I am pretty certain that those who train for events and have certain goals regarding their workouts are much more fit than those who just go to the gym everyday because they don't want to get any larger. So my question is: Do you set goals other than training for a race? (what are they, how do you determine them?)
This year was full of goals which were easy to make after having a baby -thanks to the lady at the Vilseck gym who told me I only looked that way because I didn't have children. :) I have a few more goals to meet before Christmas and they are coming along well (improve my VO2MAX and reduce my body fat by 2%), but I am not sure what I should put on my plate for next year (yes, I am a planner). I have a couple larger goals (do a century ride/race, run the Pike's Peak Accent (if I get in), climb 11 more 14ers). I feel like I need little ones along the way to keep me moving. I have never 'trained' for anything formal so maybe once that starts little goals may pop up? Any ideas or suggestions?
The difference between people who “always” workout and those that don’t is the fit people accept that they will always be in a state of “coming back.” Life will get in the way of your fitness strives. Accept it and make today the day you come back…again.
Training
Running Clothes
Running Gadgets
Paris Half Marathon
Shelly, Bobbi, V, Delores
V and son after Berlin Marathon
Bobbi and V in Prague
Back then
Back when we were together...I miss my friends! (Christy, V, E, Aura Lee & Angie)
Army Wives
Angie, Christy, V, Aura Lee and E
Cathy and Angie
Christy & V During 2007 Army Ten--Miler
7 comments:
I had several goals that I had to postpone, but I plan on picking them up again as soon as possible.
The biggest one was this: I wanted to be able to do one unassisted pull-up by the end of the year. Just one. And I think I was well on my way to reaching that goal, so I'm confident I'll get it someday.
I also had the goal of losing 5 lbs. This was hard because I was gaining muscle and I didn't have a way to measure my body fat percent. I lost 3 lbs though before I got pregnant.
Of course, the 10-miler was a goal and I know I could have done that. A half-marathon is my next goal. Once I get one under my belt, maybe I'll focus on time.
I think the little goals do pop up. Each day I'd have a goal, whether it was to run a certain distance non-stop, or at a certain pace, or to do a particularly tough route, or hills, etc. Sometimes that goal was to just get out the door!
I signed up for little 5Ks and 4 milers to add in a few distractions and shorter-term goals. They were fun and I always made them races for me, not just logging miles.
Right now my goal is to simply keep walking, stay pregnant, and not gain too much weight. I'm good on the first two!
If I don't have a goal, I become very complacent, crabby and unmotivated. I have a basic minimum standard of fitness that I like to maintain...be able to run 10 miles, bench body weight 10 times, do 10 chin ups. If there is a time that I can't do one of those things, I have to adjust my training. It is my ideal all-round fitness barometer. Sometimes I have to give a little temporarily when another short-term goal infringes (like cutting mass to race faster) or when life gets in the way (Battalion Command comes to mind).
Every run I do has a purpose. One run may be fast to challenge the comfort zone. Or, I run a comfortably hard run with heart rate control. Another run will be easy for mileage base, and another may be a recovery run. I plan my week of runs with each goal in mind. Pete and I schedule our workouts on the calendar (which the whole family uses) so that we minimize conflicts and stay focused on the goal. He also uses "Map my Run" and I also use the training log on my Garmin computer program. All of that keeps me accountable. I'm a visual person.
I always have a short term goal and several long term goals. I will race the Outer Banks Half Marathon in 2 weeks. For that race, I have 3 goal times, one just faster than I think is reasonable (but hey, it could be a perfect day), one just about what I think will happen and one slower (to allow for success if the weather sucks, or some other calamity occurs that I was not prepared for.) Next I will train for the Shamrock Full Marathon in March. I will also rev up my gym time after OBX, since I cut some mass to race faster. I like muscles, so I will put it back on for the winter and cut again before Shamrock. I am already checking the race calendar for TX.
The best goal that I have is to be able to continue to eat good food and drink wine. I, too, have had that lady in the gym that said I obviously don't have kids and by the way, it is sooo much harder when you are older. I had a lot of fun telling her I have 2 kids and oh, by the way, I am older than she is.
Oh, I forgot to mention--do you have a training diary? I love mine! Well, loved, since it's been blank for a while. It forces you to write down what you want to do by the end of the year, and each week. When there's a race, I put it on that day in the diary, and build backward, filling in what my plan is for each day. Sometimes I don't meet that goal, but it helps keep me honest and seeing it written down somehow makes it easier to do. Like I have to do it because it says so.
