2/15: W40D3
A
Dips: bw+60 x11, x10, x9
DB Hammer Curls: 40s x8x3

B
Skullcrushers: 95 x14, x12, x9
EZ Curl: 75 x12, x11, x10

C
Overhead Tricep Extension: x17, x13, x11
Seated Incline DB Curl: 22.5s x15, x13, x10

D
Lu Lateral Raises: 15s x12x2, x10
Cable Lateral Raises: x13, x12, x11

E
Treadmill Easy Run
20:00 - 1.95 mi/~10:15 pace/157 HR/169 MHR
5' wu + 5' cd

Did these back to back because I need to cook tonight, but need to remember to run first because my HR spiked after 6 minutes running and I had to dial it back to 5.5-5.6 - kept the HR to 160ish after that.

Lifting was fine; my upper back has been super knotted up for the past few days, and I think the dips opened things up a bit - hopefully it sticks. Planning on another double tomorrow, then we're driving to Michigan after work to ski with the boys over the weekend. Might try to get my long run in on Friday since I'll be skiing Saturday and Sunday, but I may just skip it - we'll see.

2/16: W40D4

Went for an outside run over lunch since it was nice; felt pretty good. Achilles is improving, if slowly.

Outside Run
22:30 - 2.36 mi/9:33 pace/150 HR/161 MHR
5' wu + 5' cd

Finished work early so I could get this in before we drive to Michigan:

A
NG Pullups: bw+35 x8, x6x2, x5, x4

B
Spoto Bench: wu, 175x8x3, x6
Facepulls: 4x14
Pallofs: x14x3
Back Extension: bw+45 x8x3

C
DB RFESS: 30s x8x3

D
Incline DB Bench: wu, 60s x9, x8, x7
DB Pullovers: 85 x10x2, x8

Quick and tidy at an hour total. Probably going to move my long run to tomorrow since we'll be without the kids while they're in ski school. Plan is to ski Saturday and Sunday with the boys, drive back Monday, then fly to North Carolina for work Tuesday through Friday. Hopefully I can slip in my easy run on Monday evening at the hotel and 2-3 lifting sessions while I'm on the road to stay reasonably on schedule.

Had a fun time skiing this weekend, but it got pretty warm yesterday (low 40s), so we stopped skiing at 2 and just drove back. Luckily that means I can get my double day in before my flight this afternoon.

2/20: W41D1
Outside Run - Goal Pace Repeats
(3:00 run @7:53-8:13 + 2:00 walk/jog) x3
(0:30 run @6:23-6:43 + 1:00 walk/jog) x5
15' wu + 15' cd

I am terrible at "feeling" what my pace is running outside; I overshot basically everything, but it still felt ok enough. 3:00 runs were all between a 7:34 and 7:40, and the 0:30 runs were all between 5:39 and 6:00. HR stayed between the mid-160s and mid-170s during the 3:00 runs and from the mid-160s through the low-180s for the 0:30 runs.

I jogged at around a 9:30 pace between the 3:00 runs and walked between the 0:30, and jogged around 20 minutes of the 30 combined minutes of the warmup and cooldown, so ended up being a pretty decent piece. Going to eat a little something then go lift in a bit.

2/20: W41D1
A
NG Pullups: bw x15, x11, x10, x8x2

B
RDLs: wu, 155x8; 165x8; 175x8

C
Spoto Incline Bench: wu, 150x8, x7, x6, x5
Facepulls: 4x14
Decline Crunches: bw+10 x9x2, x8
Hanging Leg Raises: bw+10 x11x3

D
Seated DB Press: 45s x13, x11, x9
Seated Single Arm Cable Row: 3x15
Calf Raise: x15, x13

Session was fine; learned my lesson from last time and didn't superset pullups and RDLs. Lessened the weight on RDLs, kept the toes up, and focused on the eccentric and it felt pretty good. Everything else was pretty decent.

Forgot to weigh myself this morning, plus I'm going to be away for work all week, so we'll see what the damage is in a week. Don't think it's too bad, I've just been spinning my wheels for various reasons.

2/21: W41D2
Treadmill Run - Progression Run
30:00 run @10:00 pace +10:00 run @8.03-8:23 pace
4.86 mi/153 HR/178 MHR
5' wu + 5' cd

Ended up doing 30:00 at a 6.0 treadmill pace and 10:00 at a 7.4 treadmill pace; felt difficult, but I'm pretty sure I could have kept going a bit longer.

5:30 per mile speed?!!!


I see somebody is trying to exit the 1:40 Half Club with Floppy/Arjun and join the 1:20 Half Club with the first Golden.

I will be watching you Montecore.

loco,

I doubt I could pull off a two hour marathon at this point; the current goal is a sub 50:00 10k, so there's a fair bit of work to do to get to Arjun/floppy level even after that.

