I started a new weekly running schedule for no greater reason than to establish some structure in my new life. I'm following Hal Higden's 5-K training plan for advanced runners, courtesy of Runner's World Magazine. Although I do not consider myself an "advanced" runner, I also don't consider myself a beginner. I think this plan suits where I am. The only day I may tweak is the long run days, due to be chronically ailing ankle.
I started today's interval run 8 hours later than I had intended (it's not easy getting up at 6am for a run before work). But I went after work and for that I am proud. I've been feeling sluggish all day, still digesting the weekend's chile bomb, perhaps? I knew the run was going to be an effort, but I also knew that I'd feel much better physically for it. Sure enough, the run was pretty intense, but not as bad as I thought it would be. After about 10 minutes I felt pretty energized and my digestive woes had left my mind. I was sweating like crazy by the time I got to the house. I refueled with a blueberry tofu smoothie and a bottle of water. The liquid fuel never tasted so good!
To do:
- Go to RunTex for an ankle wrap.
- Sort out resistance training schedule.
- Buy a watch.
- Research stretching guidelines
Researchers say elite distance runners share several inborn physiological traits, including large hearts, an efficient way of moving and an ability to keep running when they are exerting so much effort that they are panting for breath, that make them faster than most recreational runners...
With elite runners, the question is not so much technique but rather the tiny physiological differences that make one smooth, relaxed, fast runner win every race while another, who looks equally good, falls behind.
Exercise physiologists say there are three components to great running: A high VO2 max, the volume of oxygen an athlete can consume at maximum exertion; great running efficiency, a measurement of the energy used to run at a particular pace; and an ability to keep going at a high level of exertion for a long time, expressed as the percentage of VO2 max that can be sustained during a run.
Athletes with a high VO2 max can pump large volumes of blood to their muscles, usually because they have large and powerful hearts, said Dr. Paul Ribisl, an exercise physiologist and a runner at Wake Forest University. The heart of an average adult pumps about 15 liters a minute. The heart of an elite distance runner typically pumps at least twice that amount.
VO2 max increases with training, as a person goes from physically unfit to physically fit. But, physiologists say, even when elite runners are out of training - when they have not run for months or longer - they have a VO2 max substantially higher than that of a recreational runner.
]]>i'm doing this mainly for health reasons. it's taken me a long time to understand that a healthy meal should be built on the basis of protein. for years i thought a plate of whole wheat pasta with a side of broccoli was good for me. now i see that this meal is completely void of protein, the most important part of an athlete's diet.
since i've been trying to lose fat, i've been reading up on some basic nutrition and trying to get a feel for what my diet should consist of. i came to the conclusion that, when i'm making a meal, i must first pick a source of protein, then design the rest of the meal around it. instead of 2 cups of pasta and veggies, i should eat tofu with 1/2 cup of pasta and veggies or a salad. tofu smoothies, seitan, protein shakes, yogurt... this has been my diet for the past few weeks. since i started eating high protein, the biggest change is that i don't "crash" like i used to after a long workout. this is huge; those crashes cost me heaps of productivity time. so i'm convinced to keep with it.
but let's face it, tofu and protein shakes can only go so far. aside from getting boring, soy protein doesn't live up to its meaty counterparts. fish presents me with an opportunity to get some good stuff in my diet like complete protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It's been shown that the incorporation of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids into an energy-restricted, fat-reduced diet has significant beneficial effects on glucose, insulin, and lipid metabolism:
[Researchers] discovered that these [essential fatty acid's], particularly those of the omega-3 family, play essential roles in the maintenance of energy balance and glucose metabolism. In particular, they observed a phenomenon known as ‘fuel partitioning’, whereby dietary EFAs were able to direct glucose (from digested carbohydrates) towards glycogen storage while at the same time directing other fatty acids in the body away from triglyceride synthesis (ie fat storage) and towards fatty acid oxidation! In addition, these studies suggested that omega-3 fatty acids have the unique ability to enhance thermogenesis (the burning of excess fat to produce heat), thereby reducing the efficiency of body fat deposition(2-7). In simple terms, this fuel partitioning phenomenon appears to conserve carbohydrate while simultaneously shedding fat – exactly what most athletes would give their right arm for!
[from Peak Peformance]
the first fish-steak i ate was pesto grilled salmon. it was actually good and i was relieved to not be grossed out by the experience. i must have taken to fish quite well, because i massively pigged out last night at Kenichi, a sushi restaurant here in Austin (the outing had little to do with health and fitness, as the empty sake bomb glasses can attest to). the goal for this week is to learn how to cook fish in my own kitchen.
]]>the alarm went off at 6am. there were a few snooze sessions, but i finally came to at around 6:20. the pizza i so stupidly chose to eat at 11pm last night was still making it's way through my body. UGH - what a horrible idea. i love the parlor but if i'm going to eat something that's not full of fat and carbohydrates, i'd rather have it be something nicer and more moderate. i'd have felt much better this morning if i'd gone out for pasta and had a couple glasses of wine instead of going out for pizza and beer. why is that? i guess i'm more apt to binge on pizza and beer. when tim and i were playing pool last night, i felt like i could stay out all night. bars suck me in like that.
but back to this morning.
we got to town lake by 7am... a little late but the sun was still low. i barely noticed the run because i was focussing on not thinking about my creaky innards. i thought about shopping - how girly of me! but it worked. turns out we did really well. i think tim and i are starting to pick up the pace. it's been three weeks, and i think we're ready for some new challenges.
