Week 2 (9/28 - 10/4)
I know I didn’t update on week one, because I was still working out the kinks in this program, but I have now officially finished Week Two of Men’s health Belly Off Club. It’s an 8 week program that will probably be repeated ad naseum until I get too intense and need to do harder shit. The schedule for Week 2 was as follows:
Monday:
Bodyweight 100 (20 Prisoner Squats, 20 Push-ups, 20 Jumps, 5 Neg. Chin-ups, 20 Lunges, 15 Close Grip Push-ups)
Intervals: 30/30 x6
Tuesday:
Intervals: 60/60 x6
Wednesday:
Bodyweight 100
Intervals: 30/30 x 6
Thursday:
Intervals: 60/60 x6, 120 x1
Friday:
Bodyweight 100
Intervals: 30/30 x6
Saturday:
Run: 2.5 miles (1.5 mile run, 1/2 mile rest, 1 mile run)
Sunday:
Run: 3 miles (2 mile run, 1 mile walk, 1 mile run)
The endurance runs were sort of a spontaneous thing, I just wanted to see where I stood stamina-wise, so Saturday morning (around 1 am) I took my ass out in the 45 degree weather and seen if I could run a mile. I ended up running 1 1/2, and then 1 mile back to my house. Sunday is supposed to be my complete rest day, but since I technically did that run in the Saturday sleep-cycle, it’s not a problem (I’m still up as we speak, about to go to bed at 5 or 5:30 am).
I enjoy the long-style run so much that I’m going to reserve Saturday and possibly Sunday for them. I may not have lost any “weight” from week 1 to week 2, but my body is definitely reaping the rewards of my training, I couldn’t run for more than 4 minutes without feeling like I was going to drop dead a month ago.
I find that the most important thing for these runs is a steady pace, and controlling your breathing. Steady pace is simple, you run/jog at a tempo that you feel you can keep up the entire run, I might slow down like 10-15% by the end of the run, and then speed up 20% in the final stretch, but the keeping the pace as flat as possible is important. For breathing I used to think that inhaling through nose, and exhaling through mouth was the best way to go (that’s what my elementary gym teacher taught me). But I find that that’s silly, if I need more air, I breathe through my mouth, that’s the logical way to go. The beginning of the run I make sure I inhale for five or six steps, and exhale for two (this also helps me keep the same running tempo the whole way). Then at a third of a mile in or so, I start to breathe four in, two out. By the end of the first mile I struggle to keep it 4/2, but I do my best. By the end of the 2nd mile (that’s all I can do in a stretch at the moment) my breathing falls to like 3/2, and sometimes 2/2 if I have to swallow spit (gross) or drink some water. I carry a 26 oz. bottle of water with me, my house key, and nothing else. No ipod, it weighs me down and is otherwise cumbersome.
I imagine by the time the Fall is ending, I’ll have to get a gym membership, because running in sub-freezing weather and in harsh conditions like snow will probably be too much for my lungs. I am going to miss point a to point b running though, I imagine running in place on a treadmill must get pretty annoying as there’s no way to see what progress you’ve made other than a stupid digital read-out, I also like seeing the “end” of the run, when you see that stop sign at 10 mile rd. I know the run is already complete, because there’s no stopping when you see the end.
As for next week, I plan to do pretty much the same thing, but I might do core and leg workout on Tuesday and Thursday, because I’m not doing any core as it stands, and that’s pretty important for running. Just think, maybe this time next year I’ll be lean as hell, and practicing for a marathon. YOU NEVER KNOW. That’s about all, see you guys next week!