As the journey continues

Last week on my diet and I have really really seen results. Even though, the last week I have cheated more than normal, actually a lot more I have been very happy with my results and have been so happy I have decided to continue the eating. After this weekend, I will continue the same eating, but will modify a little with the veggies and may add a little cheating on the weekends, gotta enjoy myself, right.
The physical appearance is clear, and the clothes are big, but unfortunately, the cardio is not where it should be or used to be. I have also found that I have been sick a little more recently than the last few years. Being sick has nothing to do with the diet, but has a lot to do with the kiddos.
For the next month, my plan is to work on my TRI training and am incorporating what I am learning from the book I am reading, The Time Crunched Triathlete which incorporates a HIT (High Intensity Training) focus. Less is more, but quality over quantity. Beginning early on in June, the Marathon training will begin and need to figure out what I am going to do. My goals for 2012 are simple and they are to get faster and stronger. The diet has been great, and now need to get my speed up as well.
The focus and goal is to do weights 3X per week, cardio 5-6X, Yoga at least 1X per week and work on stretching. Under cardio, will be adding a good 4-5 days of swimming, 4 days of running and 2-3 biking.. The road is long but the feeling of success is also a great feeling.

Onward.

Today's workout

Back in the gym today, swim and stretch. Today's workout will be a fast one, but intense. Below is the gym workout and cardio. Today is my running day off, so have to get in some cardio and not run to shock my body.
Weights: HIT Training (High Intensity Training Day)
Non Stop, for time.
Stretch in Sauna for about 15 minutes
1A)
Squats (Light) 135Lbs X 15 reps
Jump Rope
DB press 65Lb X10
Jump Rope
Pull ups (Very slow and holding at the top)
Jump Rope
1B)
DB Thrusters
Jumpe Rope
DB Curls
Dips
Jump Rope
Bike 5 minutes at level 25
Swim 1.4 Mile

In the afternoon, going to work on stretching and always do as many pull ups and push ups as I can while watchign TV. Will also be doing a bit of AB wheel exercises.

Onward.

Back again, Goal Feb 20th 2011

My eyes are on the Austin Marathon Feb 20, 2011 and I am locked in. Yesterday was day one of my Marathon training and it was not easy. Never thought 3 miles would be tough and all I could do was wonder, how in the world am I going to be able to finsih 26.2 miles. I still remember the pain and agony I went through last year in SA. The feeling of wanting to quit, the fact that I walked for a while, but at the end of the day I remember I was able to finish and at a good time. This year I hope to have learned from my 2009 first marathon and not only improve on my shortcomings but build on this and improve my time. My goal is 3:59:59 and with the right training and diet I can do it.
The first goal is going to be the 3M Half marathon and my goal is going to be around 1:50 or less. Anything under 1:53 I would be happy with. For now, the training has begun and looking forward to seeing what I can do this year.
So, Monday started with a 3 miiler and I ran inside where I will be doing most of my weekly runs. As I run on the treadmill I am running at an incline and increase and reduce my speed. Today was my 5 miler and so I was able to pick up the pace at the end to finish in 46:00 minute exactly. Outside I should be under 43 minutes as running at an incline greatly makes it more challenging and I am not able to go as fast.
Today at lunch I will be going back to the gym for Weight training. My training with weights will be 2-3 days per week. In addition to weight training I will be riding my bike at least 2X per week, swimming and doing Hot yoga once a week.
Hoping to be able to knock out my workouts in teh AM and then 3-4 days per week doubling up. the road is long, but if I want to accomplish my Goal I need to be focused and locked in.

Onward.

And it has begun again..

After a long break and weak workouts, it has begun again. today was day one of a solid two weeks, and then I begin marathon training again. for the next two weeks I plan on eating solid, and working out 6 days a week. today in the Am, I hit weights followed by cardio, an easy two miles running at an incline and prior I did a quick 10 minute weight workout. The workout consisted of 50 body squats, 10 pull ups, and 10 snatch and presses 3X non stop. As soon as I was done I jumped on the treadmill and set the incline at 2% for the first mile and 1% the second mile. Felt great today.. Now, need to also eat good and we are good.
On October 4th, we start Marathon training. This year we will be running the Austin Marathon and in preparation will also be running the 3M. Hoping to beat 1:50 for the half and approximately 4 hours for the full. Have a lot to prove to myself after running my first Full Marathon in 09 in SA. In order to get there have to lean down and work on the core.
Today at lunch, swimming time. going for a full mile.
Onward

Taper Down Week.

