Chasing 2 rabbits

[metaldrummer]

Thursday February 15, 2024
-Jogging: 12km

Today I had the first minor(I hope it is minor) injury since I started running.
It is a very strange injury in the bottom of the foot, in the sole. With every step I have a very strange feeling, like a guitar string breaking and a minor pain like a bee sting. This is the best way I can describe it, it is really strange.

I stretched my hamstrings and both the "string breaking" and the pain eased, but they came back a few minutes later.
I guess that my cardio session of Saturday will be exclusively on the stationary bike. I hope it will be totally ok by Monday.

Maybe I'll be your "emom" and say take it easy! That doesn't sound like something you want to make worse.

 

[Spartan Agoge]

What's an emom? It sounds like someone who checks in on you when you're online.

EMOM(every minute on the minute) is a training technique that has you do a certain amount of reps every minute and rest the remaining seconds.
For example, if you do emom squats, you do 4 reps and it takes you 15 seconds. Then you rest for 45 seconds. And you do that for 20, or 30 or more minutes.

 

[Spartan Agoge]

Maybe I'll be your "emom" and say take it easy! That doesn't sound like something you want to make worse.

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I believe I will be ok if I take some days off running.

 

[metaldrummer]

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I believe I will be ok if I take some days off running.

Yeah hopefully! Here's something I found...

The Pain Scale - Finish Line Physical Therapy

Using the pain scale for knowing when to run or not. The pain scale is a subjective scale rating severity of pain from 1 to 10. 1 being I feel something is there, 5 being the pain makes me limp, and 10 being childbirth (impossible to move). As a PT and a coach, I use … Read more

finishlinept.com

 

[Spartan Agoge]

Yeah hopefully! Here's something I found...

The Pain Scale - Finish Line Physical Therapy

Using the pain scale for knowing when to run or not. The pain scale is a subjective scale rating severity of pain from 1 to 10. 1 being I feel something is there, 5 being the pain makes me limp, and 10 being childbirth (impossible to move). As a PT and a coach, I use … Read more

finishlinept.com

Great reading, thank you!

 

[Spartan Agoge]

Friday February 16, 2024
-Squat: 4x4 128kg/282lbs
-Bench press: 4x4 95kg/210lbs
-Pull-ups: 3x5 +10kg/22lbs

Saturday February 17, 2024
-Stationary bike: 100km

Because of a minor foot injury I couldn't run, so I challenged myself to do 100km liss on the stationary bike. I spent about 4 hours(including breaks for stretching).
Not as hard as it seems. More a mental challenge than a physical one. Also, extremely boring.

 

[ShawnM]

Friday February 16, 2024
-Squat: 4x4 128kg/282lbs
-Bench press: 4x4 95kg/210lbs
-Pull-ups: 3x5 +10kg/22lbs

Saturday February 17, 2024
-Stationary bike: 100km

Because of a minor foot injury I couldn't run, so I challenged myself to do 100km liss on the stationary bike. I spent about 4 hours(including breaks for stretching).
Not as hard as it seems. More a mental challenge than a physical one. Also, extremely boring.

That's how I feel about rowing.

 

[Spartan Agoge]

That's how I feel about rowing.

It is a mental challenge. You vs your mind.

 

[T_M]

That's how I feel about rowing.

That's why I have my rower set up in front of the TV. Music alone doesn't cut it for me.

 

[T_M]

Friday February 16, 2024
-Squat: 4x4 128kg/282lbs
-Bench press: 4x4 95kg/210lbs
-Pull-ups: 3x5 +10kg/22lbs

Saturday February 17, 2024
-Stationary bike: 100km

Because of a minor foot injury I couldn't run, so I challenged myself to do 100km liss on the stationary bike. I spent about 4 hours(including breaks for stretching).
Not as hard as it seems. More a mental challenge than a physical one. Also, extremely boring.

That is a serious ride! Well done!

 

[Spartan Agoge]

That is a serious ride! Well done!

Thank you, friend.

