I went running this morning with my youngest brother. We ran a mile for time and I bested my time from Saturday by 20 seconds. I went from 8:05 to 7:43, which is pretty good. It's still not my best time but that will come, hopefully Sunday.
After the mile run, we walked one lap and went right into our sprints. I didn't think my brother would be able to last, and I was right. But it's because he's not used to running like that. Training that way is very difficult, especially when you aren't used to running for distance. Jesse runs well in soccer but it's a different beast when you run intervals and sprints, as we did today.
I actually felt good throughout the entire run. Although I didn't do as much as I did on Saturday - I didn't run the cool-down mile - I still felt good and I still got loads from the workout.
One thing I noticed about my heart rate... it pretty much stayed above 160 when I was running the sprints, and in fact stayed above 170 for most of it. It fluctuated between 170 and 180-something. I didn't see it get up to 187 but that may have been in the middle or end of one of my last sprints. I saw it go to 185 or so, I think.
Here are the vitals:
Time: 36:00
In zone: 10:40
Avg hr: 166
Max hr: 187
Cal: 587
Friday, June 20, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Second monitor
I used my trusty Polar watch/heart rate monitor again on Wednesday. I barely noticed the strap around my torso.
I had some more observations regarding my 42-minute interval cardio session. The deeper I got into my run, the higher my heart rate stayed. For instance, about 30 minutes into it my heart rate did not dip below 160.
I also amped up the runs to 5.8 and 7.5. I still want to keep the low one at a steady pace and felt that 6.0 wouldn't be that steady so I stayed on 5.8. The 7.5 isn't too bad. It's challenging but it doesn't leave me wasted. Also, I ran my final 2-minute sprint at a 9.0.
Here are the stats:
Date: 06/18/08
Total time: 1:07:25
In zone: 35:47
Avg hr: 135
Max hr: 185
Cal: 730
I had some more observations regarding my 42-minute interval cardio session. The deeper I got into my run, the higher my heart rate stayed. For instance, about 30 minutes into it my heart rate did not dip below 160.
I also amped up the runs to 5.8 and 7.5. I still want to keep the low one at a steady pace and felt that 6.0 wouldn't be that steady so I stayed on 5.8. The 7.5 isn't too bad. It's challenging but it doesn't leave me wasted. Also, I ran my final 2-minute sprint at a 9.0.
Here are the stats:
Date: 06/18/08
Total time: 1:07:25
In zone: 35:47
Avg hr: 135
Max hr: 185
Cal: 730
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
First monitored workout
I could get used to this heart rate thing. My watch, which is a Polar watch, is nice. If you haven't read the post about me getting one, skip down below and then come back here. It'll make more sense.
I strapped on the sensor around my torso and went about my workout. One unexpected positive side effect was that the machines I used read my heart rate monitor as well. The bike I used to warm up and the treadmill I used during my cardio portion of my workout had the same measurements as my watch did.
My resting heart rate was at around 51 or so, which is pretty good. I got my heart rate up to around 120 after my 5-minute warmup session. I did four different weightlifting exercises, all on machines. I found that my third set in each was the one my heart rate increased the most afterwards. I got my heart rate up to the 140s during the third sets of all of them. For the most part, though, it was around 120 or 130.
On the cardio part, I saw some intersting things. I wish I could have kept track of the times and the heart rates during those specific times but I made some mental notes.
After my 5-minute warmup, my heart rate was at about 120 or so. Initially, my heart rate got up to around 160 when I ran at 7.3 and dipped down to the low 150s during the 5.7 times. At the end of my first 12-minutes of rounds, my heart rate was somewhere in the low 160s during the last 5.7 run. I walked three minutes and it got down to the high 140s.
But my heart rate was consistently high afteward. I was at or above 170 for most of the following 7.3 runs. During the last portion of my interval session, I noticed that my heart rate was staying higher. It was in the mid-160s during my 5.7 runs and got up to the mid-170s during the 7.3 runs. So even though I hadn't maintained the same consistent pace, my heart rate was going up and down and overall was pretty high, which is a good thing.
My two-minute sprint, which is at minutes 35 and 36 of the entire 42-minute session, were pretty high. I was at the high 170s and got up to my maximum heart rate of 187 by the end. It was interesting to see it climb and climb as I ran and ran. Monday was the fastest I've ever run on the 'mill before as I got it up to a 9.0. It was certainly challenging but something I was able to accomplish without a lot of extra effort, so I suppose in some ways it's time to amp up those cardio sessions. Maybe I'll go to a 6.0 and 7.5. We'll see.
So here are the statistics from my first Polar workout session:
Date: 06/16/08
Total time: 1:09:03
In zone: 36:40
Avg hr: 143
Max hr: 187
Cal: 844
I'll have to figure out what my target heart rate zone is. If and when I go see my doctor I'll try and find that information out. Until then, I'll have to scour the Web to see what I come up with.
I suppose my next challenge will be using the Polar watch to see how I run during my outdoor running sessions, but for now I've been limited to the gym. I am anxious to see how I do outside with the watch so I'll go on a run this week with it and see how my heart rate differs from the gym workouts.
I strapped on the sensor around my torso and went about my workout. One unexpected positive side effect was that the machines I used read my heart rate monitor as well. The bike I used to warm up and the treadmill I used during my cardio portion of my workout had the same measurements as my watch did.
My resting heart rate was at around 51 or so, which is pretty good. I got my heart rate up to around 120 after my 5-minute warmup session. I did four different weightlifting exercises, all on machines. I found that my third set in each was the one my heart rate increased the most afterwards. I got my heart rate up to the 140s during the third sets of all of them. For the most part, though, it was around 120 or 130.
On the cardio part, I saw some intersting things. I wish I could have kept track of the times and the heart rates during those specific times but I made some mental notes.
After my 5-minute warmup, my heart rate was at about 120 or so. Initially, my heart rate got up to around 160 when I ran at 7.3 and dipped down to the low 150s during the 5.7 times. At the end of my first 12-minutes of rounds, my heart rate was somewhere in the low 160s during the last 5.7 run. I walked three minutes and it got down to the high 140s.
But my heart rate was consistently high afteward. I was at or above 170 for most of the following 7.3 runs. During the last portion of my interval session, I noticed that my heart rate was staying higher. It was in the mid-160s during my 5.7 runs and got up to the mid-170s during the 7.3 runs. So even though I hadn't maintained the same consistent pace, my heart rate was going up and down and overall was pretty high, which is a good thing.
My two-minute sprint, which is at minutes 35 and 36 of the entire 42-minute session, were pretty high. I was at the high 170s and got up to my maximum heart rate of 187 by the end. It was interesting to see it climb and climb as I ran and ran. Monday was the fastest I've ever run on the 'mill before as I got it up to a 9.0. It was certainly challenging but something I was able to accomplish without a lot of extra effort, so I suppose in some ways it's time to amp up those cardio sessions. Maybe I'll go to a 6.0 and 7.5. We'll see.
So here are the statistics from my first Polar workout session:
Date: 06/16/08
Total time: 1:09:03
In zone: 36:40
Avg hr: 143
Max hr: 187
Cal: 844
I'll have to figure out what my target heart rate zone is. If and when I go see my doctor I'll try and find that information out. Until then, I'll have to scour the Web to see what I come up with.
I suppose my next challenge will be using the Polar watch to see how I run during my outdoor running sessions, but for now I've been limited to the gym. I am anxious to see how I do outside with the watch so I'll go on a run this week with it and see how my heart rate differs from the gym workouts.
Rating my heart
I finally got my hands on a heart rate monitor. It was one of my Father's Day gifts, along with an array of much-needed kitchen supplies.
My watch is fantastic. It serves as a regular old-fashioned wrist watch and stop watch, which I needed anyway. But the best thing is that I can now keep track of my heart rate, which I did on Monday.
The only minor drawback is that I need to wear something around my abdomen while I work out in order for the watch to read my heart rate. It's a strap that goes around my back and then connects to a plastic device that runs across my torso. It's pretty thin and snug and I wore it for several hours yesterday and worked out just fine. I felt it on me but it wasn't uncomfortable. It's actually worth whatever bit of discomfort or whatever other feelings I had initially about it. I suppose it's a small price to pay to be able to read my heart rate.
Some of the better features of this watch:
- It keeps track of your heart rate and records both the average and maximum heart rates during your workout.
- It lets you set your target heart rate zone and alerts you when you get to it and drop out of it. That way you can adjust your workout accordingly.
- It records the total time of your workouts and the total time you spent in your target heart rate zone.
- It keeps track of your calories burned during your workout.
That's just what I've learned following one workout and studying the manual a bit when I first got the watch, on Sunday. I actually wanted to work out as soon as I got the watch in my hands but had to wait a day to do so.
I've got to do some research into my target heart rate zone. The watch suggested 122-160 for me, as I input my data (age, gender, height, weight, etc.) before using it. I adjusted it slightly higher, to 125-165 but I need to find the exact heart rate because even 5 bpms can be a big difference.
I'm going to keep track of my workout totals, including Monday's which I'll post in a second. So expect to see more details from my runs/workouts.
My watch is fantastic. It serves as a regular old-fashioned wrist watch and stop watch, which I needed anyway. But the best thing is that I can now keep track of my heart rate, which I did on Monday.
