Cit, I haven't tried Zaragoza! I "need to" I guess!

Brunch cocktail with kids rain-check for our bidecadal meetup, we have a baptism to attend. I also approve of communicating via loco's log rather than PMs.

Thanks for the recs.

Much like downton, I also spend most of my time in Chicago in the suburbs as that's where the wife's family is. But I when I go for work, which I'll probably have to do next year, I'll stay in the city and check out at least one of these.

Will post in loco's log then for the most recent restaurant info.

Just finished the Rogan podcast with David Goggins from last week. What a badass.

Talked about where he stays for HR during his runs and made me think of you.

You should do some ultra stuff like him or Cam Hanes. Put that heart of yours to a real test.

State of the Union Bump

On my current diet of eating less food weight has stabilized around 170. I think I could probably get down to 165 or lower, but I would need to seriously diet, so dunno if it will happen. Surprisingly, losing weight has caused most of my lifts to go down, with the exception of pull-ups which are noticeably easier now. Who knew?

I can bang out 20 pull-ups (not Loco verified) pretty much at will.

That is all. Will update if/when there is a reason.

Looking good bro, did you ever get to 165?

I got fat (gained 14 pounds after Berlin), mainly just drinking a lot of IPAs. This casino I am working at has 4 IPAs on tap and they rotate with new ones.

Life was kinda of spiraling out of control, even though I was still working out 2 or 3 times a week. I just didn't have discipline after Berlin. First month I was recovering but then just started running less and less. The bottom was a few weeks ago, where I ran less than 10 miles one week. I still lift, but barely. Basically just front squat, rdl, bench, pullup.

Part of the problem was that the Chicago marathon is over a year after Berlin, but that's all I qualified for. My sister did get in to Chicago via lottery, so I started training her last week. We going to go to Alinea in Chicago during marathon week, I promised if she got in.

Not sure what the goal is for Chicago. I now need 3:08 to get Boston locked up. But I kind of want to break pokkerron's 3:02 S&F record. Willing to up the mileage this time around, and I will be ramping up fast.

3/11 W1D1 8.4 miles 1:09:29 (8:16 mile pace)

Definitely went out of the aerobic zone for the latter part of the run. My easy pace is now 8:30 to 9:15, down from 7:45-8:30 from peak Berlin training.

Came in at a chunktacular 164 pounds, a whopping 14 pounds heavier than October. Gotta drop that before this October, get back to race weight. Normally at 164 I usually still have most abs, but recently nary a one in view. Got a bit skinnyfat from lower lifting volume.

3/13 W1D2

Rdl 3x10 @175
Tbar row 3x10 @+90
Incline bench 3x6 @165

3 miles on treadmill 23:39

In and out in less than an hour. While I am indeed overfat by a few pounds, I am glad nonetheless that this is an easy workout.

Overfat is now being used and is more popular than skinnyfat. It means excessive bodyfat that can impair health. It is estimated that over 80% of the US population is overfat.

I am indeed about 5 pounds overfat at 164. The realities of natty training are truly sobering. Hilarious that recently multiple S&Fers suggested Monte get overfat, in order to hit some PRs. Lol. He is 40. We still live in the fat shadow of Lord Rippetoe.

OMG! Are your hammies barking today?

3/14 W1D3
5.6 miles 50:20
Avg hbm 138

Slow but this was at 22C and 2250M altitude. Polar still gave me a running index of 60. That is solid at my current weight and that altitude.

My ankle/heel is bothering me though. I was on pace for 27 miles this week but now probably going for 21-25. The advice to not increase mileage more than 10 percent from previous week is kind of spot on. You get super banged up fast.

3/15 W1D4
4 miles 34:01
Avg hbm 141

Nope. Leveled off at 170 and haven't budged a pound in a couple months. Body comp has slightly marginally improved though, and have regained some of the strength I lost in the initial weight loss, so that is something.

Did a set of 23 pull-ups a few days ago (not Loco verified) which would be the natty H&F record I am pretty sure.



Still seriously considering taking a run at 165. Stay tuned.

3/17
Incline DB bench 3x8 @75s
Pullups 12 12 11
Front squat 2x6 @145
Weighted hypers 3x10 @+75

4 miles 32:24
Avg heart rate 139

First mile was at a whopping 7:32 speed with an avg heart rate of 124. Thought I magically turned into a running savant. Alas, it was downhill and got tortured the last half mile, on the way back.

