KRYPTONITE...and how to have abs like Superman

Ok, Let’s talk rest and recovery FIRST!....I cratered this week…yes, somebody hid kryptonite in my office.

I am not formally in a training cycle…thus….I have no training schedule. For 17 straight days I hammered…hard…including running a ½ marathon hard following a one hour spin class (multiple times)…and pushed the lactic acid threshold harder than I should have. Throw in the hour long boot camps, sessions with a personal trainer…2 hour trail runs…I did not realize that I had not taken a day off to recover…17 straight…17 WHAT THE…Never in my right mind would I have set up a training schedule to do such a thing. So on Tuesday this week, the house of cards came down…all the signs of over training…high heart rate, high blood pressure, fatigue and on Wednesday, the “depression like” mood set in…if you know me…I am hardly ever down…but on Wednesday, questioned everything…You have got to rest…God rested on the 7th day…You have to rest…so for 2 straight days, I slept in and did nothing workout wise…two whole days in a row…and my peeps know that is asking a lot…it was a good thing.

So on to a core workout…and mainly on the abs…

I like to combine about 4 exercises…performed back to back…in sets…and I like to do 4 to 5 sets…

For example: I would start out with 25 normal crunches, followed by 15 leg lifts, then 30 “bicycles” and then a minute plank…no rest between each exercise and only about 15 seconds between sets…then do 4 to 5 sets…do you follow? Your abs should be screaming my the end of the 4th set and the 5 set takes you to “Superman” realm. I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!

So I have posted either pics or very brief videos of the exercises demonstrated…except for the crunches…everybody knows how to do crunches.

The leg lifts:



The bicycle (actual exercise starts 44 seconds into vid:



The plank: side note – I like to be in the push up position rather than on the elbows as this engages the shoulders. I also like to lift one leg off the floor for 30 seconds then switch legs for the next 30 seconds as this engages the obliques…If you point your toes in, this engages the quads too…all good stuff…as you improve, these variations will make it more challenging.


Have Fun…and RUN ON…and REST OCCASSIONALLY TOO!

Maintain the D Train...and other stuff

Ok...here we are with no real training cycle...so where does that leave me on posting....and furthermore do you really care? I don't know, but I do know that most of you peeps have been doing a better job than me posting...so I here is what I plan on doing...talk about maintenance training...the kind of stuff that most endurance athletes neglect...or don't do very much...or don't let others know they are doing this stuff. Let's start from the top...of why...


I get done with Palo Duro 50 Mile Ultramarathon last October burned out...totally torched. Second I decided in December to run Bataan Marathon Heavy...with pack. Those two things caused me to review my training. After completing Palo Duro, I vowed to get myself in better "OVERALL" shape. In November I changed my training regiment up. I needed a change...running 6 days a week with an occasional spin thrown in through the summer months just whipped me into submission.


I began attending 5:00 A.M. boot camps twice a week, working overall body and core. I also attended a strength/flex group exercise class every Monday evening. Throw in speed work, long runs and maybe a spin class every once in a while and I began to drop weight 7 lbs to be exact...and more importantly body fat.

Why do I feel this is so important? Multiple Reasons: First, It breaks up my training regiment, keeps up my cardio (intensely I may add) and the Marine in me likes the hardcore approach. Second, a strong core is paramount in the long races...50 milers and further. Also, it helps with balance and being a trail runner that loves the technical stuff...well yeah...you need some balance. Stronger body...less injuries...let's not forget that one either. Let me add as well that I also started watching my diet...maybe too much. My wife said that I began to live like a disciplined monk....watching carb to protein ratios....eating for the training...every two hours watching calories and what kind of calories...it's a sickness...I have lightened up a little...but after a bad day of eating...I try to get back.


Next post I will cover some core exercises...we will start with the following plank...ok...maybe not...;-)



A challenge...me holding a plank for a minute and then into a push up....it sucked...just sayin'

HOTTER N HELL 100 MILE BIKE RACE...AND WHAT???

Ok...here is the next Endurance Challenge...thanks to my good buddy Lynn Ballard for the idea...and for Laura Underwood who encouraged part 2 of the festivities...

