Saturday, February 23, 2008

motivation for fatcats and possibly for chumlies of Fatcats!

This week has been monster monster in terms of work, so not a whole lot of gym work was done. Next week's agenda looks even fuller, so I'll have to see how she blows over the coming few days.
However,
Monday- too much work.

Tuesday- still too much work but fitted in a 15 k run. This run was light and easy and I could easily have tagged another 5k on to the end of it I felt THAT good coming down the road I was on. I didn't of course, but boy I coulda. This happens to me now and again, the runs are easy from start to finish, but it is such rare occurrence that I feel it bears mentioning.

Wednesday- 10k on the rowing machine time 52: 26. Which is faster than I can run 10k, go figure!
30k lat and bicep pull downs, 3s ets of ten each, walked home 4k.

Thursday- ran a rather poor 18k, I got lost, muscles and back sore from the previous day.

Friday- yeah I went to see a band last night, I wouldn't call it exercise but I tapped my foot a lot.

Tomorrow I"m running a 5 miler in the par with some chaps in the park.

Naturally this negates me misbehaving for another night. But I had three pints of beer last night at the gig. Now normally that would be nothing to a gal like me. But I gotta tell ya. I feel like the bigger of the cats shit in my mouth this morning. If THIS is what giving up alcohol for the best part of two months does to a person I will have to reconsider it.

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35 Comments:

Blogger Cycles Goff said...

No fucking way! I cracked last night too! Those two cans of Guinness that have been sitting in the fridge for six weeks. And I swear I was tipsy after half of one. I giggled even. But I feel even more grumpy and irrational than normal this morning. No wonder I'm funnier when I drink.

But I did just get in from my first run in three weeks. It went spiffingly and I feel a whole lot better.

Boo booze! Ra ra running!

(I don't mean that booze, I love you really.)

11:41 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Had a slow week. It warmed all the way up to 45 (7C) last Sunday so I ran outside. It was a stupid thing to do, as we've had nothing but snow and ice for weeks before. The slush was killer, I ended up getting soaked right at the beginning, so I did a very squishy 2 miles and called it a day.
A pitiful 2 miles was enough to kill my knees, though, so Sunday evening I finally got around to ordering new shoes.
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday I did pilates. Tuesday I walked 5+ miles. I did sets of 10 pushups here and there--while waiting on water to boil, during a commercial, etc.
Yesterday I tried the treadmill with my new shoes, but it was a sad effort, scarcely a mile done. I fear I'd destroyed my old shoes to the point that my feet and shins don't know what to do with actual supportive shoes. It'll take some getting used to. The good news is that my knees feel tons better this morning than they have all week. It's supposed to be a balmy 36 (2C) tomorrow, so I guess I'll head out and try a drier 2 miles again.

1:33 p.m.  
Blogger Andraste said...

Last weekend I started another three week no coffee, no booze detox thing. So I'm on day 8 today.

So, Monday being a holiday, I had time to continue the good workout momentum I started on the weekend. An hour on the elliptical, plus lots of leg lifting, butt crunches, free weights, lunges, squats, etc.

Tuesday - back to work, nowt but a lot of walking. A few miles worth anyway.

Wednesday - up at 6:30AM for a half hour elliptical, lunges, squats, ab wheel.

Thursday - again, up at 6:30AM for elliptical, leg lifts, donkey kicks, etc.

Friday - overslept, no workout. Big snowstorm - when I got home SPOUSE had shoveled so I settled in and watched snow fall. Not much of an exercise day, but my back was KILLING ME for some unknown reason. Stil is, a bit, but I think some aspirin, green tea, and some good stretching ought to sort that out.

Today - IF back loosens up - Possibly some shoveling and hoping for some time on the elliptical, but we are traveling (YUCK!) and we'll see how much I have time for before we have to leave.

Tomorrow - traveling back. HOPE back early enough to do something, but it's SPOUSE'S family so we could get shang-hai'd into brunch before we can hit the road home.

Fuck me, I hate traveling.

