Tag Archives: swimming

The last four weeks…

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Its been quite a while since I’ve posted here and for that I’m sorry.  I know my Dad checks in regularly and is always interested in what is going on – so, HI DAD! 

With that, here is a brief update…

On October 7th I attempted to run the Twin Cities Marathon – I made it through mile 12 and  then dropped out.  As most of you know, the weather that day was miserable, 75 degrees at the start with high humidity to boot.  I started with the 3:50 pace group and ran the first mile well (in about 8:20 or so) and I was feeling pretty good.  It all went downhill from there.  I fell off that pace pretty quickly(even though just three weeks earlier I had run a 20 mile run at about that pace with limited issues) and just started feeling really fatigued and tired.  Too tired and too fatigued, too early in a 26.2 mile run. Around mile 7 or 8 I started cramping up – both stomach and legs – and I was having difficulty keeping fluids down. By mile 12 I was pretty sick, defeated, and dehydrated, so I made the tough call to drop out.

Not fun.  In the end I think I made the right decision.  I may have been able to finish, but at what cost?  There’s always next year… I guess I’ll start training NOW!

A little over a week ago (October 28th) I ran a 5K in Lake Elmo.  It was so much fun! The course was entirely on grass and dirt trails, so I guess this qualifies as my first “Cross Country” event.  It was very challenging, but also very enjoyable.  I didn’t PR, but with the up and down nature of the course, I wasn’t really planning on it. 

Here are my results from the run:

Finish Time: 25:17
Pace: 8:08
Overall finish: 28 (out of 196)
Age Group finish (M30): 3 (out of 23)

Overall, I think it was a good run and I did my best.  It felt good to get back on out there after the disappointing results of the Twin Cities Marathon.

Now, I need to get back in the gym, on the road, or out the door again.  It’s been a few weeks since I’ve really worked out and while I’ve spent some time in the pool, I’ve put on a few pounds.  I miss the feeling of a hard workout and the accomplishment of a good run.  It has felt good to have a little time off, but I’m ready to get back to it.

Until later…

Aaron

Three hundred and some odd days until the Twin Cities Marathon… :)

46 days to go…

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…and I feel like I’m losing some of the hard work I’ve put in.  The last two weeks have been complete disasters as far as my training goes.  I haven’t been able to keep up with my cross-training, I missed my long run on Sunday because of really nasty weather, and today I missed my speed work.  I was able to get in a swim on Monday, but totally missed Tuesday, and now today I missed my run. 

I still have a lot going on, work has been insane, I’ve been really busy at the fire department, and I just started a new MBA course. But still, when I don’t get in a workout, I feel really lazy. I feel like I’m reverting back to old habits, slipping slowly back into inactivity, slowly becoming, once again, what I once was.  I hate that feeling.  I never want to go back there.  I never want to feel the way I felt when I was 375 lbs.  Never. Ever. Again.  For the most part, my kids don’t remember me when I was overweight, I want to keep it that way. 

I guess I’ll get up early for a run.

On a more positive note, this weekend should be fun.  My parents and my in-laws are coming up for the weekend – it’s Woodbury Days – our city’s yearly celebration.  The big bonus is that I get to run a 1/2 marathon on Sunday.  On top of that, Alex is running the Kid’s 1 mile and David is running in the tottler-trot.  Overall, this should be a fun weekend.

Hope you all have a great weekend too!

Later…

Aaron

46 days to the Twin Cities Marathon

 

Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday…

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Wednesday – Speed Workout
Here is Wednesday’s workout:

10 minute warm-up
6 x 800 @ 3:29 with 1:30 Rest Interval
10 minute cool-down

Actuals:
1 – 3:21.97
2 – 3:25.67
3 – 3:28:48
4 – 3:31.60
5 – 3:31.51
6 – 3:22.06

I think I’m still feeling the effects of giving blood last Friday. I felt sluggish today and while 800′s are always a challenge, today they were more of a challenge than in the past. It’ll just take a little time to build back.

Otherwise, a good workout.

Thursday – Swim day
Here is the workout from Thursday:

1 x 200 swim
1 x 200 Kick
1 x 800 pull
2 x 400 swim
1 x 75 IM
4 x 75 stroke
1 x 100 cool down

2475 yards. Not a bad effort, felt pretty good. The only issue I really had was that after the 800 and 400′s my calf’s started cramping up – ouch!

Friday – Tempo Run

Good tempo run Friday – long, but solid. Here are the details:

1 mile @ 9:22
6 miles @ 8:18
1 mile @ 9:22

Solid effort – felt good.

Back on the saddle…

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I swam with the boys at the YMCA Downtown on Monday and Tuesday – 2800 and 2700 yards respectively. Today I ran – its been a long time (a week off because of our vacation) and man was it fun and it felt great to be running again!

Here is what I did today:

10 minute warm-up
2 x 1200 (2 min RI, 5:20 pace)
4 x 800 (2 min RI, 3:29 pace)
10 minute cooldown

Actuals
1200′s
1 – 4:54.03
2 – 4:56.39

800′s
1 – 3:17.81
2 – 3:38.44 (fell off pace a bit)
3 – 3:29.79 (got back on pace)
4 – 3:21.82 (under pace again)

This proved to be a pretty challenging workout. I think my time off (vacation last week) plus starting fast on the 1200′s hurt me later on in the 800′s. I was able to push through and get back on pace, so that’s a good thing. Overall, it just felt great to be running again after a long break…

Nice.

