First blog of 2011! I'm massively behind, I only wish that i blogged as often as I think about blogging, because if I did then this blog would be EPIC!
I'm not going to do that whole random catching up thing, I'm trying to work more topically and go on fewer whimsical rants this year.
So, today I started experimenting with HR zone training. Santa brought me my very first heart rate monitor (it's a polar RS 300x) and it became quite apparent that while my times mean I am not racing blisteringly fast, my heart sure is. On an average (even a slower than average) run my heart was doing around 165-169 bpm, or even higher! That's around 85% of my maximum heart rate (I haven't had any fancy tests, I'm really just working that back from a few formulas based on age and gender) and 85% is basically, going pretty bloody hard. I don't feel super uncomfortable at that rate, but it puts me squarely in what's called the anaerobic zone, which is a hard effort, and where (depending on who you ask) my body is using stored glycogen or, failing that, lean muscle tissue. I run very early in the morning, so I probably don't have much stored glycogen, and I worked very hard to get my muscle, so I'd rather my body didn't eat it, thank you very much.
So, I want to be working at around 70% of my max, in the aerobic zone, so for me the golden number is 150bpm. I am so far letting myself go five beats either way, so basically am trying to stay within 145-155bpm.
This is slllloooooowwwwwwwwww. Ten minute kilometres slow. Walking to get it down, and super, super gently jogging between walk breaks ( Actually, I need to have a chat about walk breaks, but I'm still in the info gathering stage there, so it's another story). Painfully, crazy slow.
The goal of this type of training is that, eventually, my heart will get bigger and stronger. My body will use fat for fuel at this lower heart range (which is awesome, because this is the year that I'm going to bmi 25, people!) and slowly, gradually, I'll be able to go faster at that same, 145-155bpm rate of effort.
So, go slow now, go fast later.
It all sounds suitably science-y. I will admit to being a little sceptical.
Right now, however, this type of training is perfect for me. Summer is peaking here in Melbourne (currently the humidity is 95% or higher EVERY DAY, having to be super careful with hydration)and it's hot and yucky. I'm having a few persistent niggly pseudo-injuries, and this type of training is an in-built check rein to prevent me going too fast or too hard. I also feel a lot fresher after this type of workout, because I haven't completely flogged myself. I do worry that I'm not working hard enough, but I'm going to just have to get over that.
So, this is the beginning of the experiment, and I'm really looking forward to testing the science behind this theory.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Monday, August 16, 2010
Kick some goals
I am on a mission to shed fat.
At 165cm and just under 80kgs, I am around ten kgs overweight for my height, and while I've been trying on and off to shed that weight for a year, I've had no success.
Running helps a lot, but my diet can always be tweaked to help too. If I'm smaller I'll also be faster and have more endurance, and I'll finally be able to run the type of distances I aspire to.
But a good loss is a lasting loss, and a slow loss is a lasting loss, so I'm trying to concentrate on smaller goals that will help long-term, rather than extreme measures that are unsustainable. I've already made some positive changes that I'm very pleased with, my commitment to running being the best, and also things like drinking plenty of water each day, concentrating on nutritious, health giving food, making good snack choices to keep hunger under control, and nurturing and loving my body.
So my goals for the next round of changes are-
1. Gain control of weekends by not skimping on exercise.
I tend to do less exercise on weekends because I'm tired. Shorter dog walks, skipped runs, and laziness. Given that my favourite weekend activity is laying around watching television, I propose that I can 'buy' TV time from myself by making the effort to exercise first.
2. Restrict treat/takeaway meals to one per week.
I love fatty food. But it's generally nutritionally poor, 'yellow food'. There's nothing wrong with a little of what I fancy, but I want to be in control of the frequency, and the portion.
3. Try one new recipe each week.
New foods will help keep life interesting, and add variety.
4. Increase exercise by ten minutes each day.
I'm already out there, and it makes sense to push even my basic thirty to thirty five minute dog walks and runs to forty five minutes. I'll get extra bang for my buck, and if I get to a point where I'm ready to bridge to ten kilometre runs, I'll find it easier to make the time.
It all sounds really simple right now, but in practise it can be difficult. I'm going to make notes of these goals and leave them places I'll see them to remind myself of what I want to achieve.
At 165cm and just under 80kgs, I am around ten kgs overweight for my height, and while I've been trying on and off to shed that weight for a year, I've had no success.
Running helps a lot, but my diet can always be tweaked to help too. If I'm smaller I'll also be faster and have more endurance, and I'll finally be able to run the type of distances I aspire to.
But a good loss is a lasting loss, and a slow loss is a lasting loss, so I'm trying to concentrate on smaller goals that will help long-term, rather than extreme measures that are unsustainable. I've already made some positive changes that I'm very pleased with, my commitment to running being the best, and also things like drinking plenty of water each day, concentrating on nutritious, health giving food, making good snack choices to keep hunger under control, and nurturing and loving my body.
So my goals for the next round of changes are-
1. Gain control of weekends by not skimping on exercise.
I tend to do less exercise on weekends because I'm tired. Shorter dog walks, skipped runs, and laziness. Given that my favourite weekend activity is laying around watching television, I propose that I can 'buy' TV time from myself by making the effort to exercise first.
2. Restrict treat/takeaway meals to one per week.
I love fatty food. But it's generally nutritionally poor, 'yellow food'. There's nothing wrong with a little of what I fancy, but I want to be in control of the frequency, and the portion.
3. Try one new recipe each week.
New foods will help keep life interesting, and add variety.
4. Increase exercise by ten minutes each day.
I'm already out there, and it makes sense to push even my basic thirty to thirty five minute dog walks and runs to forty five minutes. I'll get extra bang for my buck, and if I get to a point where I'm ready to bridge to ten kilometre runs, I'll find it easier to make the time.
It all sounds really simple right now, but in practise it can be difficult. I'm going to make notes of these goals and leave them places I'll see them to remind myself of what I want to achieve.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)