Monthly Archives: October 2011

Insanity Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs

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We’ve just finished week 4 of Insanity which means that next week is recovery week.  The following week we start the phase 2 workouts which are apparently longer and harder! The last workout in the Insanity month 1 workout series is Pure Cardio which also has an additional 16 minute ab workout at the end called Cardio Abs. Cardio Abs isn’t introduced into the program until the end of week 2 and the two workouts are to be completed together during weeks 3 and 4.

My Modified Insanity Plan

Before I get into the workout, I wanted to update you on my progress through the program. Since I am attempting to ramp up my mileage for a marathon and also cycle during Insanity, I haven’t been following the program exactly. The original plan was to skip only the Saturday workout and complete all 5 mid-week workouts. I did this the first week but when I discovered that the Cardio Recovery workout was rather tame and really not that helpful (in my opinion), I started skipping it. That left me with 4 workouts a week. During weeks 2-3 I did 4 workouts, in week 2 I doubled up on Plyometric Circuit and week 3 I added the Fit Test. Since Week 4 doesn’t include a Fit Test and I had a lot of other workouts scheduled, I decided just to do the 3 main workouts (plus 2 regular runs, 2 bike trainer workouts, a long outdoor bike ride and a 10 mile run! Thank goodness next week is recovery).

Pure Cardio

Pure Cardio’s warm up is identical to the Plyometric warm-up. If you want to re-cap the warm-up check out my post about that here. The main workout is unique in that there are no “intervals” with 30 seconds rest like the other workouts. Instead, this is just one massive 15 minute sweat fest with NO scheduled breaks. Taking your own short breaks throughout are encouraged and several, if not all, of the people in the video doing the workout take breaks. Everyone looks pretty exhausted throughout the workout which makes you feel better about sweating buckets and panting like you’re being chased. If these insanely (no pun intended) fit people think this is hard, it must be.

The workout consists of 15 minutes of the following moves:

  • Suicide Drills (move a few steps laterally into a side lunge, touching the ground with one hand and then moving back to the other side and repeating)
  • Switch Kicks (these are in the Fit Test – basically jump from foot to foot while also kicking out in front of you – not easy)
  • Wide Football Stance (stand wide and move your weight quickly from one foot to the other and follow Shaun T’s directions to turn right, left, etc)
  • Stance Jacks (bend into a squat and touch the ground with one hand then jump up into a jumping jack and repeat, switching hands each time)
  • Pedal (sprint in place until Shaun T tells you to lunge twice, alternating legs and then get back into the sprint and repeat)
  • Hooks and Jump Rope (do 8 hooks with your right arm then jump really high like you are jumping over a jump rope then do another 8 hooks with your left arm, repeat)
  • Power Jacks (another Fit Test move – squat with your hands out to your sides and then jump up into a jumping jack and move your hands together)
  • Level 2 Drills ( a move from Plyometric Circuit – 8 push-ups and then 8 mountain climbers then jump to a standing position and repeat)
  • Frog Jumps (squat and move your hands to the floor and then jump forward, throwing your hands over head, then repeat the squat and jump backward, repeat)
  • Power Knees (from the Fit Test – I found a good description online of this one: “I personally call these coconut crushers. You are taking one knee and pretending you have a coconut in both hands, then in a diagonal motion attempt to crush that coconut with your knee.” Switch knees and repeat)
  • Mountain Climbers (alternative high knees and also alternate your arms moving up and down like you are climbing a wall)
  • Ski Down (also from Plyometric Circuit – with feet together, jump from side to side, swinging your arms like you are skiing with ski poles or something)
  • Scissor Runs/Switch Feet ( with straight legs, jump between right foot forward and left foot back to left foot forward, right back, keeping feet flat on the ground and swinging your arms as you move)
  • Suicide Jumps (from the Fit Test – get down to a plank then get back to your feet and jump, repeat)
  • Push Up Jacks (also from the Fit Test – do push-ups and while you are in the down position, jump your feet out so your legs are in a V)

Stretch!

WOW! You will be sweating bullets and your legs will feel like Jello after this intense workout. It’s a very long 15 minutes. As a person who rarely bothered with a workout lasting less than 60 minutes prior to starting Insanity, I have to say that this program has changed my mind. I am a big believer now that intensity is just as important as length. I probably burn more calories in this 40 minute workout than I do during an easy 6 mile run which takes just under an hour.

