I completely forgot about this thread over the past few months.
I raced an Olympic distance Triathlon on June 4th with barely any training. It was such a wake up call for my IRONMAN 70.3 race in September that I dove headfirst into a formal training program to peak for that race.
Went from no training, to in the past 4 weeks....
~300 miles biked
~75 miles ran
~5,000 yards swam
I am finally down to 221-222 lbs, from my high of 235 Jan 1st.
Down to a low of 216lbs I saw last week.
Last Saturday I did my longest training ride to date - 66 miles
This Saturday I did my longest training run to date - 10 miles
Last weekend I did my longest swim to date - 1.15 miles
Great progress 2Birds! Looks like you are in a good position for your Ironman 70.3 in September.
Five month check-in. Continued gradual progress.
Input Goal: Run 130x / 10 months = 13x/month.
Performance: Mar 5x, April 5x, May 9x, June 13x, May 12x.
Total runs 44, avg 8.8/month, 68% of target rate. Slow start, now on track.
Results Goal: Drop from 33% body fat to 30%.
Results: Body fat now 28.75%.
Notes: Dropped from 164.8 lbs to 151.5 lbs so far. Waist down from 39.25 inches to 36.25. Continuing track workouts that started in mid-May. By appearance, am getting more toned.
WHY AM I IN THIS THREAD
Just occurred to me to state this...
1. Ya'll are very inspirational.
2. What I'm inspired to do is first get my cardio back and lose some fat, then gradually strengthen my core and overall muscles.
3. So yes, I appear to be measuring mostly cardio-related stuff and weight loss, but I'm on my way towards resistance work and building strength.
4. So I'm here because strength is a real goal. Even if I'm not expecting to complete the whole package in one little year.
5. I'm reasonably knowledgeable about running, less so about strength. This thread is educational, which I will need to progress without undue injury.
6. Thanks for letting me join!!
You are inspirational, BB! Solid ramp-up on your running frequency, and seeing results too.
Ran a 10k race through the local national park today.
I have never ever finished in the top 10 of a running race before in my life. I don't care that there were only 14 people running, the fact I managed to beat 5 of them is something to smile about! :D :D :D
Think I did it in about 56 minutes, quite an undulating track which made it hard to get into a consistent rhythm.
Nice! As much as I try to tell myself that fitness is only a competition with myself, there's undeniable pleasure in placing well. Even in a small field. Sound like a fun trail run.
I haven't checked in for a few months. Here is my July update:
Totals from my Garmin for July (And annual goal progress):
8 runs for 44 miles (no goal for running)
4 soccer matches (no goal for soccer)
6 hikes for 55 miles (no goal for hiking)
0 bodyweight workouts (abandoned this as an annual goal)
14 yoga classes (well ahead of schedule for the year)
5 bike rides for 145 miles (no goal for cycling)
Strength progress (context is the Reddit bodyweightfitness recommended routine):
I decided to abandon strength training this summer. I wasn't enjoying it and I wanted to give myself more time to do the things I was enjoying more, like hiking. I am giving myself permission to stop strength training completely for the summer and will consider starting strength workouts again when the weather gets worse, around October.
Flexibility progress:
I have abandoned flexibility as a result goal. I was not making any measurable progress, my right hamstring still felt tighter than my left and on the edge of injury while I was stretching. I am continuing to go to yoga frequently and stretch occasionally on my own. I saw a physical therapist, who told me that for someone who is a strong runner, my hip and hamstring range of motion is not out of the ordinary (I can touch my toes, barely). He said that I should focus work on the twisting exercises and lower back release in yoga. I would still like to improve flexibility, but I am trying to be easier on myself and be happy with whatever small improvements happen organically in yoga classes. Perhaps after a few months of yoga, I'll try again with a stretching regimen.
Running:
At the end of June, I ran for a mile PR inspired by the Strava challenge that month and I was very happy to run my fastest ever mile, 5:04. I'd still like to break 5 minutes one day, but not focusing on that right now. The summer months are so precious in Seattle, I'm trying to use my current fitness to get out and enjoy the mountains rather than pound the pavement too much with intervals etc.