My Better Me than You Log

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

02FEB06
Groundhog Day!

TBT week 3 workout 3

lunges
1. 95- 15
2. 95- 15
3. 95- 15

DB bench press
1. 50- 15
2. 50- 15
3. 50- 15

good mornings
1. 95- 15
2. 105- 15
3. 105- 15

DB curls (45 deg bench)
1. 30- 12
2. 30- 11
3. 25- 10

dips (BW +)
1. 35- 15
2. 35- 10
3. 25- 9

This workout killed me. I think it was the lunges. Those always wear me out. Especially 3x15. After the good mornings I was shot! The curls and dips were almost too much, I didn't even get to calf raises. Well, easy day on the bike and stretching/ core work tomorrow.

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

03FEB06

recovery/rest day

30 minutes easy on bike

stretch/ab work

[BamaDave]

Your workouts and runs are really impressive. I'm wincing in pain thinking about lunges at 15 reps, not to mention 15 weighted dips!

Those high winds will really add difficulty to your runs. And the tail winds don't give you back what the head winds take away.

[Iamjennmedic]

Wow impressive log twins. your numbers are way nice. lol some of your warm up numbers are greater than my max efforts. Keep it up your doing awesome, shows real dedication [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

Thanks guys! This is one of the exact reasons I started this log- the motivation from people with a similar mindset towards fitness, as well as their expertise. Thanks again.

Dave, I've thought the same exact thing about the wind. Either that or it seems to shift every turn I make!

Jenn, I've kept an eye on your log (most of us guys have) and your dedication is very apparent as well. Your numbers well steadily increase, I just know it.

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

04FEB06

6.8 mile run
55:35 (8:10 avg pace)

splits
3.4 miles out
27:54 (8:12 pace)
3.4 miles back
27:40 (8:08 pace)

I was a little stiff the first mile or so (from the lunges I did on Thursday) and had a headwind the first half of the run, so I was a little disappointed that my return time wasn't even faster than it was, after getting warmed up. I'm not really complaining, though. It was a great run and am very pleased all in all. My running seems to be getting better and better each time I go out.

[BamaDave]

You're going to blaze through your 1/2-M. Are you following certain pace recommendations in your program based on your goal pace for the 1/2-M, or are you pushing things faster??

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

I'm pushing my distances some- just what I didn't want to do. I've just felt so good that each of my runs for about the last week and a half have been a mile to a mile and a half longer than scheduled. Maybe I should keep where I'm at and let my schedule catch back up?

Edit: I just looked over my schedule. I'm about three weeks ahead. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

[BamaDave]

I think if you feel good, you should just go with what you're doing. The pre-packaged programs are written for a wide variety of people and are probably pretty conservative. Since you are doing so well, I think you're fine to push the envelope.

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

05FEB06

rest day

06FEB06

I did something a bit different today. The weather was in the low twenties with 20 mph winds- something like a 12 degree wind chill, so I decided to do a treadmill run instead. Taking a cue from BamaDave I did a hill workout. Like I've said before, there are not alot of hills around my neck of the woods, so I took the opportunity on the TM.

I found the workout in Men's Health a few issues ago.

mile............elevation
0 to 1..............1% warmup
1 to 2..............2%
2 to 2.5...........5%
2.5 to 3...........2%
3 to 3.5...........8%
3.5 to 4...........2%
4 to 4.5...........5%
4.5 to 5...........2%
5 to 5.5...........1% cooldown

This was run at a slow speed, 6.3 mph (9:30 pace), but it totally kicked my butt. I hope to throw a couple more of these along with some treadmill HIIT before my races. If the weather stays crappy I'm sure I'll get the chance.

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

[ QUOTE ]
You're going to blaze through your 1/2-M. Are you following certain pace recommendations in your program based on your goal pace for the 1/2-M, or are you pushing things faster??

[/ QUOTE ]

Dave, my apologies, I just reread this a little closer. I misunderstood you before and answered based on distances.

My plan doesn't have particular paces called for. Its just a novice plan with finishing being the main goal. I just go out and do what feels right for the day and distance. Not the most scientific method especially as I do more research at runnersworld and mcmillan et. al.

This brings me to a question for you or km or any other runners out there. How much should I adjust my pace times as my ability gets better? This may not matter in the short term for my 1/2-M but but marathon training lasts a long time. Should I stick with a beginning goal or adjust along the way? Hope that makes a little sense, its late and I should be in bed.

jim

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

07FEB06

TBT week 4 workout 1

Antagonistic sets
sumo deads.............neutral grip pullup (BW +)
1. 225x 5.................10x 5
2. 225x 5.................10x 5
3. 225x 5.................10x 5
4. 225x 5.................10x 5

incline DB press.......BB curls
1. 70x 5..................77x 5
2. 70x 5..................77x 5
3. 70x 5..................77x 5
4. 70x 5..................77x 5

squats.................seated calf raises
1. 225x 5.................230x 5
2. 225x 5.................230x 5
3. 225x 5.................230x 5
4. 225x 5.................230x 5

2.5 mile run on treadmill
(20:00 mins 8:00 pace)

0-1 mile....8:30 pace
1- 1.25.....7:30 pace
1.25- 1.5...8:30 pace
1.5- 1.75...7:30 pace
1.75- 2.....8:30 pace
2- 2.25.....7:30 pace
2:25- 2.5...8:30 pace

[BamaDave]

[ QUOTE ]
This brings me to a question for you or km or any other runners out there. How much should I adjust my pace times as my ability gets better? This may not matter in the short term for my 1/2-M but but marathon training lasts a long time. Should I stick with a beginning goal or adjust along the way? Hope that makes a little sense, its late and I should be in bed.

jim

[/ QUOTE ]

Jim, are you talking about adjusting your training paces or your goal marathon pace??

