Great workouts the last 4 days!

That's 205 pounds for 10 to 15 reps (but not to failure)!

Well, at least I can bench press the equivalent of my body weight for reps now.  I'm still stuck in the 205 to 210 pound range in terms of body weight.  Yesterday I worked out with 205 pounds on the bench press for a lot of reps.  I'm not lifting to failure at home since I don't have a spotter.

This evening, as part of my Running for Relief - Help the Pakistan Flood Victims fundraising effort, I ran 4.26 miles on the treadmill.  I told a friend at the office about my plan to run 30 miles in the last 10 days of Ramadan.  He wasn't impressed.  He thought I should shoot for 50 miles.

We'll see what can be done about hitting the 50 mile mark by the end of the day on September 9, 2010 (the last of the 10 final days of Ramadan).  Today, however, I did run 4.26 miles.  I'll give a nod to my marathon-running, car-restoring, model building, I-don't-want-to-socialize-with-people-in-the-office friend for pushing me.  He was right.  I hit 3 miles even while fasting without too much trouble.

It took a while because I started out slow...

After running I rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes.  I just wanted to do something else for my legs to keep them from getting too tight.  Later in the evening, as we put the kids to bed, I did some stretching.  I should be okay to run again tomorrow.

Well, it's getting late and I have to be up again at 3:45am to eat my pre-daybreak meal so its off to bed.

Running for Relief - Raising Money for Children in Need

I've been thinking about the "slow motion tsunami" that's been taking place in Pakistan over the last 4 weeks.  The catastrophe only hit my radar about a week and a half ago.  The pictures of the children suffering and dying in the flooded areas is almost too much to handle.

We (my wife and I) gave a donation to a relief agency a few weeks ago (my wife had already given before I really even started thinking about the floods).  I've been writing about it on my other blog (An American Muslim Journal) and I've been posting news stories and pictures about it on my Facebook site.  But surely there is more that I can do, right?

Well, for now the best I can do is raise some money for the relief effort.  We are entering to the final 10 days of Ramadan.  I've decided to test myself a little bit.  Even as I fast from daybreak to sunset each of these remaining 10 days, I am going to run at least 30 miles as well.

I'm hoping that this effort will draw attention to the plight of the children in Pakistan and my little effort will motivate my friends and family to give a little more.  I've set up a fundraising page at firstgiving.com.  I'm calling my effort "Running for Relief - Help Pakistan's Flood Victims" and the money I raise will go to UNICEF.

I'll chronicle my efforts on An American Muslim Journal but I'll also try to cross post here to write about how I'm feeling and how the running is going.

No more cobwebs on my home gym

So that's what my home gym looks like underneath the cobwebs and the dust.  Not a bad looking set up if I do say so myself.

After nearly 8 full months of working out regularly in the gym, I think I'm at that level where I no longer need the external motivation provided by a gym to keep up on my workouts.  It's time to get reacquainted with the fitness equipment I've accumulated over the years.  

There is the 300 + olympic barbell set with the squat rack and the adjustable bench.  I bought that back in 1999 or so when we bought our first house.  Those were the days when lifting heavy was still the preferred workout.  The set's held up very well over the past 11 years.  

Oh, and hello dumbbells!  It's good to see them all - from the 10 pound dumbbells up to the 50 pounders.  Hey there Hoist "all-in-one" machine weight system!   What’s up?  This "V4" system is a newer addition to the Afeef fitness collection but it too shares the noteworthy, if not flattering, distinction of rare usage.  

The old gym couldn’t be revived without a few tweaks and upgrades, right?  Of course not.  So, in recognition of all the running I’ve been doing, the Afeef fitness collection just added the new True PS 100 treadmill to round out the equipment!  These first rate pieces of equipment, plus the stationary bike, the heavy punching bag, the jump rope and the sit-up bench all make for an excellent home gym.

I’ve already started working out a the home gym this weekend when the treadmill arrived.  On Friday I ran 3 miles and did strength training for my chest, shoulders and triceps.  On Saturday I ran 4 miles and worked on legs and back.  Today I ran 2 miles and did 20 minutes on the stationary bike.

All of these workouts were at home.  That’s good news for me and for my family since working out at home means I'm not away from the family for any extended period of time.  Even though XSport Fitness, the gym I use, is only a few miles away from my house, the time it takes to drive over, park and then drive home adds up.  Plus, when I'm at the gym the kids don't really understand what it means when by "Daddy's working out".  Over the last 3 days the kids played in the basement while I worked out.  That was good for everybody - I got to work out a bit longer, the kids got to play without as much concern over making a mess (its an un-finished basement and I’m not such a neat freak like the boss upstairs) and the spouse gets to take a nap without kids bothering her.

I know that I’ll be motivated to get downstairs to workout regularly between now and about the end of January 2011.  That’s because college and pro football is gearing up and I love working out while I watch games!

Welcome to Afeef Fitness Den!

