the past year I still need to lose a bit more to get faster. One of my strategies is to start tracking everything that I take in (even if it’s junk!!!). I’m hoping this will help to encourage me to think twice before eating it. I’m also going to go through it with Moira and set up a more consistent plan.
Saturday:
I had a really tough series of workouts planned for the day! On top of the three physical activities planned the weather was very, very hot and humid. I started by meeting a friend of mine for a “light” 3-5 mile run. We choose to check out the Ice Age Trail off of PD. Although it was a really pretty stretch of trail, the terrain was very challenging (Either uphill or downhill). We ended only going 3.5 miles due to the weather and the trail.
Secondly, I headed over to another local park to meet up with a group of people completed the Tough Mudder competition later this month in Devil’s Lake. For this activity the group did a number of challenging station activities.
Finally, I headed over to another friend’s house to help his family move. I thought it would only take 1-2 hours and would be mostly boxes. Well, 5 hours later, drenched in sweat, and aching from head to toe I headed home.
Sunday:
I was scheduled to do my longest run since the marathon, 14 miles. I met my friend Dave at the Victor Allen’s on Monroe for two laps through the UW Arboretum. If you haven’t had the opportunity to run or bike through the Arboretum I highly recommend it. The scenery is beautiful and there are always lots of other people doing the same route, so when you’re feeling tired it helps! Even though we met at 7:00 it still wasn’t early enough to miss out on the hot and humid weather.
Monday:
Strength
I had to drag myself out of bed for the morning strength workout with Moira but I’m glad I did. We focused on number of different exercises and went through them in several times. Although I couldn’t remember all of the different exercises, here’s a summary:
Gravitron Pull-Ups
TRX Rows
TRX Negative Rows
Dumbbell rows
One Leg Isolating Tough Downs
Free Motion Machine wood choppers
Hip Lifts with Feet on Swissball
Push Up Cross over
Lunges pushing off shoe glides
Flexibility
I participated in body flow at the wellness center from 6-7
Swimming
I had my second class with Derek in the lap pool. Last time he showed me some things to start with. He also encouraged me to work on the way in which I glide through the water and kick. Here’s a sample work out he gave me to practice:
-Glides -Glides with a kick
-Kick on a side
-Breathing practice on the wall
-Kick Board Catch Up
The second lesson started with me doing a breathing activity as I moved down a lane in the lap pool. After this warm up I did a number of glides to show Derek how my progress was. As expected I still needed to work on my form a lot. We spent the remainder of the lesson working on specifically kicking. I’m hoping to work on my swimming again and continue to take several more lessons with Derek.
Tuesday:
AM Bootcamp- I completed another grueling workout led by Moira. There was a several other participants which helped for Motivation. We did a number of different stations and rotated through them several times.
Wednesday:
I was out of town in the morning so I was unable to attend Hot Yoga, which I greatly missed, but I’m looking forward to doing next week. I was able to make it back in time to do a 5 mile group run on the Military Ridge Trail in Verona.
Thursday:
I completed a strength workout in the Harbor Weight Room and Sport Court Area that was designed specifically for me by Moira.
Friday:
This was my second Tempo Run in the Pheasant Branch Conversancy. Although it is extremely difficult, as Moira reminded me, this is the type of workout that helps you get faster. I’m really hoping to get more comfortable going at such a fast pace. This week we were able to keep a more consistent 7:20 pace over the course of the three mile loop.
The other aspect of my session with Moira was to talk about nutrition. She strongly encouraged me to take a better account of what I’m putting into my body. This has been really hard. Although I’ve lost lots of weight over the past year I still need to lose a bit more to get faster. One of my strategies is to start tracking everything that I take in (even if it’s junk!!!). I’m hoping this will help to encourage me to think twice before eating it. I’m also going to go through it with Moira and set up a more consistent plan.
Saturday:
I had a really tough series of workouts planned for the day! On top of the three physical activities planned the weather was very, very hot and humid. I started by meeting a friend of mine for a “light” 3-5 mile run. We choose to check out the Ice Age Trail off of PD. Although it was a really pretty stretch of trail, the terrain was very challenging (Either uphill or downhill). We ended only going 3.5 miles due to the weather and the trail.
Secondly, I headed over to another local park to meet up with a group of people completed the Tough Mudder competition later this month in Devil’s Lake. For this activity the group did a number of challenging station activities.
Finally, I headed over to another friend’s house to help his family move. I thought it would only take 1-2 hours and would be mostly boxes. Well, 5 hours later, drenched in sweat, and aching from head to toe I headed home.
Sunday:
I was scheduled to do my longest run since the marathon, 14 miles. I met my friend Dave at the Victor Allen’s on Monroe for two laps through the UW Arboretum. If you haven’t had the opportunity to run or bike through the Arboretum I highly recommend it. The scenery is beautiful and there are always lots of other people doing the same route, so when you’re feeling tired it helps! Even though we met at 7:00 it still wasn’t early enough to miss out on the hot and humid weather.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Week 1: June 19-25
Week 1: June 19-25
I’ve decided to start my entry postings over again in order to align with the marathon training plan that Moira has developed for me. This plan is 16 weeks and if focuses on the other goals I have focused around flexibility, core strength, and swimming. Each week will definitely include lots of running but it will also incorporate several other aspects of fitness. I’ve mentioned these in my previous post but I’m going to use: hot yoga, swimming, and strength training into my weekly routine.
**Another note I failed to mention in my last posting is that I’m going to make an effort to put more pictures in my postings. Stay tuned and keep checking my posts for more details.
Monday:
Strength
One of the things I wanted to change in my routine was to incorporate more morning workouts. Being a busy dad and husband I want to keep my nights available for hanging with the family.
I started my new plan out with a strength training session with Moira. It was a great workout. She hand me do a dynamic stretching warm up and then we hopped right into the workout.
The work out consisted of 4 rotations through 8 different stations. Some of these stations included:
A) dumbbell press on the swiss ball for a timed period, single leg squats while pressing a swiss ball against the wall, oblique twists on a cable machine
B) dumbbell hammer curls while standing on an upside down bosu ball, single leg lifts on a step, push ups followed by knees to opposite elbow.
The session ended with several cool down exercises. Moira pointed out the need to improve my core strength and hip flexibility.
Flexibility
I stated going to a Body Flow class at the wellness center a little over half way through my Madison Marathon training program and I think it helped keep me injury free. The Monday class from 6-7 at the wellness center taught by Mari has really been great!
Swim
As I mentioned in my beginning post about my new goals for the summer I’ve really wanted to learn how to swim in order to complete a sprint triathlon at some point. I was able to get connected with Derek Scheer, Harbor’s triathlon director and swim instructor, and schedule a series of swim lessons to get my form down properly.
The first thing Derek asked me to do was to swim a length of the pool. The next half hour was then dedicated to breaking down my current (and absolutely horrible) technique. The first comment he made was, “you’re working to hard.” He started by just having me practice gliding through the water with my arms extended. Next we added glides with a kick, then glides with a kick and rotation from side to side. We ended with practicing breathing and extending my arms. I never realized how complicated swimming was until this lesson. I’m excited to learn more about my technique and figure out how I can get faster.
Tuesday:
My normal routine is to attend the 5:30-6:30 boot camp that takes place on the sport court but due to an alarm clock error I over slept. Bummer!!
That night I ran a specific speed workout at a local track.
Wednesday:
Hot Yoga!! I’ve been looking forward to do this program for a while. My first session did not disappoint! I’m planning on incorporating the hot power flow every Wednesday morning. I read the Harbor website before attending to make sure I had everything that I needed. It was a good thing I did. The recommendation of bringing a towel, water bottle, and not wearing loose clothes are a must.
The instructor, Suki, did a great job of adjusting my movements if I wasn’t in sync with what the pose was. The warmth that filled the room was not overbearing at all. My closest comparison would be to the comfort of a sauna or hot tub on a cold day. It wasn’t until I walked out of the room at the end of the session that the hot temperature was noticeable.
Thursday:
Moira has created a strength workout for me to complete the next few Thursdays. I did this in the morning in the free weights area of the gym. At night I practiced several of the glides and kicks that Derek has emailed me earlier in the week. I also played a couple of games of racquetball with a friend of mine.
Friday:
I don’t know why I dreaded this workout so much but I did. The workout was a tempo run on the Pheasant Branch trails with Moira. For those of you who don’t know a tempo run is running at nearly your race pace. It has been described to me as “pleasantly uncomfortable.” I did not know those two words really went together.
But……. In order to get faster these runs are necessary!! So, I did survive to tell about it. Moira was very helpful. She gave me different pointers throughout the run about my form and cadence. One of the things she pointed out was that my feet were spending to much time in the air. Another focus was on my lean. I needed to have more of a lean than hunching up.
Saturday:
This is another one of my multi-sport days. I completed some cross training activities for the upcoming Tough Mudder, played tennis and ran 4 miles.
Sunday:
The end of my first “official” training week had me complete a 12 mile long and smooth training run. It was a beautiful summer day in Wisconsin. It could have been a bit colder but it was still gorgeous. The route started at the Panera Bread on University Ave. and then when along the lake shore, up to the state capital and back.
I’ve decided to start my entry postings over again in order to align with the marathon training plan that Moira has developed for me. This plan is 16 weeks and if focuses on the other goals I have focused around flexibility, core strength, and swimming. Each week will definitely include lots of running but it will also incorporate several other aspects of fitness. I’ve mentioned these in my previous post but I’m going to use: hot yoga, swimming, and strength training into my weekly routine.
**Another note I failed to mention in my last posting is that I’m going to make an effort to put more pictures in my postings. Stay tuned and keep checking my posts for more details.
Monday:
Strength
One of the things I wanted to change in my routine was to incorporate more morning workouts. Being a busy dad and husband I want to keep my nights available for hanging with the family.
