Week 5

So, unfortunately, I was unable to do Thursday’s workout because I worked from 6 am until 9:30 pm.  That will put a damper on any plans, let alone a plan that requires energy output.  I couldn’t find the time for a fun recipe this week either.  I will definitely have one up this coming week though.  No worries.  

VDOT Table

 Workout Schedule

Monday:

Run (outside) - 2.95 miles @ 8:56 min/mile

Row - 4 mins

Lift - Fast Track Abs Circuit A (Three Rounds)

Exercise         Reps   Weight

1A                   10       35 lbs

1B                   10       --

2A                   2x15   35 lbs

2B                   2x8     35 lbs

2C                   15       35 lbs

3A                   10       25 lbs

3B                   15       15 lbs

Rocky abs     10

Running man  10 

Tuesday:

Run 5 x 400m @ 1:35

Wednesday:

Row Machine- 3 mins

Lift - Fast Track Abs Circuit B (Three Rounds)

Exercise         Reps      Weight

1A                   10(10)   50(40) lbs third set- 40(30)

1B                   10           --

1C                   10           --

1D                   10           --

1E                   10         50 lbs

2A                   15         15 lbs

2B                   10         25 lbs

Rushed so I didnt have time for abs

Thursday:

16 hour workday prevented me from working out... I’m gonna start running at 4:30 am to ensure every workout gets in. 

Friday:

Rest

Saturday:

Run - 4.14 miles @ 8:22 min/mile

Row - 2 minutes

Lift - Spartacus workout with 20 lbs (3 rounds)

Sunday:

Run 4.19 miles @ 8.30 min/mile

Directions for Fast Track Abs Circuits: Alternate between workouts A and B for 4 weeks, resting for at least a day between sessions.  Perform each group of exercises as a circuit, resting 20 seconds between exercises and 1 minute after completing all the exercises in the circuit.  During weeks 1 andd 2, do each circuit twice.  During weeks 3 and 4, do each circuit three times.  Finish your workouts with a couple of the core moves.

Core Moves

Circuit A

Circuit B

Spartacus Circuit

 Summary:

This week went pretty well.  I started feeling shin splints, so I decided to take my long easy runs a little faster.  It resolved the issue.  Long runs are getting easier, feeling stronger during lifting workouts, and seeing results, so I am happy.  I didn’t get the whole workout in, but I was close.  I really hope next week will be a full successful workout week.  

Tacos al Pastor - My weekly recipe


This weeks meal was really tasty, packed full of protein (37 grams!), and pretty easy to make.  It was pretty spicy (I'm a touch of a wimp when it comes to spicy food), but the pineapple was an excellent addition to make the dish well rounded.  Also, the directions called for pork, but I am not a big pork guy, so I made mine with chicken breasts instead.  It turned out really well.

 Directions

Thats the recipe of the week.  I hope you get a chance to make it.  If there are any questions, please feel free to comment.

My Training So Far - Week 4

I just finished week 4 with a long, slow run.  I started a couple of new things this week.  The first thing I started was using a 5k training guide from Runners Magazine.  The second was a sort of new tradition: choosing a different, tasty looking recipe for every week from Men's Health and making it for dinner one night of the week.  Sounds exciting, right?  This week I made Tacos al Pastor.  My next post will include the recipe and a picture.

First of all, I will show you the new 5k training workout I am using to try to get my running strength and endurance up.  The idea is to run a timed 5k (as long as you can keep moving for the 3.1 miles).  The time you log correlates with a VDOT number on the chart.  This is what determines what pace you will be doing your workouts for the next 6 weeks in preparation to running another 5k (hopefully faster).  My thought is that I have just enough time to go through this cycle three times before the Urbanathlon, so I will be in good enough shape to survive the 9 mile race.  As you can see, my time of 21:47 fell between two VDOT ratings.  If this happens to you, just choose the higher VDOT of the two so you can push yourself a little harder.  

VDOT Table

 Workout Schedule

Monday:
Run (outside) - 2.9 miles @ 9:02 min/mile

Row - 3 mins

Lift - Fast Track Abs Circuit A (Two Rounds)

Exercise         Reps   Weight

1A                   10       35 lbs

1B                   10       --

2A                   2x15   35 lbs

2B                   2x8     35 lbs

2C                   15       35 lbs

3A                   10       25 lbs

3B                   15       15 lbs

Mogul Jump     20

Figure 8           10 

Tuesday:
Run 4 x 400m @ 1:26 (faster than the workout suggested - I didn't have it handy and guessed)

Wednesday:
Run (outside) - Rest
Row Machine- 100 reps

Lift - Fast Track Abs Circuit B (Two Rounds)

Exercise         Reps      Weight

1A                   10(10)   50(40) lbs

1B                   10           --

1C                   10           --

1D                   10           --

1E                   10         50 lbs

2A                   15         15 lbs

2B                   10         25 lbs

Hip Up             2x20

3 pt core touch 2x10

Thursday:

Sick day (got a stomach bug from mexican food - I think I will stick to cooking for myself...) 

