The last few days have been spent in meditation and relaxation. I have continued my usual workouts (with some cross country skiing added in for enjoyment). I've been mentally going through all of my muscles and relaxing them.
It's important to pay attention to the way the body is. When walking out in the cold, are the shoulders hunched? When sitting at a desk or computer, is the body slouching? Are the teeth clenched? Are the hands making tight fists? Are the legs too tense?
Paying attention to the body everyday is important. How can one expect to loosen any muscles or relieve soreness when the everyday activities are contributing to the pain?
I've also been thinking about my eating habits. I need to become more retroactive when it comes to food. Why should I compromise when it comes to my sources of energy? This seems like a poor choice. I suppose that the most important things for my body are food and sleep. I'm obviously active enough, so there isn't an issue there.
When I determine a new positive diet, I shall post it. In the meantime, I will try to stay away from foods that take my energy away. If I plan to do incredibly well on the Fargo marathon, I need to start now with the goal in mind.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Skiing in Sub-zero
Today's workout included cross country skiing. It was frigid outside, but I got working enough that it was really warm. I was out for about an hour. It was a great workout. Only problem was that there wasn't enough snow and I had to make my own tracks. It was great, but I really worked my calves hard. Never really did that from skiing before, but these are different skis than I'm used to. I also got to do some skate skiing.
Then I went to Optimum and did some more upperbody work today. I've been having some problems with my shoulder from lifting too much too soon on my shoulders. I didn't wait for my muscle memory to catch up. It's okay though, because my shoulder is fine, it's just a little sore. While my friend would swear by trigger point massage, I think it also stems from the fact that I've been ignoring stretcing my shoulders.
I did a morning session of yoga, two afternoon sessions (one normal and one Tibetan), and an evening session. Necessary? Not particularly. There's no reason NOT to do it though. It stretches out the body. It helps a person feel better and healthier.
I didn't run with Phil. Instead, I spent the time starting on my New Year's resolution:
Hand-stand push-ups.
Today I acheived lowering myself to where my elbows were almost 90 degrees and pushing myself back up. I did five of those, and it took almost all of my strength. I'm guessing at this rate I will be able to accomplish full hand-stand push-ups by the second week in February.
Because I didn't go for a run today, I did an extra set of ab work. I need to start sculpting my abs more before the marathon. It's amazing how important the core muscles are to any and every sport.
Then I went to Optimum and did some more upperbody work today. I've been having some problems with my shoulder from lifting too much too soon on my shoulders. I didn't wait for my muscle memory to catch up. It's okay though, because my shoulder is fine, it's just a little sore. While my friend would swear by trigger point massage, I think it also stems from the fact that I've been ignoring stretcing my shoulders.
I did a morning session of yoga, two afternoon sessions (one normal and one Tibetan), and an evening session. Necessary? Not particularly. There's no reason NOT to do it though. It stretches out the body. It helps a person feel better and healthier.
I didn't run with Phil. Instead, I spent the time starting on my New Year's resolution:
Hand-stand push-ups.
Today I acheived lowering myself to where my elbows were almost 90 degrees and pushing myself back up. I did five of those, and it took almost all of my strength. I'm guessing at this rate I will be able to accomplish full hand-stand push-ups by the second week in February.
Because I didn't go for a run today, I did an extra set of ab work. I need to start sculpting my abs more before the marathon. It's amazing how important the core muscles are to any and every sport.
Human Body as a Machine
As I recall studying in some class along the way (physiology or biology or something), it takes over 50 muscles to take one step forward. I believe it was 54 or something of the sort. The way that all the muscles are interlocked and work with the tendons and the bones is absolutely incredible. Is it really a surprise that injuries can easily happen, and when they do they just put a body out of use for a while.
Another good way to look at it is an "energy in = energy out" kind of concept. Losing weight isn't nearly as complicated as some people would like to lead you to believe. A simple formula is "eat less, walk more." While this is a very simple idea, it makes sense. When eating, try not to think about feeling full or good tasting food. Instead, start to think about foods that make you feel energized. I can't stress this enough. Then, start to think about how many calories are burned during a normal day. A nutritionist should be able to help calculate the caloric intake necessary for a day. My caloric intake is 3500 calories a day. In an average workout, I am burning about 1000 of those calories. If I want to lower my weight, I would simply lower my calories for the day (without cutting out essential vitamins).