The only minor drawback is that I need to wear something around my abdomen while I work out in order for the watch to read my heart rate. It's a strap that goes around my back and then connects to a plastic device that runs across my torso. It's pretty thin and snug and I wore it for several hours yesterday and worked out just fine. I felt it on me but it wasn't uncomfortable. It's actually worth whatever bit of discomfort or whatever other feelings I had initially about it. I suppose it's a small price to pay to be able to read my heart rate.
Some of the better features of this watch:
- It keeps track of your heart rate and records both the average and maximum heart rates during your workout.
- It lets you set your target heart rate zone and alerts you when you get to it and drop out of it. That way you can adjust your workout accordingly.
- It records the total time of your workouts and the total time you spent in your target heart rate zone.
- It keeps track of your calories burned during your workout.
That's just what I've learned following one workout and studying the manual a bit when I first got the watch, on Sunday. I actually wanted to work out as soon as I got the watch in my hands but had to wait a day to do so.
I've got to do some research into my target heart rate zone. The watch suggested 122-160 for me, as I input my data (age, gender, height, weight, etc.) before using it. I adjusted it slightly higher, to 125-165 but I need to find the exact heart rate because even 5 bpms can be a big difference.
I'm going to keep track of my workout totals, including Monday's which I'll post in a second. So expect to see more details from my runs/workouts.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
I miss Harry
I went to the gym today. The workout went fine, both my lifting and cardio. I felt good about myself afterward, felt like I challenged myself and was up for the challenge. But I still had an empty feeling nonetheless.
I miss Harry Potter. I miss Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Hermione Granger and Dumbledore.
Harry was instrumental in my weight loss, you see. I got my iPod before I started my weight-loss journey, when I was well over 300 pounds. I didn't think I'd use it for anything but music but I got a lot of audiobooks and that really helped keep me going.
So after I was done with my trainer, I figured that I'd need something to keep me going back to the gym. It was hard work trying to find the motivation to keep going so I figured if I had something to look forward to while I was there, that would work.
I had the entire Harry Potter collection on my iPod, thanks to my brother Danny, except for the last book which hadn't come out then. I figured it was popular so I might as well give it a try.
The first time I started listening to the story about the scrawny 11-year-old boy with scraggly hair and a wizarding past, I must have weighed around 250 pounds, maybe more. I don't remember the first time I listened to the first Harry Potter book, the Sorcerer's Stone. In fact, I wasn't all that crazy about it the first time I did. Nor even after the first book. But Harry Potter kept me going. Every time I went to the gym, I would listen to an hour or 90 minutes worth of Harry Potter.
By the middle of the second book, the Prisoner of Azkaban, I started to really get into it. But by the time I started listening to the third book the Goblet of Fire, I was hooked. I'd only allow myself to listen to Harry Potter when I was at the gym. That was my rule. Under no circumstances would I ever allow myself to listen to Harry Potter when I wasn't at the gym. And I actually stuck to that rule, no matter how many times I wanted to advance the story. I stuck to it until the very end, which I'll get to.
As soon as I walked into gym, I'd fire it up. Whenever I went onto the elliptical, Harry was pondering Voldemort's whereabouts. Whenever I hit the weight machines, Hermione and Ron were chasing after Draco. When I lifted the free weights, there was some quidditch match going on.
My plan of having Harry Potter motivate me worked. Going to the gym wasn't as much of a chore as long as Harry was around.
Part of me worried, though. Part of me wondered what would happen if I finished the series (because even though the books were 20 hours long, or in the case of the Order, 28 hours long) I knew I'd finish them at some point. And what if I was still well over 200 pounds? What would I do then?
Well, I didn't have to worry. I was on the Order of the Phoenix early last summer, and the movie was set to come out. My goal was to finish the book and then see the movie in the theater but that didn't happen. That book was a beast to get through and by the time I moved on to Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in the series, the movie was well out of the cinema.
But more importantly I was well out of the large clothes I had worn for so long. I had lost quite a bit of weight by the time the Half-Blood Prince came out. I was close to 200 when I started reading it, well, probably around 220 or so. By the time I was near the end of the book, I was under 200.
At that time, I let myself have a reward. I let myself listen to the final 90 minutes outside of the gym. Once I finished that, I couldn't wait for the final book. Deathly Hallows had come out in July while I was in the middle of Half-Blood Prince. I did everything I could to avoid hearing about the end and the possible fate of certain characters, and I did well to do so. As soon as I finished Half-Blood Prince I borrowed the seventh book from my brother and read it. I can't remember the last book I read but I zoomed through that one. I was only about 5-10 pounds heavier than I am now. It was like my dessert for having been such a faithful trooper during the whole series.
Now I've been going to the gym on a more regular basis. I'm back to where it all started. But for so long I associated working out and the gym itself with Harry Potter. Now, I'm kind of lost. Music? How do you work out to music? You need to mentally engage to something and how do you mentally engage yourself to Rammstein?
I need to make playlists, I suppose. If I made playlists that would help keep me guessing or keep me engaged into what I was listening. Too often I find myself skipping around CDs and artists because I lose interest or can't find the right song or whatever. I guess I can't blame myself since I went from 250 pounds-plus to 190 with the benefit of Harry Potter so I really got used to working out to audiobooks and not music.
I suppose I can find another Harry Potter type series. But even then, much like The Sopranos were to television, to me Harry Potter is unmatched in terms of books. I do, though, have all the Lord of the Rings series on audiobook so I should try that. Still, I can't imagine it will be much like Harry Potter was.
In some ways I guess that's a good thing. After all, I don't need to drop 60-plus pounds anymore.
I miss Harry Potter. I miss Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Hermione Granger and Dumbledore.
Harry was instrumental in my weight loss, you see. I got my iPod before I started my weight-loss journey, when I was well over 300 pounds. I didn't think I'd use it for anything but music but I got a lot of audiobooks and that really helped keep me going.
So after I was done with my trainer, I figured that I'd need something to keep me going back to the gym. It was hard work trying to find the motivation to keep going so I figured if I had something to look forward to while I was there, that would work.
I had the entire Harry Potter collection on my iPod, thanks to my brother Danny, except for the last book which hadn't come out then. I figured it was popular so I might as well give it a try.
The first time I started listening to the story about the scrawny 11-year-old boy with scraggly hair and a wizarding past, I must have weighed around 250 pounds, maybe more. I don't remember the first time I listened to the first Harry Potter book, the Sorcerer's Stone. In fact, I wasn't all that crazy about it the first time I did. Nor even after the first book. But Harry Potter kept me going. Every time I went to the gym, I would listen to an hour or 90 minutes worth of Harry Potter.
By the middle of the second book, the Prisoner of Azkaban, I started to really get into it. But by the time I started listening to the third book the Goblet of Fire, I was hooked. I'd only allow myself to listen to Harry Potter when I was at the gym. That was my rule. Under no circumstances would I ever allow myself to listen to Harry Potter when I wasn't at the gym. And I actually stuck to that rule, no matter how many times I wanted to advance the story. I stuck to it until the very end, which I'll get to.
As soon as I walked into gym, I'd fire it up. Whenever I went onto the elliptical, Harry was pondering Voldemort's whereabouts. Whenever I hit the weight machines, Hermione and Ron were chasing after Draco. When I lifted the free weights, there was some quidditch match going on.
My plan of having Harry Potter motivate me worked. Going to the gym wasn't as much of a chore as long as Harry was around.
Part of me worried, though. Part of me wondered what would happen if I finished the series (because even though the books were 20 hours long, or in the case of the Order, 28 hours long) I knew I'd finish them at some point. And what if I was still well over 200 pounds? What would I do then?
Well, I didn't have to worry. I was on the Order of the Phoenix early last summer, and the movie was set to come out. My goal was to finish the book and then see the movie in the theater but that didn't happen. That book was a beast to get through and by the time I moved on to Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in the series, the movie was well out of the cinema.
But more importantly I was well out of the large clothes I had worn for so long. I had lost quite a bit of weight by the time the Half-Blood Prince came out. I was close to 200 when I started reading it, well, probably around 220 or so. By the time I was near the end of the book, I was under 200.
At that time, I let myself have a reward. I let myself listen to the final 90 minutes outside of the gym. Once I finished that, I couldn't wait for the final book. Deathly Hallows had come out in July while I was in the middle of Half-Blood Prince. I did everything I could to avoid hearing about the end and the possible fate of certain characters, and I did well to do so. As soon as I finished Half-Blood Prince I borrowed the seventh book from my brother and read it. I can't remember the last book I read but I zoomed through that one. I was only about 5-10 pounds heavier than I am now. It was like my dessert for having been such a faithful trooper during the whole series.
Now I've been going to the gym on a more regular basis. I'm back to where it all started. But for so long I associated working out and the gym itself with Harry Potter. Now, I'm kind of lost. Music? How do you work out to music? You need to mentally engage to something and how do you mentally engage yourself to Rammstein?
I need to make playlists, I suppose. If I made playlists that would help keep me guessing or keep me engaged into what I was listening. Too often I find myself skipping around CDs and artists because I lose interest or can't find the right song or whatever. I guess I can't blame myself since I went from 250 pounds-plus to 190 with the benefit of Harry Potter so I really got used to working out to audiobooks and not music.
