VT Dad’s fight vs. inertia & flab

After playing basketball this morning I went with my family to the county fair.  My wife and I had a great time looking at the exhibits.  My youngest 2 kids had a great time riding the rides.  I was proud of myself for my restraint.  I had a vegetarian taco salad for dinner, refraining from the normal fried fair fare.  My wife and son went home at ~7 while I took my youngest to the Jonas Brothers concert.  It was a great show, but teenage girls can hit high notes that even would give K9s headeaches.

As school has begun, I’ve remained off track.  The only thing that I’ve done well this week was to keep my eating in check.  My life has been school and family, and exercise has taken a back seat, as I haven’t become the predawn warrior I was while training for the VCM (this past Memorial Day).  After work yesterday we drove the 7&1/2 hours to Princeton to drop off my eldest.  We were up and out before 8, unloaded the minivan, and by mid morning we were saying our goodbyes.  So the only points on the 36 point challenge that I earned this week were for playing basketball twice while it was still my summer.    I now stand at 14 pts, and I may remain mired at 14, unless I can get back to my early morning running warrior ways.

My goall schedule for the coming week is as follows is as follows:

Sunday: my last basketball until November.
Monday&Friday base runs of 4-8.4 miles
Tuesday: hill repeats, ~6.8 miles in total
Wednesday: long run 12 miles
Thursday:  7.4 mile run, with the middle 5.4 miles as a tempo run
Saturday: 5 mile race

Ideally I’ll also throw in 3 bosu workouts, and 2 stability ball workouts.  If I accomplish this I’ll earn 19 points and be knocking on the door of 36.  To accomplish this I need to break my summertime habits, and regain the focus and dedication I had this past autumn, winter, and spring.  Habits are hard to break.  Somehow I need to find inner strength and start moving forwards.

So In an effort to jump start things, I’m signing up for 2 local races, a 5 miler on 9/6 and a brutal 30K on 9/20.  So my fall race schedule looks as follows.  In 10 days I have a 5 mile race, along a bike path that I train on often, sometimes running out and back as a 10 miler, sometimes running sections out and back for 4 or 6 miles.  2 Weeks later will be a brutal 30 K, I can’t believe I’m going to try it.  2 Weeks after that I have a 1/2 marathon, and 3 weeks after that If I’m ready is the marathon at Niagara Falls.  All in all 4 races over the next 9 weeks, building up to a marathon.  We’ll soon see how well a 4X a week basketball foundation has prepared my for running.

With these races in mind my long run schedule is as follows:  Tomorrow 12 miles,  8/31: 14 miles,  9/13: 16 miles,  9/20 is the 18.6 mile race, 9/27: 20 miles.  10/4: 13.1, 10/11: 16, and 10/18: 12.  If I can hit these long runs, I can still compete in the marathon 10/25.

As for my progress in the 36 point challenge:  I started the week at +4.  I played basketball 3 times this week which was offset by Tuesday night at Ben and Jerry’s.  I had 3 bosu workouts= +6, and 2 stability ball workouts +2, earning a total of 8, so I now sit at +12.

As for the upcoming 9 days, my plan is to get back on my running schedule with Saturday 8/30 being my rest day.  In addition to the long runs, a hill run Tuesday, and a tempo run Thursday.  I still have an opportunity to plat basketball Sunday and Monday, and would like to add bosu ball workouts Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday + sprinkling in some stability ball when possible.  Hope everyone is doing well.

I had a great week this week, accomplishing a lot, but not where I need to focus the most: running.  My conference was enlightening, an exceptional experience, but with the Olympics on at night I constantly stayed up too late, and ignored my alarm, and failed to go on any AM runs.  

As for the 36 point challenge I scored a 4 for the first week.  I earned points as follows: 2pts for basketball, 2pts for my tempo run, 2pts for a bosu/core workout, and 1pt for a game of ultimate frisbee.  Earning +7 for the week, but dropping (3) Tuesday night at Ben and Jerry’s.

Here’s how this week is shaping up:
Sunday:  Basketball, with a slim chance of an AM base run, stability ball (1-4 points)
Monday:  AM base run, basketball, PM bosu (1-4 points)
Tuesday: AM Hill Repeats, PM Ben and Jerry’s (-1 pt)
Wednesday:  Rest Day
Thursday:  AM Tempo run, PM plio shoes workout (0-3 points)
Friday: AM Base run, basketball,  PM bosu (1-4 pts)
Saturday:  AM long run, PM tennis (0-3 pts)
At my worst I will have a 3pt week.  At my best I could earn 17, putting me on 21 after 2 weeks.  Anything in between will be showing some improvement.

