Breaking up the Cardio

Yesterday I was seeking advice from two friends who are very serious athletes and have been doing this for a long time. Both are telling me that doing anything at all is good. One of them sent the following advice:

Bottom line is this:
<> 85% anerobic you train in this range to get faster and move to another "competitive" level (Z3)

you don't get the benefits of anaerobic (only pain and suffering) until you spend several weeks (8-12) doing aerobic base building.

during the aerobic phase you mix rest days (Z1) with harder days (Z2). Over time the harder days increase in duration. Initially maybe you spend 15- 20 minutes in Z2 with a 20 minute warm up and 20 minute warm down. each week you increase the Z2 time by 10% to where you eventually can do 45- 60 minutes in Z2 without much trouble. I wouldn't do more than 3-4 days of Z2 work each week. The off days should be 45-60 minutes in Z1 to recover. Every 10-14 days take one day off completely, or go for a long walk. Doing the hard/easy thing keeps you fresh. You can go harder on your hard days and get more benefit. It also keeps you mentally fresh, going out and beating yourself into submission everyday gets old and you burn out.

Even if you don't compete, I would still recommend doing some Z3 work eventually. Its tough, but it keeps you from getting stale and hitting a plateau. On a bike/run you can accomplish it (z3) pretty easy by riding a hilly course or doing hill repeats.

Stick to it consistently and you will see results, but it will take some time.

So, I was sorta doing that (OK, Okay I wasn't sorta doing that - sheesh!) but I'm going to pay a bit more heed to it now and so I came in today with the mindset that today is a 'light' day. So assuming my max heart rate is 173 then according to the above:

• Z1 less than 113bpm
• Z2 113 - 148bpm (130 is 75%)
• Z3 > 148bpm

I also know that my core body strength needs to be built up so I'm going to mess around with trying some 'planks' after my workout, because I'm certain they're easy and all, mmhmm.

Ambling on the bike felt OK and even though I only did 111bpm average it was a rest day. I'm shooting the breeze with people in the gym, cracking jokes a bit. When did that happen? Anyway it's cool and makes the time go better.

Yesterday my trainer sent me my exercise routine. It's a spreadsheet filled with currently meaningless gibberish that will soon become numbers I understand and then begin to obsess over a lot like I'm beginning to obsess about my heart rate. What fun!

I probably shouldn't tell you this but, um, I'm cheating on my weight, I keep sneaking peeks at it like the little perv I am. Big mistake and I've got to cut that crap out. Today my weight caught me, gasped, stormed up to me and bitch-slapped me with an additional half pound over yesterdays weight. Sigh, I'll try and behave.

Naturally I thought the scale was off and needed recalibrating. So I zero it out and, aha! it is off!!! I begin slowly teasing the pound thing up snickering like Wile E. Coyote as the number climbed. Right around three pounds I realized I was standing on the scale. BLUSH! Stupid scale. It was zeroed.

As I was going through the cafeteria some ladies called out from their table, "Where's the blog entry?" I let them know its in progress and I'm thinking, "Boy there sure are a whole lot of girls hoping and praying I'll get better looking... HEY WAIT A MINUTE!" :-)

I can't wait for tomorrow! Six AM tomorrow my trainer instructs me on new and exciting implements of destruction and after my trip to the ER I'll let you know how that little escapade went!

Here's the chart for today - I think I only did one thing wrong, I needed to go LONGER. Be well