3/30/2006 Bicycling

I decided to forgo spinning class for some actual bicycling yesterday. It was an awesome 70 degrees and sunny outside. How could I possibly pass that up? I went after work, so I decided to hit a bike trail, and to save time it had to be Lunken Airport trail. It was a bit crowded as I thought it would be, but it was well worth the minor inconvenience.

Distance: 20.43 miles
Time: 1:17:22
Avg: 15.8 mph
Max: 21.2 mph

It is a very flat 5 mile loop. There is only one short, steep hill on the loop. I was riding the loop so that I went up this hill on each lap. The rest of the loop is almost entirely flat. I was able to maintain a speed between 18 mp and 20 mph. The lower average is due to slowing down to pass walkers and runners on the narrow path and that hill. It was a great ride and a beautiful day.

3/29/2006 Strength Training & Assessment

eliptical = 10 minutes on Fat Burning
JC BandsLunges with rows, 12 each side.
Wall sit w/15 lb. wts.
bicep curls = 1 minute
shoulder press = 1 minute
walking lunges = width of court/back doing lat raises with 12lb. wts
hip adductor=2 sets/12 reps 80 lbs.
hip abductor=2 sets/12 reps 80 lbs.
lower leg raise w/overhead 8lb (abs) 2x25

That is, of course, the strength training information from today's workout. I want to take a moment to assess where I am and where I am going in training and workouts. I think it is really important to do this now, because I've reached a point where I am getting a little bored or maybe frustrated because I'm not seeing any big results. I'm hoping my performance at the race last weekend will help me turn that tide and keep moving forward. I have a change in racing schedules, as I'll have to dump the duathlon for April, but I'll be picking up the Flying Pig Marathon Relay in May.

Let's take a look at how far I've come first. I was looking at the last two races of last year. I ran the Mercy Metric 10k at 52:59 and the Thanksgiving Day Race 10k at 50:15. I took the first 5 miles of the Heart Mini and the last 1.3 miles and came up with a time of 51:44. This may a bit of an unfair comparison, but I think it definitely shows an improvement. Added on to the difference in mileage I would say that the Heart Mini course was more difficult in terms of hills than either the Thanksgiving Day race or the Mercy Metric race. Add on to that the fact that it is only March is a real bonus. If I can stay on track I should see a nice improvement in those two races later this year.

My short term goals are to keep working toward the Little Miami Triathlon and now the Flying Pig Marathon Relay. I want to shift to more outdoor workouts now that the weather is getting nicer. I will concentrate more on bicycling and running with 2 strength training sessions per week. I would also like to find at least one 5k to do in April and a cycling event in the spring. I will also have to do some brick training sessions and kayaking to prepare for the Triathlon.

My longer term goal is to not get frustrated in times like these. I want to keep working out and exercising despite set backs to maintain a fitness level over a longer period of time.

3/26/2006 Heart Mini-Marathon 15K

It is now one day past the Heart Mini-Marathon, and holy crap am I sore! It was a tough race, very hilly with one monster of a climb up Torrence Ave. that was to mile 6 hence the drop in time to 9:11 for that mile. I must say though I am thrilled with the results. I can't believe I maintained a pace around 8:30 miles for the entire race. I have, once again, underestimated my own abilities. I thought for sure I would hit mile 6 and just bonk. I was fully expecting to be crawling the last mile. To my surprise, I felt reasonably strong the last couple of miles. Don't get me wrong it hurt. The legs started to get stiff and achy and maintaining pace was more of a challenge, but the thrill of the end of the race really kept me moving.

I saw a number of friends at the race. This is always a pleasent surprise, since I have been going to these races for years and hardly see anyone I know. I also got an invite to participate in the Flying Pig Marathon Relay, which is awesome. I love that race and am thrilled to take part. Here is a quick break down of the race and total. I will put some more thoughts down on the race later. I just wanted to get my initial thoughts down for now.

• 1: 8:19
• 2: 8:12
• 3: 7:56
• 4: 7:46
• 5: 8:19
• 6: 9:11
• 7: 8:30
• 8: 8:36
• 9.3: 11:12
• Total : 1:18:07

3/20/2006 Running

As I'm prepping for the Heart Mini-Marathon I've increased the running mileage to 6 miles for Monday's run and made it really, really hard. That's how I role. I ran the usual course on our road for the first 2 1/2 miles. It was a hilly 2 1/2 but nothing major. I then decided to run the 3 mile course that I ran when we first moved to our street. It is a quarter mile down a very steep grade hill then on to a fairly flat stretch of road for about 1 1/2 miles. It then turns and goes up a steep hill that is close to 1/2 mile long. It then finishes on a 1/2 mile flat run. With a little extension it is a very challenging 6 miles in 56:02. As of this moment I have 3 days and 17 minutes until the race. I'll probably do one more run this week on Thursday or Friday and stay rested until Sunday. After the race I need to assess where I am in training and get focussed for upcoming duathlons.