I suppose I can find another Harry Potter type series. But even then, much like The Sopranos were to television, to me Harry Potter is unmatched in terms of books. I do, though, have all the Lord of the Rings series on audiobook so I should try that. Still, I can't imagine it will be much like Harry Potter was.
In some ways I guess that's a good thing. After all, I don't need to drop 60-plus pounds anymore.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
No. 136
After maneuvering through some side streets, back alleys and full parking lots in the heart of Fontana, I found an empty spot a short walk from City Hall. I was early but there were already hordes of people crowding the sidewalks and spilling over onto blocked-off Sierra Avenue waiting for the day's races to start.
I made my way to the check-in station for the Fontana Days 5K Run and was handed bib No. 136, along with a bag of assorted goodies. That really made it official. It was the first time I'd been in any sort of organized athletic event ever, and that bib sealed the deal.
How do you put this thing on?
Well, there was that little issue. I guess I'd never had reason to figure that out. I noticed people had attached theirs to shirts or shorts using safety pins and quickly scanned for some. There were piles of them everywhere so I grabbed four and attached it to the midsection of my shirt.
I had to trek back to my car, though, since I had forgotten a key part of my jogging attire. I wasn't sure if the race allowed for the use of iPods so I'd left it in the car. But as I walked up to check in, I noticed plenty of people wearing one and I wasn't about to run three miles without one if I didn't have to.
Once I had my iPod and strapped it on my arm, I felt much more comfortable. I went over to wait for a bus that would take people up to the starting line.
And then we've got to come right back here.
Well, not exactly right back but this would be our destination. There was the sign that said FINISH LINE and I figured that at some point that would serve as some motivation. I had made it a goal to finish under 25 minutes and while I thought that was a decent goal I wondered if it was attainable. I'd never really run outside with the use of a watch before.
That's because you don't have one, dork.
I made it on the first bus. It was a school bus, actually, and I didn't remember school buses being so small when I used to ride them. Then again, I was 11 or 12 the last time I rode on them regularly, so that might have something to do with it.
We drove up through Sierra and across several intersections before crossing over the 210 Freeway. The bus driver took us a bit further than we'd intended to go on accident but nonetheless it seemed like a lot longer than three miles.
Yeah, but you've run three miles plenty of times before. And besides, it's a school bus. Those things crawl and make everything seems to take a lot longer than it should.
I wasn't really nervous or anything. In fact, I was just anxious for the run to start. Unfortunately, since I was on the first bus, that meant plenty more busloads to follow. So I waited. And waited. And waited some more. Went to the bathroom, even though I didn't have to. Then I waited. Sat on a curb. Thought about stretching. Jogging, perhaps. Lightly.
Yeah, you don't want to run cold. Heck, usually you walk five minutes before starting to run.
This week I had, because I'd gone to the gym. Usually I walk 20 steps before starting to run. Regardless, I was happy that I had my iPod as the Smashing Pumpkins soothed me and kept me from losing my sanity. I stretched and then jogged lightly, ever so lightly, light enough to get my heart rate up a bit but not too heavy. I didn't want to burn myself out. It helped. Both to pass the time and get warmed up. Probably did it five minutes too early, though. Oh well.
Finally, after much deliberation and many more buses filled with runners and walkers, it started. Everyone bunched up at the start line, a lot of runners. How many? 300? 400? More?
Gotta switch up the music.
I'd been playing my songs softly because I wanted louder music to help me during my run. I switched over to the one playlist I made specifically for running. Moments later, the horn went off as Flogging Molly's Swagger sounded in my ears.
I wasn't that close to the start line, and a lot of people in front of me took off. I didn't want to take off hard and then lose steam so I stayed back. If I wanted to win, that would have been fatal. As it stood, I wanted to meet my goal.
And pass up a lot of people too.
Well, there was that. I wanted to start slow and finish strong, so I figured that I would zoom past some stragglers as I got closer and closer to the finish.
Here we go. Over the freeway.
One landmark after another came and went. First, it was the freeway. Then, it was Miller High School. Afterward, it was Foothill Boulevard.
Funny thing, though: I wasn't passing as many people as I thought I would. In fact, I was the straggler. The mass of people moved quickly in front of me at the start and only got further and further ahead. Every now and then I'd move past some people but mostly I was going slow. I wondered if I would meet my time.
Probably not. You'll probably finish closer to a half hour.
I got closer to the finish line. I knew because even from a distance I could make out the words FINISH LINE. The mass of people had crossed it probably five or 10 minutes ago.
Time to pick up the pace.
I had actually alternated speeds during the run. If I was at the gym I would have probably been between a 6.0 and a 7.0, but now it was time to hit that top gear. I had lowered the sound on my iPod and wanted to see if I could spot my wife and girls. They were there, somewhere amidst the suddenly large number of spectators. We'd passed a few people watching the race from their front lawns along the way but now City Hall was teeming with people. My three were there somewhere.
Hey, what the hell?
As I picked up my pace, someone else thought about using me as a marker. I got passed up some 50 yards from the finish line by someone I'd already passed up. Actually, he got by me before and then I passed him up again. I remember him because he was a little heavier and I remember wondering how long ago it had been since I looked like that.
He can't beat you.
Damn straight. I hit the top gear, the highest gear I had. My legs responded. I blew past that jackhole as if we were fighting for the last spot on the last helicopter out of Hanoi. I could feel him picking up his pace as I zoomed past him.
Forget it, buddy. I got you dead to rights.
And I did. I finished in front of him. Nevermind that dozens upon dozens of people finished in front of me...
Anyway, I'd finished the race. After reveling ever-so-briefly about my blazing fast finish, I scanned around for my wife and girls. It took me a couple of minutes but I found them, all looking at the other stragglers for me.
Come on, man. I'm not that slow.
They congratulated me and I showed them my medal. We walked over to see if the results were posted. I didn't expect them to be but there were a crowd of people around a board that read RESULTS so I figured that maybe they were up after all.
I started at the bottom. The people who finished at 29 minutes. I was surely among them. My heart jumped when I saw Luis but my last name isn't Cerda so it wasn't me. I scanned the entire page and the one before it, where it had the results for more stragglers but I couldn't find my name.
It took you more than a half hour? Wow.
I figured I'd wait until the others were posted but after comparing times with my wife I realized it was about a half hour from the start of the race that I saw them. So I had renewed hope that my name was up there, closer to the front, closer to my goal.
There it is! Look! I see it! I see it! There it is!
Okay, well it wasn't quite like Vern Tessio stumbling across Ray Brower's body but I did find my name. I made it over to the time and...
25:05?!? What?!? Oh no!!! Five seconds?!?
Oh well. What are you going to do? I finished in 181st place, ninth out of 20 in my age category. I suppose I can feel good about myself for having ran it, and maybe now I can spend some money on a watch.
After all, there will be plenty more runs in the future.
I made my way to the check-in station for the Fontana Days 5K Run and was handed bib No. 136, along with a bag of assorted goodies. That really made it official. It was the first time I'd been in any sort of organized athletic event ever, and that bib sealed the deal.
How do you put this thing on?
Well, there was that little issue. I guess I'd never had reason to figure that out. I noticed people had attached theirs to shirts or shorts using safety pins and quickly scanned for some. There were piles of them everywhere so I grabbed four and attached it to the midsection of my shirt.
I had to trek back to my car, though, since I had forgotten a key part of my jogging attire. I wasn't sure if the race allowed for the use of iPods so I'd left it in the car. But as I walked up to check in, I noticed plenty of people wearing one and I wasn't about to run three miles without one if I didn't have to.
Once I had my iPod and strapped it on my arm, I felt much more comfortable. I went over to wait for a bus that would take people up to the starting line.
And then we've got to come right back here.
Well, not exactly right back but this would be our destination. There was the sign that said FINISH LINE and I figured that at some point that would serve as some motivation. I had made it a goal to finish under 25 minutes and while I thought that was a decent goal I wondered if it was attainable. I'd never really run outside with the use of a watch before.
That's because you don't have one, dork.
I made it on the first bus. It was a school bus, actually, and I didn't remember school buses being so small when I used to ride them. Then again, I was 11 or 12 the last time I rode on them regularly, so that might have something to do with it.
We drove up through Sierra and across several intersections before crossing over the 210 Freeway. The bus driver took us a bit further than we'd intended to go on accident but nonetheless it seemed like a lot longer than three miles.
Yeah, but you've run three miles plenty of times before. And besides, it's a school bus. Those things crawl and make everything seems to take a lot longer than it should.
I wasn't really nervous or anything. In fact, I was just anxious for the run to start. Unfortunately, since I was on the first bus, that meant plenty more busloads to follow. So I waited. And waited. And waited some more. Went to the bathroom, even though I didn't have to. Then I waited. Sat on a curb. Thought about stretching. Jogging, perhaps. Lightly.
Yeah, you don't want to run cold. Heck, usually you walk five minutes before starting to run.
