2015 Exercise Log/Challenge

[Catrin]

Less stress is good Blueberry For me it helps occasionally to have a public training log in some form, and this time of the year I find it especially helpful. I keep a different type of log elsewhere, but it focuses on different things and on only one activity. Knowing it is public, should anyone decide to look at it, helps this time of the year.

Crankin, I can't think of a better logging partner, and I agree that it helps to keep things realistic during the winter. If anyone else wants to join in at any point in the next three months they are more than welcome

[Crankin]

My other log is just a Bicycling Magazine training journal. In paper . I log rides/mileage and my weight, as well as any other cross training activity. No one sees it except me, although DH could look at it, I suppose, as it's not hidden.

[Crankin]

So, I woke up feeling better, but still having the effects of allergies/chronic achiness. It's not pain, and it only comes when I am in this never ending cycle of whatever. But, once I got up, I knew I could do some kind of exercise. Thinking I didn't want to ruin my 35th anniversary celebratory dinner tonight, I ditched the Insanity class and DH and I went for a 3 mile walk on the road. It varied between misty and light rain, so not so pleasant, but I felt like I had to get outside, rather than just work in my home gym, which I am going to do now. Had my North Face soft shell on the top, warm core, but my Ibex ski tights got a little too wet on the thighs and they are still red from the cold/wet. It's 33.6 degrees out, and while it doesn't really feel that cold, it does feel miserably damp. OK, going upstairs to do some core work and then off to buy some holiday gifts.
I added in a half hour of recovery yoga before I went out for dinner.

[Catrin]

I took yesterday off and hit my usual kettlebell competition training session this morning. It was much better than Thursday, THAT one was a bit ugly. Coach said he can see beginning signs of fatigue in me and one of my training partners. He is going to take a different approach in our training that will still allow us to progress and prepare and still do conditioning work. He made both of us promise that we will be honest when he asks us how we are feeling - not that we would lie about it - but when you driven to reach a goal it is easy to unconsciously ignore signals from the body. I know myself too well to say I wouldn't do that. It helps that our Coach is prone to that as well and he recognizes it in others.

I've a huge 7.5 pound pastured ham thawing - just realized the "use by" date was 12/06 - don't want to risk freezer burn by leaving it there for another month. It wasn't cheap! Doing some laundry and hope to spend some quality time this afternoon with a good book. Perhaps a glass of hot buttered rum this evening as a treat Tomorrow is rowing, but that is another day!

[Catrin]

10,024 meter row today, it took just under and hour. I used to listen to music when rowing but have found that listening to an audio-book instead seems to work better for me for long rows.

[Crankin]

You know, I had a rowing machine at home, when my younger son was a newborn. My thinking was I could jump on it for 30 minutes or so, when he was sleeping. Except, he never slept, and I ended up going back to the gym asap, to give myself a respite. That thing cost a fortune, but I sold it easily. I kind of liked it, but never really got into it again.
Went on a hike with our friends this morning. It was about 5.5 miles and took a little over 2 hours. It's a challenging hike, not because of elevation, but because of tons of rocks and roots. Plus, it was slippery in places, with a sheen of ice on some of the leaves and rocks. A few water crossings, too. I prefer snowshoeing here, it's easier when there's snow! It was finally sunny out, but with a good wind. Saw several cyclists on our back to the house (about 3 miles) in the car, which made me think I wussed out, but it was really only 36 at the highest, and that wind...

[Catrin]

In order to be a competitive kettlebell sport lifter, you have to be able to handle long bouts of repetition...which mixes well with indoor rowing. My knee won't really allow me to do other cardio-related activities on a consistent basis so am thankful to be able to do this. I am going to have my dr look at my knee this week to make certain that there isn't anything going on with it more than arthritis and loss of cartilage underneath my knee cap. I've been rather surprised that audio-books are helping me on my hour-long rowing more than a good music playlist, but it does.

The hike sounds like fun! I really need to save up for some decent winter hiking shoes, I've everything else I need but I am not about to try to hike in the winter in my summer trail running shoes... Enough of that, it sounds like you did great! How do you handle hydration on long cold hikes, I was just thinking it might be nice to workout a portable "warm drink" thermos solution that wouldn't be too heavy.