A few more days until my half marathon and I am as ready as I am going to be. This week I plan on getting in a lot of stretching and one more light jog. On Thursday and Saturday I plan on doing Yoga to make sure I am fully stretched out before Sunday. This year I am shooting for a time under 2:00 hours and should happen, just have to stay focused and make sure I keep track of my pace. Last week on my trial run I ran a time of 1:47 for 12 Miles and so if I can keep up that pace I should be able to run a 12 minute mile or less for the 13th mile.

Speed Work (Indoor and last one)

In an effort to run faster in my half, I have been working on speed work and have seen improvement. This is not the funnest of workouts but I believe they have been effective for me. I started this morning workout with a weight workout, supersetting body parts which is normally a typical workout for me. The workout today looked like this:
Warm up/Stretch
Good morning/Side to side leg Raises/Swiss Ball Roll 2X15
Bench Press/DB Pick up/Plate lifts
Flys/Arnold press with curl into Tricep extensions
Then jumped on the treadmill and ran 10X400's resting 30 seconds between set. The treadmill is set at 3% incline and 7.5 MPH which is about an 8 minute mile.

Head to work and eat..

My long run, Indoor!

This weekend was my long run, a cool 11 miles and because it was so cool outside I decided to run indoor. I do run on a treadmill but normally not more than 5 miles, that is about max. This Saturday, i went a cool 11 miles inside and it was not too bad. When running indoor, I can better pace myself and add more of a tempo run than running outside.
I started my run at a 3% incline and 6.1MPH. Our treadmills are set up where you can see a picture of a track and so on the turns I normally increase the speed and then decrease on the straightaway. So.... as I started so slow, I felt sluggish and decided that on my very first turn I bumped up the speed to 7MPH and then back to 6.1. From there I changed the speeds and after my first mile I reduced the incline to 2.5% and gradually decreased the incline and increased the speed. Towards the end of the run I was at a 1.0% incline and alternating between 6.8MPH and 7.5MPH. At the end of the run I did my last 400M at a 9MPH-12MPH for the last 200Meters. Overall it was nice to run on the treadmill and best of all stay warmp.
Tonight, I am hitting the pavement for a cool and I do mean cool 5 Miles.

Wow! Plyo-Endurance FRIDAY!

Wow, new limits this morning, we did out plyo/endurance workout and it was something else. 32 minutes of non stop action, and pain. The workout was posted yesterday, and it was not a lot of fun.

The workout progressively got tougher and tougher and the icing on the cake was the Rowing, 500 Meters in less than 2 minutes. 1:46 to be exact, which is now my PR. The best I had done before was 1:57 and I could have shaved a few more seconds. My goal is going to be 1:30 by the summertime. I also need to add a second set for true fun and pain.

In addition to the rowing being tough, I never thought the Bicep Curl and Tricep Dips would be so tough. I was gased at this point.

This will be the only workout for the day, and tonight will stretch and Girlie is getting her workout in. Tomorrow, got a cool Frosty 10-11 miles. Lets see how that goes, I hope it is not too terribly cold, but I think and know i will be wrong.

On a Roll, Day 3.

The momentum is good, Day 3 today and day 2 was not bad. Actually, it has been relatively easy to change my eating habits. Girlie has done a great job of preparing our meals and simply tell me what to eat and when. So far so good. I plan on learning more and more so that I can help with the meal preparation and then it should be smooth sailing.
I have not weighed myself in fear of how much weight I gained over the break, but my wife has lost 3.5Lbs so far. Most of it was probably water from the weekend, so we will see when she loses another 2-3 lbs if this weight loss will sustain.
As for food, there is plenty to eat, I have the same breakfast everyday which is a lot of food, and normally we change up Lunch, and dinner. Yesterday for lunch I had chicken with broccoli and a pineapple. I continue to have my snacks and fruit later in the day. For dinner last night, we had 8oz of Turkey, Green Beans (from Bill Miller-The best around), toast and fruit. The fruit should not be eaten after 6, so my bad on that one.
The workouts have been going great, I went to the gym in the AM on Mon and Tuesday but did miss this morning. I am going at lunch for a quick 3 miler. Yesterday, we did 7X400's and weights along with abs.
Tomorrow is weight day again, and we are only doing weights so will go heavy. Looking forward to my weigh in tomorrow. The only problem tomorrow is that it is New year and we are going out to dinner, but I do hope to be good.. :) The real test is going to be this weekend, lets see what happens.
Onward

Day 1, so far so good..

