Thursday, December 30, 2010

Out with the old, in with the new

So for the 2010 running year, my best running times/distances are:
1 mile -- 6:11:09 (track)
5k -- 21:48 (hilly road)
4 mi -- 37:58 (hilly trail)
8k -- 41:34 (hilly trail)
10k -- 53:34 (hilly road)
12k -- 1:14:11 (flat road)
10 mile -- 1:27:24  (hilly road)
20k -- 2:04:10 (hilly trail)
13.1 -- 2:13:56 (flat road -- Augusta 70.3)

Not bad, but I know I can do better, especially with the longer distance races.  As of 1/3/11, I start training for Gulf Coast 70.3, so I will be back in the training plan in a few days.  My 2011 calendar is as follows:

February 7 -- Tallahassee Marathon -- scratch b/c of achilles tendonitis (again)
April 9 -- Red Hills Sprint Triathlon
May 7 -- Gulf Coast 70.3
June 23 -- Jax Sprint #1
July 16 -- Jax Sprint #2
August 6 -- Jax Sprint #3
September 11 -- Lake Lanier 5i50 (will choose either this, Augusta or Amelia)
September 26 -- Augusta 70.3
October 17 -- AmeliaMan 70.3
November 5 -- Ironman Florida

So far, my resolutions for 2011 are:
1.  Stay focused on food quality and portion control
2.  Stick with training schedule (unless injured)
3.  pending

Monday, December 27, 2010

Halfway through

my christmas vacation, and you can probably tell from the lack of posts in the last week that exercise has not exactly been a priority.  I went out on the bike for 1.5 hours last monday (yes, a week ago), and my achilles tendon really started hurting about 30-45 min in, so I have been taking it easy.  I figure if I can't pedal a bike, I better not even try running.  I have started swimming (well, I swam once last week) again, and Sissy got me some new swim gear -- flippers, paddles, etc. so I figure that will help out. 

I have also been eating a ton of junk/holiday food and have had a slight cold/allergies the last couple of days.  My weight has ballooned to 209, a far cry from my 186 during race season, and the 175 I want to be at this coming race season. So when my training schedule for Gulf Coast 70.3 starts on 1/1/11, I will have my work cut out for me.  As much as I enjoy the holidays, I can't wait for them to end so I can get back in a routine.

Today I may try cycling on the indoor trainer some (too cold and windy out there).  But first I want to really warm up and stretch my achilles tendon.  Don't know when my next post will be, but if you don't see it that means I'm not exercising.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Friday -- Empty Office

Ok, so today -- on my last day before a 2 week christmas break -- most of my employees are out of the office.  So, here is to hoping that it is a quiet day.  This week has been sort of a transition for me.  My achilles tendon has really gotten better this week.  Swelling is pretty much gone, except for a small knot on my achilles tendon.  No longer sore when walking.  I can still feel a twinge of pain when I stretch, but that is when I am really stretched out.  I haven't tried running on it yet, but in no rush since I am not running the Tallahassee Marathon.  I have decided to make sure I am 100% for my training for... wait for it... IMFL!!!!!

Ok, exercie this week has been riding the trainer, riding the stationary cycle, riding the spinner, abripperx 2x, and some stretching during lunch at the gym at work.  It is finally no longer freezing so I am going to start swimming again.

I am really looking forward to next two weeks.  I plan on doing a lot of bike riding and seeing how my achilles tendon feels.

I previously mentioned that I had my annual checkup last week.  Well the results from my blood testing came back last week:

Cholesterol -- 182, compared to 151 (2009), should be less than 200
Triglyceride -- 224, compared to 259 (2009), should be less than 150
HDL -- 34, compared to 28 (2009), should be greater than 50
LDL -- 103, compared to 71 (2009), should be less than 100
Vitamin D -- 33.3, compared to 31.6 (2009), should be greater thsn 32

Doc ordered me to cut carbs, animal fat and cheese and to double up on my flax, fish oil and vitamin D.  So some gains, some losses... makes me really regret not sticking around my lowest weight of 186.  Since I quit training for August (actually quit in week 12 of a 18 week training plan), I have gained weight.  I raced Augusta at 202 (Sept 27), and am now hovering around 205.  I really have to get back under 200.  My goal is 180.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Step-by-step

Ok, in honor of my wife, I picked this title from NKOTB.  hang on... barf.... barf.... ok I feel better now.  Move along, nothing to see here.