I started my new plan out with a strength training session with Moira. It was a great workout. She hand me do a dynamic stretching warm up and then we hopped right into the workout.
The work out consisted of 4 rotations through 8 different stations. Some of these stations included:
A) dumbbell press on the swiss ball for a timed period, single leg squats while pressing a swiss ball against the wall, oblique twists on a cable machine
B) dumbbell hammer curls while standing on an upside down bosu ball, single leg lifts on a step, push ups followed by knees to opposite elbow.
The session ended with several cool down exercises. Moira pointed out the need to improve my core strength and hip flexibility.
Flexibility
I stated going to a Body Flow class at the wellness center a little over half way through my Madison Marathon training program and I think it helped keep me injury free. The Monday class from 6-7 at the wellness center taught by Mari has really been great!
Swim
As I mentioned in my beginning post about my new goals for the summer I’ve really wanted to learn how to swim in order to complete a sprint triathlon at some point. I was able to get connected with Derek Scheer, Harbor’s triathlon director and swim instructor, and schedule a series of swim lessons to get my form down properly.
The first thing Derek asked me to do was to swim a length of the pool. The next half hour was then dedicated to breaking down my current (and absolutely horrible) technique. The first comment he made was, “you’re working to hard.” He started by just having me practice gliding through the water with my arms extended. Next we added glides with a kick, then glides with a kick and rotation from side to side. We ended with practicing breathing and extending my arms. I never realized how complicated swimming was until this lesson. I’m excited to learn more about my technique and figure out how I can get faster.
Tuesday:
My normal routine is to attend the 5:30-6:30 boot camp that takes place on the sport court but due to an alarm clock error I over slept. Bummer!!
That night I ran a specific speed workout at a local track.
Wednesday:
Hot Yoga!! I’ve been looking forward to do this program for a while. My first session did not disappoint! I’m planning on incorporating the hot power flow every Wednesday morning. I read the Harbor website before attending to make sure I had everything that I needed. It was a good thing I did. The recommendation of bringing a towel, water bottle, and not wearing loose clothes are a must.
The instructor, Suki, did a great job of adjusting my movements if I wasn’t in sync with what the pose was. The warmth that filled the room was not overbearing at all. My closest comparison would be to the comfort of a sauna or hot tub on a cold day. It wasn’t until I walked out of the room at the end of the session that the hot temperature was noticeable.
Thursday:
Moira has created a strength workout for me to complete the next few Thursdays. I did this in the morning in the free weights area of the gym. At night I practiced several of the glides and kicks that Derek has emailed me earlier in the week. I also played a couple of games of racquetball with a friend of mine.
Friday:
I don’t know why I dreaded this workout so much but I did. The workout was a tempo run on the Pheasant Branch trails with Moira. For those of you who don’t know a tempo run is running at nearly your race pace. It has been described to me as “pleasantly uncomfortable.” I did not know those two words really went together.
But……. In order to get faster these runs are necessary!! So, I did survive to tell about it. Moira was very helpful. She gave me different pointers throughout the run about my form and cadence. One of the things she pointed out was that my feet were spending to much time in the air. Another focus was on my lean. I needed to have more of a lean than hunching up.
Saturday:
This is another one of my multi-sport days. I completed some cross training activities for the upcoming Tough Mudder, played tennis and ran 4 miles.
Sunday:
The end of my first “official” training week had me complete a 12 mile long and smooth training run. It was a beautiful summer day in Wisconsin. It could have been a bit colder but it was still gorgeous. The route started at the Panera Bread on University Ave. and then when along the lake shore, up to the state capital and back.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Beginning of June 2011, New HAC Program and goals
June 2011: Weeks 1 and 2
As I mentioned in my previous post I’m planning to get back in my routine of posting weekly (if not more!!!!) entries on my current training and progress for leading up to the Twin Cities marathon.
I’ve come up with some new goals for the next three to four months:
-lose 4-7% of my body fat.
-develop a stronger core and gain flexibility
-practice swimming with the ability to do up to 400 meters for a sprint triathlon.
-get faster at running.
The awesome thing about being a member at Harbor is that they have staff in these specific areas who are able to take my fitness to another level.
New people/ programs I’m planning on adding to my training this summer:
Hot Yoga- I’m excited to give this a try. Everyone who has done it raves about the benefits that it provides.
Swimming Instruction- In order to build up to doing a sprint tri I realized I need additional help in structuring workouts to accomplish this goal. I’ll be working with Derek, Harbor’s swimming and triathlon coach.
AM Boot camp- Harbor just added a morning boot camp on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30. It’s designed to push you and build lots of flexibility and core.
HAC Personal Trainer Moira- She has been at Harbor for a short time but really, really knows her stuff. Moira has the background and experience to help me in regards to my running, strength, and flexibility. She also does the AM boot camp I’m attending on Tuesdays and a number of the TRX classes.
Fleet Feet Group Runs- I’m doing a number of my group runs through Fleet Feet. I learned through my marathon training that have group runs built in your schedule really helps keep you consistent.
As I mentioned in my previous post I’m planning to get back in my routine of posting weekly (if not more!!!!) entries on my current training and progress for leading up to the Twin Cities marathon.
I’ve come up with some new goals for the next three to four months:
-lose 4-7% of my body fat.
-develop a stronger core and gain flexibility
-practice swimming with the ability to do up to 400 meters for a sprint triathlon.
-get faster at running.
The awesome thing about being a member at Harbor is that they have staff in these specific areas who are able to take my fitness to another level.
New people/ programs I’m planning on adding to my training this summer:
Hot Yoga- I’m excited to give this a try. Everyone who has done it raves about the benefits that it provides.
Swimming Instruction- In order to build up to doing a sprint tri I realized I need additional help in structuring workouts to accomplish this goal. I’ll be working with Derek, Harbor’s swimming and triathlon coach.
AM Boot camp- Harbor just added a morning boot camp on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30. It’s designed to push you and build lots of flexibility and core.
HAC Personal Trainer Moira- She has been at Harbor for a short time but really, really knows her stuff. Moira has the background and experience to help me in regards to my running, strength, and flexibility. She also does the AM boot camp I’m attending on Tuesdays and a number of the TRX classes.
Fleet Feet Group Runs- I’m doing a number of my group runs through Fleet Feet. I learned through my marathon training that have group runs built in your schedule really helps keep you consistent.
Weeks 20-24
I’m sorry to all those loyal readers who have been dying to read my posts over the past few weeks. A lot has been going on over the past few weeks that have prevented me from blogging as regularly as in the past. The business of work and home got the best of all of my free time.
The exciting news is that the month of May ended with me successfully completing my first marathon.
First off I have to say training for this event over the course of four months was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. If you are considering setting a goal for the upcoming year I would strongly suggest signing up for some type of event such that gives you something to work toward whether it be a 5 KM- Marathon, Triathlon, etc.
I want to acknowledge all of the input and advice I received from various Harbor staff members throughout the last year as I lost weight and trained. The personal trainers, group fitness classes, wellness classes all played a vital role in the successful completion of the marathon. When I’m talking about my running experiences I rave about the comprehensive services that are offered at Harbor.
Now on to specifics about the event……
Here’s a rundown of the event:
My goal time was anywhere between 3:25-3:30. I planned on staying with the 3:30 pace group for the first 20 miles and then break out for the last 10 km. I was pretty confident I could do this because I had pushed myself all throughout my training on the last several miles.
Well, I was on target until around mile 21 and then I started cramping in both legs (calves and quads). This slowed me down dramatically for the last 5 miles. I finished at 3:40, which was disappointing, but at the same time I learned a lot.
The running “bug” has definitely bite me. I’m looking forward to continuing to train for marathons and possibly a triathlon in the near future (more on that in my next post).
I'm hoping to shave some significant time off of my Madison Marathon when I do the Twin Cities Marathon October 2nd, 2011.
I think this pretty much catches everyone up to date with my progress through the end of May 2011. I’m going to post another entry talking about my goals and plan for the next few months.
The exciting news is that the month of May ended with me successfully completing my first marathon.
First off I have to say training for this event over the course of four months was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. If you are considering setting a goal for the upcoming year I would strongly suggest signing up for some type of event such that gives you something to work toward whether it be a 5 KM- Marathon, Triathlon, etc.
I want to acknowledge all of the input and advice I received from various Harbor staff members throughout the last year as I lost weight and trained. The personal trainers, group fitness classes, wellness classes all played a vital role in the successful completion of the marathon. When I’m talking about my running experiences I rave about the comprehensive services that are offered at Harbor.
Now on to specifics about the event……
Here’s a rundown of the event:
My goal time was anywhere between 3:25-3:30. I planned on staying with the 3:30 pace group for the first 20 miles and then break out for the last 10 km. I was pretty confident I could do this because I had pushed myself all throughout my training on the last several miles.
Well, I was on target until around mile 21 and then I started cramping in both legs (calves and quads). This slowed me down dramatically for the last 5 miles. I finished at 3:40, which was disappointing, but at the same time I learned a lot.
The running “bug” has definitely bite me. I’m looking forward to continuing to train for marathons and possibly a triathlon in the near future (more on that in my next post).
I'm hoping to shave some significant time off of my Madison Marathon when I do the Twin Cities Marathon October 2nd, 2011.
I think this pretty much catches everyone up to date with my progress through the end of May 2011. I’m going to post another entry talking about my goals and plan for the next few months.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Week 18 (4/24-4/30)
Monday:
I decided to play tennis today rather than go to body flow. I’m going to try and get back into competitive tennis this spring/summer. I need to get as many reps as possible playing with higher levels of competition. I’m definitely going to miss the flexibility training.
Tuesday:
Mike switched it up today and I completed my boxing workout. We focused on going through 12; 2 minute rounds. This is by far the toughest workout I’ve completed in a while. Here’s the a quick overview of some of the rounds:
-jumping rope
-sandbag throws- 25 pound sandbag over my head
- 4 punch combinations followed by a squat.
