Sub 13 at last!

Okay, today I did my 2 mile tempo run and felt crappy from the start. I reached the 1st checkpoint 8-10 seconds slower than last time. Oh well. I ran to next check and was surprised to see I was on the same pace as my last PR. Dang it. Now, I had to keep running fast. At the last check, I was about 10 seconds faster. I suffered the last half mile but, ended up under 13:00. Still improving after 6 weeks of tempo runs. The heat may slow me down in the summer but, am glad for today :0

Legs tired

Today was a very easy day. Just worked on getting the legs loose.8.6 miles on bike in 40:57 12.6 mph avg.

Weekend rundown

Saturday: 8 miles @ 8:00 min per mile pace last 1/2 mile in 3:19
Sunday 9.5 mile bike
50 box jumps
50 jumping pull ups
50 kettle bell swings
50 walking lunges
50 knees to elbows. hanging from pull up bar
50 push/press w/ 45 lbs
50 back extensions
50 wall ball with 15 lb ball
50 double unders. jumping rope two revolutions per jump
1 mile treadmill walk

Charlene = Inspiration

Since January Charlene has been going to Impact Health club with me to work out. Since she typically works out for an hour at a time, it forces me to find other workouts to do while waiting for her to finish. She has made amazing progress. She has so much more energy now. Whew! It started out with me trying to provide motivation and support for her. Now she is MY inspiration :)

Running without injury

Over the years I have had numerous running related injuries. 75% of them have been my own fault. Not resting, running too fast without warm up, not giving myself time to adapt to stress.
The biggest injury beginning runners come up with is Shin Splints. These are painful and is basically a micro tear caused by the muscles of the front of the shin tearing away from the shin bone. They are usually caused by running on hard surfaces or running too far the first few months of running. The most helpful thing to prevent is a gradual buildup in time. Time on feet is the way to measure stress. If you get them, time off and make sure to ice your shins to reduce inflammation. All for now.

Raleigh Gardens

Here are some pics from our favorite garden on Craig Street in Raleigh and some from Fletcher Park off Glenwood Avenue.

Charlene's Garden

Here are some pics of all the plantings and hard work Charlene did over the weekend :)

Crazy Guy

For the last few months I had seen this guy at the gym doing crazy fitness routines. He seemed very fit and I saw him reading this book called"Hyperfitness" by Sean Burch. I have this book and while it is not for everybody, it gives me some ideas. I found out the other day that his name is Randy and he is a bike racer. Today he was showing some other poor soul at the gym some exercises. I joined in on the fun and learned a few new exercises. One is walking on your hands while your feet are on a board with rollers. It provides an unstable surface while engaging your core. Another was to do push ups with uneven hand placement while lifting one leg or the other. The last was to do a plank while lifting a dumbbell and supporting yourself with the other hand. I know these descriptions sound odd but, trust me, they are hard. I have to look for new ideas to make exercise interesting and to challenge my body in new ways. It never gets stale!

Springtime in NC

Today was a beautiful spring morning. The flowers are blooming, birds are chirping. I met my running buddies Ralph, Stephen and Scott at 7:30 to run at Umstead. WE ran a nice 6 mile loop. I missed catching up with them when I had to make a pit stop so, used that as an opportunity to test my strength on a hill. The hill is about .75 mile long. I have timed it multiple times over the years. My best time before today was 4:48. I felt strong and finished it up in 4:40. I start and stop my watch at the same place for consistency. Even if the distance is wrong, I still know where I stand based on my previous times. Good day to be outside. The pic is from roller derby at Dorton Arena. Friends Elise, Tonya and Tami.

Stupid Watch

Today, I set out on my tempo run not wanting to run any faster than 14 minutes for 2 miles. I got to the first checkpoint and it was as fast as last time. Okay, time to hammer. I pushed a little the next half mile concentrating on form. At the mile I was about the same as last week. Time to crank. I turned up the speed and was flowing along. The legs were a little tired. When I got to the last corner, I knew I could break 13 minutes. I sped up and got to the finish and was .08 over 13 minutes. Still a PR by a second.Stupid me, or stupid watch. I will blame it on the watch...

Just numbers

Numbers that add to work done that is!

15.0 miles Expresso Bike

100 squats to a jump
100 crunch/leg extensions
100 walking lunges
15 frog hops
100 meters of high knee skipping

Beer Wars movie tonight

Yesterday was a rare day off from exercise. I went to get a massage to help with some shoulder and back soreness. It is much improved today. Tonight Charlene and I have tickets to see a documentary called Beer Wars. It is about the battle between micro/craft brewers and mega breweries. While I was out at Peace Street Market buying some beer, I ran across this cool jug. Dead Guy Ale. Very cool container and good beer to boot.

Tuesday's workout:

26.31 miles biking.

Time to get motivated, yet again...