3/15/2006 Strength Training & Bicycling

A busy Wednesday of working out. I found myself with some time and an awesome day, so I took full advantage. After dropping my daughter off at school I had some time before a meeting I had to attend. It was enough time to squeeze in a strength training session. After the meeting it was so nice outside that I could not possibly turn down the opportunity to get out and ride my bicycle. Here are some of the details:

eliptical = 15 minutes on Fat Burning
JC BandsLunges with rows, 12 each side.
Wall sit w/15 lb. wts.
bicep curls = 1 minute
shoulder press = 1 minute
walking lunges = width of court/back doing lat raises with 12lb. wts
hip adductor=2 sets/12 reps 75 lbs.
hip abductor=2 sets/12 reps 75 lbs.
lower leg raise w/overhead 8lb (abs) 2x25

I added the 12lb. wts. to the lunges to get in a little more work on the upper body. I must like pain, because that was hard. I also forgot my weight on hip adductor/abductor and did 75 instead of the usual 85 lbs. It was probably for the best though, because with the added bike ride I think I got plenty of a workout.

Ride details:

Distance: 30.25 mi
Time: 1 hr 53 minutes
Avg: 16 mph
Max: 32.3 mph

It was a great ride. I rode from our house to Milford by Rt. 222 and Rt. 50 through Old Milford to the Bike Trail. It was such a great day that I decided to go up the Trail a few miles to make the round trip a nice 30 miles. I came to a realization as I was riding on the trail, and that is kind of boring. Don't get me wrong, the trail is great. I'll definitely be using it more this spring and summer, but I actually prefer riding on the road. Despite all the crazies out there and the threat of death road riding is more fun, then again, maybe I'm a freak and it is because of the crazies.

3/13/2006 Strength Training

Here is a quick entry for today's workout. There is nothing particularly new today. It poured down rain the last couple of days, so no new cycling or any outdoor activities. say la veee...kidding of course.

10 minute eliptical to warm up and fat burning
composite leg press 110 lbs 2x12
seated row 70 lbs 2x12
chest press 70 lbs 2x12
shoulder press 65 2x11
front pull down 60 2x11
alternating dumbell curls 20 2x12
cable tricep pulldown 60 2x12
lower leg raise w/overhead 8lb (abs) 2x25

3/06-3/10/2006 Catching Up

I have been slacking on my fitness blog for the last week. It is pretty representative of how I've been feeling about my work outs the last couple of weeks. I feel like I've been in a bit of a rut in my workouts, which actually reflects how I have felt about my life. Hmmm...I guess you could say it's blog immitating life? That's pretty lame. Anyway, I feel like things turned a corner today. I'm starting to get pumped for the Heart Mini-Marathon, and the other events that are coming up over the next couple of months. I might be suffering from a touch of the SAD to so with the improving weather things are looking better everyday.

So let's get caught up:

3/06/2006 Strength Training

15 minute eliptical to warm up and fat burning
composite leg press 110 lbs 2x12
seated row 70 lbs 2x12
chest press 70 lbs 2x12
shoulder press 65 2x10
front pull down 60 2x10
alternating dumbell curls 20 2x12
cable tricep pulldown 60 2x11
lower leg raise w/overhead 8lb (abs) 2x25

3/09/2006 Strength Training, Core Class, Spinning

JC BandsLunges with rows, 12 each side.
Wall sit w/15 lb. wts.
bicep curls = 1 minute
shoulder press = 1 minute
walking lunges = width of b-ball court and back
hip adductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.
hip abductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.
triple threat = 2 sets/12 ea.

30 minute Core Class was paaaainful. It had been a couple of week since I took the last class and I was paying for it! The work on the Bosu Ball continues to be the most painful and difficult. I am also starting to see some results from all the pain, so yeaaaaaah! This was followed up by a 50 minute interval spinning class. I wasn't quite there mentally last night, which can make for a tough class. I toughed it out though and felt happy with completing the class, even though I may not have put forth 100%.