But in other news, my vintage dress arrived and it fits ALMOST perfectly. I just want to lose some inches in the torso and get a minimizing bra, so that the top fits a little looser, and it highlights the lovely darts in the 'bodice' but it's good to go as/is if need be. Big boobs are just so fucking...inelegant. So there's some motivation...

2:55 p.m.  
Blogger John Mc said...

Sunday fast 50 K ride, pushed all the way

Monday Easy 30k ride, split by watching the start of the Tour Of California in Sausalito while drinking cappuccino!.

Tuesday - rest day

Wednesday got tested, (riding a bike with a mask on yer face hooked to a computer), to figure out my max wattage, (310), my V02 Max 47 l/kg/min and all my stats for my VT1 and VT2 thresholds, (max min heart rates etc). Got told my body fat % is too high - after I have lost 6 lbs! .Start an indoor bike class based on improving these stats on Monday. Anyone interested in all this I can give more details. Its a great way to train, you know exactly where you should be to get max benefit.

Thursday 40 mins wattage training on stationary bike, followed by 4 mile run on the treadmill.

Friday - got a bike fit, same place that tested my fitness. Jaysus my bike was all wrong. They also analyzed my pedal strokes - again all wrong!
Bought new running shoes and went home ran for an hour, longest run yet, and it felt easy. My knee was pretty sore afterwards, but ice and ibprofen and its fine today.

4:30 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kids are on vacation this week so, exerwise, a poor one for me. Did not give anything up. In fact I appear to have taken up chocolate like Stalin took to being a paranoid asshole with a loo brush on his top lip.

4:32 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Andraste, safe travelling, hon. It looks treacherous up there in the North East right now. Hope it's not too far.

4:35 p.m.  
Blogger Andraste said...

Thanks, Sam. Just to Connecticut and back. A little over two hours each way. We think the roads are okay now, as it stopped snowing overnight and the plows have had ample time to do their work.

Still - I'd MUCH rather stay home and get things done around here.

I'm such a hermit. It's almost pathological.

4:52 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

Safe traveling darling and if conditions are poor take it slow and steady. (like you need me telling you, but be safe rabbit)
John that's an impressive week, you're really racking it up now. I got leg ache reading it. Were you completely shocked when you were told to drop bodyfat?
Sam, are you organised? Tickets at the ready, passport good to go?
Gimmie, I figured 22nd of Feb was as good a day as any to call a halt-although I'll still be leaving the rum until next weekend. MMMmmmmmrum. Good to hear your back running and your legs are over that tram sprint.
Grims, as I believe I said, thems are fine looking runners.

5:23 p.m.  
Blogger John Mc said...

totally shocked. They weighed my at 7 lbs higher than I weigh at home, and my body fat was, way too high, (although I look reltively lean). Good thing is, my other stats were very good, and losing some fat to lean muscle will only improve them all the more.

5:38 p.m.  
Blogger Megan McGurk said...

How was the band, FMC? Who was it?
I had three perfect margaritas last night that were just plain summer in a glass.

Our gym is closed for renovations right now but we still managed to fit in two trips this week.

5:51 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

There were a few different bands, Medbh, but we were there to support friends of our, most talented musicians, I even their CD. ( which they offered to give me free, but where's the support in that?)

John, there was a difference of 7 pounds?! yeee-ikes. You'll be just a skeleton with skin and ropey muscles before long.

6:12 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Had a good week with lots of running, was in London earlier in the week and got to run down Oxfords street, that was only a short run about 5k, somebody high five’d me and I fell. To say I was mortified is a severe understatement. I let my gym membership run out but I’m going to renew tomorrow. I think you need the variety the gym equipment offers. I might change gyms; I had a pain in my arse queuing for machines last time. I know it’s only a couple of minutes here and there but it is very off putting.

One thing though, how do you know what to eat, like carbohydrates, protein and the likes? Is there a website you got tips from? It's ok at the moment but I don;t want to loose weight as I build .

6:50 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry I mean build up bigger workout.

6:58 p.m.  
Blogger John Mc said...