Every August in the sweltering Texas Summer HEAT, there is the Hotter N Hell 100 mile Bike race in Wichita Falls Texas. Thousands upon thousands of cyclists descend upon the otherwise nondescript location to partake in this little bike race. A few years ago, my buddy and Ultramarathoner Lynn Ballard rode it on a fixed geared bike. During one of our epic trail runs, Lynn starts talking about it...the Hotter N Hell was on my bucket list...so, well, it's going to happen.

Since Lynn and I are exactly the same height and stride...well, his little fixed geared track bike was a perfect fit. Yesterday, I go over to his house...clip in and go...it was perfect...absolutely perfect.

For all my non cycling buddies...a fixed geared bike is a bike with one gear and when the bike is moving the pedals have to be moving...there is NO coasting...the pedals and and back wheel sprocket is like a "rigid member" for you engineering types...(keep your mind out of the gutter...I know most of you that read this and your mind just when off road! ;-))

On Sunday, the day following the bike race, there is a 1/2 marathon trail race to go along with the weekend. It's on the agenda too...Ultramarathon gal and friend Laura Underwood did both events last year...She also accomplished the 100 mile bike ride and the 100 mile Ultramarathon in the same year. That is something else I hope to finish within the next 12 months...the 100 miles on the bike and a 100 miles on foot...so there you are....ICE BATH ANYONE?!

The Tribe Has Spoken..,YOU'RE GONE!

The Tribe Has Spoken...

Ok...here we go again....another delinquent posting...but hey...my wife just got back from an Oprah Taping....a dream of her's and I have been busy...personally I would rather run a 100 miles....but that's another story.

Let's get up to speed. Last weekend was Pack 2008 Cub Scout Camp out. Yours truly is now the new Cub Master...the real difference between the Marine Corps and the Cub Scouts is that the Cub Scouts has adult leadership...our unit more resembles a Marine Corps unit in that aspect.

Everybody came back safely so I consider that a success....couple that with everyone having a good time and well...it's good to be in Pack 2008. The camp out was held at Eisenhower Texas State Park....this is an absolutely great place about an hour drive from North Dallas.

During the Pack Campfire on Saturday night...one of the adults pointed out that Ihad dressed like Jeff Provost, the host of Survivor....I looked down...hadn't realized it and started to chuckle. I closed out the campfire with that the tribe has spoken, one of you is GONE!!!...a mother not real hip on camping stood up and hollered, "OH IT's ME!!! YAY!!!!!" oh good times.

On the training front...maintaining...spin, boot camps, running...you know...all the stuff. I really needed to recover since I had only taken 4 days off since Bataan...and a week later I had hammered out a quick 1/2 marathon distance trail run...so... I really didn't run this weekend...on purpose....although I think I probably ran about 6 to 8 miles getting stuff done on Saturday...and yes I run everywhere I go during a camp out.

This coming Sunday, I am meeting with Lynn Ballard to discuss the next challenge and by Monday should be ready to come clean with all that....oh good times...good times...then....maybe not so much with all the suffering...;-)

WHERE THE HECK YOU BEEN?!?!

Ok..Ok...yeah....it's been busy....and yeah I know....I need to at least tell ya it's been busy.

After Bataan....a little recovery....ok...2 days at least before back to bootcamps, spin classes and then I ran a 1/2 marathon on the Grapevine Lake Northshore Trail with my buddy Lynn Ballard the weekend following Bataan Marathon.

The body feels fine but I can tell my legs aren't a 100%...probably because I still hammered only a few days after Bataan Marathon.

So the next question...at least posed to me multiple times is..."What is NEXT?" Well, there will be more races to run this summer...I just haven't nailed down the schedule. Originally I wanted to run Jemez Mountain 50 Miler....25,000 feet of climbing up to 10,000 feet elevation. It is out due to family events and schedule.

SO...YES I DO HAVE ANOTHER ENDURANCE CHALLENGE ON THE HORIZON. I am currently nailing down some details...it is outside my comfort zone and when I talk about it to some of my closest peeps...well, the word "INSANE" is usually muttered in the conversation. I am hoping to release the details and challenge in the next week. Good times are afoot....and some pain and suffering too.