3/10/2006

I've been pushing up my running miles per workout in preparation for the Heart Mini and today I got a nice little ego (?) boost from a good run. I was able to put in a 6 mile run in 53:17 which I feel is exceptionally good. Last year I ran a 10K and a 5 mile run each coming in just over 50 minutes. So, running that time in a training session in February gives me high hopes for the year to come. So, as long as I'm talking runs I should set a goal for the Heart Mini. It's a 15K which is about 9 miles, so I should be able to do it in under 2 hours definitely. I'm not sure if I want to set that as my goal, or challenge myself a little more. I'll have to give it some thought.

3/02/2006 Spinning

Endurance Spinning. Uuuuuuuuuuugh...It was a tough class tonight. After taken the week off I am finding it hard to get back into the work routine. I was feeling stiff on the bike last night and in the last 5 minutes of the class I had a cramp in my right calf that is still aching today. Wow, I haven't had one of those in a long time.

I skipped core class, because I just didn' t make it on time and I didn't feel like rushing. I spent an extra 15 minutes on the spinning bike before class began. With the 45 minute class I ended up with a solid 60 minutes of spinning.

Here's hoping for some warm weather tomorrow. I would love to get out for a nice long ride.

2/27-3/01/2006 Running & Bicycling

2/27/2006 Running

After almost a week break for a short roadtrip and a rest I got back to running on Monday. The run didn't really go that well. I felt sluggish and tired, so knowing that I was short on time I cut the run a little short. The ran took about 30 minutes and I put in 2.3 miles. It didn't amount to a great run, but it's all good. These days will happen I just can't let it bring me down.

3/01/2006 Bicycling

Woo Hoo! The stars have aligned and the temperature rose high enough that I could get out on my bike. After a disappointing ride I took the bike back to the shop for some adjustments. I got it back the other day, and was pleasantly surprised with the bill, or lack of bill I should say. Reser knows how to take care of his customers. Anyway, I got out today for a ride. I went the same route as I've been using lately. The stats are as follows:

Distance: 18.9 mi.
Time: 1.13.49
Avg: 15.3 mph

The ride was not perfect. I felt a little stiff for most of the ride and out of breath. It was probably a mixture of cold and lack of food. I was a little hungry, because I skipped breakfast in order to get out the door and to the dentist on time. The front derailleur is acting up a bit as well. The gearing still isn't quite right, but I managed. I might have to get a little repair lesson. I've got some time before the first race of the season to get this straightened away.

2/21/2006 Strength Training, Running

A quick post of yesterday's workout:

eliptical = 15 minutes on Fat Burning
JC BandsLunges with rows, 12 each side.
Wall sit w/15 lb. wts.
bicep curls = 1 minute
shoulder press = 1 minute
walking lunges = width of b-ball court and back
hip adductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.
hip abductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.
triple threat = 2 sets/ 12 ea.

I decided to follow this up with a little running torture. I'm not saying that running is torture, but running intervals is a low grade torture session. I ran on the indoor track at the gym, and each lap of the track is 1/6 of a mile. I alternated running 2 laps at a jog and 2 laps at a fast pace, just below a sprint. I ran for a total of 3 miles.

2/20/2006 Running

I was reading back over my previous posts and realized that I have only run 4 times (including today) in February. Hmmm, that is only, on average, once every 5 days. I guess that is why I'm keeping this blog, to catch training issues like that. The new goal is to pick up the running to twice a week. A longer day of running, and a shorter speed training day. It is one of my less least favorite training activities, so it will always be a challenge.

Today's run was fantastic! A little Clap Your Hands Say Yeah on the iPod, the sun shining and a nice smooth road. What more can you ask for? A little warmth maybe? Ahhh I shouldn't be a whiner, but it was a little cold. It was probably mid 30's, but hey it was sunny!! On to the details. It was a 5.6 mile run, which is just how the route worked out. Meghan's Run side of the run is hilly, 2.6 miles. The Filager side of the run is flat, 3 miles. So it was a 5.6 mile run at 55 minutes.

2/18/2006 Strength Training

It felt like a bit of a down week this week. I still feel like I got some good workouts in, but it is a test of my motivation. In the past this would have been the start of a slow down in work outs. One week I only go a couple of times, then once in a week, then not at all. I need to keep up the workouts and start concentrating on some running. Some longer distance running. The Heart Mini will sneak up on me if I'm not careful.

15 minute eliptical to warm up and fat burning
composite leg press 110 lbs 2x12
seated row 70 lbs 2x12
chest press 70 lbs 2x10
shoulder press 65 2x10
front pull down 60 2x8
alternating dumbell curls 20 2x11
cable tricep pulldown 65 2x10
lower leg raise w/overhead 8lb (abs) 2x25

2/16/2006 Core Class & Spinning

I'm gonna keep this kind of short today and get to the point. The title pretty much says it all. Core class was a tough one yesterday. We did a lot of work on the bosu ball which is murder on my back. I'm going to ask the instructor about this, see if there is a problem with my form or maybe I'm just weak. That's more likely. 30 minutes of core class.

