2012 Goals and Plans

My goals for 2012 are:

1. Stay healthy
2. Train consistently
3. Finish MCM, secondary goal of marathon PR (<6:45)
4. HM PR (<2:28)
5. 10K PR (<55 minutes)
6. Pass the USAF Fitness Test

The last is related to the Marine Corps Marathon in that I need to pass it to stay active as a drilling Reservist. I'll be using that status to get a discount on the race and lodging.

I've never done a proper base training cycle before, so 2012 will be a Base year. The basic plan is to stay with base training for most of the year adjusted to allow a mileage peak and taper before the USAF Marathon in September and follow Hal Higdon's multiple marathon plan to lead into the MCM at the end of October (and again to lead into the Route 66 in Tulsa in November! )

Initially, I plan to start with a Lydiard style base running as many days of the week as my schedule will allow. I will start with 30 minutes each day and build up to the following:

	Monday	1 hour
	Tuesday	1.5 hours
	Wednesday	1 hour
	Thursday	1.5-2 hours
	Friday	1 hour
	Saturday	>2 hours
	Sunday	1-1.5 hours

The pace for all of these will be aerobic (practically, the pace the allows for even splits for the entire distance).

I am prepared to adjust based on how the runs feel and how my recovery works.


Races currently planned:

	Canyonlands Half Marathon	March 17	Moab, UT
	Bolder Boulder 10K	May 28	Boulder, CO
	USAF Marathon	September 15	Dayton, OH
	Marine Corps Marathon	October 28	Arlington, VA
	Route 66 Marathon	November 18	Tulsa, OK

Related to the USAF Fitness Test, I need to be able to complete 21 push-ups and 34 sit-ups in separate sessions of one minute each. I've consistently been able to meet the requirement on the push-ups, but the sit-ups requirement is the thing that is keeping me from passing the assessment.

My plan here is to do 5 sets of 20 (or as many as I can do) of push-ups and then of sit-ups every other day. This may be stretched to every third day if I do not recover well enough. The number will be adjusted based on how well I do each month on my drill weekend.

Finally, I've allowed myself to gain back most of the weight I lost the last time I was successful in losing weight. I will be starting at 180 pounds and will be looking to lose about 1 pound a week for most of the year. I expect I will find a good level after about 30 pounds, but we will see once we get there.

I think I can do most of this by making mostly minor changes. I will stay stable after the end of July until after the Route 66 Marathon. I hope to not gain too much during the 2012 Holiday season and plan to knock any remaining extra pounds off in early 2013.


This makes for an ambitious plan, but if you don't aim high, you will never get off the ground.

USAF Week 12 - Tuesday

Duration = 52:12
Distance = 4.00 (treadmill display)
Calories = 499
Max HR = 171
Avg HR = 153
Running Index = 41
Max Cadence = 103
Avg Cadence = 86

Tuesday: short session
Equipment: Asics Gel-Nimbus 11s, shorts, tech shirt

Warm-up: .25 miles @ 3.0 mph
Main: 3.5 miles @ 5.0 mph
Cool-down: .25 miles @ 3.0 mph

This turned out to be a lot more intense than I intended. I'm basically off low HR training for the immediate future. I will start back into low HR training after I recover from the Mardi Gras Marathon in February. Until then, I will be doing intense strength training in preparation for my USAF fitness assessment. As this interferes with the adaptation low HR training provides, I've decided to up the intensity across the board. Also, after I recover from the USAF Marathon in September, I will also being adding some intense speedwork to improve my 1.5 mile times.

Data:

Lap   Time    Lap Time  Max Avg Min
1.  0:14:02.6 0:14:02.6 159 129  86
2.  0:26:06.7 0:12:04.1 168 162 155
3.  0:38:08.2 0:12:01.5 169 166 160
4.  0:52:11.6 0:14:03.4 171 160 133

USAF Week 9 - Tuesday

Duration = 38:27
Distance = 3.14
Calories = 332
Max HR = 186
Avg HR = 145
Running Index = 45
Max Cadence = 98
Avg Cadence = 84

Tuesday: short treadmill session
Equipment: Asics Gel-Nimbus 11s, shorts, tech shirt

