MarkKO's training log

[MarkKO]

In what may come as a shock, I'm actually considering whether I might do well to try a completely different focus for part of my training and see if I can get to a sub- seven minute mile; while still lifting some kind of weight..

Figured I'd put my money where my mouth is.

After downloading and then uninstalling various running apps in relative disgust; and asking AI and finding it eager to help but wanting in execution, I did what I should have done in the first place: traced a mile loop on Google Maps and copied the directions onto my hand.

One mile in eight minutes and 36 seconds. It was relatively comfortable. Managed to maintain nose breathing for around two thirds of the route and once I got past the halfway point it felt easier.

I don't know that I'd call this having fun but I absolutely feel good for having done it so I'm offering this to @DanCR as part payment of my debt.

Knowing it's relatively short and painless this is something I should do a couple of times a week and gradually work the time down. A minute and 36 seconds is a chunk, but it could be a lot worse.

Bonus, no cramps or tightness either.

[houzi]

In what may come as a shock, I'm actually considering whether I might do well to try a completely different focus for part of my training and see if I can get to a sub- seven minute mile; while still lifting some kind of weight..

Figured I'd put my money where my mouth is.

After downloading and then uninstalling various running apps in relative disgust; and asking AI and finding it eager to help but wanting in execution, I did what I should have done in the first place: traced a mile loop on Google Maps and copied the directions onto my hand.

One mile in eight minutes and 36 seconds. It was relatively comfortable. Managed to maintain nose breathing for around two thirds of the route and once I got past the halfway point it felt easier.

I don't know that I'd call this having fun but I absolutely feel good for having done it so I'm offering this to @DanCR as part payment of my debt.

Knowing it's relatively short and painless this is something I should do a couple of times a week and gradually work the time down. A minute and 36 seconds is a chunk, but it could be a lot worse.

Bonus, no cramps or tightness either.

Thats a solid first effort! Id guess that in a week or so you could bump off 10-20 seconds at least. Cardio generally has an initial fast adaptation. You'll know the route better next time which should shave off some seconds, plus your overall locomotion should feel slightly smoother.
I would suggest not testing more than once a week initially. Get in another lighter run later in the week should be fine. Running can beat you up more than you expect, especially at first.
I spout off all this wisdom having not done any running in about 15 years.....


Also, glad youre feeling good!

[DanCR]

I don't know that I'd call this having fun but I absolutely feel good for having done it

Excellent.

[MarkKO]

In what may come as a shock, I'm actually considering whether I might do well to try a completely different focus for part of my training and see if I can get to a sub- seven minute mile; while still lifting some kind of weight..

Figured I'd put my money where my mouth is.

After downloading and then uninstalling various running apps in relative disgust; and asking AI and finding it eager to help but wanting in execution, I did what I should have done in the first place: traced a mile loop on Google Maps and copied the directions onto my hand.

One mile in eight minutes and 36 seconds. It was relatively comfortable. Managed to maintain nose breathing for around two thirds of the route and once I got past the halfway point it felt easier.

I don't know that I'd call this having fun but I absolutely feel good for having done it so I'm offering this to @DanCR as part payment of my debt.

Knowing it's relatively short and painless this is something I should do a couple of times a week and gradually work the time down. A minute and 36 seconds is a chunk, but it could be a lot worse.

Bonus, no cramps or tightness either.

Thats a solid first effort! Id guess that in a week or so you could bump off 10-20 seconds at least. Cardio generally has an initial fast adaptation. You'll know the route better next time which should shave off some seconds, plus your overall locomotion should feel slightly smoother.
I would suggest not testing more than once a week initially. Get in another lighter run later in the week should be fine. Running can beat you up more than you expect, especially at first.
I spout off all this wisdom having not done any running in about 15 years.....


Also, glad youre feeling good!

Good advice, thank you. If there's anyone who'll know about running it's a soldier.

I absolutely have no intention of testing multiple times a week. The idea really is to just run that mile at a comfortable pace a couple of times a week and see what happens.

[MarkKO]

Broke two of my rules today: I didn't drink anywhere near enough water and could eat very little all day yet still trained. Anxiety sucks, and for me at the moment its main symptom is nausea. Today until about 1500 was pretty brutal and by the time I finished work and got to the gym I'd gotten in around 1400 calories. For me, that's well under half of my daily intake. Close to a third, in fact.

I feel much better for having gone though, and somehow training felt ok apart from the light headedness.

DB bench
10×45 lbs
8×55 lbs
6×65 lbs
4×75 lbs
4×85 lbs
4×95 lbs
2×5×100 lbs, 0-1 RIR both sets

Single arm DB row
10×55 lbs
8×75 lbs
6×90 lbs
4×100 lbs
2×8×110 lbs, straps on second set. Both RIR were above 4 but I'm trying to be disciplined and stick to that 4-8 double progression so I'll just add weight every time I get to eight.