2/22: W41D3
A
Treadmill Easy Run
20:00 - 2.0 mi/10:00 pace/148 HR/154 MHR
5' wu + 5' cd

B
Dips: bw+60 x11, x10, x9
DB Hammer Curls: 40s x9x2, x8

C
Overhead Tricep Extension: x18, x14, x12
Bayesian Curls: x15x2, x12

D
Cable Lateral Raises: x13, x12, x11

Squeezed an abridged version before an upcoming client breakfast; skipped the EZ bar stuff, which might be a better idea moving forward as my elbows are starting to get a bit irritated during those exercises. Legs were a bit heavy on the run but it was fine enough.

how are your joints handling the running? any knee or ankle drama?

Nothing significant since the Achilles; occasionally I'll have the "I've been running a bit" light soreness in my knees, and some lower back fatigue which I'm guessing is also from running, but very insignificant compared to the hip flexor pain/tightness that was pretty much constant from squatting and rowing. We'll see how things go as my volume continues to ramp.

2/23: W41D4
A
Outdoor Run
10x (0:20 stride repeat @180-200 + 0:45 jog)
15' wu and 15' cd

B
Seated OHP: wu, 130x8, x6, x5x2
Facepulls: 4x14
Pallofs: 3x14

B
DB Bench: wu, 80s x10, x9, x8
Chest Supported DB Row: 70s x10x3
Back Extensions: bw+45 x8x3

C
Single Leg Press: 3x8x1pps
Leg Extensions: x20, x18
Leg Curls: x18, x16
Seated Calf Raise: x15x2

I'm now at my second location on this trip, though given I'm working off-site today I decided to knock out tomorrow's lifting session today so I can sleep in a bit tomorrow. Given I'm in a downtown hotel with a valeted rental car, I decided to run 2.5 miles to the gym before lifting. I got fewer reps on press and dialed back the weight on the DB bench, but happy to have gotten through it.

The run went pretty well; average pace for the stride repeats was 5:53 with an average cadence of 180. I did a few reps in the 5:35-5:40 range, and the last 7 were all under a 6:00 pace; I jogged the first 6 recovery intervals but had to walk them after that. Jogged most of the warmup and cooldown, so ended up just short of 4 miles total for that leg of the trip.

I also walked back to the hotel, so needless to say I got in a fair bit of activity; at least I earned sleeping in until 7 tomorrow.

2/25: W41D6
Outdoor Long Easy Run
70:00 - 7.08 mi/9:53 pace/153 HR/166 MHR
5' wu + 5' cd

This run was programmed to go between 40 and 70 minutes; I was planning on calling it if I started to feel the Achilles, but I felt good, so I did the whole thing.

HR spiked on a few hills, but other than that stayed in the high 150s after the first few miles. Considering my flight was delayed multiple hours last night and I didn't get to sleep until 2, I'm pretty happy with how this went.

boom - an 80min run is great progress.

Thanks man, I'm getting there; pleasantly surprised at how mentally non-painful it was.

2/27: W42D1
A
NG Pullups: bw+35 x7, x6, x5x2, x4

B
Facepulls: 4x15
Decline Crunch: bw+10 x9x2, x7

C
Spoto Bench: wu, 180x8x2, x7, x6
RFESS: 30s x8x3
HLRs: bw+10 x12x3

D
Incline DB Bench: wu, 60s x10, x8, x7
DB Pullovers: 70 x10x2, x8

E
Leg Extension: x18, x15
Leg Curl: x16, x13
Standing Calf Machine: x18, x15

Consistently getting weaker, so it seems like full cardiobunny status is in the process of being achieved; I might as well get on getting less fat.

Weekly Weigh-in
1/2: 202.6
1/9: 197.2
1/16: 197.4
1/23: 194.0
1/30: 195.0
2/6: 198.8
2/13: 198.2
2/20: Fat
2/27: 199.3

Decent week for being on the road but had parties both Saturday and Sunday evening so the weigh-in was as expected.

Just an easy recovery run scheduled for this afternoon.

When you say you hate running or some other type of cardio, you are basically saying you are ignorant.

For example, I use to state that I hate cycling.

Well yeah cycling has different zones and my easy pace is only 120hr (135+ is too damn brutal). Plus indoor cycling is hot as fack.

No wonder I hated cycling, I was a donk.

Looks like the montecore exiting running donk status, thanks to an open mind and the wifeacore.

In before he busts his calf again. You better add seated calf bro, it's the soleus that tends to bust. Also a massage gun helps keep them nice and soft, instead of a tight wad of pain.

The massage guns are great. My sister got me the mini Thera and it's a game changer. Obviously I don't think they do much better than a massage stick or even myofscial release with your hand, but it's so easy and damn convenient. You also find the problem area real fast and for most runners it's the calf. Mine is almost completely knot free now, first time in my adult life.

Mini theragun and bone conduction ear phones (both from my sister). Wow, saved my calf and my ears (I use to have tinnitus).

And also my watch, which is like an electronic wife in that it tells me what to do so I don't have to waste any extra energy thinking. But yes, doing something closer to optimally magically makes it suck less! Plus rowing probably acclimated me to cardiobunnying at least a bit.

I'm currently doing seated calf once a week, but maybe I should up it to twice. We used to have a knockoff theragun but it broke; I've been rolling them out a few times a week but I'd definitely use a gun more often.