Nonny

Make sure to snack in the hour before working out, carbs, (a bagel is great for this). Then keep fueling / replacing liquid with a carb drink, Gatorade, Gu20, Cytomax for example, (all come in dehydrated powdered form). Most importantly after a longer workout you need around 300 calories of a protein / simple carb drink with a 3 to 1 ratio of carbs to protein, (half it for a shorter workout). The delightful thing is that low fat chocolate milk is perfect for this. Drink it withing 15 minutes of stopping, eat a meal within an hour.

7:20 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks John. Would those drinks have lots of chemicals?

You are a vegimitarian as well aren't you? I worry about the protein thing as I don't eat meat or processed food (except Burger King and Eddie Rockets, oh and chocolate). I drink a pint of milk each day, eat porridge and monkey nuts :) so I’d say I just about get the RDA. They say on average you need 20g of protein a day, so any idea what a runner needs?

My apologies for high jacking your blog Miss Cat and scabbing information from you John.

7:40 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm nowhere near requiring a change in diet to keep me running, but my general rule for dealing with that body hunger (as opposed to stomach hunger) I get after working out is to discern whether it's a salt or fat and protein craving. It's usually either a handful of Triscuits or a glob of peanut butter on a spoon, sometimes studded with dark chocolate chips. Works for me.

FMC, I did see your comment on my blog--the new format I'm using requires moderation of your first comment, and I didn't get around to it for a bit. My new runners are a little orthopedic-looking in the arch ("motion control" apparently means "stack of foam and PVC in the arch") but otherwise, not too shabby. At this point, I'd wear Frankenstein boots to run in if I thought they'd do my knees right.

8:47 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

Work away Nonny and John, this particular post is not for me, but for everyone.

Grims, I wasn't being funny. I too would wear whatever the hell works. Damn straight. Running good, running in correct equipment, better.

12:43 a.m.  
Blogger John Mc said...

Nonny

Not sure what you mean by chemicals - they are basically carbs and minerals, both of which you need. There doesnt appear to be anything extraneous. Definitely don't just drink water especially when doing a longer workout. They key is fuel before after and during appropriately. Complex carbs an hour / 30 minutes before, a drink with simple carbs and minerals during, and Carbs / protein in a 3 to 1 ratio after. This needs to be done quickly as your body is prepped to repair muscle in the 15 minutes after you stop. Fitness is not about the time spent on an activity, it's about how your body recovers after, building muscle etc.

Amounts depend on the time you spend.

I may sound like some sort of expert, but this is advice I have been given by experts, and I find it works really well.

Re being a veggie, it's not that hard if you are not a vegan, mix of beans, eggs and cheese and tofu and you should be fine. Almonds are great snacks and have almost as much Omega 3's as fish.

1:20 a.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

I am going to the park to run five miles. I do not feel at all dapper. I"m pretty sure beer is not the drink of champions. I blame the paramour AND his pappy. Oh yes.

11:21 a.m.  
Blogger daisy mae said...

i pretty much did nowt but 2 yoga classes all week. i dragged myself out of bed for the 5:45 am monday morning class, and the instructor was horrible - read to us from notecards the entire time. thank god classes are included in my membership. i'm finding that setting up a rigid workout schedule is too much for me - i need more flexibility with when i can work out, what with school kicking it into high gear. the goal for today is to just sit down and look at where i have openings in my schedule for the next week.

nonny - i use www.sparkpeople.com on occasion to track my calories, fat, carbs, and protein. after logging what i 'normally' eat, i found that i was averaging about 10g of protein a day.... way too low. as soon as i upped it over 60g i had more energy, my moods became more stable, and i didn't feel like i was starving all day. it's easy to get ocd about the site at first, but the biggest benefit for me was learning what a 'normal' portion size was - here in montana everything comes in large, extra large, and super-duper extra large portions.

either way, i think it's interesting just to check in with the site every few days and see how i'm doing - for me i need that extra push.

4:30 p.m.  
Blogger aquaasho said...

