Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts

Sunday, 26 April 2015

The end of the week has been marked with the long distance running session that has been scheduled, namely 42 km self supported, completed at the pace of 4:34" per km on 270 mt elevation gain.
Legs were rolling like wheels. I never pushed along the test and was running very relaxed, breathing and looking around as if I was running on a much shorter distance. I take this as a sign that my condition is getting better and better.
The workouts at the gym are being effective, as expected. No pain on the hills, no slowdown, no problem to the knees whatsoever.
Looking forward to May 17th.

Here is a split of 40.1 km of the total.
Happy running!

 

Thursday, 23 April 2015

The number of injuries I got in the past, thought me that preparing an ultra trail does not only mean running the long distance on the road or hilly&muddy tracks. 
Fortunately, it also means creating diversity in the training, strengthening joints, knees, quads, arms. In three words, HITTING-THE-GYM.
This might sound hard but I'm finding it extremely useful and fun.

So here is a summary of what I have been doing for a while.
In order to spend some hours at the gym I had to decrease the mileage per week. My highest priority has been about improving the core muscles that usually kick in after the 40th km.
No strength in the muscles after 4 hours of running usually means that it's pretty much over. You heard that, my friends. Over. Finito. Go home.
And you don't want that, do you? 

I am not talking about glycogen and lack of carbs. These things remain the same for every ultra marathon and the strategies to replenish the overused resources are those that almost every ultra runner already knows.
What I am talking here about is the lack of power in muscles that have been put under stress for so long and are demanded to climb those last 1000 meters of elevation.

Here is a program that has been provided by www.iamsofit.com, a team of experts in fitness and nutrition. I clearly advise it for the purpose of getting stronger, faster and more resistant, especially on the very long distance.


Day 1
Deadlifts: 3 series of 12 repetitions at 75% maximal weight
Squats: 3 series of 15 repetitions at 70% maximal weight 
Leg-extension: 3 series of 8 repetitions at 90% max
Lunges with barbell on the back of the shoulders (3x10 each leg) 
Abs: crunches on the bench with 20 kg weight 4 series of 25 repetitions
         plank with side step 3 series of 60 seconds each

Day 2
Pull-ups 3 times until exhaustion
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3x12 with 75% max 
Bent Barbell Row 3x12 75% max weight 
Barbell Push Press 3x8 with 90% max
Abs: Plank with legs on ball (bringing knees to chest) 3 series of 20 repetitions
        Russian twist 3 series of 20 repetitions (with ball or weight)


Day 3
(Biceps) Concentration curl with dumbbells 3x8 with 90% max weight
Chest-press 3x8 at max weight
Hammer curl 3 series of 12 repetitions per arm 75% max weight
Cable Crossover 3 series of 12 repetitions at 75% max weight
Abs: crunches on the bench with 20 kg weight 4 series of 25 repetitions
         Toe-to-head 3 series of 15 repetitions 






The results above are of about one month of workouts. 
I am not only seeing my body changing and becoming really dense and strong, but also running hills and intervals in conditions in which I am already tired, is becoming... easier, if you allow me the term.

That's it for today.
See you on the road!

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

A small update from the running department.
As some of you know, I set my next race to May 17, Trail de la Lesse. A 50 km trail run nearby Liege in Belgium. One more time to "feel the hill", pumping lactate around the blood stream. One more time to feel alive.

The training of the last four weeks has changed to become harder and harder. A steep increase of mileage characterised it, as you can see from the screenshot below. I also added interval training sessions to the mix and after four weeks I can feel the  improvement of my cardio condition.

I am being followed by iamsofit.com and added strengthening exercises at the gym (will publish some schedules in a later post). Caroline of iamsofit.com is also providing a nutrition plan. 

Running towards best shape of the season.
Keep it up!




Tuesday, 30 September 2014

Dear runners,
a lot happened since my last trips to Finland and Vienna. Buying a house that I don't really need has probably been the stupidest thing I've ever done so far in my life. Even more stupid when I realised that being a gipsy is indeed my attitude, at least for the time being.
Thank God, sad things never come alone. The grateful smile of Caroline is one of the most fulfilling experiences I have day by day.

With this said, I should be here to write about my running experience rather than my personal life, right? Well, running is about my personal life. No off topic.
The last weeks have been partially dedicated, as I said, to working in the house, working in the office and eventually maintaining a good condition by running in the forests and hills around Liege.
Before each running session and especially during many of them, however, I often felt tired, with that feeling of emptiness in the legs, not in the mood at all and kind of bored. Have you ever had such a feeling?
Life was never meant to be easy, as the lyrics of a song say. I do agree. But running with no enthusiasm can be more painful than interval training itself. I was even hoping to find some good pals out there who experienced the same at least once in their life, when, one day, I got enlightened by my own schedule.
Actually there was no schedule!
I was lacking the most important component of a runner's plan: the plan indeed! No target race planned any time soon, no training schedule, no goals to achieve, no weekly mileage to keep up to... Basically, I was just running. I don't know how good or bad that is. Many people just run. Many go out every day, after work or during a break. Some even at lunch time. I was probably becoming like those people. Nothing bad of course. Except that... it was killing me. It was like I was not running at all. That feeling of disappointment brought its consequences also in my diet, with a consistent increase of sugar, chocolate and frangipane cakes. Not to mention ice cream.
I am a runner who needs a plan. I've always had one.
To let things work out again I did it: I decided to run the Bear Trail this year. A 56 km trail with 1200 mt elevation gain near the belgian-dutch border.
I don't have much time to train for it. Four weeks are definitely not enough. But I have the feeling that those weeks will be intense, full and meaningful.

The running philosophy is the best lecture with which I deal on a regular basis. Goals keep me alive and remind me of one important fact: I might fail them, trying is already successful.

Keep running!

Monday, 28 April 2014

This summary will be short, for the reasons that will be clear in a minute.

21/04/2014
rest


22/04/2014
Went to Sart Tilman. Ran the usual loop around Bois de Saint Jean the first time with Francois, then I made it longer alone, which meant another loop. Total milage of 27 km and elevation gain of 550 meters.  Felt a bit of pain in the left knee...


23/04/2014
I decided to run to the station, take the train and run to the office. Usually that is a running session of about 13 km, one way. This time I had to take the bus due to an awfully painful knee.


After 2 days I got a terrible diagnosis: patellar tendinitis.

Game over. At least for the next two weeks.
Wish me a fast recovery.