What Was Your Work Out Today?

Bonus elliptical workout today (usually a rest day) because I felt like it. 40 min. at mostly Zone 3.

@swimmom_1 Just curious.... What do you do to pass the long time while you on your machine? Or do you do multiple, smaller workouts?

@swimmom_1 I watch a bunch of YouTube shows while I'm on mine. Most shows I watch are in the 15-30 min. range so I can get in a couple per workout. Part of what keeps me regularly exercising is that I won't let myself watch some of the shows unless I'm on the elliptical.

Today's workout: my standard 45 min. at Zone 3 elliptical, followed by mini strength training (squats, crunches and bridges). Still staying away from pushups for the moment to let my shoulder completely heal again, but I did some very light weight bicep, tricep, and deltoid stuff (more like physical therapy than actual strength training). We'll see how the joint responds.

Rowing machine, 3 x (2k on, 2' off/CD), pieces 9:56.9/20 spm (2:29.2), 9:50.4/18 spm (2:27.6), 9:43.0/18 spm (2:25.7). 35:40 and 6,743m overall including the row in/out & CD. Felt reasonably hard by the end, TBH. 37% Z4, 40% Z3, remainder below, max HR (155bpm) 80% reserve/86% max, average 137 bpm.

Working on suspending weight, keeping the rating down so it doesn't cost too much energy to do so, emphasizing fast hands and body out of the finish (to full extension) to keep the flywheel spinning then slow slide (feels syncopated, yeah that works in a boat, within reason).

Short swim during lunch hour yesterday. 1300 yds, mostly as 100's. Strength with trainer this morning. All the usual stuff: inchworm/pushups, dumbell flys on Bosu, Goblet squats, etc. Will ride the bike tonight, maybe even outdoors.

Can't seem to shake my calf issue. Just walking the dog in the woods on Sunday caused tightness after a couple miles. My current approach is clearly not working, so I'll see the chiropractor or PT this week. Knowing my tendency is to just ignore it, my trainer made me promise to text her my chiro appointment date/time, or else I can't come back to the gym.

Did 2K X 4 / 3 minute rest again. Last time I did this workout two weeks ago I averaged 2:08.3, so I was just wanting, hopefully, to be around the same or improve modestly.

Ended up doing 2:06.8 average, which is a huge improvement. And that's despite it being nearly high 70s today. Definitely felt the heat but managed OK and even though I hit 94% max HR, felt in control and maintained form fairly well.

Still nowhere close to my old times (in the 7:40s or 7:50s for all 4) but I'm improving steadily and that's nice to see. I said early this year if I could get down to close to 2:02 or 2:03 average on this workout, I'd be thrilled. That might be possible if I keep improving. We'll see. Hard to improve when it's 108 outside (Arizona Summers) and you're in the garage doing them at 96 degrees next to your Swamp Cooler!

I also do wonder how much my times have slipped being at this elevation as well. I'm at around 4000 ft. I've read even that elevation can offset VO2 Max by as much as 10%.

https://runnersconnect.net/high-altitude-training-running-performance/

Did around a 2K C/D and also weight supersets this AM.

Stationary bike day, 10k+3'CD, pretty easy pace, little over half Z3, remainder below, 10K part at 95W, whole thing was 11,116 pseudo meters, and took 29'. Peak HR 139bpm, about 77% max, 67% reserve.

At lunch I did a round of 8 kettlebell exercises, taking 15 net minutes. Managed to get my HR up to 178 when doing Turkish get-ups (2x5. Yay, getting better). In the evening I decided to do another round, and then yet another one. And now my body has turned into custard. Was fun though.

Machine row, 3 x (2k on, 2' off/CD); moderate (21% Z4, 60% Z3, remainder below); 6754m overall in 36' including the row in/out and CD parts; 2k pieces averaged 2:28.8 pace, 20spm, 107W. Pretty consistent splits, slight negative splits across the 3 pieces, but only by a second or two in pace.

Watching the one-stroke force curve, working on steeper left up-slope by getting heels down quickly, smooth curve, with a few distractions from that to keep meters per stroke from dropping too far (patience on slide, strong drive, fast hands/swing).

6K X 2 again today w/ a one minute rest just to let HR settle. Around a 2:25 pace average. A bit faster as I accidentally strapped in the last set. I've been rowing all of these steady state days unstrapped but forgot and strapped in, making the second set a bit faster.

Let HR drift a bit too high on the 2nd one -- got up to around 77% max, too high for an "easy" day. It will likely show up tomorrow in the form of fatigue when I'm supposed to do the hard day. I'm supposed to do a 1K TT on the rower this month. Perhaps I'll just do that and then some lighter work on the rower along with my lifting tomorrow.