Thanks for the awesome ideas. I have a calendar that I write everything I did (after the fact using different colors for each type of activity -the more colors the better) but I like the idea of planning ahead (building backwards) in a training diary. Where do you get those?
I also really like the minimum standard of fitness. I will have to start thinking what I want those to be (I have one for body fat % but that's it).
V- I would like to know more on how you cut mass. It is recommended in cycling to race faster as well, I just have no idea how to do it.
(I would have loved to have been there when you told the lady in Vilseck you had 2 kids, had I known what she was after when she asked I would have said 6.) :)
There are lots of diaries/journals out there, but the one I have is called "The Runner's Training Diary" by Bob and Shelly Glover. It kind of goes along with their book "The Competitive Runner's Handbook" which I really liked. Thanks for the recommendation V!
This diary has big spaces so there's plenty of room to write about runs, lifts, or whatever. Each day also has spots to fill in weight, which shoes you used, resting and training HRs, time, pace, and mileage. Some of the other diaries I looked at only allowed one or two lines per day which didn't seem like enough space.
Check on Amazon and you'll find a bunch to choose from.
Hi Rachel,
I will try my best to tell you how I cut mass. Hopefully, this will make sense, if not, let me know and we will work it until you have a plan. There are several ways to do it, this seems to work for me.
When I normally lift, it is with heavy weights and low reps. I usually work each body part to exhaustion once a week and I lift about 4 days a week. When I am cutting, I lower the weights, increase the reps and work a circuit in a superset. Something like this:
Biceps - Chin-ups - 3 sets, starting with 10 the first set and as many as I can do for the 2nd and 3rd.
Move quickly to opposite body part.
Tris - full body dips - 3 sets starting with first set of 10 and then as many as possible for 2nd and 3rd set.
Move quickly to next excercise.
Chest - Dumbbell presses - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Back - Lat pull downs - 3 sets of 12 - 15
Shoulders - Flys - 3 sets of 12-15.
Rest, repeat circuit with a different exercise per body part:
Bicep - curls - 3 sets of 21s.
Triceps - tricep extensions - 3 sets of 12-15
Chest - push-ups or flys - 3 sets of 12-15
Back - Dead lift - 3 sets of 12-15
Shoulders - Lateral extensions or presses - 3 sets of at least 15.
You can either do the first set of each exercise, moving quickly from one to the next. When you are finished with the first sets, you rest and then start again with the second sets, rest and then finish the third set. Or, you can do all threes sets of an exercise, with short rests between sets and then move quickly to the next exercise (this way is a bit easier). Pick any exercise and very them with each lift. If I do curls one day, I won't do them again that week (the exception is pull-ups becasue they are so good for so many parts). I do the circuit twice and then I do abs and core work. I also incorporate some instability for functional training. For instance, I stand on a balance disk while doing curls or shoulder work. I do push-up while my feet are on a bench and my hands are on a ball etc. I do my upper body training about 2x a week when my miles are high. To be honest, I don't do much with my legs if I am doing intervals, hills, and distance. They feel strong and any more seems to fatigue more than help. That said, the balance boards works them too while I am doing upper body to help prevent injury and increase my stability when running trails.
Anyway, the goal is to lighten the weight, increase the reps, increase the pace of the lift and lessen the amount of lifting a bit (2 days a week versus 4). You want to cut some fat, keep your shape (definition), and maybe lessen muscle mass, since it is heavy. I always lift after the run when cutting. If I am building, I would lift first and then do cardio. Circuit training has the added benefit of increasing yoru heart rate while lifting and therefore a higher calorie burn.
There isn't a perfect science to this since everyone is different. I like to keep more upper body on me than most runners. I am convinced that it helps my arm swing at the end of the race when I am fatigued. I may loose a few seconds overall, but I make it up on hills and the kick in the second half.
Have I bored you to tears yet?
No! (I can talk weights and working out all day.) Great information and it makes perfect sence now that you say it. I usually lift each body part twice a week, fast twitch one day slow switch the other day using a bosu or balance disc. I am sure I would see results switching to slow twitch both days. I too love super sets, I think it gives you a much better workout and saves time.
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