CrossFit Parking Lot Workout

2012-07-05, Thursday

Today's plan calls for more CrossFit!!

I road my bike to the gym this morning [a round trip of (7.47) mi. today], so I could get warmed up heart-rate and leg muscle-wise. Instead of using the gym we worked out in a nearby, low traffic-flow parking lot. After warming up with leg swings (forward, and sideways), trunk twists, and arm-swings we got in a quick, short jog to the end of the lot and back.

And since the goal of my CrossFit training is to help improve my running form and speed, we worked on:
Agility Ladder
We didn't have an actual agility ladder type device, so we used the painted pedestrian stripes on the lot as if it was a ladder: We did High Knees and Butt-Kickers alternating at every cone that my trainer set out, which made up four or five zones. Then we worked on a Zig Zag Ladder pattern that required two (2) steps per "space" between the rungs. This also required me to go back and forth across the line sideways left, then right. Since it was my first time, I kinda' biffed a few steps here and there, and still owe six (6) Burpees for those missteps.

After getting in those agility exercises, I was tasked with running through the cones, starting out slowly, then accelerating at each cone, then finishing with an all-out effort past the last cone to the end of the lot. My first iteration was a little awkward: I misunderstood the directions and was alternating high knees and butt-kickers at each cone, while also trying to accelerate as I progressed. My second effort was focused solely on jogging through the cones while accelerating to an all-out effort after the last cone and off to the end of the lot. That effort went much, much better, and even when I started to slow down mid-way between the last cone and the end of the lot, when prompted by my trainer I was able to visibly accelerate all the way out. My Garmin Training Center data indicates I peaked at (8.8)mph, which is SpeedZone (8), i.e. Run Speed!!

Now I just gotta' keep up that effort, and work on sustaining it over longer periods.
 
Fuel: Pre-workout: 3-egg omelet w/ cheese and taco sauce, 1-pkt. Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal; Mid-workout: water; Post-run: 1x glass Gatorade (Orange), 1x glass water.

-Lancer!!

Hot Diggity Easy Run in the Sun

2012-07-04

Today's plan calls for a Speedwork Run, but I still need to get in that (2)mi. Easy Run that was on the books for yesterday, and that I was a little too tired to complete in the early evening after resting up from the earlier Easy Run in the sun.

DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (4.02)mi. Pace-avg: (16:47). Speed-avg: (3.4)mph. Speed-max: (4.6)mph. HR-avg: (142)bpm. Burned: (431) Calories.

Plan: Run (2.0)mi. @ an (18:16) pace for a total time of (36:32)min.
Actual: Run/walk (2.0)mi. @ a (16:47) average pace for a total time of (33:33.80)min., bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up walk, and a (1.02)mi. cool-down walk.
Fuel: Pre-run: bowl of mixed fruit w/ plain yogurt; Mid-run: water; Post-run: (1x) glass Gatorade (Orange), and a late lunch of: reheated turkey spaghetti w/ black pepper and Parmesan cheese, green salad with cherry tomatoes, black pepper and red-wine vinegar dressing.

Splits: 16:27, 17:16

Starting Temperature: ~(86)deg.F.

Ending Temperature: Oh! My! God! [This is a guesstimate, but as of 1742 hrs. I'm reading (95)F outside.]

Today's mantra: Run to the shade! Run to the shade!

Today I slept in because I stayed up late vegging in front of the telly. It must have been because I was still dehydrated from the Tuesday run, but I was sure I was drinking water all day afterwards. I have noticed in the past that being poorly hydrated can prevent me from feeling sleepy. Then again, I should have just turned off the lights and the TV and gone to sleep.

Anyway, after dilly-dallying a bit (i.e. folding and putting away t-shirts and other clean clothes that I don't necessarily wear unless I'm working and, therefore, left draped over a chair for the last six months because most of my daily clothing is either tech fabric gym/running gear, or a pair of lounge-around-my-room-boxers) I braved the heat of the afternoon to finally get in that two miles I should have done Tuesday evening after it had cooled off considerably.

This time I kept my running kit to a minimum: short running shorts (not the track shorts), my white 2012 Bay to Breakers tech Tee with the ugly pink gorilla (at least it is very light-weight and breezy), running belt, and REI sun-cap (in Wombat) [it's not really a running hat, but it worked just fine].