Though short, a 1K Timed Test takes a lot out of you (but less than the 8 X 500m intervals I normally do on Friday).

45 minute virtual cycling on my Keiser.

Went for a little jog around the hood..

Ended up doing my 1K Timed Test (TT) for the online indoor rowing club today. It was this month's "ITC" -- inner club competition. Just a measuring stick among your group.

I haven't really pushed a 1K in a long time so I had no idea what to stive for. I just did a 1:52ish 500m recently but 1000m is a world different, so I was thinking I could do around a 1:55 pace and I'd be happy with that.

Ended up doing a 3:44.6 (1:52.3 pace). Was told to do a "fly and die" for best time on this one so went all out on the beginning and did around a 1:42 or so for the first 200m and just held on after that. Nearly rose to 2:00 pace at one point and reigned it back toward the last 400m to hold around a 1:55. These are actually short but quite brutal.

HR said it hit 101% of max on this one but I have a feeling it was jumpy and erratic today. I just replaced the battery a couple of months ago but they were older batteries. Might replace it again. You don't want to see 101% toward the end of one of these -- makes you think the worst!

I did some C/D rows of 1000 and stopped a few times and manually checked HR and it seems the HRM was off by a good 10 beats, so I'll switch batteries before I assume it's the heart acting funny.

Anyway, pleased with this time and even got all my lifts in and 4K more meters on the rower in addition to the 1K TT.

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Higher moderate intensity, subjectively, I guess . . . 40% Z4, 49% Z3, remainder below. Topped out at 156bpm, mid Z4. Around the last 3' of the 2nd piece were at 220 minus age or above, so that ought to be reassuring to folks who think that's a number where everyone's heart explodes or something, rather than just a poor approximation of an average statistical HRmax. (It's about what I'd estimate to be 86% max, for me, or 80% reserve - not massively high.)

Haha! A HR of 184 during workout would make me 12 years younger, assuming I hit the maxHR there 😜

dralicephd wrote: »

Yesterday: 45 min. on the elliptical (split time between Zone 2 and 3) followed by squats (increased reps), bridges, crunches, and some super light weight shoulder stuff. Everything felt good.

Today: One hip joint feels weak and "clicky". Ugh... Seriously, it's like one step forward and two steps back over here! (Or no steps at all, because this middle-aged lady should probably sit down with an ice pack.)

I'm wondering if some of my joint issues are perimenopause hormone related. I've had crazy hormonal swings this week (the hot flashes and insomnia have been OUT OF CONTROL), and I know that declining estrogen can sometimes exacerbate inflammatory pain. ???? Who knows. (Cue The Rolling Stones: "What a draaaaaag it is, getting old....")

@dralicephd:

Consider the actual alternative to getting old. Hint: It's isn't staying young, at least not chronologically!

I hear you on the downsides, though: I am 66, after all, been in menopause for over 20 years now (chemotherapy triggered it, then I took anti-estrogen drugs for 7.5 years - so I definitely hear you).

Two things: Consider whether your stretching/mobility/foam-rolling routine might be improved, better targeted. I don't have specifics for you, because my personal pain points are different.

From physical therapists, I've learned there are specific exercises my personal body shouldn't do - example, lateral raises, because shoulder impingement. My upper chest/underarm scar tissue (from the mastectomy surgery & radiation on top of it) requires self-massage and stretching, or pain/injuries increase.

I see an osteopath (musculoskeltal specialist, university professor in university clinic), get exercises and other interventions from him, in addition to helpful manipulative treatment. I'm on a regular schedule that (happily) my health insurance covers, for regular tune-ups. One thing he suggested was pelvic clocks, related to my specific hip pain (OA in that zone, maybe related).

In non-pandemic times, I saw a sports-trained massage therapist (MT), got exercise/stretch advice from him, too. I've learned that with my quad-intensive basic exercise routines, that if I don't do quad stretches and foam rolling, the odds of knee pain go up (I have a torn meniscus, and some OA). Good MTs know a lot about specialized, targeted stretches. I learned which hip pains are helped by piriformis and psoas stretches, and what some good stretches for those are.

Wily strategies are a good condiment for the main dish of aging, IME. If you can access knowledgeable professionals like the types mentioned above, do it, and pepper them with questions when you do.

Hang snatches, hang high pulls (snatch), loads of chin ups (negative and normal) hanging leg raises, suitcase holds, overhead lunges, uh and strict press and incline DB bench press. Mostly an accessory day. Tomorrow is heavy front squats and a load of cleans, followed by a 5k row. I may die.