#marathontraining #chicago

When it get’s cold, it gets cold quickly!  I woke up about an hour later than normal this morning, which was probably good since I needed the sleep.  Quickly dressed and checked the weather, 49 degrees!  Sounds cold but I was kind of happy since I was expecting 38 degree weather today.

I was not to be disappointed…

I started running and it’s windy and humid and cold.  Cold and humid weather makes it feel colder, just like hot and humid weather makes it feel hotter.  By mile 3 my hands are cold and I wish I had worn my gloves.  I’ve broken out in a sweat and it’s not helping me keep any warmer but I’ve been through this before, I’ll survive.

I get to the forest preserve loop and the wind is blowing the trees so last nights rain is dumping on me and then the sun comes out.  Wonderful god given sun, i could feel the temps climbing almost right away.  I mutter ‘Thank you God for the sun!” and 3 minutes later I look up and see a massive black cloud front moving it.  God still has a sense of humor.

It get’s windy and dark and then it starts to rain on me.  It’s mile 9 so my first thought is at least I won’t have to stop for water.  I can’t really complain, 4 months of running and I think this is the only time its rained on me.  That storm quickly blew over and the sun comes back out but decides to bring a cold front with it.

I’m on mile 10 and it’s now colder out than when I started this morning, i’m wet, cramping a little bit but it’s only two miles I can do this.  12 miles done and now the runs get even shorter next week with the longest being an 8 mile run.

Chicago marathon, two weeks, i’m still kind of nursing my hip but no matter what I know I should be able to finish, I would like to finish with flying colors but we will see.

Side note: Machine Gun Kelly’s Invincible is a great song to end a run with!

#P90X #marathontraining

Plyo-X, i jumped around a bit, the legs are ok, hip flexors are a little tender but getting better.  It’s plyo, what more can you say.

Plyo is not the story of the day.  The story of the day is my 5 mile run!  

It’s 50 degrees outside at noon!  I knew it was cold because I didn’t break a sweat until mile 3 and little snakes were all on the black top trying to stay warm.  I’m experimenting now with different clothing combo’s so I know which shorts i’m going to wear on Oct 7th and all the good stuff.  Since it is a short run, I put on my Vibram Komodo’s and hit the path.

I’m trotting along and I stop for a minute to make an adjustment and start back up running and I hear my GPS say: “New fastest mile 10:25”

HUH?  I’m running faster?  

I keep running and I finally get a sweat going and I hear: “New Fastest mile 10:11”

WHAT?!

I had to slow down during mile 4 because I stepped on a rock and I finished mile 5 in 11 minutes but WOW!

So all this time I’ve been running and training for this damn marathon, I had to get hurt, barely be able to workout for a week, do a frozen pitch black 20 mile run so I can finally get faster?  Go figure.

Even better, I’m kind of nursing a cold and they were cutting grass so my allergies were not the best (I have a headache as i’m tying this) AND I didn’t bring my inhaler since I hadn’t needed but probably could have used it during this run!

If I can focus the next two weeks at just getting faster and fully healthy, this is going to be a kick ass first marathon!

This is the first time my pace has pretty much remained consistent, my heart rate stayed in the 144 average and I just kept going!  This run felt good and i’m sure it will feel even better when i’m 100% healthy again.

Even better news, I may be getting the opportunity to put my P90X certification to work as I’m in talks with the park district to do a boot camp for the next session.  That will be awesome!

This was a good workout day!  Now i need to do a paper for class tomorrow and read 2 chapters!  Have a great day!

Pre-run photo…during the day is the only time I can run in all black

#chicagomarathon  #training

This morning is my first long run since injuring myself last weekend.  Interesting how I don’t consider anything under 8 miles a long run, funny how that perspective changes when you become a marathon runner…

Anyway, I was moving along at a decent pace when 3 miles in, the pain hit.  My hip got sore and slightly difficult to move.  I thought about ending early but decided that the marathon will hurt after 20 miles so I should probably get used to a little pain now.  I changed my stride, focused and continued to push.

What I’ve learned…well I kinda of knew from other sports, there is a difference between injured and pain.  My hip hurts but i can tell it’s getting better.  This run didn’t do anymore damage to it and I could feel it getting better and working stronger.  I’m not injured, i’m hurt.

That being said, I cut 2 miles off my run because towards the end it was getting a little harder to keep pace.

I also discovered that Led Zeppelin is the shit to run to!!!  Seriously, perfect beat, rhythm and groove! (what is and what should never be, excellent running song!)

Second side note:  The Chuggington theme song after a run is awesome…makes you want to dance with your 2 year old…who is dancing.

All things considered, this was a good run, I need to focus on getting completely healed.  I know I can finish this marathon in a decent time, i’m not tired when running.  When i get healthy, this is going to be amazing!

