Sprints

Another new month of pain to come!

I'd love to say I started off with a bang but I had a really average session today. You gota take the good with the bad though right? 

I wasn't really sore after yesterday but my body just felt weak. I took a week off from running though so I need to get the work in. 

I keep getting deviated on my thoughts towards lifting heavier and getting stronger as opposed to focusing on my 1/2 marathon training which is my immediate goal but anyways ....

warm up

4 mile bike ride

mobility drills 

3 rounds of 5 pullups 10 push ups 

couple of muscle ups - working on turnout at the bottom and full extension. 

9 rounds 1 min on 1 min off 

3 @ 9 mph , 2 @ 9.5 moh , 2 @ 10 mph , 2 @ 10.5 mph - The last time I did this one I did it outside and it was brutal. I liked doing it on the treadmill as I could keep the speed constant as outside its hard to gauge but I def should have gone out. 

rest 2 mins 

4 sets of 12 sec on 10 sec off

I set the tread to 12 mph which is the max it goes up to. It was pretty tough after the previous sprints but managed to maintain it. 

rest 5 mins 

3 rounds 

10 toe to bar 

10 back extensions

I've been reading a lot of Louie Simmons stuff recently and decided to do a little lowerback/ab work at the end - first time I have ener done this !!!

5 km Time Trial

This evening I really didn't want to go out and do this run and I had a list of excuses as long as my arm why I 'didn't need to' or how I had 'already done a lot this week'. When I identified these as exactly what they were - excuses, I decided to practice what I preach and Just show up. 
I knew I would feel 100% better afterwards and I do!


warmup
mobility + running drills.


5km Time Trial
Time = 20:54
previous time = 25:30 (Jan 19th 2010)
I'm really happy with this. The route I ran previously was different but a 5 min difference in a couple of months seems like good progress to me. I guess I must be doing something right.
The route itself had 2 average-ish hills but equally had down hill parts so they canceled each other out I guess.

10 min stretch after for cool down


Now I can relax guilt free

Intervals

warm up 
1/4 mile jog
running specific drills

8 rounds 30 sec on 20 sec off on treadmil
speed - 8m/hr ,  12km/hr
incline 10.5

I had the speed at 9 initially but had to drop it after the 3rd round.
I didn't feel too strong during, I guess I didn't recover enough from the previous workout but I needed to get it in. I guess I should have set priority to this one as the 1/2 marathon is my main goal at the moment but my inner self will always shy away from the running.

you live and you learn.

rest 5 mins

skill
handstand practice 5 mins - slowly getting more solid. I still cannot maintain a freestanding one for longer than about 3 seconds.
As with everything, it will come, its just about putting in the time.

10Km Time Trial

It seems that every time I had to do a long run the weather is absolutely shit and today was no different.
Pissing rain. By the end of the run it felt like I was wearing a weighted suit.

warmup
usual mobility drills with running focus.

10km
I ended up running 10.11km as I mapped it out slightly wrong at the start but pretty accurate.

Time = 52:38

That works out to be 5:12 min kms or 8:22 min miles.

Thats pretty consistent with what I've been doing up until now so its ok I guess.
That was the longest run I've ever done in my life to date.
I feel pretty good after it but I def could have pushed it a little more. On the last km or so I started going a little faster and realized that I had a lot more left in the tank but you live n you learn.

TOSH

I got this workout off crossfitendurance.com and it was extremely tough

warmup
dynamic movements ,  focus on running

1/4 mile jog.


Workout
3 x (200m + 400m + 600m)
The goal in this workout is do each distance resting the length of time it takes to run each part
eg run 200m + rest the length of time it took then run 400m and rest the amount of time that took then 600m etc.

I did this workout on a treadmill just so I could maintain a faster pace and I like having the data in front of me sometimes.

Round 1 - Incline 4 , 200m = 44sec (rest 44sec) , 400m = 1:55 (rest 1:55) , 600m = 2:35
Round 2 - Incline 5 , 200m = 41sec (rest 41sec) , 400m = 1:41 (rest 1:41) , 600m = 2:16
Round 3 - Incline 6 , 200m = 36sec (rest 36sec) , 400m = 1:33 (rest 1:33) , 600m = 2:12


The last round was extremely tough. I couldn't maintain the pace i set at the beginning of the 400 + 600 so had to reduce it half way through but it was still killer. My legs were pretty shot from the snatches this morning and the deads yesterday so thats also a factor but if ands and maybes right ???

Awesome training today!!!!!

8 x 400

warmup
mobility drills and stretching
light jog for 5 mins working on running technique.


8 x 400m , 90 sec rest between each 


1- 1:36
2- 1:43
3- 1:43
4- 1:45
5- 1:45
6- 1:44
7- 1:48
8- 1:44

Pretty consistent on all except for the 7th one. My legs felt so heavy but managed to push hard on the last one. I would have liked to have all of them on the 144 mark but whatever.

So I got up this morning a little sluggish but warm and cosy at the same time. Watched the news while having my breakfast and coffee occasionally glancing out the window at the pissing rain.
It would have been so easy for me to just stay there on the couch and kill some time on the net but I had told myself last night that I was going to run to the gym.
I managed to cover the 6.1kms in 30:35 which I'm pretty happy with. I thought it would take at least 30 so I was right on the button pretty much.