Cardio Abs

Cardio Abs is very different from P90X’s Ab Ripper. It’s hard to tell if it is as effective since Ab Ripper is done 3x/week. I am seeing results in my abs as a result of Insanity but I’m not where I was on Day 90 of P90X. My favorite part of this workout is that it starts off with a close up of three sets of ripped abs belonging to Shaun Ts and a random guy and girl. If you dont know, Shaun is also the maker of the Beachbody program called Hip Hop Abs. He is definitely worthy of instructing others on the art of ripped abs:

Cardio Abs starts with more jumping. It’s considered a “warm-up”, but given that this workout is to be done after Pure Cardio, it seems excessive and hardly a warm-up since you are probably already soaked in your own sweat, but since the jumping part is relatively short, I let Shaun T slide for this one. It starts with a jog, leads into high knees with hands overhead ( I definitely can feel the core contraction on this one), then high knees with a twist, jump rope, and last, tuck jumps. Tuck jumps are from the fit test and involve getting into a very low crouch and jumping into the air while keeping your legs in a crouched position. Here’s Shaun T doing an amazing version of a tuck jump (I assure you that my version looks exactly the same):

Tuck Jump

After the warm-up, it’s time to get on the mat for some ab work. Most of the core workout is done in the c-sit position, which reminds me of the ab moves I’ve done in the Dailey Method. You basically sit on the ground with your back straight, hands under your knees and then lean back until your arms are straight. Your back should be curved like a C. Once in this move, you begin some moves:

  • Twist (this one reminds me of Mason Twists from P90X – clasp your hands together with elbows out and rotate your torso side to side, nearly touching the ground with your elbow)
  • Twist with Knee (same move but lift the opposite knee to meet your arms)
  • A Frame Ab Twists (move your hands into a A position – basically straight with hands locked together, alternating side to side)
  • A Frame with Knee (same with added knee raise)
  • Hold Center (lean back in your C sit and feel the burn!)

After a 30 second water break, get back into the C sit with one leg extended in front of you, the other with the knee bent. Bend your leg inward and then back, then straighten it and lift it upward, then back, and repeat. Switch legs. This exercise lasts 1 minute. After another break, you get back into C sit and extend both legs out straight. Move both legs in, then both out, straighten them and lift them together, then repeat. This one is very difficult for me. It’s hard for me to get my legs straight while I lift them!

The next set of moves is in the plank position:

  • Alt Knees: In a high plank slowly move one leg laterally toward your ribs then switch
  • Alt Knees Fast: Same move but faster
  • Low Plank: Get into a plank, resting on your forearms and alternate your legs again
  • Childs Pose: Stretch!
  • Pulse Tucks: Alternate between high and low plank, pulsing your hips several times, keeping the core tight, before alternating.

Cool down and stretch.

I really like this workout. I wish that it was incorporated into the program more often, but I think that the other workouts have their own ab moves and Shaun T didn’t think it was necessary to overkill the abs. I am a firm believer in working your abs from within and all of these moves do just that. Traditional sit ups target the outer abs which are also important but it is the inner abs that shrink your waistline and also make you a faster runner and cyclist. I am excited to incorporate Cardio Abs into my Ironman training plan!

Another Bike Milestone – First Girls Only Ride

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My Cycling Buddy!

Since I learned to ride a road bike less than five short months ago, I have yet to set out for a ride on my own. Although Mike will often go ahead of me, he always waits and we are never more than a couple of miles apart and always on the same route. This gives me the peace of mind that if something were to happen to me, I’d be ok. That “something” could be anything from missing a turn on our route to toppling over at a stop light to getting a flat tire (or worse!).

Despite learning to change a flat and practicing several times,  I have yet to master the entire process. Specifically, I can’t manage to get my tire back over the rim because the tire is so tight that it requires a lot of strength to get it back over. The few times that I’ve had a flat while on a ride, I can manage the entire process up until this point and then, in the interest of time, Mike will take over and finish it for me.

So needless to say, I was a bit nervous when both Asia’s boyfriend Jeremy and my boyfriend Mike decided to skip our Saturday ride because they were sick. Asia and I would venture out on our own. Since my knee started acting up on our prior week’s ride through our usual, very hilly, “Pizza Port” route, we had decided it would be best to do more flat course this week. We decided to venture from our house, up the 101 (the highway that runs along the coast in San Diego) and to the Santa Fe River Trail. This bike path that begins in Oceanside is about 9 miles long. Once we reached the end, the plan was to turn back and head the way we came. Since this route seemed simple enough, we decided we could venture this uncharted territory solo this week.

Fog & Navigation Issues

This is about how foggy it was!

Despite bundling up for our chilly 7:30 a.m. start time, one element we didn’t anticipate was the heavy fog that blanketed the coast. The fog was so dense in some parts that you couldn’t see 200 yards ahead. As soon as we started riding, a part of me wanted to turn right around and climb into my warm bed. But, we ventured on. The first mishap occurred pretty early on in the ride. As we left our neighborhood and attempted to turn left onto the 101, we decided to use the cross walk rather than the left hand turn signal since there were no cars approaching to alert the light to change for us. As we were crossing, a large peloton of male cyclists were approaching the intersection on our right and we got distracted and flustered and Asia rode right through the intersection and up to the next light, rather than stopping to cross again and get on our route. Unfortunately, the peloton also turned onto the street we were on and out of embarrassment for our obvious lack of ability to navigate the streets, we simply veered over to the side of the road and pretended to be waiting for the rest of our imaginary group.