Yesterday was day one of my "comeback".. Kicked off the day with a trip to the gym, and knocked out an easy 3 miles at a comfortable pace with some stretching. After my run, I rode at another easy pace on the stationary bike for 4 miles and a total of 10 minutes.
Throughout the day I ate my recommended dietary foods, below is a breakdown of my meal plan for day one.
AM-10 Grapes
1 Cup Skim Milk
1 Egg
1 Cup Shredded Bran Cereal
Lunch-Two Stuffed Egg Plant
3 Slices Pineapple
Snack-Pria Bar
Apple
Dinner: 8 oz Chicken
Two pieces of toast
2 cups of Broccoli
Tons and tons of water.. Overall I felt good and my energy levels were good. The eating was not bad at all and actually felt full and content. I did not get hungry at night, the fact that my fiber intake is up, that is very helpful since Fiber makes you feel full, and full longer.
Before Dinner last night, the wife and i went for a two mile run. I plan on doing two a days for most days, some of the Pm workouts will be working out with Wifey, this will motivate her, and for me it will be an easy workout. On to day two..
Onward.

The latest challenge after the Holidays

Well, the Holidays are here and gone, and time to pick it up a bit or a lot. During the Holidays we went to many christmas Parties and gatherings and it was hard to say no to all the delicious food and drinks. It was pretty cold most of the time, so the idea of going outside for a run or a workout was thrown out the window.
Yesterday, I realized how quickly you get out of shape and gaine weight. I had a hard time running 2 miles, and this is after being able to run in a marathon. The time is now, once again to step it up and not only challenge myself again, but most importantly tweak my diet. When dieting the most important thing is self discipline but also having a good support system around you. I have decided to lose 12lbs before Jan 24, 2009 which is going to be my next run, the 3M half marathon. The weight may be more or less depending on how much weight I actually did gain. My goal is a rock solid 185Lbs by race day.
In order to accomplish my goal, my wife Girlie and myself will be dieting or actually changing our eating habits. She previously completed the Quick Weight loss diet and really did well and enjoyed it since this diet is eating functional foods and getting plenty of veggies, fruits, starches and lean proteins. Today is Day 1, and so far so good. Breakfast was tasty and look forward to my lunch, snacks and dinner.
As for the workouts, I will be continuing my running routine, following the Hal Higdon Intermediate Half Marathon training and will be lifting weights, riding and swimming. The best results I have seen was during my Tri training. By shocking my body, i was dropping Lbs quickly safely and effectively. Lets see what my results will be this time around. I am hoping to not only lose the weight but also set a PR at the 3M with a time under 2:00 Hours which is a pace of 9:08 and this for me is a stretch..

Onward.

The Final Stretch..

After 17 1/2 weeks of training, it is finally here. My first Marathon is this weekend at the ATT Rock N Roll marathon.. Yes, a full 26.2 miles are in my future on Monday. I am very nervous yet anxious to get this one under my belt. This will be the farthest and longest I will have ever run. Previously our training had us doing a 20 mile run and after the 20 miles I could not feel my legs, so I am looking forward to seeing what happens on Sunday. I definitely see an "Ice bath" after the race.
The road has been long and tough in training for this milestone. There were many many nights and mornings I did not want to get up or go run. Many nights I wanted to simply quit my training, but I fought through it all. It is amazing what you can accomplish with the proper training and nutrition. Lets see what happens this weekend.

Onward.

I cant feel my legs

Yesterday was my final longest run before my Marathon, and ended up doing a little over 20 miles. the run did not seem that tough, but when we finished, I could not feel my legs. Today, I am sore and feel like I got hit by a truck. I cant imagine what my legs will feel like come race day, but I sure will be excited to finish this race. This has been such an experience to this point. to push my body to this limit, running 30-40 miles per week sure takes a toll on your body. There is a lot of commitment that goes into training for somethign like this. One day, I plan on training for a full blown out Ironman.
From now until Nov 15th, I do want to continue working on my core, conditioning, and incorporate a lot of cross training. I am also planning on stepping up the YOGA. If I could change anything to this point, I would have lifted more weights and would have done more plyometrics. I have not performed any plyometrics for a long time.
In addition to my workouts, right now is when i will be changing my diet. I hope and plan to eat clean most days, with maybe one cheat day. The Alchol needs to reduced if not completely gone from my routine.
So much to do, and such a short period of time.. I hope that I will be ready.

The long cold and dark Road

Halfway with Week 12 of my 18 week training for my First marathon.. The roads have been long and lonely lately. As my training progresses, the runs get longer, colder and lonlier. However, I am turning these runs into a positive as there is so much that goes on in my head as I am running. What do you think about for 2-3 hours while you are running, looking forward listening to the same music you have been listening to the last few weeks?