Ok, so since my last post, I have:
1.  Ate less sushi (Friday and Sat lunch, but that is all).
2.  Went hunting Sat am (saw a doe and a yearling).
3.  Went to the gun show and bought a mossberg 590.  bad-ass!!!  and she fits nicely right under my bed.
4.  Hung out with the Sizzler.
5.  Smokeout sat night.  (i.e., nice dinner w/ friends, cigars and liquor)
5B.  Just missed out on a sweet cyclocross bike on ebay (I effed up big time).
5C.  Got my trainer back (that is turbo for your brits)
6.  Slept in sun
7.  Bought Sissy a droid incredible sun (merry christmas)
8.  Worked out Monday lunch
9.  Rode tri bike on trainer Monday after work.  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/59656963
10.  Had a protien shake for dinner Monday night.

All things being equal, not bad.  I have rested my achilles tendon.  Spend 15 minutes stretching it out today and that felt so good.  Reminded me that i need to stretch and warmup every time I run, period.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Thursday, chilly Thursday -- Warning TMI herein

Light spinning yesterday am, ellipse machine at lunch, annual physical that afternoon.  Doc gave me some medicine to put on my achilles tendon!  He also had a 1st year med student PYT shadowing him, so my junk got groped twice in one day.  Also they (well, she) cut off a skin tag on my inner thigh, so no running or similar activities for several days.  The good news is that the doc didn't say I couldn't run the Tallahassee Marathon (but then again he didn't say that I could run it either).  Also, the good/bad news is that I weight one pound less than I did last year at this time (I was on track for 20 lbs less, but...).

Got finished around 4, so I didn't go back to work.  Went by 1 Fresh Stir Fry and got Tempura Grouper Roll and had an early dinner.  The cute girl who works there (Kristen I think -- blond curly/frizzy hair) commented that I should buy stock in the company.  I have been eating Sushi from 1 Fresh and Siam Sushi about every day the last 10 days or so, so I gott stop that.  New plan is to get home and eat veggies.  No steamed broccoli like Turbo though.

Slept in this am, didn't wake up till 6:30 or so.  No workouts today, just taking it easy.  I hate it when I can't get into an exercise/food routine -- I just give up and blow up like a baloon.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Today is the first day....

The good thing about being 11 months away from IMFL is that there is always tomorrow (for a limited time anyway).  So after a bad weekend, I have (once again) re-started my training... kinda.  Since I can't run, I am trying to focus on swimming (even though the low this week is 21 or so), px90, and maybe some light spinning.  Slept in Monday morning, hit the pool during lunch, ate a mostly reasonable dinner.  Well, reasonable for me considering the crappy weekend I had (sushi and a slice of pizza), but not as good as Turbo, who apparently had broccoli and egg whites.  There are some levels of fitness that I am simply not yet willing to attempt.

Woke up at 5 this am (actually 4:57, so my body is getting used to this), spun an easy 20 min, ab ripper x (349 crunches), and 3x7 pushups.  And I still have 50 minutes until I need to start getting ready for work.  If I was healty I would do another px90 routine -- maybe cardio, yogo, or kenpo x, but won't even risk it with my inflamed achilles tendon.  It is still verrrrry sore.  Good news is that my yearly check up is tomorrow so I will bring it up with the Dr.

So for the 2010 running year, my best running times/distances are:
1 mile -- 6:11:09 (track)
5k -- 21:48 (hilly road)
4 mi -- 37:58 (hilly trail)
8k -- 41:34 (hilly trail)
10k -- 53:34 (hilly road)
12k -- 1:14:11 (flat road)
10 mile -- 1:27:24  (hilly road)
20k -- 2:04:10 (hilly trail)
13.1 -- 2:13:56 (flat road -- Augusta 70.3)

Will see how much I can improve for 2011

Monday, December 6, 2010

Bad Jason

I tried to go on the CCC Bagel ride Sun am, but had to turn around 1.5 miles in b/c my achilles tendon hurt so bad.  It was cold out and the AT wasn't warm, but dang it hurt.  I limped around the rest of the day feeling sorry for myself.  There is one spot that is just super-tender.  So in addition to not doing anything Sunday, I ate lunch at Chez Pierre (hamgurber, cheese, bacon, bbq sauce, and sweet potato fries), for afternoon snack a bag of twizzlers, and for dinner had 3/4 of a large pappa john's pizza and 2 xx.  This is in adition to Sat night at Po' Boys (grouper poboy, sweet potato fries, fried pickles, and a pitcher of mich ultra).