Friday:
Sick day

Saturday:
Run - 4.26 miles @ 8:29 min/mile

Row - 4 minutes
Lift - Spartacus workout with 20 lbs (2 rounds - a rough reminder that when you're sick, you can't go too hard the first day back)

Sunday:
Run 4.14 miles @ 9:02 min/mile

Directions for Fast Track Abs Circuits: Alternate between workouts A and B for 4 weeks, resting for at least a day between sessions.  Perform each group of exercises as a circuit, resting 20 seconds between exercises and 1 minute after completing all the exercises in the circuit.  During weeks 1 andd 2, do each circuit twice.  During weeks 3 and 4, do each circuit three times.  Finish your workouts with a couple of the core moves.

Core Moves

Circuit A

Circuit B

Spartacus Circuit

 Summary:

This was my first week doing the new 5k training schedule, and I really like the structure of the workouts.  It feels like I am doing more than just going outside and running until I am tired.  I definitely felt tired on my 4 mile run on Saturday, but I was getting over being sick.  I felt way better on my 4 mile run today.  I am really starting to see results on my body as well (the abs are starting to make an appearance haha).  I am looking forward to this coming week of training.  It will (hopefully) by my first full week of training so far.  

My Training So Far - Week 3


Week three sparked a new, monthly tradition for me: buying a Men's Health magazine at the beginning of the month and finding a great, full body circuit to do.  We have all heard of "muscle confusion," and I fully believe in it.  I majored in Health and Exercise Science at Wake Forest University, and the theory of muscle confusion follows some of the key concepts I learned there.  The body learns.  If you do the same weight and the same exercises three days a week, your body will eventually plateau off and will refuse to show you any more results. This is the reason why I thought adding new moves (while keeping other great workouts, like the Spartacus workout, just in case you want to throw it in every once in the while).  This week will demonstrate a new workout that has two different circuits.  They both focus on stabilizer muscles, but circuit A is focused more on the lower body, while circuit B is focused more on upper body.


Monday:
Run (outside)- 0.7 miles @ 6:25 mile pace and 0.97 miles @ 6:38 mile pace

Tuesday:
Walk 2.5 miles at a brisk pace

Wednesday:
Run (outside) - 1.7 miles @ 6:40 mile pace
Row - 2 minutes

Thursday:
Run (outside) 0.6 miles @ 6:40 mile pace
Row 75 repetitions
Lift - Fast Track Abs Circuit A (Two Rounds)
Exercise         Reps   Weight
1A                   10       35 lbs
1B                   10       --
2A                   2x15   35 lbs
2B                   2x8     35 lbs
2C                   15       35 lbs
3A                   10       25 lbs
3B                   15       15 lbs
Hip Up             2x20
3 pt core touch 2x10 



Friday:
Run (outside) - 5k 21:47 @ 7:03 mile pace

Saturday:
Row - 3 minutes
Lift - Fast Track Abs Circuit B (Two Rounds)

Exercise         Reps      Weight

1A                   10(10)   50(40) lbs

1B                   10           --

1C                   10           --

1D                   10           --

1E                   10         50 lbs

2A                   15         15 lbs

2B                   10         25 lbs

Rocky Abs       10

Running Man    20

On exercise 1A, you are supposed to do 10 reps with your starting weight, then do another 10 reps with a weight that is 5-10% less than the starting weight after a 20 second rest.  10(10) signifies 10 reps at starting weight and 10 reps at the lower weight.  You really feel the burn on this one.  It's a good burn though.

Sunday:
Rest


Directions for Fast Track Abs Circuits: Alternate between workouts A and B for 4 weeks, resting for at least a day between sessions.  Perform each group of exercises as a circuit, resting 20 seconds between exercises and 1 minute after completing all the exercises in the circuit.  During weeks 1 andd 2, do each circuit twice.  During weeks 3 and 4, do each circuit three times.  Finish your workouts with a couple of the core moves.

