TWTW: 21 - 27 June 2010

Monday 21 June 2010
Workout:

Swim: 30mins - continuous breast stroke

Run: 30mins, EM
1 min walking warm up @3.6mph
30mins run @6.1mph (9:50 mins per mile)
1 min walking cool down @3.6mph

Bike: 30mins, EM, L12 - 16ish Km

W/S: Complexes
Romanian deadlift
Bent over row
Shoulder press
Squat
Trunk/bar rotation
Front lunge
Bicep curl
10reps of each exercise done one after the other (i.e. as a circuit); 1-2 min rest between circuits; 3 circuits in total


Woohoo! I think I'm back on track. I don't think I'd say I'm quite back to my "usual" self yet, but I'm feeling so SO much better than I was, and am most definitely headed in the right direction. I finally (!!) made it back into the pool after what I think is about 3 weeks (shame on me!). Initiallly I had the pool to myself, but about 5 or so minutes into my paddle "Bun Lady" joined me. I could be wrong, but am pretty sure she was less than thrilled to see me. Having not been in the pool for roughly 3 weeks will have meant she's likely had the pool to herself (i.e. she would have got the "good side" - meaning she hasn't had to naviate/avoid the ladder. But…having beaten Bun Lady (if only by 5 mins!) I got the good side, meaning she was relegated to ladder avoidance. I'm willing to bet she'll be in earlier tomorrow (despite the fact I'm not "scheduled" to swim again until Wednesday). Thankfully (for both me and Bun Lady) no sign of "Mr Swim Too Close".

I was pretty chilled about today's swim, seeing it more as a "get back into the pool and do whatever you want" session as opposed to a hard, focussed crawl session. I felt pretty comfortable, nice and relaxed and certainly not overtaxed or out of breath!

Today's run was an easy 30minute session. I took it quite easy, running at a 9:50mpm pace. Today's aim or objective was simply to get the run done; not worrying about running particularly hard or fast (no fear of that!!). I guess it's fair to say I'm currently more interested in getting myself back than settign any new benchmarks. With 10 weeks until the next race, I've got plenty of time to increase my pace, now; it's all about one foot in front of the other!

The bike was a little bit extra (i.e. not really part of my priority sessions for the day), not terribly hard, but got the legs moving and dealing (even if only to some extent) with cycling when fatigued (admittedly, I'll be running after cycling (as opposed to cyling after running - - unless I do a dualathon)), which I'm convinced simply MUST be good for my legs!


Tuesday 22 June 2010
Workout:

Bike: 90 mins, including 3x10min SSI with 6min RBI
10min warm up on L12
3x [10min SSI on L14 with 6min RBI on L12]
Remainder of 90 mins on L12
Approx: 45.33km

W/S: KBs (12KB and 8kg DBs)
Figure 8s
Windmill (with 8kg DB)
2 hand swing
single arm shoulder press
single arm row
2 arm hammer curl (with KB)
2 arm overhead tri extension (with KB)
single arm snatch
KB forward lunge (KB held to chest with both arms)
alt chest press (with DBs) and bicycle legs
pullovers (with single DB) and leg raise
KB squat (KB held to chest with both arms)
Around the World (aka "Slingshots")
=10 reps of each exercise (save for windmill (5 each side) and lunge (5 each leg)) done back-to-back in for one "circuit"; 1-2 minute rest between circuits; 2 total circuits


Marvellous!! My mojo is well and truly on it's way back. I'm once again feeling good (as opposed to "flat") and looking forward to my workouts. I'm not sure if my feeling rubbish was down to my cold, not getting enough sleep, my body adapting and adjusting to the new programme or something else entirely and quite frankly, now that I'm feeling SO much better (I cannot explain how much better I'm feeling!!!), I can't say I really care why I felt like I did, apart maybe knowing how to (try) to avoid feeling that way again (if at all possible!).

I hemmed and hawed a bit this morning about whether to do the KBs before or after the bike, but I finally decided to do them after the bike (the bike being the priority session, hence my decision to put it first). I've read various things that doing weights/resistance work before cardio can have positive effects in terms of fat burning (idea being that your body uses up it's glycogen stores doing the weights/resistance work, meaning it has to turn to your bodies fat stores for the energy it needs to do the cardio), but I've also read that doing resistance work first can mean that your muscles will be fatigued when it comes to doing the cardio, meaning you may not have the necessary strength/energy to put in a good session. I suppose it's like so many things fitness (and life?) related, there really is no simple answer or "TINSA" (with thanks to my 12th grade geography for that bon mot!). Probably fair to say it depends on what your goals and objectives are; the whole "priority" thing. If I wanted to focus on muscle development and strength (such that resistance work was the priority), it would probably make sense to do the resistance work first, if only to make sure I was "fresh" and had enough time to get it all done. If however, my focus is on getting stronger, fitter and faster on the bike, it would seem to make sense to do the bike first; once again meaning I'd be fresh and have sufficient to get the bike (my priority) done. That said, what do I do if I want to get fitter and faster on the bike and look mega buff in my bikini? Probably worry less about whether to do bike or weights first and more time on how many chocolate digestives I stuff down my gob!

Today's bike wasn't terribly tough, but certainly enough to get me good and sweaty. 90 mins went by relatively quickly - courtesy of the new Chemical Brothers CD ("Further") and the latest issue of Heat magazine. To those people that say you're not working hard enough on the bike if you can read a magazine, I'd say that although that may very well be true in a great many instances, it is certainly not always the case (and most certainly not in mine)!

