Super Happy Tabata Fun Day - Tri Resistance training Feb 29, 2012

The key workout for today was Tabatas, and running ones at that.  

For tabatas, it is very important to be good and warm, as you can hurt yourself quite easily, so a little longer on the bike to warm up, then we went around the track a few times doing various warm-ups.  First one was called Karioke, where you kinda hop sideways, back foot in front then behind the other, so you are twisting the hips.  Then butt-kicks for a length, then high knees, then the one where you bounce the knee straight up and then straight out the side...  That last one takes some coordination, and apparently more that we had, although Trainer Lindsay makes it look easy.

We slightly modified the protocol, thinking that Rob's knee pain from last week was not a good result, and that a full lap was more than 20 seconds.  So we did this as half a lap @100% effort, then quarter lap slow jog.  This was probably now too short for the running, and still too long for the recovery, but it felt closer to the way the Bike Tabata feels (where we have a timer to look at, so know we are right on the times).

After 8 repeats, Nic Wiggins comment still held true, "The running was all right, I just could not get my mouth open far enough".  Almost 2 hours later, I am still feeling the effect.

We followed that with some lighter exercises that we dont normally do
- Back extensions on the exercise ball x15
- Rear Delt Flys, 15lbs x20
- Rotator Cuff, internal and external rotation, using tubing, 15 each side.
 3 times through the set

Next we did
- Calf raises on the machine, 50lb weight, x15
- Lat Extension, where you lay back on the exercise ball, under your shoulders, hips raised, hold a 35lb dumbell straight up, and with arms held straight, lower the weight above your head and back up.  20 repeats
- more internal and external rotation while waiting for machines, etc
3 times through the set.

Last, we used the Ab Roller, to work those abs some more.  Lucky me, Lindsay made Paul do the pilates routines from Monday, and he had much the same comment.  As in, "Crap, those hurt".  If I ever thought that pilates would be easy, I dont anymore.

Did some foam roller work on the IT band, Quads and hips, and called it a fine workout.

Sick Day - Feb 28

Called in sick.  Bad Sleep.  After 6 more hours, felt better, but felt that doing a swim workout was not wise.

So I got my TV watching in.  Doesn't do much for the heart rate though....

Tri Resistance Training - Feb 27

Oh My God, we got worked like dogs today.

Training Buddy Rob and I were the only attendees today, and we are the advanced students, so that gave Lindsay free reign to work us.

First set - three times
- Medicine ball lunges on track.   So, holding the 5kg medicine ball, big step into a lunge, get low, hold medicine ball straight out, then rotate 45 degrees left, 45 degrees right, then straight, then lunge with other leg and repeat the length of the track.
- Bounding with medicine ball. Starting at start of straightaway on track, drive upward with one leg, looking for vertical height, down the track, round the corner, down the other straightaway.  Walk it off
- Hamstring curl, on machine, 110lbs, 15 reps
- jumping planks.  Start plank position on hands, bring one foot up so that it is next to hands.  Now bounce hips up and switch feet.  Get the form and distance correct, then repeat for a 20 count.

second set, 2 times
- Gliding side lunges, 12 each leg
- Box Jumps, highest platform, 15  reps
- Deadlifts, with 50lb dumpbells, 15 reps
- squeeze big ball between feet, lying on back on mat, and extend feet outward to engage core, 12 times

3rd set - some pilates stuff

- On your back, hold big ball between your feet, stretch out keeping it off floor, pull it back, pass to hands, stretch it out over your head.  Repeat
- hold ball between legs, one over one under, keeping lower heel off floor, now do crunches.  This one beat, me, I could not do it, so we just held it for 15 seconds, which was close to killing me as well.


Wicked, brutal and fun workout :-)

Sunday Long Run - Feb 26

Shortish long run today, did only slightly over 18.  Weather was ugly, cold windy, so at 6:30 AM, I decided that an additional hour of sleep was going to do me more good than an additional 8k.  Hope I am right.

We took the west route into fish creek to get out of the wind.  The groups kinda spread out a little bit more that it should of, so instead of 3 groups, we had like 5, with instructor and pacer (me) in the middle group.   Less than an ideal situation.

I got my extra couple of K's in by running back and picking up the last group, continuing to give them encouragement as we ran along.  I think that last group is running too slow, and by too slow, I mean well below their capabilities for a slow sunday run.  They could and should be running faster, while still keeping the heart rate down to an acceptable level.

Fartlek Fridays - Feb 24

Decided that I had to run at lunch, and take advantage of the acceptable weather.  It was chilly and breezy, but great to go hard.  I had no real workout thought out, other than some tempoing.

I spotted Jerry, who is one of the regulars at Glenmore Running Room ahead of me, and pushed harder to catch up the him and his running partner.  I then spent 10 minutes chatting and running with them, up to the crowchild bridge.  They stopped for a walk break (it was supposed to be a recovery run for them), so I decided to tempo again until I caught up to some people.  Put in a 4:28 km that felt nice.

I kept a good pace all run, with only one stop to re-tie a shoe, and another walk break at the princes island bridge.  Got my 8k run done in 38:12, so I think that the tempoing goal was met.

:-)

Triathlon resistance - Feb 22

Not the usual workout today.  Lindsay was delayed, so after a warmup, we decided to get started, and came up with what we thought would be a good first set, medicine ball throws on the wall, chest press on the ball, and crunches.  We had just started when Lindsay showed up and said "tabata day"

we had a choice of bike or run.  I dont think I was ready for the pain yet, so I chose bike, knowing that it always seemed a bit less painful.  Everyone else did it running.

On the first one, I was pushing 650 watts!  crazy.  Of course, after that, I had trouble pushing 450 watts.  I should have run it.

After a bit of cool down, we did
chest press on the ball - last set with 50 lb dumbbells
assisted pulls ups
Side crunches on the bosu (I think)

tricep extension, upright with dumbbell
!!! BICEP CURLS !!!
plank+crunch on the ball (feet on the ball, straight arm, plank, then pull knees up)

brutal but good workout

Swim Fit - Feb 23

So for tonights workout, we did relay races.  It ended up being boys against the girls, so Sebastian and myself took them on.  The first one was IM, which of course, starts with the butterfly.  and I was not allowed to wear fins for this butterfly either.  It was ugly.  By the halfway point, I was kinda doing a whip kick rather than dolphin, so that I could get some kind of forward propulsion.  And I had to do a flipturn/somersault before Sebastian could take off.   He then had to do 2 lengths, back-stroke and breast stroke, and I got to finish it off with freestyle.  It was a close finish, virtual tie.  Well done teams.

Next relay, we decided that we should use a hand signal for when to take off, and not have someone do two in a row, allowing us some recovery time.  This was an all-out freestyle race, and was a blast.  I dont know if we finished that close, but doesn't matter.

Third time was for fun.   We had to pick up rings off the bottom, which is very hard to do after you have been swimming hard.  We had to do 10 bobs at the end after a hard length.  fun fun fun.

next was 6x50 back then free sprint, on a pyramid.  First three get progressively harder, then last three get progressively easier.

Then 4x100 IM.  We did a length of butterfly, then one-armed on the way back, full again, one armed.  We were running out of time, so we just did 50s for the breast, back and free.

A quality workout, and lots of fun beside.