Circuit of hell

Gym this morning.  Sunday morning.  My one morning off in 15 days of hell.

Circuit – 4 rounds

Run 200m

SM Complex (inv. row, jump pus, w & n bar push ups) x 10

Row 200m

DB C & P x 5 @ 12.5

Burpees x 5

Didn’t do any form of accurate timing, but believe that took me about half an hour.  And I worked hard.  I ran between 10 & 11 (mostly at the lower end, but the last two runs took 1:14 & 1:12) and the row was all in 49sec or less.  I must say that during the circuit I was least looking forward to the row.  Perhaps cause of my legs, just fatigued, or cause I’d just finished the SM Complex.  Either way, I was knocked about. 

Perhaps the run was easiest – maybe cause it was at the start.  The DB C & P were good – felt strong and stable; it’s amazing how much they crunch your cardio.

Feel fairly knocked up from yesterday’s burpees.  My upper body feels tight, and slight fatigue in my legs.  My lower back is also making itself known, but nothing too serious.

Again, my physical reaction showed that I worked hard.  My eyes are extremely heavy & I feel as though I can’t stomach anything, even water.  I was just looking to be away to the loo to have  a puke…but didn’t end up needing it.  A hard workout always cleans me out.

Chocolate pudding

Two-a-day again today.  I was feeling ok.  I think my mistake might have been eating right after training.  Tiredness and fatigue has just slapped me in the face.  It’s all good though.  Not a lot of work to do tonight then I can fall into bed and dream about yet another 4am start.

3.30 again I headed down to the gym.  There was another guy in there but he kept to himself and I did the same.  I don’t mind that arrangement.  It was alright.  Waited for the second alarm to go off then got up without much trouble.  I had this sensation of being really really sound asleep.  I can’t remember whether it was from waking up, or from dreaming.  Whatever it was, it was a nice feeling.

5 x 5 – longer rest (approx 45sec)

DB Squat @ 12.5 / Inverted Row

DB BP @ 15 / NR LPD @ 6

DB PP @ 12.5 / Standing cable rows @ 50kg

 

27:00

147 cal, 43% fat

AHR: 121

MHR: 149

Zoens: M: 02:19, L: 19:48

 

I think the HRM was pretty accurate.  I definitely did the circuit slower than I normally do.  I guess there was a bigger emphasis on strength with this one, and less emphasis on getting the cardio benefit.  I felt pretty composed through the whole workout.  Never feeling as though I was rushing to get breath in before time to start again.

I get frustrated at non-commercial gyms, and the lack of planning and forward thinking behind them.  My program, or what I want to do, is so limited cause there’s no free olympic bar, no squat rack, no decent spin bike and not enough free weights.  There’s also no KBs and no MBs.  It just makes strength training that much harder – and less intense in a way, cause you can’t keep loading up every session.  Particularly when the DBs are in 5kg increments.  Anyway.

Then cardio this afternoon.  Just a low intensity sustained effort.  I watched Spy Game while on the bike for half an hour, then did a hill walk for 15 minutes.  Love that movie, and I really didn’t notice the time go.

30 mins bike – level 3 – 5

15 mins hill walk – 5.0% up to 9% incline then back down some

 

45:00

429 cal, 36% fat

AHR: 128

MHR: 155

Zones: M:24:57, L: 20:11

 

I think cardio wise I fared a lot better for the bike, and the walk.  I wasn’t pushing at much more than an RPE of 6 but I sustained it, and my heart well and truly kept up with my legs.

And the chocolate pudding.  I want some.  Last night it was all I could think about, even though desert choice was just chocolate cake & chocolate sauce.  I made the mistake of having some pudding last time I was here, and it was effing delicious.  I want some again.  In the mess tonight I was prowling like some spaced out zombie on the look out for something sweet.  I don’t want chocolate – that won’t hit the spot.  It’s all about the chocolate pudding for me.  I am just mentally fatigued at the moment.  Definitely not helping my state of mind about food, although my current attitude seems to be pretty spot on, and generally not wavering too much.  That might be a challenge when it comes to running tomorrow though.

So hungry…

Could be taken a couple of different ways I suppose.  Although the meaning of this title is literal.  I’m STARVING.  Perhaps not as starving as some Africans, but still, starving.

Running training again today.  I really did not feel like doing it today.  I don’t know if it was lack of motivation, cause I am feeling motivated, just fatigue perhaps.  I slept well enough last night, but still took a while getting to sleep.  I think I may have been too well intentioned – the lights went off at about 8.30, but I struggled to sleep then.

C25k – Week 3, session 2.

9.2kph, 1% incline

R 1:30

W 1:30

R 3:00

W 3:00

R 1:30

W 1:30

R 3:00 – 9.2/9,5

W 1:30

R 1:30 – 9.5

10 x hill climbs on bike.  100m @ 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 then 400m recovery.