#asylum #marathontraining #turbo-kick

Today is one of those days where a triple workout is not as bad as it sounds.  I got up semi-early and did my 3 miler while the day was still “cool”  The deer park forest preserve is always the best place for this as far as i’m concerned. It’s a 3 mile loop, what more can you ask?

I ran in shoes today instead of my vibrams and I think i’m slowly adjusting, although tomorrow i think i’m switching back to Vibrams for my 4 miles.  I learned how to “run from my core” today.  I know it sounds weird but I’m learning new things about my body every day and running from the core is kind of hard.  its slows me down and it hurts a bit on the left side (the side where I tore my oblique) but I think this is a skill i need to learn that will make it better in the long run.

My motoactv gps doesn’t like me much right now.  I wore it during the warrior dash and it got caked in mud and a little wet.  This was fine until Sunday morning when i rinsed it off and completely killed it :(.  Being a technology guy, I know that electronics CAN actually get wet, you just need to totally dry them before they will work again.  I stuck it in the air conditioner vent all day Sunday and it powered up nicely in Monday but it’s still kind of acting funny.  I think it will eventually make a recovery but for now I’m sad.

Asylum relief is perfect after a nice run!  30 minutes of stretching and relaxing the joints.  it’s almost not worth considering a workout….almost.  Creepy Shaun-T elmo comes out during this routine as he expresses and interest in coming to my house and pushing down on my back to..”make my body feel good.”  He says this phrase several times in the workout and it never gets less creepy…even in elmo voice.

He wants to make your body feel good.

Tonight is Turbo class.  Last week was an excellent class and i expect it to get even better today.  The routine for Round 50 is working now and my only problem is by the finale, i’m kind of tired for all the other workouts i’ve done during the day.  I don’t have extreme stamina yet…but i’m working on it.  That’s what this is really about, the journey to Shaun T’s body.  (that sounds kind of creepy as well).

Anyway, I’m enjoying a Chocolate, Banana, Coco-Nut milk Shakeology!  Don’t believe me?  Here have a look!

Yes, that is a raptor and yes, it wants my shakeology

all in the mixer

Yes that is a lion in the distance and it also wants my shakeology.

my house is a zoo sometimes…no lion, this is my Chocolate, CoCo-nut milk, banana shakeololgy!

Mmmm, You know you wanna try it!

www.shakeology.com/brucea

Have a great day!  Beach Body summit is in 2 days!

#marathontraining #asylum

Week 2 of Chicago marathon training kicks off with a slow but necessary 3 mile run.  Quite the contrast from Sunday’s 6 miles, it was only 60 degrees this morning.  Perfect for a run.  I mapped a new route that takes me to a massive hill loop, which i figure can’t hurt me.  I also ran in shoes instead of Vibrams today.  Its crazy annoying my left foot loves the vibrams, my right foot loves the shoes.  I think I may try one and one for tomorrow’s run (ok not really).

Breathing is not my issue with running this year, my legs and back are sore.  Which is a good thing!  To me, this means my body needs to catch up with my lungs for a change and i’m up for that challenge.  17 more weeks to go, i’m pretty sure if i stay the course I’ll do fine come Oct.

Asylum: Back to core.  I don’t think I’ve ever been more relieved to see a workout as I was today.  I was expecting a strength workout, which I didn’t feel like doing and was greeted with back to core on the schedule.  It’s not that it’s easier but it’s more isometric.  Bad side:  I already have a sore lower back from the run and this worked it even more.  Up side:  Back isn’t sore anymore si I probably worked out the kinks!

Two workouts down one more to go!  I’m teaching Turbo-Kick tonight at 7 so I should be recovered enough to do this. I’ll be drinking lots of water and eating energy foods until then.

Have an amazing day!  Warrior Dash in 4 days!

#asylum #marathontraining

Gameday!  This activity snuck up on me this morning because I was expecting a strength workout.  Oh well, adapt and overcome.  60 minutes of sports related activities from a one mile run (literally) to surfing and wrestling and mountain climbing.  This is my 3rd time in the Asylum program but it is my first time that the 8 minute run didn’t bother me a bit.  The soccer juggling also didn’t bother me much.  I’ve managed to get into pretty decent cardio respiratory condition, despite the asthma!  JOY!

So Saturday was suppose to be my 6 mile run but I put it off til Sunday because of a pool party on Saturday and I got home really late on Friday night.  Saturday was also suppose to be Vertical Plyo, I put that off til Sunday as well.  Sunday was suppose to be Relief day…it got skipped.

Sunday afternoon about 4:30 I did vertical plyo.  Still not my favorite activity, I rank it somewhere around eat a dick and P90X legs and back.  I finished this, took a 20 minute break and decided that I needed to do my run NOW or it wasn’t going to happen and who wants to miss their first Long run?  I never thought I would get to the point where Asylum was my WARM UP activity for running…we’ve come a long way since last year.