Slept like crap last night, kept thinking that zombies from The Walking Dead were after me.  Changed the alarm from 5 to 7, so no exercise in the am either.  Maybe I can get back in the groove and swim at lunch.

And I wonder why I am over 200 lbs again....

Saturday, December 4, 2010

10 Mile Challenge

So today I raced in the 10 Mile Challenge.  It was 42 at start, and was 57 about the time I finished.  Brought plenty of different clothes to see how I felt, and 2 pair of shoes (Mizuno Wave Creation and K-Swiss K-Ona).  I decided to go with the MWC, as that is what I have been wearing during my longer training runs -- the heel sits a little higher and strains the achilles tendon less.  That was a mistake.  I now realize reason #2 why my achilles tendon hurts -- in addition to running slower (i.e., on my heels), I switched from my K-Ona (racing shoes) to the MWC with a drastically different setup.  So at mile 2, my achilles tendon really starts hurting and so does my foot.  I walk, jog, take it easy.  Get to mile 5 (the 10 mile challenge is a 2x5 mile loop), and jumped off course and went to my truck and changed back to my K-Ona's.  Night and day.  It was so much easier to run in them and my times showed.  My first 5miles was about 45, and second lap was about 42?  Plus my running was more consisent. 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/58758493

Afterward -- Starbucks for Toffee Mocha and perfect oatmeal, shopping, then Siam Sushi (Siam Mini Roll and Sweet Potato Roll, and salad for $9).  Yum.  Next.  XX while I wait for FSU v. Va Tech.  Go Noles!

Friday, December 3, 2010

My Garmin Log

http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=1322955

username jmh321

Fry-Day

Long week is coming to a close.  The last couple of days, I have been pretty sore when waking up.  I take that as a good sign that I am (finally) starting to work my body some.  As much as I hate it, I absolutely love that feeling, stretching and feeling the soreness in muscles I fogot I had.  And drinking coffee on a cold morning.  That is pretty cool also.

Achilles tendon is getting better but still acting up; however, I think I have figured out what happened (i.e., same thing as last year, I just figured it out quicker this year).  When I train for marathons, I slow down for longer runs.  Unfortunately I shorten my stride, which means I do a lot more heel-striking than normal... thus, achilles tendon issues.  Luckily I have remembered this in early december, as opposed to the end of january last year.  So, I think I am still on track for the Tally Marathon, so long as I focus on proper running techniquie (i.e., no more heel-striking).  We will find out this weekend, as I am going to shoot for the 10 mile challenge.  My training plan calls for a 12 mile run, but since this weekend will be 3 weeks since I have "run," and the 10 miles is in a race, that should be just fine.  I'll just have to remember to HTFU. 

Not swimming this am, as it is 29 deg outside.  I'll try to knock that out at lunch.  Was able to warm up on the spinner and do abripperx this am, and my push/sit-up challenge (today was 3x3 for each).

Afraid to weight myself, after thanksgiving and eating a lot this week.  I am hungry all the time now, which is a good sign that I am starting to work harder.  I just have to focus on managing proper eating habbits.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

December Challenge

So I started swimming this week.  Monday and Wed in the pool at 5:30.  I can tell I haven't swam in 2 months, but my times are faster than when I started training for IM 70.3 Augusta (8 or so seconds per 50).  Very happy with that, although I still have a long way to go.

I've been on Twitter lately, and have some tri friends in the UK across the pond.  One of them challenged me to run at least one mile every day in December.  Sounds fun.  Then she made it really interesting.  3 times x number of push-ups every day for 100 days (i.e., day one is 3 sets of 1, day 2 is 3 sets of 2, day 3 is 3 sets of 3, etc. to day 100).  Damn, but I am a sucker for challenges, so it is on like Donkey Kong!

So after swimming 1000 m this am, spinning for 30 min and running a mile this am, I have to do three push-ups after I eat this bowl of spaghetti.  Ok.  Still not running much, but fully intend to run the 10 mile challenge this weekend.  If my body holds up, I am gonna keep shooting for the Tallahassee Marathon.  If not, I am gonna write that off and just get back in the tri and core business.

PS.  It is finally cold!!!  Supposed to be 27 tonight.