45 minute strength spinning class. The first 25 minutes of this class was really tough today coming out of core class. My legs felt a little like lead and didn't appreciate the "uphill" spinning. I loosened up after that and the final 20 felt pretty good. That pretty much sums it up. It's going to be a cold snowy weekend, so I'll probably be hitting the gym.

2/15/2006 Bicycling: Adjustments & Issues

Once I get all of the little kinks and issues worked out on this new bike it will be a fantastic ride. I have moments of pure bliss hammering down on that bike, but right now I've been plagued by small problems that has kept me from getting a completely enjoyable ride. I caught a break in the weather yesterday, well more than a break. It was a beautiful 55 degrees and sunny out. It was the kind of day that I'm usually begging for, by mid-February.

I was planning a nice long ride to Milford and then on to the bike path for a while. It has been a long time since I've been on the bike path and I was really looking forward to it. The ride overall was mostly flat with some rolling hills. It is a great ride to get comfortable on the aerobars and just roll. Unfortunately in my haste to get out the door and on the road I did not thoroughly check my tire pressure. I was so caught up in other issues with the derailleur and rear brakes that I skipped one of the most important steps in getting ready to ride. I will not be making that mistake again.

The derailleur and brake issues continue and now compounded by a flat tire. A flat tire that I got 13 miles into the ride. 13 miles from the house. It was a flat tire that I caused as well. I get to the bike path and see another guy getting ready to ride, so I asked if he had a bike pump I could borrow. He was nice enough to do so, so I started pumping. I didn't overinflate, but for some reason I blew out the valve and the tire went flat immediately. That was it, end of the ride.

I ended up walking back about 2 1/2 miles while I waited for my wife to come get me. So it wasn't exactly an excellent riding day. On the other hand it was a beautiful sunny day and I was outside. All things considered, still a great day.

2/12-2/13/2006 Race Day & Strength Training

2/12/2006 Race Day

The Labor of Love Race has become a nice race to begin the racing year and test of my training regiment. I was very happy with the results from this year. Before I get to the results I would like to discuss the conditions and the course. The weather conditions were cold and windy. It snowed and flurried all morning, but not enough to reall cover the ground. The hour or so before the race it cleared up a little and the sun poked out, but it was still cold and windy. The course is a hilly one. There aren't any monster hills that would wear you down right but the accumulation of 2 miles of up and down hills will certainly wear you out.

The goal was to run the race at under 15 minutes, and I more than met my goal. The first mile was downhill than up, so it was bound to be the faster mile. I also got off to a faster start than I had intended. I got caught up in the race day rush. I finished mile 1 at 6 minutes 35 seconds. The 2nd mile was a little tougher for several reasons. The fatigue set in from a fast mile 1 and there was more up hill during this half. The second mile split comes in at 7 minutes 20 seconds.

Race Time: 13:55

I am extremely happy with this time as it is a full minute faster than last year's race. It was by no means perfect though. I need to watch the starts and not get to caught up in the faster runners' paces. I am looking forward to the Heart Mini-Marathon in March.


2/13/2006 Strength Training

A little light strength training for a day after the race.

eliptical = 10 minutes on Fat Burning
JC BandsLunges with rows, 12 each side.
Wall sit w/15 lb. wts.
bicep curls = 1 minute
shoulder press = 1 minute
walking lunges = width of b-ball court and
backhip adductor=2 sets/12 reps 80 lbs.
hip abductor=2 sets/12 reps 80 lbs.
triple threat = 2 sets/ 12 ea.

2/09/2006 Triple Time - Eliptical, Core Training, Spinning

I love Thursdays at the gym. It's almost the end of the week and it is a great way to begin the unwinding process for the weekend and relieve stress. On this particular Thursday I did 30 minutes eliptical on fat burning which means keeping the heart rate around 123. After that was a 30 minute core class which was brutal this week. We did a bunch of exercises that involved holding the legs up in the air for long periods of time. My legs didn't want to cooperate.

Finally was a 60 minute interval spinning class. This has become one of my favorite spinning classes. She splits the class up into two "teams" that are facing each other. The two teams trade off doing intervals. While one team is sprinting or climbing the other team yells and cheers them on. It definitely makes the hour move along quickly. Thursday night spinning is something I always look forward to doing.

