I did another run on Friday morning last week, and had intended going for a quick run on Saturday morning and writing a post to document both of them then, but instead I went on the beers with Nathan and took the piss out of him as we watched the Queensland Reds (Nathan) get beaten by the NSW Waratahs (me) for the first time ever in the Super 12.

I also racked up a quick weights session on Friday arvo before the pub.

Wk5: R: 10km – W: 1 session

Jacqui headed off to New York for two weeks yesterday so I have the place to myself for a while. I plan on taking it easy and getting some training it.

Wne to the gym yesterday after work for my final gym session of the week. It’s definitely progressing well and I can feel the benefits already. Had a quiet night in front of the TV, then got up relatively early this morning for a run.

It was pretty warm by the time I set off. The thermometer on my watch said 31C but I don’t think it was that high! I did 6 laps of the park which works out at 5km, in 27:10. I started off a bit too fast, so while I usually keep my HR around 150 on my runs, this time it finished up around 165, though I’m sure heat and dehydration played a role as well. It had dropped to 130 a minute after the end of the run, which is a decent drop and one measure of fitness. I’m just not sure where a 35bpm drop ranks on the fitness scale and whether it’s the total drop which is important, or the final HR dropped to.

So, that’s another week over. I might go for a short run tomorrow morning to make up for the one I missed yesterday, or possibly a short bike ride…

Wk3: S: 3100m – R: 10km – W: 3 sessions

I got some good training in yesterday. Did weights in the morning to make up for missing the session on Monday, only to confirm that I really don’t like doing weights in the morning. It just feels wrong. Couple that with the fact that I had to step up from 1 set of 30 reps to 2 × 25 and my enthusiasm levels were even lower. Doesn’t look like I’ll have much of a choice seeing as how swimming and weights have to clash on one day a week otherwise, so might as well make it early in the week and get it over with.

Went for a run last night, and then again this morning. 3 laps of the park (2.5km) each time. Average lap time of 4:40, meaing 10.7kmh at a HR of 145.

Wk3: S: 3100m – R: 5km – W: 1 session

Made it to the gym this morning just after 7am. It took longer to warm up than going in the evening, and seemed to be a bit harder to lift than it was on Wednesday. Whether that’s due to the time, or the fact that it’s my third gym session of the week I couldn’t say. Had a big feed afterwards to keep my energy up for the lunch-time swim…

200 warm up
2 * {100 K/200 FS} on 5:30
200 swim down
Total: 1000m

…which didn’t go to well. I’d eaten too much for breakfast (who knew pasta would take 4 hours to digest?) so was a bit bloated. Couple that with the fact that my arms were exhausted after the morning’s weights session and I decided to call it quits after a km.

WK2: S: 1000m – R: 3.6km – W: 3 sessions

Weighed in at 86.4kg yesterday morning.

Skipped the lunch time swim to meet an old collegaue who i hadn’t seen for quite a while, but went to the gym after work. The weights program I am doing is divided into four 4-week segments. I’m in the first of these segments at the mometn, which calls for light weights and lots of reps as follows:

Low weights, minimal strain – 30 reps of:

Squats

Lat Pulldown

Knee Extension

Hamstring Curl

Bent-arm Pulldown

Bench Press

Bicep Curl

Core

Calf Raise

Seated Row

Dips (machine)

Tricep Extension

The idea behind the low weight/minimal strain approach is that your muscles respond to work much quicker than your joints & connective tissues, leading to an imbalance and hence greater potential for injury. To combat this, a slow build-up is appropriate before increasing the weights and decreasing the reps in the later segments of the program. This segment is the ‘adaptation’ phase, where you’re not really doing any significant lifting, just getting your body used to the idea.

I usually precede the weights with a 10min row as a warm-up too, gradually getting faster as the clock counts down.

Week 2: W: 1 session

Joined the gym at Cook & Phillip yesterday and did my first session. I plan on taking it pretty easy for the first few weeks, just to get used to doing weights again without killing myself. Will write more on my intended program later.

Week 1: S: 1700m – W: 1

Feeling a bit tired now, but got a good day’s exercise in. Cycled in to work via New South Head Road, but the bloody hill through King’s Cross almost killed me; HR peaked at 177. I could have gone through the tunnel but I figured that it’s probably not the safest place to cycle through in rush hour traffic.