Thyroid problem? We'll come to that another day.
Another good way to look at it is an "energy in = energy out" kind of concept. Losing weight isn't nearly as complicated as some people would like to lead you to believe. A simple formula is "eat less, walk more." While this is a very simple idea, it makes sense. When eating, try not to think about feeling full or good tasting food. Instead, start to think about foods that make you feel energized. I can't stress this enough. Then, start to think about how many calories are burned during a normal day. A nutritionist should be able to help calculate the caloric intake necessary for a day. My caloric intake is 3500 calories a day. In an average workout, I am burning about 1000 of those calories. If I want to lower my weight, I would simply lower my calories for the day (without cutting out essential vitamins).
Thyroid problem? We'll come to that another day.
Upper Body
Today I focused all of my efforts on my upper body. This includes biceps, triceps, lats, deltoids, traps, etc. While most weight-lifters are focusing on one area a day, I focus on sections. I prefer to work on my entire upper body one day and my lower body the next day. Of course, every day contains some of the same areas.
Every day I do push-ups, pull-ups (alternate days with pull-ups and chin-ups), calves, quads, abs, and lower back. These are the most important muscle groups to my body. Abs and lower back are two things that must be done every day. A strong core is more important than anything else in my body. My legs are also important and are worked on every day to varying extent (lower body days they are worked on a lot, and upper body days they are subjected to endurance excercises).
Every day I find it important to do a minimum of 50 push-ups. This can be split in different ways, but can never be included in my bench presses. I also find it important to do pull-ups every day, generally 3 sets of 10 per day. This helps keep my arms and back active, but not overworked. Just using your own body weight is acceptable on these fronts.
I had my standard breakfast of 2 packets of oatmeal. Then for lunch I had peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches on honey oat bread. Never underestimate the importance of a pb&j. The peanut butter helps to replenish the muscles while preventing muscle soreness. The jelly (or bannana jam in my case - thanks Pangie for the jam) is good for fructose and simple carbohydrates. The bread is good for soaking up any lactic acid built up inside the stomach (though not suggested for those with stomach lining problems). In short, pb&j is an excellent fuel source. After my workout, I ate a couple granola bars and had some hard boiled eggs after a whey protein drink. While I never used to use whey protein, the benefits of using it while trying to sculpt the body are limitless. I suggest a caramel/chocolate flavor. It's delicious. For the evening meal, I had a mondo burrito from Taco Del Mar. Not the healthiest suggestion, but it's packed with energy and also tasty. I was tempted to get the Alaskan fish for meat, but went with seasoned pork instead. The jalepenos were an excellent addition and also helped keep me warm on cold nights like tonight.
Sadly, I had an indulgence this evening. Being a Tuesday, I made my way to the Walrus for a couple beers and some good music. I had two beers, which is not the best for my training, yet still enjoyable and positive for my mentality.
The snow is falling in Bismarck, which makes me believe that I can go cross country skiing and running tomorrow. So, I will probably go xc skiing before lifting weights and go running with Phil after lifting. The time to hesitate is through. The Fargo marathon approaches more rapidly than one might think. I need to be ready.
Every day I do push-ups, pull-ups (alternate days with pull-ups and chin-ups), calves, quads, abs, and lower back. These are the most important muscle groups to my body. Abs and lower back are two things that must be done every day. A strong core is more important than anything else in my body. My legs are also important and are worked on every day to varying extent (lower body days they are worked on a lot, and upper body days they are subjected to endurance excercises).
Every day I find it important to do a minimum of 50 push-ups. This can be split in different ways, but can never be included in my bench presses. I also find it important to do pull-ups every day, generally 3 sets of 10 per day. This helps keep my arms and back active, but not overworked. Just using your own body weight is acceptable on these fronts.
