Jan 27, 2013

CLE Weeks 1 & 2

I published my CLE training plan a couple of weeks ago.  I was determined to create a real, personalized training plan and stick to it.  Here's how I planned weeks one and two:


And here's what I actually did:


At least I've been doing something.

Week one was all kinds of screwed up because of lack of thought.  When I made my plan, I failed to acknowledge that it would begin with a crazy week, given abnormal work obligations and a weekend trip to New Orleans.  Monday started off right--I did Core Synergistics in the evening.  Jebus, I do not remember it being so difficult for me to do any kind of push-up the first time I ever did Core Synergistics about 2.5 years ago.  On Tuesday I did my 3-miler after work.  Despite mad-crazy soreness from Core, I busted out those 3 miles in 23:12.  I shifted my 5-miler to Thursday morning, then did my planned 3-miler at group run in the evening.  At 4:00AM on Friday, I was en route to New Orleans.  I was determined to do anywhere from eight to ten miles on Saturday morning, since I wouldn't be able to run at all on Sunday morning given travel plans to get back to Ohio.  I set out with three ladies, including new friend Jaeda.  We were having so much fun running at a really easy pace through the scenic French Quarter, French Market, and Riverwalk.  So much fun that I was satisfied with only running 4.3 miles.

Week 1 mileage: 15.36 (plan -13.64. Ouch.)

Week two was better.  I still didn't run my planned mileage, but at least I ran this time more than what the plan requires.  That makes up for all of the missed miles in week one, right?  Right.  Unfortunately, I did not do Core on Monday.  Since I had the day off and no obligation to be anywhere at any time, I instead joined the home squad for about 5.5 miles including about a mile of hill repeats.  Wednesday through Friday I just ran what felt good, which ranged from four to five and a half miles each day.  My Wednesday evening run was awesome--5.5 miles at 8:01 pace.  Yesterday morning I was supposed to run 8, but we only did 7.5.  I was okay with cutting out a half mile because most of the run was over snow, which made for some pleasantly painful calf burning afterwards.  This morning, I did my planned 11 miles, with my last mile coming in at 8:02.

Week 2 mileage: 38.12 (plan +8.12)

I am supposed to start next week with Plyo tomorrow morning or evening.  Wish me luck!

Jan 15, 2013

I missed you, Tony Horton

I spent 59 minutes yesterday evening with Tony, Pam, Adam, and *shudder* Dreya.

I like straight lines.  You should see my closet at home.

Every Monday my Cleveland Marathon training plan includes Core Synergistics or Plyo care of Tony Horton, Beach Body, and P90X. Prior to last night, it had been almost exactly 2.5 years since my last bout with a P90X workout. Between July 2010 and yesterday, I had only exercised, excluding running, one time.  I remembered that I enjoyed Core Synergistics more than the other P90X workouts. Still, I was a little nervous to give it another go.

Two and a half years ago, I was using bands as opposed to weights. This time, I went with free weights at five pounds--Joe told me that he feels they make for better results than bands. My only other experience with free weights was the one time this past summer that I did a core workout from a DVD by this creepy dude named Gunnar. Gunnar's DVDs are like a Robert Palmer music video combined with porn, a ball, and weights. I gave up on Gunnar after one workout because I was afraid of dropping the weights on my face as I wobbled to remain upright on the ball.  My core is clearly weak.

Anywho, it was apparent from the warm-up in Core Synergistics yesterday that it was going to be a rough one. While stretching I couldn't do simple things that I once could do with ease, i.e., get my hands onto the floor while stretching. This made me sad.

Every kind of push-up made me want to cry. I used to be able to get down pretty low, and I'm talking in terms of real push-ups--none of that knees-on-the-floor crap.  Last night I was getting myself down maybe an inch before I could feel my chest ready to tear and my wrists beginning tremble. The worst were probably Sphinx push-ups.  I am pretty sure that I once thought those were fun. Last night, I think I did five before I wanted to cry. It, like the warm-up, made me sad.

