Will Run for Beer

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Admittedly, no workout to report, folks—I've been slacking fiercely the last several days, but look to turn that around tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've had the pleasure of being interviewed by Tim Cigelske for DRAFT Magazine: Beer Runner Profile: John Frenette. How cool is that?!?!

I may log my workout tomorrow, but in the event I don't: have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving (Americans) and a fantastic weekend. And the tryptophan nap is a myth—you're passing out because you've eaten too much!

Blah Blah Blah Treadmill Blah Blah Blah Weights

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Another great day with Hella Sound music in the ears, so I switched it up during my run and listened to Silversun Pickups album Carnavas. This was my drive-to-work album for a long time in San Diego, and it's near and dear to my heart. Not the best album to run with maybe, but good to listen nonetheless. If you don't know this album, maybe you should.

On the Hella Sound tip, I'm really happy with how recording is going, and I'm completely stoked to have something ready for folks soon. A big part of this has been a learning experience, and I'm loving every minute of it.

Slated for 2 miles, I hit 24 Hour Fitness and ran on the treadmill. 2 miles is doable on the treadmill; I'd hate to run 10 miles on it, but 2 is quick and easy. I kept the mph at 6.2, the total run time being 19:43.

The run was great, the pace (for me) was quick, and I felt mighty fine.

Weightlifting

Bench Press: 3 sets of 5 reps @ 185lbs
Dead Lifts: 3 sets of 5 reps @ 95lbs
Still Dips: 3 sets of 5 reps
Lat Pull-Downs: 3 sets of 5 reps @ heavy weight

I'm loving the multiple-joint, heavy-weight plan. Not that I'm hefting big weights, but it's so much more fun that high-rep, low weight crap I was doing. I truly feel improved strength overall. I'll have to mix it up some down the road, but for now it's great. However, I am playing it safe with dead lifts. The last thing I want to do is tweak my back and jack myself up. 95lbs with good form is good enough for me for now.

Must Be Doin' Something Right

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After spending all day with my ears in Hella Sound music, I mixed things up a bit this evening and ran to the fine album pictured at the left: Cake's Pressure Chief. It's good sometimes to step away and freshen up the ears, and Cake is one of my favorites. In addition, it reminds me a lot of running on cool winter evenings in San Diego. Fond memories.

I must be doing something right, because (according to my Nike+ data) I was sub-10 minute miles for all three I ran tonight. It feels really good.

All I got to say is: yay!

Tomorrow is 2 miles and weights. I'm psyched for both. Seize ya later.

Short Trot and Hoistin'

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Oh Wordle, you make the prettiest graphics when I can't think of a picture worth posting.

Nice little 2 miler today on the treadmill. I did get a little gassed for some reason halfway through; maybe it was the fancy, fatty dinner I had last night, maybe it was the high-ish temperature in the gym. But I didn't quit. Sure, no great achievement considering it's a measly 2 mile run, but hey, it's something. I'll hang my hat on it—small victories, baby. Small victories.

Weightlifting

Bench Press: 3 sets of 5 reps @ 175, 185, 195lbs
Squats: 3 sets of 5 reps @ 135, 175, 205lbs
Still Dips: 3 sets of 5 reps
Lat Pull-Downs: 3 sets of 5 reps @ heavy weight

Remember that I'm using the pull-down machine in lieu of doing pull-ups—something that I just can't do many of at this weight. I am gaining strength there, tho. So hopefully the weight will go down, the strength will go up, and I'll divorce myself from using any machines in my workout.

Damn, I just realized: I forgot to do my soleus muscle dorsiflex exercises. Dammit. I'll do them tomorrow.

Life is good.

Happy Little 4 Miler*

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You guys remember Bob Ross, right? The Joy of Painting guy? Come on, I know you do.

Today's run was like a Bob Ross painting. Well, kind of.

Okay, it wasn't anything like a Bob Ross painting. But it sure felt good.

Slated for a 4 mile "long" run, I went down to the Marina and hit Crissy Field. It was another unseasonably beautiful day.

I did miss yesterday's 2 miler and the mixed drills I've planned, but oh well. On the one hand, it's not exactly in line with my "discipline" theme, but on the other it's good for my health as I ease into this. Hopefully it'll go a long way in helping avoid injury.

4 miles is not really a long run, but it's the longest I've done in a little bit.

Judging by my Nike+ stats, weightlifting has been a good method of tacking on some speed. Squats and deadlifts 2x a week and your pegs are able to propel you faster. isNice. Me gusto.

I've adjusted the Calendar a bit. I'm concerned about jumping right into 20 mile weeks, so I've pushed everything back a month and will continue to ease into things.

Not a lot of coherent things to say today, so I'll stop blathering now. Have a great week!

*Post title inspired by Bob Ross. RIP Bob, and all your happy little squirrels.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Happy Day

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I gotta tell ya, I've really been digging lifting weights again. Like lower rep, higher weight lifting. After doing high rep, low weight on and off for 7 years or so, it's been a lot of fun to heft stuff again. Very gratifying.

Schedule shenanigans moved my Thursday workout to today, but I ain't complaining. It was unseasonably gorgeous in San Francisco today, and I took my run outside.

I've been avoiding paved surfaces like the plague, but the sun and warmth lured me out to the Marina along the bay. The Asics Nimbus were great on the asphalt, and I felt absolutely no shock or impact. After running primarily on concrete, and feeling crappy and shin splinty for so long, it's really nice to feel confident and comfortable again. Truly.

I apparently ran faster than I intended, sticking around 10min/miles. I felt like I started too fast and eased up, but I thought I was going a lot slower than that.