This week I had, because I'd gone to the gym. Usually I walk 20 steps before starting to run. Regardless, I was happy that I had my iPod as the Smashing Pumpkins soothed me and kept me from losing my sanity. I stretched and then jogged lightly, ever so lightly, light enough to get my heart rate up a bit but not too heavy. I didn't want to burn myself out. It helped. Both to pass the time and get warmed up. Probably did it five minutes too early, though. Oh well.
Finally, after much deliberation and many more buses filled with runners and walkers, it started. Everyone bunched up at the start line, a lot of runners. How many? 300? 400? More?
Gotta switch up the music.
I'd been playing my songs softly because I wanted louder music to help me during my run. I switched over to the one playlist I made specifically for running. Moments later, the horn went off as Flogging Molly's Swagger sounded in my ears.
I wasn't that close to the start line, and a lot of people in front of me took off. I didn't want to take off hard and then lose steam so I stayed back. If I wanted to win, that would have been fatal. As it stood, I wanted to meet my goal.
And pass up a lot of people too.
Well, there was that. I wanted to start slow and finish strong, so I figured that I would zoom past some stragglers as I got closer and closer to the finish.
Here we go. Over the freeway.
One landmark after another came and went. First, it was the freeway. Then, it was Miller High School. Afterward, it was Foothill Boulevard.
Funny thing, though: I wasn't passing as many people as I thought I would. In fact, I was the straggler. The mass of people moved quickly in front of me at the start and only got further and further ahead. Every now and then I'd move past some people but mostly I was going slow. I wondered if I would meet my time.
Probably not. You'll probably finish closer to a half hour.
I got closer to the finish line. I knew because even from a distance I could make out the words FINISH LINE. The mass of people had crossed it probably five or 10 minutes ago.
Time to pick up the pace.
I had actually alternated speeds during the run. If I was at the gym I would have probably been between a 6.0 and a 7.0, but now it was time to hit that top gear. I had lowered the sound on my iPod and wanted to see if I could spot my wife and girls. They were there, somewhere amidst the suddenly large number of spectators. We'd passed a few people watching the race from their front lawns along the way but now City Hall was teeming with people. My three were there somewhere.
Hey, what the hell?
As I picked up my pace, someone else thought about using me as a marker. I got passed up some 50 yards from the finish line by someone I'd already passed up. Actually, he got by me before and then I passed him up again. I remember him because he was a little heavier and I remember wondering how long ago it had been since I looked like that.
He can't beat you.
Damn straight. I hit the top gear, the highest gear I had. My legs responded. I blew past that jackhole as if we were fighting for the last spot on the last helicopter out of Hanoi. I could feel him picking up his pace as I zoomed past him.
Forget it, buddy. I got you dead to rights.
And I did. I finished in front of him. Nevermind that dozens upon dozens of people finished in front of me...
Anyway, I'd finished the race. After reveling ever-so-briefly about my blazing fast finish, I scanned around for my wife and girls. It took me a couple of minutes but I found them, all looking at the other stragglers for me.
Come on, man. I'm not that slow.
They congratulated me and I showed them my medal. We walked over to see if the results were posted. I didn't expect them to be but there were a crowd of people around a board that read RESULTS so I figured that maybe they were up after all.
I started at the bottom. The people who finished at 29 minutes. I was surely among them. My heart jumped when I saw Luis but my last name isn't Cerda so it wasn't me. I scanned the entire page and the one before it, where it had the results for more stragglers but I couldn't find my name.
It took you more than a half hour? Wow.
I figured I'd wait until the others were posted but after comparing times with my wife I realized it was about a half hour from the start of the race that I saw them. So I had renewed hope that my name was up there, closer to the front, closer to my goal.
There it is! Look! I see it! I see it! There it is!
Okay, well it wasn't quite like Vern Tessio stumbling across Ray Brower's body but I did find my name. I made it over to the time and...
25:05?!? What?!? Oh no!!! Five seconds?!?
Oh well. What are you going to do? I finished in 181st place, ninth out of 20 in my age category. I suppose I can feel good about myself for having ran it, and maybe now I can spend some money on a watch.
After all, there will be plenty more runs in the future.
Up early
I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep.
My wife actually had me set the alarm and I did, just in case I slept in. Turns out, that wasn't necessary at all. I rolled over at 4:26 wide awake.
I'm about an hour now from heading out to my first-ever 5K run, and as you can tell I'm a little nervous. I don't know what to expect. I have no idea what it will be like to participate in one since I've never participated in one. Two and a half years ago, I weighed well over 300 pounds and the only 5K I was doing was the 5Krispy Kreme run.
Now, this isn't the run that will bring all of my achievements and accomplishments together and put them to the test while moving me forward into a new era of my fitness. No, that will be the Camp Pendleton Mud Run in October. Today's run is more for participation and to get a feel of what it's like to compete and take part in an organized athletic event.
It's a relatively moderate run for me right now. If you look at the Run List on the right-hand side of this blog, I've kept tabs on my runs and I've run more than 3.1 miles exactly half of the time, 7 of the 14 runs I've done. So I have proven myself I can do it, but how fast can I do it in?
I'm a little nervous right now as I type and as the moment gets closer. I don't know what to expect. I suppose I'll hit this head on, go to the City Hall, check in and get my race stuff and head up to the starting line.
It should be a good experience. And for me the best part will be seeing my family at or near the finish line, with Yvie and Kennedy chanting "Go, Daddy, Go!" Those three are pretty much my motivation right now to finish the race fast, and they've been fueling me since the start of my quest for fitness many months ago.
My wife actually had me set the alarm and I did, just in case I slept in. Turns out, that wasn't necessary at all. I rolled over at 4:26 wide awake.
I'm about an hour now from heading out to my first-ever 5K run, and as you can tell I'm a little nervous. I don't know what to expect. I have no idea what it will be like to participate in one since I've never participated in one. Two and a half years ago, I weighed well over 300 pounds and the only 5K I was doing was the 5Krispy Kreme run.
Now, this isn't the run that will bring all of my achievements and accomplishments together and put them to the test while moving me forward into a new era of my fitness. No, that will be the Camp Pendleton Mud Run in October. Today's run is more for participation and to get a feel of what it's like to compete and take part in an organized athletic event.
It's a relatively moderate run for me right now. If you look at the Run List on the right-hand side of this blog, I've kept tabs on my runs and I've run more than 3.1 miles exactly half of the time, 7 of the 14 runs I've done. So I have proven myself I can do it, but how fast can I do it in?
I'm a little nervous right now as I type and as the moment gets closer. I don't know what to expect. I suppose I'll hit this head on, go to the City Hall, check in and get my race stuff and head up to the starting line.
It should be a good experience. And for me the best part will be seeing my family at or near the finish line, with Yvie and Kennedy chanting "Go, Daddy, Go!" Those three are pretty much my motivation right now to finish the race fast, and they've been fueling me since the start of my quest for fitness many months ago.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
You again?
I made it back to the gym for another round of workouts today. I don't want to burn myself out for Saturday but at the same time I want to get there in as best position as possible.
My arms and chest are a bit sore today, which lets me know yesterday's workout went well. I hope I won't be too sore on Saturday but if I am, I'll have to deal with it. I wanted to work on my legs today but I also wanted to do some cardio. I wondered though if it would be wise to do another of my favorite 42-minute cardio sessions or not because I don't want to get to Saturday with no energy.
I did only three leg workouts - extensions, curls and calf raises. I didn't have too much time and figured I'd hit those since I'd done them forever and I wanted to get back to something familiar.
After my leg workouts, I decided to go ahead and do my regular cardio session. Actually, I think it was during the five-minute warm up that I decided. I almost mixed it up - and I would have to mix it up but not by my doing - but at about minute four I went ahead to go with it.
I found another messed up machine, though. This one spat out my heart rate to me but it didn't change speeds easily. I had to manually go from the 3.7 I'd been warming up at to the 5.8 I wanted to use. It took me some time to figure it out, though, and by the time I was at the 5.8 it was almost minute six. Not to mention my towel fell off the treadmill.
Great. My run is ruined.
Not exactly. After a minute at 5.8, I just decided to run at a 7.3 for three straight minutes. I got up to minute 10 running at the steady clip. I went back down to 5.8 for three minutes and back up to 7.3 for another four minutes.
Still, there was the matter of the changing speeds. I went down to 3.9 and checked my heart rate. It was at a 183 which was good. Perfect actually. But I wanted to do the next six rounds one minute at a time. So I switched machines. The towel, in the end, was the deciding factor.
All I need now is for this one to mess up on me.
Yes, I gambled. It was a risk switching machines because if I struck out again then it relly would have messed me up. But I lucked out. The machine not only measured my heart rate, but it changed speeds easily. In other words, it worked.
I walked for about a minute and then picked up the pace: 5.8, 7.3, 5.8, 7.3, 5.8, 7.3.
I caught my breath somewhat during my brief cooldown. It was an intended part of the interval training, though. You are supposed to recover and then change speeds to maximize the workout.
After three minutes of cooldown and four minutes of rounds, I went down for a quick cooldown session before my two-minute sprint. By this time, I was exhausted. I wasn't totally gassed but I was getting there. I don't know if it was the early sustained 7.3 pace or yesterday's run but my legs weren't quite there at the end. Maybe it's raising the overall level of the run from 5.5-7.0 to 5.7-7.3. Or maybe it was the leg exercises I did earlier.