I quite enjoyed the KB circuit which I've based largely on a programme in "Kettlebell Training for Athletes: Develop Explosive Power and Strength for Martial Arts, Football, Basketball and Other Sports" by David Bellomo - yet another Amazon acquired fitness book (I would highly recommend this book as a way to incorporate KB training into your programme in a way that recognises your KB training as being supplemental to your "real sport" (i.e. you're doing KBs to improve your performance in your chosen sport or activity)). Unfortunately, having decided to do KBs after my bike session, I ran out of time to do the final circuit (each circuit taking in the region of 8-10minutes); the "day job" can most definitely get in the way of training (though does pay the bills and buy the kit to do the sport)!

Although KBs are without a doubt a great bit of kit, I would strongly advise against just picking up a KB and "having a go" as it is far too easy to hurt yourself (your back being probably the most likely candidate for injury, followed closely by knees (i.e. swinging KB into your knee)). At a minimum try to find a local class or appropriately certified instructor (i.e. actually certified in KBs, not "just" a PT looking to lure more clients by jumping on the KB bandwagon (or is that actually the "BANKwagon"???)) to show you some of the exercises and give you some guidance as to proper technique. As to surfing the net for KB instruction (via the multitude of online videos), I'd hope it goes without saying that just because someone is using a KB in an online video, it doesn't mean that what they're doing (in terms of technique) is "correct". I think it's fair to say that while there are some reasonably good videos available in the www realm, there are also a fair few which are terrible (i.e. bad form, getting the names of exercises wrong - I recently watched a guy doing "snatches" which were actually "cleans" - a rather big difference!!). Bottom line, find a qualified instructor and get some instruction (whether one-on-one or in a class) - you, your back (and your knees) will be glad you did!


Wednesday 23 June 2010
Workout:

Run - 60mins
2 min walking warm up at 3.5mph on 1% incline
3x [1 mile (i.e. 1600m) repeats with 2min RBI walking recovery at 3.5mph] - all at 6.5+mph
10 mins hill walk - 10% incline at 3.5mph
15mins hill runs - 1 min "hills" followed by 1 min walking recovery @3.5% - still on "hill" (i.e. don't decrease incline) - increase incline at 30sec mark of recovery
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
1 min cool down walk @3.5mph, 0% incline

W/S: Complexes
Hang cleans
Romanian deadlift
Bentover row
Squat
Shoulder press
Forward lunge
Bicep Curl
10reps of each exercise done one after the other (i.e. as a circuit) for 3 circuits; 1-2 min rest between circuits - increasing weight for each circuit
5 reps of each exercise for 4th circuit (weight is the heaviest of the 4 circuits)

Swim: 25 min "splash about"
Some breast stroke, front crawl, side stroke and backstroke - crawl seemed better - probably on the basis of my being exhausted (and therefore relaxed) from my workout.

Another day, another workout and another day I'm feeling better. Following a bit of a chat with C last night about her training (which I note she has become decidedly secretive about!) it came out that she's running at 6.5mph as her "base" pace for her running, increasing her speed throughout her run. Hmmm. Don't misunderstand my "hmmmm", it's not that I in anyway question whether she is in fact training at this pace (I'm sure she is), it's more the realisation that she's using a faster base pace than me for her run training, which I'm TERRIFIED will result in her completing August's run faster then me. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for C doing better and improving her time (i.e. end of May Tri), but the key point is I'm talking about her improving on HER time, not MY time!!! I don't of course mean it in a nasty way, but I DO NOT want her beating me! No doubt stating what is now blindlingly obvious, but we, or at least I, am rather competitive (no doubt this is why she's keeping her training super top secret!). All kidding aside, knowing that C has been running faster than me provided me with shall we say "suitable motivation" to run harder today. Funny, but today's base pace didn't slip below 6.5mph….wonder why that would be. Best I keep it up (and increase it)…and make sure C has more than her fair share of the nightly chocolate digestives!


Thursday 24 June 2010
Workout:

Bike: 120 mins, EM, L12 - approx 55 km

A nice way to start the day, a good, but not terribly tough workout.


Friday 25 June 2010
Workout: No workout - the gym was closed!


Saturday 26 June 2010
Workout:

Bike: 90mins, EM, L12 - with a 5mile TT
5mile TT - 7:45 (pretty good! - if I say so myself!)

Run: Intervals
30second interval ("SI"):60 second recovery ("SR") @ 7.5mph
60 SI:60 SR @ 7.5mph
90 SI:60 SR @ 7.5mph
120SI:60SR @ 7.5mph
[30 SI:60 SR @ 8.5mph]x5
Walking cool down

W/S: Complexes
Hang cleans
Romanian deadlift
Bentover row
Squat
Shoulder press
Dead lift
Bicep curl
10reps of each exercise done one after the other (1st circuit = 20kg; 2nd and 3rd=30kg (bi curl 20kg)


Sunday 27 June 2010
Workout:No workout - "disco damaged"

I woke up feeling ok; not great, but ok. As the day progressed I felt considerably worse. When I was younger I'd wake up feeling terrible but get better as the day went on. Now, I wake up feeling ok(ish) only to decline over the course of the day. Suffice it to say, I went to bed Sunday night feeling very rough - either the effects of my body trying to cope with the self-inflicted disco damage of Saturday night (which was at the time, a heck of a lot of fun!! - dance dance dance - and THIS TIME I didn't do my back in!!), or the various bits of crap I ate during the day - having convinced myself that eating the crap that I did would somehow make me feel better. Nope. Felt like crap and am positive I've gained weight.