Despite the fact that my lungs greatly protested last week’s speedwork, I was actually looking forward to today’s workout. That may have something to do with a day off yesterday…Or maybe I’m just crazy.
Today’s plan was one of those that takes a little bit of effort just to remember: 4 x 200 m with 200 m jogging recoveries, 2 x 400m with 400 m jogging recoveries, 1 x 800 m with 800 m jogging recovery, 2 x 400m with 400 m jogging recoveries, and 4 x 200m with 200 m jogging recoveries. So, here’s how it went:
1.16 miles warmup in 10:16
200 m intervals: 0:43,0:41,0:44,0:45
400 m intervals: 1:28,1:31
800 m interval: 3:05
400 m intervals: 1:30, 1:29
200 m intervals: 0:43,0:44,0:43,0:44
1.12 miles cool down in 9:18.
Plan: 200’s at 46 s, 400’s at 92 s, 800 at 3:04, 400’s at 92 s, 200’s at 46 s.
So, I was just below my plan for each set of intervals except the 800 in which I was off by 1 second. I will admit that I felt like puking during the 800, so I let up a little bit. Still, only a second off isn’t too shabby. I’m quite happy with today’s workout. To be honest, the book has a little dash next to my pace for the 800 m, so I’m not really sure I’m even supposed to be doing that. I figured one wouldn’t hurt too badly. In any case, I had scheduled the total workout for 7 miles and I ran 7.5 miles, so that’s a bonus. My total average pace was 7:47 and I did most of the intervals at sub 6:00 pace.
The lakeside park I run at has a well marked path that is 1.1 miles around with the start, finish and each quarter mile marked with a sign. Since each set of intervals was 1 mile in total, I took the extra 0.1 miles jogging at the end of each set so that I could use the quarter mile markers as a visual signal during my intervals. Thus, I didn’t need to constantly glance at my Garmin (except during the 200 m intervals).
For the past several weeks, I’ve been having the same evening snack. I really think it plays a big part in the quality of my run the next morning. I say this because I skipped the ritual several times in the last week, and my runs have been mediocre. Last night, I returned to this ritual and I had a great run this morning. Here’s what the ritual entails:
About 1 1/2 hours before I go to bed, I take a small handful of frozen blueberries and place them in a large coffee mug. A take a large handful of frozen raspberries and place them in a bowl. I let both defrost for about an hour. Then, I pour Kashi 7 whole grain nugget cereal (think organic grape nuts) over the blueberries with some milk and eat that. Once I’m done, I pack the defrosted raspberries in my juicer and juice them on low speed. I then pour organic apple juice into the juicer. This cleans the remaining thick raspberry juice from the juicer and thins the juice cocktail. I consume a glass of this raspberry/apple juice cocktail.
Then, I retire for the evening. No matter how stressful the day has been, this juice cocktail puts me right to sleep. It’s usually a very deep, dream filled sleep. I almost never toss and turn when I’ve had this cocktail before bed. The cereal gives me the extra calories that I need for a strong performance in the morning. It may sound crazy, but it works.
Planned workout
8 minutes warmup
4 miles at 9:15 pace
5 minutes cool down
Actual workout
9 minutes warmup
4 miles at 9:06
10 minutes cool down
This morning, it was cool and humid. There was a breeze and rain was threatening. I ran the first two miles at about 10:00 minute pace. The third mile was about 8:45 pace, and the final mile was even faster. I took no walk breaks and I cruised through the last half mile at almost 7:30 pace. I felt like I had another mile in me too. It was a great feeling after Monday’s mediocre run. I wonder if the difference was the evening ritual. Sunday night, I didn’t have the cereal or the juice cocktail. Monday night I had both.
Flounder and Tilapia are two regular staples of my diet. I eat one or the other at least once a week. They are both fairly inexpensive types of fish. This recipe is quick and easy to make. It’s fairly healthy and it tastes great too.
Ingredients
Olive Oil
Flounder Fillets (3-4)
Flour
1/2 cup of organic chicken broth
Salt and Pepper
2 TBS lemon juice
Chopped parsley
Chopped chives
Directions
1) Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and heat to high
2) Sprinkle salt and pepper on flounder fillets
3) Dredge fillets in the flour
4) Pan fry the flounder fillets in the hot olive oil until golden (about 2 minutes on each side)
5) Remove fillets from pan and keep warm
6) Lower heat to low and quickly add chicken broth
7) Stir broth to release any bits of fish that are stuck to the bottom of the pan
8) Add lemon juice
9) Reduce the mixture by about half
10) Pour sauce over fish fillets
11) Sprinkle fillets with parsley and chives
12) Serve
I usually serve this entree with some rice or couscous and perhaps some broccolli.