- rapid fire jabs on the punching bag
-all out assault squatting over a punch bag (punches, elbows, etc.)
-two punches, kicks, knees in a random order
-two punches followed by some juking/head bobbing- I struggled big time with this round. Just trying to coordinate my body with the motions was challenging.
Wednesday:
An early morning workout is just what the doctor ordered! 30 minute mania! Jake had lots of challenging stations set up. Here’s a sample of some of the stations:
-TRX Rows
-Bear Crawls with a weighted sled
-Hand-Over-Hand pulls with a weighted sled
-Partner Tire Flips
-Wall squats while rotating a medicine ball over and under
-Under a bar Dips and lift with medicine ball
-Leg kicks and swing over a bar
-Sledgehammer Swings
-Bosu ball pushups
-Uppercuts with a weighted rope
The format of this workout is really nice. I feel like it’s over before I know it. There is a 2-4 minute warm up followed by 30 second interval stations, 15 different times with 30 second breaks in between.
I did my tough group run workout at Elver Park in the evening. All I have to say is 35 continuous minutes up and down Elver Hill!!! Yuck!!
Thursday:
My second workout with Mike this week. We flipped the strength training with boxing workout. We did lots more dumbbell exercises this week. Here’s a brief run down.
-Dumbbell Flat Bench / Dumbbell rows – 4 sets
-Reverse pull ups / Shoulder presses – 4 sets
-Tricep Kickbacks / Hammer Bicep curls – 4 sets
-Hanging Leg lifts- 4 sets
Friday:
I took the day off due to a minor cold I developed earlier in the week.
Saturday:
My first Crazylegs Classic! I was still battling a cold so I decided to jog the race with one of my friends and just take everything in. It was a really cool event! I was just kind of bummed that I didn’t push myself. Oh well, next year.
I decided to play tennis today rather than go to body flow. I’m going to try and get back into competitive tennis this spring/summer. I need to get as many reps as possible playing with higher levels of competition. I’m definitely going to miss the flexibility training.
Tuesday:
Mike switched it up today and I completed my boxing workout. We focused on going through 12; 2 minute rounds. This is by far the toughest workout I’ve completed in a while. Here’s the a quick overview of some of the rounds:
-jumping rope
-sandbag throws- 25 pound sandbag over my head
- 4 punch combinations followed by a squat.
- rapid fire jabs on the punching bag
-all out assault squatting over a punch bag (punches, elbows, etc.)
-two punches, kicks, knees in a random order
-two punches followed by some juking/head bobbing- I struggled big time with this round. Just trying to coordinate my body with the motions was challenging.
Wednesday:
An early morning workout is just what the doctor ordered! 30 minute mania! Jake had lots of challenging stations set up. Here’s a sample of some of the stations:
-TRX Rows
-Bear Crawls with a weighted sled
-Hand-Over-Hand pulls with a weighted sled
-Partner Tire Flips
-Wall squats while rotating a medicine ball over and under
-Under a bar Dips and lift with medicine ball
-Leg kicks and swing over a bar
-Sledgehammer Swings
-Bosu ball pushups
-Uppercuts with a weighted rope
The format of this workout is really nice. I feel like it’s over before I know it. There is a 2-4 minute warm up followed by 30 second interval stations, 15 different times with 30 second breaks in between.
I did my tough group run workout at Elver Park in the evening. All I have to say is 35 continuous minutes up and down Elver Hill!!! Yuck!!
Thursday:
My second workout with Mike this week. We flipped the strength training with boxing workout. We did lots more dumbbell exercises this week. Here’s a brief run down.
-Dumbbell Flat Bench / Dumbbell rows – 4 sets
-Reverse pull ups / Shoulder presses – 4 sets
-Tricep Kickbacks / Hammer Bicep curls – 4 sets
-Hanging Leg lifts- 4 sets
Friday:
I took the day off due to a minor cold I developed earlier in the week.
Saturday:
My first Crazylegs Classic! I was still battling a cold so I decided to jog the race with one of my friends and just take everything in. It was a really cool event! I was just kind of bummed that I didn’t push myself. Oh well, next year.
Week 17 (4/17-4/23)
Monday:
My week started out with Body Flow again. It’s a great way to start out the week. Since I’m doing my long training runs on Sunday, Monday is technically one of my off days. Doing a flexibility workout like Body Flow makes me mentally gear up for the week.
Tuesday:
I went through a strength workout with Mike. I had a rough day at work so it was hard to put in a ton of effort. I’m sure things will get better tomorrow. After the workout I hopped onto the treadmill up stairs, threw the headphones in and pounded out 6 miles. After I left the club I felt a lot better about things and my stress level was lowered significantly.
Wednesday:
An early morning for 30 minute mania. I can honestly say that I do not mind getting up early for this workout. It is such an efficient way to get an intense workout in without a 1-2 hour time commitment. Jake, the Harbor PT, is always open for questions and feedback on how to make the workout even better.
Thursday:
I had class tonight so I wasn’t able to get my workout it with Mike. I was bummed it didn’t workout. I was looking forward to my boxing workout.
Friday:
I played tennis today. The weather is still like early March rather than late April so I had to play indoors. Is the weather ever going to warm up??
Saturday:
The farthest I’ve ever run, 23 miles!!! I headed out with the group I’ve been training with to the Glacial Drumlin Trail. Out for 11.5 and then back for 11.5. The challenge was picking up the pace the last 4 miles. I ended up passing one of my training partners who is normally lots faster than me. Now, it’s a matter of combining hard work with careful attention not to hurt myself this last 5 weeks heading into the marathon.
Sunday: Easter with the family. Lots of Rest and Relaxation
My week started out with Body Flow again. It’s a great way to start out the week. Since I’m doing my long training runs on Sunday, Monday is technically one of my off days. Doing a flexibility workout like Body Flow makes me mentally gear up for the week.
Tuesday:
I went through a strength workout with Mike. I had a rough day at work so it was hard to put in a ton of effort. I’m sure things will get better tomorrow. After the workout I hopped onto the treadmill up stairs, threw the headphones in and pounded out 6 miles. After I left the club I felt a lot better about things and my stress level was lowered significantly.
Wednesday:
An early morning for 30 minute mania. I can honestly say that I do not mind getting up early for this workout. It is such an efficient way to get an intense workout in without a 1-2 hour time commitment. Jake, the Harbor PT, is always open for questions and feedback on how to make the workout even better.
Thursday:
I had class tonight so I wasn’t able to get my workout it with Mike. I was bummed it didn’t workout. I was looking forward to my boxing workout.
Friday:
I played tennis today. The weather is still like early March rather than late April so I had to play indoors. Is the weather ever going to warm up??
Saturday:
The farthest I’ve ever run, 23 miles!!! I headed out with the group I’ve been training with to the Glacial Drumlin Trail. Out for 11.5 and then back for 11.5. The challenge was picking up the pace the last 4 miles. I ended up passing one of my training partners who is normally lots faster than me. Now, it’s a matter of combining hard work with careful attention not to hurt myself this last 5 weeks heading into the marathon.
Sunday: Easter with the family. Lots of Rest and Relaxation
Monday, April 11, 2011
Week 15 (4/3-4/9)
Monday:
I'm back at the Body Flow class. I know I've been harping on this point for several different entries but I'm still really concerned about my lack of core strength and flexibility. One of the many reasons my fitness levels have increased at Harbor is due to the wide variety of class offerings.
Although several months ago I would not have considered classes like Body Flow. Now I realize how vital wellness classes are to my overall fitness goals. The class consists of a variety of different movements designed to improve core strength and flexibility. Just was I need!!
Tuesday:
Today is my normal strength day with Mike. Although I don't feel stronger the amount of weight I'm lifting is getting heavier and heavier each week. My workout plan consists of:
-Flat Bench Press
-Hammer Strength Machine Shoulder Presses
-Tricep Pull Downs
-Lat Pull Downs
-Straight Bar Bicep Curls
-Hanging Leg Lifts (straight leg and bent leg)
Wednesday:
I know this sounds geeky but I really looked forward to getting up early for the 30 minute mania class. After taking a week off I was excited to get back at it. Jake had a number of challenging stations and activities for us.
This is my speed work day for running. Today I met the group I'm running with down by the Lakeshore path. After a 1.5 mile warm up we did a pyramid of 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 at around 85% and then finished with a 1/5 mile cool down.
Thursday:
My favorite workout of the week!! Boxing with Mike. Although Thursdays are one of my most challenging days at work I always look forward to this workout. Mike's goal for me is to complete 2-minute rounds 10 times. I'm still struggling to make it through the different rounds but I'm feeling much stronger. A new component that Mike added to the workout was dodging different punches. It was really hard for me to stay with it but I got progressively better as we moved through the workout. Here's the basic run down of some of the workout:
-Dynamic Warm-up: lunges, sandbag flips,etc.
-Jump Rope for two different intervals
-Rapids Fire jabs at the stable punching bag- two different intervals
-Four punch combinations- two different occasions
-Punch, Kick, and Knee Thrust combinations
-Anything goes(punches, elbows, kicks,etc) while straddling a punching bag
Saturday:
Continuing with the theme of flexibility I got out of bed early on to make the Yoga for Athletes class at the Harbor Wellness Center. Although this is a very challenging class for me I'm always glad that I've gone. I just wish it was a bit later and I could sleep in for longer, oh well!
After the class I had a nice 4 mile run through the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. All in all, a great day. I'm geared up for my long run on Sunday.
I'm back at the Body Flow class. I know I've been harping on this point for several different entries but I'm still really concerned about my lack of core strength and flexibility. One of the many reasons my fitness levels have increased at Harbor is due to the wide variety of class offerings.