 

41:52 (including walk home)

437 cal, 19% fat

AHR: 161

MHR: 197

Zones: H: 21:28, M: 14:30, L: 02:33

 

I think the HRM worked pretty consistently today, although I really can’t be sure as I can’t say I was checking it a lot.  I think it may have not worked for the first run.  The zones seem pretty accurate though.  I would say the H zone was mostly running (I do have a very high HR when I run) and the top end of the hills, and the M zone would, I assume have been from the walk intervals and bike recovery. 

Considering my condition before the workout, I was pretty pleased with how I went.  The running was still a bit tough, and to be expected.  I think though the shorter ones are getting easier, and I found on the longer ones that I was struggling at 9.2, but was more comfortable at 9.5.   Hmmm.

Running Program

After work today I ran, as planned.  I tried the C25k program today.  Started on week 3 cause I thought the first couple of weeks were too light.  I did it on the time intervals rather than the distance cause of the variation of distance with speed.  I will keep the speed and time intervals constant and only increase the speed when I can.

Week 3 workout:

90 sec run

90 sec walk

3 min run

3 min walk

x 2

 

 

Today’s workout

C25k, week 3.nn9.2kph, 1% incline.  (* changed final walk to 90 sec, 1 final run x 90 sec.)  Aprox 17 mins

14 mins Bike.  3 x tabata intervals.  2 @ 5, then 2 min @ 5, 2 @ 4.

 

 

35:48

310 cal, 17%

AHR: 164

MHR: 198

Zones: H: 16:42; M: 08:39; L: 00:57

 

The zone times tell the story with the HRM data from today’s session.  It didn’t fucking work for over 10 minutes of the session.  I would say, in that case I could count on another 100cal just from the times when it was not working.  Very unimpressed with it at the moment, the bastard!

If you want to rock…

Second training session today – cardio intervals, as planned.  I thought that I would be more tired this afternoon from my early morning session, but I’m really not all that bad.  I think that the biggest effect will be on my sleep.

Driving to work I normally feel a little tired and my eyes feel gritty, even though it is only 10k.  I was noticably more alert this morning, and I was more awake for my initial work too.

This afternoon, about 1400 I was starting to feel proper fatigued so I made a coffee and came back to camp.  I didn’t drink all of it – actually about 1/3 after my workout.

2 x tabata row (approx 11min)

2 x tabata cycle, 1 @ 4 then 1 @ 5 (approx 5k)

then 5 x 100m @ 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9, 400m recovery with 2 minute cool down. 

Total bike time: 20 mins

 

33:26

377 cal, 15% fat

AHR: 169

MHR: 186

Zones: H: 26:23, M: 04:01, L: 01:21

 

I was pleased with the cardio today.  I had to work hard for both the row and the bike bits.  The row probably didn’t produce as big a calorie result as I would have expected.   I think it was about 169 at the end of it.  I was averaging 10 – 11 strokes/interval at about 79m.  No doubt I will see improvement in this as I get fitter.

Bike as good.  Surprised myself with the second tabata – I just focused on keeping the rpm >100 and I managed it all.  Happy with that.  The hills were also good – really pushed to the point where I did 100 @ 10 in the last set.  Overall quite happy with the session.

Feeling much less like caving today.  2 days and counting.  I think I would be happy if I were at a point where I could take it or leave it.  But I’m not there, and I’m not sure I will be. 

If you want to rock.  You rock.  If you want to roll.  You roll.  Why is that in my head?

What happened to high intensity

I’m just back from my usual weights circuit and somewhat concerned/confused.

I got up and headed for the gym at half 3 this morning, did the usual circuit and worked pretty hard.  I think all rest periods were the same and the weight wasn’t significantly different.  The session felt easier than the ones that I was doing last swing.  My HRM also told me it was easier than the ones last swing.

5 x 5 Strength circuit

DB Squat @ 12.5 / Inverted Row – 30, 35, 40, 45, 45 rest

DB Bench @ 15 / NR LPD @ 6 – 30 sec rest

DB Push Press @ 12.5 / Standing Cable row (tri rope) @ 49.5 – 30 sec rest

1 x bike tabata.  First half @ 5, second at 4.

 

 

30:04 (session took about 25)

256 cal, 29% fat

AHR: 143

MHR: 171

Zones: H: 06:19, M: 10:31, L: 11:20

 

Whether it was the ‘morning-ness’ of the workout, or the not having any smokes this swing I don’t know.  I suspect it’s more about my cardiac function improving cause I’m not filling my lungs with tar.

The weights, particularly through push press, didn’t really feel as strenuous.  In saying that, I think my PP technique needs a little tightening up and I’m being wary with the squats cause of previous VL soreness. 

