Fitness, or Lack Thereof, and Some Goal Setting

Weekly Fitness Round Up!
Well, I'm jumping back in the deep end feet first... I think I've caught the fitness bug back... least I hope I've caught the fitness bug back!

Running

Steady jog with Roxie I liked this run as I got that feeling afterwards that reminded me why I train! No stats unfortunately as I am without garmin :'( gutted! I need to buy a new one but losing my job makes that a little hard!

Boxing

I attended my first session at Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club, my first impressions are I like the place and it's within walking distance from my apartment, or cycling distance! I can't remember exactly how the training went, I didn't have my blogging head on, more my oh my goodness it's been so long since I've been in a gym and this really hurts why do I do it head on... It was something like this...
Structured bag rounds interspersed with core rounds and sprints with squat jumps.... just as painful as you're imagining.....

Swimming
I went to the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Thursday before I attended the brilliant Carat Blog Shop event (more on that to come), I wasn't really sure how much I would be able to achieve I aimed for ten lengths and did it.... Slightly disappointed absolutely gutted the waterslides were closed... that was gonna be my reward for completing ten lengths.... Yes, I am a 28 year old child.....

Fitness Goals
Running - go twice a week and gradually increase my distance again... I'd like to be back up to around 6 miles by the end of November
Push-ups - Just tested my max... I bashed out 8 that's a far cry from where I used to be but I should expect that I suppose.... I want to be doing 25 in a row by the end of November... I think that's a big increase but I'm hoping to have some good muscle memory.... don't let me down muscles!
Gym attendance - go boxing at least twice a week
Swimming - go once a week, be doing 20 lengths a session by the end of November - also consider signing up for diving lessons if I can afford it and if it will fit in to my training.. may have to reconsider length goal once I know.

And tonight I've just been doing a few push-ups and plyometric holds whilst organising my wardrobe and watching Taken... What a sensible Friday night!

Intervals

Well I successfully completed my new speedy interval times!

1200m - 5.02 (5.18)
1000m - 4.19 (4.22)
800m - 3.23 (3.28)
600m - 2.37 (2.35)
400m - 1.36 (1.42)
200m - 0.41

= 3.6 miles in total

And.... I tested my push-ups!! Finally... My max has halved doh! But it's a starting point.. now I've finally got round to testing them I can start the program. I think I'd partially been putting it off 'cause I knew my numbers would be down but partially because of the other stresses which have been going on in my life recently. Sadly they're still a problem but I think I've got my eating more under control.. I almost skipped breakfast today but I thought about going for a run and went to the kitchen and made my porridge. I'm going to head out for 5 miles soon.... Mid tempo pace... absolutely terrified haha! Wish me luck :-)

3.33 Plank Hold

I was going to run intervals today, I like running intervals at the beginning of the week but my legs just didn't feel powerful enough so I decided to swap them with my 'long' run. My prescribed pace for the 6 miles was 8.58, I was ok for 5 miles but I dropped right off in the last mile.. I really need to better my aerobic endurance. I've decided I'm going to switch up the long runs and try and run a bit longer but slower and try and be a bit more consistent with my pacing over them. I'm intending on trying to start slow finish strong in my next one. I'm starting to get really worried about my pacing for the half and also about reaching my time goals. The more I run the more ridiculous the goal I set myself seems..

Today I ran 6 miles in 53.57. I beat my old 4 mile and 5 mile records along the way and ran 2 seconds faster than my 6 mile time.. this is one good thing about being a new runner, I'm still improving my times a lot! My average heartrate was 181 though, I really wish I could get that down, my legs still feel strong when my lungs and heart let me down. Anyway here are the splits.

Mile 1 - 8.58 HR 168
Mile 2 - 8.51 HR 181
Mile 3 - 8.52 HR 182
Mile 4 - 8.51 HR 184
Mile 5 - 9.00 HR 186
Mile 6 - 9.28 HR 185

Gahhh that last mile was so frustrating. I really wanted to quit, my finger was poised above the pause button more than once. But finishing slow is better than quitting so I'll take it! My new 5 and 4 mile times save this run a little bit!

5 miles in 44.32
4 miles in 35.32

I just hope I can sort my endurance and pacing problems out. I'll be so upset if I mess up my pace and burn out early on in the half marathon.

Before tea Mike and I decided to test our max push-ups, pull-ups and plank. My push-ups were 27, 3 less than my max of 30 which is suggesting I ought to be doing them more often, and I think my weekly totals would agree with that statement. I still can't do a full pull-up from dead hang so they were a bit of a non-starter too, but from dead hang I can get higher up, I was close but just didn't quite have the strength needed. My plank, however, as you might have guessed from the title was pretty damn good! I lasted 3.33 what a fun number haha. I don't know how I stayed up so long, I remember looking at the timer at 1.44 thinking I can never hold this another minute but I put it out of the way and tried not to think about it. I was thinking about Mike doing a 5+ minute plank (he is strong!!) and I thought if he can do more than 5 minutes I can do 3! I was shaking so much when I dropped.