Although several months ago I would not have considered classes like Body Flow. Now I realize how vital wellness classes are to my overall fitness goals. The class consists of a variety of different movements designed to improve core strength and flexibility. Just was I need!!
Tuesday:
Today is my normal strength day with Mike. Although I don't feel stronger the amount of weight I'm lifting is getting heavier and heavier each week. My workout plan consists of:
-Flat Bench Press
-Hammer Strength Machine Shoulder Presses
-Tricep Pull Downs
-Lat Pull Downs
-Straight Bar Bicep Curls
-Hanging Leg Lifts (straight leg and bent leg)
Wednesday:
I know this sounds geeky but I really looked forward to getting up early for the 30 minute mania class. After taking a week off I was excited to get back at it. Jake had a number of challenging stations and activities for us.
This is my speed work day for running. Today I met the group I'm running with down by the Lakeshore path. After a 1.5 mile warm up we did a pyramid of 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 at around 85% and then finished with a 1/5 mile cool down.
Thursday:
My favorite workout of the week!! Boxing with Mike. Although Thursdays are one of my most challenging days at work I always look forward to this workout. Mike's goal for me is to complete 2-minute rounds 10 times. I'm still struggling to make it through the different rounds but I'm feeling much stronger. A new component that Mike added to the workout was dodging different punches. It was really hard for me to stay with it but I got progressively better as we moved through the workout. Here's the basic run down of some of the workout:
-Dynamic Warm-up: lunges, sandbag flips,etc.
-Jump Rope for two different intervals
-Rapids Fire jabs at the stable punching bag- two different intervals
-Four punch combinations- two different occasions
-Punch, Kick, and Knee Thrust combinations
-Anything goes(punches, elbows, kicks,etc) while straddling a punching bag
Saturday:
Continuing with the theme of flexibility I got out of bed early on to make the Yoga for Athletes class at the Harbor Wellness Center. Although this is a very challenging class for me I'm always glad that I've gone. I just wish it was a bit later and I could sleep in for longer, oh well!
After the class I had a nice 4 mile run through the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. All in all, a great day. I'm geared up for my long run on Sunday.
Week 14 (3/27-4/2)
Monday:
I’m still experimenting with flexibility classes and because Harbor has such an extensive number of classes I decided to try something new. Aqua Flow was a class that took place from 5:30-6:30 pm in the Warm Water Pool. It was surprisingly difficult. Again, it speaks to how much work I still need to do on my core!! Amber did a great job as the instructor. Although I don’t think it’s for me, it will definitely be something that I will continue to use from time to time.
Tuesday:
I did my normal weekly strength workout with Mike today. It was fairly uneventful.
**Because this was spring break I took the next few days off for the 30 minute mania class and my second session with Mike. I’ll pick back up with more detail next week. **
I’m still experimenting with flexibility classes and because Harbor has such an extensive number of classes I decided to try something new. Aqua Flow was a class that took place from 5:30-6:30 pm in the Warm Water Pool. It was surprisingly difficult. Again, it speaks to how much work I still need to do on my core!! Amber did a great job as the instructor. Although I don’t think it’s for me, it will definitely be something that I will continue to use from time to time.
Tuesday:
I did my normal weekly strength workout with Mike today. It was fairly uneventful.
**Because this was spring break I took the next few days off for the 30 minute mania class and my second session with Mike. I’ll pick back up with more detail next week. **
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Week 13 (3/20-3/26)
Sunday:
Today was a pretty monumental day for me… I ran the longest I’ve ever run in my life, 16 miles!! The day was one of the worst weather wise though, pouring rain, cold blowing wind, pretty much every type of adverse condition you could think of. My legs and body felt great throughout the process and I finished strong! It’s still hard to think that I still have 10.2 miles to go until I finish a whole marathon.
Monday:
One class that I’ve really enjoyed is the Body Flow class. Monday is technically my day off but doing a stretching and flexibility class is just what I need. Mari is the instructor and she does a great job for beginners like me. The class is a combination of different things like yoga and tia chi.
Tuesday:
This is my strength-training day with Mike. He is continuing to push me through a challenging upper body workout. I’m really starting to notice my strength gains. Here’s the basic outline of my workout:
-3 sets of dumbbell incline presses
-3 sets of lat pull downs
-3 sets of straight bar shoulder presses
-3 sets of straight bar bicep curls
-3 sets of dumbbell extensions
-2 sets of hanging ab extensions
Wednesday:
This was week 2 of “30 minute mania.” Although it’s challenging to get up early it’s definitely worth it!! I’m hoping to continue a workout like this in my weekly routine for the an extended time.
This week Jake, the HAC personal trainer, added a good variety of exercises into the workout. Another factor that was changed was music. I know that everyone is different but I’m the type of person who needs music when they work out. Jake developed a playlist that had fast and slow songs.
The breakdown of the workout was: 3-5 minutes of warm-ups, 5 stations of 30 seconds of hard work, followed by 30 seconds of rest. This is repeated twice, then a one minute break and 5 more stations. All of this activity ends with a 3-5 minute cool down. Here’s a glimpse of some of the stations:
1) Swiss ball / Medicine Ball wall throws
2) Dueling Ropes
3) Bear Crawls with the weighted bag
4) Punching Bag Flips
5) Sledgehammer Tire swings
6) Plyo-Jumps
7) Kettle ball Swings
8) Dueling Rope Slams
I think I made this comment last week but… This is a great, efficient workout!!!
Wednesday PM:
I did my first speed workout for the marathon. It was miserable conditions, freezing rain, blowing cold air. I got through it though, enough said!!!
Thursday:
I had work and grad school commitments so I had to reschedule my workout with Mike for Friday.
Friday:
My favorite workout of the week with Mike, boxing!!! I knew I was in trouble when I came to work dragging. Mike’s goal is to get me to make it through 10; 2 minute rounds. Well, I made it through, I’m just not sure how strong I was. Here’s an example of a couple different routines for the rounds:
-Jump rope
-Right, Left, Right, Left punches with a number of squats mixed in.
-Punches, Knee Drives, Kicks- in a variety of combinations
-Rapid Fire Jabs
-Sandbag throws
Even though I’m getting my butt kicked every boxing workout I do feel like my endurance and strength growing. My goal is to feel strong in all 10 rounds and then eventually work my way up to 3 minute rounds.
Sunday:
I beat last weeks record and ran the longest I ever have, 18 miles!!! Although I had some tightness in my calves everything is feeling good.
Today was a pretty monumental day for me… I ran the longest I’ve ever run in my life, 16 miles!! The day was one of the worst weather wise though, pouring rain, cold blowing wind, pretty much every type of adverse condition you could think of. My legs and body felt great throughout the process and I finished strong! It’s still hard to think that I still have 10.2 miles to go until I finish a whole marathon.
Monday:
One class that I’ve really enjoyed is the Body Flow class. Monday is technically my day off but doing a stretching and flexibility class is just what I need. Mari is the instructor and she does a great job for beginners like me. The class is a combination of different things like yoga and tia chi.
Tuesday:
This is my strength-training day with Mike. He is continuing to push me through a challenging upper body workout. I’m really starting to notice my strength gains. Here’s the basic outline of my workout:
-3 sets of dumbbell incline presses
-3 sets of lat pull downs
-3 sets of straight bar shoulder presses
-3 sets of straight bar bicep curls
-3 sets of dumbbell extensions
-2 sets of hanging ab extensions
Wednesday:
This was week 2 of “30 minute mania.” Although it’s challenging to get up early it’s definitely worth it!! I’m hoping to continue a workout like this in my weekly routine for the an extended time.
This week Jake, the HAC personal trainer, added a good variety of exercises into the workout. Another factor that was changed was music. I know that everyone is different but I’m the type of person who needs music when they work out. Jake developed a playlist that had fast and slow songs.
The breakdown of the workout was: 3-5 minutes of warm-ups, 5 stations of 30 seconds of hard work, followed by 30 seconds of rest. This is repeated twice, then a one minute break and 5 more stations. All of this activity ends with a 3-5 minute cool down. Here’s a glimpse of some of the stations:
1) Swiss ball / Medicine Ball wall throws
2) Dueling Ropes
3) Bear Crawls with the weighted bag
4) Punching Bag Flips
5) Sledgehammer Tire swings
6) Plyo-Jumps
7) Kettle ball Swings
8) Dueling Rope Slams
I think I made this comment last week but… This is a great, efficient workout!!!
Wednesday PM:
I did my first speed workout for the marathon. It was miserable conditions, freezing rain, blowing cold air. I got through it though, enough said!!!
Thursday:
I had work and grad school commitments so I had to reschedule my workout with Mike for Friday.
Friday:
My favorite workout of the week with Mike, boxing!!! I knew I was in trouble when I came to work dragging. Mike’s goal is to get me to make it through 10; 2 minute rounds. Well, I made it through, I’m just not sure how strong I was. Here’s an example of a couple different routines for the rounds:
-Jump rope
-Right, Left, Right, Left punches with a number of squats mixed in.
-Punches, Knee Drives, Kicks- in a variety of combinations
-Rapid Fire Jabs
-Sandbag throws
Even though I’m getting my butt kicked every boxing workout I do feel like my endurance and strength growing. My goal is to feel strong in all 10 rounds and then eventually work my way up to 3 minute rounds.
Sunday:
I beat last weeks record and ran the longest I ever have, 18 miles!!! Although I had some tightness in my calves everything is feeling good.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Week 12
3/13- 3/19
Sunday:
My workout for the day was competing in the 10 KM Shamrock Shuffle. I’m still learning how to finish my races strong. Although my time was o.k., 45:17, the second half of the race was not much faster, if at all, from the first part of the race. Something to continue to work on!!