Once the peloton passed, we used the cross walk to get back on the side of the street we needed and finally made the turn onto the 101. The ride up the 101 was fairly uneventful, but little did we know we were supposed to veer off of the 101 when we hit Oceanside where the bike lane ended. Instead, we just rode on the side of the street, letting cars dodge us. We’ve rode without a  bike lane plenty of times so I figured this was normal. However, once we got to the street that we were supposed to turn right on to get to the bike path, we couldn’t find the next street to turn left on. This was because we were supposed to be riding on a street west of the 101. We got lost through some side streets and were even stopped by a police officer in his car who asked us if we had seen a man running away wearing all black and a black hat. Great, now we were riding alone with a predator is on the loose! Despite using my Iphone to help locate the path, we still wandered the streets for a few more minutes, thinking we were on the correct side of the 101. Finally Asia pointed out the intersection we were looking for was actually west of the 101, and were riding on the east side. Oops.

Once we finally reached the bike path, we had ridden about 12.5 miles and it had already been an hour. The fog was still present but not as dense. We took a Gu and rehydrated and then set out on the path. The path was fairly narrow but wide enough for us to ride side by side and chat for several miles. There were some pedestrians and runners on the trail but mostly other cyclists. After 9 miles of riding, the path ended and we stopped at a park and went to the bathroom and refueled a bit more before turning around. It was nice and sunny inland!

Our Mid-Ride Pit Stop!

On the way back, Asia, who is apparently more observant than I am, spotted a man walking alone wearing all black and looking quite suspicious! I didn’t see him but we suspected he was the man that the police officer was looking for. The thought that we should maybe call the police adn inform them of his whereabouts didn’t cross our minds until we were back home.

Once we left the bike path and were back into the fog, we followed some other cyclists through side streets so we could avoid the crowded 101. Since it was now later in the morning, there were more potentially deadly cars. Eventually we made our way back to the 101 and made our way back home. My Garmin died about 2/3 of the way into the ride so I’m not sure how far we rode in total, but my guess was 43 miles. The best part was that my knee wasn’t acting up! After having such a painful experience the prior week, I was very relieved that I was pain free.

Brick

We were quite proud of ourselves for pulling off such a lengthy first solo ride, but we weren’t finished yet. Using the advice of other triathletes we had met as well as online research, we finished our ride with a three-mile run. My legs felt pretty heavy for the first 3/4 of a mile or so, but by the turnaround I felt pretty fresh. I felt that I had some fuel in the tank and could have run farther if necessary. I’m not so sure 13.1 would have been easy, but at least it was a good sign that I wasn’t totally running on empty.

I only took in 350 calories on this ride/run but I felt that it was ok since we weren’t pushing the pace too hard at any point. We were pretty distracted by navigating and all the stop lights, so all in all, the whole thing took us about 4 hours. Again, too slow, but at least we got the mileage covered. I have plenty of time to work on my speed, and luckily my bike trainer has arrived and this week I was able to get in two good indoor cycling workouts which I feel will definitely boost my speed. More on that later….

Another Milestone Accomplished

Throughout my brief triathlon career thus far, there have been so many milestones – learning to clip in, my first (practice) beginner triathlon which was also my first road bike ride farther than just down the street, my first sprint triathlon, my first group ride (Pizza Port), placing 3rd in my age group at my first olympic triathlon, my first half century, and now, my first girls only ride. I’ve made so much progress already and I’m loving cycling. I was unsure if I wanted to do a Ironman at all when I first started cycling because my back would ache from just a 8 mile ride and I feared I’d be bored on long rides. Now, I’m riding 40 miles easy and looking forward to increasing my mileage even more. Cycling has become enjoyable and a fun challenge. I hope that this enthusiasm continues as I have a very long road to go til the Ironman and I hope that it’s an enjoyable journey!

Improptu Tempo Run

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There are many types of speed workouts available to runners, ranging from short intervals, Yasso 800s, fartleks, hill repeats and tempo runs. In the past, I’ve mostly stuck with 400, 800 or 1600 meter speed repeats with rest in between. On occasion, I throw in some hill work, although it usually doesn’t involve repeating the hill more than twice.

On Sunday, however, after taking a 2.5 hour afternoon nap and missing the daylight window for my planned 9 mile run, I went out for what I intended to be a quick “pace” run. A pace run would mean that I’d be running at my desired race pace, which in this case is 8:46 as that is what it will take to reach the finish line of the marathon in 3 hours and 50 minutes. I set out to run the first mile as a warm-up at comfortable pace and ended up finishing it in 9:05. I picked up the pace and finished mile 2 (which is about 50% downhill) in 8:25, and then turned around and charged up a hill, passing a male runner on the way up (teehee!) and finishing the next mile at a 8:14. I kicked it into high gear for the last mile, finishing it at 7:58. Despite being pretty winded, I wasn’t feeling all that fatigued, and cursed the sun for disappearing already, leaving me with no choice but to return home (I have a strict policy about running outdoors at night alone – not only do I fear cars, I also fear creepy men!). I finished the run with a 1/4 mile jog home to cool down.

I learned what a tempo run was while training for my very first half marathon. I used Hal Higdon’s Beginner Training Plan and it included some speed work. Hal described a tempo run as:

 ”a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near 10-K race pace. A
Tempo Run of 30 to 45 minutes would begin with 10-15 minutes easy running, build
to 15-20 minutes near the middle, then 5-10 minutes easy toward the end. The
pace buildup should be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about
two-thirds into the workout. Hold that peak only for a minute or two.”