Sunday in the greater Chicagoland area, around 5:30, when I decided to go running six miles, it was 90 degrees outside.  I downed some water, put on the vibrams and hit the road.  This run was not as miserable as you would think.  There was a decent breeze blowing.  Last year, I had issues with breathing while running.  This year, my lungs are doing pretty well, but my body is tired and doesn’t want to move.  This is a nutrition issue (and I am probably working out a little harder than I should but i’ll be done with Asylum in 2 more weeks so i can gut it out).  

Around mile 3 my big toe on my right foot started hurting a bit, I think a blister was wanting to form but didn’t.  I wear toe socks in my vibrams now for just a bit extra padding.  My right foot still doesn’t seem to like it much but it will adjust.  Seriously, who wants to go back to running in shoes?  I tweaked my right ankle during Asylum so it wasn’t to happy with me but we made along fine.  Ultimately my gps crapped out 1.7 miles of my run and the heat started to get to me toward the end so I only did a 5 mile run but i’m not complaining.  It’s a start.

Tomorrow I have Asylum Strength, Turbo-Kick and a 3 mile run!  Beachbody summit is in 11 days and the warrior dash is on Saturday!  Warrior Dash seems to be my race that starts all the other races for the summer.  I was hoping i would run more after doing the Disney in Jan but the get lucky in March killed me.

Keep pushing play and get those swim  suits out, it’s going to be a hot one!

#running #marathontraining #motoactv

Chicago Marathon, here I come!  It all starts with that first step and for me that first step involved a 3 mile run.  This is my first time running since St. Patrick’s Day and being flu like for the better part of the month of March.  So how did it go?

SLOW!

I’m incredibly sore from Asylum yesterday and am glad this is a rest day from that.  My hips and back and calfs were stiff from the start but I powered through.  My heart rate stayed up and I burned about 575 calories so I was working the entire time.  I need to work on pace (as usual) and speed, which will come.  I also ran in shoes!  I’m not a fan as my lower back starts to hurt around 1.75 miles.  The problem is in vibrams, my right foot starts to hurt…mmm, i think i’m going to have to work something out.  I’ll wear the Vibs for tomorrow’s run and see if i notice a difference.

For the next 18 days I”m going to be running, doing asylum and teaching turbo-kick so i will be sore and tired but I think it will help build a solid base to get faster in the long run.  Here’s my graphic…

Time for some Shakeology and off to a client meeting!  Have an excellent day and tomorrow is Asylum Speed and Agility and another 3 mile run!

Recovery week comes to an end with my long 7 mile run.

The weather was almost perfect for a long run around the wonder neighborhood of Washington…ILLINOIS!

It really was a good day to run, minus the 15 mph head wind beating on me throughout most of the run.  Temp was about 50 outside and I figured out (last long run) that if i wear toe socks in my toe shoes that it adds a tad more padding and my feet don’t get as sore around mile 6.

The was also the make or break run for my MOTOACTV.  Clear day, no reason for GPS issues and if it didn’t come in around the same distance as my phone GPS, it is going back to the store and i’m getting a garmin.

so my phone has me running 7.14 miles in 1:38 and the motoactv has me at 7.01 in 1:35.  Taking into account that I started my phone first since I wear it on my bicept, I am happy with this comparison.  Last nights massive software upgrade of the moto was also nice as I can now track Yoga, Aerobics, Martial Arts, Weight Training and 35 other activities.  I think this device is a keeper, at least for me for the next year.  I like the website and how it tracks, I like that it has a calorie counter and a pedometer built in and it’s an uber tech gadget so if i hack the android os, i can pretty much make it a mini tablet on my wrist.  

But back to the actual run, I really don’t like doing hills or inclines (which means it’s probably the best thing for me to do).  Several points on this trail are some pretty decent hills to run up.  I had to do a loop lap around a school but overall I planned out the course nicely.  

Next weekend is the Get Lucky 1/2 Marathon, 13.1 miles and I think I’ll be ready for it.  I would like to finish this one in 2:20 which will take a little work but I think I can do it.  Let’s just keep our fingers crossed and hopefully I will…get…lucky….hahaha (see what I did there with the…nevermind)

Tomorrow is a totally off day and I will enjoy it.  Phase 3 of P90X2 starts on Monday.  

That’s all for now.

#marathon training

Today’s long run has been brought to you by the letter S as in welcome to the SUCK!  It’s cold and windy and snowing but I could handle that, what changed this run was the HILLS.

ok rewind ««««<

Kat and I ran in Tinley Park for our 10 mile run today because it was going to be cold and windy and we didn’t want to push Aaron in his stroller in those conditions (even though we have a weather shield and he dresses warm, why do it if you don’t have to?)  We dropped him off at my friend Jenny’s house, I’ve known her since High School and she runs a day care during the week so it’s a perfect fit. (side note:  IF you live in the Tinley Park area and need a daycare, let me know and I’ll get you her info).