25 miles this past week
2 lifting sessions

On the comeback trail, fo sho.

This Lazarus fellow seems eerily familiar. Second pic looking really good.

Gotta stop nuding up this log bro. You’re skinnyfat it takes time and consistency to win the aesthetics.

Loco,
Just caught up on ur log and sorry to hear about your bro, life sucks at times man. I feel like the ones I try to help the most are the ones who get the most offended. I feel you on that.

3/19 W2D1
7 miles 58:13 (8:18 per mile)
Avg heart rate 142


Heating up, there may be no looking back.

3/20
W2D2
6x800m @3:00 each with 400m jog recovery @3:00 each

Brutal. I threw a filet in the oven so I can sear after the gym, so decided to skip out weights and just run.. Very smart decision, that workout above is way too hard to combine with lifting.

I added speedwork all of a sudden because my sister signed us up for one of the biggest 10ks in the country. Unfortunately it's in three weeks, so need to get some speedwork in. Probably going to have to go to the TCprotocol and decrease lowerbody volume significantly, to get this speedwork in.

Two upperbodies this week. One lowerbody. And hopefully 30 miles with one more speed session this week (mile repeats).

My sister criticized me because I said I was undertrained for a 10k in three weeks. She said I don't have to win my division.

Of course not, there are going to be 25000 people there. But a 10k should be run at 88%+ of max heart rate. Then the race gives you valuable input of where you at. It can be translated to potential 5k speed, half marathon, and marathon. Even mile. Even to find your easy pace. When I race, I go balls out. Not to get a medal or put nice pictures on my 'Gram. Lol. Of course I am going balls out, so I need to get some speedwork in so I dont injure myself and also to try to post a decent time.

I am probably going to run 41:00-42:00. Which sux, but I am really heavy relative to my race weight. So I will take that.

That conversation with my sister reminded me of Berlin. At the big dinner the night before the run, some noticed that I was anxious. And they were wondering why. I said because it was going to be one of the toughest days of my life.

They kind of dropped their jaws with confusion. But it's true, any balls out run is facking horrible. I don't run races for pics and to have fun. I run to see my potential and to test my limits. This 10k race is going to be top10 toughest workout of my life. I am undertrained, of course I am panicking. I don't want to tear something up. And I am not going to run it for fun. A PR should be easy since I have never raced a 10k. Unfortunately, peak Berlin I was in sub40 shape and now I will be lucky to hit 41:00.

3/21
Incline bench 185x3, 175x6, 155x10
DB Rows 2x8 @80s
TRX Fallout 3x10

W2D3 Treadmill run @1deg
4 miles 34:28

I wasn't wearing my watch but that run felt hard. I was sweating a lot, totally blows to run at 70+ degrees. I know summer is coming, but I won't be locked into Texas like last year.

I guess the loco doesn't run in the family.

Not too surprising. It takes a special type of dedication to randomly fly to Santa ****ing Fe for a training run.

I don't know your sister, but I'd assume it wasn't real criticism. That kind of WIM should be admirable to anyone.

I love this. Stay hungry man

I have tried the alternative. After Berlin I worked out 2 to 3 times a week, no program. Just training for health, some cardio some weights.

And it was a total shiet show. Instead of concentrating on work, I drank and watched TV with my extra time. Even thought I was depressed, even thought about how life sucked.

It was all fake. I need discipline, that comes from having to do a run at 5am. I need to be on a program. And then I start drinking less. I start working more efficiently and my problems go away.

W2D4
5.5 miles 45:42

This was supposed to be my long run but I had to cut it short. It was an awesome 50deg and sunny. Then a storm came out of nowhere and literally blew me off the trail. 40mph winds with little tiny snowballs clanking on my head. Rushed to cover and called it. Of course, 12 minutes later it was sunny and awesome again. Grrrrrrrrr. Now my schedule is whack, I can salvage if I get some solid running on Sunday.

Also probably need a new watch. First mile was at 113 heart rate and that's just not possible. It was very cool but it wasn't that much downhill.

I read about this in detail around a year ago, but there isn't a watch that exists that accurately tracks heart rate data. You need a chest strap. I'm enjoying reading your log, GL!

I might get a polar chest strap. Been really happy with my polar m600. The new polar vantage has 9 sensors and is probably better but kind of pricey.