Monday:
This is my rest day. I’m not really that keen on having a rest day on the first day of the work week but after my long runs on Sunday my body definitely needs it. I’m hoping to integrate either Body Flow or Aqua Flow on these days. One huge area of weakness for me is my flexibility and core strength. Anything I can do to improve in this area will help.
Tuesday:
I had every intention of getting up early to run before work but it’s been challenging just for my body to get used to the time change let alone getting up an hour and a half earlier. The reason I need to run before work is that after work I have my first workout of the week with Mike and then I have my weekly tennis match. My workout with Mike was solid. This strength workout is pretty basic. It’s good to get back to the basic. Here’s the basic routine I follow:
Chest: Incline dumbbell presses- 3 sets of 10
Shoulders: Seated dumbbell presses- 3 sets of 10
Back: One-Armed dumbbell flies- 3 sets of 10
Biceps: Alternating Hammer curls- 3 sets of 10
Triceps: Dumbbell Extensions- 3 sets of 10
Abs: 3 sets of plank / 3 sets of the wheel
Wednesday:
Although I struggled to get up on Tuesday I jumped out of bed on Wednesday AM, why you may say? Well, I have 30 minute mania for the first time today! Myself and several of my friends were interested in doing one of the classes but none of the times worked, we talked with the Harbor staff and they were able to accommodate us and add a class from 5:45-6:15 AM!! If anyone is reading this and it interested there is still room and time to sign up. I’m hooked after my first session. Here’s the basic outline of the class:
3-5 minute warm-up- not your average low key warm-up! There are push-ups, suicides, etc.
5 different stations were set up in the gym:
-Kettleball Arm Swings
-Jump squats with a sledge hammer
-Decline Push ups on a tire
-Dueling Ropes
-Tire Flips
-Sandbag throw-ups
-Sledgehammer Tire Step Ups
-Backward Rope Pulls
The rotation focused on 30 seconds of working as hard as you can and then a 30 second break. The first rotation was completed twice. After each rotation there is a one minute break
Finally there is a 3-5 min cool down.
This workout really kicked my butt and jumpstarted my day. It’s also fun to do with a small group of people. We worked with Jake, one of Harbor’s personal trainers.
Thursday:
This is my off day from running and I’m glad because this is my butt kicking workout with Mike. I don’t totally remember all that we covered because we do some much but here’s an estimate of what we covered during the session:
-I got to wear the regular boxing gloves and we focused on 5 punch combinations for two-minute intervals.
-I also worked on a combination of punches, kicks, and knee drivers
-Two different times throughout the workout Mike timed me jumping rope for 2-minute intervals.
-Speed punches on the stationary punching bag at two different times.
-Squat Intervals
Mike’s goal is to get me to do 12 solid rounds of 3 minutes each. It feels good because although I’m still focusing on getting through 2 minute rounds right now I’m seeing progress.
Friday:
I had a light 3 mile run outside on a beautiful day.
Saturday:
For the second week in a row I set my alarm to get up for the 7:30 Yoga for Athletes class at the Harbor Wellness Center but I choose to sleep in. I did meet a friend in the parking lot and headed for an easy 4 mile jog through the conservancy trails.
Sunday:
My workout for the day was competing in the 10 KM Shamrock Shuffle. I’m still learning how to finish my races strong. Although my time was o.k., 45:17, the second half of the race was not much faster, if at all, from the first part of the race. Something to continue to work on!!
Monday:
This is my rest day. I’m not really that keen on having a rest day on the first day of the work week but after my long runs on Sunday my body definitely needs it. I’m hoping to integrate either Body Flow or Aqua Flow on these days. One huge area of weakness for me is my flexibility and core strength. Anything I can do to improve in this area will help.
Tuesday:
I had every intention of getting up early to run before work but it’s been challenging just for my body to get used to the time change let alone getting up an hour and a half earlier. The reason I need to run before work is that after work I have my first workout of the week with Mike and then I have my weekly tennis match. My workout with Mike was solid. This strength workout is pretty basic. It’s good to get back to the basic. Here’s the basic routine I follow:
Chest: Incline dumbbell presses- 3 sets of 10
Shoulders: Seated dumbbell presses- 3 sets of 10
Back: One-Armed dumbbell flies- 3 sets of 10
Biceps: Alternating Hammer curls- 3 sets of 10
Triceps: Dumbbell Extensions- 3 sets of 10
Abs: 3 sets of plank / 3 sets of the wheel
Wednesday:
Although I struggled to get up on Tuesday I jumped out of bed on Wednesday AM, why you may say? Well, I have 30 minute mania for the first time today! Myself and several of my friends were interested in doing one of the classes but none of the times worked, we talked with the Harbor staff and they were able to accommodate us and add a class from 5:45-6:15 AM!! If anyone is reading this and it interested there is still room and time to sign up. I’m hooked after my first session. Here’s the basic outline of the class:
3-5 minute warm-up- not your average low key warm-up! There are push-ups, suicides, etc.
5 different stations were set up in the gym:
-Kettleball Arm Swings
-Jump squats with a sledge hammer
-Decline Push ups on a tire
-Dueling Ropes
-Tire Flips
-Sandbag throw-ups
-Sledgehammer Tire Step Ups
-Backward Rope Pulls
The rotation focused on 30 seconds of working as hard as you can and then a 30 second break. The first rotation was completed twice. After each rotation there is a one minute break
Finally there is a 3-5 min cool down.
This workout really kicked my butt and jumpstarted my day. It’s also fun to do with a small group of people. We worked with Jake, one of Harbor’s personal trainers.
Thursday:
This is my off day from running and I’m glad because this is my butt kicking workout with Mike. I don’t totally remember all that we covered because we do some much but here’s an estimate of what we covered during the session:
-I got to wear the regular boxing gloves and we focused on 5 punch combinations for two-minute intervals.
-I also worked on a combination of punches, kicks, and knee drivers
-Two different times throughout the workout Mike timed me jumping rope for 2-minute intervals.
-Speed punches on the stationary punching bag at two different times.
-Squat Intervals
Mike’s goal is to get me to do 12 solid rounds of 3 minutes each. It feels good because although I’m still focusing on getting through 2 minute rounds right now I’m seeing progress.
Friday:
I had a light 3 mile run outside on a beautiful day.
Saturday:
For the second week in a row I set my alarm to get up for the 7:30 Yoga for Athletes class at the Harbor Wellness Center but I choose to sleep in. I did meet a friend in the parking lot and headed for an easy 4 mile jog through the conservancy trails.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Week 9,10, & 11 (2/27-3/12)
Week 9,10, & 11 (2/27-3/12)
Wow! I’ve been so caught up in work, training, & family that I haven’t had much extra time over the last several weeks to update my blog. Sorry for all those who are following!!! I’ll do a much better job from here on out. Here’s an annotated version of what I’ve been up to the last three weeks.
Week 9:
One new feature I’ve added to my routine is racquetball on Thursday nights. I’m doing this more for fun than anything else but I walk out of the court after an hour and I’m dripping with sweat. The cool thing about racquetball at Harbor is that it’s free with your membership. Unless there is a league going on it’s first come, first serve.
Week 10:
I’m starting to get into a grove with my fitness. I really enjoy the routine that I’ve established. The two areas I’m still continuing to lack on is my stretching and flexibility. I’m continuing to enjoy the workouts with Mike. He’s really starting to push me on my conditioning days. His goal is to have me boxing 12 three-minute rounds by the time I’m finished.
Week 11:
I was pretty nervous starting out the week because Sunday I had my longest run yet, 14 miles! Well, the run went awesome. I completed two 7-mile loops and finished strong on the second, faster than my first.
This week was a low-key week in regards to training because I’ll be preparing for the Shamrock Shuffle of Sunday. I was only able to get one personal training workout in with Mike this week due to some scheduling conflicts. The workout focused on strength training. I did several short runs throughout the week and my normal weekly tennis and racquetball match’s. I’ll give an update concerning my race results next week.
Wow! I’ve been so caught up in work, training, & family that I haven’t had much extra time over the last several weeks to update my blog. Sorry for all those who are following!!! I’ll do a much better job from here on out. Here’s an annotated version of what I’ve been up to the last three weeks.
Week 9:
One new feature I’ve added to my routine is racquetball on Thursday nights. I’m doing this more for fun than anything else but I walk out of the court after an hour and I’m dripping with sweat. The cool thing about racquetball at Harbor is that it’s free with your membership. Unless there is a league going on it’s first come, first serve.
Week 10:
I’m starting to get into a grove with my fitness. I really enjoy the routine that I’ve established. The two areas I’m still continuing to lack on is my stretching and flexibility. I’m continuing to enjoy the workouts with Mike. He’s really starting to push me on my conditioning days. His goal is to have me boxing 12 three-minute rounds by the time I’m finished.
Week 11:
I was pretty nervous starting out the week because Sunday I had my longest run yet, 14 miles! Well, the run went awesome. I completed two 7-mile loops and finished strong on the second, faster than my first.
This week was a low-key week in regards to training because I’ll be preparing for the Shamrock Shuffle of Sunday. I was only able to get one personal training workout in with Mike this week due to some scheduling conflicts. The workout focused on strength training. I did several short runs throughout the week and my normal weekly tennis and racquetball match’s. I’ll give an update concerning my race results next week.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Week 7 (2/13-2/19)
Monday:
Week 2 of Body Flow! With my long training runs on Sundays for the next several months leading up to the marathon Mondays are my chill days. Having a class like Body Flow helps my sore muscles gear up for my training week and it allows me time to relax after a busy work day. One of the things I enjoy most is the variety of different stretches and exercises.
Tuesday:
I was able to get to the gym early and get my run in. My training plan called for a 5 mile run. Even though the weather outside was decent I still felt more comfortable running inside on a treadmill. When I arrived at the club the cardio area was hopping. Sometimes seeing lots of other people working hard motivates me to keep going. That was the case today.
