All you can eat Stec

Going to eat a fair amount, guessing around 2400 calories.  Also planning to up my cardio and Starting Crossfit this week.  Workouts will be planned by the day.  They have you work 3 days and 1 off, but since I always take Sunday off, I’ll be doing 3 days on (M, T, W) 1 day off with light cardio (Th), 2 days on (F, Sat), 1 Day off.

Monday:   Crossfit (morning)
Warmup:      3 rounds of 10-15 reps of
(do the Samson Stretch once each round for 15-30 seconds)
Overhead Squat with broomstick
Pull-up
Dip
Workout:   Three rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups

Tuesday:   Crossfit (morning)
Warmup:   3 rounds of 10-15 reps of
(do the Samson Stretch once each round for 15-30 seconds)
Overhead Squat with broomstick
Sit-up
Back-extension
Pull-up
Dip
Workout:  135 pound Clean and Jerk, 30 reps  (may need to use 95 lbs)
Cardio:  Light run after work (144 bpm)

Wednesday (in bend):  Crossfit (morning)
Warmup:   3 rounds of 10-15 reps of
(do the Samson Stretch once each round for 15-30 seconds)
Overhead Squat with broomstick
Sit-up
Back-extension
Pull-up
Dip
Workout:   Snatch 135 pounds, 30 reps (may need to use 95 pounds)
Cardio:  Light Bike at night(140 bpm) (hot tub at hotel)

Thursday (in bend):   Cardio:  Light run (144 bpm)

Friday:      Crossfit
Warmup:   3 rounds of 10-15 reps of
(do the Samson Stretch once each round for 15-30 seconds)
Overhead Squat with broomstick
Sit-up
Back-extension
Workout:   If you cannot do the muscle-ups do 120 pull-ups and 120 dips.
Cardio:  Light bike (140bpm)

Saturday:   Crossfit
Warmup:   3 rounds of 10-15 reps of Samson Stretch once each round for 15-30 seconds)
Overhead Squat with broomstick
Sit-up
Back-extension
Pull-up
Dip
Workout:  Five rounds for time of:
95 pound Sumo deadlift high-pull, 15 reps
95 pound Thruster, 15 reps
Cardio:  Light Run (144 bpm)

Sunday:  100% rest

So I’ve decided I’m still going run, bike, lift - and do all that other stuff, but I’m taking it to another direction:  Crossfit.  I’ve been doing some research and this kind of thing is really what I want to do.

Here’s some things that piqued my interest from their website:

" CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning           program for many police academies and tactical operations teams,           military special operations units, champion martial artists,           and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.

"Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general,           and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival,           many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average,           punish the specialist."

And another part that was very interesting from the website:

"CrossFit is in large part derived from several simple observations garnered through hanging out with athletes for thirty years and willingness, if not eagerness, to experiment coupled with a total disregard for conventional wisdom. Let me share some of the more formative of these observations:
1. Gymnasts learn new sports faster than other athletes.
2. Olympic lifters can apply more useful power to more activities than other athletes.
3. Powerlifters are stronger than other athletes.
4. Sprinters can match the cardiovascular performance of endurance athletes even at extended efforts.
5. Endurance athletes are woefully lacking in total physical capacity.
6. With high carb diets you either get fat or weak.
7. Bodybuilders can’t punch, jump, run, or throw like athletes can.
8. Segmenting training efforts delivers a segmented capacity.
9. Optimizing physical capacity requires training at unsustainable intensities.
10. The world’s most successful athletes and coaches rely on exercise science the way deer hunters rely on the accordion."

So I’m going to give it a shot.  It’s like a big wormhole:  There’s so much information and workouts — they do everything different — and I am not nearly the shape to finish the workouts anywhere these guys do, but they say that they have old men doing it so I’m going to give it a stab.  I’m going to learn as much as I can -

This really looks like the direction I want to go.

I ran the 15TH ANNUAL NORTHWEST CROSS COUNTRY CLASSIC yesterday for my birthday.  First of all, here are the stats:
Time: 22:47
Avg Pace:  7:20
Avg Speed: 8.3 mph
Max Speed: 13.1 MPH (at the end)
Avg Heart Rate: 166
Max Heart Rate: 185
Mile 1:  6:30
Mile 2:  7:31
Mile 3:  7:41
Last .12:  6:24/mi pace

I ran it with Travis (my younger brother) and my mom.  My goal was to come as close as I could to Travis and possibly give him a run for his money.  I don’t get the opportunity to run with him since he lives in Seattle, so I decided to base my pace on what he was doing.

It was also my 30th birthday and I’ve been specifically training for the 5k for a few months so I wanted to get a pretty good time.

Oh, and the race had a bit of a decent hill that you went up three times, which haven’t been on my other 5k courses I’ve ran this year.  I feel I’m pretty good at hills but it could hurt my on my goal of hitting my PR.
So the race started out and, of course, the pace was incredibly fast.  Travis was weaving in and out of people, and I was only a few steps behind.  We rifled up the first hill and I made up some good ground.  A quarter mile later, I really could feel it.  I knew I couldn’t keep at that pace for long.  A quick glance at my watch and it showed me going 6:10/mi!  Ouch!  Thats faster than my 400 meter interval time lol.  I had to let Travis go and maintain a 6:45-7:00 pace.

I was doing pretty good for the first mile, and then we came around and had to go up that hill again.  That made me really feel it.  A minute or two after that hill I began to ponder why I was even doing this.  I should be relaxing on my birthday! 

And just as I started to get into a rhythm again, up the hill again.  The last mile was brutal.  My entire body was burning.

As I approached the finish and went around the track to finish the race, I really felt like I had nothing left. I was pushing it hard but looking back I was really running on my heels.