Aaron

Swim…Run…

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Swim

Yesterday was a swim day (cross training).  Here is what I did:

  • 1 x 450 warm up (swim, kick, pull)
  • 3 x (3 x100, 1 x 300) (1800 total yrds)
  • 100 cool down

2350 total yards, not bad.  I’m starting to feel a little better in the water, but I still feel like I have a ways to go.

Run

Today was a run day – Key Workout #1 – Speed.  Here is what I did:

  • 10 minute warm up – easy run.
  • 6 x 800 pace: 3:29, 90 sec RI
  • 10 minute cool down – easy walk

Here are my times for each 800:

  1. 3:19
  2. 3:17
  3. 3:26
  4. 3:19
  5. 3:27
  6. 3:19

Heart rate stats from my Polar F6 today:

  • Avg HR: 151
  • Max HR: 186
  • Calories: 566

Thanks!

Aaron

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Cross Training from Monday and Tuesday

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OK, I’m going to try and remember what my workouts were on Monday and Tuesday.  These may or may not be accurate.  Both were swimming, I know that much…

Monday

  • 450 Warm Up (150 swim, 150 kick, 150 pull)
  • 400, 600, 800 free
  • The rest of Monday is kind of a blur… I just know it was hard work.
  • 100 cool down

Tuesday

  • 500 warm up (200 swim, 150 kick, 150 pull)
  • 2 x 100 on 1:30
  • 7 x 200 (#1 – 150 swim & 50 kick, #2 – 100 swim & 100 kick, #3 - 50 swim & 150 kick, #4 – 200 kick, #5-7 down the ladder)
  • 10 x 25 (odd Butterfly, even dolphin kick on back) on :40
  • 200 IM
  • 100 cool down

These are a couple of really good swim workouts for me.  I know this cross training is really going to benefit my running!

Thanks!

Aaron

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Training Update…

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I’ve started my new training regimen for the 2007 Twin Cities Marathon on October 7th.  Can you believe it’s only 18 weeks away?

Here is a little more detail on my training plan, this is typical week:

  • Monday: Cross Training – Swimming
  • Tuesday: Cross Training – Swimming
  • Wednesday: Core Workout #1 – Speed
  • Thursday: Cross Training – Spin Class
  • Friday: Core Workout #2 – Tempo
  • Saturday: Rest
  • Sunday: Core Workout #3 – Distance

So, today was a speed workout:

  • 10 minute warm up – easy
  • 1 x 400 @ 1:43 / Actual: 1:34 
  • 1 x 600 @ 2:36 / Actual: 2:28
  • 1 x 800 @ 3:29 / Actual: 3:25
  • 1 x 1200 @ 5:20 / Actual: 5:14
  • 1 x 800 @ 3:29 / Actual: 3:28
  • 1 x 600 @ 2:36 / Actual: 2:31
  • 1 x 400 @ 1:43 / Actual: 1:37
  • 10 minute cool down – easy

Overall a nice effort and a good workout.  I’ll post my two swim workouts from Monday and Tuesday later tonight.

Thanks!

Aaron

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Change of Pace… (26 of 30)

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I’m going to get to post 30 if it kills me…

Update #1: After some thought, and getting seriously behind in week 1 (of 6) I dropped my MBA course for this session.  I’ll pick up the same course starting in the first week of July.  I needed to do this for so many reasons, but mainly it will allow me to spend more time concentrating on important things like family time, running, writing, family time, fire department stuff, and family time. I really feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  I know this was the right decision at the right time.

Update #2: I have been putting off so many projects around the house lately, but this weekend we have been able to make some real progress in the yard work arena.  We got a big dumpster delivered on Friday and promptly started filling it up.  Yesterday (Saturday) and today, we spent most of our efforts in the front yard trimming trees, bushes, and shrubs.  Along with all the trimming and pruning, we also made great strides in our front flower bed.  This has been a complete mess since we bought the house 3 years ago and now, after two summers of renovation and hard work, it is getting close to being in decent shape.  Jen has dug out (by hand) layer after layer after layer of wood chips, rock, more rock, big rocks, and a layer of plastic from the entire flower bed.  She really deserve all the credit for the transformation. Today we even put in some new dirt! It’s really starting to come together and look great!

Tomorrow, we are going to spend the day cleaning up the side of the house.  We will be loading the dumpster with all of the debris from our construction projects over the last two years.  We have a few doors, lots of old trim, a big pile of dirt, and random odds and ends to  get rid of once and for all.  Additionally, we are going to spend some time in the garage – sorting and trowing out as much as possible.  We have needed this spring cleaning for a couple of springs! Fianally, if there is time I’d like to trim the big pine trees in the back yard.

Update #3: Last year, when I trained for the Twin Cities Marathon, I followed a program – one of many like it I’m sure.  There was nothing really special about what I did or how I did it, I ran 5 to 6  days a week and put in a certain number of miles each week.  I ran my long runs on Sunday morning and got up to a max of a 20 mile run a month or so prior to the Marathon.  It worked, more or less, I finished and didn’t have to crawl home.  But I really felt like with a better training program and a little more dedication on my part I could have done much, much better. With that I have decided to totally change my training plan for 2007.  I had a pretty standard Hal Higdon Plan ready to go, but I started reading about a new plan called the FIRST training method. As of today, I’m 3 weeks and counting to the start of the 16 week marathon program.  The race I ran today (5K, 23:19) will help me set the paces for most of the runs in the program.  I’ll post more about it in the coming weeks…

Keep running…

Aaron