Whatever the reason, I wasn't about to back down.
I gotta change up the song.
I'd been listening to random songs but I decided to go for one of my heavy songs, Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson. It was time. I got up to an 8.3. Then an 8.6.
I think I can feel my heart. It's going to exit my chest.
My heart was indeed pumping hard. It felt good, though, once I finished the two minutes. My heart rate was 188 when I was done, which is 100 percent of my rate and probably why I was feeling it during my sprint.
Now my plan for the rest of the week is simple. I am going to rest on Thursday and run my 2.25 mile run around my neighborhood. I think that will be the best for me in terms of entering Saturday at my peak.
My arms and chest are a bit sore today, which lets me know yesterday's workout went well. I hope I won't be too sore on Saturday but if I am, I'll have to deal with it. I wanted to work on my legs today but I also wanted to do some cardio. I wondered though if it would be wise to do another of my favorite 42-minute cardio sessions or not because I don't want to get to Saturday with no energy.
I did only three leg workouts - extensions, curls and calf raises. I didn't have too much time and figured I'd hit those since I'd done them forever and I wanted to get back to something familiar.
After my leg workouts, I decided to go ahead and do my regular cardio session. Actually, I think it was during the five-minute warm up that I decided. I almost mixed it up - and I would have to mix it up but not by my doing - but at about minute four I went ahead to go with it.
I found another messed up machine, though. This one spat out my heart rate to me but it didn't change speeds easily. I had to manually go from the 3.7 I'd been warming up at to the 5.8 I wanted to use. It took me some time to figure it out, though, and by the time I was at the 5.8 it was almost minute six. Not to mention my towel fell off the treadmill.
Great. My run is ruined.
Not exactly. After a minute at 5.8, I just decided to run at a 7.3 for three straight minutes. I got up to minute 10 running at the steady clip. I went back down to 5.8 for three minutes and back up to 7.3 for another four minutes.
Still, there was the matter of the changing speeds. I went down to 3.9 and checked my heart rate. It was at a 183 which was good. Perfect actually. But I wanted to do the next six rounds one minute at a time. So I switched machines. The towel, in the end, was the deciding factor.
All I need now is for this one to mess up on me.
Yes, I gambled. It was a risk switching machines because if I struck out again then it relly would have messed me up. But I lucked out. The machine not only measured my heart rate, but it changed speeds easily. In other words, it worked.
I walked for about a minute and then picked up the pace: 5.8, 7.3, 5.8, 7.3, 5.8, 7.3.
I caught my breath somewhat during my brief cooldown. It was an intended part of the interval training, though. You are supposed to recover and then change speeds to maximize the workout.
After three minutes of cooldown and four minutes of rounds, I went down for a quick cooldown session before my two-minute sprint. By this time, I was exhausted. I wasn't totally gassed but I was getting there. I don't know if it was the early sustained 7.3 pace or yesterday's run but my legs weren't quite there at the end. Maybe it's raising the overall level of the run from 5.5-7.0 to 5.7-7.3. Or maybe it was the leg exercises I did earlier.
Whatever the reason, I wasn't about to back down.
I gotta change up the song.
I'd been listening to random songs but I decided to go for one of my heavy songs, Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson. It was time. I got up to an 8.3. Then an 8.6.
I think I can feel my heart. It's going to exit my chest.
My heart was indeed pumping hard. It felt good, though, once I finished the two minutes. My heart rate was 188 when I was done, which is 100 percent of my rate and probably why I was feeling it during my sprint.
Now my plan for the rest of the week is simple. I am going to rest on Thursday and run my 2.25 mile run around my neighborhood. I think that will be the best for me in terms of entering Saturday at my peak.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Return to the gym
It had been a long time between gym visits. I believe it was March when I last visited the gym. May have even been late February.
Now, I haven't exactly stopped working out as you know. I've been running outside, but all of my exercise has consisted of running around here. No free weights. No core exercises. No machines. Nothing but my new shoes and the street.
I made it back to the gym today, and I'd like to say it was a triumphant return but that would be too over-dramatic. So I'll settle for a satisfying return visit.
I started off with a gentle five-minute bike ride. As I started peddling, the one thing I had missed was the ability to keep track of my heart rate. After about a minute or so, I checked my heart and it was at about 90. After another minute or so, I got it up to 120. By the end, it was at about 154, which is a pretty good clip. I like to warm up for five minutes before I start my workouts.
I went to lift some weights afterward and did bench, lat pulldown and pec fly. I did three sets of 10 on each. But I really wanted to get back to running on the treadmill for old time's sake, so I only did those exercises. Usually, I'd done maybe twice as much work before hitting the treadmill but this time cut it a bit short.
So I walked over to the treadmill and it was a different and interesting experience. I wanted to run my usual 42-minute cardio session that includes walking, jogging, jogging fast and sprinting. The first thing that was different was the iPod slung around my arm instead of somewhere on the treadmill. That made such a huge difference. I wasn't distracted by it at all, whereas before it got in the way sometimes.
I set out on a five-minute walk and tried to read my heart rate. Of course, as luck would have it I picked a machine that wasn't working in that department. I had to measure it by hand. But since I'd tried so long, the time ran out. I had to start my 12 minutes of rounds.
I set at 5.5 and started jogging. It felt very slow. The first thing I noticed was that I run faster than a 5.5 clip outside. I jogged at this pace for a minute and it wasn't as I'd remembered it. Now, it was challenging the first time I ran it, way back in 2006. But now, it wasn't. I went back to a 7.0 and that was a steady pace but again not as challenging as I'd remembered it. I tried to keep the original interval plan in mind. I didn't want to throw it off by changing the speeds and running too fast. I wanted to run one minute at about 70 percent and the other at 90 percent, but I also wanted to keep it at a pace that wouldn't burn me out right away.
So I went up to a 5.7 and 7.2. That was better, even though the changes were slight. I wanted to keep the lower one at under a 6 and the other 1.5 higher. The next time, I might try 5.9 and 7.4 or I may go to 6.0 and 7.5, though I'd like to keep the low one low, otherwise the intervals won't work as well.
Anyway, I finished the 12 minutes of rounds and went down to a 4.0. I felt around for my heart beat on my neck and it wasn't exactly difficult to find. As the heart beat pounded out on my index and middle fingers, I tried to keep up with it. I counted it for 15 seconds and got to 43. By my math, 43 times 4 is 172, so it was pretty much right on track.
After a three-minute walk at 4.0, I went back for six more minutes of rounds. Afterward, my heart was up to 46 beats per 15 seconds, so it had increased to 184. It was about the same after my four minutes of rounds.
I got ready to run my two-minute sprint. By this time, I was getting fatigued. The intervals were working and although I wasn't as exhausted as my previous dozens of interval sessions, I was getting there. After a two-minute walk, I set it at a 6.0 to get my feet underneath me and then took off at an 8.3 pace. After one minute, I increased it to an 8.6. I actually ran over for 15 seconds before going back down to a 4.0. I checked my heart rate and I got to 49 in 15 seconds, which is 196. That's actually above what my max should be, since the max is 220 minus your age and that would put me at 188. But the last story I read about intervals suggested training at quick intervals at more than your max heart rate, so I was encouraged actually.
All in all, going back to the gym was refreshing. I felt in much better shape after leaving today than I had the last time I'd left that place.
Oh, and I weighed myself too. 184.0, post-workout. That was a nice way to end the day as well.
Now, I haven't exactly stopped working out as you know. I've been running outside, but all of my exercise has consisted of running around here. No free weights. No core exercises. No machines. Nothing but my new shoes and the street.
I made it back to the gym today, and I'd like to say it was a triumphant return but that would be too over-dramatic. So I'll settle for a satisfying return visit.
I started off with a gentle five-minute bike ride. As I started peddling, the one thing I had missed was the ability to keep track of my heart rate. After about a minute or so, I checked my heart and it was at about 90. After another minute or so, I got it up to 120. By the end, it was at about 154, which is a pretty good clip. I like to warm up for five minutes before I start my workouts.
I went to lift some weights afterward and did bench, lat pulldown and pec fly. I did three sets of 10 on each. But I really wanted to get back to running on the treadmill for old time's sake, so I only did those exercises. Usually, I'd done maybe twice as much work before hitting the treadmill but this time cut it a bit short.
So I walked over to the treadmill and it was a different and interesting experience. I wanted to run my usual 42-minute cardio session that includes walking, jogging, jogging fast and sprinting. The first thing that was different was the iPod slung around my arm instead of somewhere on the treadmill. That made such a huge difference. I wasn't distracted by it at all, whereas before it got in the way sometimes.
I set out on a five-minute walk and tried to read my heart rate. Of course, as luck would have it I picked a machine that wasn't working in that department. I had to measure it by hand. But since I'd tried so long, the time ran out. I had to start my 12 minutes of rounds.