Warm-up: .25 miles @ 3.0 mph
Main: 2.5 miles @ 5.0 mph (planned; actual included .5 of 7.0 mph)
Cool-down: .25 miles @ 3.0 mph

This was a short, quick session. I wanted to push the pace a bit, so the plan was to run the stress phase at 5.0 mph (12:00 pace). This was going well and I have an eye on my Fit-to-Fight assessment, so I ran the first half of mile 3 at 7 mph (8:34 pace). I am very happy with the result. I had no issues with the mechanics of running at that pace. That was a bit over 4 minutes continuous at the pace (and 1/3 the distance of the assessment). Heart rate and respiration were still climbing when I slowed back to 5.0, but I was still able to get enough air to sustain the effort when I got to the planned end of that burst. I will continue to add speed to my Tuesday session.

The reported pace is likely a bit fast as I haven't calibrated the foot pod to the new shoes and, while the treadmill may have been a bit fast at times, I don't think the peak paces were really as fast as shown.

Data:

Lap    Time    Lap Time  Max Avg Min Dist  min/mile  
A 1. 0:13:34.1 0:13:34.1 151 126  82 0.998  13:36  
A 2. 0:25:02.9 0:11:28.8 158 153 147 1.003  11:26  
A 3. 0:35:53.0 0:10:50.1 186 164 127 1.002  10:48  
1.   0:38:26.6 0:38:26.6 186 145  82 3.142  12:13

Strength Program Redux

Push-Ups Initial Test: 15
Sit-Ups Initial Test: 14

I will be following the 100 Push-Ups and 200 Sit-Ups programs. I will be doing these three days a week. Most weeks this will be Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I will likely move Saturday to Sunday if I do my long run on Saturday. Exhaustion tests will be inserted into the three-day-a-week pattern. I will start on Thursday with Week 1 Day 1 of each program.

Today was the Initial Test. I did fewer push-ups than when I started early last year. I did more sit-ups than when I started early last year. Both tests were with good form and not pushing real hard.

I need to be able to complete 34 sit-ups crunches in one minute to pass the assessment. I need to be able to complete 21 push-ups in one minute to meet the minimum requirement on that test. My goal here is to achieve maximum for push-ups with 44. (50 is maximum for sit-ups which I would love to meet but don't seriously expect this year.)

USAF Week 5 - Wednesday

Duration = 1:15:54
Distance = 5.04
Calories = 517
Max HR = 151
Avg HR = 130
Running Index = 49
Max Cadence = 93
Avg Cadence = 84

Wednesday: sorta-long treadmill session (3/1)
Equipment: Asics Gel-Cumulus 9s, shorts, tech shirt

Warm-up: .25 miles @ 3.0 mph
Main: 3.5 miles with HR in 130-140 (4.0 to 4.2 mph), then 5.0 mph for 1 mile
Cool-down: .25 miles with at 4.0, 3.0, 2.5 and 2.0 mph sections

A good session. Other than having to stop part way through to relieve pressure, this run was completed with no issues. I spent most of it talking with my father on the phone and that made the time really fly by. Again, I had to increase my speed to 4.2 to get my heart rate to enter my target zone. "Oh darn, I have to run faster" :^> I finished the main part of this session with a mile at 5.0 which resulted in a peak heart rate of 151. I quite happy with this result.

I will not be staying with strict low-HR training as I need to develop more speed to score well in the USAF Fit-to-Fight assessment. I'm not really worried about my run (1.5 miles) as I plan to finish in better than 12 minutes. My main concern is the sit-ups. I will need to be able to do 34 in one minute. My current best here is 25. The remaining items are the push-ups (I hope to max with 44 and have done 40) and the waist measurement (I have to beat 39 inches, likely, and hope to get down to under 35). I have until November, but I have an opportunity in August if everything is going well. My only real fear is the new civilian assessors (we used to do this with unit members) who will have a vested interest in failing us to prove that they were needed.