While running in the rain I was looking at all the cars full of people on their way to work, some people looking at me like 'who is this guy running in the rain?' and some people were probably thinking "why is he running in the heavy rain ? surely he can't be enjoying it" The fact is that I wasn't enjoying it. I hated every step I took. The point is that I made myself get up when I didn't want to and slugged it out because I told myself I would.

Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to and sometimes its good to make yourself uncomfortable on purpose. Weather that means running in the rain or going to the gym for the first time in months is relative to you and your abilities.
I choose to put myself in these situations and I always feel good afterwards. The beginning and middle may not be very pleasant but the end always justifies the means.
There are always a million excuses not to do something and the time is never going to be right. You cannot control what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. The only time you can take full control of is right now, this moment.

So of the 3 people that may actually read this, go out and do the thing that you were putting off doing today. You maybe tired or sore form your workout yesterday, or the kids might need this or that etc etc etc. Just get out there and start doing whatever you need to do. I know it sounds cheesy but seize the moment ! You are in complete control of your life and you have the power to achieve anything you set your mind to, so get out and do it !!!

40 min Tempo run

warmup
mobility drills
5 pullups
20 push ups
10 pistols - alternating

running drills

40 min Tempo run @85% R.P.E
I'm no 100% sure how far I got on this one as my phone app cut out sometime during the run and I didn't take notice of any landmarks at the turnaround point so I couldn't map it accurately but judging by what I think I did it was around 7.5km.

Good run all in all. Its the longest I've ever ran before and I felt pretty good.

Tabata sprints

warmup
Running drills

Tabata sprints
8 rounds of sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds

This was tough but was pretty quick so was all good. I kept the work rate pretty constant.

9 rounds 1 min on 1 min off

warmup
mobility drills
10 pullups
10 dips
10 squats
running drills - 5 mins
light jog - maybe 400m

9 rounds 1 min on 1 min off
This was pretty tough. All out efforts each one. I'm not too sure how much distance I was covering each time but it was pretty consistent judging by the buildings I was using as markers.


Vibrams are pretty much broken in now. My calves are adjusting.

30 min Tempo Run

warmup
mobility drills, focus on running drills

30 minute tempo run @ 15 RPE
I got bang on 6kms in 30 mins so 5 min kms

Slightly faster than my last 5km run so pretty happy with it. I'm def getting a lot more comfortable running now but saying that I'm enjoying it would be going to far!

3 x 1000

warmup 
mobility drills - focus on running
5 ring dips
7 strict pullups
10 pistols - 5 each leg.

3 x 1000m 2 min rest between each 


1: 4:38
2: 4:13.9
3: 4:32.5


I was pretty surprised at how much faster the second one was but now that I think about it I think I was running down wind so I guess that must have helped!
It was really cold out today and very hard to breath. Second day out in the Vibrams and my calves are still taking a pounding.

9 min Time Trial

My calves are still pretty sore but I have to get this run in so I bucked up.
warmup
mobility drills + running drills
5 pullups
5 dips
10 squats

9 minute Time Trial 
The goal is to basically run as far as you can in 9 mins. I feel like I could have gone much faster but that happens a lot I guess.
Distance = 1.99 km , 1.24 mil

This was about 2 1/2 mins faster pace than my 5km pace which is to be expected but It should be faster.

I've kind of been more focused on my Strength training since beginning this program so after this week I will begin to focus more on my running. I am not training for anything specific other than the 1/2 at the moment so my goals should be more on this.

8 x 200s

warmup
mobility drills + 5 mins skipping
400m jog

workout 
8 x 200m - 3min rest between each


1: 41.8
2: 38.8
3: 41
4: 41.5
5: 43.8
6: 43.4
7: 40
8: 40.3

My times are pretty consistent but I have nothing to compare them to so I don't really know if they are good or not. Its been a long time since I did sprints.

Today was my first day outside in the Vibrams. I have been working out inside in them for the past few weeks gradually breaking em in but today was the test. They feel awesome as it feels like your bare foot and forced to last mid strike or ball of the foot and it kills when you last on your heal. I'm planning on doing the half in these so lots more to come.

Tempo run

20 minute tempo run @ 90% RPE

Distance = 4.15 km / m

horrible conditions again to be outside. I wasn't quite sure what speed was 90% for me so basically I just ran as far as I could in 20mins. Pace was pretty much the same as my 5 km

4 x 400m

Warmup
high knees, butt kickers, squat jumps and some othe basic lower body mobility drills to open up the hips.
Jog 400m

4 x 400m with 4 min rest between each one
1: 1:41.7
2: 1:46.6
3: 1:49.7
4: 1:43.8

I was pretty surprised with the last one but I said to myself before hand that I wanted to keep all of them under 1:50. All the tea are pretty sucky anyways but I gues it's just letting me know where I'm at.

First run !!!

Did my first 5km time trial this morning. Conditions were not ideal to say the least as there is snow everywhere but I have my starting point to from from.
Time = 25:30
I had to stop a few times at traffic lights and there were quite a few hills on the route so that could shave about a minute or so off this time but a start is a start.

This evenings workout will be interesting after the run. I haven't pulled a double in a while.