I set at 5.5 and started jogging. It felt very slow. The first thing I noticed was that I run faster than a 5.5 clip outside. I jogged at this pace for a minute and it wasn't as I'd remembered it. Now, it was challenging the first time I ran it, way back in 2006. But now, it wasn't. I went back to a 7.0 and that was a steady pace but again not as challenging as I'd remembered it. I tried to keep the original interval plan in mind. I didn't want to throw it off by changing the speeds and running too fast. I wanted to run one minute at about 70 percent and the other at 90 percent, but I also wanted to keep it at a pace that wouldn't burn me out right away.
So I went up to a 5.7 and 7.2. That was better, even though the changes were slight. I wanted to keep the lower one at under a 6 and the other 1.5 higher. The next time, I might try 5.9 and 7.4 or I may go to 6.0 and 7.5, though I'd like to keep the low one low, otherwise the intervals won't work as well.
Anyway, I finished the 12 minutes of rounds and went down to a 4.0. I felt around for my heart beat on my neck and it wasn't exactly difficult to find. As the heart beat pounded out on my index and middle fingers, I tried to keep up with it. I counted it for 15 seconds and got to 43. By my math, 43 times 4 is 172, so it was pretty much right on track.
After a three-minute walk at 4.0, I went back for six more minutes of rounds. Afterward, my heart was up to 46 beats per 15 seconds, so it had increased to 184. It was about the same after my four minutes of rounds.
I got ready to run my two-minute sprint. By this time, I was getting fatigued. The intervals were working and although I wasn't as exhausted as my previous dozens of interval sessions, I was getting there. After a two-minute walk, I set it at a 6.0 to get my feet underneath me and then took off at an 8.3 pace. After one minute, I increased it to an 8.6. I actually ran over for 15 seconds before going back down to a 4.0. I checked my heart rate and I got to 49 in 15 seconds, which is 196. That's actually above what my max should be, since the max is 220 minus your age and that would put me at 188. But the last story I read about intervals suggested training at quick intervals at more than your max heart rate, so I was encouraged actually.
All in all, going back to the gym was refreshing. I felt in much better shape after leaving today than I had the last time I'd left that place.
Oh, and I weighed myself too. 184.0, post-workout. That was a nice way to end the day as well.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Resting heart rate
It's not very scientific but my resting heart rate, at least today, is between 52-56 beats per minute. I used my index and middle finger to find my pulse in my neck, and then did another test using those fingers on my left wrist.
It's a pretty low heart rate, which is typically a good thing. You want a low resting heart rate. That's about the rate it was at when I last saw a trainer, but he used a heart rate monitor instead of the two-finger method.
It's a pretty low heart rate, which is typically a good thing. You want a low resting heart rate. That's about the rate it was at when I last saw a trainer, but he used a heart rate monitor instead of the two-finger method.
Planning gym course
I don't know if I will do this cardio or the 42-minute one I'm so fond of but I cam across a good plan of attack for cardio. Again, it's with intervals (yes, I am enamored with the concept), and it needs to be done at a gym preferably so you can keep track of your heart rate.
Basically, you do this: warm-up for 4-5 minutes on any machine - treadmill, elliptical, bike, stairmaster - and then hit it hard. Go for 90 percent of your level, that is run an 8.5 sprint or go up to level 14 on the elliptical or as high as the stairmaster can go. Do that for two minutes, then rest for one minute. "Rest" can be a complete rest, that is get off the machine and stand around, or you can walk or do something easy. I'd probably walk on the 'mill or go to a gentle pace on the elliptical (I probably won't try this out on the other two). Then, go back for another 2-minute 90-percent session, followed by another minute-long rest session. In total, you want to do five rounds for a total of 15 minutes.
By doing this three times a week, you can greatly improve the amount of oxygen you can consume, which is apparently an important aspect of cardiovascular fitness. Also, you can increase your overall fitness level and increase the time it takes you to get exhausted.
Probably the most appealing part of this to me is the time element involved. 20-25 minutes is not a long time, and this is potentially even shorter. In 15 minutes of actual cardio time plus a few minutes warm-up on either side, you can accomplish great things.
I definitely want to try this. I went running this morning and I tried to run portions of my time in sprints but it was difficult to gauge just how fast I was running, how long I was running for and my heart rate. I have wanted to invest in a heart-rate monitor for some time now but until then I will use the gym machines for this.
The most difficult part, of course, is exerting yourself. Even if it's just two minutes, this sort of workout is challenging. Two minutes can seem like an eternity, especially if you are already exhausted and need to hit high gear. And I've been there many, many times, when I'm on the last leg of my intervals and I need to give it maximum effort and it's about the last thing I want to do. But it's in those times when you burn an enormous amount of calories and really make strides in your overall fitness.
To me, that's the most appealing part of interval training.
Basically, you do this: warm-up for 4-5 minutes on any machine - treadmill, elliptical, bike, stairmaster - and then hit it hard. Go for 90 percent of your level, that is run an 8.5 sprint or go up to level 14 on the elliptical or as high as the stairmaster can go. Do that for two minutes, then rest for one minute. "Rest" can be a complete rest, that is get off the machine and stand around, or you can walk or do something easy. I'd probably walk on the 'mill or go to a gentle pace on the elliptical (I probably won't try this out on the other two). Then, go back for another 2-minute 90-percent session, followed by another minute-long rest session. In total, you want to do five rounds for a total of 15 minutes.
By doing this three times a week, you can greatly improve the amount of oxygen you can consume, which is apparently an important aspect of cardiovascular fitness. Also, you can increase your overall fitness level and increase the time it takes you to get exhausted.
Probably the most appealing part of this to me is the time element involved. 20-25 minutes is not a long time, and this is potentially even shorter. In 15 minutes of actual cardio time plus a few minutes warm-up on either side, you can accomplish great things.
I definitely want to try this. I went running this morning and I tried to run portions of my time in sprints but it was difficult to gauge just how fast I was running, how long I was running for and my heart rate. I have wanted to invest in a heart-rate monitor for some time now but until then I will use the gym machines for this.
The most difficult part, of course, is exerting yourself. Even if it's just two minutes, this sort of workout is challenging. Two minutes can seem like an eternity, especially if you are already exhausted and need to hit high gear. And I've been there many, many times, when I'm on the last leg of my intervals and I need to give it maximum effort and it's about the last thing I want to do. But it's in those times when you burn an enormous amount of calories and really make strides in your overall fitness.
To me, that's the most appealing part of interval training.
Back to where it all started
Now that summer is here, the weather will start to get warmer and warmer until the thermometer breaks. 100-degree temperatures are right around the corner, and such weather can severely hamper my outside workouts.
Never fear, though. As summer arrives, so to does the prospect of more free time. Yvie (my daughter) is finally done with preschool and that means no more running around on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That's going to allow me more time to do more things, and one of them is going to the gym.
A year ago, I hit the gym hard in June, July and August. I went from 232 in early June to 217 by late July, and this was before I started running on the treadmill. All of that was done on the elliptical, weights and my steady meal plan. I think it was around a year ago when I really started incorporating fruits and vegetables into my meal plan and made them a priority.
Anyway, I'm salivating about the gym. I want to get back into a rhythm in terms of lifting and hitting the gym in general. I still plan on running outside. That much hasn't changed. But it will be nice to know that on the days I wake up without energy to run at 5 in the a.m. I can still perform the cardio for the day at the gym. I want to get back to my 42-minute cardio sessions and mix those in. I think they can still do me a boatload of good. I want to work on my upper-body strength and I want to do some core exercises as well.
My initial plan is to go on Tuesday. I've got my 5K run a week from tomorrow so I want to run on Saturday outdoors and hit the gym on Tuesday and Thursday. I'd also like to mix in one more outdoor run, perhaps on Monday and/or Wednesday.
I used to dread going to the gym, but now I'm anxious to get back to it, back to the place where I've left so much sweat and so many pounds behind.
Never fear, though. As summer arrives, so to does the prospect of more free time. Yvie (my daughter) is finally done with preschool and that means no more running around on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That's going to allow me more time to do more things, and one of them is going to the gym.
A year ago, I hit the gym hard in June, July and August. I went from 232 in early June to 217 by late July, and this was before I started running on the treadmill. All of that was done on the elliptical, weights and my steady meal plan. I think it was around a year ago when I really started incorporating fruits and vegetables into my meal plan and made them a priority.
Anyway, I'm salivating about the gym. I want to get back into a rhythm in terms of lifting and hitting the gym in general. I still plan on running outside. That much hasn't changed. But it will be nice to know that on the days I wake up without energy to run at 5 in the a.m. I can still perform the cardio for the day at the gym. I want to get back to my 42-minute cardio sessions and mix those in. I think they can still do me a boatload of good. I want to work on my upper-body strength and I want to do some core exercises as well.
My initial plan is to go on Tuesday. I've got my 5K run a week from tomorrow so I want to run on Saturday outdoors and hit the gym on Tuesday and Thursday. I'd also like to mix in one more outdoor run, perhaps on Monday and/or Wednesday.
I used to dread going to the gym, but now I'm anxious to get back to it, back to the place where I've left so much sweat and so many pounds behind.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Running for time
I didn't get the chance to run my 2.25 or 3.25 miles today but I did have the opportunity to run for time. I went down to the local high school track with my wife and kids to run a mile for time. I'd never run before for time, well, at least not in the last year, so I was looking forward to it.