Data:

Lap    Time    Lap Time  Max Avg Min Dist  min/mile  
A 1. 0:15:58.7 0:15:58.7 129 115  87 1.001  15:58  
A 2. 0:30:08.8 0:14:10.1 137 131 115 1.005  14:05  
A 3. 0:44:16.9 0:14:08.1 138 134 124 1.004  14:04  
A 4. 1:01:15.8 0:16:58.9 146 130 107 0.995  14:07  
A 5. 1:14:45.3 0:13:29.5 151 143 119 1.008  13:17  
1.   1:15:54.0 1:15:54.0 151 130  87 5.033  14:23

USAF Fitness Test - Nov 2009

Duration = 16:42
Distance = 1.85
Calories = 190
Max HR = 192
Avg HR = 171
Running Index = 46
Max Cadence = 97
Avg Cadence = 108

I didn't have to complete this assessment this month, but I did anyway. We ran on a 1/4 mile track. I ran the first lap with another unit member running just ahead and to the outside. For the second lap, I picked up the pace to demonstrate what his target would look like. I ran the remaining mile at a progressively faster pace. Final time was 13:06 (8:44/mile) which beats last years time by 30 seconds. I then ran with the other member for his last lap.

My waist is still 37 inches and I only did 30 push-ups and 20 sit-ups which, with the run, yielded 75.15 points. This is just good enough to pass this year. The rules change next year. This performance next year would yield 75.3 points which meets the 75-point requirement, but you also have to meet a minimum on each component. I would fail as I need 34 sit-ups to pass that component of the test. My best performance on the sit-ups is 24, so I have a ways to go to bridge the gap. The good news is that I have at least 6 months before I have to meet the new standard.

[Posted 3 Dec 2009]

We Have a Baseline

Duration = 36:07
Distance = 2.70
Calories = 286
Max HR = 153
Avg HR = 139
Running Index = 47
Max Cadence = 101
Avg Cadence = 90

You gotta like it when you have to increase pace to keep from falling under your target HR range. Tonight, I planned a shorter session leading into my assessment this weekend. Heart rate took a bit longer to ramp up tonight than the rest of the week. I was still in the target range when I got to 4.9 mph. After 2 minutes there, I was under the target again, so I increased to 5.0. I stayed in the range for the rest of the session. Also, the cool-down had me down to a HR of 116. Granted this was a shorter session, everything is pointing to improved fitness.

Based on these numbers, I will try for a 1.5-mile time of 12:00. This would knock over a minute off the average pace. I hope I have enough strength endurance in my arms and core for a decent showing on those parts of the assessment. I am a bit disappointed in myself as I had hoped to be shooting for an across-the-board maximum performance by now, but I haven't trained for it and that is not even on the radar at this time.

End of Week 2 Progress Tests

I was much improved on sit-ups with 21. While just good enough to advance to Week 3, I was able to do all on them in one minute with no pauses. This improves my confidence of adequate performance on the crunches in the USAF Fitness Assessment. I will be following the low column for Weeks 3 & 4.

There was slight improvement on push-ups with 23. This is good enough to advance to Week 3. I will be following the middle column for Weeks 3 & 4.

This morning was also a milestone in my weight loss plan. At 165, I have now lost 15 pounds from my start. This is as low as I've been since May 2003.

Strength Report Format

The current strength training plans I'm following are the One Hundred Push-Ups and the Two Hundred Sit-Ups programs. Both programs are progressive over a nominal six weeks. They both consist of 5 sets each of 3 days each week. I report the Week and Day (W1D1 is Week 1 Day 1) of the plan attempted and the number of exercises accomplished in each set. The last set is always a maximum effort with a defined minimum. I use red if I fail to meet that minimum, black if I match it and green if I exceed it.

If you can stay with the progression at the highest level, you will achieve each programs goal in six weeks. The program actually has three different levels based on the most recent exhaustion test (do as many consecutive exercises as possible without stopping) that are followed for each week of the program. I am currently following the lowest of the sequences for sit-ups and the middle sequence for push-ups.

I don't expect to complete either program in six weeks, but it does give me a framework for improvement. I need to be able to do 47 sit-ups and 40 push-ups with a one minute time limit each to get maximum points on these parts of the USAF Fitness Test, one of my long-term fitness goals.

Fitness Goals for 2009

These expand and complement the goals enumerated in my 15 December Goals Update.