Today's run included deliberate efforts to alternate running and walking every (0.25)mi. And since it felt so hot out today, i.e. essentially no breeze at all, I ended up having to hydrate every at every interval, too; so glad I did.

Now I gotta' work on cleaning up my desk, stretch out some more, and using my foam-roller so I can try and do another run, or maybe bike, this evening; and also so I'll be much less sore when I go to the gym tomorrow.

Other News: Damn! it's hot out.

-Lancer!!

(Not so) Easy Run in the Sun

2012-07-03
Today's plan, Okay, yesterday's training plan, called for a three (3) mile Easy Run.

DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (5.52)mi. Pace-avg: (18:21). Speed-avg: (3.3)mph. Speed-max: (5.8)mph. HR-avg: (149)bpm. Burned: (592) Calories.

Plan: Run (3.0)mi. @ an (18:16) pace for a total time of (54:48)min.

Actual: Run/walk (3.0)mi. @ an avg. (18:21), bracketed by a (1.0)mi. warm-up jog, and a (1.53)mi. cool-down walk.

Fuel: Pre-run: 2x packets oatmeal (Maple & Brown Sugar), 1x cup coffee; Mid-run: noting (water); Post-run: 1x glass Gatorade (Orange), late lunch.

Starting temp: (80) deg.F.

Current temp: (86) deg.F.

Splits: (15:25), (18:54), (21:24)

I haven't gone running in a while, and had intended to go running early this morning, but after waking up at 0700 hrs., I felt like I needed a bit more rest: I spent Monday doing a CrossFit workout at the gym with my trainer in the morning, then went back in the evening for an energetic self-defense training session for an hour (different trainer); I was mighty pooped by the end of the day.

Bright sunny day in the park.

I hit the road at about 1330 hrs. and started with a jog to warm-up. Since I was wearing my compression gear, partly to act as a sunscreen, I was pretty warm already. I also left my running belt and water bottle at home to minimize the amount of stuff I was carrying; kind of a mistake all-around. I definitely should have skipped the compression gear and just slathered on sunscreen for better all around comfort. There were still plenty of people in the park: on foot, on bikes, and playing Frisbee golf. I never really knew Frisbee golf was so popular, but ever since I started running last year, I have seen plenty of people in the park playing it.

The further I got into the park the warmer I got. I ended up alternating walking and running quite often, and irregularly. I made sure to use the drinking fountains at every opportunity, and that saved me. On the return leg, since I was so warm and fearing sun-burn on my ears and neck, I lifted my running t-shirt up onto my head and let it drape down my neck and back, and secured it in place with my running hat.

Improvised sun-screen for my neck and ears.

At least I survived today's run in the park, and will be working more regular running sessions back into my training.

Other News: Self-defense class is still totally awesome!
-Lancer!!

Vomit Threshold Revisited

2012-07-02

Today's plan is for a CrossFit session with my trainer at the gym. I woke up on-time, blended a whey protein shake with non-fat milk, bananas, strawberries and honey, then got dressed in my compression gear as a base, with running shorts and t-shirt on top. I rode (3.44)mi. to the gym in (20)min., and rode (3.78)mi. back home in (23)min. after my workout.

My CrossFit workout went like this:
Warm-up Stretching
Arm Rotations, Leg Swings, Russian Baby-makers (aka Boot-strappers), Circoia(sp?) [Greek? walking side-scissor hip rotations], (Superman) Bounding, High Knees (fwd/reverse), Butt-kickers (fwd/reverse)
And we finished off with Frog Leaps. I still gotta' work on these: My form is a bit off, apparently. I'm not getting enough forward lean and extension so my hips aren't opening up quite enough (I think). I'll have to take pictures or video my workout so I can see what I am, or am not, doing.

Next we moved upstairs to work on Tabata drills, in this case (6) rounds of (20)sec. active, (10)sec. rest.
Tabata Drills:
Jump Pull-ups: Front Grip: 16, 12, 13, 18
Jump Pull-ups: Reverse Grip: 11, 9

Those jumping pull-ups really worked my arms, shoulders and upper chest, and I really felt it during the push-ups. *whew*

Tabata Drills:
Push-ups: 10, 7, 7, 6, 7, 7 (knee push-ups)
Sit-ups: 9, 10, 11, 10, 10, 15
Air Squats: canceled due to nausea

And that's where I rediscovered my vomit threshold: Right -at-, but not over. :-)

-Lancer!!