I don’t actually feel too bad for getting up at crazy-o’clock.

First run

Due to lack of sleep last night I ran this afternoon – keeping to the every other day theory.

Ran 4 x 500m and it was quite hard.

Speed wise it was a little all over the shop.  I started at about 8 and was struggling.  I upped it at regular intervals – say every 30 seconds or minute and was more comfortable running at 9 or 9.5.  I think that attitude wise I was not thinking that I couldn’t run for a time at the higher speed cause I was struggling with the lower speed.  I’m glad that I upped it a bit, even though I realise that I am still running quite slow.  Attitude wise, it proved to be a turning point for me.

I had to stop a couple of times during the last 500, but that’s ok, for the moment.

I’m kind of considering a C25k program, but I’m not real sure.

4 x 500m with 200m rest between

Two today

For the second time today, I hit the gym.

It would have been so easy to not keep that promise that I made to myself, just to soft out and not go.  Really, there was no question that I would go.  I was ready to go and there was not a moments hesitation in my mind about going to the gym this afternoon.

I did cardio.  Still tough, but still working on it.  And at least I did work on it.

Tabata Cardio

3 x row – lvl 7, 1 min & 2 mins rest between

2 x run – 10.0kph, 2%.  1 min rest between

2 x bike – 5, 1 min rest between

 

42:26 including walk back to room

454 cal, 14% fat

AHR: 170

MHR: 202

Zones: H: 30:00, M: 04:28, L: 00:38

 

I was just going to do one on the bike, but pushed through and did the 2nd, and I’m glad I did.  The run fucked me again.  Last swing when I was doing run intervals I’m sure I wasn’t this bad.  Apparently now I am.

The row was fairly tough getting towards the middle of each tabata set.  I was generally doing 11 strokes per 20 seconds and approx 75 – 80 m per interval.

I do wonder whether the anaesthetic had any effect on my cardio fitness.  And that’s not making excuses, cause I know that I am proper out of shape, but I wonder.  I wouldn’t have thought that I would have lost such a lot of condition, considering last swing, over two weeks.

Soreness and fatigue is probably contributing also, but something really needs to change here.  I feel as though my attitude is in the right place to make that change, and to follow through with it – to be consistent about it and make it a long term thing.

All talk, no action

Had a really good day, for a Saturday at work.  Was extremely productive along the lines of getting a lot of admin shit out the way.  Shit that would take an extremely long time if there were other people there trying to do shit at the same time.  Shit like printing a million certificates.

Came home from work in a little bit of a rush.  I actually wanted to go to the gym today.  I’ve some appointments this afternoon, so made the effort to go there as soon as I got home and got 30 minutes of good cardio in.

Bike

10 mins (2m @ 5, 1 @ 4 / 1.15 @ 5, 45s @ 6 / 1 @ 4, 1.30 @ 6, 30s @ 7 /1 @ 4, 1.15 @ 6, 45 @ 7)

15 mins hill intervals.  100m @ 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 400m recovery @ 3

1 min easy (3)

1 x 4 min tabata, lvl 4, (last half @5)

 

39:16 (incl walk home + 5 min chat to the girls)

442 cal, 16%

AHR: 165

MHR: 183

Zones: L: 29:41, M: 04:15, L: 04:47

 

Even though I felt knackered I also felt good.  Good for getting there and doing something when something needed to be done!

Fuzzy feeling inside

Wow.  I am so unfit.  The smokes definitely aren’t helping – really need to stop that.  I guess motivation to comes down to the police.  I’m just about good to go, but nowhere near fit enough.  It’s a choice really.

Today I was tired again, it would have been so easy just to stay in bed.  Forgot the laptop so made a speedy dash back from work to camp before heading back again.

Came back from work not feeling like training, but went down and did some cardio, just cause I know that I have to train.  Not only to make the police, but to be hot for my end of year trip.

2:1 run intervals @ 8, 1%

2 x tabata row – lvl 7, 1 min rest between

4 x tabata bike – lvl 4, 1 min rest between

 

51:24 (including walk back to room)

616 cal, 12% fat

AHR: 177

MHR: 197

Zones: H: 43:44, M: 02:19, L: 01:04

 

Man, I am so fucked.  The run was a struggle.  I know that I always say ‘how did I let it get this bad’, but this is serious.  I’m so screwed – running fucking 2 minutes was hard.  Jesus.  Feeling nowhere near as positive about cardio as I was last swing.

On the upside, I was starving after work, and rather than call into the shop (which I considered while driving past) I came back home and ate my salad.  I put a couple of eggs in it, and what a difference it made.  Might skip the ham from now and just go with eggs.  So at least I made a good choice food wise today.

I’ve a headache.  Lack of fitness I think.   As well as being plain old fatigued and tired.  I can’t wait for the weekend!

That’s all I have at the moment.