Training Log: week 8

...or the week I started to go to the gym again!

First of all, I would like to say sorry because I haven't spent the time to write an article about anything else but my weekly training. This blog was supposed to be about something else but my runs. I will have to fix that soon.

Regarding my training this week; last Monday, I pushed myself into the gym. The excuse was the bad weather, but I really needed to workout at the gym as I was doing before Christmas. Overall, I am very proud of all my workouts this week, but lets see the table first:

     *the weather does not really matter when training inside, right?
   ** this was a series session: 5x1200km + 1x2000km (pace: 5:00; 4:50; 4:45; 4:45; 4:50 and 5:00)

One thing I wanted to let you know is that the table is made out of the data taken from my Nike+ receiver and suunto t4c watch; meaning that distance, pace and time is taken from Nike+ and Calories and HR from the watch.  This is not important when I just go for a run, but sometimes it is more complicated than what is mentioned on the table. 

As an example, Tuesday and Sunday workouts; both at the gym. On Tuesday, I ran in a easy pace on the treadmill at 7% elevation for 2km which wasn't recorded on the Nike+. Today, I ran for 10km on the treadmill but I would pause the Nike+ receiver after every lap so it didn't record when recovering at easy pace. Other examples are Monday and Saturday when I went to the gym but didn't use the Nike+ on my a(na)erobic exercises (bike or cross trainer). My workouts at the gym looked like this:

Monday (1hour): 35min on cross trainer and 25min biceps and triceps
Tuesday (1h30m):  weight lifting for legs and back + treadmill
Saturday (1hour): 35min bike and 25min pectoral and abs
Sunday (1h30m): abs and treadmill

I was supposed to write an article about SaharaMarathon last week but I didn't, I also had in mind a post about winter runs but is not ready yet. Hopefully, you will be able to read something else than my training here. 

If you want to follow me on any of the Social Networks for runner, you can do it here:

http://my.nike.com/EFESOR
http://www.strands.com/EFESOR
http://www.runnerplus.com/people/efesor
you can also follow me on twitter, but it's not all about sports there, just find efesor!



I almost forgot it! Today, I registered to the Helsinki City Run (HCR), a half marathon that will take place on 8th May 2010. 

The day I became...

an AVANTO lover!

This week I only trained 2 days; on Monday and Thursday. The weather hasn't been helpful, neither was the work-shifts. Nonetheless, today I enjoyed of a great experience: the Finnish sauna and avanto. You all know what a sauna is but probably don't know what avanto means. 

I read some translation and I came up with this one “the hole in ice where you can practice winter-swimming” For somebody who uses his legs as much as I do, the experience can be defined as healing. Icy cold water helps blood circulation and healing tired muscles. 

Lately I was feeling difficulties on running and pain on my heels and knees so I took this opportunity as a good way to "re-boot" my legs on running and get them ready for a marathon training! Yes, you read it right, I am planning to participate in the great experience of a Marathon this year. Right know, I am searching to create a great training plan. At the same time, I am talking with Javier which is going to be: So far, we have talked about San Petersburg (ERGO White Nights Marathon) and Copenhagen (Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon), the idea is to go somewhere near Helsinki. Any suggestion?

I will let you know when the training program is ready and where is going to take place my first marathon experience! Meanwhile, I let you enjoy my face of.... pain? fun? pleasure?

Training Log: Week 7

There are many excuses I can use to explain why I haven't been running much lately: bad weather, working shifts, deadlines... The true is that I have been quiet lazy these days, and 2010 looks a good year for everything else but running. Nonetheless, I am trying to change it and this week is a good example. Considering my plans for the year, I better get back on track and focus on a training program I haven't managed to create just yet. Following, you can see my runs on week 7:

It can be better, but I can't complain. Overall, it felt great and I am very happy with my pace. It is also true that I have been feeling some pain on Thursday and today but I hope I don't have to worry much about it.

What about you? Did you have a good training week? Let's see if I can show you better results next Sunday!

The day I became a runner

It was the end of November 2008 when I decided to join a gym with a friend. To say it straight: I am 168cm and weighted 78.5kg. I felt overweight and was scared this would get worst considering Christmas was behind the corner. My friend Javier Valiente Webster has been running for a while and was totally fit compared to my life style till them. My plan wasn't to keep on his training but get fit on my own way, nonetheless, I enjoyed his company enough to walk the treadmill while his running workouts. It didn't take long to realize that fast-walking on the treadmill was paying nicely back on the scale; I was loosing weight and it didn't feel that bad... Not at all.

I still remember the day that changed my routines and became a runner. After the Christmas holidays, I was going to the gym without my skilled friend around and I decided to change my pace at the treadmill and surprised myself with a run for longer than 30 minutes at a pace of  7 m/km. For my condition, it was a great achievement and never came back on walking while training; nor in the treadmill, nor on the road. Since then, I have logged more than 1000km in my Nike+ profile, drop down my personal pace for more than a 1 m/km and lost 10 kg.