stachedwalker’s BodyBlog

Jeez, only taken some 5 months to write an update to this.  As you can tell, I have NOT been a good boy.
Anyway, trying to get my miles in for the Phoenx RnR 1/2 Marathon in Jan.  Typical NW weather here … raining and the 50s so walking was done on the treadmill at gym.  I put in (according to the Treadmill) 8.5 miles in 1 hour and 55 minutes … using up some 1000 calories.  The treadmill speeds need work, but I’m happy with the calories used

You know, there are times I think I have ADD …. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed on the same training regimen for more than 60 days in my life while I’m in control of my training.  Heck, even when I’m not in control!    What’s the latest?  Full body routines.  Yeah, I know … I haven’t done something like that in years.  However, I’m really undisciplined (no two ways about it) when it comes to training xnumber of days/week and on certain days.  I do let life, work … and lack of sleep … get in the way.  When you’re only training one bodypart/week, that really screws things up.  So, I figure I’ll come up with 2-3 whole body routines and try to do them at least 2x/week.  If I miss days here and there, no biggie.  I still train every part.  Today was the first day for this.  This runs a little longer than normal, but I did feel the upper body this afternoon.  I haven’t trained arms in some time.    I wonder if I’ll ache tomorrow?

Well, as I’m writing this I’m *almost* over the half.   It happened as planned on Saturday (the 9th).  As far as weather goes, it was just about as nice as could be asked for.  The sky was overcast all day.  It was barely sprinkly as we started off at 8am, and steadily increased in intensity and decreased in temp throughout the day.  I figure it was in the low 60s when the 1/2 started, and in the 50s when the I finished.  

Welcome to June in Portland! LOL

This time around there were no blisters …. no standing in line at the honey buckets … and no joint pains along the course.  These are all GOOD things.  The result was that I did a better time in 2007 than i did in 2005, and I know I was in better shape in 2005.  Still my first 6.5 miles were done at a pace of 4.8mph, and the last 6.5 were done at 4.9 miles.  It takes about 2 miles to get out of the pack so that really slows you down.

In 2005 I did the Helvetia in 2:47.  This year I did it in 2:41:59.   As Red Weston says, life just begins  at 50! LOL.  So yeah, I did better at 50 than I did at 48.   

Were there any downsides to this year’s race?   Just a couple.  One happens ever year.  That is, at the end of the race you’re in a nice stadium, and they have you climb up a couple of flights of stairs to leave.  C’mon folks, I just finished busting my tail.  Climbing stairs is NOT something I’m looking forward to.  I swear they do this just to give the EMT’s at the end something to do.    The second one was that like all good PNW events, there’s beer at the end.  This is MicroBrew Heaven, after all.  Well, sitting outside in the cold, wet rain … having a nice cold beer .. sure put a chill in the proceedings  .. pun DEFINITELY intended.  3/4 of the way through my cup I figured I wanted to get back to my car so I could turn on the heat and electric seats and warm up!  That last 1/4 of the plastic cup disappeared in less than 1/4 of a second.  

Now I can start lifting weights again!  For the month of May I really couldn’t find the time to do both .. lift weights at the gym and get in the training walks.  So, I’ll be starting up my walks again getting ready for the Portland Marathon in October, but it won’t be a crash course trying to get ready after the long, cold winter.  I have the summer to walk … and find time to heft some iron.

Last weekend I did 2 hours on the treadmill, put in 9.3 miles and used up 1100 calories getting ready for the 1/2 marathon in 2 weeks.  The plan today, was to go for 11-12 miles.  I ended up doing the same thing as last week, 9.4 miles in 2 hours … 1100 calories.   Why no further?   Didn’t bring along calories to burn.  Huh??  I always think of the treadmill as aerobics so that you’re using that to burn up calories, thus you don’t want to bring along stuff with sugars to ingest while you’re on the treadmill.  That’s a good mindset for one hour on the road … 2 hours +, you’re not doing aerobics to burn up calories, you’re doing endurance and you NEED calories to keep going.  About 1:45 into it my stomach was telling me .. in no uncertain terms … it was HUNGRY … and I didn’t have anything with me to give my system the extra energy it needed at that time. So I backed off to a 2 hour workout.  I am going to try to get a 10+ mile session in this coming week but I know I’ll have to bring something like "Gu" in order to give me my needed energy to make it.  Besides, the gym won’t let me bring beer/stout in my water bottle. 

Yes, as one can tell, it’s been a while since my last blogging … nearly a solid month.  In fact, I even got an automated gentle ‘reminder’ from the CEO/Computer reminding me that I’ve been remiss on that (I need to find some way to shut that little pain in the behind SPAM off!!).  I got down to about 179 lbs, and then the dreaded "First of May" yearly syndrome happened.  Birthdays, Mother’s Day, visiting relatives … and this year business travel on top of that … which all work together sabotage my diet and workouts.  Added to the fact that this year I turned 50, people who don’t necessarily take me out to dinner did so with a gleam in their eye (evil gleam I may add).  My eldest sister sent 10lbs (literally) of desserts …my younger one about 20 lbs of food.