2/27: W42D1
Outdoor Easy Run
25:00 - 2.6 mi/9:37 pace/147 HR/160 MHR
5' wu + 5' cd

Even just that light amount of lower body lifting I did this morning affected me; my HR was fine, but my legs felt really heavy. Hopefully I get used to it.

+1
good stuff!

Thanks, Floppy!

2/28: W42D2
Goal Pace Repeats - Outdoor
4x[5:00 @7:53-8:13 pace + 3:00 jog/walk]
5:00_1 - 0.62 mi/8:07 pace/160 HR/170 MHR
5:00_2 - 0.63 mi/7:53 pace/164 HR/174 MHR
5:00_3 - 0.65 mi/7:39 pace/167 HR/177 MHR
5:00_4 - 0.64 mi/7:47 pace/163 HR/171 MHR
15' wu + 15' cd (2.75 mi)

Legs not feeling quite 100%, but happy to get through this one; I decided to walk the rest intervals just to make sure I didn't redline. Ended up jogging most of the warmup and all of the cooldown, so got a decent amount of work in on this one.

Also Amazon had a massage gun available that literally arrived at my house before I got home today when I ordered it while at work this morning, and none too soon - I'm feeling it a bit in my calves.

3/1: W42D3
A
Dips: bw+60 x12, x10, x9
DB Hammer Curls: 40s x 10, x9x2

B
Overhead Tricep Extension: x20, x16, x14
Preacher Curls: 55x10, x9x2

C
Single Arm Cable Tri Ext: 3x12
Bayesian Curls: 3x15

D
Lu Raises: 3x10
Seated Calf Raise: 3x15

E
Cable Lateral Raises: x13, x12, x11

F
Treadmill LISS: 20:00

Got this done in an hour flat; considering I had a decently long run last night and today is going to be nice, I figured I'd push that run to this evening and do a little active recovery this morning. Ditched the skullcrushers; my elbows are still fine, but I'm not sure I can safely go heavier so a bit of discretion seems indicated.

3/1: W42D3
Outdoor Easy Run
30:00 - 3.11 mi/9:38 pace/144 HR/157 MHR
5' wu + 15' cd

Pretty k.

am glad you're running outside. so much more enjoyable/easier to get more distance in imo, so long as conditions permit

Agreed; I've been running indoors only if outdoors would be tremendously inconvenient.

3/2: W42D4
Outdoor Easy Run
30:00 - 3.12 mi/9:37 pace/144 HR/156 MHR
5' wu + 25' cd

Fine enough.

3/3: W42D5
A
NG Pullups: bw x16, x12, x9, x8x2

B
Facepulls: 4x15
Pallofs: 3x10

C
RDLs: wu, 165x8; 175x8; 185x8
Seated Calf Raise: x15x3

D
Spoto Incline Bench: wu, 150x8, x7, x5x2
Back Extension: bw+45 x9x2, x8

E
Seated DB Press: 45s x12, x9, x8
Seated Single Arm Cable Row: 3x10

F
Leg Extension: x20, x17
Leg Curl: x18, x14

G
Treadmill LISS: 40 minutes

Everything ok enough; still have this persistent pain in my left lateral delt that I feel when pressing. Annoying, but I can work through it.

16 is a lot of pull ups!

Thanks! I was a pullup monkey back in the day, and it's coming back as I get less fat.

3/4: W42D6
Progression Run - Outdoor
30:00 @9:00-10:00 pace + 10:00 @8:00-8:20 pace
30:00 - 3.12 mi/9:38 pace/151 HR/170 MHR
10:00 - 1.27 mi/7:53 pace/178 HR/187 MHR
5' wu + 22.5' cd (1.57 mi)

HR was higher than usual but I felt pretty good; I'm fairly certain I whitecoated myself because my HR jumped two minutes before the last leg, I assume in anticipation. I had a fairly nice finishing kick over the last few minutes at around 7:30 uphill, which felt good.

One of my lifting buddies came with me today, which was nice; he's out of practice cardiowise but is an experienced biker, and kept up with me until the last few minutes of the last piece. We're going to do that gravel triathlon together in August, so probably good for him to knock the rust off. Hopefully I'll have a partner for a few runs a week moving forward.

I remember you rowing a whole lot. I just realized I can get a rowing machine for my house for much less $ than I thought. Is rowing generally a good form of cardio for GPP for lifting/fatloss? I tried stairs but my knees couldn't take it. Stationary bike is a "safe" option but its frankly kinda boring and often you run into problems with quads fatiguing before HR really gets going as your cardiovascular fitness builds. Any potential overuse injuries I should watch out for?

I think it depends on anthropometry and maybe flexibility, but in general lower back and hip flexors are what I ended up feeling as the years went on. If you're not concerned about build quality and comparing your performance statistics, a non-Concept2 will probably work, but I wouldn't think it would be appreciably less boring than cycling. It's certainly effective for GPP in that you can get a good caloric burn per unit time, but it's a bit more power-oriented than cycling and the technique component makes it a bit tougher of a choice if you're just going for mindless LISS, as there is a learning curve.