Devyn's First Challenge In Which She Will Kick Serious Butt

[realbrickwall]

Soon you won't feel sore at all any more and you will really miss that feeling. Or maybe that's just me and I'm a masochist

It's not just you, but it's certainly not everyone. I personally have a lot of physical work to do outside my training, and also a lot of physical activities that I enjoy that aren't training. Soreness really makes those less fun (for me), even if it doesn't get in the way that much once you break the mental barrier.

[Kyliewyotie]

Yeah I used to think if I wasn't sore I didn't do enough. Over time the soreness went away.

And I will third stretching.

[Devyn]

Oh, I stretch every day anyway. I used to dance and I've been doing yoga for years. Stretching is my favorite part of exercise, so there's no worry about that. Thanks so much for checking in on me, guys! I am very sore despite the sleep, stretching and eating well...ah well...c'est la vie!

[realbrickwall]

Good stretching, sleeping, eating...

I gotta tell you, having DOMS when everything else is good is uncommon. Has it been a while since you've done a wipe-out workout? Those can hit you pretty hard if you don't do them much.

But, hey, if you can maintain your cheer, then all is well. I know some of my best days have been full of muscle soreness.

[Devyn]

I haven't been to the gym very much in 2 weeks if that counts. I have worked out hard for a year or so, but I'm still not very strong. I am doing different exercises targeting my weakest muscles so that's probably it. It's my quads and biceps today which are my weak areas. (Squats and Pushups)

[Kishi]

Just chiming in to say that... everyone else beat me to the awesome advice. Fail on my part, but good to see you have a lot of support.

I'm looking back at your goals and I notice that you listed C25K and the push up challenge and sprinting... but reading, it sounds like you're doing more working out than just those two things. If you don't mind me asking, what's your workout schedule look like?

[Waldo]

What are you looking to accomplish with the sprinting work?

When a lot of people start sprinting, they seem to try to train to increase the sprinting frequency or increase the sprinting distance. Which is fine, but when done that way it really is a different form of C25K. Every August every football team in the country has to get into game shape, almost all of them do it by high frequency low output sprinting (the torture otherwise known as gassers), instead of running miles and miles, working up with run/walk intervals. Just a different (and much faster) method of reaching the same goal.

If your sprinting goal is to run faster, increasing the sprinting distance and/or run frequncy will not make you faster (might in fact have the opposite effect). Everyone's body is only capable of maximum sprinting output for about 12-17 sec, and moderate-high output for 40-50 sec. You might add a couple seconds to it if you are on the low end, but world class sprinters have this limitation as well. To run with peak output you have to give your muscles time to recharge their energy systems, which takes 4-5 minutes. Again, everyone has this limitation, and the stronger (faster) you get, the longer it takes. In track and field you see 3 distinct clusterings of body types and training, the 100M types, the 400M types, and the 800M+ types. In the end to sprint faster, pick a distance and try to run it as fast as you can every time you run.

[Devyn]

Just chiming in to say that... everyone else beat me to the awesome advice. Fail on my part, but good to see you have a lot of support.

I'm looking back at your goals and I notice that you listed C25K and the push up challenge and sprinting... but reading, it sounds like you're doing more working out than just those two things. If you don't mind me asking, what's your workout schedule look like?

I'm doing C25K on MWF. I do a bodyweight workout 3x a week as I have already been doing for a while now. These goals are goals on top of my bodyweight workout. I use sprints as a warmup, then I go into pushups+bodyweight (part of the same routine) on Tues and Sat. Thursdays I'm doing Yoga (which I've been doing for years) and my pushups right after the class.

[Devyn]

What are you looking to accomplish with the sprinting work?

When a lot of people start sprinting, they seem to try to train to increase the sprinting frequency or increase the sprinting distance. Which is fine, but when done that way it really is a different form of C25K. Every August every football team in the country has to get into game shape, almost all of them do it by high frequency low output sprinting (the torture otherwise known as gassers), instead of running miles and miles, working up with run/walk intervals. Just a different (and much faster) method of reaching the same goal.