Before the conference even started my youngest joined me at services at the conference site, where she met a 7 year old that was attending the conference with her grandmother.  They hit it off, my daughter had fun, and she decided to attend the conference.  The grandmother attended kid friendly workshops, bringing along her grandaughter and my daughter.  My daughter had a blast at the conference.  On Wednesday afternoon the 2 young ones joined together to belt out 2 songs at an open mike during the lunch hour.  Later that evening they were the only 2 kids in a 36 member chorus made up of conference attendees, onstage in front of an audience of 1200+.  Later they volunteered to play air guitar during another song.  What an experience.  How cool is that.

This conference has been wonderful.  After dinner they had a concert to show appreciation for everything that teachers do.  There were uplifting songs, and heartfelt words.  It was an amazing evening meant to rejuvenate and refresh us.  It was an awesome event.

Today I also went on my first run in 5&1/2 weeks.  I split from the conference to run 5.1 miles as a tempo run.  I ran a warm-up mile, and then started my fast 5K.  My mind was telling my legs to turn over, to move, but I wasn’t going anywhere.  I couldn’t move, It was almost as if I were in quicksand.  

Tonight, I upheld my Tuesday night summertime tradition with my daughter, the outdoor movie at Ben and Jerry’s (Daddy Daycare) and a cone. Tomorrow’s a new day, and I’ll see if I can wake up early, and attend to my scheduled run before the conference.  At least with my today’s tempo run, I’m assured of having a positive week.

So far the conference I have been attending has been wonderful, but it has left me exhausted, and I’ve been unable to rejuevinate my running spirit.  Yesterday I woke up in time for the conference, but not early enough for a run.  Then I crashed in my bed at 7:30 PM.  I caught nearly 12 hours of sleep, but that included oversleeping my intended dawn run.  I’m going to pack my running clothes in the car, and hopefully, I’ll be able to find the time for a 4 mile run today during the conference.

I am excited about the upcoming week, not for my training possibilities or the 36 Point Challenge, but because Burlington, Vermont is hosting a national conference for Jewish educators.  I will have an amazing opportunity to get professional training, as well unparalleled opportunities for personal and spiritual growth.  

This conference has me staring down the barrel of a negative week for the 36 challenge.  The only exercise I can guarantee is playing basketball twice.  I also know that on Tuesday I’ll be going with my youngest to Ben and Jerry’s for their weekly outdoor movie and some ice cream. If I don’t get off my kesiter that means I’ll end the week at (-1). It’s time to step it up, and meet the challenge.  M/W/F base runs have been on my schedule and ignored for the past month, it’s time to break those bad habbits.  Scheduled for Tuesday is a 6.8 mile hill repeat. Thursday I have planned a 7.4 mile tempo run with the middle 5.4 miles at 1/2 marathon pace, and Saturday is my long run.  If I can follow my schedule, and add a core workout Friday night, I finish the week earning 10 points.

Pixie you’re going down…. talk it up now while you still can.

This challenge was inspired as a way to get myself back in gear, and to motivate my friend Pixie to compete and complete.  This is a total fitness challenge you earn points for exercising, and lose points when your bad habbits get in the way.  The challenge starts tomorrow, Sunday, August 10th, and the first person to 36 points wins.

You earn points as follows:
+1 for each % of body weight lost
+1 for a normal workout: weight training, or cardio, exercise class, or yoga class
+2 crossfit w.o.d., high intensity Trixter workouts, bosu/abs/ core workouts,  interval, tempo, or +10 mile long runs

You lose points as follows:
-2 alcohol
-3 sweets
-5 binging, or not taking 1 rest day during a 10 day period.

Participants should blog with their current point total every weekend, and announce once they’ve exceeded 30 points.

Good luck to anyone who wishes to compete and complete this challenge.

I spent this week trying to recover, and felt better by weeks end.  I’m hoping to attain last weeks schedule this week, so here is what’s on my plate:

This week I want to get more running into my schedule
Monday/Wednesday/Friday Base Run 6-7.5 miles
Tuesday Hill Run
Thursday Tempo run (5 miles at 1/2 marathon goal pace 7:38 miles)
Saturday 16 mile long run.

In addition I want to add 3/4 evening plimetric shoe sessions, 3/4 evening core stability sessions, and play basketball 3/4 times this week.