Big Show: Driving Forward

[Big_Show]

Challenge Number Three!

 

These goals have been set on the assumption that I get to start my driving lessons within the next couple of weeks, and so a lot of my evenings will be taken up with this.  If not, then I'll revise them accordingly.  I'm also away visiting home for a week, during which I'll just have to improvise with the training.

 

Main Quest: Summer holiday on the beach!
I say this every year, but I'm really focussing on it this time; in August I'm going on holiday with my family.  We'll be going to the beach, we'll be going swimming at least one other time, and I've absolutely had enough of feeling self-conscious about being seen with my shirt off.  I am going to get myself into a shape I am happy being photographed in, and that's going to guide everything I try to do over the next half year.
 

1) Squat Mobility - do Hip & Ankle mobility work at least three times a week: +2 CON, +1 DEX

By the time the next challenge starts I should have everything in place to be able to join a gym, at which point I'll be booking a PT and learning how to lift with proper form.  The upper body work will be fine, but at the moment legs are horrendously tight and inflexible - quite probably as as result of all the running and cycling over the last ten years.   So I've done my research and found some good stretches & foam rolling work I can do, and if I do it consistently over the next six weeks i should hopefully get some good improvements.

2) Time/Volume Bodyweight Training - two sessions per week (one of each bodypart split): +2 STR, +2 CON
This one's quite self-explanatory; I've been seeing improvements during the introductory period, and I want to carry this on for the full six weeks to see what kind of strength & hypertrophy gains I can get.  After that it'll be back to the exercise progressions for the next challenge.

3) 5k training - minimum two session per week, one of which being quality speedwork: +2 DEX, +2 STA
I've entered the Doha Dash in mid-February, which I believe handily falls in the middle of Week 6.  I want to build on the last challenge's 10k training and see if I can get back under 20mins; I did 21:06 during the first lap of the 10k last month, and then carried on to the same distance again while feeling strong, so if I train accordingly I should have a good shot at it.

LQ)  Piano Practice - 10 minute of scales and studies per day, every day: +3 CHA, +1 DEX
Now I've finally got my piano I want to get back into the habit of practicing.  But I don't want to get fed up and end up resenting it so I'm going to commit to just ten minutes of practice every day (apart from the week when I have no access to a piano, obviously!), at which point I can stop dead and do something else.  If I want to carry on then fine, but a minimum of ten minutes focussed practice per day.

I'm really looking forward to this challenge starting.  Motivation is currently riding at a nice high, and I'm going to do everything I can to keep it that way.  Bring on the training!

[Balthazar]

All about getting those hips ready to roll, such an important area. Good challenge dude

[Devlin]

Looks like an interesting challenge especially the flexability work.

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[Amdhiel]

Yay for mobility work! My hips and ankles are problem areas for me too. Can't wait to watch your success.

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[shaar]

Awesome variety of goals! Subbing to see you CRUSH IT!

[goodbye_farewell]

Good stuff here. I'm working mobility also. Do you have a link to the hip/ankle mobility info you reference? Best of luck sir.

[rowan]

Eyyyy check this craziness out! I'm loving the energy here, and I totally respect your Main Quest.  The beach is not a joke.  It is a body image battlefield.  You should get in such amazing shape that if you are in the water and you get attacked by a shark you can just FLEXXX at it and it will run away, and then all the marine biologists in the world will be very impressed and also confused.

[Xena]

Looks like a great mix of things. Looking forward to following. It's always nice when a race falls toward the end of a challenge.

[Big_Show]

Good stuff here. I'm working mobility also. Do you have a link to the hip/ankle mobility info you reference? Best of luck sir.

 

Sure, I've got them saved on my laptop - I'll post the links when I get home later on today.

[Shello]

Nice looking challenge.  Lots going on but looks like it's laying some good groundwork for your main quest.  That beach is no joke. 

[Big_Show]

Day 1 done!

 

When I got back from work I had to wait a bit for the sun to go down a bit further so I could stand a chance of doing my speedwork outside, so I got my piano practice in.  10mins of studies, then another ten minutes working on a couple of pieces I'm having a cracking at.  Job done.  I've printed a calendar off Hard Hat Challenge-style as an extra reminder to do my ten minutes a day as well.  I look forward to being able to post a photo of all the ticks after six weeks!

 

Then I headed out for my speedwork.  It's still mid-20s at this time of the evening so it's quite uncomfortable, plus for some reason my legs felt quite empty.  I guess they've not quite recovered from my long run on Friday (I haven't done 12.5M in quite a while - I dread to think what state they'll be in after the half-marathon on Friday!), so it felt like quite hard work.

 

As I've got a long race on Friday I'm tapering a bit, so there were only four efforts.  I did a 1.3M warm-up @ 8:20/mile pace, then 4x 0.3M with 1:30 recoveries:

1) 1:32 @ 5:32/mile

2) 1:27 @ 5:13/mile

3) 1:33 @ 5:35/mile

4) 1:35 @ 5:42/mile

then the 1.3M cool-down back at 8:33/mile (felt a lot slower, my legs were knackered!)