The lunchtime swim session was another distance oriented one which was cool. Felt a bit better today than I did on Wednesday, so I reckon I’ve managed to shake off the cold before it got established. However my legs were cramping up again towards the end of the session, so I’ll have to figure out what that’s about. It’s not dehydration, so all I can think of is that it may be caused by me not stretching my legs after riding in in the morning. Something to remember for next week then.

400 warm up
4 * 400 FS on 6:30 (5:39)
3 * 100 BC on 2:00 (1:45)
3 * 100 IM on 2:00 (1:27)
6 * 100 FS on 1:40 (1:25)
200 warm down
Total: 3400m

Cycled home via Centennial Park and did some core/weights stuff when I got home. Going to get some ice-cream now ;-)

S: 6600m – B: 58km – 2 * weights/core

Yesterday’s lunchtime swim was a bit of a welcome surprise in that we did some 400s and 200s instead of the usual raft of 100s & 50s. While chatting to the coach afterwards he mentioned that he was going to try to do more distance work in future which I’m very happy about. Unfortunately, I felt very sluggish during the whole session which I figured was the beginnings of a cold caught from Jacqui. Sure enough, she woke up sick this morning and I wasn’t feeling great either.

400 warm up
2 * 400 Pull on 6:20 (5:50)
5 * 200 FS on 3:15 (2:51)
3 * 100 FS on 1.35/1:30/1:30
3 * 100 BC on 1:55 (1:45)
2 * 100 FS on 1:50
200 warm down
Total: 3200m

I cycled in and out of work as well, doing a couple of laps of Centennial Park on the way home for a total of 30.7km, then did a weights/core session when I got home.

S: 3200m – B: 30.7km – 1 weights/core

Got up this morning and did a core session before heading off to work on the bike. I had intended cycling to La Perouse on the way, but didn’t have time so I doubled back at the roundabout at Maroubra Junction. Did a pretty good session in the pool at lunch time, but my legs totally cramped up towards the end of the session, probably because I never didi any stretching after the ride in the morning, and hadn’t really eaten any decent food (a muffin doesn’t count). Must force myself to eat something decent for breakfast in future.

600 Warm Up
2 * {
    100 Single Arm
    100 6 strokes FS/BC } on 3:50 (3:05)
2 * 200 Pull on 3:30 (3:10)
4 * 100 FS on 1:40 (1:24)
2 * 100 FS on 1:35 (1:24)
2 * 100 FS on 1:30 (1:24)
3 * 100 IM on 1:50 (1:30)
100 Warm Down
Total: 2600m

I got in to work relatively early, so I might cycle home vis La Perouse. BRATs are holding a 1km sea swim this evening at North Bondi, so I might give that a go as well. I’ll see how I feel after the cycle home.

S: 5200m – B: 47.3km – 3 * core

Got up yesterday morning and did another core session before heading in to work. Got a decent swim in at lunch again.

400 FS Warm Up
8 * {25 K/ 25 FS, 20sec }
3 * {
    200 FS 3:30 (2:32)
    200 FS Easy on 4:00 (3:06) }
6 * 50 FS on 1:00 (38)
300 Warm Down
Total: 2600m

I had planned to go for a run last night, but a sore toe put paid to that. It’s like as if I’d stubbed it on something, but I didn’t. It’s been like that for a week or so and I aggravated it by running on it last Friday. Hopefully it will have calmed down by Wednesday.

S: 2600m – 1 core session

Got another core session in this morning and followed that up with a run this evening. I did 5 comfortable laps of the local park in a time of 22:51. I’d estimate that the distance was approximately 4km, but I suppose I’ll have to take the bike up and measure it some day soon.

S:2400m – B: 15km – R: 7.5km – 3 core

Got a lot done in the last two days. I’ve been waking up with a sore lower back on and off for the last couple of months. Nothing serious, just a bit of an ache that goes away pretty soon after getting up. Nevertheless, I was wondering what was causing it, since I hadn’t done myself an injury that I could recall. After doing a bit of reading up on general training I’ve figured it out. Since I’m doing a fair bit of cycling and running, my hip flexors are getting a good workout. They tend to pull my pelvis/lower spine forward, and my abdominals would tend to pull it back. However, I can’t remember the last time I did a sit-up, so my abs are seriously weak and it’s most likely this imbalance which is causing the problem.

