Outdoor pool. 50 degree night. Slight drizzle. Swimming laps. One other dude in the pool... two lanes over. Doesn't get much more peaceful than that. Nice pool workout... 46 minutes of swimming including 30 and 15 second breaks as per swim workout plan.
Gratitude.
Because, it was crazy at home the two hour time block prior to going to the pool.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
110228 Training Week
Mon 500 swim warmup 10 x 100 / allow 30 secs rest / 10 x 50 / allow 15 secs rest / 100 cool down.
Tues 2 hour cycling session / endurance pace / indoors or out
Wed 1000 meter row warmup / pullup x 10, clapping pushup x 10, standing db push press @ 30# dbs x 10 as many rounds as possible in 30 mins
Thurs 60 min / high cadence recovery spin / indoors or out
Friday 5 x 500 meter swim repeats with 2 mins rest and build! Start slow.
Sat off
Sun 3 hour ride / outdoors
Tues 2 hour cycling session / endurance pace / indoors or out
Wed 1000 meter row warmup / pullup x 10, clapping pushup x 10, standing db push press @ 30# dbs x 10 as many rounds as possible in 30 mins
Thurs 60 min / high cadence recovery spin / indoors or out
Friday 5 x 500 meter swim repeats with 2 mins rest and build! Start slow.
Sat off
Sun 3 hour ride / outdoors
Swim. Check. Bike. Check. Run. Next.
Today was a big test for progress on the recovery of my knee. I was teed up for a 90 minute bike ride. I wound up going 40 miles in 2:21 of ride time with an average HR of 141.
Chuck met me at my house and we clipped in about 10:25. We then picked up Davis at Discovery and headed down Rock Creek Park. I purposefully hit the first couple of hills (short, not steep) hard to gauge fitness. Though my heart rate SPIKED, I felt no pain at all in the knee. The only thing that feels strange about my knee is that it feels like it needs to "crack". Like a joint that needs to crack but can't.
We rode down to Hains Point and did five short laps. We rode with KDOG and Chad was running... pushing the baby stroller with MAL inside. I felt strong and had a couple of sustained bursts where I was going 26 mph. I did tire and was ready to cruise back home after that fifth lap.
This weekend... good success. I swam and was able to kick for a half hour straight. Then I rode 2+ hours on the bike and again did not experience any pain. Two or three more weeks and I think I'll be ready to run.
Chuck met me at my house and we clipped in about 10:25. We then picked up Davis at Discovery and headed down Rock Creek Park. I purposefully hit the first couple of hills (short, not steep) hard to gauge fitness. Though my heart rate SPIKED, I felt no pain at all in the knee. The only thing that feels strange about my knee is that it feels like it needs to "crack". Like a joint that needs to crack but can't.
We rode down to Hains Point and did five short laps. We rode with KDOG and Chad was running... pushing the baby stroller with MAL inside. I felt strong and had a couple of sustained bursts where I was going 26 mph. I did tire and was ready to cruise back home after that fifth lap.
This weekend... good success. I swam and was able to kick for a half hour straight. Then I rode 2+ hours on the bike and again did not experience any pain. Two or three more weeks and I think I'll be ready to run.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
TWO A DAY!!!
So, on Friday, I got in two different workouts. LOVE the two-a-day. I was on the stationary at lunch. 60 minute session. About 50 minutes of that was at 100 RPM at setting 12 out of 20 on the LifeFitness 95CT. Avg HR was 129.
After work. I did 30 minutes of laps in the indoor pool at the Silver Spring YMCA... no pull buoy. Left leg felt fine.
I still don't have a full range of motion and doing deep bends on the knee is still not worth the pain... but other than that... the thing feels pretty strong.
Today is an off day. Tomorrow... riding outdoors. Have a couple of people meeting me at my place and we plan on riding down to Hains Point and meeting some friends down there... including Chad and KDOG. We're getting the band back together! ;-)
After work. I did 30 minutes of laps in the indoor pool at the Silver Spring YMCA... no pull buoy. Left leg felt fine.