Using weights was a blasty. In fact, they offered respite between push-up varieties. My favorite move was Lunge Kickback Curl Press, which is everything that is in the name. Five pounds in each hand, lunge, kickback, bring torso upright, curl, press, reverse, down, then repeat with the other leg forward in a lunge. I felt like a badass, although I probably looked pathetic. I think five pounds was the perfect weight, which created way more resistance than what I used to get with the bands. Lots of sweat was dripping onto the floor. It made me happy, although it was fleeting.

The end of Core Synergistics is pretty enjoyable for me, though I think the moves at the end suck for a lot of people: Reach High and Under Push-ups (the only push-ups that I enjoyed, although they, like the others, did make me want to cry), Steam Engine, and the *shudder* Dreya Roll. I was feeling good after those three, so I attempted to give the bonus round a try.

The bonus round starts with Plank to Chaturanga Iso, which is a lot like an ealier move (Plank to Chaturanga Run). The former sucks and the bonus round version might suck worse. Since I couldn't get through one Chaturanga, I just flopped onto the ground and fast-forwarded to the Half-Back. I did that because it's fun, then pushed out 15 Table Dip Leg Raises per leg. And then it was time for the cool down.

I made it through the hour and felt more accomplished than I ever remember feeling the first time through P90X. Or maybe it was more of a feeling of "Thank you, Jebus, for ending this torture." Not bad for my first attempt in years.

I'm thinking about adding a second day of P90X to my Cleveland Marathon training plan. I imagine that I'd add a second day of Core Synergistics, but I'm considering throwing in Ab Ribber X to one of my 3-miler days instead of an entire workout. Without yet trying Plyo, I imagine Ab Ribber X or more Core Synergistics will benefit me most. Not sure how much I'm looking forward to my first ever attempt at Plyo in a couple of weeks.

What do you do to supplement running?  More importantly: What's your favorite Tony Horton quote?

Jan 10, 2013

CLE Training Plan

I'm running the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon!

Since Columbus I had been deliberating my next big race move.  I did the Santa Hustle and Joe registered us for the Glass City Half.  I kinda wanted to return to my old stomping grounds in A-town to run the Athens Marathon, but I've heard that the course sucks because it's basically out through The Plains (The Plains is a town as exciting to view as it sounds) to Nelsonville and back on the bike path.  If it were through the most beautiful campus I've ever seen and the charming streets of Athens, I'd be more into it.  However, I am kinda itching to get back to Athens, so I'm pretty sure that I'll be running the half so that I can run Athens, but not be forced all the way up to Nelsontucky.

Anywho, I concluded last night that I'm going to run the Cleveland Marathon.  I registered because (1) I knew that would get me more psyched for training, (2) yesterday was the last day before the price jumped up, AND (3) because I registered as an "early bird," I'm going to get a free gift.  I imagine it'll be some junky thing that will best be stored in the trash can.

Training truly begins next week, but even this morning I felt the urge to get in a better-than-usual morning run.  To the left is my training plan, which I wrote with a little inspiration from Hal Higdon.  There is a lot of running and two things that I didn't include while training for my first two marathons: core and plyometrics.  Joe has been trying for a long time to encourage me to give P90X another go (we did it together prior to our wedding), but I never felt like doing it.  He impressed upon me the effect that core training has on running, but I just wouldn't do it.  Since I ran my first two marathons in pretty much the same amount of time, the second less than a minute faster than the first, I want to try to go all out and see what a more detailed training plan (i.e., more than only running) will do for my time.  The core and plyo workouts that I'll use are P90X.  For a little variety, I might switch back and forth between P90X and P90X2.  I hope that I don't give up on those Monday mornings.

I am also going to challenge myself to do a few things that I should have already been doing:
1.) Eat cleaner; get back to cooking more (Cut out fast food and prepare foods with less salt--the way we used to cook.)
2.) Be asleep no later than 10:30 (Needing to be up to run at 4:30, I should really be asleep much earlier.)
3.) Hydrate properly (I recently heard that mineral water is the way to go.  Yuck.)

I can't wait to see how this all pans out for May 19th.  What's you're next race?  Are you running Cleveland, Athens, or Glass City?