See BamaDave Run (and Lift)

[BamaDave]

WED. 6.6.07
PM WORKOUT

BODYWEIGHT ROUTINE FROM CB'S 8-WEEK BODYWEIGHT ATHLETE WORKOUT

*Warmup Circuit Performed Twice:

-Y-Squats - 20 reps
-Decline Pushups - 8 reps
-Prisoner Fwd Lunge with 1 sec pause at bottom - 6 reps ea.
-Inverted Rows - 8 reps

WORKOUT:

SUPERSET A (1 min rest between sets/ 2 min rest between supersets):

A1. PULLUPS (to deadhang) - Max reps - 3 sets: 9/ 7/ 7

A2. SHOULDER PRESS PUSHUPS - Max reps - 3 sets: 10/ 10/ 8


B CIRCUIT - No rest between exercises/ 1 min between circuits/ 3 circuits total

B1. CROSS CRAWLS - 30 reps ea. side

B2. MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS - 20 reps

B3. ELBOW-TO-INSTEP LUNGES - 10 reps ea. side

B4. AB WHEELS (DB ROLLOUTS) - 10 reps

B5. 1-LEG BALL JACKNIFES - 15 reps

B6. BURPEES - 15 reps

-- I liked this routine a lot more than Monday's. The Mountain Climbers get pretty hard having to hold the pushup position, and I'm not so good with the 1-Leg Ball Jacknifes. I did the Shoulder Press Pushups with my feet over a safety bar on my power rack again but raised the bar a little more. I'm trying to get closer to being truly vertical. I would love to be able to eventually do a real handstand pushup, but I am definitely the un-gymnast in contrast to my lovely daughters.

Yesterday and this morning I am finally noting improvement in the back. I may be getting back to the point where I screwed up a few weeks ago and did the CrossFit routine with the Power Cleans. I'm less convinced that running was aggravating it since the irritation just seemed to ebb and flow this week like it does during weeks when I run. I'll likely run tonight and see what happens, and I am running a 10K trail race Friday evening no matter what! For the time being, I'm definitely sticking with the bodyweight routines for "weight" training. My back felt better post-workout last night than pre-workout.

[jruck37]

Even with the safety bar, the shoulder press push-ups are very impressive.

[kmwest]

A Friday night trail race? That sounds great. I wish there were more races that aren't insanely early on Sat/Sun.

[BamaDave]

Thanks, Jamie!

Ralph - a Friday evening race WOULD be great in any other season. 6PM plus heat and humidity is pretty miserable. At least it's in dense woods, though, which helps a lot.

--

THURS. 6.7.07
PM RUN

DISTANCE: 5.05 miles
TIME: 38:45
AVE. PACE: 7:40/mile

-- A nice run in the SAUNA! I was drenched with sweat after just doing my lower body dynamic warmup. Since Alabama is now a desert state, I wasn't acclimated to the steambath conditions following a rare thundershower. I did this run in my new Puma H-Streets. I thought it went well overall. One thing is for sure - I can't do anything BUT forefoot strike in these shoes. Even a flatfoot landing, which is what I was doing naturally in the Nike Frees, sends shockwaves through my whole body. The forefoot landings, though, feel good, aside from needing to get used to them (especially in the calves). Downhills were awkward. I checked my cadence four times, and it was 178-180, which I think is in the right ballpark (without checking). I feel like this is something I can work on, although I doubt I will develop textbook form. It was very clear to me that I speed up when I concentrate on using the forward lean recommended for forefoot landing. I tried to work on that at times, but it's hard to focus on so many things at once. I think my foot landings are occurring in line with my hips or close to it - so hopefully I am not far off on that aspect.

[GG300]

I had the sauna run yesterday morning as well. # miles and I had to wring my sweat rag out twice. It was 73% humidity yesterday and this morning it is 90%. It is supposed to break before my Beer Run this Sunday.

Good Luck with your trail run tonight. The humidity sucks but at least it sounds like you will be in the shade most of the time.

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

Have fun at the race tonight, Dave.

