TheMadPeacock On Running

I am please to say my apartment complex is under new management and one of the first things the new managers have done is change the gym opening time from a useless 8am to a useful 6am.

This means that I am able to use the gym before going to work…yay!
I am hoping that by mixing elliptical training, treadmill, bike and stair-master I can build up the leg strength I need to be running further and faster.

All this hard work will however not track on the Nike+ site so expect my stats to go down for a bit, I will use it during my treadmill time as I like to be able to track my progress..

With the wife on the labor inducing drip I did not want to be away from the hospital too long, got a little sleep and went for a very short workout (cell phone in hand) before I go back to the hospital.

I have been reeding a lot of advice that even a very short workout is better than no workout. I found that a short workout did not allow me to work through the stiffness and shin pain I get at the start of my workouts so it was uncomfortable and by the time I had reached the target I had set I was only just starting to feel good. Psychologically I do now feel less like a slacker so thats good..

Does anyone have advice on warming up shins quickly for a short workout?

My wife is in hospital about to have a baby (our first)

As excuses go for not working out I think this is a good one but I still feel very guilty for not working out yet this week and am totally determined to get to bed tonight as soon as I get home from the hospital so I can get up and do my normal workout in the am.

I feel weak because I KNOW working out would help me deal with the stress of the week and help me deal with the anguish of loosing my leadership position on my Nike challenge (see left)

I did do the 5.5m I had set out to do today but I did it at my slowest pace ever, was in real pain most of the way round AND I now feel like I need to go to bed… normally after a workout I feel good!

So what went wrong today?

1. I take one weekend a month off my diet, i don’t go crazy but I do eat carbs I love like a slice of cheesecake, some pizza etc. I find having that one weekend to look forward to and knowing that I am not giving up my favorite carbs for life helps me stick to the diet throughout the month… so this is carb weekend, don’t know if that made a difference, I think it did.
2. Its 104°F out there right now… its hot!
3. I dont think i hydrated enough before going out
4. And I have not worked out for 2 days.

So what do I take away from this? drink more, workout every day and “carb weekend” costs more than I first thought it would.

I was up until about 1am playing MGS4 last night so when I crawled into bed I decided to skip my workout. Got to not do that again as I regret the choice now..

I am feeling very good about myself today, I hit the 50 mile point!

I logged on to Nike+ as I do after every workout (its become an obsession) and a congratulatory note popped up saying I had logged 50 miles.. I am really getting a lot out of using Nike+, I don’t know any runners personally (and I would be too slow for them if i did) so the people i am competing against in the challenges and the personal challenges are what is keeping me at this.

Thanks Nike+

I have been using the wifes old nano up to now and have been lusting after the iPhone for some time. With this engadget announcement/rumor - whatever it is.. I am even more convinced that the iPhone is shaping up to be the perfect phone for a nerd trying to get fit.

But having just lost my first 20-lbs today, I want something to aim for so I have decided to treat myself to the new iPhone when I loose another 20-lbs..

Do you have a gift picked out for yourself if you reach your goal? many motivational gurus say you should..

A friend of mine just finished the Camp Pendleton Races: World Famous Mud Run, Sounds like it was a scream.

It is a 10k run with a mud and sand section at the beginning to get everyone good and dirty (and uncomfortable) with obstacles during the run and it ends in a mud pit you have to crawl through to get everyone covered in mud head to foot for their finish line photo opp.

I have my goals for my running, some of them so unrealistic I wont even talk about them… even I think I am nuts!! But I think next years Mud Run would be a fun mini goal, it is far enough out that I think I can get myself up to it.

My friend trained for a basic 10k in preparation for the run last year… this year he did no special training (he runs 3k regularly) and was only 2 minutes slower… you should see how he is walking today… not good… funny… but not good. he is admitting some training would have helped.

Something big happened today on my walk!
Last week I tried to go out as normal and my shins stooped me making it more than half a mile, I only managed to go round the block and the pain was bad.

That pushed me onto Atkins, a diet i have had some limited success with before and after 1 week and -10 pounds I decided to try again.

This walk was amazing! I felt no pain, lots of energy and when the half way point was called out by my iPod I just kept going. I turned around after 30 minutes (the planed total length of my workout) because I thought my wife would be worried if i was out too long.. after the half way point i picked up the pace and got home feeling real good, no pain and ready to take on the day…WOW

I have had a very crazy number of weeks at work and at home, its not an excuse, I could have made time to walk (still not running) but I got lazy and talked myself out of making time..

Back at it today, walked 1.6 miles, the real pleasant surprise was that 2 weeks ago when I last walked a mile was about all I could do because of shin pain.. I guess my shins have healed stronger than before because after 1.6 miles I was still feeling good..

will have to try a longer distance tomorrow!

PS: loving the Nike/iPod integration.. at the end of my workout Lance Armstrong congratulated me on completing my longest workout to date!! It made me smile.