Decided to have a go at a run today - been a bit on the poorly side so had left it for a while. Today was about confidence and morale.
I didn't do too badly - I started off doing a bit of 2mins run, 2 mins walk for a couple of sets, then decided to run for the length of 'Mr Blue Sky' as it is a song that I like. I managed this - a personal best time of 4mins 50 secs. I then did a couple more sets of walk and run, though based on distance rather than time. Overall, according to my phone pedometer I covered just under 4k, which is double my usual distance, in a little less than double the time (about 40 mins). After some careful consideration I decided I could be happy with that.
Morning sets also started again today - I found that 5.5 kg was too much for me, so the bicep curls were down to 5. This was disappointing. However, due to me not being able to count I am now doing 8kg on the skullcrushers, so it's not all bad.
All the rest were completed as previously.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Monday, 19 April 2010
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Some ups, some downs, and some middlings
Um, right, it's been a few days.
Morning sets have been continuing - there might have been one day off somewhere in the mix I'm not sure.
Levelled up and adjusted them today: the weights have gone up, so from next week (day off tomorrow due to early train) it will be
Bicep curl - 5.5kg
Skull Crucher - 7.5kg
So far - so go me.
As regular readers may remember my goal was 10 full pressups by the end of May - well I did 10 this morning, about six weeks ahead of schedule. This is good. Now by the end of May I would like to be doing 10 comfortably, and we'll see about adding some more. For the next couple of weeks I'm going to stick at 9 full, 6 girly as I won't have the verbal encouragement I had this morning.
The abs regime I have changed, from now on I will do 20 reverse crunches and 20 sit up twists. This works a different range of muscles to the last abs section, and will include work on my obliques, which have not been a part of the morning program until now. I may play with the type of abdominal exercise I do in the future if I get bored, but I think I'll stick with that one for now.
So much for the ups...
The downs...
Running
Completed my 5 x 3and2 today. Well, I completed 7x 3and2. Which is, to be fair a sort of up. However I had a running partner for the first time today. This meant I had, in my mind, someone I had to beat. Given today's partner runs 5miles in half an hour, I was never going to do this, but I set off at too fast a pace anyway, got knackered and burst into tears for being useless.
This was a down.
It was also sunny today - so I could see my shadow, and I didn't like it one little bit. I felt I looked weak and girly rather than strong in the way my running partner looked (yes, I am comparing myself unfavourably to a bloke three times my size).
This was also a down.
At this point I was mostly of the opinion I might as well save everyone the trouble of looking after me come Z-Day and just shoot myself at the first sign of an outbreak.
So positive mental attitude - well it comes and goes. What I don't have is the ability to tell myself I'm doing 'better' a lot of the time, particularly when I'm actually training. Generally I'm a results-orientated person, my worth is measured in how high I turn up on the league table. My 'league-table' at the moment is made up of stronger, fitter, men - which isn't ideal to say the least. Hmmm - expect more ponderings on this in the future.
So - to the middlings
Middlings are sometimes worst of all, not sure why.
I thought I'd do an old core stability workout tonight, that I hadn't done for ages in order to redeem my earlier failings.
It goes a little something like this:
Plank: lie in the press-up position, supporting your body weight on your elbows rather than your arms; Hold for 30s keeping you back straight, your bum down and you stomach tight; Try and increase time with practice.
Calf raises: stand on an elevated surface, such as a box or step; Allow your heels to drop as low as possible with your heels over hanging the step, then stretch up on to your tip toes; Repeat 20 times; Try to avoid using any support.
Power 5 press-ups: lower yourself down to one inch of the deck over a count of 5seconds, hold for a count of 5 seconds, then return to the upright with explosive power; Repeat in sets of 5 (or as many as you can manage high quality reps, at least sets of two) (currently being done against a wall as I can't get explosive power even from a girly press-up yet)
Back arches: lie on your front then arch your back to draw your head up and your heels towards your bum, keeping your legs strait
Power 5 squats: as for power 5 press-ups ensuring that you squat down to the deepest possible range of travel before the hold and again exploding up. Repeat for 20 reps.
Rotator cuff developers; hold yourself in the normal press-up position and allow your body to lower without bending your elbows, then raise your body back up for 1 rep, repeat 20 times.
Sit up twists x 20 (was supposed to be a sideways plank exercise, but my ankles don't support me)
Scap setters: Lie on your front with your hands by your side; Raise them by 10-20 degrease and rotate in small circles, first inwards then outwards for 20 reps each way.