Unintentionally, I did my own version of Hal’s tempo run on Sunday, finishing 4 miles with an average overall pace of 8:26.

While researching this blog entry I came across an article on Runner’s World that contridicted my understanding about the definition of a tempo run. The article actually points out that most runners throw around the term and actually have no idea what it is. According to the author, the tempo run was popularized in the 1980s by PhD Jack Daniels (har har) and is described by him as “nothing more than 20 minutes of running at threshold pace.” Threshold pace would loosely be defined as the pace at which your body can barely clear the lactate from your system. If you work at this level, you will increase the threshold pace at which you can clear lactate effectively (once you go above this pace, your body can no longer work to clear the lactate and you will most likely bonk). Another way to describe this pace is your 10k pace.

Well, despite Higdon vs. Daniels opposing views on the tempo run, I did run my 4 miles at about my 10k pace, although the only 10k pace I have to compare it to is the 10k I ran at the end of my Olympic distance marathon. However, according to Runner’s World, maintaining a consistent pace is the key to a tempo run; whereas Hal Higdon argues that the run is supposed to build to 10k pace, not sustain that pace.

So what exactly is a Tempo Run and did I run on on Sunday? I’m still not sure, but I do know that running fast makes you a fast runner, so I’m going to hope that my 4k jaunt did me some good, no matter what I name it.

Insanity Cardio Power and Resistance

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Insanity Cardio Power and Resistance is one of the four workouts to be completed throughout the first four weeks of the program. Since each week the workouts are in a different order, I hesistate to say it’s the 2nd workout, although it does come second to Plyometric Cardio Circuit in the sequence.

This workout is supposed to be slightly more “resistance” oriented but without weights. Instead, Shaun T has you use your own body weight to build muscle. The workout is about 40 minutes total.

Warm-up and Stretch

As usual, the workout begins with a warm-up. This warm-up is slightly different than the Fit Test and Plyometric warm-up:

  • Jog
  • Power Squats
  • Log Jumps (jump side to side like you are jumping over a log)
  • 123 Heisman
  • Butt Kicks
  • High Knees
  • Vertical Jumps

The warm-up moves are repeated three times for a total of about 9 minutes. As usual, expect to be very sweaty after the warm-up if you are doing it right.

The stretches are exactly the same as the other videos and include lots of core work along with the stretching.

The Workout

Similar to the plyo workout, there are two main workouts, each with three sets. The last set includes an add on of 1-2 additional moves.  However, in Cardio Power and Resistance, between the two main workouts there is a bonus 1 minute strength exercise. Each workout is about 3 minutes long with the exception of the third set which is about 4-4:30 min long.

Workout 1

  • Power Jumps
  • Belt Kicks (squat and kick, switching legs each time with your hands at a position like they are holding your belt buckles)
  • Hit the Floor (basically stand straight with hands up then do side lunges from side to side, raising arms as you go through the middle)
  • V-Pushups (in push-up position, move your feet closer to your hands and do pushups so you are working your shoulders rather than chest)

Workout 1 Extra Moves

  • Tricep Dips
  • 1 Leg Tricep Dips

Mid-Point Stength Exercise

  • Triceps Ball Push-Ups (a combination of V-pushups and tricep dips that also works the core)

Workout 2

  • Hurdle Jumps (run until Shaun T tells you to jump to the right or left like you are jumping over something)
  • Globe Jumps
  • Moving Push-Ups (In plank position, do a push-up then move to one side, do another push-up, then move back)
  • Floor Sprints

Workout 2 Extra Move

  • 8 Hop Squats (get into a squat position and jump) followed by
  • 8 Pushups
  • Repeat 4 times

My Thoughts

I do think this is a good workout although I’m skeptical as to how much actual muscle building you can do with such short sets of resistance moves. The first week I was sore from the Insanity videos but since then I haven’t had much soreness. My muscles, on the other hand, are very tight. I’ve needed to add lots of extra stretching. In general, my legs feel fatigued and tired on Insanity workout days but it’s not the same consuming muscle ache that I would get after a good P90X workout. Since my goal is slim down, tighten my core and tone up just a bit, I think that’s ok. But if you wanted to build serious muscle, I would think P90X is a better routine for you. I am certain, however, that this 40 minute workout burns more calories than the 1 hour 15 minutes you spend on strength plus Ab Ripper days during P90X.

In other news, It’s been about 3 weeks since we started Insanity and I’m now down 5 pounds on the scale!

Ramping Up for Marathon Rematch!

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Finishing My First Marathon

I’m set to run my 2nd marathon, the Surf City Marathon, in less than 4 months. You wouldn’t know it from my blog entries since it hasn’t been the focus of my recent training. However, it’s now time to buckle down and set some training and race goals.

Since the last half marathon in August, I’ve been randomly getting runs in and haven’t really had a method to my madness. I knew that I could run the 6.2 miles required of me for the olympic distance triathlon in September and wasn’t too worried about the marathon looming in the what seemed to be very far future.

Well now it’s time to think about it.

Surf City Marathon Goals

One Day I'll Race Here!

