It’s Thanksgiving Eve

I’ve had a tough time sitting down and making myself write this for some reason…probably because there hasn’t been anything too exciting to report.  Everything has been generally positive since my last post.  I’ve settled into a routine where I seem to be managing my injuries and making slow, steady progress with my workouts.

My new chest workout is going well; I’m getting stronger, the elbow hasn’t been bothered, and the shoulder has been OK.  I threw the 18# ball today without any pain, at least not yet.  I had a couple of pretty decent tosses, only about a foot short of my best ever.  I guess secretly I was hoping for a little better, but considering the last time I threw the heavy ball was over 2 months ago I guess I should be satisfied.  It usually takes a little practice to get re-coordinated, so maybe the next time I can tie the strength and the technique together.

My last few  interval running workouts have all been good as well.  I stretched my 400s up to 500s at the same speed and rest period.  I decided to get rid of my anaerobic endurance run…it was just  painful and took me to long to recover.  I replaced it with 12oo meter repeats (3).  I ran my first one at 10 mph, which was tough but didn’t kill me.  Tomorrow I am going to try to run a mile at that pace, which is a 6-minute mile.  I set that as my goal for November…if I can do it will be a new lifetime best.  Part of me is dreading the attempt, but I know I’ll feel great if I pull it off.

I’ve also started incorporating some cross training into my endurance workouts.  The additional running volume I’ve been doing this season seemed to be leaving me a little more beat up than I would like.  So on my easy days I’m doing some rowing or using the elliptical machines.  I can get my heart rate up where I need it without the impact associated with running, and my legs seem to be feeling better already.  I’ll just have to keep track and see if my running times continue to improve.

I have good days and bad with my hamstring injury, but it’s been that way for so long (over a year) that it hardly seems worth mentioning.  It doesn’t really prevent me from doing anything, it’s just a hassle dealing with the stiffness and soreness. 

On the nutrition front I’ve found a new protein source…almond butter.  I’ve never liked peanut butter, so I had my doubts, but decided to give it a chance.  To be honest my first taste (on a bagel with jam) put me off a little bit, but once I got used to the texture it wasn’t too bad.  I had it for the second time this morning and I didn’t mind it at all.

Doing the Work

Well it’s a week into November, and so far it’s been fairly productive.  Taking a few minutes to write down my short-term goals for the month was a good way to get refocused.

Of the four things I chose to work on, the one I figured would be the easiest, getting more protein and good fat in my diet, has proven to be the most challenging.  I’m having two eggs on mornings that I’m hungry instead of just one, and frying them in olive oil instead of cooking spray.  But other than that, an occasional Myoplex,  and snacking on a few more nuts in the evening, I haven’t made much progress.  I need to come up with a good late-morning snack.   I usually have breakfast around 6am, and often don’t get around to lunch until 2pm.   That needs to change.

Item #2,deadlifts, I did 3X this week.    First day I worked up to 145#, next time it was 195#, and today 245#.  So far the elbow has been able to take it, which was my biggest concern.  The lower back and hamstring tightened up considerably mid-week, but don’t know if that was from the DLs or the sprinting I did on the track.  I also decided to add Bulgarian split sqats to my leg routine.  Did those for the first time today and could really feel them in the hamstrings.

Had a so-so running week, making it through my interval workouts with marginal improvements.  The one where I stay anaerobic for as long as possible is a beast.  I take 3 minutes to warm up, then dial up the speed to get my pulse up to 150.  Then I gradually back off on the speed and maintain my heart rate in the 145-155 range for as long as I can.  I made it for a total of 20 minutes this week (including the warmup), which is a long time to be uncomfortable. 

Today I went for my weekly long run (long for a sprinter, that is).  It was a bright, beautiful day and close to 70 degrees, so I ran outside for the first time in a long, long time.  Last week I put in 40 minutes on the treadmill, and that was the first time in at least a year that I’ve run more than 30 minutes at once.  Today I extended that to 60 minutes,although I’m guessing my pace wasn’t quite as fast.   

I’ll have some mile intervals on my menu this coming week, so I should get an idea of how I’m doing on goal #3, running a mile in under six minutes.  Last time I did this workout I think I ran the fastest of my four 1-mile runs @ 9.5mph, so this time out I will probably try one at 9.7 or 9.8 and see how that goes.  To run the mile in 6 minutes you have to be going 10 mph, so I am getting close.

The final item on my list is to make a video about  “the seventh step”, a  jumping workout/goal that I’ve been working on.  Today I took a few pictures and shot a little bit of test video to see what the best way to film it is going to be.  Unfortunately I’ll be working in dark, cramped quarters, so it’s going to be difficult.  I have a wide-angle lens for my video camera, but I didn’t bring it with me today.  I will need to test it to see if it helps. 

I’ve attached one of the still images.  You’ll see that there are three pieces of tape on the wall.  The lowest, at 36″, represents the height of a standard kitchen counter.  The middle piece is set at 45″, the height of the 6th step in the stairwell.  I’ve been successfully jumping (2 step approach) and landing here for quite a while.  My ultimate goal is to make it to step number 7, which is 52″ off the floor.  Pictures don’t do it justice…find a set of stairs and  count up to step number 7.    It looks impossible…and for me maybe it is.  But I’m going to work on it and give it my best shot.  If I can do it I will be a legend…at least in my own mind!

Stairway to Heaven?