 

[Spartan Agoge]

Monday, February 19 2024
-Deadlift: 4x4 160kg/350lbs
-Overhead press: 4x4 65kg/145lbs
-Pull ups: 3x5 +10kg/22lbs
-Jump squats: emom 30 mins/5 reps per minute (bodyweight only, with explosiveness)

Tuesday, February 20 2024
-Running: 12km

From now on, I will add to my cardio routine 6km of power walking every morning, at about 110-120bpm. It is low impact, it doesn't really need much recovery and I hope that the high frequency factor will improve my aerobic base faster. Running/jogging (or interval training) 3 times per week is just not enough to be ready until June. I hope that the addition of emoms after strength training and the high frequency power walking will fix it.

 

[Spartan Agoge]

The organizers of the race that I will participate in June, posted some photos of the route. Most of them are like this (see photo)


As you can see, it is a mountainous terrain with huge uphills and downhills. The time limit is 6 hours for 30km. So, the medium speed must be at least 5km/h.
Of course, I have to run much faster in the more flat trails, so that I can walk slower on the uphills.

All the other competitors are experienced mountain runners. I am a (power)lifter who pretends to be a runner

Am I extremely stupid for competing in a race like this? Maybe.
But, for many reasons, I want really bad to complete this race and I am working extremely hard. It is like having a second full time job.

My plan is to run, jog and walk more and more km every week, do lower body anti glycolytic emoms and also to "simulate" the uphills by wearing a weight vest.

If anyone has experience in such races and has an advice, it is more than welcome.

 

[Luis T. Gonzalez]

It is like having a second full time job

This is exactly why I hold back on competing these days, every time I enter I’m all in and training and thinking about it like my full time job. Oddly enough I don’t feel like that right now about the strongman competition I entered in. Probably because the open division has axle deadlift for reps set at like 550 and axle press set at 240 pounds and I’m like yeah I have a good year maybe more before I will be repping those numbers. But I’m excited for the motivation that first competition will give me. And the ability to channel my focus and energy on something specific to get good at.

 

[Spartan Agoge]

This is exactly why I hold back on competing these days, every time I enter I’m all in and training and thinking about it like my full time job. Oddly enough I don’t feel like that right now about the strongman competition I entered in. Probably because the open division has axle deadlift for reps set at like 550 and axle press set at 240 pounds and I’m like yeah I have a good year maybe more before I will be repping those numbers. But I’m excited for the motivation that first competition will give me. And the ability to channel my focus and energy on something specific to get good at.

You are on point. Training to compete is totally different than just training.

 

[Spartan Agoge]

Wednesday February 21, 2024
-Squat: 5x4 128kg/282lbs
-Bench press: 5x4 95kg/210lbs
-Pull-ups: 3x5 +10kg/22lbs

-Leg extensions: emom 30'/6 reps per minute
-Dumbbell overhead press: emom 10'/5 reps per minute
-Chin-ups: emom 10'/5 reps per minute

Thursday February 22, 2024
-Running: 9km

 

[Spartan Agoge]

Friday February 23, 2024
-Deadlift: 5x4 160kg/350lbs
-Overhead press: 5x4 65kg/145lbs
-Pull ups: 3x5 +10kg/22lbs

Saturday February 24, 2024
-Emom sprints: 1 hour, 15''-20'' sprinting/ 40''-45'' recovery


As my aerobic and anaerobic endurance improves, my confidence also improves. There is no way I could sprint for 1 hour, just 1 month ago. And now I can.
So, my mind which was an enemy who was constantly saying me "you are crazy, what you want to do is impossible", now is an ally who says me "what if? What if I can actually run 30km on the mountains? What if it is possible?"

The second stage of my conditioning plan starts on Monday. I modified my daily schedule, so that I can do cardio both am and pm. The first session of the day will be zone 2 power walking. The second session will be either a second cardio(running, jogging, intervals), or my strength training.

 

[Spartan Agoge]

Monday February 26, 2024
-Squat: 3x3 136kg/300lbs
-Bench press: 3x3 102kg/225lbs
-Pull-ups: 3x5 +10kg/22lbs
-Emom lunges: 20 minutes/3 reps each leg per minute

Tuesday February 27, 2024
-Power walking: 6km

So, the sprinting session of Saturday was way more taxing than I thought at first. I was sprinting emom a distance which, if i go all out, I can sprint in 14 seconds. And I was doing for one whole hour sprints of 15-20 seconds. So I was sprinting almost all out for 1 hour.