Tim found this beginner's training schedule at the Runners World website. We'll be starting at the week three point. The program looks fun, incorporating speedwork and fartlek!
]]>I started on June 20th, and have run ten times since. Is that all? Time goes really slowly when I'm waiting to capillarize!
Last Sunday, Tim and I spent about a little over an hour at Town Lake, spending 42 of those minutes running. I'm pretty proud of myself - that's my longest run yet! Longest in time, that is. I'm not focussing much on distance yet. Right now, it's all about pacing.
On Tuesday, we did 30 minutes at Town Lake. After that, I was incredibly BEAT. Tired all day. Didn't go into the gym for my weight workout. I don't know what was up.
This morning, we took an easy 20 minute run around the intramural fields. Well, it should have been easy, but it felt like a bitch. This freakish Austin sun makes everything harder. Oh, but I bought a VISOR, which helps tremendously. I'm so cool.
I've registered for my first 5K!
]]>6 oz silken tofu
1 ripe banana (or other fruit of choice)
2 scoops (60g) of GNC Vanilla Whey Protein powder
1/2 cup juice (I use Central Market's fresh squeezed Red Delicious Apple juice)
A handful of ice.
You know the drill: throw it all in the blender. Blend. Pulse pulse. Blend.
Serves 2.
Calories: 310
Fat: 8g
Carbs: 30g
Protein: 31g
4 cups vegetable broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz seitan, chopped
1 cup cauliflower
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1/4 cup sliced green onion
celery salt
2 cups cooked brown rice (optional)
Put the broth, tomatoes, and all the veggies in a big pot over hight heat. When it starts to bubble joyously, turn the heat down and cook until the cauliflower is done. Add celery salt to taste. Serve over rice or with a tasty piece of whole wheat bread!
Serves 4.
]]>By helping to raise funds for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research and patient services, you'll receive:
-Personalized fitness training by certified coaches for a period of four to five months
-Training clinics
-Your own personal Web site for online fundraising
-A supportive group of teammates
-Lodging and airfare to more than 60 accredited events in the United States and abroad.
Sounds like an awesomely fair exchange! This November 20, Team in Training comes to austin for the Motive Bison Stampede Half Marathon!
]]>Monday I worked out my legs. I need to push myself harder in the squat dept. Or perhaps, take my sets a little slower. Hmm....
In the evening, an hour-long walk around Hyde Park with tizzle, during which I spent most of the time trying to keep up with his insanely long legs.
By Tuesday, the ass was plenty sore - squeeze it!
The rain kept me from the gym til' about 2, where I had to rush through a chest/triceps/abs workout before getting to a meeting. Grr.
In the evening I ran for 30 minutes, roughly 2.5 miles. I could have kept going, but Tim was smart to encourage me to stop. I've only been at this running thing for a couple weeks and I don't think my legs are ready to get too serious yet.
Today, the sleep in and the rest is super sweet. I'm pretty sore from yesterday's workout, but my legs feel healthy and strong, and only a little sore in all the right places.
Keeping to <1600 calories / day while still getting at least 130 grams of protein has been mildly challenging but I've settled into it now. I'm not losing much weight yet, but my clothes are feeling a bit more loose (comfortable) and I'm enjoying the benefits of being able to both lose fat and put on muscle during this early stage of the game.
Here's to hoping for a good reason to buy some new Diesel's at the end of the summer...
]]>I've never been fitted for running shoes before (I always bought the gym shoes that "looked cool" and used them for everything) but the Asics make quite a difference. We took em' out for a 30-minute test drive around Hyde Park. I had been having some ankle pain, which came back towards the beginning of the run but went away quickly and never came back. I'm hoping that's the end of that. Overall, the shoes are really comfortable and my feet were unfettered by the run.
]]>This is why I probably loathe running. It's never done it for me. I've tried running on a track, on a trail, in my neighborhood, on a treadmill, at night, in the morning, in the middle of the day. But there's no goal, no immediate satisfaction, and I quickly grow bored and disdainful. I did alright running in Audubon Park (NOLA), where I had Mike and Brett to run with, and the promise of a cold shower in the middle of the run. But still, I was always more eager to throw the frisbee around or play football or have a watergun fight.
As I train for the apocalypse, I can't help but come to grips with the necessity of running in an end-of-civilization type situation. There will inevitably be a speed/endurance benchmark for survival, and I intend to be ready.
It was also slightly convenient that Tim stepped up to the plate to be my running partner. His presence has made running far more enjoyable, mostly because I have someone else to keep me company and help me with my pacing.
Right now, the running is pretty casual. We're running extremely slowly (about 13 min miles) for 25-30 minutes. But it feels pretty good to be doing it.
Always in search of a goal, I have my mind set on running the Keep Austin Weird 5k on August 28, just 3 days before I fly to London. It will be awesome to cap off my time in Austin with fitness success. Also, adding a social element to running seems to keep me at it.
]]>Weight: 126lbs
Waist: 74cm
Hips: 90cm
Thighs: 54cm
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1 1/2. cups whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp. brown sugar (give or take)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsps. baking powder
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup skim milk
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 egg whites
Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 12-muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the rolled oats with the whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Add the strawberries and stir gently until they are distributed evenly in the mixture.
In a small bowl, stir together the milk, banana, oil and egg whites until blended. Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups, dividing evenly. Bake for 15 to 20 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 12 dinky muffins (or 8 less dinky muffins)
Nutritional guesstimates for 1 dinky muffin:
Calories: 150
Fat: 3 g
Fiber: 4 g.