• Run a 5K (Done 1 February 2009, Super 5K, Novi, MI, 40:40.56)
• Run a 10K (Done 11 April 2009, Tax Trot Long Form (10K), Flushing, MI, 1:05:05)
• Max the USAF Fit-to-Fight Assessment for the Run, Push-ups (repeat), and Crunches.
• Achieve my target Body Composition of around 20% Body Fat.
• Maintain stable weight once above target achieved.

Plan for accomplishment:

• Continue with Base Building plan while losing weight.
• Do regular strength exercises to improve push-ups and crunches
• Do additional strength exerices/cross training to balance muscle groups
• Pay attention to my diet
• Once weight goal is met, target a race and follow a specific plan to maximize performance in that race.

[Edited 2009-02-01 to note 5K completion]
[Edited 2009-04-11 to note 10K completion]

Fit-to-Fight, December 2008

Duration = 13:36
Distance = 1.5
Calories = 169
Max HR = 190
Avg HR = 177
Running Index = 38
Max Cadence = 100
Avg Cadence = 91

This month, the assessment was Saturday afternoon. The conditions were good. We were indoors and the run was on a short track.

This month, I had the same waist measurement as last month, 35 inches (22.5 points). I did 24 crunches (7.1 points) and 40 push-ups (10 points, maximum available). Going into the run, I needed 35.4 points or 14:24 for the 1.5 miles to pass. This track is real short (9 laps to the mile), but the surface is great. I was shooting for a 9:00/mile, or 1:00/lap of this track. This would give me a nice cushion against the 14:24 I needed. I had a good start and ran a very consistent pace. Part way through the run, I noted I was ahead of my target (my laps were less than 1:00). I let up just a touch (later review showed my heart rate dropping from 180 to 176) as I didn't want to burn out short of the 1.5 and I was currently running faster than I have ever run for that distance. Once I got closer to the finish and still felt good, I started to pick up the pace a touch and ran the last lap in a nice kick. (The only problem I had was the corners were sharp enough that I had to lean well inside to make them at speed.) Final time was 13:36 (37.5 points). I passed the assessment with 77.1 points.

Next Steps

My waist measurement and the crunches are the weakest parts of my assessment. I've lost 5 pounds already and plan to continue the pound/week rate for the next few months. Now that I have met the standard, I can back off a bit on the intensity and replace that with strength training (including crunches). I intend to increase my score. I expect that the waist will eventually respond to the weight loss. I intend to continue training on running. I just plan to increase the intensity at a slower rate (closer to once every four weeks). I also plan to start a longer range running program starting with building a proper base. I'm looking at entering my first 5K race. The plan I've been following is modeled on training for that race, so I should be ready for that distance though not necessarily at the speed I used here.

[posted 2130, 14 December 2008]
[Edited 1300, 15 December 2008 to fix font]

Last Easy Session before assessment

Duration = 30:00
Distance = 1.80
Calories = 169
Max HR = 137
Avg HR = 116
Running Index = 44
Max Cadence = 83
Avg Cadence = 70

This was an easy session. I made a bit shorter than normal. I'm almost to the point where the easy sessions have me running more than walking.

This weekend (I expect Saturday), I have my next assessment for Fit-to-Fight. As it stands, I expect it to be quite close as to my passing. I know I've taken at least 1:30 off the last time. I hope that I have most of the next 1:30 that I need if nothing else changes. I know I've done everything I could do to advance my performance on the run.

I also hope that I have made other advances; but, as I've focused on the run, I don't expect much else. I am losing a pound a week, so I will have lost 5 pounds since the last assessment. I hope I get some credit there in lost inches, but that will depend on the measurement. I hope I don't run into any problems with the push-ups or the crunches. I've done a little with them, but there is more that could be done.

On Sunday, I will know whether I passed and what areas need the more work regardless. I will add the push-ups and the crunches as a regular part of strength training in the new plan.

An "easy" pace targeted session

Duration = 30:07
Distance = 1.88
Calories = 206
Max HR = 151
Avg HR = 128
Running Index = 38
Max Cadence = 86
Avg Cadence = 75

This was an "easy" session using a performance-predicted pace. I have a chart using my current time for the 1.5 miles (linearly prorated to 2km as the calculator didn't have 1.5 mile as a distance option) to determine the correct pace for different types of training. I set the treadmill for this pace and ran that for the stress phase of today's session. When I downloaded the information from the HRM to my computer, I determined that my heart rate actually settled in the expected range for Endurance-targeted training.

