Training for Carlsbad Half Marathon

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. I started the half marathon training Monday and it is going well so far. I still have 2 lifting days and follow Rachael Cosgrove's 45 min total body workout - TOUGH.

So here is the new regime - 4 days running, 2 days lifting, 1 day rest.

Of the running days, I do 4 different types of workouts - 1) Long run 2) Mid distance tempo run 3) Sprints and 4) Short easy 3 miler. I can't run too much because of my joint issues, so 4 days just about caps it off for me. Total mileage per week ranges from 14-25.

On the lifting days, I follow this routine.

Sore posterior chain

I'm so sore in my hamstring and glutes today I can barely walk properly. I attribute it to yesterday's Barry's Bootcamp Legs Day and the additional split squats etc I did in the gym a few hours after. I haven't felt this sore in awhile, and I'm almost happy about it! If it weren't so painful.....

I did a bit of upper body today, but nothing crazy. I had to work on my bench press form with Kevin because my wrist was bending too much backwards when I lowered the bar. This causes wrist pain. So I had to learn to keep my wrist stiff and in a straight line with my forearms.

I hope I recover enough to do a 5 mile run tomorrow!

Why good form is important

Remember how I pulled something in my upper back doing a heavy deadlift? Now I know why. I bend over too far away from my body when lowering the barbell, which puts too much strain on my upper back. I should lower the barbell while keeping the barbell sliding closely along my legs. Anyway, lesson learned. When the weight gets heavier, form matters even more. I have to take a break on deadlifts for awhile as my upper back heals, but at least I know how to change it later.

Anyway, in 2 weeks, I start training for the CARLSBAD HALF MARATHON! It's a winter one, so it's perfect for me. I'm going to go with a 16 week training program, where I increase my long run by 1/2 mile each week. Nice and slow. I do 3 runs a week. One is speedwork, another is a mid distance tempo run to build my lactic acid threshold, and the third is the long run to build my endurance. This way, I have time to still do 2-3 days of strengthening (split into upper body and lower body) a week and reserve a full day for resting.

Barry's Bootcamp LEGS day

So as I mentioned before, I'm going to go to Barry's for a few weeks for a change of pace. Today, Kevin decided to come with! He was a real trooper and I was glad to have a workout partner. Though the trainer really kicked both our asses. 5.5mph at 18% incline! My goodness. We were both sweating buckets.

Here are some of the strength exercises we did - Single legged squats, lunges, weighted front squats, Bulgarian split squats, Single legged deadlifts. I pulled through and paced myself. Yesterday, we focused on arms and today, my arms felt like jelly.

Progress to date - I think i've definitely cut out some bodyfat, since I lost about 8 lbs since I started this blog. You can see some definition in my quads and abs now! And gosh darnit, I AM stronger! =)

upper back muscle pull..OUCH

Today was supposed to be deadlift day, but when I attempted to lift the 135lb, I fell a pull on my upper back. IT DID NOT FEEL GOOD. bummer. I kept feeling it even after I stretched it out a bit more, so I stopped deadlifting for the rest of the workout. It also gets me thinking about changing up my strengthening routine for a few weeks. I'm bored with my current cycle routine (currently 6 weeks) and tired of making routines up. So for the next 6 weeks or so, I'm going to just go to Barry's Bootcamp Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Saturday.

Pushing through

This cycle has been tough. I've just been pushing through the workouts, but eating a lot of ice cream and chocolate is taking its toll! Kevin pushed me at the gym today, so I eked out a few back squats and bench step ups. plus a LOT of foam rolling.......

Today's workout (quads):
3.2 mile run in the AM
Back Squats - 10x65, 3x5x85
Step Ups - 3x6x20 lb dumbbells (per leg)

Weak wrists

The bench press is tough for me. And even tougher because my wrists aren't that strong, so they are still aching post-workout. But boy, was I glad it was upper body day given that my glutes were so sore from single leg squats yesterday. I haven't seen a lot of gains in my upper body strength....

Routine for Upper Body today:
2 sets YTWL
Dumbbell Press: 2x12x20lb; 2x8x25lb
Bench Press: 8x55, 2x5x60; 2x3x65
Shoulder raises (front, side, upright, rear delt): 3x6x8lb