I find the fact that a few days off from running can essentially set you back to square one, well at least for me anyways. What I do find most interesting is that my pace/speed does not go down, but my ability to go the same distance is drastically severed. 

I took a three day break from serious running, (about 4-5 miles a day) and find myself completing a measly 2.66 mile run today and feeling extremely exhausted. It’s as if my lungs and body would just not go any further, but still, my pace @ 7:01 was not harmed, just how long my body could sustain such a pace. Interesting, does anyone else notice this?

I’d be pleased if anyone knew why this was, and if it is merely me, but I’m sure it’s not. Why does this happen?

I usually set aside Wednesdays alone for Strength training on my legs. Right now, my Upper body is MIA for strength training due to my shoulder injury, but I continue to hammer my legs into submission & growth. When I do lift on Wednesdays, I go extremely hard and am always struggling to maintain a normal walk on my way out of the gym, and for the rest of the day.

I usually set aside Wednesdays purely for strength training, and give my legs a break from running. What do you guys think/do? Do you run the same days you do strength training for your legs? 

Nothing to really say in this post, life remains the same. The pain in my foot did spark up about mid-run, pushed through it though. Final time of 39:36 which in my opinion is at least progress. 

So after a little 4.5 mile run yesterday, I decided to bump up the distance to 5 today. I’m feeling like I might just hit 5’s the rest of this week and maybe a long 7 on Saturday, who knows.

Anyways, about half way through the run my foot started to hurt. Nothing major, but an annoyance in the left foot. Each and every stride I noticed the pain more and more. After a while I just was about to give up, and turn around. But fuck that. I’m so tired of not being capable to lift weights due to my Shoulder injury, I’m not quitting running. Not even if it will affect me in the long run, I don’t care, I need my sanity. I’ll run through this injury, even if it kills me.

Anywhoo, 5.05 miles @ 37:50 = 7.26 pace. 

4.4 Mile run today. I decided to see how far the local Walmart was from my University. Turns out it’s only 2.82 miles. So I should be hitting there and back here soon. 5.6 miles? Sounds good sometime this coming week. 

Anyways, I took yesterday off and I ate like shit. Oh well, though. Sometimes you have to indulge in your cravings. You only live once, after all, and it doesn’t phase me. I’m not completely pissed off or discouraged about eating like that, it happens. Plus, unlike most people, I’m not really about Aesthetics. I’m merely training to see how far I can go.

Anyways, my time for 4.4 was 34:35, which I’m not proud of, but what can you do? 

Something most people don’t know about me is that I’m currently working on a book, well, have been for about 5 months now. It’s a “mid-apocalyptic” novel over a girl and her journey trying to survive & live in the recent turn of events of “Infected” that now dominate the Earth. Yeah, it’s been done before, but what hasn’t?

ANYWAYS, I often incorporate my imagination into my workouts. Especially during Intervals when I need that little extra push to get myself going on a fast interval. Today I venture I ran somewhere around 3-4 miles doing intervals at my own leisure, but it was still an intense run. Had to do it inside, too, because it was raining cats and dogs.

Am I the only one that does this? What do you guys think of when you’re running?

Life has been getting to me lately, and running is a means for me to channel out my energy. After yesterday’s intense lifting sessions, I indulged in a distance run. 

As of now, my normal runs are around 5K, but a 5.5 mile run is just what I needed. Running isn’t just about testing my capacity, but also an outlet for me to channel my energy and remain focused on what’s really important. At least, to me.

How many of you use Running as your means of therapy? Sprints or distance if that’s the case?

A lot of people don’t understand the usefulness of a pre-workout supplement & I thought I’d shed some light on why it wouldn’t be a bad idea into looking into getting one to help you chug through your workout. 

Reasons FOR: 

Energy: A-lot of people don’t have the energy they’d wish, and sometimes because of this it causes them to become more susceptible to SKIPPING workouts or runs. Pre workouts give you the energy you need to get off your ass, and get moving.

Endurance: For those of you like myself who don’t have the problem with getting out there and doing your thing, pre-workouts are used as stimulants with many ingredients that will give you the energy not only to perform better, but longer during your workouts. Giving you that edge in the weight room or on the road/trail/etc. It’s not necessary, but it’s definitely a great feeling.

Appetite: Let’s face it, a lot of people aiming to workout/run could be out of shape or overweight. Most pre-workouts that are stimulants are also appetite suppressors. This helps you stay away from food that you might not need, even after a workout. I’m not saying don’t get your nutrients in after your WO, but it’ll help you control what you put in & how much.

Pump: A-lot of you might not know what the “pump” is, but it’s created by the widening of your arteries & veins which allows more blood to get to your muscles, making the skin and muscles expand, so to speak. It’s mostly just aesthetically pleasing.

Reasons NOT to:

Not necessary: It’s true, supplements aren’t really necessary to the body. You’ll perform just FINE without them. Sometimes though, given people’s different attitudes, personalities, or agenda, they do help. I’m not saying they’re necessary, because they aren’t NEEDED. But hey, so aren’t a lot of things in life that we have.

Ingredients: In a lot of cases, Pre-workouts haven’t been fully trialed and are packed with a lot of ingredients. A lot of them, you probably don’t know. In a sense, you could be harming your body & it’s very likely in most cases they have negative effects, but they also have good effects, or people wouldn’t use them. See above. 

Conclusion: I myself use a PWO, why? Well because, you only live once, and I believe simply the benefits out weigh the negatives. My schedule isn’t always perfect, and sometimes I need that endurance in a workout to give it my all. It’s all preference.

I DO suggest, if you are serious about lifting/running, you look into a PWO to help your game just THAT much. You will see improvement. Anyways, ciao. 

I didn’t run Friday or Sunday. But I did run my old Cross Country course with a few of my close friends and ex-teammates. That was awesome, and my time was relatively close to my season time @ 21:12 for a 5K. Honestly, our course is one of the toughest in state, so I am not dissapointed.

However, today I ran a 3.11 run after a REALLY bad Saturday (I drank my weight in alcohol), but it made for an interesting night. 

Needless to say, my run was terrible today. You know how you feel when it’s like you’re starting all over again? Yeah. But, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, I guess. I love running, and just because sometimes it’s a hazing, doesn’t mean it’s not worth it in the long run. 

What do you guys think? Ever have one of those hazing days?

- /end

Somewhat neglected by the casual lifter. Today, I hammered mine to oblivion. Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve been this sore or since I’ve worked so hard during a workout. 

A lot of it had to do with the new pre-workout I took that my friend gave me. Gave me INSANE energy and endurance. 

Anywhoo, just for a bullshit post and in case any of you are wondering the routine I did and want to give your legs a run for their money… here you go.

Leg extensions: 4 sets - 50, 40, 35, 25.

Squats: 5 sets - 25, 20, 15, 10, 10.

Leg press: 4 sets - 10, 10, 10, 10.

Seated leg curls: 4 sets - 25, 20, 15, 15.

Calf raises: 4 sets - 25, 25, 25, 25.

I got this routine from Cut & Jacked. Workout and credit here: http://cutandjacked.com/Workout-Routine-Brandan-Fokken

Rating: 8/10.