Lately I have turned the struggle of having to run into positives. First of all, I feel great after my run, but best of all I get to clear my head every single time. All the stress I am facing, fears or struggles seem to go away every time I am done. Yesterday, for example I kept thinking of my wife and baby girl, Kendall. I am so thankful for the abilities God has given me and the great family I am blessed with.

The road is long, and I have 6 more weeks to go, I am still in denial that I can and will be running 26 miles. Currently 16 is the most I have ran in my training and EVER. So, I welcome the challenge and let the training continue.

ONward

Running on an empty Gas..

This has been an extremely tough week for my own personal workouts. I feel as I am out of gas, and can not wait until my Day off. Days like tomorrow are key in my training. Without "rest" days, the body will not repair itself, and you will not grow or lose weight. I have seen that my body goes into defense mode and I do more harm than good when I dont take some time off.
Today, not only have I been super tired, but super hungry as well. Times like this, you need to listen to your body, and feed it fuel to help you repair and recover. Thanks goodness for Recovery drinks, and nutrition.
Tonight is a quick 3 mile run, and then a Day of REST REST REST...
Saturday is going to be a big day, I am heading out for a 13.1 mile run. This is the third time I have ever ran this much, and the miles will continue. I am ready for the challenge and the real challenge and mileage will begin now. Towards the end of my training, I am going to run 20 miles and then will taper off and get ready for the marathon. This again, will be a super huge accomplishment for myself.
In the meantime, the Spartanettes (now known as the 2 lonely wolves) had a super workout yesterday. Both Amy and Girlie pushed themselves and altough the workout was indoor, it was challenging for them both. Next week, the workouts are going to move to a controlled environment where they will be working out at the gym. The weight workouts are only a supplement to their 5K training. The 5K "Keep Austin Weird" is quickly approaching and I am excited to see them participate in such a cool event, and this is their first run. Good Spartanettes.
Onward.

Battlefield Beat Up!

My own personal marathon Training continues, and it seems to get tougher and tougher every day and every workout. I begun doing weights again yesterday and decided to go heavy. today, my legs feel like Jello... I had a 3 miler today, and the first mile seemed like I was running in cement.
The pain went away after the first mile, and finished pretty strong. However, currently I am dying. The pain is extreme, and thinking I have a 6 miler on Wed, 3 mile on thursday and 13.1 (Yes 13.1) on Saturday.. I am in more and more pain.
These are the times that on Nov 15th after 5 hours of running, I will have a HUGE sense of accomplishment. It takes so much time and dedication for Marathon training, but I have to accomplish my last goal of 2009.
As of now, i am running on Fumes.. I sure wish I would have ate better over the weekend, the fact that I ate horrible does not help. It has impacted my training tremendously.

Weekend Activities

Today is Day off, no workout planned today. Time to relax and let muscles heal.
Exciting weekend is lined up for fitness enthusiasts. Tomorrow morning, heading out to Town lake so that Spartanette (Girlie) can get a 1.5-2.00 mile run and Hubbie a 6 miler. Following this leisure run, we are heading to Gold's gym for a cool session of Yoga. Yoga is at Tech Ridge at 11:30. Join us if you can.
Sunday is bike ride day, heading out to the Hills of P-Ville for a 30-40 mile ride, gonna try and get out early to beat the heat.

Tis the season to start running.

Goal #3 for 2009, my First Marathon.. My training starts this week for the SA Rock N Roll Marathon on Nov 15th, 2009. This week should be an easy week, running a total of 15 miles. Training starts tomorrow.
For you Spartanettes, I would like to challenge you to run either your first or another 5K in October. In October, Pflugerville is hosting the first Pfall Pfreak out to beneift Rowe Lane Elementary on October 24th. This would be a great time to start running and train for your first 5K. Below is a training schedule you can follow on your own that will get you ready for your first 5K. In addition to the Spartanette training, you can follow the schedule below and start your training.
The training is for 8 weeks, so you have plenty of time to start training. I would not start until probabaly the middle part of August. This way, your conditioning is better and you can start running the full distances rather than walk/run at first until you get in shape.
Week Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 Rest or run/walk 1.5 m run Rest or run/walk 1.5 m run Rest 1.5 m run 30- 60 min walk
2 Rest or run/walk 1.75 m run Rest or run/walk 1.5 m run Rest 1.75 m run 35-60 min walk
3 Rest or run/walk 2 mi run Rest or run/walk 1.5 m run Rest 2 MI run 40-60 min walk
4 Rest or run/walk 2.25 m run Rest or run/walk 1.5 m run Rest 2.25 m run 45-60 min walk
5 Rest or run/walk 2.5 m run Rest or run/walk 2 m run Rest 2.5 m run 50-60 min walk
6 Rest or run/walk 2.75 m run Rest or run/walk 2 m run Rest 2.75 m run 55-60 min walk
7 Rest or run/walk 3 m run Rest or run/walk 2 m run Rest 3 m run 60 min walk
8 Rest or run/walk 3 m run Rest or run/walk 2 m run Rest Rest 5-K Race

The schedule above is from Hal Higdon, whose schedule I followed during my first Half Marathon and I will be following his Marathon Training Guide.

