Thoughts about training…
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately (partially spurred by some reading) about exercise and what it takes to be consistent. I’ve been thinking especially in light of why my husband and I failed to stay consistent with our attempt at getting in shape and adopting a healthier lifestyle last fall/winter. When I think back, we made a few mistakes (not helped by our physical trainer):
1) We had no training plan. Not even so much as a regular strength routine to follow, let alone a schedule, even though we were attending a gym. We had no strength plan, no cardio plan, nothing. Along with this goes the fact that we had no stated, measurable goals, with a timeline of when we wanted to achieve them. No wonder it was so easy to get into a habit of skipping out on exercise. When we would go to the gym, we had no purpose in mind that could be put in the context of a big-picture plan with a goal at its end. We thought our trainer would assign this, but she didn’t even create a picture for us of what a regular, maintenance workout schedule should look like. She is a nice person, but she made up our workouts on the fly with no discernible system and had no plan for us herself, either. 2 gym members, 1 trainer, NO PLAN.
2) We overtrained and injured ourselves. Our trainer contributed to the idea that this was OK, as well. She would assign us strength activities that would leave us sore for a week! I have enough sports experience that I could tell that was not the way to train. My husband, on the other hand, seemed to accept the macho “if you’re not in huge pain there’s no gain” sentiment. As a guy, he is probably more culturally used to that sort of mindset. But I know the difference between good soreness from an appropriate beginning-of-season workout and stupid soreness that means you have really overdone it. It had been so long since I was a very competitive athlete, and she was a big Trainer, so I rolled with her authority and didn’t say anything. Again, really nice person, but we should have requested someone else. In the end we learned very little from her except what good form looks like on some strength exercises.
All this led to us not being consistent. In the end she was canceling on us as often as we canceled on our weekly appointments with her. So we finally petered out in spring and we haven’t been to the gym together since March. I myself have only been once, since then, to do a yoga class. We thought our bicycle commuting would keep us in shape, but as I am learning from the running I started again this July, it evidently does not put me at a really good level of cardio-fitness. Better than nothing and it’s good for my legs, but not enough.
Now we know for the future.
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First time out with the new heart rate monitor
My new heart rate monitor is sure nifty! And it does make it easy to see if I have my heart rate where I want it to be. Of course, training my heart according to percentages of my max heart rate is a lot different than the old just run a certain distance and see how long it takes method. It forces me to do the run-walk combo, for one - which I am not wild about, but I will try for a while and see how it works (hopefully I see improvement soon). But it also appeals to my sports common sense, which developed after all those years as a very serious swimmer. And I have tried the other way - piling the miles too quickly on a body that has been relatively sedentary and then getting burned out - and it doesn’t work for me.
We’ll just see how it goes, I guess!
Logbook Activity
- Type: Run
- Date: 08/05/2008
- Time: 09:15:00
- Total Time: 00:32:02.35
- Average Heart rate: 135
- Max Heart rate: 159
- Calories: 301
- Distance: 2.44 miles
- Average Pace: 13:07.75/mile
Filed under: Run
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A Run-Walk try
I tried a run-walk today. It was surprising how easy my perceived effort level is when I am keeping my pulse within the 60-70% range. But the run-walk thing was hard - I didn’t pay attention to my breathing because I was busy counting my pulse and watching my watch almost the whole time (a heart rate monitor is on my shopping list this weekend). Also it was hard psychologically to keep running and then stop to walk - the walking makes it hard to run again. But it will be great when I can run continuously at that comfortable of an effort level. It was an eye-opener for sure - it confirmed for me that most of my previous run training has been way above that effort level, which explains why I would bonk or feel crappy, which sucked my motivation to run. Heck, the only time my pulse feels so easy during exercise is when I’m on the elliptical machine in the gym watching TV!
Logbook Activity
- Type: Run
- Date: 07/30/2008
- Time: 08:00:00
- Total Time: 00:19:15.90
- Average Heart rate: 135
- Max Heart rate: 155
- Distance: 1.6 miles
- Average Pace: 12:02.89/mile
Filed under: General Cardio, Run
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Target heart rates…
Wow - I was learning about tempo runs (I have never tried one before) and I ran into some good information on the Runner’s World website about where my heart rate should be relative to my max heart rate when I work out and run races. I did the math for my own situation and realized that when I’ve been taking my pulse at the end of a run thinking I’ve just done an “easy run,” my heart rate actually in the 80-90% range.
