Today's Training: Mobility and Sprint work

  I have been on vacation in Nantucket, Ma. for the last 8 days and I have gotten into the good habit of starting my day off with 25-30 minutes of "mobility" work.
   This work includes some stretching, some Indian club drills, some Z-health mobility drills as well as some band traction work and more common mobility drills.
    Here is a sample:

• Indian clubs: single club movement #1 and movement #2
• Indian clubs: double clubs-arm circles, horizontal swings, double casts, alternating single casts, Figure 8's
• Z-Health ankle mobs: inversion, eversion
• Z-Health toe drills
• Ankle circles
• Knee circles
• Neck drills: protraction/retraction, lateral flexion, neck rotations
• Ankle mobs
• Squat to stand
• Hip pendulums
• 1/2 kneeling adductor,
• Sidelying t-spine rotation
• 1/2 kneeling hip flexor

   That is just a sample of what I've been doing and it has been helping a great deal. I hope when I get back I can maintain just a fraction of this on a regular basis as I think it will help a great deal. I do some mobility work almost daily but seldom this amt. on a regular basis. 

   After this mobility work, I went down to the beach and did some sand hill sprints:

• Sand hill sprints: 12 x 30 yds. with walk back for recovery. 

    Talk about going nowhere fast! But great workout nonetheless and easy on the joints. 

Well that' s it for today. Send me your comments and I will do my best to respond.

Train hard and train smart!

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Early Specialization: Seven Reasons Why It Is a Bad Idea | MomsTeam

Early Specialization: Seven Reasons Why It Is a Bad Idea | MomsTeam This message needs to become more widespread.

Today's Training Session: Strength Training

  Today, up in Nantucket with my lovely wife, we had a chance to train at the Great Harbor Yacht Club which is a surprisingly good training facility.
  Unlike a lot of these resort and hotel facilities who have tons of cardio equipment and strength training is an after thought this facility had some nice gear including a squat rack, Landmine trainer, functional cable unit as well as some med balls, plyo boxes and the like.
  In other words, more than sufficient for a good training session.
    Don't know why but today I had the urge to do barbell squats which I usually approach with caution due to the risk/reward re: potential low back injury. I haven't done barbell back squats in months but I warmed up thoroughly and proceeded with caution. Here's what the entire training session looked like:

Back squat: 1 x 5 @ 45, 1 x 5 @ 95, 1 x 5 @ 135, 1 x 4@ 185, 1 x 4 @ 205, 1 x 3 @ 225, 1 x 3 @ 255;
   The squats were supersetted with weighted chins: 5 x 5 @ 45 lbs.

TRX suspended pushups(ft. in stirrups): 4 x 25 supersetted with Landmine 1/2 moons 4 x 12

Landmine 1 leg RDLs 4 x 5 @ 60 lbs. supersetted with Box jumps: 4 x 5
45 degree back raises: 4 x 8 @ 45 lbs.
Ab Dolly rollouts: 4 x 10

   So following my basic training program template I got in a squatting pattern, a deadlift (hip hinge) pattern, an upper body push and upper body pull as well as 2 trunk/core exercises and a power movement.
   Good session esp. considering I am on "vacation."

Train hard and train smart!
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Risk Homeostasis and Your Strength and Conditioning Programs | Eric Cressey | High Performance Training, Personal Training

Risk Homeostasis and Your Strength and Conditioning Programs | Eric Cressey | High Performance Training, Personal Training Some food for thought from Cressey which is likely applicable to your own training.

Haven't Forgotten You!

It has been two weeks since I last posted and that is a long time for me but life got in the way as they say so now that I am on vacation I thought I would post a little more frequently over the next week or so and hopefully get back in the swing of things.
   In addition, my training has been a little less organized than usual as I was really busy with my business and other projects, family occasions, and the like.
   I plan on getting back into a more organized and formalized training program the week after next when I am back home and can focus on training a little more.
  I also have a new training goal as I plan on entering another Tough Mudder in October which means the race date is about 3 months away.
  I will be detailing my training for that in the next couple of months.
    So stay tuned and I will be reaching out with more details of this training as these obstacle course type events are becoming hugely popular. In addition, IMHO, the training information/programs out there aren't the best approach to training for these events esp. for the more "mature" athlete.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training: Fixed Gear Cycling for Recovery

