Exercise Plan for the Week

Monday, April 09, 2012

Monday is my day off so my week starts tomorrow and here's the plan:

Monday: Off
Tuesday: 4 mile jog/walk
Wednesday: Recovery ride on the bike
Thursday: 3 mile jog/walk
Friday: Day Off
Saturday: 10 mile jog/walk
Sunday: Recovery ride

Now that the jogging/walking miles are piling up, I'm finding that I have to take it easier on the bike right now because I'm not in good enough shape to do both sports well. So for a few weeks, I'll be riding but taking it easy and then after the half marathon I'll recover and then hit it hard on the bike.

Anyhoo, that's the plan for this week--what's your plan? I'd love to hear it!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

BECKYANNE1 4/9/2012 8:38PM

Way to go on the plan! I need to allow myself a day or 2 off a week also. I just feel guilty especially if it's a nice day. Report Inappropriate Comment

VISUALLYRICS 4/9/2012 5:25PM

Sounds like a plan! I'm glad you shared this as I tend to overdo my own fitness routines...it's nice to see someone who takes a few days off each week. I need to do this. ...I'm recovering from cold/congestion, so my week is a touch & go week. 4/9 - 60 minutes light aerobics & light upper body ST 4/11 - 3 mile 5K SP training routine with an afternoon/power walk 4/12 - 60 min. full body ST day " it's actually my Interval Training day ...we shall see if I'm up to it or not..... 4/13 - 3 mile 5K SP training routine with an afternoon/power walk 4/14 - 60 min full body ST day " it's actually my Interval Training day ...we shall see if I'm up to it or not..... 4/15 - last 3 mile 5K SP training routine with an afternoon/power walk 4/16 - plan to play tennis with family for an hour or so.... Report Inappropriate Comment

9.2 Mile Jog/Walk Today

Sunday, April 08, 2012

Well, the miles are starting to pile up now! Five weeks ago the longest I had ever jogged was a 5k and now, even though I'm doing intervals of 1.5 min walking and 3.5 minutes jogging, I've completed efforts of 5 miles (twice), 7 miles, 8 miles and now 9 miles--ah, 9.2 to be exact! Still a turtle, averaged 12:06 miles, but I'm good with that. After I finish the half marathon I plan to focus on the 5k distance again and work on speed. Once I break the 30 min mark, I'll begin working on the 10k distance until I can break the 60 min mark. After that I'll try again for another half at a much better pace, but given that I have to squeeze cycling season into all of this that will take me the rest of the year. There's another half I'd like to do in October, and perhaps that's the right date to shoot for.

Anyway, great jog/walk today, and even greater time this morning celebrating the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ--hallelujah, what a Savior!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LONGWINDINRD 4/9/2012 12:23AM

Great job on the walk. My husband has been putting in the miles walking and I'm seeing a big difference. It's always amazing to me, how the simple act of adding miles of walking can make such a big difference in a person appearance. My husband, for instance, hasn't even been eating less. It's so inspirational I may join you walkers! Report Inappropriate Comment

17.1 Mile ITT Yesterday Went Well

Saturday, April 07, 2012

I got a late start on training this year so I'm definitely behind where I was at this time last year, but that's okay as I think I'm actually better situated to peak at the right time, namely, during The Ride Across Minnesota, a 5-day, 300-mile journey.

Yesterday I got a pretty good feel for where I'm at as I took a 17.3 mile Individual Time Trial ride on a rolling course with around 20 climbs of various percentages and lengths. The first 8 miles was straight into a 15+ mph wind so my average was pretty low, around 15.2, but then I turned around and enjoyed a cross-tail wind and then a tail wind for the remaining miles and came in at an average speed of 17.1 which on this particular course is good at this time of year.

I can see that I need to develop my climbing legs a bit more but that's okay, I've got plenty of time. I think that within 4-6 weeks I'll be able to produce an average speed of 18.0 or thereabouts on this same route. We'll see, but one way or the other I had a great time and I'm pleased with my current fitness level.

Now, I set my mind on the 9.2 mile jog/walk I'm taking tomorrow. As "The Blazing Turtle" I'm shooting for a time of 1:50 or better and feel confident that I can achieve that.

