i went back and forth and back and forth about joining round 4 of tina's best body bootcamp. first and foremost let me say that i was NOT apprehensive because i didn't think it would be worth it. i saw big changes in my fitness level from round three (my ability to complete jumping lunges with no problem after falling all over the place when i used to attempt them was all the proof i needed), so signing up should have been a no-brainer. however, i'm also starting off my year with several races. i'm planning on running the rock n' roll half marathon on march 16th (cough...birthday...cough...sarah...), the nike women's half marathon on april 28th and potentially the cherry blossom ten-miler if i can get a hookup from alex. if i can't get that hookup i might just jump the corral gates and get up in that race anyway because i love running with alex. regardless, i've got some big running plans in the works for the first half of the year.
i have always used hal higdon's plans for marathon/half training and i spent a couple of hours or so planning out all of my training through april so i'm all set in terms of my weekly runs/long runs as well as some speedwork that i want to try out to shake up my training since i've never done it before. i'm incorporating tempo runs and 400 m repeats into my wednesday workouts and i've been liking them a lot so far. in my old life i would have been totally fine with my workouts being almost totally cardio-centric with MAYBE one strength workout a week, but that's not where i'm at right now with my fitness. i was obsessed with how i felt after the bootcamp workouts during the first round. however, i find it more difficult to get motivated to do strength workouts than cardio. it's so easy for me to go out there and pound out some miles (inside definitely, outside not always) but when it comes to the weight room i need a little push. so i decided...
i signed up for round four! it starts on monday and as soon as i got the first emails from tina about it i was so psyched that i knew i'd made the right decision. when i sat down and tried to decide how to fit it in with my current training plan, i actually didn't have as much trouble as i thought i would. in hal's (we're on a first name basis obviously, considering i drink from his water fountain on the reg) intermediate plan he puts two days of strength on the calendar so my plan for now is to use those days for workouts a and b from bootcamp and then forgo the cardio plans from bootcamp and instead do my training planned runs in their place. as far as fitting in workout c (there are three strength workouts a week in bootcamp plans), i am not sure if i'm going to do them. i'll probably try to fit them on my plans as tentative but for the most part, i don't see myself actually getting them done. i think it would be a little too much and the last thing i want to do is risk injury considering all my running plans.
that's where i'm at right now - a little apprehensive about how it will work but overall completely excited about the next few months. i'm completely type a and so motivating myself to workout is easiest when i have a plan. now i have two plans! could i be more psyched? probably not. anyway, here's my plan for this week...
sunday - 3 mile run with my brother in miami (weeeeeeee!!!)
monday - workout a / walking intervals
tuesday - 3.5 mile run
wednesday - 6 x 400 @ 5k pace / workout b
thursday - 3 mile run
friday - workout c OR rest (probably rest)
saturday - 6 mile run
sunday - rest!
okay, so that looks pretty intense for me. obviously mileage wise it's not high for a lot of people, but for me it's not necessarily about mileage but about using my legs that often. i'm thinking that this week for sure i won't be doing workout c on friday. i will usually rest on sundays since i'm planning on doing my long runs on saturdays, but i really can't pass up the chance to run with my brother in miami. i'm going to take it easy with him and just have fun, so it might turn out to be more of a walk/run. either way - i think i can tackle the week but i don't like having that many days without rest on the weekly calendar so like i said, workout c probably isn't in the cards this week and i'll be spending friday evening laying on my couch instead.
as for goals...
1. drink 5 liters of water a day. this shouldn't be that hard for me considering i usually house water like a boss, but for some reason i have been feeling crazy dehydrated lately and i have noticed that i just haven't been as good about drinking as much water as i usually do. so i'm making it a goal! hold myself accountable and chug that h2o.
2. relax in miami. i had such a great time over christmas break because i was able to relax about food instead of thinking so damn much about it, which is something i've really struggled with this past year. i want to keep that up in miami since i'll be eating out for most of my meals and typically that can be something that isn't always the easiest for me, but i don't want that to get in the way of having a good time with my dad and brothers. so i don't know how to tabulate that exactly, especially since it's not the whole week, but i guess i'll just give myself a check mark for every day i don't feel nervous about eating. seems stupid i know but for me it's a big deal.
here we go! anyone else have really ambitious plans for this week?