Since I’ve only just started running again in the last week and my only other real activity this spring has been light bicycle commuting, this tells me two things - (1) I am really out of shape in the cardio-vascular realm of health, and (2) I had probably better pay more attention to where my heart rate is at when I’m training - I evidently had no idea in the past whether I was training in the right range or not. No wonder I was hitting a wall a few years ago when I was last training - I think I was going way too hard, then bonking, and never seeing improvement. Maybe I’ll invest in one of those nifty heart rate monitors soon - coach used to make us wear them on swim team when I was a teenager and I hated it, but I bet they’re more comfortable now…
Filed under: Uncategorized, General Cardio
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Added Distance
Went slower to be able to do the added distance comfortably and without stopping. It was a good run, though I am looking forward to getting a white running hat soon - the sun beating down on my head makes me hot!
Logbook Activity
- Type: Run
- Date: 07/28/2008
- Time: 08:35:00
- Total Time: 00:16:48.33
- Average Heart rate: 165
- Distance: 1.6 miles
- Average Pace: 10:30.47/mile
Filed under: Run
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Music can be distracting when I run!
Today’s run took a lot more mental stamina. Not only was my pace faster, which took concentration to keep up correctly (breathing, especially), but I was distracted by my choice of music player. I brought my Sony Walkman phone along, because my iPod Shuffle is in need of recharging. It was so distracting messing with it in the beginning that I didn’t pay attention to good breathing through my nose & mouth at first, or my tempo, which set me up badly and probably contributed to my struggle for the rest of the run. I spent the rest of the run staving off a side-ache because of poor breathing at first. The headphone wire picked up a lot of movement-rubbing-against-my-clothes noise and I had to keep selecting songs because I don’t have a playlist set up yet. Also, it was distracting having to carry it in my hand. Not so great for running, I think. I’ll be happy to have my iPod Shuffle back in commission - it’s tiny, can clip to my clothes, and shuffles music by itself.
After running a couple of days without music, it also gave me pause - the wrong song tempo can make you run too fast or slow. And if you’re paying too much attention to the song, you’re not paying attention to your running. I like to listen to my favorite music when I run because it makes running in the city tolerable (I hugely prefer trail running, but don’t always have time & gas $ to drive to a place to run). I’ll have to work on not getting distracted from my running technique by the song I’m hearing. I never really thought about it before, but distraction makes a person run sloppy, which can make it way less pleasant and more of a struggle.
Perhaps I’ll try some of those Nike+ music playlists that are made for certain workout tempos.
Logbook Activity
- Type: Run
- Date: 07/25/2008
- Time: 08:00:00
- Total Time: 00:09:57.64
- Average Heart rate: 156
- Distance: 1.04 miles
- Average Pace: 9:35.08/mile
Filed under: Run
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Cycle - 0.8 hours - 07/24/2008
Just biking around town… got a new basket for my bike!
Logbook Activity
- Type: Cycle
- Date: 07/24/2008
- Time: 12:00:00
- Total Time: 00:45:00.00
- Distance: 6.2 miles
- Average Speed: 8.27 mph
Filed under: Cycle
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Second jog - better than the first.
Better - faster by about 30 seconds! At this point, I still can’t imagine increasing distance much, but I’ll get there. If senior citizens can run long distances, so can I. At least by now I have enough jogging experience from past years that I know what to expect - it makes it easier when I am tired or feeling funky. (I started running in 2001, and I’ve been on and off since then. I started out with a Race for the Cure in Denver in ‘02, ran the Bolder Boulder in ‘03, and a half at the Denver Marathon and the Boulder Backroads in ‘03. My last race was 3 years ago in Portland, OR - some Nike rock and roll 5K or 10K. The cool part was seeing Joan Jett live at PGE Park afterward. The most fun race I’ve ever been in? Definitely the Bolder Boulder! Where else does the entire city shut down and just go run for fun?)
I ran earlier this morning and that was quite nice - much cooler.
Logbook Activity
- Type: Run
- Date: 07/23/2008
- Time: 07:15:00
- Total Time: 00:10:24.00
- Average Heart rate: 156
- Distance: 1.04 miles
- Average Pace: 10:00/mile
Filed under: Run
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Cycle - 0.4 hours - 07/22/2008
Logbook Activity
- Type: Cycle
- Date: 07/22/2008
- Time: 14:00:00
- Total Time: 00:24:00.00
- Distance: 3.63 miles
- Average Speed: 9.07 mph
Filed under: Cycle
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My first jog in a year and a half.
Slow, but at least I got out there, and I ran it without stopping. I think a 10K this fall is definitely a possibility for me, especially if I train well! All I have to do is be consistent, and I’ll be ready for that marathon in October of ‘09.
Logbook Activity
- Type: Run
- Date: 07/21/2008
- Time: 09:15:00
- Total Time: 00:11:04.00
- Average Heart rate: 165
- Distance: 1.04 miles
- Average Pace: 10:38.3/mile
Filed under: Run
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