If your sprinting goal is to run faster, increasing the sprinting distance and/or run frequncy will not make you faster (might in fact have the opposite effect). Everyone's body is only capable of maximum sprinting output for about 12-17 sec, and moderate-high output for 40-50 sec. You might add a couple seconds to it if you are on the low end, but world class sprinters have this limitation as well. To run with peak output you have to give your muscles time to recharge their energy systems, which takes 4-5 minutes. Again, everyone has this limitation, and the stronger (faster) you get, the longer it takes. In track and field you see 3 distinct clusterings of body types and training, the 100M types, the 400M types, and the 800M+ types. In the end to sprint faster, pick a distance and try to run it as fast as you can every time you run.

I get what you're saying about the maximum output, but I don't quite understand what is the best way for me to gain speed. I find it difficult to do distance because I have no markers to gauge it. What do you suggest?

[Kishi]

I'm doing C25K on MWF. I do a bodyweight workout 3x a week as I have already been doing for a while now. These goals are goals on top of my bodyweight workout. I use sprints as a warmup, then I go into pushups+bodyweight (part of the same routine) on Tues and Sat. Thursdays I'm doing Yoga (which I've been doing for years) and my pushups right after the class.

Hmmm. Don't think I've seen sprints used as a warm-up before. Generally, that kind of power work is something you warm up for; that or work as a finisher at the end when you're nice and loose.

It sounds like you're stretching before working out, which is a pretty significant way to raise the interior temperature. Let me ask: for those sprints, are you doing anything else to warm up for those? Maybe some light jogging over the distance just to work the kinks out? Or are you going from 0-60 just like that?

[Devyn]

Hmmm. Don't think I've seen sprints used as a warm-up before. Generally, that kind of power work is something you warm up for; that or work as a finisher at the end when you're nice and loose.

It sounds like you're stretching before working out, which is a pretty significant way to raise the interior temperature. Let me ask: for those sprints, are you doing anything else to warm up for those? Maybe some light jogging over the distance just to work the kinks out? Or are you going from 0-60 just like that?

Well, technically, I walk/jog to the track to warm up before I sprint and then I walk back and then do the bodyweight. I wasn't sure what order to do it in

[Devyn]

Pity.... I was stopping by to be hella-impressed! One day, one day...

I played a kender (Tasselhoff) as my 1st RPG character, many years ago now in an AD&D game. Fun times... It's good to *be* the kender, it's not so fun being *with* the kender. I remember with fondness a painting in a dungeon with a sign saying "Do not touch, danger!", which translated into kender basically read to my PC "Touch me. You know you want to see what happens. Must be something fun."

Stop by in a few years, I'm sure I'll look something like my avatar.

Yes, I've loved kender since I was 11. My friends used to call me a kender all the time. I get bored easily, I'm always getting into trouble...basically I have a fondness for them because I'm so similar to them. That would probably be why I annoy so many of the people I hang out with. Also, when I'm not overweight, I'm tiny and I have pointy ears. Even though I'm approaching 30, I still love kender. I also chose kender because it represents a fearlessness that I'd like to embody during these challenges. And I love how kender can make anything fun, something that is a must when getting fit!

[Waldo]

I get what you're saying about the maximum output, but I don't quite understand what is the best way for me to gain speed. I find it difficult to do distance because I have no markers to gauge it. What do you suggest?

If you are trying to get faster, pick a repeatable distance (that is you can always run the exact same distance), doesn't have to be measured precise, a comfortable distance for you, and clock yourself running it. Always do an easy warmup sprint first (helps prevent muscle pulls). Keep trying session to session to beat your fastest time. Over time you'll get faster and faster and faster. I picked up a cheap stopwatch ($10 at Target) to help with this, it has really come in handy for a lot of things (like taking splits when jogging outside).

[Kishi]

Well, technically, I walk/jog to the track to warm up before I sprint and then I walk back and then do the bodyweight. I wasn't sure what order to do it in

Ah, I see, I see. Sorry if it sounds like I'm asking a million questions. I just want to help the pain stop if I can, but as far as I can tell things look solid. I guess it's one of those things your body will get over in time.

Badass, though, that you're keeping on through pain! Most people would stop after the hurting started. You're off to a fantastic beginning here.

[Devyn]

If you are trying to get faster, pick a repeatable distance (that is you can always run the exact same distance), doesn't have to be measured precise, a comfortable distance for you, and clock yourself running it. Always do an easy warmup sprint first (helps prevent muscle pulls). Keep trying session to session to beat your fastest time. Over time you'll get faster and faster and faster. I picked up a cheap stopwatch ($10 at Target) to help with this, it has really come in handy for a lot of things (like taking splits when jogging outside).