As many marathoners before me, I’ve recently been overcome with “Boston Fever.” Obviously my recent 4:02 finish time isn’t going to get me there and this goal clearly conflicts with my primary goal of completing an Ironman in June. Therefore, I’m thinking long term, not short term.  Although a coveted BQ may not be awaiting me on February 4, I can at least start making a dent in the twenty seven minute gap I have to overcome to get to Marathon Monday. Not to mention, the Ironman will be less miserable if I can run faster.

Realistically with the Ironman occurring in June, 2012, I’m not going to qualify for Boston by September when registration opens for the 2013 race. Not only do I think I probably won’t be able to run that fast by then, I also don’t plan to put myself through the torture challenge of a marathon so soon after I mutilate my body at the Ironman. Therefore, the earliest I will be racing Boston is 2014, which means I have basically 1 year of racing (from September 2012- August 2013) to obtain BQ status.

So what are my goals for Surf City then? First and foremost, I want to go sub 4. A blogger I recently discovered used the motto “Sub4orDie.” I won’t go that far, since I know race day can bring plenty of obstacles that may prevent a sub 4 and I certainly don’t want to kill myself prior to the Ironman. I think my training buddies wouldn’t be too happy about that.

My second goal for Surf City is to go 3:50, which is a 8:47 minute mile for 26.2 miles. The current Boston Qualifier is 3:35 (previously 3:40), so a 3:50 will still put me a whole 15 minutes from my goal. BUT you have to start somewhere. Luckily I have a nifty little training tool called Yasso 800s that will help me get there.

Getting to My Goal

I’m quite a quantitative runner, if you haven’t figured it out already. I’m addicted to my Garmin and I love numbers. In the past, I’ve logged every training run in an Excel spreadsheet and I compare my pace overtime. I’m not one to “run by feel,” although I have found that I tend to go faster in (short distance) races this way. So needless to say, since picking up this hobby of running, I’ve done plenty of research on how to get faster and being crazy about tracking workouts and times will be useful in getting me there. Here are the main ways to drop time off your marathon:

  1. Speedwork
  2. Run long more often
  3. Run long runs at race pace

Starting it Off With Speedwork

If you run fast you will get faster. Seems simple right? Yet so many runners keep going out and doing their moderate/easy 5 mile runs each week thinking that they will get faster just by simply logging the time on their feet (my old running coach’s favorite words). Yes, you will slowly get faster, but you aren’t going to miraculously run a 8 min/mile for 26.2 miles without actually running a 8 minute mile.

While training for my first marathon, my running group coach had us do Yasso 800s. Basically, the theory is that if you can run ten 800s (1/2 mile) at your race goal time (i.e. run 800 in 3 minutes 50 seconds) with a recovery jog of equal time, then you run the marathon that fast. It sounds easier than it is. If you really think about it, 10 1/2 mile intervals would equal 5 miles of FAST running, plus of course a warm-up and equal length recovery jogs. Running 10 of these bad boys at 3:50 with 3:50 recovery is going to take me 1 hour 16 minutes and 40 seconds and that is not even including the warm-up. That’s a long interval workout.

Yesterday I got on the treadmill  with the goal of completing at least 4 Yasso 800s. After having done Insanity Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs that morning, my legs weren’t exactly fresh. And since we’re pretty far out from the marathon, I didn’t want to push it too hard. I calculated that since my goal time was 3:50 that I’d need to do my 1/2 mile intervals at a 7:40 pace. It didn’t sound too bad, especially since the first time we did Yasso’s I was doing them in 3:25-3:40 (although I can’t be sure that the coach measured the 1/2 mile perfectly). Here was my set (with a 1% incline to simulate outdoor running):

1 mile warm-up at 9:30 pace

4 x 800s at 7:40 pace

3 x 2:30-3:40 minute recovery jog at 9:30-10 pace

5 minute recovery jog

Overall, I ran 4.5 miles in just under 40 minutes. I was a little impatient during the recovery jogs at the beginning and cut them off short but by the last set I was happy to have nearly 4 minutes to recover. I’ve actually done longer steady-pace training runs at a faster pace than this, but this workout seemed much harder. I was sweating profusely and had to do some mental encouragement to get myself through the intervals.

This run reminded me that getting to my marathon goal isn’t going to be easy and I’m not going to get there by being comfortable. I need to set up a plan to do my Yassos 800s every week (except recovery week) up until the marathon. If I stick to this goal and make it to the 10 x 800 at 7:40 pace, I’m confident that I will break 4 hours and hopefully get close to my 3:50 goal. I plan to increase to 5×800 next week and perform each set twice before moving on to the next (i.e. two weeks of 5×800 before going to 6×800). I will skip my Yasso workout during recovery weeks to give my body a break. Going at this rate I should reach 10 x 800s by mid January, just in time for the taper.

As for the other two ways to get fast – Run Long More Often and Run Long Runs at Race Pace, those are for another blog entry. At this point I’m only up to 9 mile long runs, so these strategies are for another day.

Do you have any Get Fast strategies that you have found useful or want to try?