I'm taking today and tomorrow off from workouts. Sunday is the Labor of Love 2 mile race and I want to have fresh legs for the race. It is going to be a tough race, because even though it is a short race it is hilly and it is going to be cold. The weather report I heard today was to expect around 30 degrees for Sunday and possibly snow. That will make it interesting. My goal for the race is to finish at under 15 minutes. I think that is a reasonable goal and it will be a nice measure of how my training is going.

2/08/2006 Strength & Running

It was a combo day today. I ended up working a double Monday night, which means I didn't get home until 8 am Tuesday morning. Needless to say I wasn't much for working out yesterday. It felt good to have a day off and an excuse to be lazy, and it is not hard to justify a lazy day when you've been up for more than 24 hours.

Strength Training:

elliptical = 10 minutes on Fat Burning
JC BandsLunges with rows, 12 each side.
Wall sit w/12 lb. wts.
bicep curls = 1 minute
shoulder press = 1 minute
walking lunges = width of b-ball court and back
hip adductor=2 sets/12 reps 80 lbs.
hip abductor=2 sets/12 reps 80 lbs.
triple threat = 2 sets/ 12 ea.

The second part of the workout was the run. I didn't have quite enough time to do a long slow 5 miler, so I kept it to 3 miles and mixed it up a little bit. It started out as a tempo run and I threw in a few intervals to keep it interesting. I'll call it a 3 mile tempo run with a time of 26:49.

2/06/2006 Bicycling

Check out that sweet new ride! I finally caught a break in the weather today, and I was able to take the Fuji out for the maiden voyage. Well I sort of caught a break. As you can see by the picture there was still snow on the ground. It was sunny and that is all that mattered. I was determined to get out and ride.

It was a great ride. I was a little leary about riding in freezing temps, because it is something I have never really done before. After the initial shock of the cold air to the face and lungs I was able to settle in and it was actually a very enjoyable ride.
A few quick stats: Distance: 20.3 mi Avg: 14.5mph Time: 84 min.

The stats don't really say a whole lot though. I spent the first 3 miles making adjustments and moving very slow to get a feel for the bike and being careful because the road was pretty slick. The next 7 or 8 miles were flat to rolling hills along the river. This was the best part of the ride as I was still in the valley around town and there was very little wind. This changed after a quarter mile climb out of the valley to the "heights". The remaining 10 miles ranged from slightly windy to very windy. While this is usually my favorite part of the ride as it is completely flat and I can stretch out on the aerobars and pound the pedals the wind made it a little uncomfortable, but I have no complaints.

It's only five days until my first race of the year. It's a short race at only 2 miles, but it will be a great gauge of my training up to this point.

2/04/2006 - Strength Training

I was really hoping to get the new bike out on the road today, but alas, rain all morning that turned into snow. It is still coming down pretty hard. So, off to the gym I go. After a couple days of riding and running it was definitely time for some strength training. rarr. It was a machine kind of day, and here is how it went:

15 minute elliptical to warm up and do a little fat burning
composite leg press 110 lbs 2x12
seated row 70 lbs 2x12
chest press 70 lbs 2x12
shoulder press 65 2x10
front pull down 60 2x8
alternating dumbell curls 20 2x10
cable tricep pulldown 65 2x10
clamshell crunch w/overhead 8lb ball 2x25

My energy was good today and the workout felt great. I'm going to take tomorrow off and hope the snow goes away so I can get my bike out Monday or Tuesday. Here's hoping...

2/02-2/03/2006 Core, Spinning, Running

February 2, 2006

Thursday is always a busy workout day. I trucked it on over to the healthplex after work and got in just in time for the beginning of core class. 30 minutes of ab work to get the evening started. This is the third class and I can feel the difference that it is starting to make. The first two classes were just pure torture. This class was a little less torture, but still torture nonetheless.

A 60 minute Spinning class followed this up. It was a tough class today. After Wednesday's strength training my legs felt a little sluggish. It was a day to suck it up and push through. It was also tough because there was a substitute instructor in the class. I was having a tough time getting on board with her style of spinning. I don't really want to get into it, but it was just annoying.

February 3, 2006
Early morning run. I decided to toss in an early morning run because I am sick and need help. I bundled up, and hit the street around 6 am for a 3 mile tempo run. It was pitch black, so I had my trusty head lamp on. I thought I measured a 3 mile course, but I'm beginning to wonder. I felt like I kept up a good pace, but it took 35 minutes to complete it. It felt a little better today than my last early morning. It wasn't as cold, so I didn't feel like I was going to hack up a lung. It was just a better overall run.