[BamaDave]

Thanks, guys. Even though we have been experiencing a severe drought for months, today we're having thunderstorms and the race site at Oak Mountain State Park is currently getting hammered! Good thing I haven't registered yet. LOL. Should be a nice-n-muddy run even if the rain stops.

Last year the winner of this race ran 41:38! And the second place person ran 45:31. That speaks to the course for sure. My time was 53:08. I twisted/sprained my ankle before the end of the race, so that no doubt added at least 2 or 3 minutes to my time. I have no idea what to expect this year, but I'm hoping I can beat the 53:08. Last year I didn't realize how much up and down there was on the course, so I went out too fast - this year I know better, so hopefully that will help!

[lance02]

Good luck in the race! Sounds fun.

[UpNorth]

Good luck and remember if you slow down the mosquitoes will catch you!

[Egham]

My wife and I enjoyed Oak Mtn State Park back when we were first married and maintaining a long-distance marriage (She worked in B-ham and still works for the same company, but telecommutes). As nice as the place is, I don't envy you running a race given the current heat and humidity there.

That issue has me in somewhat of a quandary finding an event for my competitive event. I really don't do them to begin with and that fact that the Summer heat and humidity have set in doesn't help. I did notice that a nudist resort has a 5K & 10K run/walk in July that's relatively early in the morning. While that might get around the heat and humidity problem, I really don't think I can handle that event.

But, YOU are going out there and running a race despite nasty heat and humidity. That's an inspiration.

Good Luck!

[BamaDave]

Thanks, guys. It was fun, although very challenging and extremely humid. But I didn't sprain my ankle this year - always a plus!!

Egham, the good thing about most races is that they are very early in the morning, which can help with the heat for sure... although still often miserably humid. If you do the nudist one, just think of the great choices you'll have for new avatar pictures!

--

FRI. 6.8.07

XTERRA OAK MOUNTAIN 10K SCRAMBLE (TRAIL RACE)

TIME: 1:00:11
AVE. PACE: 9:42/mile

-- Well, this race pretty much waylayed me. LOL. I can't believe how much better I did last year - this race is now my worst performance ever by a landslide. I did pretty well for awhile, but the humidity wiped me out quickly. I know I did more uphill walking this year versus last year, although I did quite a bit of walking last year as well. The course was even more brutal than I remembered, but I was in far better racing shape at this time last year versus now. I also remembered this year exactly where I sprained my ankle last year, and it was pretty close to the end... which explains why it didn't cost me too much time. I noticed throughout the race that I passed people on uphills, but then got passed on downhills (when passing is possible on a narrow trail that's constant rocks and roots). I think I was being way too slow and cautious on the downhills, but I was really paranoid about injuring myself again.

I placed 27th out of 72 (last year I was 8th overall); 23rd out of 52 males; and 5th out of 11 in my age group (I was 4th last year). There were some good runners in this event - I think a number of them are triathletes competing in tomorrow's XTerra Triathlon at the State Park.

Since I am planning to run a 50K trail race in October, I certainly need to get more acclimated to trails. The 50K won't be as relentlessly hilly as this race, but it does have some long climbs and descents.

My calves were very sore from yesterday's forefoot running, and I also ran this race in a brand new pair of trail runners - maybe not the best idea. LOL.

My running feels very inconsistent right now - I have pretty good ones and then at other times they are downright disastrous like today.

In spite of all the bitching, I did enjoy this race - it's a big challenge and very different from a road race. It even finishes in a crazy way with a whole bunch of switchbacks that seem random and were really disorienting for me considering how dehydrated I was. LOL.

The event is well organized overall. The only thing I don't like is the placement of the four aid stations. They have one at about the half-mile point (who needs fluids a half mile in??), and then the fourth one is less than a half mile from the finish line -- again -- . I would have preferred three, rather than two, out on the trails. I was pretty desperate for fluids between that second and third station - those are too far apart and the terrain between the two is very slow with lots of steep hills.

This was definitely a good motivator to work hard and get back in racing shape.

[Egham]

Originally Posted by BamaDave

Egham, the good thing about most races is that they are very early in the morning, which can help with the heat for sure... although still often miserably humid. If you do the nudist one, just think of the great choices you'll have for new avatar pictures!

