Spring Training Week 2

This week we brought it up a notch. After missing some cycling last week I tried to fit it in among the P90X3 workouts and 4 runs. It was tough to get it all in at times, but I was still able to fit it all in! Mike and I have been regularly taking BCAAs, Glutamine and VegaOne recovery and protein supplements, and I think that is part of the reason why we’ve been feeling so good. Despite a high volume week this week (for me anyway!) I felt great.

This week was Week 2 of P90X3, which means that we followed the same format as last week (P90X3 has three phases, each consisting of 3-4 weeks plus a recovery week, to total 13 weeks/90 days). Although the workouts were still tough, it was definitely easier to get through knowing what was coming next. I was still sore throughout the week due to the workouts, particularly after Agility X (especially glutes and inner thighs) ad The Challenge (chest, back, arms, shoulders, everything after this pull-up/push-up extreme workout).

Monday – 

AM: P90X3 Total Synergistics

PM: Fartlek Run – 6 miles (with Mike!) with 8 x 50 second intervals @ 10k pace (I kept these intervals around low 7s/high 6 pace).

Tuesday: 

AM: P90X3 Agility X

That evening we went to Mike’s parents house for a birthday dinner for our future brother in law (Mike’s sister is getting married over Memorial Day weekend!).

Wednesday: 

AM: P90X3 Yoga X . For some reason this workout felt WAY easier this time than last time. P90X3 yoga has a lot of moves crammed into 30 minutes but you don’t hold any move for too long to get an super intense burn like in the original version. However, it’s still a great workout and I could tell my muscles were much looser by the end.

PM: I left work at a descent hour and felt pretty good so I decided to follow the workout from Brad Hudson’s “Run Faster” workout plan as he wrote it this time. In general his workouts are pretty high mileage so I’ve been adjusting them down a bit, but this time I decided to go for the full workout. After a 2 mile run, I did two 15 minute intervals with 2 minutes recovery jog between, followed by a 2 mile cool-down. In total I ran nearly 8.5 miles and my intervals averaged 7:29 over about 4 miles. I was really happy with this workout. I felt VERY strong despite some serious headwind on the way back. My legs felt light despite the heavy load I’ve been putting them through with P90X3 and my lungs were strong. I really feel like I’ve recovered from the marathon now and am making gains in my training. This workout was proof of that.

Thursday: 

AM: SLEEP. I try to sleep in at a least one day per week day so that I don’t get run down. When I try 5:30-6 a.m. wake-up calls for five consecutive work days I’m seriously dragging by the end of the week.

PM: First, P90X3 The Challenge. This workout is 8 sets of push-ups and pull-ups (4 moves of each in total, repeated twice) plus a “burn out” session where you are supposed to do as many pull-ups and push-ups as possible. Over the course of the 8 sets, Tony encourages you to pick two numbers and stick with them. I picked 8 pull-ups (assisted) and 15 push-ups. I was able to stick with my goal for the entire time, although I did go to my knees for the military push-ups. I was happy with this and I felt like I worked really hard for the entire workout. I was very sore the next day so I definitely think it worked!

After The Challenge, we got on the trainers for a 45 minute spin. I didn’t wear a heart rate monitor, but I’m pretty sure this was a Zone 1 or low Zone 2 spin (read: easy).

Friday:

AM: Early morning 6 mile run with my friend Allison. We ran easy but our pace was faster than it has been in a while. I feel like I’m getting my mojo back!

Saturday: 

AM: 15 mile run with 10 miles at a moderate/hard pace. Asia is running the Boston Marathon in 2 weeks and her coach prescribed her a 2 hour 30 minute run with a 45 minute warm-up and 10 miles at goal pace (8-8:10ish miles). I told Asia I’d help pace her on this run but didn’t want to run more than 15 miles (my plan called for 13). I’ve been feeling good lately but was still a little nervous that I wouldn’t be able to hold the pace for 10 miles.

However, I actually ended up feeling really good on this run and we ran the majority of the 10 miles at the goal pace. Asia wasn’t feeling as great since she had a very high intensity/mileage week behind her but I was able to help motivate her to keep going. We had a fun run together and it reminded me of the old days when we used to train more together! It was also fun because our normal running route is on the Ragnar SoCal run course so people thought that we were running the race and were cheering for us! It was almost like we were running a race for part of it and had a free cheer squad!

Sunday: 

AM: P90X3 Doubles – “CVX” (cardio/plyometrics with a weight) followed by “The Warrior” (push-ups, core, cardio/plyometrics, lunges, etc). We had to get in the final two P90X3 workouts of the week today so we ended up just doing both back to back. By the end of the second workout I was toast!

PM: We took a break between and then got back on the trainers for a 60 minute spin in the late afternoon. I wore my heart rate monitor and tried to keep it in Zone 2. I was surprised how hard I had to work to keep it in Zone 2. I was drenched in sweat by the end! My leg strength really needs to catch up with my lungs on the bike. Hopefully all these lunges, squats and plyometric moves in P90X3 will help with that!

This week was great. I really feel like my running is improving and I’m already seeing big changes in my body. Nutrition wise, I had a great week Monday-Friday and kind of dropped the ball over the weekend. I think a lot of us struggle with the same challenge with keeping nutrition good over the weekend. It is hard to manage with meet ups with friends and the allure of delicious beer and wine! But, in the end, I have to remind myself that I’m still eating healthier far more than not.

Totals:

Strength: 3 hours 15 min

Running: 35.5 miles

Cycling: 1 hour 45 minutes

Total Time: 10 hours 20 minutes

Do you tend to eat healthier on week days than weekends?