Ah, okay I see what you're saying. I will try to suss out something then and change my goal up a bit. Because I'm already doing intervals with my running, it's not about the intervals or endurance, it's about speed. Thanks!

Ah, I see, I see. Sorry if it sounds like I'm asking a million questions. I just want to help the pain stop if I can, but as far as I can tell things look solid. I guess it's one of those things your body will get over in time.

Badass, though, that you're keeping on through pain! Most people would stop after the hurting started. You're off to a fantastic beginning here.

I encourage questions! I want to make sure I'm doing everything right. Yeah, I'm doing full body workouts but only my weakest muscles hurt the next day so I think it's something that I will get over eventually.

[Devyn]

Okay, my official check in. Yesterday I completed my C25K 4.2. Let me tell you. Use the bathroom before going on a run is a lesson I learned. The whole time I kept thinking about how badly I needed to pee so the run took way longer than it needed to. Last night, though, was when I didn't do so well. My sister brought home a Chipotle burrito bowl and I ate the whole thing (healthy food, but a TONNE of it) I really need to watch my portions a bit better. But since it was just one night and it technically didn't break my goals for this challenge, I"m not counting it as a stumble. More like a lack of good judgement. I'm still going strong with my goals.

As for today, I did my pushups first. I did a total of 20 pushups and I did 8 in a row which beats my Tuesday pushups! I then did my favorite yoga class which killed me but it also helped my sore muscles. So far my food has been fine today, I just gotta make it through without going overboard.

Tomorrow I will do my last C25K run for the week and Saturday I will go back to pushups, sprints and bodyweight.

I changed my sprint goal a little to reflect what I want to accomplish. I won't have any more specifics until I test where I am with speed at the moment. Thank you to everyone for your advice. I welcome questions and corrections. I don't take things personally so feel free to get tough. I'd rather someone be blunt with me than for me to do things incorrectly. Thanks!

[Croman Red]

Good job! Sounds like you're building some momentum. You might be too hard on yourself if you adopt a zero defect stance at the beginning. Keep in mind that right now you're only awesome, not perfect:)

[Siferiax]

Congrats on getting an extra push up in!!!

Sounds like your making great progress so far.

Also don't be too hard on yourself, you're only just starting out and you can't expect everything to go 100% perfect right off the bat. (probably not in general either.)

[PitBull_Liz]

I also learned very quickly to use the bathroom for running, as well as to be mindful of what I ate the night before as I ran early in the morning. However, my issue wasn't having to pee - it was the dreaded "runner's runs." Had to end a few runs VERY short as I got myself home as quickly as possible, LOL.

[Sea Level]

Looks like you've got a great start!

[Devyn]

Okay, I had a helluva weekend. I got sick Thursday evening and by Friday I was a mess. I was in a lot of pain and I was dizzy and just a mess so I skipped my workout and I ate junk. Saturday was pretty bad, but I ate well. I did my C25K workout slowly. Today I was worse than I was on Saturday. I am not doing well, but I have eaten well...mostly things that make me feel good like nuts and fruit and lots of water and rest. I did do my workout, since I took Friday off I didn't take today off. I completed all of my goals but it took me forever to do them. As hellish as this week was, I 100% completed my goals. I could have done better in my other things, but overall, I will say I did well. Hopefully I will feel much better tomorrow so that I can give it my best.

[PitBull_Liz]

Ugh, hope you're feel better quickly! Kudos on not letting it stop you entirely!

[Kishi]

Mm, workout and sick rarely go together well. Hope you get to feeling better soon!

[Devyn]

My husband was constantly there to really discourage me and tell me how dumb I was being for working out when I was sick. He might have been upset because I slept all morning while he looked after the kids and there I was doing pushups on the living room floor. Well, I did them. I hope I'll get better sometime soon because I get super whiny when I'm sick.

My plan for tomorrow is to do week 5 day 1 of C25K. I'll take it slow and drink lots of water. I also have a no refined sugar/carbs day tomorrow so we'll see how it goes. Usually when I'm sick, I don't want to be good.

[Siferiax]

Get well soon! Though much kudos to you for keeping momentum going while feeling ill!