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter, God bless!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

BILL60 4/8/2012 7:14AM

You're doing super. Enjoy your jog/walk and have a super Easter with your gang. Report Inappropriate Comment

Call me "The Blazing Turtle"!

Friday, April 06, 2012

I'm new to this jogging business. I only took it up last winter (2010-11) as a way of keeping in shape for cycling season, but I actually ended up enjoying it for the first time in my life. Then cycling season hit, I was riding well--averaging 18.5-19.0 on a normal day and even higher at times--and I felt I had to let jogging go just because of time constraints.

When cycling season ended, I got very busy at work and didn't exercise regularly for 2-3 months but I had committed to doing a half-marathon in May and so around February figured I better get my butt going! It's only been four weeks since I took up this activity again, and I have deliberately started out slow. I kept telling myself, "If you'll be patient and go slow now, you'll be able to jog and even run much faster later. If you become impatient and push too hard too soon, you'll jog/run slower in the long run."

So at that time 13:00 min miles were okay with me. Then they became 12:30 miles. Then yesterday I took a 4.0 mile jog/walk (3.5/1.5 min intervals) and planned to do 12:30 miles for a total time of around 50:00 min, but without pushing hard I jogged well and at a somewhat faster pace than normal--just because I'm getting in better shape--and ended up producing the following times: 12:11/11:21/11:28/11:39, for a total of 46:41.

Those of you who are runners could put in a faster time than this hopping on one leg, I know, but for me--a genuine turtle--this is blazing fast. So you can call me "The Blazing Turtle," in fact, I'm tempted to get a shirt that says that for the big day on May 12!

More important than these details is the fact that I really enjoyed myself and the day and took joy in watching my body progress as I've patiently completed workout after workout for the last four or five weeks. Praise be to God!

Hope you have a great day, and onward fellow turtles!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

BILL60 4/7/2012 8:34AM

Way to go!! You're doing just great. Glad to see that you're exercising some patience. So important. Good luck, my friend. Report Inappropriate Comment

LLROBINETT 4/6/2012 5:31PM

That is great! So exciting to see that improvement! I'm w/ you - I keep telling myself to be patient, that it's OK. Glad to hear it's working for you! A Fellow Blazing Turtle (now thinking of making a shirt like that for myself!) Report Inappropriate Comment

4.0 Mile Jog/Walk Today, 17.3 Mile ITT Tomorrow

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Less than six weeks to go now until the half marathon on May 12. Today I take a 4 mile jog/walk in preparation for my 9.2 mile jog/walk on Saturday or Sunday--preferably the latter but we'll see how it goes!

Then tomorrow it's time for a test. I take three specific bike rides early in the year to see where I'm at in relation to previous years. Each of them are Individual Time Trials (ITTs), if you will. The first one takes place as soon as I'm able to get on the roads in Minnesota. It's about 14 miles with eight climbs totaling about five miles of climbing and so it's a good, brief, early season test.

Then a little later, after I've developed some leg strength and put some road miles in, I take a 17.3 mile ride that includes about 20 climbs, some of which are fairly steep and a little longer than the first ride I mentioned. I live in Minnesota, so there are no long climbs where I live but I'm talking about climbs of .5 to 1.5 miles or so. It's a very good test of aerobic and muscular fitness, and it's a beautiful route to boot! So I'm scheduled to take this one tomorrow and I can't wait! Last year at this time I came in at 17.0 mph average so I'm hoping to meet or beat that. As my strength and conditioning developed last year, I was able to get the average speed as high as 18.3 which I'm sure I'll blow out of the water this year!

Finally, a little later in April I like to take a 36 mile ride that has lots of rolling hills because, again, it's a good test of aerobic and muscular fitness, and again, it's a beautiful route. But I'll set my mind on that later. For now, I'm off to eat, read the Bible and be with the Lord, and then jog to the glory of God!

Hope you all have a great day!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

VISUALLYRICS 4/5/2012 5:46PM

Enjoy your & ...fitness is a gift as I have found. I am so grateful for the ability to run myself. My very first race is this month...and I am excited...it is a 5K trail. I am training with Spark People on a team. God Bless your journey, Laura Report Inappropriate Comment