Weightlifting

Deadlift: 3 sets of 5 reps @ 95, 115, 135lbs
Bench Press: 3 sets of 5 reps @ 165, 175, 185lbs
Still Dips: 3 sets of 5 reps
Lat Pull-Downs: 3 sets of 5 reps @ heavy weight

I have a run Saturday and a "long" run on Sunday, but I don't think my workout today should botch anything up. Here's to unseasonably warm weather! W000t!

Photo courtesy jasonatennui at Flickr.

Ahh Yes, The All-Weather Track

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Went over to Kezar today for my run.

What does my run at Kezar have to do with a Tusken Raider (pictured at the left)? Does it represent my obstinate tenacity with which I hit the track? Symbolize my unrelenting rage against being stationary? Did I hide behind a rock and shoot at jogging jawas?

The answer, in a word, is "no". I just think they're cool. (Thanks, Wikipedia, for the pic.)

So, I scheduled myself for 3 miles. I only ran 2. Wah wah. Honestly—and maybe I'm just rationalizing—I think it's okay that I only did 2 miles. I mucked up my ramp-up week, and it'd probably be a bad idea to bounce right into doing 19+ miles a week.

I pretty much quit. But really, I think the treadmill has gotten me into the mindset of "faster faster faster", which (if I was to further speculate) is probably due to the relative boredom of a treadmill, and the fact that I feel like I have an audience on the treadmill at the gym. All those people around... Just makes me want to run faster.

Oddly, my legs felt great, but my cardio sucked. I gassed out pretty quick. Could be going too fast. Could be the extra weight I've hefted on. Regardless, that'll be resolved soon enough.

In Other News

On the purely personal, non-fitness front, @LosBee and I have adopted a new furry son. We've named him Jeff. He's pretty awesome.

¡Ay Mi Estómago!

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I physically felt pretty rotten today. My guts were in a bunch.

But (as you can plainly see on this fancy calendar) I had a workout to do. So I done did it. Dood.

My run was pretty pathetic. I felt sorta blah and didn't do the 2 miles I planned. For whatever reason, the 24 Hour Fitness I go to has decided the treadmill and cardio area doesn't need fans or air conditioning. And it doesn't take too many people to get the temp (and humidity) up in a windowless room.

But my legs felt great, so I should knock tomorrow's 3 miler out of the park. I reckon I'll do it at Kezar Stadium's all-weather track. It'll be nice to mix it up a bit.

Weightlifting

Squats: 3 sets of 5 reps @ 135lbs
Bench Press: 3 sets of 5 reps @ 145, 155, 165lbs
Still Dips: 3 sets of 5 reps
Lat Pull-Downs: 3 sets of 5 reps @ heavy weight
Lunges: 1 set of 5 reps forward/backward, each side

Kids, I tell ya: I think those dorsiflex/shin strengthening exercises (see video here) are the real deal. Sure, I feel like a knob walking around the gym on my heels, but oh well. I am the same guy that bought Crocs, so I guess I'm not too concerned with what folks may think (sometimes). Etceteras.

Food

Poor @LosBee has been diagnosed with celiac disease. This is the girl that made it through med school and most of undergrad eating nothing but Kraft Mac & Cheese, so going gluten-free is a pretty big "oh crap!".

As such, we're changing our diet around a lot—no more pasta, bread or beer for her. Which pretty much means no more of those things for me, either.

As crappy as it is, it's good timing; after hitting what's probably my highest weight ever, I've been looking to switch up my diet anyway, so it's good to have an immutable driving force that'll keep me on track. It also fits in with my desire to become more disciplined in my fitness and health endeavors.

I've carved out a menu that consists of 2% milk, OJ, brown rice, steel cut oatmeal, eggs, potatoes, beans, chicken breast, greens (spinach and mixed greens), whole wheat bread, fruit and whey protein. These might sound like normal things to eat to most, but for me it's a pretty lean selection—something I refer to as The Aescetic Menu. Keep in mind, I've eaten more pizza, more steak and more cheeseburgers in the past year than I could even begin to count. So, this is a step in the right direction.

At some point I may begin to keep formal tabs on and publish any weightloss. We shall see.

A Quicky Treadmill Trot, Some Weights

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Hey. So. Yeah.

Truth time: I haven't run or gone to the gym since last Tuesday. I have no real excuse, no explanation. Schedule conflicts, wicked insomnia and a general sense of blah kept me from sticking to my plan. I started feeling crappier and crappier until I finally grew a pair and got my workout in.

Funny, but as soon as I was done, I felt absolutely amazing.

I've noticed that in general the best way to turn around a funk, get out of a rush and crush ennui is to get your ass up and do something. It applies to work, it applies to household tasks, it applies to fitness.

It wasn't much of a run, but it was a run. And it felt great. My new Asics Nimbus kicks are great, and all is well.

In Other News

God help me, I went out and got a pair of Crocs. Now, pardon me (sincerely) if you really like Crocs, but I myself have always thought they were pretty darn...ugly. Fugly, really. But they've done a great job marketing to runners, because I kept thinking "damn, maybe my feet would be happy if I wore these around the home office." Sure enough, they feel great. Ugly as sin, but they feel great. They're pretty cheap, too, in the grand scheme of things.

Weightlifting

Bench Press: 3 sets of 5 reps @ 135lbs
Still Dips: 3 sets of 5 reps
Lat Pull-Downs: 3 sets of 5 reps @ heavy weight

I've adjusted the Calendar a bit to reflect my botching the last week's plans. This was my ease-in period, and I'm not sure if I should stick with the schedule and jump right in to 19 mile weeks. I shouldn't, but I might.

Also, I just may move my Wednesday lifting (upper-body) to both Tuesday and Thursday. It'll get me a few more reps, and it'll also free me from having to go to the gym 3 days a week. I can get my Wednesday run in wherever, instead of being tied to the gym.

Until Friday!