Today’s workout was a cycling workout:
Planned workout
10 minutes warmup on stationary bike
40 minutes on stationary bike at level 7
5 minutes cool down
Actual workout
10 minutes warmup
40 minutes on level 7
5 minutes cool down
Total distance travelled: 18.6 miles
I started out fast again, but my legs were killing me. I thought there was no way I was going to beat last week’s distance. In the end, however, I did. I managed 15.1 miles in 40 minutes. That’s an average rate of 22.8 MPH.
Tomorrow’s tempo run could be tough. It’s a run 2, walk 1, run 1, walk 1, run 2 format.
I’ll be the first to admit that this isn’t one of the healthiest recipes, but it’s one of my favorite things to make. So, if you’re in training, save it for the victory party.
Ingredients
3-4 tilapia fillets (about a pound total)
1 Cup cornmeal
1 Cup of Flour
1 egg
1 cup raw cane sugar
1/2 cup tequila
2 limes
Olive Oil
Ground Cumin
Instructions
Mix the flour and corn meal together in a bowl. Beat the egg in a separate bowl. Coat a skillet large enough to hold the fish with olive oil and heat to high. Dip each tilapia fillet in the egg and coat with the corn meal and flour mixture. Place the fillets in the hot oil until brown (about 2 minutes). Flip the fillets and repeat. Remove fish from the skillet. Remove the skillet from heat. Juice the two limes and add the juice to the skillet. Slowly stir in the raw sugar, while heating over low heat. When the lime and sugar mixture is a carmel colored sludge, add the tequila and stir. Turn the heat to medium low. Add the Tilapia to the mixture. Sprinkle ground cumin on top of tilapia. Cook for 5 minutes on medium low. Flip the tilapia. Sprinkle with cumin again. Cook for 5 more minutes. Serve.
It goes quite well with rice and a margarita on the rocks.
Today’s workout was a cycling workout around lunch time. I had an early morning meeting that threw a little wrench into my plans.
Planned workout
10 minutes warmup stationary bike
40 minutes at level 7 stationary bike
5 minutes cool down
Actual workout
10 minutes warmup on stationary bike
40 minutes at level 7 stationary bike
5 minutes cool down
Determined to improve on my speed from my last workout, I sped through the first 10 minutes like a bat out of hell. I did regret that a little in the middle of the workout, but ultimately, it did help somewhat as I cleared 13.1 miles in 35 minutes as opposed to thr 13.0 I did last week. I did keep riding for a total of 40 minutes and accomplished 14.95 miles in that 40 minutes. My total distance including warmup and cooldown was about 18 miles. I haven’t really planned out my rides too much, but they will peak at about 90 minutes at some point.
Here’s a new recipe I tried last week. I’ll give it a 3 out of 5 stars. I’m, not rushing to make it again, but it was fairly tasty.
Ingredients
Instructions
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season Chicken Breasts with salt and pepper, bake for 30 minutes or until they’re done.
2) While the chicken is baking, combine the chicken broth, lemon juice and mustard in a sauce pan. Whisk them together and bring them to a boil over high heat. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by about half.
3) Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with walnuts and parsley and enjoy!
Now, on to today’s workout. I was glad that it was a cycling day today after yesterday’s depressing workout. I can usually count on a good ride on the bike to bring me back into focus. My left shin really started to hurt last night, so I iced it, wrapped it in an Ace bandage and reclined in bed for a few hours watching the extended coverage of the Tour de France. This also served to alleviate the overuse injury I have in my right wrist from using that little “nubbin” mouse thingy on my laptop.
I wasn’t feeling particularly good this morning and when I did my 10 minute warmup on the bike, I wondered if it was a mistake doing 35 minutes on the bike today. Even during the first 10 minutes of the ride, my legs started to feel tired. That’s when the Black Eyed Peas saved me. There’s something about “Let’s Get it Started” that goes oh so well with cycling. Listen to it and picture yourself on a bike, you’ll get it. There’s something about the rhythm that goes from ears to brain to legs. I fell into a “relatively” fast cadence between 120 and 125 RPMs. The bike threw some virtual hills at me and I powered up them. Could I do 13 miles in 35 minutes? Ultra-competitive Brian kicked in.
Hunched over the bike with a blank stare right through the butt of the lady on the eliptical machine in front of me, I cruised through the next 25 minutes, sweat dripping down, creating puddles on the floor below me. At 34 minutes, I was at 12.5 miles. I knew I needed to kick it up a notch. I rode the last minute between 135 and 150 RPMS, giving it all I had. I crossed 13 miles 2 seconds into my warmup. So close.
