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Fitness Resolutions for 2011

January 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment (Edit)

Fitness is a big part of my life, and 2010 was a great year as I reached some awesome new milestones and moved closer to a few others. So, what is better than a great 2010 of working out and cardio? Well, a 2011 filled with more goal achievement in the gym and a few new races on the road will help me top the standard and pace I set in 2010. Here are some of my goals as I move forward in the fitness quests.

Weight Training:

For the most part, 2010 allowed me to get in the gym more frequently, and I expect more of the same in 2011. With that said, I first want to reach some new maximums (below are some of my top priorities):

Angled Leg Press – Well, I want to jump up to 1,558lbs for 6-8 reps (which would max out the press machine at the gym I frequent the most). However, my stretch goal is 1,600lbs for 6-8 reps if I can find a way to add the additional 42lbs to the machine! Note: Currently, my max is a little over 1,400lbs for 6 reps!

Flat Bench Press – I want to jump up to 275lbs on the bench with a stretch goal of 300lbs for 6-8 reps. Note: Currently, my max is about 225lbs for 6-8 reps.

Flat Bench Dumbbell Press – I want to jump into the triple digits and press the 100lbs dumbbells with a stretch goal of 110lbs for 8 reps by the end of the year. Note: Currently, my max is 90lbs dumbbells for 8 reps.

Wide Grip Lateral Pulldown Machine – I love this machine, and I want to be able to move up to 250lbs with a stretch goal of 275lbs for 8 reps. Note: Currently, my max is 225lbs for 8 reps.

Seated Close Grip Row Machine – I love this machine, and I also want to be able to move up to 250lbs with a stretch goal of 275lbs for 8 reps. Note: Currently, my max is also 225lbs for 8 reps.

Wide Grip Pullups – I am aiming to break the 50 rep barrier in 2011. Note: Currently, my max is 43 reps.

Smith Machine Shoulder Shrugs – I really want to jump up to 450lbs for 8 reps with a stretch goal of 475lbs for 8 reps. Note: Currently, my max is 400lbs for 5 reps.

Cardio and Racing:

2010 brought more attention to cardio, the most since my days in the Marine Corps Reserves. 2011 will simply pick back up where I left off. I want to achieve the following:

Spin Class – I want to attend at least 52 spin (1 hour long) classes in 2011 (1 per week average) with a stretch goal of 65 classes in 2011.

10k Run – I seek to break the 50 minute barrier with a stretch goal of running under 45 minutes. I ran my personal best time at the US 10K Classic race (my first and only race thus far) of 52 minutes, 43.18 seconds.

Swim – I have not done much swimming over the past few years, so I need to perfect my technique and simply add this into my training routine. This is critical if I ever get the chance to run the Ironman World Championship race in Hawaii within the next few years!

Races – I need to get a few more races under my belt. To achieve this, I am looking to run the Peachtree Road Race and US 10K Classic this year! Maybe if things run smoothly, I will train and run a half-marathon (like the one in Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day) or even marathon too (like the one in late October that is also held in Atlanta).

Summary

As you can see, I have lofty goals, but I am highly motivated to achieve these and numerous other goals! I appreciated everyone’s support throughout 2010, and I thank each of you for your support as I move closer to new milestones. Feel free to follow my progress on Daily Mile and / or Health Month!

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Three More Days

September 2, 2010 By 1 Comment (Edit)

Well, there are only three more training days left (after today) until I run my first 10k. Of course, I will be slowing the training down more and more between now and then, but they are still training days! As you may have noticed prior to this post, I have had a struggle on my runs this week. I know some of the mistakes that I made (i.e. running during the heat of the day, using sub-par training equipment, not stretching enough prior, and not eating enough prior), but I still remained confident in my quest for a sub-55 minute 10k. This morning, I was able to get out on the trail a little earlier, and I was lucky enough to enlist my retired mother to come along for the fun. While she cannot run well for various reasons, she was wanting to support my efforts, so, since the trail is a 1 mile loop course with various small hills and heat exposure, she sat near the start/finish line in order to hand me my water bottle at the conclusion of each lap. Since the race will have water at each mile marker and Gatorade at miles two and four, this was a great help as it enabled me to simulate the race day setup! While I feel that I can still perform better on Monday, I was able to run 6.2 miles (10k) in under 56 minutes. The only downfall was that I ended up resetting my stop watch app on my Palm Pre while drinking water from my water bottle and as I started the final lap, but I remember looking down at the clock just a few yards earlier and tried to do my best to truly understand my completion time (which was somewhere between 54 and 56 minutes).