After the run I headed down to the weight room to meet up with my trainer, Mike. He had another solid weight training workout planed for me. This was my last week following the same routine. Next week it will be a totally different workout and then we’ll cycle back in a month and hopefully I should make substantial gains in the weight I can lift.
Wednesday:
I met a number of people by the Alliant Energy Center for one of my weekly group runs. It was nice to be outside for the 5 mile run. We ran down the Lakeside Bike path toward the Monona Terrace into the Willy Street Neighborhood and back.
Thursday:
This is my second off day off. Although I was technically “off” from my training I met my friend Kevin at the club to play racquetball. It was lots of fun and I know I burned some calories because at the end of our three games I was drenched in sweat.
Friday:
I have a graduate class commitment every other Thursday so Mike and I switch my second workout of the week to Fridays on these weeks. I also have a 6 mile run scheduled for every Friday. I really look forward to these workouts with Mike because I never know what he is going to throw at me but regardless of what it is I always get a great workout.
This particular workout was very challenging. We started with some combination boxing drills with Mike holding the pads. I’m still struggling with my footwork and squats. It’s frustrating how tried I get so quickly!! After this we rotated to the dueling ropes. I did several different movements on these ropes and then it was back to the punching. This time Mike added in knee drives. For this activity I have to put my hands on his shoulders and drive my knee like I was trying to punch him in the gut. He had me alternate these around 10 times on each leg.
A second exercise that Mike added was sandbag throws. For this activity I had to through a 15 pound sandbag as hard as I could over my shoulder and run to it. When I arrived at the sandbag I had to drop down and do 5 push-ups and then repeat. I did this in a huge square and then it was back to punching and knee drives. I was so beat after the workout that I decided to take off the 6 mile run in order to save my legs for my big run on Sunday.
Saturday:
I had intentions of trying out a Pilates class Saturday morning but decided to sleep in. Although I enjoy the Yoga for Athletes class at the Wellness Center I wanted to give a couple different flexibility classes a try before I totally settle on something.
Even though I slept in and missed class eventually I got up and met my friend Ty at the club for a 4 mile run. We choose to go outside. It was a great sunny February day in Wisconsin!
Week 2 of Body Flow! With my long training runs on Sundays for the next several months leading up to the marathon Mondays are my chill days. Having a class like Body Flow helps my sore muscles gear up for my training week and it allows me time to relax after a busy work day. One of the things I enjoy most is the variety of different stretches and exercises.
Tuesday:
I was able to get to the gym early and get my run in. My training plan called for a 5 mile run. Even though the weather outside was decent I still felt more comfortable running inside on a treadmill. When I arrived at the club the cardio area was hopping. Sometimes seeing lots of other people working hard motivates me to keep going. That was the case today.
After the run I headed down to the weight room to meet up with my trainer, Mike. He had another solid weight training workout planed for me. This was my last week following the same routine. Next week it will be a totally different workout and then we’ll cycle back in a month and hopefully I should make substantial gains in the weight I can lift.
Wednesday:
I met a number of people by the Alliant Energy Center for one of my weekly group runs. It was nice to be outside for the 5 mile run. We ran down the Lakeside Bike path toward the Monona Terrace into the Willy Street Neighborhood and back.
Thursday:
This is my second off day off. Although I was technically “off” from my training I met my friend Kevin at the club to play racquetball. It was lots of fun and I know I burned some calories because at the end of our three games I was drenched in sweat.
Friday:
I have a graduate class commitment every other Thursday so Mike and I switch my second workout of the week to Fridays on these weeks. I also have a 6 mile run scheduled for every Friday. I really look forward to these workouts with Mike because I never know what he is going to throw at me but regardless of what it is I always get a great workout.
This particular workout was very challenging. We started with some combination boxing drills with Mike holding the pads. I’m still struggling with my footwork and squats. It’s frustrating how tried I get so quickly!! After this we rotated to the dueling ropes. I did several different movements on these ropes and then it was back to the punching. This time Mike added in knee drives. For this activity I have to put my hands on his shoulders and drive my knee like I was trying to punch him in the gut. He had me alternate these around 10 times on each leg.
A second exercise that Mike added was sandbag throws. For this activity I had to through a 15 pound sandbag as hard as I could over my shoulder and run to it. When I arrived at the sandbag I had to drop down and do 5 push-ups and then repeat. I did this in a huge square and then it was back to punching and knee drives. I was so beat after the workout that I decided to take off the 6 mile run in order to save my legs for my big run on Sunday.
Saturday:
I had intentions of trying out a Pilates class Saturday morning but decided to sleep in. Although I enjoy the Yoga for Athletes class at the Wellness Center I wanted to give a couple different flexibility classes a try before I totally settle on something.
Even though I slept in and missed class eventually I got up and met my friend Ty at the club for a 4 mile run. We choose to go outside. It was a great sunny February day in Wisconsin!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Week 6 (2/6- 2/12)
Week 6 (2/6-2/12)
Monday:
One of the areas of my physical fitness routines that I haven’t focused on enough has been my flexibility and core. Although I’ve added the Yoga for Athletes on Saturday mornings to my weekly routine I still wanted to explore more options that the club has to offer (They have a ton of different wellness options!!!). After consulting with several staff they about what classes I should try they both recommended Body Flow.
Body Flow was great! Definitely something I could use on a more consistent basis. I’m a big music person, so the chorography of the different stretches was relaxing in and of itself. Doing these Wellness classes still pushes my comfort zone a bit. The class ended with a relaxation stretch. This was almost worth the whole class. Great start to the week! I’m going to try it the next several weeks to see if this is something I should continue to build into my weekly routine.
Tuesday:
I had a late night at work so I wasn’t able to get my run in before the workout with Mike (bummer!). Tuesdays are the days I focus on my strength training. This is a more traditional workout using barbells and dumbbells. Here’s the basis outline of the workout:
-Bench Press (4 sets)
-Lat pull downs (4 sets)
-Straight Bar bicep curls (4 sets)
-Military Presses w/ dumbbells (4 sets)
-Tricep pull downs (4 sets)
Wednesday:
Normally this is the night I do a group run at a location somewhere in the Madison area but because of the freezing cold temps the run was canceled. Although I prefer to run outside I was excited because this allowed me to attend G-Force Boot camp and then run afterward. I know I’ve said this in other earlier posts, but if you haven’t tried this class, do it!! Even if you’re in great shape Amber’s class will kick your butt. I did a 4-mile run on the treadmill afterward.
Thursday:
I was determined to get to the club prior to my workout with Mike and complete the 5 mile run I missed on Tuesday but again I got stuck at work longer than anticipated. Fortunately, I was still able to get in a 3-mile run.
My Thursday workouts with Mike are awesome!!! The primary focus is speed, strength and agility. Today we focused primarily on the dueling ropes, kettle balls and push-ups. I can’t recall the exact order but here’s the jist of the workout:
-Ropes-alternating arms (30 seconds)
-Kettle ball swings (30 seconds)
-Push-ups with feet on punching bag to failure
Break
-Ropes-alternating arms (30 seconds)
-Ropes-slams (30 seconds)
-Ropes-upper cuts (30 seconds)
Break
-Push-ups with arms on punching bag to failure
-Kettle ball swings
Break
-Ropes- a combination of different techniques for 2 minutes straight.
-Push-ups to failure
Friday:
6 mile run on the treadmill. Sometimes it’s nice to just get on the treadmill, crank the tunes and run. That’s exactly what I did.
Saturday:
Unfortunately I slept through my alarm so I missed the Yoga for Athletes class. I was able to get in my 4 mile run on the treadmill though.
Monday:
One of the areas of my physical fitness routines that I haven’t focused on enough has been my flexibility and core. Although I’ve added the Yoga for Athletes on Saturday mornings to my weekly routine I still wanted to explore more options that the club has to offer (They have a ton of different wellness options!!!). After consulting with several staff they about what classes I should try they both recommended Body Flow.
Body Flow was great! Definitely something I could use on a more consistent basis. I’m a big music person, so the chorography of the different stretches was relaxing in and of itself. Doing these Wellness classes still pushes my comfort zone a bit. The class ended with a relaxation stretch. This was almost worth the whole class. Great start to the week! I’m going to try it the next several weeks to see if this is something I should continue to build into my weekly routine.
Tuesday:
I had a late night at work so I wasn’t able to get my run in before the workout with Mike (bummer!). Tuesdays are the days I focus on my strength training. This is a more traditional workout using barbells and dumbbells. Here’s the basis outline of the workout:
-Bench Press (4 sets)
-Lat pull downs (4 sets)
-Straight Bar bicep curls (4 sets)
-Military Presses w/ dumbbells (4 sets)
-Tricep pull downs (4 sets)
Wednesday:
Normally this is the night I do a group run at a location somewhere in the Madison area but because of the freezing cold temps the run was canceled. Although I prefer to run outside I was excited because this allowed me to attend G-Force Boot camp and then run afterward. I know I’ve said this in other earlier posts, but if you haven’t tried this class, do it!! Even if you’re in great shape Amber’s class will kick your butt. I did a 4-mile run on the treadmill afterward.
Thursday:
I was determined to get to the club prior to my workout with Mike and complete the 5 mile run I missed on Tuesday but again I got stuck at work longer than anticipated. Fortunately, I was still able to get in a 3-mile run.
My Thursday workouts with Mike are awesome!!! The primary focus is speed, strength and agility. Today we focused primarily on the dueling ropes, kettle balls and push-ups. I can’t recall the exact order but here’s the jist of the workout:
-Ropes-alternating arms (30 seconds)
-Kettle ball swings (30 seconds)
-Push-ups with feet on punching bag to failure
Break
-Ropes-alternating arms (30 seconds)
-Ropes-slams (30 seconds)
-Ropes-upper cuts (30 seconds)
Break
-Push-ups with arms on punching bag to failure
-Kettle ball swings
Break
-Ropes- a combination of different techniques for 2 minutes straight.