Planned workout
10 minute warmup
35 minute ride at level 7
5 minute cool down
Actual workout
10 minute warmup
35 minute ride at level 7
5 minute cool down
Location: Stationary bike
Total Distance: 16 miles
After the ride, I did some planks and a little exercise to strengthen my shins before stretching. I’m still a little sore in the shins, but I’ll ice it again tonight and see how the tempo run goes tomorrow.
I’m not a really big fan of Asian food. I’m the one who groans and says “can’t we just have pizza?” when everyone wants to go out for Chinese. Lately, though, I’ve actually been making my own beef stir fry and it’s pretty good.
I should also mention that I really don’t like vegetables. Last night, I made this stir fry and actually enjoyed the snap peas. I ate quite a few of them.
Ingredients
1 lb of beef sliced into 2-3″ pieces
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. ground ginger
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
3 Tbs. sherry
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
Peanut oil
1/2 cup beef broth
1 Tbs corn starch
2 Tbs water
Instructions
1) Combine the soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sherry. Pour it over the meat and marinate for 10 minutes to 1 hour.
2) Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Toss in the peas and boil for 1 minute. Drain the peas.
3) Remove the beef from the marinade and discard the marinade
4) Coat a wok or skillet in peanut oil and heat over high heat. Stir-fry the beef for 4-5 minutes. Add the peas.
5) Add the beef broth to the mixture and cook for 3 minutes
6) Mix the cornstarch with the water until smooth. Add to the beef mixture and simmer 3 minutes.
7) Cook until the sauce thickens
Nutrition Facts (Guesses)
Serving size (4Oz)
Calories: 211
Fat: 7g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Protein: 27 g
Carbohydrate: 8 g
Dietary fiber: 2 g
For added carbohydrates, I eat this stir fry on a bed of sushi rice. I also sprinkle fried chow mein noodles on top - that’s not very healthy, but it’s still pretty tasty without them.
Today’s workout was on the stationary bike:
Planned workout
10 minutes warmup
30 minutes cycling at 80-90% max heart rate
5 minutes cool down
Actual workout
10 minutes warmup
30 minutes cycling at 75-90% max heart rate
5 minutes cool down
Location: stationary bike on level 7
I thought that by increasing the resistance, I would be able to get my heart rate into the target zone more quickly. I never really even hit 80% for any significant length of time. It was only in the last 10 minutes or so that I was in the 80% to 90% range and even then, I was dipping below 80% on occassion. It’s not like I was slacking either. I was hitting 120+ RPMs even on some of the “hills”.
Next week, I think I’ll increase the time I’m on the bike in order to maintain a greater amount of time in my target zone.
I tried out a new fish recipe last night. Basically, I modifed a recipe I found at foodfit.com:
Ingredients
4 Flounder fillets
Salt
Pepper
Sesame Seeds
Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
Directions
1) Season the flounder with salt and pepper on both sides. Sprinkle both sides with sesame seeds.
2) Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and heat on medium-high heat.
3) Slide the fish fillets one at a time into the heated oil and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side (until the fillets are golden brown)
4) Remove the fillets from the skillet and keep warm.
5) Reduce the heat of the skillet to low and add the two juices. Cook and stir the juices until they make a thick sauce.
6) Pour the sauce over the flounder fillets and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 fillet (makes 4 servings)
Calories: 213
Fat: 7 g
Protein: 23 g
Carbohydrate: 15 g
Fiber: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
The fish was quite good. I’ve made Flounder with a lemon butter sauce before and this was just as good, if not better. Of course this citrus sauce is much healthier. I served the flounder with brown rice for extra carbs.
Today, the FIRST 10K training program called for cross training.
Planned workout
Cycling: 10 minute warmup, 30 minutes at 80-90% max heart rate, 10 minutes cool down.
Actual Workout
Cycling: 10 minute warmup, 8 minutes 70-80% max heart rate, 22 minutes at 80-90% max heart rate, 5 minutes cool down. Total distance travelled: 15.3 miles.
Location: Stationary Bike on level 6 (whatever that means)
This workout went well. I tend to enjoy the cycling workouts as I’m able to zone out on the bike and just pump my legs at a pretty constant cadence. I haven’t achieved that state while running since I was at the peak of my 5K training program last September. In any case, It took me a good 7-8 minutes to get my heart rate up to 80% of the max, so I may have to up the difficulty level next time. That’s a good sign as it was already an improvement over my cycling workout from last week, so hopefully this increased cardiovascular fitness will transfer to a better run tomorrow.
I’m scheduled to complete a 3 mile tempo run at 7:35 pace tomorrow. I’m not incredibly confident I’ll be able to complete it without a walk break, but we’ll see how it goes.
