Fast Forward... 75 Hard COMPLETE

"Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown." - George Shinn

"Setting goals helps bring your future into the present & the present is the only time that we can take action."  - Zig Ziglar

 So, I got a little busy & didn't make time to update the blog every week.  On the bright side, I did finish 75 Hard!  Here are a few quick thoughts on the process.

I learned, once again, that I can do something that I wasn't really sure that I could do.  Proper planning makes everything easier.  I really enjoy reading & I had forgot that.  Drinking a gallon of water got easier, but was still tough.  I'm without a doubt healthier; mentally & physically.  Excuses have no value.  Just get it done.  I plan to continue most of the habits that I've developed in some capacity.  I'm ready for a burger & fries.

Results:                                                                                                     Over the course of 75 Hard, I read 959 pages, drank 9,632oz of water, & lost 22lbs.  My resting heart is rate down 12 beats per minute & my VO2 Max up 9 points.

Your turn!  Don't give it a shot.  Just do it.  Start tomorrow.  YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

Post 75 Hard goals:                                                                                      PR race times in the 10k (7/16), 15k (9/17), & Half Marathon (12/11).  That all starts with an 8wk speed training program by Frisco Running Club.

Train Hard, Have Fun

“Reflection is one of the most underused yet powerful tools for success.” – Richard Carlson

I am trying to refocus myself with more training.  I know it seems like I'm always saying something like that.  I just haven't really found a sustainable routine.  I need to step outside of just running & work on building some strength.  At the same time, I need to make sure that I stick to my 100 miles per month commitment.  Pikes Peak is only 3 months away!  Eek!

I attempted the treadmill incline routine.  I kept wanting to grab the side rails & I did when I got tired.  I decided that I needed more real world practice to keep me honest.  So I threw on the 20lb vest and ran a half marathon.  I use the term "run" loosely.  It was more of a jog/hike.  I was on the Squircle.  So, I jogged the flats & downhills & hiked the uphills.

For the most part I felt pretty good.  Initially, I planned to just do a couple of loops; about 10 miles. But as I settled into a rhythm I thought, "What the hell? Let's do a half."  About mile 10 I passed by my car to refill my water & I was getting hot & tired.  Those last 3 miles I was thinking, "What the hell!?!", in a whole different attitude...  But I lugged on & stuck to my goal. I finished in just under 3hrs.

I recently got the opportunity to work with a health & wellness coach.  It's basically a free 3 month program.  One of our coaches, Bo, is getting certified & part of her final testing requires her to have programmed for clients. Check her out if you get a chance.  Infinite Fitness Frisco 

So right now we are working on my eating habits & my training regimen.  I have added more vegetables to my diet as well as not going back for seconds.  I have got into a bad habit of eating until I'm just miserable.  My training week will look like this while remaining flexible & allowing my body to rest when needed.

Monday - Strength training

Tuesday - Track / Speedwork

Wednesday - Medium distance easy run

Thursday - Strength training

Friday - Rest Day

Saturday - Long run

Sunday - Trail run

The strength days will be varied depending on the week.  I may be using the vest, hill repeats, cycling, XT, weight room.  Keeping it variable will keep me from getting bored.

Since I felt like such a stud after the vest run, I decided to use it during the XT day too.  Talk about taking it up a  notch.  Wow.  I was destroyed after that workout.

All the hard training will wear you down.  So you have to throw in some fun easy runs too!  Those are my favorite!  I setup a group run with the club & we had a blast.  We also setup a Ninja Turtle run since we haven't been able to get together recently.  I even let Leo take the picture.  We also celebrated Sarah's 500th day of her run streak with a 5 mile run & bloody mary's!

That's enough for this month!  Train hard & most importantly don't forget to have fun!

The Swole Monster

You've stumbled onto another blog about running. 🏃 So here's the obligatory intro post.

I'm an average guy in his 40s. I'm married to my high school sweetheart & have two beautiful daughters. My friends & family have called me E since 5th grade. When people call me Eric I typically say, it's just E. So there you have it, Just_ee.

I started running in Sep 2013 to lose weight. In March 2014 I ran my first Half Marathon. My time was 2:00:53. Which is still my PR (personal record) 🥇. I've ran 15+ so far without really training. I would just run. I started a weight training regimen in 2014 to help me with running. It didn't take long for me to see results physically. Then what I call the Swole Monster 💪 took over. I just wanted to be bigger. Until I missed running then I would work on running again. Then I would lose my Gainz. It was an exhausting cycle. I have jumped back & forth from running to weightlifting for the last several years. Run training 6-10 weeks prior to a half would get me in enough shape to finish.

Then in 2016 I tweaked my shoulder bench pressing 300lbs ❗. It has bothered me since. Even though I tried multiple times to get back to the weights, that pretty much ended the battle between the 2 sports.

Runner me (170lbs) v. Weightlifting me (215lbs)

I realize now that the weightlifting did keep me running injury free. In 2019 I had less than 40 total miles through August. I pushed myself hard running with no cross training at all. Logging a 106.2 mile November training for a December Half. I tore my meniscus in that race.👎 I have since recovered & started running again in April. I signed up for the Frisco Running Company half training program. (May 2020) I started a real training program. I love running & needed to get back in shape safely. I've grown tired of starting over every year. My goal is to run a sub 2:00 half marathon one day soon!

I have been doing weekly cross training with the program. Using mostly bodyweight exercises My next step is to try and incorporate some weights into my routine while trying to keep the Swole Monster in check. Stay tuned...