-Push-ups to failure
Friday:
6 mile run on the treadmill. Sometimes it’s nice to just get on the treadmill, crank the tunes and run. That’s exactly what I did.
Saturday:
Unfortunately I slept through my alarm so I missed the Yoga for Athletes class. I was able to get in my 4 mile run on the treadmill though.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Week 5 (1/30-2/5)
I can’t believe that I’m saying this but it was nice not to have a football game on this weekend! Let me clarify…. Nice, from a nutritional perspective. There was not the temptation to indulge in beer and other very, very unhealthy sport-bar type foods. Although I’m starting to hit a wall when it comes to the long dark days and the cold snowy weather. You know what I’m talking about… that feeling of hunkering down in your cozy sweats, eating comfort food, watching t.v.
Well, I’m not going to let that happen!!
Monday
My goal was to attend either the Body Flow or Aqua Flow class but due to some unforeseen circumstances I wasn’t able to. Next week I’m shooting for attending Body Flow for sure!!
Tuesday:
With the storm coming I arranged to meet Mike a bit earlier in order to get my workout in. We focused on doing super sets in order to continue to build my upper body strength. Tuesdays are going to be my busy workout day for the next several months. I have my workouts with Mike, a training run, and tennis later at night. With the snow storm tennis was canceled but I was still able to get my run in on the treadmill.
On my way out the door of the club I grabbed a Cake Batter flavored Muscle Milk protein shake. I’ve been drinking a shake for breakfast throughout my weight loss and I would have to say Muscle Milk not only tastes the best but it has the smoothest and creamiest consistency. Check them out!!
Wednesday:
I braved the elements to meet a group of runners on the eastside for a 4 mile training run. So far so good!!
Friday:
I was out of town for work and had the intentions of getting up early and running at the hotel prior to my meetings but choose to sleep in. This required me to run prior to my workout with Mike. I was a bit nervous that I would have enough energy because my training plan called for a 6 mile run. Everything turned out well…
The workout was awesome!! Here’s a rundown of the routine that Mike developed for me:
We started with a sledgehammer. Yes, a sledgehammer!!
1st round: 10 swings of the sledgehammer on each side, 30 second rest,
20 two armed kettle ball swings, 15 push-ups, rest.
2nd round: 20 swings of the sledgehammer on each side, 30 sec. rest,
20 one armed kettle ball swings, 15 push ups, rest.
3rd round: 10 swings of the sledgehammer on each side, 30 sec. rest,
30 two armed kettle ball swings, 15 push ups, rest.
4th round: 30 swings of the sledgehammer on each side, 30 sec. rest,
20 one armed kettle ball swings, 15 push ups, rest.
I’m really enjoying the workouts with Mike. I would highly recommend signing up for some sessions with him if you want an outside of the box workout that really kicks your butt!!!
Saturday:
I got up earlier for the second Saturday in a row to give the Yoga for Athletes class another try. I’m glad I did. It was nice because I was able to recruit my friend Kevin to go with me too. The week the class was easier than the previous week but I’m still struggling compared to other participants. The instructor was very helpful and answered some more of my questions after class. I’m going to try to make this class part of my weekend routine. After class Kevin and I headed over to the other building and played racquetball for the next hour. Good times!
Well, I’m not going to let that happen!!
Monday
My goal was to attend either the Body Flow or Aqua Flow class but due to some unforeseen circumstances I wasn’t able to. Next week I’m shooting for attending Body Flow for sure!!
Tuesday:
With the storm coming I arranged to meet Mike a bit earlier in order to get my workout in. We focused on doing super sets in order to continue to build my upper body strength. Tuesdays are going to be my busy workout day for the next several months. I have my workouts with Mike, a training run, and tennis later at night. With the snow storm tennis was canceled but I was still able to get my run in on the treadmill.
On my way out the door of the club I grabbed a Cake Batter flavored Muscle Milk protein shake. I’ve been drinking a shake for breakfast throughout my weight loss and I would have to say Muscle Milk not only tastes the best but it has the smoothest and creamiest consistency. Check them out!!
Wednesday:
I braved the elements to meet a group of runners on the eastside for a 4 mile training run. So far so good!!
Friday:
I was out of town for work and had the intentions of getting up early and running at the hotel prior to my meetings but choose to sleep in. This required me to run prior to my workout with Mike. I was a bit nervous that I would have enough energy because my training plan called for a 6 mile run. Everything turned out well…
The workout was awesome!! Here’s a rundown of the routine that Mike developed for me:
We started with a sledgehammer. Yes, a sledgehammer!!
1st round: 10 swings of the sledgehammer on each side, 30 second rest,
20 two armed kettle ball swings, 15 push-ups, rest.
2nd round: 20 swings of the sledgehammer on each side, 30 sec. rest,
20 one armed kettle ball swings, 15 push ups, rest.
3rd round: 10 swings of the sledgehammer on each side, 30 sec. rest,
30 two armed kettle ball swings, 15 push ups, rest.
4th round: 30 swings of the sledgehammer on each side, 30 sec. rest,
20 one armed kettle ball swings, 15 push ups, rest.
I’m really enjoying the workouts with Mike. I would highly recommend signing up for some sessions with him if you want an outside of the box workout that really kicks your butt!!!
Saturday:
I got up earlier for the second Saturday in a row to give the Yoga for Athletes class another try. I’m glad I did. It was nice because I was able to recruit my friend Kevin to go with me too. The week the class was easier than the previous week but I’m still struggling compared to other participants. The instructor was very helpful and answered some more of my questions after class. I’m going to try to make this class part of my weekend routine. After class Kevin and I headed over to the other building and played racquetball for the next hour. Good times!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Week 4(1/23-1/29)
I know I’m getting old when the phrase, “I can’t believe how fast time is going by” is used. But as I’m writing this I can’t believe where the time has gone. I’m already almost seven months into new physical fitness lifestyle. This is the last week before I officially start my Madison marathon running program. In my post next week I’ll lay out my weekly schedule for the next week. Until then here’s what I’ve been up to this week….
Monday:
Although I’m a hard-core Detroit Lions fan I couldn’t help but celebrate with my family and friend’s who are Packers fans. So you can imagine how hard it was to wake up extra early without the benefit of coffee or water. Why did I do this you may ask??? Well, I was excited to do a follow up of my original August Active Metabolism testing with Sara Johnson. In order for the test to be accurate a person cannot eat or drink anything for a period of time leading up to the test. With that being said I was very pleased with the outcomes of my test. The biggest change was that my heart rate dropped over 10 beats per minute lower after exercise then it had in August!
Tuesday:
I had my first training session of the week with Mike, my new harbor personal trainer. Most of my Tuesday workouts will be focused on my upper body strength training. For the next several weeks I’ll be following the following supper sets:
1) flat bench press / dumbbell rows- 4 sets / 8-10 reps
2) reverse bench press / straight bar shoulder presses- 4 sets / 8-10 reps
3) bicep curls / tricep kick backs- 8-10 reps
Wednesday:
This is my last week of Gforce bootcamp for the next few months. My running schedule conflicts with the time on Wednesday. I’m really bummed because this is an awesome class!!! Incredible workout, great music, great instructor! I’d highly recommend it for those of you who can fit it in your schedules.
Thursday:
My second training session of the week and boy did it kick my butt!!! This workout focused on my speed, agility, and endurance. Mike ran me through a number of specific boxing types of activities and I had another go around with the dancing ropes. Here’s the rough break down of the workout:
1) 5 combo punches with weaving and ducking
2) giant tire flips down and back on the sport court
3) speed punches on the bag
4) dancing ropes:
a. alternating arms
b. “slams”
c. alternating upper cuts
5) kettle ball swings
Friday:
In order to start the weekend right and burn some of the extra calories I consumed I took the studio cycling class from 4:15-5. Sara (the same trainer who conducted the VO2 Max test on Monday) was leading it. This is the only the second spinning class I’ve ever done. I have to say that it was pretty cool! You adjust the tension on your bike according to different situations the instructor posed. Being a music guy, you also use different songs to pace your intervals. It’s a great way to burn 500-700 calories.
Saturday:
One area of fitness that I haven’t addressed but really need to is my flexibility. I decided to check out one of the yoga classes at the Harbor Wellness center. Yoga for athletes was the class I settle on. Although I was about ¼ as flexible as everyone in the room it went fairly well. I’m going continue to go back to this class on a weekly basis. I’m also planning on checking out the Aqua Flow class and the Body Flow class to see which one works best.
Sunday:
First day of my marathon training program!!! 6 mile out door run through the UW Arboretum. Beautiful cold, crisp sunny winter day in Madison and everything went well!
Monday:
Although I’m a hard-core Detroit Lions fan I couldn’t help but celebrate with my family and friend’s who are Packers fans. So you can imagine how hard it was to wake up extra early without the benefit of coffee or water. Why did I do this you may ask??? Well, I was excited to do a follow up of my original August Active Metabolism testing with Sara Johnson. In order for the test to be accurate a person cannot eat or drink anything for a period of time leading up to the test. With that being said I was very pleased with the outcomes of my test. The biggest change was that my heart rate dropped over 10 beats per minute lower after exercise then it had in August!
Tuesday:
I had my first training session of the week with Mike, my new harbor personal trainer. Most of my Tuesday workouts will be focused on my upper body strength training. For the next several weeks I’ll be following the following supper sets:
1) flat bench press / dumbbell rows- 4 sets / 8-10 reps
2) reverse bench press / straight bar shoulder presses- 4 sets / 8-10 reps
3) bicep curls / tricep kick backs- 8-10 reps
Wednesday:
This is my last week of Gforce bootcamp for the next few months. My running schedule conflicts with the time on Wednesday. I’m really bummed because this is an awesome class!!! Incredible workout, great music, great instructor! I’d highly recommend it for those of you who can fit it in your schedules.