At the 20 meters this young kid I had passed earlier that mile was sprinting passed me.

As soon as I noticed it I leaped into a full sprint and BARELY beat him.

Although I didn’t beat my brother, and I didn’t get a PR - I did have a lot of fun and came back with some more motivation.  I once again learned the lesson of starting out too fast.   I loved being out there with the family - It was really cool to see my mom run the race and push herself.  I loved cheering her on.

Second to last week before my big 30th birthday and my brother coming down to run that 5k.  So I’m going to have to work hard and work smart.  Here’s what I’m doing:

New goal:  Wake up at 6:30 every morning.  No naps.  No naps.  Did I mention no naps?  Go to bed when I’m tired at night.  Could be 8, could be 10.

Monday: Running, intervals 3×1 mile @ 7:11/mi pace
Tuesday:  Lift morning, Spending night in Bend (exercise bike and hot tub at night)
Wednesday:  Running, 1 mile warmup, 3 miles @ 7:46, 1 mile cooldown
Thursday: Lift morning
Friday:  Running, 6 miles @ 8:16 pace
Saturday:  Lift morning, fun with Jake later

Next week:  Final BIRTHDAY goal week.  Age 30!  Over the hill.

What should I ask for?

So the first week back from vacation and I’m still trying to get into the rythm of tracking my calories.  I was doing so good for a while there, but on vacation it’s impossible so I don’t do it.  I get back and didn’t do it this week.  As I result I lost a few pounds and got down to 180, I guess thats good and bad.  I’ll have to check the measurements to see if I’ve lost some muscle.
Another miss this week - Things got busy, and perhaps I got a bit lazy and I didn’t run on Tuesday.  I almost missed my run on Friday as well due to laziness but I went out late and got it done.

So I ran twice (you can see the stats on my homepage on the front of my bodyblog) and lifted 3 times.  I’m upping the weight each time, and the weight on my squat is getting VERY VERY VERY VERY heavy.  Today my whole body was pretty sore from ‘em and iced my knees.  Pain.

One good thing for this week is that I’m REALLY getting into a rythym from running.  I did five very strong .625 mile intervals at a fast pace, the first 3 were painful.  The last two I seemed to get into some sort of trance and I felt like I could run that fast for miles and miles.  I went back and checked my calculations — on those last two intervals, I ran 10 seconds faster per mile and my heart rate was substantially lower.  It was really weird, just like swimming or anything else when it really really clicks.

My wife plays the biggest part in my motivation.  I wouldn’t be able to meet ANY of my goals without her sacrifices - I appreciate her so much.

Oh, lets talk about her sacrifices.
For one, watching the kids while I’m out working out.  Sometimes (actually a lot) I miss my workout in the morning so I have to hit the gym or go running after work.  I’m sure thats exactly what she wants to do after watching over the kids all day — Watch the kids some more!  Plus, thats a lot of time that she could be spending with me.  Sometimes I can tell she’s frustrated about this which is so understandable, and I appreciate her so much for it.

For two, eating.  I make my five meals a day and eat similar like things nearly every day.  She eats a long with me but thats got to be a sacrifice.  She also is a super-sweetie and loves to cook things for me, but my eating habits make it difficult she can’t go all out on cooking.  Whenever she cooks she substitutes the non healthy stuff with more healthy choices. I love it when she does that, but it sure must be a pain in the butt.
Oh, and like most hot chicks, she loves to be taken out to nice dinners  and spoiled with desserts.  Of course these things are enjoyed the most when someone else is enjoying them.  So I go along and order a salad with extra  grilled chicken breast, no cheese, no crutons, dressing on the side.  No appetizers for me.  Water.  Dessert - naw.  And then she feels bad for ordering whatever she’s ordering, and we don’t tend to go out anymore.

But here’s the kicker.  If she’s sacrificing all this stuff so I can meet my goals, do you think for one second I’m not going to give 100% on my workouts at the gym and in my runs?  Heck no.  When I hit the gym, I’m going to go above and beyond to give her the best body possible with the time I’m in there.  She’s not doing all these things for nothing, shes doing it for me.  And the least I can give her the best body I can.  Plus, a little stamina where it counts never hurts.  =)

I try to find as many things to keep me motivated to working out.  My kids, Jake and Julie, are an easy one that’s always in my mind.  They motivate me for the following reasons:

1. When I’m healthy, I’m happy.  I spend more quality time with them.
2. A longer life.  I can’t believe how some people can’t control themselves and are sacrificing 20+ years of their life.  It’s one thing to do that to yourself, but if you have kids — get a hold of yourself.
3. Hopefully some of my habits will be passed on to them to make them happier and help them to live longer.  Even now, Jake won’t eat white bread!  =)  Not only the habit of working out and eating right, but the habit of discipline and to keep going when things get tough.
4. It will be so fun as they get older to be able to hang with them on sports and activities.  That’ll be so fun when their deciding which sport they want to do in junior high and high school and I’ll be able to practice and help them improve.

I also keep them in my mind and think about them when I’m completely dead on a run and I need another half mile or that last set of squats that I need to get up.  I even put all Jake’s pictures he colors for me in my gym, and most of them are in front on my squat rack!

So I just got back from Utah and I have to ask, What is wrong with you people?

I just got back from a 5 day trip in Provo, three days of which I ran along a road.  I’ve been a runner all my life and I have never seen such roadhogs.   Oregon, Washington, California, Maryland, Colorado, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey - all states that I’ve spent some time running in, and nine out of ten the people there will give you a bit of space when theres space to give.

Not Utah.  Running down a long straight stretch a not-too-busy two lane highway, EVERY vehicle didn’t even think twice about driving with their passenger side window on the white line.  You would think with an extra lane they’d give me an inch or two.