While the blister is still there (checked before the run), it didn't seem to get worse during this session. It looks like the toe nail might, indeed, have been the culprit.

In Fit-to-Fight news, I have acquired a sit-up bar (goes under a door) to help with training for the strength portion of the assessment.

I learned something new

Duration = 30:01
Distance = 2.21
Calories = 261
Max HR = 184
Avg HR = 145
Running Index = 38
Max Cadence = 100
Avg Cadence = 79

Several things actually.

I got a new book, Daniels' Running Formula (2nd Ed.) by Jack Daniels. He covers a lot of ground I've already seen, but one new thing stuck this time through: cadence. My wife had recently said that I needed to make sure I wasn't spending too much energy bounding up and down. This primed me for the comment with respect to cadence that higher cadence was more efficient as you spent less time in the air which also reduces the impact of the heel strike. I tried this in today's session. I need to work on it, but it did seem to help. This may have given me a key to my next improvement in speed. Now all I need to do is get my stamina to match.

I need to make my warm-up longer. I will now work with a gradual increase over 10 minutes to get ready for these sessions. I initially backed off the pace I had set as it just didn't feel right. A bit later (just over 10:00), I noted a stable heart rate and my legs felt better, so I started increasing the speed. I had initially planned on 5.0, but actually found that 6.0 felt better with the faster cadence. I didn't have the stamina for this level yet, so I backed off to 5.5. This felt better, so I bumped the speed a bit, and then went back to 6.0 for another 2 minutes. I finished the last 30 seconds at 8.0. A 10 minute cool-down and stretches and I was done.

A bit later, I noted a small blister on the toe next to the big toe on my left foot. I have tended to run in the socks I wear to work. I will find and wear the exercise socks I have. I will also trim the nail on the big toe which could be the culprit.

Finally, the Running Index of 38 is my best to date for a pure running session. The continues the positive trend of the three weeks I've used to heart rate monitor for these sessions. Somewhere around 45 would correspond with a strong running score on the USAF Fit-to-Fight assessment.

This was a good session: I feel great as I type this.

Last Pacing Exercise Before Assessment

Duration = 31:06
Distance = 2.42
Calories = 297
Max HR = 183
Avg HR = 153
Running Index = 36
Max Cadence = 96
Avg Cadence = 75

I did this very similar to my trial on Wednesday. I did the crunches and push-ups (this time with help from my wife). I did the warm-up, then restarted the treadmill. I set a speed of 6.0 mph. I was able to maintain this for just over the first four "laps". I dropped the speed to 5.0 until I had less than half a "lap" to go. I then pushed right up to the end of the "lap". There followed the normal cool-down, but this time I stopped decreasing the speed at 2.5.

I have a new best time for the 1.5 miles (as indicated by the treadmill) of 15:51. This is only 3 seconds from another break point. If I can get those three seconds, I have 5 of the 11.5 points I need in improvements to pass the assessment. It's going to be close this month.

Pre-assessment Time Trial

Duration = 31:40
Distance = 2.39
Calories = 305
Max HR = 183
Avg HR = 153
Running Index = 35
Max Cadence = 90
Avg Cadence = 75

This was a test to see how I would do relative to the 1.5 mile run I need for the USAF assessment in a week and a half. I did my push-ups and crunches before the run. I started with a 5 minute warm-up including short bursts of speed. (I will do strides to prepare to do the run for real.) I restarted the treadmill to use its display for the laps. I started at 5 mph and ramped quickly to 6.3. I added 0.1 after each lap. This would have finished with a last lap of 6.8. This represents the target range for this part of the assessment. I didn't do the bump after the third lap. I wasn't sure I could handle it. Then I wasn't sure I could hold what I had either. I dropped the speed a bit and then a lot. After two minutes, I started to increase the speed again. I finished with 6.0 and started the cool-down. Final time for the 1.5 mile was 16:22 which is marginally faster than my November assessment time.

I should have started slower (~6.0 mph) and maintained that until at least half-way before trying to increase speed if I feel I can. This would have been nearly a minute and a half off the time from November. Other good news is that I still feel good mechanically.

