The Bet -- Day 2

Okay, so this isn't going to be as simple as I thought it was. Again, here were my three simple goals:

1.) Build my aerobic endurance
2.) Build up my tolerance for lactic acid
3.) Get leaner (i.e., lose weight)

I realized this morning that it's naive to think I can make that happen without some significant changes to my lifestyle. Take last night for example--I was up until midnight with my girlfriend. That makes it a little difficult to get up in the morning and get going in time to make it to the gym. I still made it, but it was a few minutes past 8 AM. Given that I really want to get to work by 9 AM, I didn't really leave myself much time to workout. Add to the fact that I have a soccer game tonight, and life if getting a little complicated. But enough about that--let's talk running first.

I got the basic premise for my workout plan from this website. The basic concept is that you want to build enough aerobic endurance and tolerance for lactic acid so you can handle running for five minutes at a pretty fast pace. The "get leaner" concept is my own idea, as I'd rather not carry an extra 10 lbs with me if I don't have to. So here is the work-out schedule:

Sunday

• Run 4-7 miles at a nice pace (8 mph)

Monday

• Warm up with 1 mile (7 mph)
• Run 100m at 12 mph, Recover 300m at 6 mph (x 6)
• Sprint 60 seconds at top speed (incline), Recover 2 minutes at 5 mph (x 4)
• Warm down with 1.5 mile (7 mph)

Tuesday

• Warm up with 1 mile (7 mph)
• Run 1.5 miles at 10 mph on straights, 8 mph on turns (x 6)

Wednesday

• Warm up with 1 mile (7 mph)
• Run 400m at 11 mph, Recover 200m at 5 mph (x 8)
• Warm down with 1.5 mile (7 mph)

Thursday & Friday

• Same as Tuesday

Saturday

• Day off

Now that I have a plan, it's time to put it to use. I did the Thursday workout this morning, and it seemed to go okay. I ran the warm up mile with no problems, although I did it a little fast (8 mph) because I couldn't remember what to do. I think I'll print my plan off and leave it in my bag for next time.

Anyway, the treadmill I was using actually has a progress tracker in the shape of a track, so I can actually pretend I'm running on straights and curves. Not ideal, but it will do for now. At times, it felt like the treadmill was wobbling a little bit, especially when I start pounding out a 10 mph clip. Eventually, I need to find a real track to run on, because I think this is going to wear on me. Don't get me wrong--I like watching SportsCenter while I run, but I'd like my knees to last.

The end result? I ran two miles and stuck to the schedule pretty closely. I was short a half-mile, but I ran out of time. Tomorrow, I'll try to get to the gym earlier so I can stick to my plan. I also weighed in somewhere between 186-189 pounds. There are two scales in the gym, and I'm not sure which one is more accurate, so I'll give a range for now. Hopefully I can get down to 178-180 by the end of July.

Tomorrow I'll give another update on my workout, and I'll also fill you in on the rest of my plan:

• Diet--what am I going to eat (or rather not eat)?
• Motivation--what's my true motivation when I don't feel like going another mile?
• Lifestyle--how do I fit this into an already busy schedule of work, kids, sports, and friends?