Dang, why can't we just get motivated and stay that way? Some weeks I will plan all my goals and then am disappointed if I only meet 90% of them. Maybe I try to do too much? Don't we all. I think it would be nice to not try so hard with this exercise stuff, and then remind myself I want to be healthy as I get older. Not just for me but, for my family and friends. I know that extra weight or high blood pressure or cholesterol don't matter so much now but, I see older family members and realize that they have a heavy price. One of the things I love about going to these races and biking and running groups, is that I see healthy older people who are vibrant and alive. That is what I want to be. The other benefit of lifelong fitness seems to be better mental health. Older people that take care of themselves seem to handle life's stresses better and are more stable. All for now.

Here is a list of this weekend's fun:

Saturday 7 mile run with friends

100 crunches

200 squats- This is my #1 most important thing to do.

bench presses

Sunday-bike ride

Here is a pic of Charlene and I at the Roller Derby Saturday night.

Denali club 500 miles

The expresso bike at my club has been a nice addition to fitness for me this year. The programs keep track of your mileage and Personal Records and such. I reached the 500 mile goal yesterday. I have about 15 extra miles that I rode before I signed up for the tracking. This is a great fitness tool. The pic is one of my favorite new beach shoes. Keen Coronado sneaks!

Green House

Charlene and I are trying to figure out what color to paint our house. We are thinking of a cottagey green. Here is a pic of a house on which we like the colors. Charlene has always been partial to the tender green color of trees in the spring, maybe this comes close :)

Ho Hum

This morning was just one of those ordinary workouts. These workouts are the hardest to get motivated for. They are nothing special but, are the glue that holds all the other aspects of being fit together. It seems that a book and a cup of coffee beckon. Well, I have had a lot of those of the past couple of years. Time to make hay.

AM workout:

Total of 600 feet of walking lunges.

81 Pullups

81 situps

2 miles elliptical

The pic is from our old house on 809 Mills street in Raleigh. These are the Irises Charlene planted a few years ago.

Tempo run PR

Whew. It is so nice to be getting faster again. During the last 2 years of knee pain, I doubted if I could ever enjoy a run again. Thanks to the Crossfit work, my knees are feeling better again. I ran my 2 mile course today 5 minutes faster than I was running last year. It was that BAD. I even felt disappointed today at the end to not get under 13 minutes.

Images of Spring

Exercise you can do at home!

Try this out.

Walking lunge 100 ft.
21 Pull-ups
21 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
18 Pull-ups
18 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
15 Pull-ups
15 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
12 Pull-ups
12 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
9 Pull-ups
9 Sit-ups
Walking Lunge 100 ft.
6 Pull-ups
6 Sit-ups

Max Saturday

Saturday was a very busy day for adventure and exercise. First I went to the gym with Charlene and once there decided to go to Umstead to find the runner who I was supposed to pace in her 100 mile race. I rode about 14 miles on my bike and found Kim from Ohio, we discussed plans for meeting later that night to run. When I got back to my car, Charlene called and said she did 9.25 miles on the elliptical trainer. Her longest by about 3 miles. I am so proud of her. Later I went back out to Umstead, rode my bike in and found Kim. We ran her loop and she was on pace for a personal best when I left at 10:30 pm. After 27 hours and 31 minutes she completed the Umstead 100. She is very determined and cheerful throughout her races. Dang. Here is pic from the race.

Just Flowers

Pullup hell

It seems the more pullups I try to do the easier they get. Not this morning. I tired my usual routine of 50 pullups and was whipped halfway through. maybe I just need some motivation.

Today's workout:

9.3 Expresso Bike

50 pullups

50 squat thrusts with 40 lbs.

Here is pic from Ireland. Enjoy!

PM fun

Tonight:

8. something miles on expresso bike
1 mile elliptical
20 low rows @100lbs
1 session of pullups till I drop

one second of disbelief

okay, 3 workouts in a day is probably not the best idea but, I made the best of it. Yesterday I decided to go for my 2 mile tempo run. I had decided before that 15 minutes would be my cap. I started out and my legs felt heavy from the day before. I cruised on up the hill and was thinking that I wish I felt good like the other day :( I got to the half way point and looked at my time, it seemed a little slow. I ran the next half mile and it was slower than the other day. Blah! For the last half mile which is mostly downhill, I concentrated on form and turnover. I got to the end and stopped my watch. I looked down and it was one second faster than last week. 13:45. Huh? It has been a long time since my runs were getting faster. I attribute this to all the leg work I have been doing. Why did I not think of this earlier? I will enjoy this wave while I can :)

Today's AM workout:

Expresso Bike 8.33 miles

100 squats

50 crunches

25 pullups

25 bench dips

50 step up onto 24 inch box- 25 each leg

50 lunges

The pic is of a headstone in a cemetery near Oberlin Road. Sad to see it neglected.