Today was a little bit tougher for me because I worked at a summer day camp. During this time, I would be walking a lot, playing tag and other various games with the kids... so basically, when I was done, I was a little tired before starting my workout. Here's what I did for my July 2 workout:
17 pull ups
5 miles in 37:43 (on a treadmill...)
1.5 mile walk
40 push ups
200 calf raises
1 hour and 10 minutes of cycling
50 minutes of the stair master (5.37 miles or 258 floors)
50 minutes of pool running
I definitely felt the difference and my legs feel pretty tired... lets see what tomorrow is going to do with my legs... should I work out or should I take a break... we'll find out for sure tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Day 1 (31 Day Transformation)
So since I'm training for the Leadville 100, I decided that the month of July, I would start with the transformation of my body into becoming a beast. I have a goal in mind, and in 31 days, I plan on achieving that goal. The next 30 days will be just a list of what I do to get myself to where I want to be. I'm hoping that in 31 days, I'll become a beast that could crush the Leadville 100... here's what I did today:
4.03 mile run in 31:55 (7:55 min/mile)
1.6 mile walk
14 pull ups
60 minutes of cycling
35 push ups
45 minutes of stair master (209 floors... 4.36 miles)
45 minutes of pool running
Seems like a good beginning. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
4.03 mile run in 31:55 (7:55 min/mile)
1.6 mile walk
14 pull ups
60 minutes of cycling
35 push ups
45 minutes of stair master (209 floors... 4.36 miles)
45 minutes of pool running
Seems like a good beginning. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
How Little Things Pile Up
My roommate... well... lets say that he has a lot of hair... and with a lot of hair... well... lets say that it clogs up the drain over time. My hair, on the other hand, is pretty short, so it doesn't do that much damage. Now taking showers is an important part of both of our lives, and over time, there's a good bit of his hair in the drain. Since it's not my hair... I just let it go and have my roommate deal with the hair. However, instead of throwing it away in the trash, he has this... interesting habit of... putting it on the side of the bath and even on the wall. For the first few months, I surrendered and got toilet paper and took them off. However, this time, I decided that I would do my best to ignore that and let the bath wall grow a beard. It wasn't the best idea ever... but it sure did make the bath a lot more hairier.
To sum it up, it was disgusting.
Little by little, hair clogged up the drains. Little by little, the hair went to the wall. Little by little, my will to 'force' him to clean up the mess was being shaken. It seemed to me like the wall of the bath was changing color because of the amount of hair on it and I'm sure it would have kept going if his girlfriend had not come...
Now I'm not sure who exactly put the hair off, but after his girlfriend got through using the shower, I went in to take mine and lo and behold, there was a white bath tub. It was nice... but I wonder if there was a lesson learned or if it was just a phase.
Whether it be hair, or clothes... or anything else, when things pile up, it doesn't start so bad. It just ends up that way.
Funny thing is... it can be a good thing or a bad thing. When you exercise every day, the little you do each day piles up and makes a big difference over time. When you lay around on the couch and don't do anything... it also makes a big difference over time. Whatever you do, when you make it a part of your lifestyle, it affects who you become.
I'm hoping to add a little bit of mileage to what I do almost daily, and my goal by the end of July is to be able to run a marathon every day for a week. If I'm able to get to that point in my training, I would feel a lot more comfortable with the Leadville 100. Running well in a regional race is completely different than running well in a national race. I'm hoping that I would get myself leveled up to where I need to be to compete with the elite runners and take just a few steps closer to running well.
My goal for Leadville is to get top 20. Looking at last year's time, I need to be able to run a little under 13 minutes per mile. Looking at what I've done in the past week, I believe that currently, I'm right on track to being able to run where I need to in this race. The only factor that I haven't fully been able to calculate is the altitude. I'm not sure how the altitude is going to affect me... but I'm sure it's going to be tough. Hopefully, the next several weeks, I'll be able to exponentially grow and little by little, take myself to the next level... and become a beast.
To sum it up, it was disgusting.
Little by little, hair clogged up the drains. Little by little, the hair went to the wall. Little by little, my will to 'force' him to clean up the mess was being shaken. It seemed to me like the wall of the bath was changing color because of the amount of hair on it and I'm sure it would have kept going if his girlfriend had not come...
Now I'm not sure who exactly put the hair off, but after his girlfriend got through using the shower, I went in to take mine and lo and behold, there was a white bath tub. It was nice... but I wonder if there was a lesson learned or if it was just a phase.
Whether it be hair, or clothes... or anything else, when things pile up, it doesn't start so bad. It just ends up that way.
Funny thing is... it can be a good thing or a bad thing. When you exercise every day, the little you do each day piles up and makes a big difference over time. When you lay around on the couch and don't do anything... it also makes a big difference over time. Whatever you do, when you make it a part of your lifestyle, it affects who you become.
I'm hoping to add a little bit of mileage to what I do almost daily, and my goal by the end of July is to be able to run a marathon every day for a week. If I'm able to get to that point in my training, I would feel a lot more comfortable with the Leadville 100. Running well in a regional race is completely different than running well in a national race. I'm hoping that I would get myself leveled up to where I need to be to compete with the elite runners and take just a few steps closer to running well.
