Day 5 - Easy Run

My hamstrings are still wound up tight, so I just went for an easy run/walk this morning. Up at 6:30 am and down the gravel road with the dogs. I just jogged about two 12:30 miles, stopping once to gawk at some birds and another time to take my jacket off. Pretty stiff when I got done, I might have to do some stretching later today. Ended with some walking. Total 43:42 for three miles.

Day 4 - Rest Day

Had to take a day off today. My hamstrings and shoulders were screaming. No sense popping something just for the sake of getting a workout in. I did go birding, walked maybe a mile or so. And I almost took part in an PBR event, when I stupidly walked through a bull pasture with my dogs. Luckily, I was close enough to a fence that I could make a get away. Okay, maybe I did get ONE sprint in today.

Day 3 - Sprint 8

Well, I kicked it up a little today. This morning I got up early and did some weight training. I acutally did part of a program that goes with the Jump Soles (training things you strap to your shoes to help you jump higher). I couldn't do everything because I don't have the proper equipment. My "gym" is the furnace room in the basement. I have a nice treadmill squeezed in there, but all I have for weights is 4 sets of dumbells (5 lb, 10 lb, 15 lb & 20 lb). So I had to just do the best I could, I did pretty much everything except the hamstring curls, just didn't use as much weight as I was supposed to. Kind of felt like Bette Midler in "Ruthless People", lifting paint cans and jumping rope with my chain. Except nobody's kidnapped me and I'm not really rich.

Then in the afternoon I went outside and did my first Sprint 8 workout. It's basically a high intensity, 20 minute interval work out. 3 minutes warmup, then 8 sets of 30 second sprints with 90 second recovery periods and a cooldown. I could only do about six sets before I felt like I was going to barf. I was surprised however, because even though I walked most of the rest periods I still ended up doing an 11:20 mile. I did a little more reading on it tonight and as usual I started too hard. Apparently you are supposed to work your way up to sprinting as hard as you can. Duh. I probably won't be able to walk for a week now. Luckily I didn't hurt myself.

Day 2 - Easy

Took it easy today. The only thing I did was some stationary tai'chi poses for about 10 minutes.

Had bad weather in the night and the power was on and off all night. Soooo, my alarm didn't go off and I overslept. If I don't work out first thing in the morning it seems like I never do it (unless it's martial arts classes -- makes it easier to get going when you have other people to motivate you.)

The Beginning

Purpose for this blog: to create an online training journal that's cheap and easy to update.

Goals:
1: (short term) Run Turkey Trot 5k in Pierre in November.
2: (long term) get in shape and lose 20 pounds so I can get my black belt in November '07

Day 1: April 18, 2006. Up at 6:30 am to run/walk on the treadmill. Walk 3:00/run 2:00 for 45 minutes, 3.4 something miles + 5:00 cooldown. For some reason that dang thing makes my knees ache. I was under the impression that treadmills were easier on your legs than the roads, but not in my case. Anyway, I don't have a choice because it's cold (37 degrees), and windy (40 mph). The cold I can handle, it's the wind that I hate. Maybe I'll do some tai'chi or weightlifting later this afternoon.

Leftover french toast casserole for breakfast. Way too good to waste. Darn you Paula Deen! Why do you have to use so much butter? And cream? And sugar?