I wanted to run a mile under 8 minutes. I know that isn't exactly the world's fastest mile but I felt that if I could run it under 8 and document it, it would be a good place to start for me. I haven't gotten a watch so I took a digital recorder and had my wife turn it on when I started and off when I stopped. I do need to invest in a watch, though, and soon.
The run didn't start off greatly. I had a mental block or something creep up when I stepped onto the track. For some reason, four laps seemed really long but from my front door to the one-mile mark on my morning runs doesn't seem that long. That mental block screwed me up.
I never really got into a rhythm. I ran as I normally do but I felt discombobulated from the start. It's difficult to explain, really. I felt fine physically. I ran okay and wasn't out of breath at all. But when I went for the high gear, it wasn't there as consistently as I would have wanted it to be. And I blame the track.
Whatever the reason, I wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders. But as I rounded the final corner I did find that high gear after all. I told my wife to get ready as she had been walking around the track as the girls rode their tricycles in front of her.
I sprinted as hard as I could, not worrying about conserving any strength for any further running. I crossed the mile mark and put my hands up to let my wife know that I was done. I turned around and walked back to her to check how much time my recorder had recorded.
7:38
Okay, it wasn't great but it was under 8 minutes. I was worried that I wouldn't finish under 8 minutes and had actually convinced myself that I wasn't going to cross it. But I did. And now at least I have some sort of foundation for future runs.
I wanted to run a mile under 8 minutes. I know that isn't exactly the world's fastest mile but I felt that if I could run it under 8 and document it, it would be a good place to start for me. I haven't gotten a watch so I took a digital recorder and had my wife turn it on when I started and off when I stopped. I do need to invest in a watch, though, and soon.
The run didn't start off greatly. I had a mental block or something creep up when I stepped onto the track. For some reason, four laps seemed really long but from my front door to the one-mile mark on my morning runs doesn't seem that long. That mental block screwed me up.
I never really got into a rhythm. I ran as I normally do but I felt discombobulated from the start. It's difficult to explain, really. I felt fine physically. I ran okay and wasn't out of breath at all. But when I went for the high gear, it wasn't there as consistently as I would have wanted it to be. And I blame the track.
Whatever the reason, I wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders. But as I rounded the final corner I did find that high gear after all. I told my wife to get ready as she had been walking around the track as the girls rode their tricycles in front of her.
I sprinted as hard as I could, not worrying about conserving any strength for any further running. I crossed the mile mark and put my hands up to let my wife know that I was done. I turned around and walked back to her to check how much time my recorder had recorded.
7:38
Okay, it wasn't great but it was under 8 minutes. I was worried that I wouldn't finish under 8 minutes and had actually convinced myself that I wasn't going to cross it. But I did. And now at least I have some sort of foundation for future runs.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Interval gave out
I tried my first outdoors interval run today. I've mixed in some of it during previous runs but nothing as organized as I had today. Overall, I think it went well. Better than I'd expected, actually. Not even my iPod could keep up with me.
First thing this morning was the task of making a playlist. I wanted to run three sets of intervals, that is a four-minute 90-percent clip, three-minute 70-percent clip, back up to 4 minutes, down to 3, up to 4 and down to 3. On either end of the run I wanted to have time to warm up and cool down. I ran the Oak Quarry course, so it was a good 3.25 miles. I selected a two-minute song to kind of serve as a warm up, followed by songs with lengths to correspond to the intervals.
After the warm-up song, I let loose in a sprint as The Killers sang about Sam's Town. It actually felt good to just kick it into high gear, to open it up right away. But about halfway through the song, I felt myself slowing down. It was hard but I kept at it. I wasn't at a full-on sprint but I was close. By the time Brandon Flowers saw London and Sam's Town, I was ready for a change of song.
I went down to 70 percent, which was hard to gauge. I didn't want to go too far down to where I'm just basically speed walking but I didn't want to overexert myself either. It didn't take long to find a comfortable clip, though. But the three minutes went by fast and then I had to kick it back up to high gear.
I wasn't moving as fast as before but I wasn't exactly gassed either. I was still going at a steady pace and I knew if I had run my usual 2.25 Run Around the Neighborhood I would have set a new high, if in fact I kept times. But the 90-percent clip was further complicated by my run. I was starting to run at an incline as the Oak Quarry route takes me up a slight hill. After the four-minute song was over, I moved into a three-minute System of a Down song. I needed that extra energy from Serj and his boys to get me up the hill. I made it up to the entrance, crossed the street and started to go back down toward Armstrong. Once I crossed that, I'd be close to the home stretch. I had a lot to give still. I felt it. I could have run a lot longer than my original 3.25-mile plan.
As it were, though, the iPod couldn't. After the four-minute song, I went into the final three-minute song, which would have been followed up by a pair of longer songs that would have played during my final cooldown portion of the run. Instead, barely a minute into the song, the iPod gave out on me. All I heard was the occasional passing car and my footsteps, and eventually my labored breathing.
I wasn't too worried about maintaining the 70 percent clip. I set a mental landmark to try and cross and I maintained the clip until then. After that, I figured I had about three-quarters of a mile to go and I started to go into my usual steady (slow) pace. But I forced myself to move at a faster pace.
I kept it up. I got close to the home stretch so I decided to sprint part of it. I took off and although I wasn't moving at supersonic speed my heart was pumping hard, my legs were moving and I was maintaining a steady, somewhat faster pace. I rounded the second-to-last corner and slowed down. The worst of my run was over. I tried my steady pace instead of my slower one but I was beat down by that point.
When I finally made it home, I was exhausted. I could have kept going. Had I not sprinted that last portion I wouldn't have been so dead tired. But it actually fit well with the interval. I had exerted myself at different times of the run and then I really challenged my heart during the sprint. I'm guessing my heart rate was close to 180 at the end of my sprint.
My iPod, though, was stuck on zero. It didn't flat-line (I resuscitated it after some moments of anguish) but it left me alone to my thoughts. And that was just another challenge I eventually overcame.
Friday, May 23, 2008
A fast solution?
There are many fad diets, and I'm not one to "diet." When I made the decision to try and lose weight, I changed the way I eat - I did not go on a diet.
I came across something, though, that might make me change the way I think about dieting. (Okay, I cringe when I link myself to a diet)
There was a story in Men's Health about fasting. The author of the story fasts once a week, for 36 hours. He's been at it for more than a year straight.
At first, I was hesitant about it. After all, eating five to six small meals is how I was able to knock off 120-plus pounds. I never wanted to simply stop eating because it can have a negative affect. I try to eat every 2-3 hours or so.
But the author swears differently. He says it helps stimulate his taste for food, that is it helps stimulate tastebud sensitivity. It also has some healthy side-effects. For instance: the author dropped some weight, going from 189 to 174; he dropped his body-mass index from 25.6 to 23.6; fasting can also lower cholesterol and strengthen cells and also increase the production of several beneficial molecules in the brain, including BDNF.
The author fasts from Saturday night to Monday morning. He also says that on fasting days he is just as sharp as ever, whether it's in exercise or other activities.
Now, I'm not going to stop eating quite yet. But this sort of fasting sounds strangely appealing. I can't really point my finger to it, though. As I said, fasting goes contrary to my own meal plan but if there are so many positives and few setbacks - the author says there are no documented downsides to fasting.
Of coures, as with anything, you don't want to just dive right in. Their four tips to potential fasting:
- Don't do it unless you are healthy and eat right already
- Start off slowly - 24 hours would be good
- Make your meals on either side of the fast the correct ones
- Time it right so that you sleep through the last portion of the fast
I'm going to have to think about this "diet" (I refuse to use that word), or revision to my meal plan. It does intrigue me, but are there enough positives to do without food for 24-36 hours?
I came across something, though, that might make me change the way I think about dieting. (Okay, I cringe when I link myself to a diet)
There was a story in Men's Health about fasting. The author of the story fasts once a week, for 36 hours. He's been at it for more than a year straight.
At first, I was hesitant about it. After all, eating five to six small meals is how I was able to knock off 120-plus pounds. I never wanted to simply stop eating because it can have a negative affect. I try to eat every 2-3 hours or so.
But the author swears differently. He says it helps stimulate his taste for food, that is it helps stimulate tastebud sensitivity. It also has some healthy side-effects. For instance: the author dropped some weight, going from 189 to 174; he dropped his body-mass index from 25.6 to 23.6; fasting can also lower cholesterol and strengthen cells and also increase the production of several beneficial molecules in the brain, including BDNF.
The author fasts from Saturday night to Monday morning. He also says that on fasting days he is just as sharp as ever, whether it's in exercise or other activities.
Now, I'm not going to stop eating quite yet. But this sort of fasting sounds strangely appealing. I can't really point my finger to it, though. As I said, fasting goes contrary to my own meal plan but if there are so many positives and few setbacks - the author says there are no documented downsides to fasting.
Of coures, as with anything, you don't want to just dive right in. Their four tips to potential fasting:
- Don't do it unless you are healthy and eat right already
- Start off slowly - 24 hours would be good
- Make your meals on either side of the fast the correct ones
- Time it right so that you sleep through the last portion of the fast
I'm going to have to think about this "diet" (I refuse to use that word), or revision to my meal plan. It does intrigue me, but are there enough positives to do without food for 24-36 hours?