My goal for Leadville is to get top 20. Looking at last year's time, I need to be able to run a little under 13 minutes per mile. Looking at what I've done in the past week, I believe that currently, I'm right on track to being able to run where I need to in this race. The only factor that I haven't fully been able to calculate is the altitude. I'm not sure how the altitude is going to affect me... but I'm sure it's going to be tough. Hopefully, the next several weeks, I'll be able to exponentially grow and little by little, take myself to the next level... and become a beast.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Recovering
It's been 2 weeks since I ran the 24 hour race in Asheville NC, and I haven't blogged about that race yet... Currently, I'm waiting for the information to be written down and sent to me from one of my friends that was at the race timing every little thing that went on. Once I figure that out, I figure I'll be able to write a little blog about the amazing experience I've had.
The short version of the race is this. I ran long and hard, ran 102.3 miles and finished 1st overall. I started doing the 5 min run 1 min walk for the first... 16 hours and then after that, I got too exhausted so I ran more and rested more when I finished a loop. Funny thing is that after the race, I slept, and within 2 days, I was back on my feet playing tag at a summer day camp that I work at. In 5 days, I did my first run which was 5.38 miles, the next day running 5.32, took a break the next day, then ran 5.79 miles, 6.29 miles, break, and the day before yesterday, ran 6.04 miles. Yesterday, I was a little tired from spending the week doing housing projects and watching Man of Steel (which was pretty nice, I thought... especially because I didn't expect anything from it, haha) but today... after blogging, I plan on going out for a run.
The first two days of running, the top of my right foot hurt. I'm not sure exactly what the cause of it was, but it was because of that pain that I decided that I would turn around and make my way back home. The pace I was going on the first two days of running was 9:19 and 9:15 min/mile so I wasn't going too fast... but I felt like running on the road was still a little too much after the 102.3 miles endeavor. After the break, my right foot hasn't hurt me and so I was able to run a little faster, at a little over 8 min/mile, but I still don't want to hurt myself and made it my goal to only work on building myself up in distance, so that when I go to Leadville to run that 100 miler, I would be more prepared.
Recovery can be a pain, but at the same time, it's something that your body needs and so we have to go through with it and let the body take it's course. Recovery slows down if you don't rest, and so rest IS important. However, resting too much can be detrimental. In doing that, your body might get acclimated to the resting state and in turn, you won't just fully recover, but also build a bad habit. Since running has begun to be a lifestyle for me, it hasn't been too much of a problem when I occasionally take two days off in a row, but 5 days in a row... my mind was affected by that and I enjoyed taking that break from running. Let's hope that the next couple of weeks I continue my training plan and get to where I need to be for the race in August.
The short version of the race is this. I ran long and hard, ran 102.3 miles and finished 1st overall. I started doing the 5 min run 1 min walk for the first... 16 hours and then after that, I got too exhausted so I ran more and rested more when I finished a loop. Funny thing is that after the race, I slept, and within 2 days, I was back on my feet playing tag at a summer day camp that I work at. In 5 days, I did my first run which was 5.38 miles, the next day running 5.32, took a break the next day, then ran 5.79 miles, 6.29 miles, break, and the day before yesterday, ran 6.04 miles. Yesterday, I was a little tired from spending the week doing housing projects and watching Man of Steel (which was pretty nice, I thought... especially because I didn't expect anything from it, haha) but today... after blogging, I plan on going out for a run.
The first two days of running, the top of my right foot hurt. I'm not sure exactly what the cause of it was, but it was because of that pain that I decided that I would turn around and make my way back home. The pace I was going on the first two days of running was 9:19 and 9:15 min/mile so I wasn't going too fast... but I felt like running on the road was still a little too much after the 102.3 miles endeavor. After the break, my right foot hasn't hurt me and so I was able to run a little faster, at a little over 8 min/mile, but I still don't want to hurt myself and made it my goal to only work on building myself up in distance, so that when I go to Leadville to run that 100 miler, I would be more prepared.
Recovery can be a pain, but at the same time, it's something that your body needs and so we have to go through with it and let the body take it's course. Recovery slows down if you don't rest, and so rest IS important. However, resting too much can be detrimental. In doing that, your body might get acclimated to the resting state and in turn, you won't just fully recover, but also build a bad habit. Since running has begun to be a lifestyle for me, it hasn't been too much of a problem when I occasionally take two days off in a row, but 5 days in a row... my mind was affected by that and I enjoyed taking that break from running. Let's hope that the next couple of weeks I continue my training plan and get to where I need to be for the race in August.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Setting Lofty Goals
The thing about setting these lofty goals are that the person usually thinks that he/she is capable of doing it. After doing some research, I've found that in order to qualify for the USATF 24 Hour National Team, I need to run 135 miles within that 24 hours... which kinda seems a little tough... but at the same time... it feels doable. Of course, I've never done anything crazy like that, and the longest run I've ever done was last year's 12 hour run, where I did 62 miles... and here I am right now, thinking about doubling the time and more than doubling the distance... how crazy is that?