Flutters: lie on your back with your legs out stretched, feet 6” off the ground; Kick up and down as for back stroke kick, for 20 reps, where one rep is both legs up and down.
Twice through tonight. It was mostly alright, most of it has got a bit easier since I last did it. However plank is still a bug-bear - I managed a new personal best of 50 seconds tonight, but progress is very slow - a couple of seconds improvement at best. Am I pushing myself as hard as I can do on this one or am I just loosing interest (I've tried counting, trying loud music with my eyes shut - any other bright ideas gratefully accepted)...Pass...but it ends the day on frankly a bit of a disappointment. Which is generally less than ideal
Morning sets have been continuing - there might have been one day off somewhere in the mix I'm not sure.
Levelled up and adjusted them today: the weights have gone up, so from next week (day off tomorrow due to early train) it will be
Bicep curl - 5.5kg
Skull Crucher - 7.5kg
So far - so go me.
As regular readers may remember my goal was 10 full pressups by the end of May - well I did 10 this morning, about six weeks ahead of schedule. This is good. Now by the end of May I would like to be doing 10 comfortably, and we'll see about adding some more. For the next couple of weeks I'm going to stick at 9 full, 6 girly as I won't have the verbal encouragement I had this morning.
The abs regime I have changed, from now on I will do 20 reverse crunches and 20 sit up twists. This works a different range of muscles to the last abs section, and will include work on my obliques, which have not been a part of the morning program until now. I may play with the type of abdominal exercise I do in the future if I get bored, but I think I'll stick with that one for now.
So much for the ups...
The downs...
Running
Completed my 5 x 3and2 today. Well, I completed 7x 3and2. Which is, to be fair a sort of up. However I had a running partner for the first time today. This meant I had, in my mind, someone I had to beat. Given today's partner runs 5miles in half an hour, I was never going to do this, but I set off at too fast a pace anyway, got knackered and burst into tears for being useless.
This was a down.
It was also sunny today - so I could see my shadow, and I didn't like it one little bit. I felt I looked weak and girly rather than strong in the way my running partner looked (yes, I am comparing myself unfavourably to a bloke three times my size).
This was also a down.
At this point I was mostly of the opinion I might as well save everyone the trouble of looking after me come Z-Day and just shoot myself at the first sign of an outbreak.
So positive mental attitude - well it comes and goes. What I don't have is the ability to tell myself I'm doing 'better' a lot of the time, particularly when I'm actually training. Generally I'm a results-orientated person, my worth is measured in how high I turn up on the league table. My 'league-table' at the moment is made up of stronger, fitter, men - which isn't ideal to say the least. Hmmm - expect more ponderings on this in the future.
So - to the middlings
Middlings are sometimes worst of all, not sure why.
I thought I'd do an old core stability workout tonight, that I hadn't done for ages in order to redeem my earlier failings.
It goes a little something like this:
Plank: lie in the press-up position, supporting your body weight on your elbows rather than your arms; Hold for 30s keeping you back straight, your bum down and you stomach tight; Try and increase time with practice.
Calf raises: stand on an elevated surface, such as a box or step; Allow your heels to drop as low as possible with your heels over hanging the step, then stretch up on to your tip toes; Repeat 20 times; Try to avoid using any support.
Power 5 press-ups: lower yourself down to one inch of the deck over a count of 5seconds, hold for a count of 5 seconds, then return to the upright with explosive power; Repeat in sets of 5 (or as many as you can manage high quality reps, at least sets of two) (currently being done against a wall as I can't get explosive power even from a girly press-up yet)
Back arches: lie on your front then arch your back to draw your head up and your heels towards your bum, keeping your legs strait
Power 5 squats: as for power 5 press-ups ensuring that you squat down to the deepest possible range of travel before the hold and again exploding up. Repeat for 20 reps.
Rotator cuff developers; hold yourself in the normal press-up position and allow your body to lower without bending your elbows, then raise your body back up for 1 rep, repeat 20 times.
Sit up twists x 20 (was supposed to be a sideways plank exercise, but my ankles don't support me)
Scap setters: Lie on your front with your hands by your side; Raise them by 10-20 degrease and rotate in small circles, first inwards then outwards for 20 reps each way.
Flutters: lie on your back with your legs out stretched, feet 6” off the ground; Kick up and down as for back stroke kick, for 20 reps, where one rep is both legs up and down.
