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

Running

Given the cooler weather and the fact that I'm getting up earlier, I ran 5.5 miles today - the longest distance I've run since the end of June. It actually felt nice. A friend of mine is getting me to think about running the Carlsbad half marathon in late January. I'd still lift intensely from now until mid November before I have to start training for the half. It's a cool weather training and race, which is perfect for me. A little reduction in lifting for the sake of running will change up my regime a little to keep me interested.

165 lb NEW DEADLIFT PR

Goes to show how taking it easy for 2 cycles can help build strength. I also ate more last night, which fueled me immensely this morning. I haven't been eating a lot for the past week because of the horrendous heat, so I didn't have a lot of energy for the gym.  Here was my routine today:

3 mile outdoor run in the EARLY morning
Rested an hour before my strength routine -
Single Leg Deadlift:  3x6x18lb kettlebell in each hand
Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of warmup; 4x4x145; 1x165
Butt Blaster: 2x8x60
Cool down: 15 min elliptical

A trainer at the gym was watching me deadlift and said I had "good genetics" for strength. Nice compliment! I take that to mean that I either ACTUALLY HAVE good genetics OR I am a consistent gym goer so I can at least work past my bad genetics.

Barry's Bootcamp

I changed it up a little today and went for a Back and Shoulder circuit workout at Barry's Bootcamp in San Diego. Since it was upper body day anyway and I didn't feel like planning my own workout (which means that even if I DID plan it, it would not be too challenging), I allowed my ass to be kicked at Barry's.

I know Barry's Bootcamp is a whole DVD workout thing, but it actually originated in LA as a HIIT workout (high intensity interval training). HIIT promotes faster fat loss than moderate cardio. Here is what happens. In class, you alternate between sessions on the treadmill and weights on the floor. So, 10 min on treadmill and 10 min on floor x3. That's one example, but the trainers switch it up. They focus on a body part each day of the week from Monday to Thursday. So today was Back and Shoulders. The treadmill sessions consist of hill sprints, endurance runs, and whatever craziness the trainers come up with. For me, it's the hardest part! The floor sessions are various strength exercises with free weights, bands, etc. Let me emphasize that this is NOT a light weight workout - the trainers want you to go heavy for a minute. I rarely pick up weights under 10lbs, except when working really small muscles. Like I said, everyday is different so it keeps your muscles guessing.

Deload Cycle

I've just taken this cycle lightly. No ultra heavy lifts and more easy cardio. I'd like to take a few minutes to reflect on my cycle method. I basically do hamstrings one day, quads the next, and upper body the 3rd day, followed by a day of rest. That's one cycle.

Pros:
1) I like resting every 3 days. It encourages me to work extra hard during work days.
2) I like leaving cardio as a supplement, so I can do what I feel like that day

Cons:
1) I shouldn't have 2 leg days in a row
2) I don't have a structured lifting program. Instead, I design that day's workout the night before.

Should I find some lifting program now and follow it more strictly? I sometimes use the Figure Athlete site to get ideas. Will report back with some ideas.