  Now that I have my single speed, fixed gear bike in operating order I am taking advantage and trying to ride 3-4 times weekly to supplement my sprint running training sessions.
   For those of you unfamiliar with a fixed gear, single speed bike it is exactly that: it has one gear and you can't "free wheel"...you have to be constantly pedaling.
  Initially, this can be a bit of an adjustment and I had some near misses when I started out but eventually you figure it out and it is a lot of fun as well as a challenge esp. on hills where there is no easier gear to shift to so you must grind it out or get off and walk.
   The advantage of fixed gear bikes are many:
a. The essence of biking simplicity.
b. Smooths out your pedaling stroke
c. You are constantly working so you get more "work" done in the same amount of time as there is no coasting.
d. No impact aerobic training so great for recovery days if that is your choice.

    Today I went for a 40 minute ride on relatively flat terrain and had a blast. Again, in keeping with the simplicity them I had no cycle computer and no heart rate monitor...I just rode for a certain time. Works for me.


Train hard and train smart!
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Word to the Wise: Listen to Your Body in this Heat

  In this almost nation wide heat wave, it is imperative that we pay attention to our body's signals as ignoring them can have catastrophic consequences. This is especially true for the Masters athlete as there are likely to be medical history issues at play as well.
   I was reminded of this yesterday while playing baseball with my team. Yesterday the temperature was nearly 100 degrees and the heat index was in excess of 100.
    A team-mate of mine, who happens to be a big guy as well as a recent heart attack survivor, was having a great game. He had two doubles and a single at the plate and was doing a good job pitching in relief.
  But on his 2nd double as he ran hard for 2nd base he got there and clearly something was not right. Whether it was that single effort or the cumulative physical toll of the game to that point no one will know.
   But he clearly was in discomfort to say the least.
      We got him to the dugout, gave him some fluids and some ice to cool down and insisted that was the end of his day. Luckily, wisdom prevailed and he stopped playing and didn't play in the 2nd game. A very wise choice given the circumstances.
   But the point in all of this is that you must listen to your esp. if you have a medical history and at the Masters athlete level many do have such a history. And weather like we have been having lately only compounds one's medical issues.
  With Masters sports, in my opinion, the joy is in the journey of training and playing not necessarily in the outcomes, scores and victories. You want to be able to do this for as long as you can so be wise. There is always another day to compete and/or train. That is the "train smart" part!

Train hard and train smart!
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Seth's Blog: The false choice of mediocrity

Seth's Blog: The false choice of mediocrity Apply this principle to your own training.

From gold and silver to drugs and jail David Jenkins never ran from fate - Athletics - Scotsman.com

From gold and silver to drugs and jail David Jenkins never ran from fate - Athletics - Scotsman.com A very telling story about steroids use and their cost.

From gold and silver to drugs and jail David Jenkins never ran from fate - Athletics - Scotsman.com

From gold and silver to drugs and jail David Jenkins never ran from fate - Athletics - Scotsman.com A very telling story about steroids use and their cost.

Yesterday's Training: "Brick" Workout

  "Brick" workouts are a term used in the triathlon community to describe training sessions wherein you do, say, a hard bike session followed immediately by a running session. The purpose is to simulate the transition between the two and familiarize yourself with it physiologically and psychologically.
   Yesterday I did my version of a "brick" as I played 9 games of singles squash followed closely by a sprint training session on the track.
   The sprint session was an acceleration ladder of: 10-20-30-40-50 yd. sprints w/walk back for recovery. 2.5 minute rest. Then, repeat for a total of 10 sprints.
  It was a good session and fun and something different for variety which is almost always a good thing esp. when you've been training for as many years of I have been training.
 
Train hard and train smart!
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Training Today: Strength Training

   Today was a recovery/regeneration day as I played two tough games in the heat/humidity yesterday.

Warmup: Leg swings, Indian clubs, wall slides, ankle mobs, lateral squats, jumping jacks

Workout:  KB swings 5 x 20 @ 24 kg; Circuit:  Ring pushups w/ft. elevated 3 x 20; KB snatches 3 x 10 @ 20 kg; Ring pullups 3 x 10; KB carries 3 x 70 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comments: Good session as it was a recovery day after a hard weekend of playing and training.

Train hard and train smart!
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