In a nutshell, since you are training with weights and running, you will likely run fewer times per week than someone who is only training for a marathon. To get the most out of those days, you should do quality work during your marathon training as much as three days per week - two days with some form of pace work (repeats, tempo, etc) and then your long run as the third. Frankly, I would up the pace on the long run versus what a lot of people who only run recommend. I think it's fine to run long runs at 20-50 sec/mile slower than marathon pace (a lot of runners say to do them at 1-2 min/mile slower). But alot of this depends on how you feel, etc.

If you ever read the Runner's World Forum, there are constant battles between the quantity and quality crowds. The quantity folks insist that the best way to get better at marathoning is to run gazillions of miles, many of them at slow paces. The quality folks will say that you can run fewer miles if you include more high intensity work.

I think there are probably different means to the same end for most people. Yes, if you want to reach your absolute max potential at marathoning, then you have to run tremendous mileage to adapt your body to be a running machine AND include some quality work. But most people aren't realistically going to reach their max potential, and most people like to do other things besides running 100 miles per week. So, personally, I think most people would benefit from a less mileage/fewer days/more intensity type approach. However, for marathons you do need a solid mileage base for building your endurance. I just don't think you have to follow the high mileage/slow run approach that many advocate. Especially if you also want to keep up your weight training.

Sorry I got so long winded here!

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

I mean my goal pace for the marathon. For me to reach my goal of 4 hours (which I think is totally within the realm of possibilties as long as I continue training) Mcmillan says that I should run an 8:58 pace during the marathon. This time is based on my 6.8 mile pace from last week (about a 50 minute 10K). Obviously my ability will increase during training and I'm wondering how much I should adjust my goal. Also, I will re-evaluate my goal time for my marathon after running the half and the 25K. I think that will give me a little better info to base my marathon expectations on.

I really don't understand the whole running really slow viewpoint, either. Why wouldn't you want to run the pace (or at least close to it)for your race during training? I guess once I run a couple 20 mile training runs I'll understand. LOL.

Anyways, thanks for the reply. I do read the forums over at RW, but there is just so much to sort through.

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

08FEB06

5.33 mile run
42:33 (7:59 pace)

A bit chilly this afternoon. 26 degrees and a wind chill of 17. I tried a new route today. I was trying to stay out of a headwind as much as I could. It was coming out of the north and I had a section for about a mile headed right into it. Fortuneately, that mile was slightly downhill. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
All in all, another good one, I'm really happy with my pace and the way I'm feeling at the end of the run. Two days off now from running. Saturday I'm planning on doing 7 miles.

[Buk]

I had a big huge long post, at the end of which I commented about Dave thnking he was long winded, but it went away when I submitted. This one will probably be put together much worse.

The McMillan calculator can only be trusted so much when projecting paces for longer events, it assumes a specifically trained distance. Running a 50 minute 10K doesnt mean you can finish a marathon in even 6 hours, espically if 10 is your longest run to date. A lot of your training time before the marathon will be spent increasing distance, which may not yeild the speed increases you expect. A marathon is a lot further than a half, it doesn't get hard until about mile 20 something. So depending on how much time is between your half and full, you may not be able to drop your goal pace much, as you will be increasing mileage. If you have the capacity for a full, a half would be a good current pace predictor, and you could train for a faster full in the future, but some of your time will be spent developing capacity rather than improving speed. There may be some speed improvements over the prediction, but not as much as if you already had the capacity for a full.

There are tons of planning guides out there, but most are desigend for runners. Runners who are not expected to spend a lot of training energy on weightlifting. The programs all have the same basic parts. If you want to follow a written program for your full marathon, any of them will probably work well. A beginner's finish program may be the best choice to allow time and energy for however much weight training you want to do. But even the ones layed out for a specific goal pace are designed for a wide audience in which you may fall at either end of the spectrum of adaptation, recovery, and improvements to the training program. Otherwise you can study a few of them and learn the basics that are common in every program then decide how much running you want to do. Along with your experience training for the half, and experiences you can skim from weight lifing runners like Dave and kmWest, I am sure you can make things work. Your plan does not need to be perfect, just have the basics; at least until you become very competitive, at which point you will be the teacher.

With that said, I don't think it is a bad thing to adjust your goal time as your training progresses. But even that may not mean that you need to change your routine. It may mean that you take particularly well to exactly what you are doing. The half and 25K will make great reality checks as long as you run them smart. Then as your mileage gets up while training for the full, a few 5 or 10Ks will help keep you in check, while knowing that you have the capacity to go long. But my thought is that if you are feeling good, up the pace or distance until that feeling first starts to fade; then drop back and look for the balance point.

I even forgot my main points from the original post, but I think I said something in there.

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

Wow, Buk! I needed a gel pack half way through that post! j/k

I'll just pick a reasonable time to shoot for, but, as this will my first, I'll really concentrate on just doing it.

[twinsavsvikingsfan]

09FEB06

TBT week 4 workout 2

antagonistic sets
squats......................ca ble rows
1.205x8....................150 x8
2.205x8....................150 x8
3.205x8....................150 x8
4.205x8....................150 x8

hamstring curl.............military press
1.90x8.....................95x 8
2.90x8.....................95x 8
3.90x8.....................95x 8
4.90x8.....................95x 8

db curls...................tricep s ext
1.35x8.....................85x 8
2.35x8.....................85x 8
3.35x8.....................85x 8
4.35x8.....................85x 8

Felt pretty fatigued doing the squats, yet feel kind of ashamed with those numbers. A few months ago I was repping alot more than that for 8. Of course, I wasn't running like this either.

I generally hate to rag on people at the gym, but there were these two guys in there today that really cracked me up. They were complaining about how bad squats suck and how much they didn't want to do them. Anyways th