You will also want to change your diet, and details will follow. If you are interested in doing your first 5K or another, let me know.
I want to also say how proud I am of my wife who ran a full mile in 9:53 on Friday. She did great, and this is such an incredible task since Danielle could not run more than 1/4 mile a month ago.. Way to go, Girlie!!!
Rain or Shine, we are on Tonight for Spartanette Camp.

TRI-Done!

Goal #1 for 2009, 3M Half Marathon....Done

Goal #2 for 2009, Pflugerville Tri.....DONE..

Wow, what a day I had on Sunday, finally Tri time, and what a Tri it was. This was my first Tri, but definetly not my last. I was very nervous going into the weekend, but a good buddy of mine told me to "Enjoy the moment" and that I did. Wow, what an event.

I got to the Tri at 6:15 Am and there were already over 200 people there. The Tri started at 7:30 and my wave started at 7:45. I was mostly nervous about the swim, and for some reason the swim was the easiest of all. I was expecting to swim my 500 Meters in 15 minutes and ended up swimming in 13:42..

As soon as I got out of the water, off to the bike I went, I got out of the water around 7:58ish and was dressed and ready to go on the bike around 8:03 Am..got on the bike and got my momentum going. It was an exhilirating experience passing up people and unfortunately getting passed up. Once I got around the corner at mile 14, I began standing a bit more and stretching out my legs for the final round.. The 5K run. As soon as I got to my final transition, I got my running shoes on, hat and was off. The transition area is about 1 minute away from where my bike was.
As soon as I passed the starting line for the run, my legs were extremely heavy, and I honestly did not think I could go on. I kept mentally telling myself I could and to push through the pain. It was at this moment that I began to think of how "cool" it was going to be to knock out my run and finish what I set out to accomplish.

Around mile 2-3 I was passed by a younger girl who began to slow down when she passed me, then I passed her and so forth. We actually started chit chatting and it was good because it took my mind off things towards the end. Towards the end we both put in on overdrive and finished the race. Not only was I pushing myself, but I kept thinking of how awesome crossing the line would be and also to see my wife and daughter.. Sure enough, I finished the race, and the first person I saw was my wife. I then looked down and there was my Kendall Belle.. Oh what a day and what a finish. I have to admit, I got emotional at the end.

My goal was 1:30 and I finished right at 1:30:16 seconds... However, if it was not for my transitions, I would have been in the low 1:2XX's.. It took me about 4-6 minutes while getting dressed (which adds up to your time).

What did I learn from this: The first thing is that I can honestly accomplish anything I set my mind to. Second, it is a lot of work to get ready for a Tri, and my hat goes off to the IRONman folks. That is nothing but heart, just to finish is somethign else.

I look forward to my next TRI in 2010. For the remainder of the year, I will continue to train as if I was training for a TRI, but will focus on my Marathon on November 15, 2009 at the SAn Antonio Rock N Roll Marathon.

Almost there.

Almost there, just a few more days to TRI time. I cant wait. This training has been something else, sure has taken a lot of time but has been fun. The only regrets I have so far is the lack of training outside, a good bike and a workout buddy.
In looking back at my training, I am happy with what I have done, but do wish I would have swam outside more, gotten a better bike and had someone to workout with. Being that this is my first tri, it is a learning experience. I dont know if I will do another Tri, or how much I am going to like it on Sunday. But I do know that I have enjoyed Swimming, and biking a lot more than I thought I would. I do know that i will do my best to do the P-Ville tri every year. who knows maybe Ill do others, but for now I need to tackle one hurdle at a time.
Because the borrowed bike is too big for me, I have had issues with my neck and shouulders. I am going to have to rent one, and am pretty excited.
Tonight, I am doing YOGA and might get a quick jog in.. As I begin to taper down, i am doing less and less. I have not touched a weight all week, and plan on doing more stretching the rest of the week, and will try and get in the water tomorrow again.

Stay tuned