As you can guess, the weight did NOT go down from there … and little to no weekday workouts.  The times that I got to workout on the weekends were spent getting some walking training in for the Helvetia Half Marathon June 9th.   I would get about an hour in on Saturday and/or Sunday.  

Well, Ladies and Gents, this past week was get yer behind back in gear time.   With the 1/2 only 3 weeks away, the walking takes #1 priority.   This past week I did speed(ish) training on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. For me, that’s starting out at about 4.5 or 4.6 mph, then slowly and continually upping the speed 0.1mph every mile, or 15 minutes, etc.  That way it’s not noticeable that I’m continually pushing myself to go faster.  Sometimes it works pretty well.  I still get winded pretty easily over 5.1mph, and my form falls off there.  I need to get some help from some trainers there.

Saturday I marched into the gym early (’bout  8:15), headed to the row of treadmills, turned on my radio … tuned out the world, and started ‘er up!  I did 2 hours on the treadmill yesterday.  Yes, it can be done … just turn the brain off!  Actually, it’s easier for me to do at the gym than in my house. THAT is an exercise in mental torture.  But I did it, 2 hours, 9.3 miles, approx 1100 calories …. and a beer for lunch!!  No flack now, that beer did NOT contain 1100 calories!  

Today I’m none the worse for wear due to the walking yesterday.  I should be able to do the 1/2 in under 3 hours now, if I can keep up my tempo … actually pretty well under 3.  Keep the fingers crossed for no blisters.   The calves are tight today, but that’s the only residual effect.  I’m stretching them frequently.  

Now, where does the title of this blog come in?   My training journal said 4/23 was the last time I lifted any weights.  It’s been a while.  I’m getting tired of JUST doing the walking.  It sure isn’t building up the arms or shoulders, or back, or chest … my lung capacity may be getting better but I could still lose at armwrestling to a 15 year old.  Not good.  So, this afternoon I marched back into that gym and never glanced once at the treadmills.  I used free weights, dumbbells, plates, cables and machines.  I did abs, shoulders, traps, lats, pecs, biceps and triceps.   It felt good to lift something more than a pen …. or my laptop when I’m slinging it over my back in my backpack.   Even for people who are in training for walking/runing competitions …  every once in a while …  you just feel the need for WEIGHT!!

Supposed to have been a speed training but fighting off the beginnings of a cold, so I decided not to push it.  I did one hour at 4.5mph … a nice, steady pace.  Supposedly used up some 500 calories.  Instead of trying to go fast I was concentrating more on my form.  You have to have form down so much you don’t think about it because you’re disqualified if you start doing things like bending your lead leg, or not having one foot down on the ground at all times.  The longer the race goes, the worse your form gets.

I was just under 180 lbs this AM when i got up so I’m hoping that I’ll be able to register 179 come Thursday’s weigh in.

One nice thing about working out later in the evening … most people are gone and there’s minimal waiting/fighting for the equipment.    Today was upperbody day and I was successful, really, at getting everything I wanted.  Here’s the workout

Abs
Naut Rotation machine  35×12, 45×10, 45×10
Hammer ab machine  35×10, 35×10, 35×10

Torso
Nautilus low-back  150×10, 15×10,150×10
Hammer Shrugs  90×12, 90×10, 90×10 (need to raise weight next time)
Nautilus pullover   90×10, 90×10, 90×10
Nautilus freeweight incline bench  110 (55 each side)x12, 110×10, 110×7
Machine 1arm row  60×10, 60×10,60×10

Arms
Dumbbell laterals  15×10, 15×10,15×6
Nautilus curls    75×10, 75×6, 75×8
Triceps pulley pushdowns  52.5×10, 52.5×10, 52.5×8
Freemotion Hammer curls  35×8, 35×7
Dumbbell Overhead press  45×11, 45×8  (two hands on one dumbbell)

As soon as I got home had 2 glasses of skim milk for my protein and carbs … in liquid form for quickest absorption.

Today was again a distance day.   Last week I did 7 miles, I wanted to do at least 7 miles again to.  It was pushing it a bit at the end, but I upped the day’s walk to 8 miles.  Total time of about 103 minutes to do it all.  My speed started out at 4.5mph, and every 1/2 hour I upped it 0.1mph.  So I was doing 4.8mph at the end. The treadmill estimated that I used up about 900-950 calories.  Given what I ate yesterday … I need to burn that up.

Friday night I got a pretty good leg workout in.  It started off with singled legged, no weight squats on the smith machine for 2 sets of 15 reps (each leg).  Next I went to the Free-motion step up machine. It’s like climbing/descending stairs while holding onto 70 lbs … 3 sets of about 10 reps.  Next was heavy weight with a seated leg press (3 sets).  Quads were finished off with 1 leg leg extensions. (3 sets again)  After quads I headed over to do stiff legged deadlifts for the hamstrings, followed by standing 1 leg legcurls.  After hitting the major muscles, it was onto the smaller ones.  I’m in the process of adding some glute exercises in the way of a leg extension the back with weights.  In racewalking, most of your power comes from pushing the leg behind you … so the bum gets used a lot.    Legs were finished off with 3 sets of straight leg calf raises and 2 sets of seated calf raises.

more speed walking tonight.  1 hour again.  4.75 miles total   About 550 calories.  Let’s see what tomorrow’s weigh-in says.