DB fly
10×40 lbs
8×50 lbs
6×60 lbs
2×5×70 lbs, 1 RIR first set and a hard 0 RIR on the second which TBH didnt shock me apart from the fact that the fourth rep felt like a solid 1-2

DL off 3-inch mats
10×132 lbs
8×220 lbs
6×308 lbs, belt and straps on
2×5×396 lbs which I'll call 1 RIR but only in respect of caution relative to bracing. If I didn't care about bracing and was stupid enough to risk another back whoopsie for 396 lbs they were probably 3 and 2 RIR respectively.

As to my whining about anxiety (which I do have, and generally can manage pretty well after I finally went through therapy) it was related to resigning because somehow I have managed to find and get offered what appears to be exactly the role I want. Why I was anxious about resigning? Who knows. My brain, presumably. As soon as I sent the email I felt better.

Either way, I'm going to be off the tools in under three weeks. I've never had a job with the word manager in the title before.

[houzi]

I feel much better for having gone though, and somehow training felt ok apart from the light headedness.

I have managed to find and get offered what appears to be exactly the role I want.

Either way, I'm going to be off the tools in under three weeks. I've never had a job with the word manager in the title before.

Good and good! Hope the job change goes well.

[MarkKO]

I feel much better for having gone though, and somehow training felt ok apart from the light headedness.

I have managed to find and get offered what appears to be exactly the role I want.

Either way, I'm going to be off the tools in under three weeks. I've never had a job with the word manager in the title before.

Good and good! Hope the job change goes well.

Do do I. I continue to look forward to your meet results too.

[DanCR]

Good things happening in this latest log entry.

Broke two of my rules today: I didn't drink anywhere near enough water and could eat very little all day yet still trained. Anxiety sucks, and for me at the moment its main symptom is nausea. Today until about 1500 was pretty brutal and by the time I finished work and got to the gym I'd gotten in around 1400 calories. For me, that's well under half of my daily intake. Close to a third, in fact.

I feel much better for having gone though, and somehow training felt ok apart from the light headedness.

Unsurprising result. A few weeks back I did legs despite at that point having not eaten in 24 hours. It was fine. Good even. This morning I’m writing this halfway through another leg day. Drank last night, slept like shit, no food this morning. It’s fine. Good even. I like lifting weights. So do you.

As to my whining about anxiety (which I do have, and generally can manage pretty well after I finally went through therapy) it was related to resigning because somehow I have managed to find and get offered what appears to be exactly the role I want. Why I was anxious about resigning? Who knows. My brain, presumably. As soon as I sent the email I felt better.

Either way, I'm going to be off the tools in under three weeks. I've never had a job with the word manager in the title before.

Congratulations! This is phenomenal news.

[MarkKO]

Good things happening in this latest log entry.

Broke two of my rules today: I didn't drink anywhere near enough water and could eat very little all day yet still trained. Anxiety sucks, and for me at the moment its main symptom is nausea. Today until about 1500 was pretty brutal and by the time I finished work and got to the gym I'd gotten in around 1400 calories. For me, that's well under half of my daily intake. Close to a third, in fact.

I feel much better for having gone though, and somehow training felt ok apart from the light headedness.

Unsurprising result. A few weeks back I did legs despite at that point having not eaten in 24 hours. It was fine. Good even. This morning I’m writing this halfway through another leg day. Drank last night, slept like shit, no food this morning. It’s fine. Good even. I like lifting weights. So do you.

As to my whining about anxiety (which I do have, and generally can manage pretty well after I finally went through therapy) it was related to resigning because somehow I have managed to find and get offered what appears to be exactly the role I want. Why I was anxious about resigning? Who knows. My brain, presumably. As soon as I sent the email I felt better.

Either way, I'm going to be off the tools in under three weeks. I've never had a job with the word manager in the title before.

Congratulations! This is phenomenal news.

We do like it, don't we? I sometimes need reminding.

As to the news. Yes, absolutely. The sudden realisation that I was going to paint myself into a corner if I didn't do something soon was a shock to the system.

[MarkKO]

Didn’t get to sleep until around midnight thanks what I'm assuming was leftover adrenaline from the day and a decent dose of tinnitus as well but when I woke up felt much better. Tired, but better. I'll take it.

Went for a run with my stepson which only ended up being short because of either incipient cramps or a hellacious hamstring pump. I honestly can't tell which.

Either way:

Run 400 m at what felt like slightly higher intensity than the weekend's mile in 2 minutes and 23 seconds so definitely NOT at a higher intensity outside my feelings

Walk 200 m

Run 400 m trying to replicate the same pace

Total took six minutes and 24 seconds

The lungs were there for another round of walk/run but given the cramp/pump that set in during last 100 m or so I called it. Next week, I'll target three rounds.

[MarkKO]

Momentum is building, second week in a row of this day. That's how low my standards have had to drop to meet reality. I'll take what I can get at this point. It's a damn sight better than nothing. Took a bit longer than usual because I ended up chatting with Todd for a bunch (you can see him in the press video). His leg is back to normal apart from a dent where the rectus femoris tore.