[Crankin]

I handle winter hiking/snow shoeing/x country skiing like cycling. I do not bring hot drinks. Today was just a local hike with not much climbing, and I just had my running Nathan bottle holder with 2 10 oz bottles. I drank one. I didn't feel like I was sweating or working hard in a cardio sense, but in a technical sense. My eyes had to be on the ground. If anything, my legs got a great workout, with all the bounding over roots and rocks. I have a larger Nathan waist pack with a pouch for holding stuff and 2 bigger bottles for when I snow shoe or ski. I usually put Nuun in one bottle. I am thinking that now that I have found Skratch Labs stuff and I like it, I may use it for x country skiing. In fact, I did last week. However, they do have one flavor, cinnamon apple that is recommended to be used hot.
I use the waist pack because when i was using a Camelbak skiing, the water froze. I got an insulated tube, and that didn't work so well, either. However, that happens when it's below 25 or so, more likely to happen when I ski, not on local hikes. They do make a Camelback with a heater, but it's like 200.00. A friend of mine bought one for her son when he went to Colorado to snowboard.
Do not go winter hiking in your trail running shoes! Regular hiking shoes are usually waterproof, or buy a pair that are. I just bought a new pair last winter, after 10 years. So, they last. And, if you want to really be able to hike, get some Ice Spikes (not Yak Trax). I bought mine to walk down my driveway, but they have allowed me to hike in places with thick ice, and believe me, you aren't falling anywhere with those things. They were particularly useful in the late winter/early spring.

[Jolt]

MicroSpikes are definitely the way to go for winter hiking (or just navigating ice-covered sidewalks if your town is horrible about keeping them clear), and Stabilicers Sport are great for running. There is a lot to be said for being able to safely run/walk outside in the winter--keeps you off the dreadmill!

[Crankin]

Went to boot camp this morning. Was really hard to go when it was 16 degrees out!
And, the usual instructor was not there. It was OK, until some weird guy came, late, stod behind me and proceeded to do all of the stuff with too many weights with horrible form and heavy breathing on top of all that. If the regular person had been there, he would have lasted one minute, because there would have been a lot more cardio.

[Crankin]

It was 28 degrees and icing this morning, so no spin class for me. I dragged myself out of bed and got on the treadmill for 30 minutes, doing an increasing gradient of hill walking.
Not much, but something. At least by the time I left for work the ice turned into torrential rain, of which it is still doing now. Going to a bike leader holiday party. Thankfully, it's the next town, it's nasty out.

[ny biker]

It was 28 degrees and icing this morning, so no spin class for me. I dragged myself out of bed and got on the treadmill for 30 minutes, doing an increasing gradient of hill walking.
Not much, but something. At least by the time I left for work the ice turned into torrential rain, of which it is still doing now. Going to a bike leader holiday party. Thankfully, it's the next town, it's nasty out.

I find that setting the treadmill incline at 8-10% can give me a good workout, walking at a somewhat-fast pace (3.5 mph or so).

[Catrin]

I find that setting the treadmill incline at 8-10% can give me a good workout, walking at a somewhat-fast pace (3.5 mph or so).

This gave me a flash-back from my previous coach - during "warrior cardio week", he would have us to SPRINTS on the treadmill at 10% incline AND a 5-8 mph pace depending on the individual. No lower incline than 10%, thankfully he never had me go higher than 5.5 mph and THAT was scary enough without hands Very good at getting the heart rate up though!

Tonight I had my usual Tuesday evening kettlebell training group. I did a full competition 10-minute set of KB LongCycle (clean and jerk), but not at a competition pace. He had me mix up my pace. After a good break I did several sets of accessory work such as heavy KB cleans and KB push presses, etc. Tomorrow morning, if I get up early enough, I will head to the gym before work and row...IF I get up early enough. If not I will do that after work.

[Catrin]

BTW, it isn't too late if anyone else would like to join Crankin and I on the spreadsheet. No need to post details here unless it is helpful to you. I find it useful.

[Crankin]

So, today I went to the same step and sculpt class I went to last week. Last week, it seemed to be the thing that pushed my immune system into overload. But, I really tried to figure out what happened and it was more like 5 days in a row of intense exercise, including nordic skiing, riding outside, boot camp, spin, and then this class. I do everything I can to mitigate the things about the class I know affect me a lot, mostly the heat and humidity that build up in the room. Started using Nuun in my bottle and wearing the coolest clothing I have. I use the teeniest weights (2 lbs.), even though for some of the stuff they feel too easy. But moving on the step combined with anything bigger than this is not good for me. I stand by the giant fan and also near the door to the outside that can be opened. I felt much better during class today, but I also have not been on the bike (either outside or inside) in a week or skied, although I have been exercising. Also, last week, the instructor (who is good) was injured and she stayed off the step and modeled everything, which actually I think, made the class harder.
I hate admitting that I seem to fall apart with intense stuff after a few days, and the thing is, it's not always. Currently trying to figure out what nutritional things may be contributing. We are going on a nordic ski trip in the Cascades at the end of February. I want to be healthy and trained. The skiing will not be any harder than I usually do, it's just skiing 6 days in a row that worries me. This has affected every bike tour I've been on... my sensitive stomach, combined with traveling is not always a good combination. I'm better than I used to be, but I also don't want to give up experiencing the food/wine part of travel, either.
Onward.