 

Next week I'll be back up to six reps for the session, possibly more.

 

I've got a little massage ball thingy which I'm going to attack my calves with this evening.  This week I'm going to try sticking the mobility work into my bodyweight workout, to see if it a) helps performace during that workout, and aids recovery afterwards.  I figure it can't do any harm to try!

[Big_Show]

Good stuff here. I'm working mobility also. Do you have a link to the hip/ankle mobility info you reference? Best of luck sir.

 

Oh yeah, and those links:

 

How to Improve Flexibility and Mobility for Squatting has kneeling hip flexor stretches & a psoas stretch, and this site has ankle stretches/flexibility exercises.  Hope they help!

 

[Brekketechie]

I'm here to continue cheering (heckling?) you onward to glory!

 

[Big_Show]

Day 2 - early wrap-up today.

 

The original plan was to do my bodyweight workout after work tonight, but I've just got hold of a ticket to go watch the tennis at the Qatar Open so I'm off there instead!  I made a list in my EQoA pad when I arrived here of things that I wanted to do and it's on that list, which means this is sort of one of thsoe drop-everything-and-grab-life-by-the-nads situations.  You know the ones.

 

Anyway, I've just got enough time when I get in from work to prep my healthy food for tomorrow and get my piano practice in (these are my priorities), so I'll just shift the workout to tomorrow instead.  It won't interfere with my planned taper for Friday's race so it won't make any problems, and I get to watch a real live tennis tournament for the first time ever!  I'll make sure I grab some photos!

[Big_Show]

Hard hat challenge so far for piano practice

[goodbye_farewell]

Oh yeah, and those links:

 

How to Improve Flexibility and Mobility for Squatting has kneeling hip flexor stretches & a psoas stretch, and this site has ankle stretches/flexibility exercises.  Hope they help!

 

Thanks! Also, those speed work paces are awesome. Well done.

[Nolondil]

I get ya on the importance of flexibility - I'm beginning to think tight hip flexors may have caused my piriformis troubles. Also lovin' the piano challenge, I wish I could play... perhaps it's an idea for a future LQ! 

[rowan]

Calendar magic!  Keep collecting those red check marks!  Also, jealous of the tennis match - tennis is really fun to watch live.

[rowan]

Do you have specific piano music that you like to play or pieces you are trying to learn?

[Big_Show]

I've got some books of of scales, exercises and some old pieces that I know used to be able to play, so at the moment I'm focussing on the basics and trying to get them back up to scratch again. Each practice session is currently equal parts frustrating amd promising

The tennis was awesome! Watched two and a half matches, including seeing Djokovic too:

It turned out to be a bit of a later night than expected so I'm knackeres today - I have been trying to cut down on coffee recently, but today seems like the perfect opportunity to see if I get any greater energy boosts from it yet!

[Swinging_Jarnbjorn]

Jumping on the mobility bandwagon, I love that challenge, and will be swiping it for future use. Mobility is an issue for me as well, and it greatly affects my squats. Mobility work is an absolute must.

[Hulk In Nerds Clothing]

Following along for pictures of your face while foam rolling the first few times ;D

Hope I do participate a bit more actively this time around

[Balthazar]

I've got some books of of scales, exercises and some old pieces that I know used to be able to play, so at the moment I'm focussing on the basics and trying to get them back up to scratch again. Each practice session is currently equal parts frustrating amd promising

The tennis was awesome! Watched two and a half matches, including seeing Djokovic too:

It turned out to be a bit of a later night than expected so I'm knackeres today - I have been trying to cut down on coffee recently, but today seems like the perfect opportunity to see if I get any greater energy boosts from it yet!

 

Not sure on the science behind it, but if it helps I find consuming a greater amount of protein keeps me awake on tired days

[Big_Show]

Day 3 done!

 

The extra caffeine this morning seems to have got me through the day; I'll be off to bed shortly just in case though.  Don't want to have another sleep-hangover tomorrow.

 

Bodyweight workout tonight - Split A of the Time/Volume training.  I incorporated my mobility work into it as well to see how that worked out:

- 5mins skipping

- Ninja Mobility routine

- Hip Mobility stretches

- T/V training:

-- negative-rep chin-ups (13mins): 10x10s, 3x20s, 4x30s, 3x40s (60)

-- negative-rep dips (13mins): 8x10s, 5x20s, 4x30s, 4x40s (63)

-- forearm knee raises (10mins): 15x10s, 7x20s, 2x30s (75)

-- bicep curls - 8.5kg dumbbells (10mins): 8x10s, 6x20s, 5x30s (57)

 

- run: 2.1M in 17:25 @ 8:17/mile

 

- cool-down stretches + ankle flexibility work

 

I've also just done my 10mins on the piano and prepped my food for tomorrow.  Throwing in an extra couple of apples into the mix at work to see if that helps the urge to snack go away.

 

Pretty much on a taper down to Friday now - nice easy run after work tomorrow, and plenty of rest & recovery after that!

[rowan]

aaah the dreaded sleep-hangover.  your caffeine battles inspire me!