It's Get Busy Time

Alright kids, it's time for me to get serious. Seriously.

If you've read this blog for a while, you've seen me follow various plans, set various goals, and try various things to stay on top of fitness. What I've realized recently is that I do need a race on the horizon to stay on top of a running plan. I can do something for a month or so on my own, but if I don't have a goal I lose focus and slack off.

Right now I'm committing to getting serious about this.

Background: More Than You Probably Want To Know

I haven't really elucidated my medical issue I eluded to early on in this blog. I'm not totally sure I will fully explain it; I guess I'm not wholly comfortable laying it out for all the world to see.

It suffices to say that, after having horrible headaches for 8 months, a neurologist found a problem nestled inside my skull. A walnut-sized problem, to be more precise. Not a life-threatening problem, but definitely something that has thrown me out of whack and caused various medical funkeries.

Anyhoo, this little bugger has been growing in there for 5, maybe 10 years, which nicely coincides with quite a bit of weight gain on my part. I reckon it has caused metabolic funkiness, muscle development funkiness, and physical funkiness in general. On top of it, I quit smoking about 10+ years ago and for a short while substituted Snickers bars for Camel Lights, which will, of course, pack on pounds faster than a cheetah can close in on a fuzzy bunny rabbit.

Things are good, and I'm on medicine that has put me back in balance. This medicine, however, is essentially steroids, so it is also contributing to my overall mass. So what does this all come down to?

It's Time To Get Serious

So this post is all about my new all-encompassing plan. It's a 2 month plan leading up to the ING Bay to Breakers 12k in San Francisco, which I'll be running with some Bay Area folk I've met on Twitter.

The Plan: March 2009 — May 2009

The overall plan can be broken into 4 parts:

1. Running Training Plan
2. Strict (for me) Nutrition Plan
3. Hip Rehabilitation Plan
4. Ab & Core Strengthening Plan

Running Training Plan
I'm going with Hal Higdon's Novice 10k Training Program. Yeah, I've run 10ks before, but since my hip is a little jacked up I'm not looking to win medals here—I just want to finish without looking like a jackhole.

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Stretch & strength	2.5 m run	30 min cross	2 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	3 m run
2	Stretch & strength	2.5 m run	30 min cross	2 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	3.5 m run
3	Stretch & strength	2.5 m run	35 min cross	2 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	4 m run
4	Stretch & strength	3 m run	35 min cross	2 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	4 m run
5	Stretch & strength	3 m run	40 min cross	2 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	4.5 m run
6	Stretch & strength	3 m run	40 min cross	2 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	5 m run
7	Stretch & strength	3 m run	45 min cross	2 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	5.5 m run
8	Stretch & strength	3 m run	30 min cross	2 m run + strength	Rest	Rest	10-K Race

Strict (for me) Nutrition Plan
This is going to be one of the major challenges; I tend to eat whatever the hell I want, and a lot of it. But I think this is where the majority of my improvement will come.

I'm going with a rough macronutrient breakdown of 50% carbs, 35% protein and 15% fat. This'll be a huge departure for me, since I eat pretty poorly and indulgently.

Here's a look at what an average day's food intake will be like:

  MEAL #1
  --------------------------------
  PROTEIN POWDER (w/ coffee)

  MEAL #2
  --------------------------------
  MILK   1 cup
  BANANA   1
  EGG   1

  MEAL #3
  --------------------------------
  MILK   1 cup
  WHEAT BREAD  1 slice
  PEANUT BUTTER  2 tbsp

  MEAL #4
  --------------------------------
  CHICKEN BREAST  6 oz
  BAKED POTATO  1 large
  FIELD GREENS  3 cups
  OLIVE OIL  1 tbsp
  BALSAMIC VIN  1 tbsp

  MEAL #5
  --------------------------------
  CHICKEN BREAST  6 oz
  BROWN RICE  1 cup
  BROCCOLI  3 florets

  MEAL #6
  --------------------------------
  ALMONDS   1 oz
  EGG   1
  SPAGHETTI  1 cup

I'm shooting for about 2200 calories coming from pretty darn "clean" food sources. I'll make substitutions as need be (out of boredom or if social eating or drinking plans arise). I generally do well eating like this, and hopefully I won't slack off or get too bored in the 2 months I'll be eating like this.

Hip Rehabilitation Plan
I'm going to religiously do the prescribed exercises every single day, 2 times a day as recommended. These exercises are for strengthening my hips, which will ostensibly improve my running form and overall hip health. Also, they will hopefully prevent injury...
(AROM == Active Range of Motion)

1. AROM Lumbar Bridging (Bilateral): 3 sets of 20 reps
2. AROM Hip Extension/Rotation: 3 sets of 20 reps
3. AROM Hip Abductor (Unilateral): 3 sets of 20 reps
4. Isometric Trans Abdominis: 3 sets of 20 reps
5. Standing Bilateral Hip Stretch: 3 reps held 30 seconds

Ab & Core Strengthening Plan
Like most people that work in front of a computer, my abs (and thus my posture) could be improved. I recently picked up Stronger Abs and Back and plan to incorporate their tiered program into my daily routine. What the hell, why not, right?

Your Part In All This

So why the hell am I telling you all this? Well, basically, I want to be held accountable for staying on top of this, taking the steps every day, and sticking to this 2 month plan. This is something I need to commit to, and to be honest, I'm nervous that I won't pass the gut check. I'm worried that I'm going to wuss out.

So, as usual, this here blog will be my way of posting my workouts, celebrating success, and if it comes down to it, owning up to failure.

Wish me luck. And kick me in the ass if I slack off. Seriously.