Having a lofty goal isn't a bad thing... when you're looking at taking steps towards getting there. However, should you have a lofty goal that is immediate... now THAT would be a bad thing. Setting lofty goals should help you build yourself up, and not break yourself down ASAP. It's one thing to look far off in the distance and seeing yourself go towards there... but it's another thing to make impossible goals for your race next week (although I am tempted).
The thing about lofty goals are they push you. And when pushed, you have to adapt and improve yourself, and step by step, you get to where you need to be. My lofty goal is to become one of America's top ultra distance runner. Right now, I'm nowhere near that, but I believe that over time, as I train and work hard, I'll take small steps towards my goal and finally manage to be one of the elite runners of America.
I always liked a quote a friend once told me:
Aim for the stars and you might hit the moon.
I plan on hitting the stars.
Having a lofty goal isn't a bad thing... when you're looking at taking steps towards getting there. However, should you have a lofty goal that is immediate... now THAT would be a bad thing. Setting lofty goals should help you build yourself up, and not break yourself down ASAP. It's one thing to look far off in the distance and seeing yourself go towards there... but it's another thing to make impossible goals for your race next week (although I am tempted).
The thing about lofty goals are they push you. And when pushed, you have to adapt and improve yourself, and step by step, you get to where you need to be. My lofty goal is to become one of America's top ultra distance runner. Right now, I'm nowhere near that, but I believe that over time, as I train and work hard, I'll take small steps towards my goal and finally manage to be one of the elite runners of America.
I always liked a quote a friend once told me:
Aim for the stars and you might hit the moon.
I plan on hitting the stars.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
When You're Tired
I ran twice today, running both in the morning and at night, and of course, the hardest run was my second run. It was hard because I was already tired from the morning run as well as from standing at work for 7 hours, and it really was tempting to just not run. However, after telling people that I was going to go for a run... and being a man of my word, I went and did my (stupid ol') run. I wasn't exactly enthusiastic as I started the run, but as I kept going, I felt pretty good about getting up and going forward.
After finishing the run, I was glad it was over. It was a lot tougher but I managed to finish it, and the satisfaction was that much more to me because I was weak and tired, but kept on going. Whenever you're weak and tired... and you have a goal to accomplish, accomplish it, and you'll feel so much better and the satisfaction is exponentially better than when you accomplish something when you're not tired and weak.
It takes a lot of willpower to get through... especially when you're tired. Push through and you'll be satisfied. Give up and you'll have regret.
Personally, I like the first choice...
(altogether, I ran 11.43 miles... 3 days in a row where I ran more than 10 miles)
After finishing the run, I was glad it was over. It was a lot tougher but I managed to finish it, and the satisfaction was that much more to me because I was weak and tired, but kept on going. Whenever you're weak and tired... and you have a goal to accomplish, accomplish it, and you'll feel so much better and the satisfaction is exponentially better than when you accomplish something when you're not tired and weak.
It takes a lot of willpower to get through... especially when you're tired. Push through and you'll be satisfied. Give up and you'll have regret.
Personally, I like the first choice...
(altogether, I ran 11.43 miles... 3 days in a row where I ran more than 10 miles)
Friday, May 10, 2013
2nd Day of Training
It's always harder to run on the second day because you're still a little sore from the first day. Today was a little hard for me to go on and do a run because of that. However, I was able to push on and finish 10.41 miles. Since school is over, I made it a goal to run double digits every day. It was hard... but not impossible.
The important thing about continuing your training on the second day is to persevere. It takes a little to run one day, but to run on the second day takes more out of you. On the second day, your mind is a little weaker, and you don't want to work as hard. You've done the hard work on the first day, and on the second day, you want to take it easy. In order to get through that, you need a strong will. It takes a little bit to start, but a lot to keep going.
One way to get through it is to let other people know about what you're doing, the more you let others know what you're getting yourself into, the more you'll actually be 'forced' to do it. Putting proper pressure on yourself will in turn help you to continue to push forward. When you can't go forward with what you aim to do, work to get something to give you that final push.
Find the push and you'll be able to continue forward on your journey. Sometimes, the push is within you, and other times, it'll be something outside. Once you figure that out, the second day won't be so bad.
The important thing about continuing your training on the second day is to persevere. It takes a little to run one day, but to run on the second day takes more out of you. On the second day, your mind is a little weaker, and you don't want to work as hard. You've done the hard work on the first day, and on the second day, you want to take it easy. In order to get through that, you need a strong will. It takes a little bit to start, but a lot to keep going.
One way to get through it is to let other people know about what you're doing, the more you let others know what you're getting yourself into, the more you'll actually be 'forced' to do it. Putting proper pressure on yourself will in turn help you to continue to push forward. When you can't go forward with what you aim to do, work to get something to give you that final push.
Find the push and you'll be able to continue forward on your journey. Sometimes, the push is within you, and other times, it'll be something outside. Once you figure that out, the second day won't be so bad.
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