Floor press
10×44 lbs
8×88 lbs
6×132 lbs
4×176 lbs
6×220 lbs, 1 RIR
5×220 lbs, 1 RIR

Barbell row
10×44 lbs
8×132 lbs
6×176 lbs
4×220 lbs
2×8×275 lbs, belt and straps on, 1 RIR apiece*

Military press
3×6×143 lbs, 1 RIR apiece and disappointed when I saw last week I did six on the first as well because I had thought it had been five across. Oh well, boo hoo. Still got an extra rep on the second and third sets.

Zercher squat off pins**
10×44 lbs
8×132 lbs
6×220 lbs
8×308 lbs, belt on, 1 RIR
7×308 lbs, 1 RIR

*I find RIR on barbell and DB rows almost impossible to judge. Best I can do is go by how much body english I would need to get an extra rep. If it's so much english it starts colonising places, I stop.

**IIRC I logged them as pins at parallel last week. Different pins but same hole this week and last week I didn't film but these were 100% above parallel. I have no issue with that because they felt the same and it's more of a lower and middle back exercise anyway but in the interests of transparency they are NOT at parallel.

[DanCR]

*I find RIR on barbell and DB rows almost impossible to judge. Best I can do is go by how much body english I would need to get an extra rep. If it's so much english it starts colonising places, I stop.

Lol

[MarkKO]

Unplanned, but

Pullups
2×7, 5

[MarkKO]

DB bench
10×45 lbs
8×55 lbs
6×65 lbs
4×75 lbs
4×85 lbs
4×95 lbs
6×100 lbs, 0-1 RIR
5×100 lbs, 0-1 RIR

Called it there. I'm trying to stop a cold settling in. I went, did something and stopped before anything went wrong.

[MarkKO]

Floor press
10×44 lbs
8×88 lbs
6×132 lbs
4×176 lbs
7×220 lbs, 0-1 RIR

Barbell row
7×220 lbs

Not the best session, not the worst.

Tired, anxiety doing its thing and not a ton of food so I'll take this.

I caught myself saying how the hell did I get seven as I racked the floor press. Right front delt had a very minor twinge getting the seventh which was ample reason for me to call it today. Gives some impression of how I was feeling. The rows were for no better reason than to do *something* extra.

[houzi]

I caught myself saying how the hell did I get seven as I racked the floor press.

These sets are both incredibly satisfying and confusing. Nice work mate!

[MarkKO]

I caught myself saying how the hell did I get seven as I racked the floor press.

These sets are both incredibly satisfying and confusing. Nice work mate!

I know. I think that monkey brain decided the last rep was going without telling anyone.

[MarkKO]

May train later today, might do it tomorrow. Depends on time available. Still congested which is annoying but the dust from work and the (relative) cold I've been working in are doubtless contributors. Both of those end at the end of the week.

Which is why I haven't been overly concerned about whether I train today or tomorrow. If I'm not breathing too well, I tend not to train too well and right now as long as I do something twice a week I'm content. The more weeks I can string together of being consistent, the more momentum I build to actually do something meaningful going forward.

Next week for four weeks will have to find a gym somewhere when I'm in Brisbane for training for my midweek session but I seriously doubt that will be an issue.

Also will need to adjust calorie intake to reflect a more sedentary job but with how my appetite has gone and suppressed itself I think that should be doable. Will also need to start doing weighted vest walks again I think. Twice, maybe even thrice weekly. At least I know they're something I will do. The running, well, I'll be honest and admit I simply don't care enough about it to do it.

Weighted vest walks are different.

Lastly, I may well end up being a morning lifter depending on what my hours are. I'm assuming 0800-1600 or 0900-1700 which would make morning training make a lot of sense especially since I'm accustomed to getting up around 0500 and given the gym is 100 metres from our front door.

[MarkKO]

DB bench
10×45 lbs
8×55 lbs
6×65 lbs
4×75 lbs
4×85 lbs
4×95 lbs
7×100 lbs, 0-1 RIR
5×100 lbs, 0 RIR

Single arm DB row
10×55 lbs
8×75 lbs
6×90 lbs
4×100 lbs
2×10×110 lbs, straps on second set. Both RIR were at a pretty solid uno. No added weight because I'm back down the road and didn't have a ratchet strap to add weight to the 110s.

Congestion still very present but I've gotten some over the counter medication and it's helping.

Found out my gym membership tier is national and Club Lime does indeed have a presence in Brisbane so all I need to do now is work out how to get from the AirBnB that was booked for me and the closest Club. There's one within a 20-odd minute drive but since I'll be carless I'll explore public transport or those ebikes for hire that are now ubiquitous.

Handed the work van back today, will be in my own truck tomorrow and then I'm done.

Also, while I was bemoaning to myself my lack of strength on the DB bench compared to when I Iast did them I looked through my logs and it hit me that from mid April to mid July my train was horrifically inconsistent. There's a period of about a month in there where I trained maybe twice. Therefore firstly, no surprise my strength has dropped off; and secondly, I am under no circumstances letting that happen again.

[houzi]

Its a pretty good starting point for DB pressing though, as you start to get back to more consistent training.