The Yankee Trail is not far from Jenny’s house and it’s a 3.1 mile look so we figured we’d run that about 3 times and call it a long run.  I had my phone GPS going and my new Motoactv GPS going because one i trust completely and the other is still being trained.

This “course” is Hilly and not “Oh look at the hill”  more like “Oh shit, another mountain to run up!”  It’s the kind of Hilly where people go there just to do hill work for training.  I did not remember this (I went to high school in Tinley Park).

This was a tough run and ranther than do a loop 3 times, we followed the course out toward Oak Forest because: “We are wearing GPS’s, when we hit 5 miles we can just turn around and come back!”

Did I mention it’s overcast and snowing and the GPS we are “trusting” is new and hasn’t really been broken in yet?  Somewhere around mile 4.55 our legs are a little more tired that 4.5 miles so I take a look at my phone GPS (with the track my run app going, it hasn’t been wrong yet).  Watch GPS - 4.5 miles, Phone GPS - 6.05 miles…mmm, that explains it!

We turn around and head back.  This is Kat’s longest run today so her legs are jelly right as I catch my stride…sad making but since i’m helping her train for a 1/2 marathon I stop running to jog with her.  When I’m on the other side of this training and working on the full Marathon miles, I can run my race (this should be in about 4 weeks).

We get back to Jenny’s house and i’m sweaty and stinky but it was a solid run in the numbing wind and killer hill laden country of Tinley Park.  I”m glad I got this run out of my system around mile 7 before I slowed down, I could feel the old runner in me coming out and the gears were moving.  I just need to figure out how to make this happen around mile 1.5 instead of mile 7.  I can finish my runs faster and have more time for SSX.  (that’s the videogame, not sex misspelled…although i’d probably have more time for that as well….mmm)

Anyways, when it was all said and done the phone said we did 11.45 miles, the Watch says it was 9.9…i’m sticking with the phone.

3 mile run on tuesday will be a speed run.  I’m going to force myself to go faster for longer, I want to do 10 minute miles and the only way i’m going to make that happen is if I push myself to make that happen.

Keep logging those miles and if you’re running the Chicago “Get Luck” 1/2 marathon in March, let me know, i’d love to meet up with other people.

#P90X2  #marathontraining

Another day another workout in the books.  Working from home today, I did my recovery and mobility rumble roller workout while I was doing DFS file server re-designs, Exchange 2010 server DAG group configurations and explaining how San’s work.  (see in my real life i’m kinda the smartest guy in the room).

The rumble roller was just what the doctor ordered after last nights’ freezing run.  Since i’m home, I decided to do my run this afternoon while the sun’s out and it’s ‘warmer’ out.  By warmer I mean last night was 28, this afternoon is a whopping 35 but if you count the windchill it feels about 29.  It’s the kind of cold where its not as it seems but if you have asthmatic lungs like myself, you feel the cold.

I learned a few things about myself on this run.  I can no longer really run in shoes.  I have a nice pair of Saucony Progrid Guide 5’s that weight about 10 oz.  I decided to wear them today to give my feet a slight break from the barefoot running since I have to teach a Turbo-kick class tomorrow (side story coming).

Compared to my Vibrams, these shoes felt like they weighed a ton after the first mile.  My loves Vibs weight about 4 oz.  Yeah i know, does 6 oz really make that much of a difference?  HELL YEAH.  I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t feel it myself for the 2nd time. (Polar Dash was the first time I wore shoes and felt the difference but figured i was just tired).

I also no longer really like running with music.  I did it last night to help fight the cold and i did it again today and I just don’t like it much anymore.  I like hearing my breathing and footsteps (which you don’t really hear in vibrams).  I can do music from time to time to in general I am now a changed runner.  

I thought this was going to be the slowest run to date as I had to stop and walk several time just because I felt so heavy and had a hard time breathing.  Turns out I did it in the same amount of time

3.1 miles in 40 minutes.  Not the best but no worse than my others.

Tomorrow should be interesting, I have P90X2 Shoulders, Arms and X2 Ab ripper.  I’m teaching a Turbo-kick class at lunch  tomorrow and then I have a 3 mile run tomorrow night.   I would never have been able to do any of this if I hadn’t spent the time and dedication to my workouts all last year.  Sometimes progress is slow and often painful when you have days like mine will be tomorrow you KNOW you are doing well.

Keep Pushing play, Feb is here, swim suit season is in 80+ days you have plenty of time to reach your fitness summer goals but you have to stick with it.  If you need help join my team.  it’s free and ‘m going to start a weekly news letter for all my members soon.  This is going to be an amazing year!

www.beachbodycoach.com/brucea