Insanity Fit Test & Day 16 Results

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Last night Mike and I took the Insanity Fit Test for the second time. For a description of the moves in the test, see my blog on the first Fit Test here.

The first time we took the Fit Test we were rested (no workouts for 2 out of the last 3 days). This time, we were fatigued. This past weekend we did a 50 mile ride and then a 9 mile run. Monday, we did Plyometric Cardio Circuit (we were supposed to do the Fit Test Monday but we saved it for Tuesday for scheduling reasons) and also ran 5 miles. I wasn’t quite rested for the Fit Test but I decided to go for it anyway.

I do have to admit that having my prior Fit Test results to go off of definitely helped in pushing myself to work harder. I’ll be interested to see how the next round of the Fit Test goes. I read my previous number of reps immediately prior to each workout and then mentally focused on beating them.

Drumroll Please….

Day 1 Day 16
Switch Kicks 102 124
Power Jacks 46 50
Power Knees 89 92
Power Jumps 27 29
Globe Jumps 9 11
Suicide Jumps 17 18
Push-Up Jacks 25 28
Low Plank Oblique 45 56

I was pretty impressed with the results, especially since we have only been doing 5 of the Insanity workouts a week and it’s only been two weeks!

Physical Changes

As for physical changes so far, I’m definitely seeing results. Although I must put forth the disclaimer that although during the weekdays I have been eating under 2,000 calories/day, the weekends haven’t been quite as successful. We attended weddings the past two Staurdays which means large 4 course meals including lots of wedding cake and even a fondue fountain! Both of these weddings involved drinking and therefore both Sundays involved a nice large greasy breakfast. Oops.

Weight Change: -2.5 lbs

Waist Change: -1 inch

Despite these slip ups, I’ve still managed to lose 2.5 pounds (although at one point last week I was actually down 4 pounds….must have been the fondue fountain?) and nearly an inch off my waist. The waist is what is more important to me because I’ve surely added some muscle. In general my stomach feels flatter and my body is more tight and toned in general.

Looking forward to seeing how the next few weeks shake out!

p.s. No knee pain since the slight irritation when running on Monday! Hopefully it’s gone for good.

Too Much Too Soon?

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At the end of my 53 mile bike ride the weekend before last, I noticed that the front inside of left knee was starting to be bothered a bit. I ignored it and didn’t do much about it. This past week I did my Insanity workouts and ran and wasn’t bothered by it. Unfortunately, about 10-15 miles into our 50 mile bike ride this past Saturday, my knee started acting up again. Mike was concerned but I assured him the pain was a 2 on a scale from 1-10. I kept on trucking along and was noticing that Asia and I were riding our usual route even more quickly than usual. We added on a loop within the course this time rather than adding on a coastal loop at the end like we did the first time and the loop was nice and flat. I averaged about 19 miles/hour on this flat loop and was feeling pretty good about my improvements.

About 3/4 of the way into the ride, the pain in my knee had escalated to about a 3-4 out of 10. Still not too much to be concerned about. However, while riding up hills at the end of my ride, the pain got up to a 7 or 8. Not good. I used my right leg to pedal for the last few hills and whenever we stopped and started again, the pressure I put on my left leg made me wince with pain.

Common Causes of Knee Pain in Cyclists

As someone who has always said *knock on wood* “I’ve never been injured” this is a concern to me. Of course as soon as the ride was over, I researched the heck out of my problem and discovered that knee pain is fairly common, especially in new riders, and is usually a result of the following:

  1. Increasing mileage too quickly *guilty* (riding to 50 miles on a Saturday is fine if you are doing ANY midweek riding. Unfortunately my foe Fall has taken away my morning sunlight and until we get the trainers set up there aren’t any chances for mid-week rides)
  2. Riding in a low gear up hills *guilty* (the course we ride has several hills that require me to ride in my easiest gear and I am still grinding the pedals slowly to make my way up them)
  3. Cleat Alignment/Bike Fit *semi-guilty* (I had my bike fitted to me but as I’ve previously mentioned, it’s a borrowed bike and it doesn’t fit me perfectly, although I was assured it was good enough)

Treatment Options

This is where I get stuck and need help. I think the main reason for my pain (which I hesitate to call an injury quite yet) is that I’m not riding during the week and doing long rides on the weekend (I just had my bike fitted so I’m ruling that out). The solution I like best to this problem is to ride during the week more often. Luckily, my trainer was just delivered yesterday so I can start doing mid-week rides in my living room. However, I also know I should probably rest my knee. I’m not one to rest, and instead I went for a 9 mile run on Sunday afternoon as part of my marathon training. My knee was feeling much better that morning and by afternoon I couldn’t feel it at all. After my run it was little irritated but nothing like the ride. On Monday I did Insanity Plyometric Circuit and went for a 5 mile run and my knee was surprisingly not too sore. A little irritation but nothing substantial.

I iced my knee on Sunday night after the run since I read that I should follow R*I*C*E – Rest Ice Compression and Elevation. At least I got one part of it down. At this point, I’m kind of waiting it out. I’d like to set up my trainer later this week and see how it feels when I get on and ride in an easy gear. I plan to do my long ride this weekend on a nice flat route rather than our über hilly Pizza Port favorite. If things don’t take a turn for the better, then I’ll sadly follow the (online) doctor’s orders and take some time off cycling, running and high impact activities like Insanity, the program that I am currently 2 weeks into.

Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit

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Before I started this program I had been warned that Insanity’s Plyometric Circuit was intense and the warnings held true – this workout is no joke!

Unlike P90X, where each week’s workouts are performed in the same order and on the same day of the week, Insanity kind of mixes things up and each week is different. We are at the tail end of week 2 and I have done Insanity Plyometric Circuit a total of three times now. Let me tell you, it hasn’t gotten any easier!

Warm-Up

As usual, we start with a warm-up which consists of about six high intensity moves performed quickly in a row and then leads into two more sets of the same six moves. The total warm-up time is about 9 minutes, 3 minutes per set.

Each warm-up is similar but slightly difference. Plyometric Circuit’s warm-up starts with a jog in place (all warm-ups start like this) then moves into Jumping Jacks, Heismans, Triple Heismans, Butt kicks, High knees, and finishes with Mummy Kicks.

After the short water break that concludes the warm-up, I am literally dripping with sweat. A quite long stretch session follows, which sounds easier than it is. One thing I really like about Insanity is that Shaun T doesn’t waste ANY time – this workout is very efficient despite being short. Several of the stretches are also yoga moves which seem to be strengthening core and legs while you stretch. After an intense warm-up I am usually quite uncomfortable in some of the poses. I also think that this workout is genius because you are torching calories constantly. Since the warm-up is so intense, you are burning calories during the stretch as your body attempts to cool yourself off and also perform the moves.

The Workout

Back to maximum heart rate. There are two main workouts in this DVD in addition to the warm-up. Each workout consists of three sets of moves which get progressively longer. The last workout in each set has an additional 1-2 minutes of moves that you haven’t performed before.

Workout 1

  • Suicide Drills (move a few steps across the floor to the left and right and bend and touch the floor on each side)
  • Power Squats (squat and jump)
  • Mountain Climbers (high knees while alternating your arms up and down like you are climbing a mountain)
  • Ski Down (with both feet together, jump side to side like you are skiing)

Additional moves at 3rd set of Workout 1:

  • Switch Feet (jump to right foot front, then left foot front and repeat, keeping both feet flat on the ground the whole time and swinging your arms)
  • Football Sprints (with feet wide, quickly alternate weight from left to right foot and follow Shaun’s instructions to turn right or left, move forward and backward, etc).

Workout 2

  • Basketball Drills (squat and pretend to shoot a basket)
  • 5 sets of Level 1 Drills (4 push ups, 4 plank runs, move to a standing position and repeat)
  • 5 sets of Ski Drill (Start in plank then jump your feet to the right and then jump back to center, then jump feet to left, repeat)

Additional moves at 3rd set of Workout 2:

  • Jabs (in a boxing stance, punch the air, alternating hands)
  • Cross Jacks (Alternate  hands going above your head while alternating crossing one leg in front of the other and both legs out)
  • Uppercuts (in a boxing stance, perform uppercuts, alternating arms)
  • Attacks (in a deep squat, alternate throwing your open palm out like you are deflecting an opponent)

My Thoughts on the Workout

At this point I’ve done all of the Month 1 workouts and this one is my favorite. Not only is it the hardest, I think it’s the most effective. Although sometimes I don’t like the repetition of the warm-up, but overall this is a butt-kicking workout that sculpts the entire body.

The part that is most difficult for me is the floor work because my shoulders start burning so much that I can’t hold the plank in order to do all of the final moves. I also am not quick enough at push-up/plank run/standing to stay in sync with Shaun T but I try! I think it’s good that I did P90X prior to this series because I am much stronger at push-ups than before. It would be more awkward to move from push-ups on your knees to the running plank moves.

Reviews of the other workouts to come shortly! On Monday we will re-perform the Fit Test already!

 

Insanity Fit Test

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Although it’s been over a week since I took the Insanity Fit Test, I’m just now getting around to writing about it! I actually think that was a good thing because I’ve been able to do a full set of Insanity workouts so I know how often I will actually be doing the moves tested in the Fit Test during the actual workouts. Although a lot of Insanity seems to be repetitive, you actually don’t repeat the Fit Test moves in more than two videos (from the first month anyway) and most of the moves are only featured in one video.

Warm-Up

The Fit Test starts with an intense warm-up, similar to the warm-up in the workouts. However, the warm-up here is only 1 minute 50 seconds as compared to most Insanity workout warm-ups which are three rounds of 3 minute intervals, all at increasing speed, without a break. If you are struggling through this 2 minute warm-up, you may struggle with the workouts themselves. However, I’m a believer in modifications and that anyone can do anything they set their mind to, so don’t be discouraged if the Fit Test warm-up is too tough for you now.

The warm-up is followed by a quick stretch.