Hi FMC, hope the run went well considering the beer-effect. I think that's why I gave up drinking altogether, couldn't face into things I really wanted to do the next day!
My week involved about 65 running miles, 4 gym days, minimal amount of swimming (but I try!) and a Women's Cycling weekend, which was all new to me. All in all a good week and the miles are clocking up for my mid-April marathon. I've been using a heart monitor which has just proven to me what I always knew: I'm a lazy runner and like to be comfortable. Very interested in John Mc's comments about V02 etc. It's great to get that testing done, tells you all sorts of things about yourself. Unlike John, I was told my fat levels were on the low side of normal, but OK. So my goal is building muscle: hence the gym days.

4:32 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

A yoga instructor reading from note cards? How weird.

I did okay Aisling, considering. Sometimes I consider giving up drinking all together too, but then I remember how much I love a cold beer after a long day gardening, or that first Friday evening delicious ale, made lovingly by Smurf's slightly shiny fair hands, or a perfectly made rum and coke with a slice of lime and the right amount of ice (two cubes) and I go aw.....forget it.

On the body fat, even going to the gym and bulking up on muscle aside, you will probably need to eat more to bring up the body fat, no? 65 miles- and I almost winced when I read that- and all the other work means you're probably burning through enormous amounts of calories and just depleting your stores of body fat. Are you on any supplements and what not? Have you though about rejigging your diet slightly?
I like the idea of the heart monitor too. We were blathering away on our run today, or should I say trundle, and it was only when we decided to increase the tempo on the last mile that we shut our yaps and concentrated on actually getting the oxygen moving. At the rate I"m going I'm never going to get any faster, I just too used bloomin' comfortable poodling along at an easy pace. I need to kick myself out of that a bit.

7:10 p.m.  
Blogger aquaasho said...

Hi FMC
On the body fat I eat like a horse and have been tested for haemoglobin and other things which indicate healthy idet and all was good. On weeks like this I eat almost constantly to replace carbs/ glycogen stores otherwise the training is pointless, I'd be tired all the time.
Like you said it's high mileage (but not crazy for the goals I've set) so when I go to the gym I try not to do too much cardio other than to warm up the muscles for weights. And my swimming is all about technique, I barely make 4 or 5 lengths in total (I'm useless at it!)
Don't worry about running slowly yourself FMC, it burns fat. Running fast burns glycogen and oxygen (although I'm no expert) so you need both easy and hard runs. The more easy runs you do, the fitter you get and your "easy" runs will naturally become faster. So your plodding, as you call it, will get faster. One or two runs a week at a slightly elevated rate will do good also.

8:24 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

I will definitely try to speed up the shorter runs (10k) because honestly I am just too bloody comfortable poodling.
Well bloody done on all the training Aisling, at this rate you are going to fly that marathon.

10:41 p.m.  
Blogger John Mc said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

5:29 a.m.  
Blogger John Mc said...

HR Monitors are essential, however, they are somewhat useless unless you know your Max and Min HR, otherwise you won't know the range to work in. The best way to do that is to get it tested There is the 220 - your age calculation for your max, but thats way too general.For example my max is 175, but one of my mates who is the same age and a supremely fit person has a max of 201, which is insanely high, if I hit 190 I bomb immediately. Neither is better or worse, its all individual. If you don't get tested the best thing is to wear one, figure our a rate at which you could run forever, and do intervals at above that rate.

Aisling is dead right about mixing easy and hard. Going hard all the time is useless, your body never gets a chance to rebuild, going easy all the time means you never get better, although you may be fit. Going easy is fine if fitness is the aim, but if you compete or you just want to get faster, a mixture is necessary.

5:31 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cheers Miss Cat.

John thanks you very much your advice is much appreciated.


And thank you for the website Daisy.

9:47 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nonny - you RUN down Oxford Street? Methinks you are fantasising or have the wrong city. It must have been between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. in the morning - as all other times it is 10 deep in people and you can only shuffle through the throngs! I'm in Oxford Street very often and have never even managed a brisk walk on any part of it.

12:12 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have never ran down Oxford Street at 3am, I have on occasion fell down it at that hour. It was about 7, maybe a little after, it was busy but just like New York not nearly as busy as people like to think or make out.

1:39 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

yeah, right! Just about like Grafton Street on a Saturday lunchtime multiplied by 10.

4:49 p.m.  
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