Thursday:
My second training session of the week and boy did it kick my butt!!! This workout focused on my speed, agility, and endurance. Mike ran me through a number of specific boxing types of activities and I had another go around with the dancing ropes. Here’s the rough break down of the workout:
1) 5 combo punches with weaving and ducking
2) giant tire flips down and back on the sport court
3) speed punches on the bag
4) dancing ropes:
a. alternating arms
b. “slams”
c. alternating upper cuts
5) kettle ball swings
Friday:
In order to start the weekend right and burn some of the extra calories I consumed I took the studio cycling class from 4:15-5. Sara (the same trainer who conducted the VO2 Max test on Monday) was leading it. This is the only the second spinning class I’ve ever done. I have to say that it was pretty cool! You adjust the tension on your bike according to different situations the instructor posed. Being a music guy, you also use different songs to pace your intervals. It’s a great way to burn 500-700 calories.
Saturday:
One area of fitness that I haven’t addressed but really need to is my flexibility. I decided to check out one of the yoga classes at the Harbor Wellness center. Yoga for athletes was the class I settle on. Although I was about ¼ as flexible as everyone in the room it went fairly well. I’m going continue to go back to this class on a weekly basis. I’m also planning on checking out the Aqua Flow class and the Body Flow class to see which one works best.
Sunday:
First day of my marathon training program!!! 6 mile out door run through the UW Arboretum. Beautiful cold, crisp sunny winter day in Madison and everything went well!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Week 3 (1/16-1/22)
It’s nice to start getting back into a routine again. With the holidays there was a lot of different fluctuations in my schedule. The major change is going to be my shift to more running starting on the 30th. I was able to get in three different runs this week. Each of the runs are a lot more intense then the last. It feels good to finish them. I’m looking forward to getting retested by Sara Johnson next week. At that point I’ll see if I’ve made any improvements. I was also able to complete two more workouts with Mike and squeeze in GForce bootcamp taught by Amber.
Workout 1:
The focus of this workout was to work on my upper body strength. The workout consisteted of supersets Here’s the specific routine:
1) 4 sets of flat bench press / dumbbell lawn mowers
2) 4 sets of reverse pull up / straight bar shoulder press
3) 4 sets of alternating bicep curls / tricep kick backs
4)
It was nice to do a more traditional workout. Mike’s going to spend time tracking my weights for this workout and fluctuate up and down over the next few months.
Workout 2:
I’m still getting use to Mike’s style of training, so I didn’t know what exactly to expect going into the second workout. Wow is all I can stay. I got my butt kicked (in a good way!!!).
We headed back to the sport court for some different interval training using boxing. We started with the goal of 2 minutes of a combination of 5 punches. I have yet to make it a full 2 minutes.
Secondly, I completed several 30 second intervals of speed punches on the the training bag.
Next, I was introduced to the dancing ropes. I’ve seen this type of exercise in books and on TV shows but I’ve never actually done them before. The routine consists of holding thick and heavy rope in each had and complete three different motions: 1- alternating arms 2- up and down slams 3- alternating upcuts. Each of these motions are done in 30 second intervals.
Workout 1:
The focus of this workout was to work on my upper body strength. The workout consisteted of supersets Here’s the specific routine:
1) 4 sets of flat bench press / dumbbell lawn mowers
2) 4 sets of reverse pull up / straight bar shoulder press
3) 4 sets of alternating bicep curls / tricep kick backs
4)
It was nice to do a more traditional workout. Mike’s going to spend time tracking my weights for this workout and fluctuate up and down over the next few months.
Workout 2:
I’m still getting use to Mike’s style of training, so I didn’t know what exactly to expect going into the second workout. Wow is all I can stay. I got my butt kicked (in a good way!!!).
We headed back to the sport court for some different interval training using boxing. We started with the goal of 2 minutes of a combination of 5 punches. I have yet to make it a full 2 minutes.
Secondly, I completed several 30 second intervals of speed punches on the the training bag.
Next, I was introduced to the dancing ropes. I’ve seen this type of exercise in books and on TV shows but I’ve never actually done them before. The routine consists of holding thick and heavy rope in each had and complete three different motions: 1- alternating arms 2- up and down slams 3- alternating upcuts. Each of these motions are done in 30 second intervals.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Week 2 (1/9-1/15)
So far it’s been a great week in regards to physical fitness and nutrition. One of the biggest changes has been a switch in personal trainers. This was my first week with a Harbor Athletic Club personal trainer named Mike M. I have to say the first workout I had with him was great. Over the holiday season I saw the movie, “The Fighter” which a true story about a boxer from the east coast.
Workout 1:
The workout Mike designed from me involved a number of boxing drills and heart pumping exercises. Here’s a quick summary of what we did:
2 minutes of punching and dips- I wore training gloves and punches pads Mike was holding. After a combination of punches I had to dip and duck and then repeat. (30 second break) and then repeat 3x’s.
30 seconds of speed punches on a training bag, break and then repeat.
Jump rope for 2 minutes.
Bag drag- I had to drag a punching bag down the length of the gym and back, doing squats at each end of the gym.
2-minute combinations of punching and dips.
Cool down.
Workout 2:
My second workout with Mike was a break from the boxing drills but still the same intensity. I did a circuit of five different exercises and then repeated it 5 times. With a 30 second to minute break in between. Here’s the outline of the workout:
1) dumbbell squats (12 reps)/ alternating dumbbell rows while in a
plank position (12 reps)
2) kettle ball squat / swing (12 reps)
3) push ups till failure
4) walking lunges
5) jump rope
By the end of the workout I had definitely burned some calories! So far so good with Mike!! He’s encouraging but has high expectations and definitely knows his stuff. I’m planning on finishing out the week with Gforce bootcamp or running on Friday and a run on Saturday.
Workout 1:
The workout Mike designed from me involved a number of boxing drills and heart pumping exercises. Here’s a quick summary of what we did:
2 minutes of punching and dips- I wore training gloves and punches pads Mike was holding. After a combination of punches I had to dip and duck and then repeat. (30 second break) and then repeat 3x’s.
30 seconds of speed punches on a training bag, break and then repeat.
Jump rope for 2 minutes.
Bag drag- I had to drag a punching bag down the length of the gym and back, doing squats at each end of the gym.
2-minute combinations of punching and dips.
Cool down.
Workout 2:
My second workout with Mike was a break from the boxing drills but still the same intensity. I did a circuit of five different exercises and then repeated it 5 times. With a 30 second to minute break in between. Here’s the outline of the workout:
1) dumbbell squats (12 reps)/ alternating dumbbell rows while in a
plank position (12 reps)
2) kettle ball squat / swing (12 reps)
3) push ups till failure
4) walking lunges
5) jump rope
By the end of the workout I had definitely burned some calories! So far so good with Mike!! He’s encouraging but has high expectations and definitely knows his stuff. I’m planning on finishing out the week with Gforce bootcamp or running on Friday and a run on Saturday.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
1/1/11
Wow! I can’t believe it’s 2011. This New Years Day I was able to start out with a positive physical fitness step, I ran in the New Year Day Dash. Signing up for this race helped to keep me accountable and on schedule running and workout out through the holiday season. It also kept me from going crazy with food and drink New Years Eve and day. I don’t know if other need this type of motivation but it worked for me.
After the race I had some time to reflect on the progress I’ve made in 2010 and goals to shoot for in 2011. Here’s some basic physical fitness goals I’m going to work on throughout the year:
1) Successfully complete a marathon.
2) Maintain my current weight and drop my body fat percentage 5-8%
3) Continue recording all my food in take on a daily basis.
A few reflections on what I’ve been up to:
Active Metabolism training program (aka. New Leaf)
I’ve really, really enjoyed the running program that was established through my VO2 Max testing. I would highly recommend doing the testing for anyone who wants to run faster or get a specific cardio program. When I initially did the testing in early August I only had a program developed for two runs a week but Sara Johnson also developed a three-run-a-week program. For the last month I’ve been focusing on the three runs a week.
The way the program works is that after the testing you are given a specific schedule of runs for a 12-week period. Each run is defined for you based on time and your heart rate. The last several weeks of the program are really intense and push you to be at your best.
Another change that I’m looking forward to is working with a new Harbor personal trainer. I’ll keep you posted with how the workouts are coming. My general weekly plan starting on January 9th is: run two-three times per week following the New Leaf running plan, two 30 minute workouts with Mike, the HAC personal trainer, participate in GForce Bootcamp 1-2 times.
Here’s to a good week!
After the race I had some time to reflect on the progress I’ve made in 2010 and goals to shoot for in 2011. Here’s some basic physical fitness goals I’m going to work on throughout the year:
1) Successfully complete a marathon.
2) Maintain my current weight and drop my body fat percentage 5-8%
3) Continue recording all my food in take on a daily basis.
A few reflections on what I’ve been up to:
Active Metabolism training program (aka. New Leaf)
I’ve really, really enjoyed the running program that was established through my VO2 Max testing. I would highly recommend doing the testing for anyone who wants to run faster or get a specific cardio program. When I initially did the testing in early August I only had a program developed for two runs a week but Sara Johnson also developed a three-run-a-week program. For the last month I’ve been focusing on the three runs a week.
The way the program works is that after the testing you are given a specific schedule of runs for a 12-week period. Each run is defined for you based on time and your heart rate. The last several weeks of the program are really intense and push you to be at your best.
Another change that I’m looking forward to is working with a new Harbor personal trainer. I’ll keep you posted with how the workouts are coming. My general weekly plan starting on January 9th is: run two-three times per week following the New Leaf running plan, two 30 minute workouts with Mike, the HAC personal trainer, participate in GForce Bootcamp 1-2 times.
Here’s to a good week!
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