Fit Test

The Fit Test is led by Shaun T himself but is performed by a guy and girl, both of whom you will see a lot in the videos. The premise is that they’ve already been through the program (or are midway through) and after each exercise they tell you how many they did and what they started at. Each exercise lasts for one minute and you are supposed to count the total number of reps. You have one minute to rest between. You can stop during the exercises but of course that means that you won’t get as many finished.

Description of Insanity Fit Test Moves:

Switch Kicks – Kick one leg high in the air in front of you then switch and repeat.

Power Jacks – Get into a deep squat with hands down at your sides and jump up, raising your hands over your head.

Power Knees- Stand on one leg, lean slightly to one side and move your opposite knee across your body to the opposite shoulder while bringing both hands down in a karate like motion.

Power Jumps – Bend into a squat position and jump up as high as you can, lifting your legs into a squat position in the air (this one is VERY hard to do correctly).

Globe Jumps-Bend into a squat and jump forward, then right, then back, then forward. As you jump, lift hands over your head. 4 jumps equals one move.

Suicide Jumps- Start standing and move into a plank position then jump back to a standing position. Jump and then repeat.

Pushup Jacks- Start in a plank with legs together. Move into a push-up position and as you go down, jump your legs outward like you are doing a jumping jack with your feet.

Plank Obliques- Start in a plank and move one bent leg at a time toward your shoulder in a way that your bent leg is parallel to the ground. One leg lift is one move (Mike counted two leg lifts as one move).

They give you a handy little card to document your results. It also shows you a visual of the moves. Here are my results (mine are the numbers on the right):

Although we only technically worked out for 8 minutes (8 moves, 1 minute each) plus a warm-up and cool down, I was spent after the Fit Test! Unlike P90X, we will re-take the fit test on days 15, 36, 50 and 63. I can’t wait to see how much my results change over the course of the program.

My First Half Century Ride

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Yesterday we took the bikes out at 7 a.m. with one very important goal in mind – to cover at least 50 miles. Although the Half Ironman isn’t until the end of March, I have set the goal for myself to get in at least two half Ironman distance rides in before November. In November we will start seriously training for the marathon and there will be less time to ride, therefore I want to build a good base on the bike before then.

Pizza Port Ride

About a month and a half ago we did a 40 mile group ride through the Tri Club that started in Solana Beach and finished at the local Pizza Port. Since then we have repeated this ride several times and simply call it the “Pizza Port Ride.” If you ride from our house instead of from Solana Beach, the route is about 45 miles long. Since our goal yesterday was to make it to 50, we had to add on a loop down the coast at the end.

Ironman CDA Bike Course Profile

I am really becoming more comfortable on the bike. I tend to notice it most on this ride since it is VERY hilly. Basically the entire ride is made up of hills. The hills are another reason why we always chose this ride - the course at Couer D’Alene is very similar. You can check out the Pizza Port route here: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/47338412. You’ll notice that neither the Pizza Port Ride nor the Ironman CDA course have much flat riding.

How many triathletes does it take to change a tire?

About 12 miles into the ride, Asia got a flat tire. This was her first flat in over 3 months riding and she had never changed one before. Luckily the boys were behind us on this ride (usually Mike and Jeremy ride ahead and wait for us at big turns), and they were able to make sure that we changed it correctly.

The rest of the Pizza Port course went fairly well for me. There is a gas station at about mile 19 that we always stop at to use the bathroom and fill up our water bottles if needed. It’s always a good mental break fast well. During the second half, however, Asia started to get pretty tired and her back was hurting bad. Asia and Jeremy just moved (they are just a few blocks from us now!) and Asia has been busy with work so they haven’t been able to join us on our last two weekend rides. And with the sun going down earlier, they also haven’t gotten in any weekday rides. This was their first time on the bike in three weeks.

Home Stretch!

By the time we finished the Pizza Port loops, Asia and Jeremy headed home and Mike and I decided to finish off the half century by doing a 8 or so mile loop down the coast.

San Diego Coast

Fueling Mistake

One of the changes I made on this ride was to take along a 220 calorie Cliff bar with me for fuel. On past rides I’ve had only 150 calories of Cytomax and two 100 calorie Gus. This time I brought the Cliff bar, Cytomax and two Gus. My new fuel strategy seemed to be working and my energy level was high until about mile 48. However, I didn’t take my second Gu, thinking that I had enough energy to finish, but literally bonked at the final turn around. The remaining 4 miles were pretty difficult and I finished the ride exhausted.

The ride took us entirely too long to complete. With the flat tire, gas station stop, & water/bathroom break at the coast we were out on the road for nearly 5 hours. That is definitely NOT going to work. We will have to complete 100 mile training rides during peak Ironman training and they simply can’t take 10 hours to finish. In general, we just weren’t pushing hard enough throughout the ride and we just don’t have enough strength and power to get up the hills quickly enough yet. Mike is confident that this will change once we get our trainers and are able to get in some solid weekday rides. I really hope that is the case!

Although I felt accomplished in completing a 52 mile ride, I also know I have a long way to go. I was exhausted when I got off the bike. Clearly I have a ways to go before I feel strong enough to bust out a half marathon after a 56 mile ride. The good news is that I still have nearly 6 months until the Half Ironman and even longer til the Ironman. Rome wasn’t built in a day!