Intervals
One of the few downsides for running outdoors versus running on a treadmill has been my interval training regiment. Whenever I'd run on a treadmill, I ran in intervals - one minute at a 7.0, the next at a 5.5, back to 7.0, down to 5.5, etc. - and it worked well for me. I had increased my recovery rate because of that and my overall stamina. I noticed that I could still hit top gear after playing nearly two hours of soccer, for instance, even if my top gear isn't exactly fast.
I came across a piece in Men's Health about heart rate and beats per minute and it included a good tip on using intervals outside. According to the story, the average man's bpm is about 70, and I'd read and heard before that closer to 50 would be ideal. Basically, you don't want to be above 70 because it increases risk of a heart attack. The last time I saw a trainer, around October 2007, my bpm was at 54.
Anyway, the tip that most caught my eye was the interval one. According to a study by the American College of Sports Medicine, interval training can increase the amount of blood the heart pumps with each heartbeat (which is a good thing) by 10 percent while running at a slower, sustained pace had no effect.
Their tip: Run four minutes at 90 percent of your maximum heart rate, then three minutes at 70 percent, and repeat it three times. Repeat this run three times a week.
So what does that translate to? A grueling 28 minutes, or is it 21? Maybe I'll go with 21...
Actually, that's sort of what I did with the 7.0-5.5 interval. When I first started it, I figured 7.0 was about 90 percent, though that 7.0 became an increasingly lower percentage the more I ran and built up my speed and endurance.
Of course, when you are running on the street, you can't really run according to speeds.
I'm going to try this. What I'll do for the time (since I don't have a watch yet) is make a playlist that alternates between songs rougly four minutes long and three minutes long. What I'd suggest and probably would do as well is to warm up, either by walking or jogging lightly, before hitting the first four-minute segment. It might throw of my pre-planned route, though, so I'll have to figure out how much I ran afterward, if in fact I did go longer than my route or take a different one altogether.
To be honest, though, I've run intervals before and try to incorprate them in my jogs but this is a good organized plan and that's what I need more than anything - an organized plan.
I came across a piece in Men's Health about heart rate and beats per minute and it included a good tip on using intervals outside. According to the story, the average man's bpm is about 70, and I'd read and heard before that closer to 50 would be ideal. Basically, you don't want to be above 70 because it increases risk of a heart attack. The last time I saw a trainer, around October 2007, my bpm was at 54.
Anyway, the tip that most caught my eye was the interval one. According to a study by the American College of Sports Medicine, interval training can increase the amount of blood the heart pumps with each heartbeat (which is a good thing) by 10 percent while running at a slower, sustained pace had no effect.
Their tip: Run four minutes at 90 percent of your maximum heart rate, then three minutes at 70 percent, and repeat it three times. Repeat this run three times a week.
So what does that translate to? A grueling 28 minutes, or is it 21? Maybe I'll go with 21...
Actually, that's sort of what I did with the 7.0-5.5 interval. When I first started it, I figured 7.0 was about 90 percent, though that 7.0 became an increasingly lower percentage the more I ran and built up my speed and endurance.
Of course, when you are running on the street, you can't really run according to speeds.
I'm going to try this. What I'll do for the time (since I don't have a watch yet) is make a playlist that alternates between songs rougly four minutes long and three minutes long. What I'd suggest and probably would do as well is to warm up, either by walking or jogging lightly, before hitting the first four-minute segment. It might throw of my pre-planned route, though, so I'll have to figure out how much I ran afterward, if in fact I did go longer than my route or take a different one altogether.
To be honest, though, I've run intervals before and try to incorprate them in my jogs but this is a good organized plan and that's what I need more than anything - an organized plan.
Stretching my legs
Recently, my activity in working out has been as much as my activity here - which is to say not much.
I've got to get back in the swing of things though and I will. Lately, though, I've not felt like running when I get out of bed in the mornings. Not at all.
But I'm going to sign up for the Fontana Days 5k Run. I've been looking for a 5K run to compete in and this one is perfect. It's very close to my house and it's not too far away.
I'm actually looking forward to it. It's not that I don't think I can finish. Unlike the Mud Run, I do think that I can run this without completely collapsing at the end. It's not so much a physical challenge as it is a first. I've never run in a 5k race. Hell, I've never run in a race, unless the Mrs. Needles' fifth-grade class relay race counts. It'll be a competition. I don't expect to win or finish near the top but I do want to compete against others and try and score a good finish. Plus it will be nice to have Tiffany and the girls waiting and cheering for me at the finish line.
And heck, it would make a good story for The San Bernardino Sun. "Slimming Race: Man loses 100-plus, competes in 5k race for first time."
My tentative plan is to run on Saturday and Sunday and Monday. That might be too ambitious but I need to kickstart my training again, and that would be a good way to do it.
ADD: Okay, it's official. I just signed up for the Fontana Days 5K run. It's scheduled for June 7 so I've got some time to get ready for it.
I've got to get back in the swing of things though and I will. Lately, though, I've not felt like running when I get out of bed in the mornings. Not at all.
But I'm going to sign up for the Fontana Days 5k Run. I've been looking for a 5K run to compete in and this one is perfect. It's very close to my house and it's not too far away.
I'm actually looking forward to it. It's not that I don't think I can finish. Unlike the Mud Run, I do think that I can run this without completely collapsing at the end. It's not so much a physical challenge as it is a first. I've never run in a 5k race. Hell, I've never run in a race, unless the Mrs. Needles' fifth-grade class relay race counts. It'll be a competition. I don't expect to win or finish near the top but I do want to compete against others and try and score a good finish. Plus it will be nice to have Tiffany and the girls waiting and cheering for me at the finish line.
And heck, it would make a good story for The San Bernardino Sun. "Slimming Race: Man loses 100-plus, competes in 5k race for first time."
My tentative plan is to run on Saturday and Sunday and Monday. That might be too ambitious but I need to kickstart my training again, and that would be a good way to do it.
ADD: Okay, it's official. I just signed up for the Fontana Days 5K run. It's scheduled for June 7 so I've got some time to get ready for it.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Long layoff
I haven't posted much recently because I haven't run much. I finally hit the streets again on Saturday morning and ran my short 2.25 run around the neighborhood. It went okay, but I was gassed after I ran it. I plan on going again on Sunday morning.
I have a ways to go still before I get back into the groove. I thought I'd gotten into it before this last week but then I didn't do any running and now I feel like I'm back at square one. I'm not, but I feel like it.
I'll post more later about the upcoming competition I'm going to dive head first into and some nutrition stuff I came across in my most recent Men's Health magazine.
I have a ways to go still before I get back into the groove. I thought I'd gotten into it before this last week but then I didn't do any running and now I feel like I'm back at square one. I'm not, but I feel like it.
I'll post more later about the upcoming competition I'm going to dive head first into and some nutrition stuff I came across in my most recent Men's Health magazine.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Don't skip breakfast
I may have posted about the nutritional qualities about breakfast before but I just ran across an item in my daily Men's Health newsletter about the topic. The most important thing I took away from it is that the more regularly you eat breakfast, the less likely you will overeat during the day.
I find it amazing how people generally skip breakfast and wait until 10 or 11 to eat something for the first time. By that time, I'm guessing you are borderline starved and the odds of making poor choices in that condition are high.
Even if it's something as simple as toast and a glass of milk, breakfast is important. I don't typically eat a lot in the morning but I always eat something, whether it's as simple as tearing open a protein bar, popping two slices of bread in the toaster or having a fruit or two. I'm actually looking to expand my breakfast options and possibly incorporate a shake or something every now and then.
Another thing that was of interest in the newsletter was a link to this game, the Eat This, Not That game. If you don't regularly read the magazine, every month they compare two similar foods from two similar restaurants or eateries. For instance, the McDonald's Big Mac versus the Burger King Whopper. Sometimes, as they mention, it's basically a choice between the lesser of two evils. But it's a really good feature because it helped me eliminate the possibility that I will ever eat at Cinnabon again. Cinna-gut-bomb features 800 calorie cinnamon rolls! They probably taste okay but that is absolutely not worth the effort.
Anyway, here's the game.
I find it amazing how people generally skip breakfast and wait until 10 or 11 to eat something for the first time. By that time, I'm guessing you are borderline starved and the odds of making poor choices in that condition are high.
Even if it's something as simple as toast and a glass of milk, breakfast is important. I don't typically eat a lot in the morning but I always eat something, whether it's as simple as tearing open a protein bar, popping two slices of bread in the toaster or having a fruit or two. I'm actually looking to expand my breakfast options and possibly incorporate a shake or something every now and then.
Another thing that was of interest in the newsletter was a link to this game, the Eat This, Not That game. If you don't regularly read the magazine, every month they compare two similar foods from two similar restaurants or eateries. For instance, the McDonald's Big Mac versus the Burger King Whopper. Sometimes, as they mention, it's basically a choice between the lesser of two evils. But it's a really good feature because it helped me eliminate the possibility that I will ever eat at Cinnabon again. Cinna-gut-bomb features 800 calorie cinnamon rolls! They probably taste okay but that is absolutely not worth the effort.
Anyway, here's the game.
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