I still don't have a full range of motion and doing deep bends on the knee is still not worth the pain... but other than that... the thing feels pretty strong.
Today is an off day. Tomorrow... riding outdoors. Have a couple of people meeting me at my place and we plan on riding down to Hains Point and meeting some friends down there... including Chad and KDOG. We're getting the band back together! ;-)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Hurts so Good
Thus far, I've stuck with the prescribed workout routine... on the whole. Was supposed to do 100 pushups and 50 pullups in yesterday's workout... but was only able to knock out 50 pushups and 20 pullups. Did the rest of the workout. The session on the bike was quite rigorous and I don't have any hangover with the knee. Was anaerobic on the 3 minute intervals and spinning at ~110 rpm. Felt really good.
I can tell a couple of things about the off time...
1. I feel REALLY grateful to be working out again. Which helps mood when working out.
2. The divorce and single parent lifestyle has built up some anger and resentment in me without an outlet through workouts for the past 6 weeks... but now that I'm working out again, I can channel that aggression into the workout. Feels good... especially after.
Today is an off day. Diet has been good and I have cut out trigger foods and cut way back on the calories. Let's see if it holds. Taking it one day at a time right now.
I can tell a couple of things about the off time...
1. I feel REALLY grateful to be working out again. Which helps mood when working out.
2. The divorce and single parent lifestyle has built up some anger and resentment in me without an outlet through workouts for the past 6 weeks... but now that I'm working out again, I can channel that aggression into the workout. Feels good... especially after.
Today is an off day. Diet has been good and I have cut out trigger foods and cut way back on the calories. Let's see if it holds. Taking it one day at a time right now.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Don't Know What You Got... Until It's Gone
I received this weeks workout plan via email from Coach Paul. I almost cried. Tears of joy now... pain later this week? We'll see.
Mon 60 mins / 100 plus rpms / tempo pace / comfortably hard light to moderate resistance
Tues 500 pull / 10 x 100 repeats allow 30 secs rest / and lets keep the buoy for these. 100 cool down
Wed 10 min spin warm-up, 3 mins hard 1 min easy x 10, 10 min cool down. Then 50 pullups, 100 push-ups, 50 barbell push presses 65#s
Thurs off!
Friday 30 mins straight swim / no buoy but open turns / 60 mins tempo spin
Sat off
Sunday 90 mins outdoors ride (I am so looking forward to being able to do this!)
I rowed today. Did 5000 meters straight. I forgot to check my HRM after to see my avg. HR... but I definitely broke a sweat. The left knee is still a little swollen so there is some discomfort... but no pain.
5000m rowing results
I swam for a half hour yesterday in the morning... outdoor pool... what a great way to clear your head. I felt very serene when I got out of the water... though had to run into the YMCA building as there was a 40 mph wind howling. Then last night, hopped on the stationary bike for 30 minutes. Again... some discomfort but no pain. Kept the HR under 110 for the whole spin.
Picture taken of reflection in mirror. But, you can see knee starting to form on left leg.
Mon 60 mins / 100 plus rpms / tempo pace / comfortably hard light to moderate resistance
Tues 500 pull / 10 x 100 repeats allow 30 secs rest / and lets keep the buoy for these. 100 cool down
Wed 10 min spin warm-up, 3 mins hard 1 min easy x 10, 10 min cool down. Then 50 pullups, 100 push-ups, 50 barbell push presses 65#s
Thurs off!
Friday 30 mins straight swim / no buoy but open turns / 60 mins tempo spin
Sat off
Sunday 90 mins outdoors ride (I am so looking forward to being able to do this!)
I rowed today. Did 5000 meters straight. I forgot to check my HRM after to see my avg. HR... but I definitely broke a sweat. The left knee is still a little swollen so there is some discomfort... but no pain.
5000m rowing results
I swam for a half hour yesterday in the morning... outdoor pool... what a great way to clear your head. I felt very serene when I got out of the water... though had to run into the YMCA building as there was a 40 mph wind howling. Then last night, hopped on the stationary bike for 30 minutes. Again... some discomfort but no pain. Kept the HR under 110 for the whole spin.
