Friday, March 11, 2011

Pushing the Boundaries

I haven't been doing as many workouts this month as I have last month, but the intensity of them is up.

On Sunday I did the 10km Sri Chinmoy fun run. I managed to get a time of 64:25, which is my best 10km of recent times. My second 5km was just over 31 minutes, which is amazing for me. Amazing considering the hills that are on the course, especially at the 9km point. I have not felt physical exhaustion like that before.

Yesterday I had my first PT session with my new trainer, Scott. It was just a short 15 minute Cross Fit test to set a benchmark and for Scott to see what level I am up to. It didn't sound so bad, I had to do:

* 5 bar over my head things
* 10 push ups (knees)
* 15 sit ups (anchored)
* 20 squats
* 250m on the rower

Then again, and again, and again. As much as I can in 15 minutes. I managed to get through 3 full sets and got up to sits ups in the fourth (did about 4).

The first two sets were a piece of cake, and I did them within the first half of the 15 minutes. The 3rd was harder, the 4th was just agony. I felt pretty wrecked afterwards. As horrible as it was, I was pleased I had given it my absolute all.

Scott said the way he trains, I will hit a wall many times with him where I physically won't be able to do what he tells me. Sounds horrible, but it's what I want.

I suspect I will spew in at least one of the sessions with him

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There is less than a month until the half marathon. Scary. This weekend I am going to *attempt* a 15km run. The forecast is shit, so not sure if I can do it outside. I'd really rather not do it on the tready, but I might have to.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Outside running, PT interviews

A good friend of mine who completed the February 100km challenge with me, has decided to do 50km of outside running in March. I think I am also going to attempt to achieve this, although not as officially as I did the February 100km Challenge.

So far, I've done 7km!

Last night I did 7km of the 10km Sri Chinmoy Running Course that I am running on Sunday in a fun run. I was hoping that being aware of the course I am doing will help on Sunday. I was particularly interested in it as it's described as hilly and challenging. The last run I did that was described as challenging I didn't believe it really would be..

It has quite a few hills. It's an out and back course, and unfortunately all hills are up and down, so on the way back you practically have to do them again.

My pace for my run yesterday was shithouse, but my heart rate was in the 150s for quite a bit of it. Usually my heart rate is in the 160-170s, sometimes in the 180s. This is a good sign.

After the run I felt confident that I will be able to do the Canberra Half Marathon in just over 5 weeks. Yes I have to do what I did x 3, but I think at that pace (over 7 minute per km) I'l be alright. It'll be a slow going 21km, but it's totally doable.

Going to do another outside run tonight, might just run near my house though.

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Tonight I am meeting another potential PT. He works out of my gym, which is lucky. I just did some research on him and he does CrossFit training, and has trained one of the local AFL teams. Excellent signs.

I think he'll be intense enough. However, I'm worried that I'll meet him, and he'll assign another trainer to me.

I still haven't used my 3 PT sessions at my gym, which I bought in August. Oops.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Burning at Flames Fitness

Last night I had a Personal Training session at Flames Fitness. Flames Fitness is a 'Personal Fitness Training' gym, so it's not like any other gym I've been too.

The easiest way to describe it is like a Biggest Loser training session, but I'd say without the intensity. There are many trainers floating around the gym, and many people per trainer. The trainers go around to each person, tell them what to do, go to the next, etc.

I really liked the environment, I had the guidance and assistance of my trainer, but when it came to doing the actual workouts I was left to my own devices. There is the chance of not doing what they tell you to do, so you need some of your own internal motivation, but I don't have a problem with that.

I have another session lined up for tomorrow after work, and I'm going to consider joining. I might also try some other Personal Trainers. Not sure yet.

The workout I did at Flames was pretty intense. I did lots of arm/back exercises with weights. Then some leg exercises with the fit ball. I then did a crazy 10 minute interval workout on the treadmill, then 5 x 200m on the rowing machine, ab work, and finished with 5 minutes on the cross trainer with 30 second sprint intervals. The cross trainer was by far the worst. At this point I wanted to cry, I wanted to give up. This was the point where I realised hey, I could give up and he would never know, but where I am going to get doing that? Nowhere, so I pushed through each interval, and made sure my last interval was my best.

One of the positives of this gym is, they make sure you stretch after. This is something that I don't do that much of after workouts.

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I haven't been running (except for the 1.5km on Monday in my Frees) since finishing the 100km on Saturday. Tonight I plan on doing a test of the Sri Chinmoy 10km course that I'm running on Sunday morning. It's a 10km 'hilly, challenging' course. Sounds terrible. Would be fantastic if I can do it today and on Sunday.

After this weekend I need to ramp up my kms, really would like to try to do a 15km over the long weekend (12-14th March). Just need to find somewhere where I can run that far.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Weight success, New shoes, March training

On Sunday morning I did a Wii Fit weigh-in. For awhile I was doing them every morning, but lately I've only been doing it a few times a week. Sunday morning was the first morning weigh-in in some time.

Somehow (possibly from lots of running and not eating much), between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning I lost 1.8kg! It's the biggest weight jump I've had on Wii Fit. This put my BMI to 25.08, which is *SO* close to ideal. I haven't been 'ideal' according to Wii Fit for 2 years.

I also tried on a few pairs of old jeans, I have a pair of 3/4 jeans I have had for nearly 10 years. These have always been my 'if these fit, I'm happy with my weight'. At my lightest in 2007 I was able to take these jeans off without undoing them. Anyway, I tried them on a couple of weeks ago and couldn't do them up. On Sunday, I could do them up! I wouldn't quite say they fit, they're a bit too tight to comfortably wear. I'd say in 2kg they will be wearable. Exciting. I have another pair of shorts that I really like that are even closer to fitting. I think I need to grab my old clothes from storage and see what fits! Will save me buying new clothes.

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Last night I did a short outside run in my "Nike Free Run+" shoes. This is the first time I've attempted 'barefoot' running. The shoes really do force you to run differently. I found it alright, I felt that I exerted myself much less with the running style, my heart rate was very low, in the 150s, and the run felt like nothing. I only did 1.5km, but it felt like I didn't even do a km. That also could be the outside running helping with that....

After the run my right foot muscles (on top of my foot) hurt, and my calves were pretty tight. I think I am going to wait until after the half marathon before training myself to run in these shoes. I have very little time to prepare for the 21km (less than 6 weeks now), and don't want to waste any time.

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Tonight I have my first trial PT session at a 'Personal Training Gym'. I've always been a bit funny about personal trainers that work at gyms, but if this is a pure personal training gym, it might be okay. At least it's free to give it a go.

This Sunday I have a 10km Sri Chinmoy Fun Run. I paid for it yesterday, so I'm locked in (although $15 doesn't really lock me in...). Apparently it's quite hilly and challenging. According to the half marathon training guide I printed out I should be running 16km this weekend. I think 10km outside with hills and with people is much better to do. I'll try to get closer to 15km the weekend after.

Pleased there is a long weekend soon, I need the extra days off for training! I need to try for some long runs (10km+) a couple of times a week, and I can't do that at lunch time, and I don't really like running after work.

I also need to try to do 2km under 10minutes. I've decided this is my only March challenge, the speed work once or twice a week will be good, and I don't see it impacting on my half marathon training.