Oh yeah.. and then like a complete crazy lady I did a core workout with Mike, straight after the mega plank... I'm gonna be sore tomorrow!! We did 20 minutes of core and called it a night. I'd meant to do all these tests before the end of March so I could put them on my monthly recap.. which is still to come, but they'll start April off nicely at least!

February recap

February Recap

Just checking in to see how I'm progressing on my new years goals updates are in purple.

New Years Goals
Running/conditioning
Complete half marathon (current 4 miles) As of end of February longest run/jog 8 miles
One mile in >7.30 (current 7.55) 7.28 - New goal to get it under 7 minutes
Two miles in >15.30 minutes (current 16.23) Not tested
Three miles in >24.30 minutes (current 25.25) Not tested
Four miles in >35 minutes (current 35.47) Not tested

Strength

Hold a plank for 3.30 minutes (current 2.30) 2.47

3 pull-ups in a row (current 0) Not tested as not been working on pull ups this month, must remember them next month!
5 chin-ups in a row (current 1) As of end of January 4 but from 90 degree not dead hang, from dead hang can do 1.
30 push-ups in a row (current 10) Can now do 30! - new goal, 50!

Boxing
Improve hooks and uppercuts – practice in sparring Have been attempting this, still not landing much
Improve stance so weight is spread more evenly Am definately improving but still room for more improvement..
Angle off – don't stand square Same as above...
Win my first fight! Not fought yet!

New Years Resolutions
Do core workouts twice a week Done at least one a week some weeks have not managed two.
Neck exercises once a week Done except for one week.
Wrist curls once a week Done except for one week.
Isometric punches once a week Done except for one week.
Boxing three times a week Had some time away from the boxing gym
Running three times a week (distance, sprints and intervals) Struggling with this one, my legs just aren't coping very well with the milage so I've downsized it to two runs a week, intervals and long run. (this is the plan but I'm having to modify it to allow for sensible increases in milage and skipping the tempo runs)
Follow pull-up/chin-up plan Done the chin-ups, pull-ups need work

Monthly Totals - February
Miles -27.87
Push-ups -771
Chin-ups -31
Pull-ups -0
Neck exercises -3
Isometric punches -3
Wrist curls -3
Core work -6

Just a quick note at the bottom to explain a few things people have asked me about which I thought other people might also like to know!

Tempo push-ups and chin-ups are called tempo cause they're done in a certain time frame, often very slow so you're muscles build more endurance from spending more time in the position. The way I'm currently doing them is called 4120, that refers to 4 seconds on the way down from the push-up or from the top of the chinning bar, 1 second at the bottom, 2 seconds to get back up to the top and 0 seconds rest before beginning the next rep.

The Magic 50 which I did yesterday is done for speed as although it uses weights it is a conditioning workout aimed at building both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Because the weight was not my maximum lift it builds power endurance which is useful for boxing.

Thanks for everyones kind comments on the picture :-)

28/02/10

Today ended up being quite a good day work out wise, ended up getting more done than we'd both planned love it when that happens.

AM
Checked max chin-ups and push-ups, can still only do 1 chin-up from dead hang, it's getting frustrating!! I'm trying some new approaches to getting that bit from the bottom sorted out like having Mike give me a little support from the bottom so it's assisted so I can build the strength a bit more gradually, hopefully that will help. I also managed 30 push-ups but I stuck my bum in the air to rest a bit near the end so they don't really count as 30 consecutive ones so I'm going to try those again see if I can do them without the rest.

Did some boxing work on a new guard style I'm trying, like Joshua Clottey's guard.. Did some work with Mike like technical sparring so I was working on blocking and countering his punches and also throwing any combinations he shouted out to his gloves. Mainly working defensively though.
Technical sparring 4 x 2 minute rounds with 30s rest
Mitt work 2 x 2 minute rounds with 30s rest
We hadn't planned on doing any boxing specific work, just the magic 50, another Ross Enamait workout... So we did that too! I used to absolutely HATE this workout cause it's tough but now I love it! I used an 8.5kg dumbell for the lifts.

Magic 50
5 clean each arm
5 swings each arm
10 burpees
x 5 rounds

I completed it in 7.03, annoyingly close to under 7 minutes! I saw the timer was at 6.40 just before I started the last set of burpees so I was trying hard to power through them to come in under 7 but I just didn't quite make it! Maybe next time!

PM
Max push-up re-test got 30 proper ones this time, only just though, really tough, my arms feel like jelly now!
Max plank test managed 2.47 + 17 seconds from my last max test
Neck work

Off to watch Saving Private Ryan, it's on TV and I've never seen it, hope everyone has a great night!

11/01/10

AM
Tested max chin-ups and max push-ups. The chin-ups were done to 90 degrees so this week I'm going to work on getting my numbers up from a dead hang. The push-ups were strict form.

Chin-ups - 4 most I've ever done I think!
Push-ups - 23 could only do 10 2 weeks ago!

PM
Boxing

warm up - 10 minutes jogging, exercises (inc 10 push-ups) and stretching
skipping - 5 x 2
heavy bag - 5 x 2
shadowboxing 3 x 2
cardio room circuit - 9 x 2 (elliptical/bike/bike/rower/rower/olympic bar squats/front press/incl. sit ups/treadmill)
core - 10 minutes
cool down - 10 minutes stretching