Looking Forward

While I was running, probably during the mediocre second lap, I actually started to wonder what I was going to write on this blog and about the run as a whole. As I ran and listened to my iPod Touch, I ended up wondering what strategy I need to run for the race. Of course, I do not want to overdo it on the first mile and hence burn out before the heart of the race gets started! On the other hand, I do not want to run like a turtle just to finish. I am confident that I have a chance to run 55 minutes or below that, by looking at recent year’s results, would put me in the top 1,000 –potentially earning me a medal! When I was in the Marine Corps and at boot camp in San Diego, people would try to take it easy on the first half of the three mile runs in an effort to have more kick at the end, but the drill instructors would motivate you to run hard on the front end of the course in an effort to have a good halfway (turn-around point) time. This actually helped me run my fastest three miles that I ever recorded because I was able to then see just how far I was to the halfway point and then figured out how close I was getting to finishing. But, then again, this race does not feature a loop or out-and-back course, so I have to think this through a bit more than I probably should. And being one who can be found to over think and over analyze things more than recommended, I begin to wonder what is the best strategy for me; plus, I must say that I am a knowledge seeker and a perfectionist, so I am willing to absorb whatever knowledge others are willing to share! But, I have been known to be a risk-taker, and that means that I would sometimes rather lose big and potentially not finish than to underperform. Yet, being that this is new territory for me by being the first race I have ever entered into, I truly want to finish.

Goals with Rewards

So, I have set some goals for myself and rewards for when I achieve them!

  1. Finish the race – go to the water park after the race and take the afternoon off of weight training (for those who know me, this is a rarity for me)
  2. Finish the race in under 1 hour – buy some new (cheaper) weight lifting gloves
  3. Finish the race in under 55 minutes (and be within the top 1000) – buy some better weight lifting gloves
  4. Finish the race within the top 900 – buy some new running/workout shoes
  5. Finish the race within the top 800 – buy a new iPod Touch armband

Well, I am excited to race, even though there is a lot of unknown here! But, it will be a great experience for me and my fitness goals!

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One Week Remains

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment (Edit)

Time flies when you are training hard. With just one week to go until I run my first road race, I continue to push forward in my endeavor to achieve a sub-55 minute 10k and finish within the top 1000. To do this, I have been running outdoors off and on in preparation for this race, and I found a nice semi-hilly park trail just around the corner.

Dwayne's US10K Race Bib 232

What’s Went Wrong Today:

Well, I had a terrible morning run today, and that caught me a bit off guard. Instead of running for six or seven miles, I figured that it was best to stop after the second mile due to body fatigue, a slowed pace, and unnecessary lower back tightness. However, I think that I know why it did not fare so well this morning. First, I know that I did not eat enough for breakfast, and, without adequate fuel in the body, running becomes more and more difficult. Second, I decided to run with my Camelbak on instead of holding a water bottle for an hour. I guess that I was my lazy way of trying to eliminate the annoyance of having to hold onto something for the planned six or seven miles. That might have added some pressure on the lower back since the front clip is not working (one side is missing from my tour in Iraq). Third, I might not have stretched enough. Stretching is important, and I feel that I stretched enough before starting the run, but that may not have been the case.

On The Bright Side:

I probably could have hobbled along at a continued slowing pace and got in a few more miles, but I shut it down in an effort to get refuel the body (ensuring that the muscles stayed strong), and I will get it going in the morning. It is all about time and training management at this point, and I have to ensure that everything continues forward as planned, and I stay on track to peak for the race! Also, I have tried the PowerBar Energy Gel Blasts and found them to work pretty well. I might try something different for the morning run just for comparison purposes, but we shall see.

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