This week is the first week back training after the New Year, so I decided to incorporate some ‘core’ work, ie: exercises to strengthen the torso area, back and front. Did them on Monday, got up on Tuesday and did them again, then cycled into work and home again, then went for a 20min run last night. According to the scales this morning I’ve lost 2kg since Monday which gets me back to pre-Christmas weight, though it must be just a loss of water. Anyway, I’ll take it.

B: 15km – R: 3.5km – 2 core sessions

Went for a 10min run after getting home from work, then did a little bit of weights after that. I’ve also found a convenient swim squad at a reasonable price. It’s in the Cook & Phillip pool near work. They have sessions from 5:30 – 7:00am Mon – Fri, 12:00 – 1:00 Mon, Wed & Fri, and 6:30 – 7:30pm Mon, Wed and Thurs. I can go to as many of those sessions as I want for $115 per month, which is only a little more than it would cost me to do 3-4 swim session per week on my own. They typically swim around 3000m/hr so it will force me to do a bit more than I’m doing now. I’m looking forward to it.

R: 10mins – W: 1 session

Completed a basic light weights session last night. My weights are pretty easy, and I’m doing them because everything else I do (bike & run) only works the legs. At the moment the session looks like this:

2 * {
    Bicep Curls: 12 * 6kg
    Tricep Curls: 12 * 6kg
    Shoulder Raises: 12 * 6kg
    Press Ups: 12
    Sit Ups: 12
}

The plan is to gradually add reps up to 20 and just stay there. No change in actual weight lifted. Maybe I’ll introduce a third set before I get up to 20. That’s about it though.

Got another swim in this morning too.

100, 200, 300, 300, 200, 100 FS with 1min rest
Total: 1200m

R: 9.1km – S: 2200m – W: 2 sessions

Down in Canberra this week, so runs are on the treadmill. Got 20mins @ 10km/h last night. Easy enough pace, though I was really noticing the heat indoors. Did 2min walk as warm-up, then 10min run, 1min walk so I could drink some water, then another 10min run, follwed by 2min cool down. Did the usual light weights session afterwards too.

R: 3.5km – W: 1 session

Biked home last night, did some weights, ate healthy. Got up early this morning and went for a swim.

5 * 200 FS, 60s rest (3:00)
Total: 1000m

I was really feeling it in my arms on the last two 200s, even though the pace is really slow. I’m sitting here in work yawning as well. I now know why most people don’t bother exercising – you’re just exhausted a lot of the time! Being unfit, you might get a bit out of breath after climbing some stairs or something, but you breeze through the rest of the day. Exercising tires you out, and while the long term benefits are huge, day to day it’s can be a struggle.

B: 20km – S: 1000m – W: 1 session

Went for another run this evening. My calves were a tiny bit sore, but once I got going all was well. Same route, approx. 2.4km, though I’ll have to take my bike out and measure it just to be sure.

500m easy
D: 2.4km – T: 10:50 – HR: 156bpm

Got some weights in afterwards as well.

B: 45km – R: 5.8km – W: 2 sessions

Regular readers (that’s probably just me ;-) will notice that there’s very little exercise being done this week, so let me explain. I’m working in Canberra this week, and since the office is a 10min walk from my hotel, there’s little opportunity to get a big cycle in. Secondly, I’m following a fairly simple training principle: give your body time to adapt. The principle is: do 3 weeks of training, then ease back for a week to let your body consolidate the gains made in those 3 weeks. That’s the best way to avoid injuries & overtraining.

Another injury-free tip is to increase your distance OR your speed by 10% per week, but not your distance AND your speed. So far I haven’t been sticking to this very well:

Jan 12-18: 32km

Jan 19-25: 60km

Jan 16- Feb 1: 85km

R: 3.2km – W: 2 sessions – Row: 1km

Last night…

Weights: Upper body only, 1 * 12 & 1 * 10.

Golf: Driving Range

Decided not to run as my calves were still a little sore. Did uppper-body only weights as my legs are getting enough exercise from the running. Upped the weights by 5kg all ’round too. Went for a blast at the driving range with Tom afterwards and sprayed balls all over the place. Still quite a lot of work to do on the swing ;-)

Weights: the usual 2 * 15.

Feeling a bit out of shape after not being in the gym for the last week or so. Should be able to get stuck into it again next week, barring unforseen circumstances.