On Sunday I woke up and I wasn't sore at all, so I thought that I can recover easily from sprinting for 1 hour, no matter what common knowledge says.

On Monday I was a little sore(core and hamstrings mostly), but nothing to worry about. I did some more warm up than usual, and then I did my lifting. Everything ok.
On monday afternoon, it was time for my emom conditioning training. And this is when my body decided that enough is enough. I felt like someone had just punched me in the face and kicked my whole body. Suddenly there was no gas at all in the tank.
So, I skipped the running session of today and I just did power walking.

I hope that, despite these consequenses, the sprinting session of Saturday was such a great stimulus that, when I recover, my stamina and work capacity will be higher.

 

[ShawnM]

Monday February 26, 2024
-Squat: 3x3 136kg/300lbs
-Bench press: 3x3 102kg/225lbs
-Pull-ups: 3x5 +10kg/22lbs
-Emom lunges: 20 minutes/3 reps each leg per minute

Tuesday February 27, 2024
-Power walking: 6km

So, the sprinting session of Saturday was way more taxing than I thought at first. I was sprinting emom a distance which, if i go all out, I can sprint in 14 seconds. And I was doing for one whole hour sprints of 15-20 seconds. So I was sprinting almost all out for 1 hour.

On Sunday I woke up and I wasn't sore at all, so I thought that I can recover easily from sprinting for 1 hour, no matter what common knowledge says.

On Monday I was a little sore(core and hamstrings mostly), but nothing to worry about. I did some more warm up than usual, and then I did my lifting. Everything ok.
On monday afternoon, it was time for my emom conditioning training. And this is when my body decided that enough is enough. I felt like someone had just punched me in the face and kicked my whole body. Suddenly there was no gas at all in the tank.
So, I skipped the running session of today and I just did power walking.

I hope that, despite these consequenses, the sprinting session of Saturday was such a great stimulus that, when I recover, my stamina and work capacity will be higher.

Back about 15 or so years ago I ran a half marathon with a coworker. He was all about long runs, several times a week and that wasn't for me, so I jumped on Cross Fit Endurance (no longer in operation). The idea was to do some regular lifting 2-3 days a week and 2-3 real hard days a week. Some days it might be 25 bodyweight squats followed by a 1/2-mile sprint x 3 rounds. Other days it would be 50 sprints followed by a 1/4-mile sprint x 4-6 rounds. Or just run a mile as fast as you can x 2 rounds. The idea was to beat your lungs and leg muscles up and then give them a rest. I think that you doing squats is fine, the lunges might be a bit much for your legs to recover from with the sprints. I would keep either the lunges or the squats, I probably wouldn't do both with the running.

 

[Spartan Agoge]

Back about 15 or so years ago I ran a half marathon with a coworker. He was all about long runs, several times a week and that wasn't for me, so I jumped on Cross Fit Endurance (no longer in operation). The idea was to do some regular lifting 2-3 days a week and 2-3 real hard days a week. Some days it might be 25 bodyweight squats followed by a 1/2-mile sprint x 3 rounds. Other days it would be 50 sprints followed by a 1/4-mile sprint x 4-6 rounds. Or just run a mile as fast as you can x 2 rounds. The idea was to beat your lungs and leg muscles up and then give them a rest. I think that you doing squats is fine, the lunges might be a bit much for your legs to recover from with the sprints. I would keep either the lunges or the squats, I probably wouldn't do both with the running.

Thank you for your advice, my friend. It is certainly something to consider.

This is exactly my idea too. I need my body to adapt to a certain level of aerobic and anaerobic fitness as quickly as possible. I know that you can't force adaptation, but this is exactly what I am trying to do.

In less than 4 months I have a really hard mountain race and I have a lot of work in order for my body to be ready. I see the posts of the organisers of the race welcoming high level mountain runners who have run several mountain ultras around the world and I realise that I have to push myself to be ready. Of course not to compete with them, that would be a joke, but to finish the race within the time limit of 6 hours.


For several years I was only doing heavy lifting and walking. No running at all. Also, the last time I walked on a mountain was when I was in the marines, in 2013.

Edit: the reason it is important for me may be silly. It is because on these mountains is the village where my father was born and my grandfather and all my ancestors have lived. I was going there for summer holidays when I was a kid, but I never thought that one day I would run on these mountains.