Core Moves

Circuit A

Circuit B

 Summary:
If you are switching from the Spartacus workout to this one, you can really feel the burn in a whole lot of new muscles.  Even though you are working the same muscle groups because both the Spartacus workout and the Fast Track Abs workout are full body, the order of things and the different movements can feel like you are working muscles you have never even felt before.  Push through it though!  I heard a quote once: "Pain is weakness leaving the body." Though you shouldn't push yourself to the point of injury, a good amount of muscle soreness can be a nice reminder that you are working hard and will reap the benefits of the workouts.  I bet you are wondering why I ran the random 5k.  Because I am training for a distance event, I figured that I should have a more structured running workout than just "pick a random speed and distance and go for it." I tore an article out of Runners magazine, which is a 5k training guide.  I will post pictures for you on the next post, but essentially it takes your current 5k pace and generates how fast and far you should run certain days of the week.  Hopefully this will turn this former Wake Forest high jumper into somewhat of an endurance guy.  I hope you enjoy this new workout.  Good luck on your adventures!

My Training So Far - Week 2

My average work week involves a 6am to 7pm Monday through Friday, so you can imagine how difficult it is to get into the gym; especially if it is something new you are trying to shove into your busy schedule.  Week 2 is the perfect example of how I struggled with fulfilling my workout schedule because of work.  I realize I can take a few days off here and there, but, in order to reach my goal of being top 10% at the Urbanathlon race, I will have to push harder to fit my workouts in.  Even if it means waking up at 4:30 in the morning to get my run in.

Week 2

Monday:

Run (treadmill) - 1.5 miles @ 8 mph, then 1/2 mile @ 8.5 mph (separated by rowing)

Row - 4 minutes

Lift - Spartacus workout - 3 rounds with 15 pounds

Tuesday-Saturday:

Rest because of busy schedule/travel

Sunday:

Lift - Spartacus workout - 3 rounds with 20 pounds

Summary:

My running at the beginning of week two was right on track.  Unfortunately, the need to travel for work through off my schedule in the middle of the week.  The best thing I could have hoped for was a more consistent week 3.

Directions: Do this workout 3 days a week.  Perform the exercises-or "stations"-as a circuit, doing one movement after another.  At each station, perform as many repetitions as you can in 40 seconds using perfect form.  Rest for 20 seconds as you transition to the next exercise.  After you have done all 10 exercises, catch your breath for 2 minutes.  Then repeat the entire circuit two more times.  If you find you can't keep working for the entire 40 seconds, use lighter weight.  If you feel as if you could keep going hard for an additional 15 seconds, progress to a heavier weight.

My Training So Far - Week 1


The idea to use a blog to log and share my workouts after training for the Urbanathlon for a month.  I have been keeping a journal to mark down my progress and decision making so far.  These are all the workouts I have done so far:

Week 1
Monday:
Run (treadmill) - 4 x 1/4 mile @ 7 mph
Row - 3 x 50 Rows
Lift - Spartacus workout (the directions are tough to read on the picture, so here they are: Do this workout 3 days a week.  Perform the exercises-or "stations"-as a circuit, doing one movement after another.  At each station, perform as many repetitions as you can in 40 seconds using perfect form.  Rest for 20 seconds as you transition to the next exercise.  After you have done all 10 exercises, catch your breath for 2 minutes.  Then repeat the entire circuit two more times.  If you find you can't keep working for the entire 40 seconds, use lighter weight.  If you feel as if you could keep going hard for an additional 15 seconds, progress to a heavier weight.) I did 3 rounds with 15 pound dumbbells.

Tuesday:
Rest

Wednesday:
Run (treadmill) - 4 x 1/2 miles @ 7.5 mph
Row - 4 x 60 seconds
Lift - Spartacus workout - 3 rounds with 15 lbs

Thursday:
Rest

Friday:
Rest

Saturday:
Run (treadmill) 2 x 1 mile @ 8 mph
Row - 1 x 2 minutes
Lift - Spartacus workout - 3 rounds with 15 lbs

Sunday:
Rest

Summary:
As you can see, I have not done much running before this week.  The running was, by far, the most difficult part of my week's workouts.  I started small, but you've gotta start somewhere if your goal is to eventually run over 9 miles with obstacles.  The full body circuits three days a week are meant to build muscular endurance, which will be crucial in the race in order to not have all my energy taken out by the obstacles.

Hello, World.

I'm new to this whole blogging thing, but I figured I would give it a shot since I have an event I am training for in 18 weeks.  I will attempt to outline the workouts I have done in preparation for this Men's Health Urbanathlon in San Francisco, a 9.5 mile course laced with "urban" obstacles.  I will include running and lifting workouts, occasional healthy, energy packed meals, and random health facts that I come across in my journey.  If you are also training for the Urbanathlon, please comment and leave any suggestions you have for the blog.

I hope you enjoy!

AJPL