Thursday treadmill session

Duration = 29:41
Distance = 2.00
Calories = 278
Max HR = 167
Avg HR = 150


Thursday: treadmill building-to-midlong session
Equipment: New Balance Minimus Trail (blue), shorts, long-sleeve tech shirt, Suunto t6c HRM

Warm-up: .25 miles @ 3.0 mph
Main: 20:00 with HR in 150-160
Cool-down: .25 miles @ 3.0 mph

The above was the plan.  I figured that 5.5 mph should be about right based on my run yesterday.  For various reasons, I decided to be conservative and started with 5.0 after the warm-up.  This did well until the HRM caught up.  I think the sensors on the strap loose signal until I start sweating.  Once I had a good reading I was already out of the range I really wanted to be in.  I finished the 1/2 mile at 5.0, but I started dropping the speed after that.  I eventually got all the way down to 4.2 mph.  The time when I finished 1.5 miles of running was close enough to the target of 20 minutes that I started the cool-down then.  Other than some slight stiffness in my left foot and lower leg, there were no issues with this run.

I was quite surprised by how much slower I had to run.  I figured that there might be some due to the grade of the treadmill because I tend to find running "for real" to be easier than my treadmill.  I'm sure that was part of it.  The other part, which I hadn't considered, was the temperature.  I ran outside yesterday in ~35F with some wind.  The temperature in the basement where I keep the treadmill is in the upper 60s F.  That was a good part of the rest.

The final item for today, and possibly related to the previous, was USAF strength training.  About an hour before doing my run, I did 5 sets of push-ups and 5 sets of sit-ups.  These were done to temporary muscle failure in the later sets.  These completely wiped me out and required some time before I felt ready to do my run.  The plan was to have done the strength training much earlier in the day, but I ran out of time.  Final counts today were 41 push-ups in 5 sets (2x15, 5, 2x3) and 48 sit-ups in 5 sets (4x10, 8).

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 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]

Hiatus

I'm putting the strength training on hiatus. I'm not progress at all. In fact, I appear to be regressing. I'm not sure if it is simply muscle fatigue, or if there are minor issues in my joints that are being adversely affected by the training. It is possible that the running (which is improving) and the weight loss are also impacting on the strength training. I will work on both the sit-ups and push-ups in the future as these are related to my long-term fitness goals, but I think a compete break now is in order. This will also simplify other things I have in progress and upcoming.

Challenging Day

Sit-ups (W3D1): 15, 18, 11, 7, 7
Push-ups (W3D2): 14, 19, 9, 7, 7

Four more sit-ups today than Monday. The second set was pretty rough as well. Maybe third time will be the charm.

Hideous day for push-ups. The effort is even affecting my typing. We will drop back on Friday, or I may start Week 3 over next Monday as I am travelling this weekend.

Henceforth, I will drop back one day at each failure. I may need to spend two days at each level to allow my body time to adapt.

The good news is that I seem to be over whatever was bothering me Monday.

What happens when you take a week off

Sit-ups (W3D1): 15, 18, 10, 6, 5
Push-ups (W3D1): 12, 17, 13, 13, 18

It doesn't help that I've developed the sniffles as well, but the week off does show in the numbers. I've read that muscular fitness falls off after 96 hours of no training.

I will repeat Week 3 Day 1 of sit-ups until I meet the standard. I made the standard with the push-ups, but I took significant breaks between sets.

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 Week 2 Day 3

Sit-ups (W2D3): 8, 12, 8, 8, 12
Push-ups (W2D3): 12, 13, 10, 10, 15

Regarding sit-ups, I was doing pretty good until the end of the last set. #11 & #12 were difficult. Sunday is a Progress Test. I need 21 in a row, or better, to advance to Week 3.

This session of push-ups was better than some recently. I didn't push beyond the requirement for the last set as I wasn't sure I could maintain proper form. I need 16 in a row, or better, on the Progress Test to advance to Week 3.

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.

Strength Week 2 Day 2

Sit-ups (W2D2): 7, 9, 6, 6, 12
Push-ups (W2D2): 10, 12, 9, 9, 14

Sit-ups were not quite as strong as Monday. Also, sit-ups really annoy my ITB.
A bit a push for that last push-up.

Strength Week 2 Day 1

Sit-ups (W2D1): 6, 9, 6, 6, 15
Push-ups (W2D1): 10, 11, 8, 8, 11

Strong on sit-ups today.
Accidentally did an extra in the first set of push-ups. Just made the target of 11 in the last set.

Strength Week 1 Day 3

Sit-ups (W1D3): 6, 7, 6, 6, 9
Push-ups (W1D3): 8, 10, 7, 7, 12

And that completes the first week of these programs.

Strength Week 1 Day 2

Sit-ups (W1D2): 5, 6, 3, 5, 12
Push-ups (W1D2): 6, 8, 6, 6, 10

Dropped to a lower level on push-up where I met the Day 1 requirements. This is still progressive and keeps everything simpler. I've been a bit sore in the chest, so a bit lower volume may be appropriate.

Gotta start somewhere

First day of sit-ups went better than expected: 3, 4, 3, 3, 10
First day of push-ups didn't go as well: 10, 12, 7, 6, 5 (I will be repeating Day 1)

You have to walk before you can run

Duration = 30:42
Distance = 1.60
Calories = 104
Max HR = 107
Avg HR = 97
Max Cadence = 66
Avg Cadence = 63

Today was a walk. Mostly 3.0 to 3.2 mph. Knee feels better after than it did before. I am going to ease back into training. My next race is currently planned for 11 April as a 10K. I will likely drop back to a 5K for this race. The goal will be to be able to run the distance. I have strength exercises to try to improve the operation of the muscles around the knee to keep my current issues from recurring. I'm not sure yet what schedule I'm going to follow for the walking/running.

I will also be working on improving my upper body and abdominal strength using the programs associated with the badges I've added to the blog. I'm starting with 20 push-ups and 10 sit-ups. The push-ups are with good form and all the way from the ground to fully-extended. This is a bit further than required by the USAF Fit-to-Fight. However, the program site for the sit-ups calls for a crunch. For me, the USAF crunch is harder than the program calls for; so, I will be using the USAF crunch instead. Both of these programs are three days per week. I currently plan on them for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.