That sure would drive every one away from this forum! Rest easy, I just don't see myself entering that race.

[James Newman]

I am glad you enjoyed the race. The nudist one would definitely not appeal to me. Its funny, I hate running. Absolutely hate it. I am hoping that once I become normal sized I will enjoy it more. Funny things about all of that is I enjoy reading the running logs and the dialogs of the events. Maybe I am just envious?? LOL. Good work, Bama... I am interested in hearing more about how you do with the BW routines...

Newman

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

Way to tough out a tough course in some nasty weather, Dave. With the lack of running and your back issues and your recent ITB issues that you attempted this was amazing.

How's your back holding up from it? I did ten miles on the trails yesterday and really could feel the deadlifts I did the day before. I figured it had something to do with the different form on trail.

[GG300]

Glad you enjoyed the race Dave. I am sure that with more time on the trails you will be right up at the front of the pack again. Still with the recent injuries and aches you did better that 50% of your age group. My race today will be a much easier jaunt and have more fluid, 1.8 miles with 4 beer stops.

[BamaDave]

Thanks, guys!

Newman, I'm a big believer in doing what you like to do as far as exercise, so there are certainly plenty of things to do besides running. But never say never!! You are right - you may like it in the future.

Jim, my back was not affected by the run... but I think I did re-annoy it yet again yesterday taking the seats out of our van to go haul some things home from Vacation Bible School at the church. The trail run really wiped me out - I could feel it on Saturday as if I had run a half-marathon or something longer! I think the dehydration really did a number on me - I was even having muscle spasms in my fingers after the race. LOL. At any rate, I don't feel too bad about the run. I noted that a really good local runner in my age range who runs 5K road-races in the 17:00's won the 5K trail race on Friday with a 23-something and a pace in the 7:40's. On the other hand, some guy won the 10K with a 40:xx and around a 6:30 pace. Damn! I can't even begin to tell you how unbelievable that is to me. I'm determined to go back occasionally and get some trail practice down there.

Gregg - enjoy that beer run!!! Those are illegal down here in the Bible Belt. :p

---

SAT. 6.9.07
PM WORKOUT

FROM CB's TT - 6 MONTH BODYWEIGHT TRAINING MANUAL (PHASE 4)

All exercises: no/minimal rest between sets; 1 minute between supersets or circuits

A1. OVERHEAD SQUAT (with bar) - 3 x 15

A2. ROTATIONAL LUNGES: 3 x 8 ea. leg

A3. INCHWORMS: 3 x 6

A4. ELBOW-to-INSTEP LUNGES: 3 x 10 ea. leg


B1. 1-LEG SQUATS: 3 x 6 ea. leg

B2. TOWEL INVERTED ROWS: 3 x 8


C1. GLUTE-HAM RAISES (SWISSBALL + WALL): 3 x 12

C2. SHOULDER PRESS PUSHUPS (feet on safety bar): 2 x 15; 1 x 9


D1. REACHING LUNGES: 3 x 10

D2. OFFSET PUSHUPS: 3 x 24 (12 in each offset position)

D3. MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS: 3 x 25 ea. side

D4. SWISS BALL JACKNIFES: 3 x 15

D5. REACHING CRUNCHES: 3 x 15

-- I pulled out another BW routine from the stuff I got from CB when I bought his Turbulence Training package. I have to say, some of this stuff would be really good when in the thick of marathon training and you can't deal with the heavy loads as well. One good thing about bodyweight exercises is that it's easier to work on form.

I noted that the Overhead Squats didn't bother my back at all. Of course, I was only using a 17.5 pound bar!! But I'm hoping that I can start adding loads back to selective exercises soon. The back is still on-and-off bugging me, but I do think it's moving more toward off than on. I didn't feel like Thursday or Friday's runs irritated it.

The GHR's using a Swiss Ball were tricky - hard to say whether I got those right or not. My legs were so sweaty, it was hard not to slip off the ball. I have never used a GHR machine - it's on my list of desired pieces of home gym equipment!