Picture taken of reflection in mirror. But, you can see knee starting to form on left leg.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Back to our Regularly Scheduled Programming
Left knee after stitches removed
OK sports fans... I'm almost back in action. Surgery was successful. The doctor says he cleaned up about a nickel-sized tear of cartilage, trimmed the lateral meniscus and smoothed out some arthritis. He was very pleased about the range of motion in the knee and elected to forgo organized physical therapy. He says I don't need it! So, I've rested the past couple of days and am waiting for the cuts to heal. But, I can already feel that the pain I was experiencing in late December and January is gone.
Something to think about is this... it is likely that my knee was messed up during the marathon... I just didn't "feel" it. I mean, nothing happened between the marathon and December 21 that would have resulted in that much "damage".
My energy level has been very low the past 30 days. And, I can feel my fitness level greatly reduced which results in me feeling "fat" and then spins the cycle of low energy even more. But, what I have found is that mood follows action... so I need to get back into a coordinated, disciplined activity schedule so I can get back to where I was in November.
156 Days until Ironman Lake Placid 2011. Tomorrow is Day 1. Be mindful TJ of what you do with this day.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Trust the Doctor
My knee hurts like heck. I was cleared to take a shower so I had to take off the dressing. As you can see, it's still very swollen. It is difficult to move around but I do feel a little better since taking the shower. I haven't pooped since Monday and think I'll feel even better once I get rid of what's inside me. Is that TMI?
Right now, just taking it easy. Trusting that this is going to work out and I'll be back on my feet running by the beginning of April.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Do You Believe in Miracles?
NOTE: This was actually posted on Wednesday, February 9, 2011.
The way I feel today, it's going to take a miracle.
The surgery has come and gone. The doctor says he found torn cartilage, arthritis and an inflamed joint in addition to the torn meniscus. Dr. Magee told me he trimmed the tears, smoothed out the arthritis and that the inflammation should recede. I can take the wrap off Friday morning and start bending it and doing leg lifts.
February 8, 2011 - approx. 6 pm
Surgery was supposed to be at 4 pm. But they called at 9 am and said they were ready for me. So, I went to the hospital. The doctor saw me for about 3 minutes a half hour before the surgery. He did not talk to me after. Everyone at the hospital was very nice and the anesthesia worked great. The last thing I remember the guy saying was, "you're going to start to feel a little groggy." Next thing I know, I was in post-op.
I was off work today, and will be off tomorrow, too. I'll take the wrap off on Friday and take some more pix. But right now... I'm in bad shape. My leg hurts.
The way I feel today, it's going to take a miracle.
The surgery has come and gone. The doctor says he found torn cartilage, arthritis and an inflamed joint in addition to the torn meniscus. Dr. Magee told me he trimmed the tears, smoothed out the arthritis and that the inflammation should recede. I can take the wrap off Friday morning and start bending it and doing leg lifts.
February 8, 2011 - approx. 6 pm
Surgery was supposed to be at 4 pm. But they called at 9 am and said they were ready for me. So, I went to the hospital. The doctor saw me for about 3 minutes a half hour before the surgery. He did not talk to me after. Everyone at the hospital was very nice and the anesthesia worked great. The last thing I remember the guy saying was, "you're going to start to feel a little groggy." Next thing I know, I was in post-op.
I was off work today, and will be off tomorrow, too. I'll take the wrap off on Friday and take some more pix. But right now... I'm in bad shape. My leg hurts.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
T-7 Days
FYI... I re-joined the YMCA in my neighborhood. They have an indoor and an outdoor pool. I figured I would be swimming a lot over the next couple of months so I bit the bullet and joined up there as it will be easier to swim there than at LA Fitness. Plus, the pools are a lot nicer at the Y. I've already swam twice there this week. Rode the stationary bike this evening and did some dips, pushups and pullups.
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