Twice through tonight. It was mostly alright, most of it has got a bit easier since I last did it. However plank is still a bug-bear - I managed a new personal best of 50 seconds tonight, but progress is very slow - a couple of seconds improvement at best. Am I pushing myself as hard as I can do on this one or am I just loosing interest (I've tried counting, trying loud music with my eyes shut - any other bright ideas gratefully accepted)...Pass...but it ends the day on frankly a bit of a disappointment. Which is generally less than ideal
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Made of win
Ok, maybe not in a big scale sense, but in terms of just little me I was pretty made of win tonight.
It was all about the PMA tonight in boxing, I really want to work hard in the next couple of months (though the club has just broken up for easter) and started as I mean to go on. I felt worked but good at the end of the warm-up (and my buddy was hanging in there too) and really pushed myself for the technique session. I got complaints from my pad partner for being too intense (I was egging myself on quite a lot, I think I had my war face on) but it was good and pushed it really hard (there was grunting :s) during the fitness/strength bit at the end.
But it was worth it to have my coach come up to me and tell me I'd come on loads since I started. That felt so good - I didn't know what to say. Lawrence has supported me so much since I started, especially when I had trouble getting a training partner (being tiny, they were scared of breaking me), the head coach Avoen (pronounced Avon) has also been awesome, picking me up (mentally) and dusting me off when I got floored with a gut punch. I'm properly aching now - but I was good and had my protein shake when I got in, followed by a cup of tea and my housemate has made cawl enough to share - so life is good.
Watched a little more Eddie Izzard running tonight too - and right now feel like I could take on the world.
:D
It was all about the PMA tonight in boxing, I really want to work hard in the next couple of months (though the club has just broken up for easter) and started as I mean to go on. I felt worked but good at the end of the warm-up (and my buddy was hanging in there too) and really pushed myself for the technique session. I got complaints from my pad partner for being too intense (I was egging myself on quite a lot, I think I had my war face on) but it was good and pushed it really hard (there was grunting :s) during the fitness/strength bit at the end.
But it was worth it to have my coach come up to me and tell me I'd come on loads since I started. That felt so good - I didn't know what to say. Lawrence has supported me so much since I started, especially when I had trouble getting a training partner (being tiny, they were scared of breaking me), the head coach Avoen (pronounced Avon) has also been awesome, picking me up (mentally) and dusting me off when I got floored with a gut punch. I'm properly aching now - but I was good and had my protein shake when I got in, followed by a cup of tea and my housemate has made cawl enough to share - so life is good.
Watched a little more Eddie Izzard running tonight too - and right now feel like I could take on the world.
:D
Made of fail
Was going to go out for day 2 of running today - then spent most of running time looking for my keys.
*sigh*
Ah well - boxing tonight, it's bring a buddy night - I have a buddy prepared.
I did my morning sets (with shoes) and some shadow boxing to make up for the not a run.
In other news I think I set myself up for a long charity walk (possibly up to 60miles) last night. I suppose it's a goal.
*sigh*
Ah well - boxing tonight, it's bring a buddy night - I have a buddy prepared.
I did my morning sets (with shoes) and some shadow boxing to make up for the not a run.
In other news I think I set myself up for a long charity walk (possibly up to 60miles) last night. I suppose it's a goal.
Monday, 15 March 2010
What a difference a pair of trainers makes
Well that's now week one of my running program complete- today was a brisk 25min walk - 1.8 miles covered, which is ok.
Going to restart week one tomorrow I think.
Morning sets also done - wore my trainers today (I usually do them barefoot), the leg raises were surprisingly difficult, needed to break them down into 3x5 rather than just banging out 15.
Going to restart week one tomorrow I think.
Morning sets also done - wore my trainers today (I usually do them barefoot), the leg raises were surprisingly difficult, needed to break them down into 3x5 rather than just banging out 15.
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Sunday night
Weekend - no surf - no particular training done. Meh.
Another goal - swim a mile (that's 32 lengths of the 50m pool) - so far I can do about half of that, so we're getting there.
Another goal - swim a mile (that's 32 lengths of the 50m pool) - so far I can do about half of that, so we're getting there.
Friday, 12 March 2010
A goal
To run 5 miles by the end of May.
Not sure how achievable this is, but it's definitely in the 'worth giving a go' category.
The reason - my other half is busy reducing his 5 mile run time, so it seemed a way of linking our training.
Not sure how achievable this is, but it's definitely in the 'worth giving a go' category.
The reason - my other half is busy reducing his 5 mile run time, so it seemed a way of linking our training.
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