<3
You have an AWESOME training plan put together!! Also, can I just say that I'm super jealous that you're soaking up the sun in Miami as I'm staring out the window at half a foot of snow? Ohhh NH. I've been bad about water lately, too. I think it's because it's been so cold lately so I haven't been inthe mood to drink it. We'll start chugging together ;)
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE IN BOTH OF THOSE RACES, I hooked you up and you have the cherry blossom too. boo ya. I need a running buddy for both of them, I still have yet to find one for the rock and roll. you have like the same pace as me so I am going to be one sad bugger. very sad bugger. I think your plan looks good, you know what works with your body and that is key. i see you owning this and getting stronger than ever. hey, if it doesn't feel right back off. that is my plan as well
ReplyDeleteI never strength train and I know to start I'm going to have to do something like this once at least to give me that push. I just don't have the desire to get into it right now! I've heard such great things about this one though. Also, that's awesome you have 3 halfs planned already...I have yet to have any actual races planned for 2013 so I needa get on that.
ReplyDeleteLove the look of this lady!! I've been wondering if I should cut back on mileage a bit and focus more on strength training and yoga...all of the plans I've looked at have way shorter runs than I'm used to each week, so I'm not sure if I'm overdoing it or not...probably send out a mass email sometime today to gather thoughts and suggestions haha...Have a blast with your fam down in the sun!!
ReplyDeleteI love that you're incorporating strength into a running schedule! I NEVER do that but I'm sure I'd see big gains in my training. Like you, I'm just not motivated to do strength workouts and if I wake up early to run, work, and then come home I just don't see myself doing anything but sitting on my couch all night. Ha. I can't wait to see how it goes for you!
ReplyDeleteI've been sooo bad about drinking water lately. I'm usually a beast with water but I just haven't been craving it lately. I definitely need to do better about it!
I basically said the same thing to Miss Alex this morning, but I think that the combination will be good for your strength and endurance. But I also think that you're going to need to be very vigilent of your energy levels and your need for rest and sleep. I hope you never hesitate in taking an extra rest day if you need it, and I love that you're open to just not hitting Workout C. But I know you love lifting and I think that keeping mindfulness and health as priorities and setting appropriate (and fun!) goals will be fabulous for you.
ReplyDelete5L is a tonne!! Just ... be careful that you're not too full from water to be enjoying other foods. Cereal is more fun than water any day. ;)
I think I'm going to piggyback on your water goal. I really need to increase my intake!
ReplyDeleteLove your goal of just having fun in Miami!!!! I hope you & your family are having the most wonderful & kick a$$ time right now. Enjoy the food, the weather & everything Miami has to offer!!!
ReplyDeleteI just planned out all my training, too! I feel so much better now that I have it all planned out. I'm type-A, what can I say? Keep us posted on your BBBC workouts, you're going to be soo strong. I've been keeping an eye on your Instagram (in the least stalker-ish way possible) and it looks like you're eating lots of great food :) Can't wait to hopefully see you this weekend!
ReplyDeleteI'm running a half on the 16th of March as well!! I think I might have already mentioned that here though.. who knows! Look at you doing the bootcamp AND all that training. I was seriously considering doing both as well, but decided to stick to my normal strength workouts since this is my first half ever.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
i love that you'Re dOing bootcamp whiLe training for races, mostLy because iT means I can reaD about how it works for you and thEn figure out my game plan for later this year. I'm not training for any races right now (I'll maybe throw a 5K or so in here and there, but I don't run outside in the dark, and I DO NOT run on the treadmill unless it's literally the only cardio machine left other than the reclining bike in my gym, which means from here until about Marchish my running is limited to Saturdays only. Springing forward on March 10 CANNOT get here fast enough!), but I'm pretty much banking on running Chicago in October, and I'd really like to keep strength training in my schedule once I begin training for that. I think strength training is super, super important, but I have a really hard time keeping up a good strength training schedule when I'm training for a race. When I trained for my half last September, I usually did one day of strength training per week, and I exclusively did arms and abs to give my legs a break. I think I could really benefit both from an endurance standpoint and a staying-uninjured standpoint to incorporate a little bit of strength training into my running schedule as well, so I'm interested to see how you deal with bootcamp while training for races. I love love love bootcamp, but I don't know if it'll work while I'm marathon training, so you can be my sorta guinea pig in all of this haha.
ReplyDelete(And yes, there is a T. Swift-esque hidden message in the first sentence of this comment. I promise I'm trying to be on my best behavior with your blog and the game tonight...operative word being "trying.")
Wondеrful beаt ! I wish tο apprentice at thе samе tіme
ReplyDeleteas you amend уοur site, hoω cоuld i ѕubscribe
for а blog web site? The account aided me a acceptаble deal.
I haνе bееn a lіttle bіt acquainted of
thiѕ your brоadcаst providеd brіght cleaг
iԁeа
My ωebpage; automated twitter followers
Here is my weblog - advertising on twitter cost