I had my standard breakfast of 2 packets of oatmeal. Then for lunch I had peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches on honey oat bread. Never underestimate the importance of a pb&j. The peanut butter helps to replenish the muscles while preventing muscle soreness. The jelly (or bannana jam in my case - thanks Pangie for the jam) is good for fructose and simple carbohydrates. The bread is good for soaking up any lactic acid built up inside the stomach (though not suggested for those with stomach lining problems). In short, pb&j is an excellent fuel source. After my workout, I ate a couple granola bars and had some hard boiled eggs after a whey protein drink. While I never used to use whey protein, the benefits of using it while trying to sculpt the body are limitless. I suggest a caramel/chocolate flavor. It's delicious. For the evening meal, I had a mondo burrito from Taco Del Mar. Not the healthiest suggestion, but it's packed with energy and also tasty. I was tempted to get the Alaskan fish for meat, but went with seasoned pork instead. The jalepenos were an excellent addition and also helped keep me warm on cold nights like tonight.
Sadly, I had an indulgence this evening. Being a Tuesday, I made my way to the Walrus for a couple beers and some good music. I had two beers, which is not the best for my training, yet still enjoyable and positive for my mentality.
The snow is falling in Bismarck, which makes me believe that I can go cross country skiing and running tomorrow. So, I will probably go xc skiing before lifting weights and go running with Phil after lifting. The time to hesitate is through. The Fargo marathon approaches more rapidly than one might think. I need to be ready.
Monday, January 21, 2008
After the Battle of Marathon
Today my friend Kris called me to inform me he's going to run the Fargo Marathon. Then he convinced me to run it with him.
So I now have a goal. By the time May 17th comes around, I am going to be back into marathon-shape. I am going to redeem myself from the shameful performance that I had during the Twin Cities Marathon. This year I will get sub-4. Less than 4 hours will be no problem.
Today I took the day off. I did my morning yoga of the sun salutation. I had two packets of oatmeal with almonds for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and chili for dinner. I'm planning to do my tibetan yoga this evening before I go to bed in order to loosen up my back before lifting again tomorrow. The pizza for lunch was a poor decision, but sometimes you need some poor food in your diet.
Tomorrow will mark the first day of training for the marathon. From now on, running will be my main focus.
Eating oatmeal every morning is great for health and for energy. It's a good protein because of how slowly it digests. Keeps you fueled until noon when you can refill your engines. It's one of those meals that makes me feel like I actually have energy instead of making me feel sluggish. I suggest oatmeal every morning with a bit of cocoa powder and some almonds. ACTUAL cocoa powder and not hot chocolate powder. The bitterness is important, just don't put too much cocoa powder in, it needs less than a teaspoon.
So I now have a goal. By the time May 17th comes around, I am going to be back into marathon-shape. I am going to redeem myself from the shameful performance that I had during the Twin Cities Marathon. This year I will get sub-4. Less than 4 hours will be no problem.
Today I took the day off. I did my morning yoga of the sun salutation. I had two packets of oatmeal with almonds for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and chili for dinner. I'm planning to do my tibetan yoga this evening before I go to bed in order to loosen up my back before lifting again tomorrow. The pizza for lunch was a poor decision, but sometimes you need some poor food in your diet.
Tomorrow will mark the first day of training for the marathon. From now on, running will be my main focus.
Eating oatmeal every morning is great for health and for energy. It's a good protein because of how slowly it digests. Keeps you fueled until noon when you can refill your engines. It's one of those meals that makes me feel like I actually have energy instead of making me feel sluggish. I suggest oatmeal every morning with a bit of cocoa powder and some almonds. ACTUAL cocoa powder and not hot chocolate powder. The bitterness is important, just don't put too much cocoa powder in, it needs less than a teaspoon.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
In order to become a god...
I am on my way to make my body a weapon. The goal is to become as athletic as possible, as one of the greeks of ancient times. I believe I will begin to have olympic events held so that I can compete against others in manly events.
The order of the goals:
1. Get my body in shape.
2. Get my mind in shape.
3. Get my life in shape.
So shall it go. I will begin to write down my eating habits and excercise habits in order for others to follow my example.
The order of the goals:
1. Get my body in shape.
2. Get my mind in shape.
3. Get my life in shape.
So shall it go. I will begin to write down my eating habits and excercise habits in order for others to follow my example.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)