I will keep with the MWF hard and TTh easy with a Sunday long run through the assessment during my December UTA. I will adjust my plan as needed after I have those numbers.

New Heart Rate Monitor and some planning

Duration = 23:52
Distance = 1.25
Calories = 136

I may need to change the template now that I have way too much data available.

Boring stuff first, I did a fitness test associated with the software that came with the new HRM. This took long enough that I decided to call it today's exercise.

The UKK Walk Test is, as you would expect, a walking fitness test. You walk at a brisk and steady rate for 2km. You record the ending heart rate and the time for the 2km. This generates a score that is an indication of fitness. The software barked at me for not walking fast enough and another site provided a form that generated a negative number (-3).

I've posted details about the new HRM on my LJ.

Using the Fitness Test option resulted in a value called OwnIndex, documented as similar to VO₂ max. Currently, mine is 36. This is moderate for my age. The HRM also estimated a HRmax of 178 which matches one of the general ballpark estimates, 220 - age, so it may only have just used that. Time will tell. Now we have a measured starting point for aerobic fitness.

I plan to rerun this test in the morning every Monday until December, then the first Monday thereafter. There is a training effectiveness test that I will be running on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday mornings as long as it seems useful.

Immediate planning

My most immediate goal is passing the USAF Fitness Assessment (Fit-to-Fight). The part of this I am having issues with is the run. My current effort as described in this blog is targeted at this element. (The longer term goals build on this for improved fitness.) With no other improvement on the rest of the assessment, I need a time of 13:12 for the 1.5 miles (8:48/mile) to meet the minimum for my age. 12:00 will give a nice round 8:00/mile. 10:24 will max this section for my age at 6:56/mile (in line with another of my stated goals). Finally, 9:36 is max for any age group. This leaves the last goal at 6:24/mile. Definitely long term but worth monitoring.

The plan for now is three 30 minute sessions (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) with a one hour slow run on Saturday. This will be done until the peak pace is 8:00/mile. Then we will either go for speed or distance. I expect that by the time I get here, the full assessment will be passed quite comfortably.

Fit-to-Fight, November 2008

The Fit-to-Fight assessment was Sunday afternoon. The conditions were bad, but at least the rain and snow held off. Temperature was around 36F, with a stiff breeze into your face on the outbound leg of the run.

There are four parts to the assessment: waist measurement, crunches, push-ups, and the run. The run is worth half of the points in the assessment. You need 75% to pass. The assessment is accomplished in the same order as the above list. I didn't do as well on the crunches (20) as I had planned, but I was able to make up for that by doing better than I had planned on the push-ups (26). Going into the run, I knew I needed a time of 13:12 to pass. While I didn't make that mark, the time of 16:27 for the 1.5-mile run was the best I have done since we started the new assessment process. I was able to run the whole distance at a steady pace for the first time.

Passing this assessment is an even shorter term goal than any of those mentioned at the beginning of this blog. To meet this immediate goal, I need to find another 11.5 points during the assessment. I hope the waist will respond to the other efforts I'm making, but I'm not going to plan on it in the short term. If I can get two more crunches, I get another point, leaving 10.5 to go. This would require a time of 13:36 or better.

Gap analysis time. I need two more crunches. The current assessment rate is ~11:00/miles. The target rate is ~9:00/mile. The gap here is 2:00/mile. I should be able to make most of this up by improving my stride as it was rather short for this run. I did open it out near the end and was able to maintain that and ultimately ended with a sprint to the finish (3 seconds would have garnered 3 more points).

Going forward, I plan to spend some time on push-up, crunches, and intervals to develop a good stride. I will have to see if I can find a sensor that will actually measure the stride along with the rate so I can measure my progress.

[posted 2015, 10 November 2008]

Short skiing session

Duration = 20:00
Distance = 1.76
Calories = 275

Wore some old sneakers for this session. No issue with either foot tonight. Blister from last week is mostly healed. One ski seems to have a bit more drag than the other. Time will tell. I hope to get back to running soon.

I expect to take my Fit-to-Fight test for the USAF on the second weekend of November. This consists of a mile-and-a-half run, crunches, push-ups, and a waist measurement. The results are compared to a chart for gender and age to get a score. 75 out of the 100 available is passing.