Great strength training day yesterday

I went to the gym yesterday right after work. That’s part of my normal routine. What made yesterday unique was that it was the first day of Ramadan and I was fasting (I hadn’t had any food or drink for over 12 hours by the time I start working out).

It was a good workout. I lifted weights for 1 hour. I focused on chest, shoulders and triceps. I started out on the barbell bench press. I then moved to seated barbell behind the neck shoulder presses, dumbbell lateral raises, upright rows and finally tricep pushdowns.

The bad news is that I feel pain in parts of my body I never thought out would the last time I trained so consistently (that would be about 18 years ago). My right shoulder has sharp painful sensation in the rotator cuff. It will not go away but it doesn’t seem to impede my strength either. My right wrist also hurts. I can’t explain it.

The good news is that I am getting stronger. Back in February I struggled with 135 pounds on the bench press. Yesterday I cranked out 250 pounds for 5 reps (and I weigh 45 pounds less now!). Other milestones include the shoulder press where I’m using 135 pounds for reps (compared to 95 pounds I struggled with in February). In February I used two 25 pound plates on the hack squat and it felt heavy. Today I can put on four 45 pound plates for reps and feel great.

This is great. I felt awful going into the gym back in February. I felt very self-conscious about the weight I was training with. I feel much better today.

But I’m not even close to where I want to be in terms of my overall physical fitness. I’m still overweight - I need to drop another 25 pounds. I want to be able to run a half-marathon (13.1 miles) and presently the farthest I’ve run is 7 miles at one time. I don’t necessarily have set goals for my strength training but now I’m tempted to set some given that the numbers are more respectable now!

I’m heading to the gym after work today (on my way now as a matter of fact). Today will be strength training for my back, biceps and legs!

Oh my aching hamstring!

The upside is that I was smiling through the ache!

I finally did it. I got cocky, I lost my focus and I got caught up in vacation fun and in so doing, I ran a sprint race on the beach, barefoot, without any stretching and strained my left hamstring muscle.

Damn.

I did this last week. It was last Wednesday. I haven’t run since.

Damn.

I’ve worked out since last week. The next day (last Thursday) I went to the gym (Planet Fitness in Tampa because that’s where we were vacationing). Walking fast and any movement that stretched the hamstring caused pain but not to the point where I was debilitated. So I did strength training for my back and biceps.

I need a good run in order to round out my workouts and not being able to run since last Wednesday has been hard. I didn’t work out on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. I did get back into the gym of Monday and did 1 hour on the stationary bike and 20 minutes on an elliptical machine but it wasn’t the same as running (it was even less satisfying because I held back on the intensity).

I skipped Tuesday and yesterday I did a strength training routine focused on chest, shoulders and triceps. I did try to run.

I took an ace bandage to the gym and tightly wrapped my left upper leg to keep the hamstring muscle snug. I got on the treadmill and started out with a walk. It felt a bit awkward having the ace bandage on but I couldn’t feel any aches or pain in my left hamstring.

After about 5 minutes I tried to increase the speed. My plan was to jog at 5.0 miles per hour. No dice. As I got to 4.0 miles per hour I could clearly feel my left hamstring straining (it wasn’t quite a “pain” but I know something’s wrong when I can feel a sensation in my hamstring that isn’t normally present).

I forced myself to stop. I want this injury to heal quickly. I don’t have the luxury of really “treating it” other than with rest and stretches (and even these aren’t extensive). Given that I can’t really rehab it actively, I need to err on the side of resting the muscle to hasten a full recovery (and hopefully a fast one).

I don’t remember the last time I hurt a hamstring muscle so I don’t know how long it will take to heal. I’d like to get back on the treadmill and on the road ASAP! I’ll keep testing it out everyday to assess the healing progress.

The silver lining in this little injury is that I’ve been reminded (by my body) that I need to be more mindful of my abilities, limitations and goals. I’d love to run around at will and without thinking but I don’t have that luxury. In part due to age and in larger part due to my unhealthy lifestyle over the past 13 to 16 years my body simply isn’t up to these exertions. Maybe, if I really get in shape, I’ll be able to do more, but for now, I need to be mindful of what my limits are so that I can keep improving and not get sidelined by dumb injuries.

Ramadan Workout Planning

Ramadan begins on Wednesday, August 11, 2010. For those unfamiliar with it, this is the month of the Islamic calendar when Muslims fast from daybreak to sunset for 30 days. The fast consists of abstaining from, among other things, all food and drink each day from daybreak to sunset.

I’ve been observing the Ramadan fasts since I was a teenager so I’m used to the rigors of fasting. This year is going to be very different, however, since I now exercise regularly. It’s tough working out during Ramadan. I did it many years ago - probably back in the late 1980s and early 1990s when I was in college and law school - and I remember it as a challenging physical and mental exertion.

It’s going to be tough this time around. Working out hard - running and strength training 4 to 6 days a week - while fasting at age 40 is going to be more demanding than it was 15 to 20 years ago! Most people I’ve spoken to about my plans to train through Ramadan think it’s a bad idea. How are you going to training on an empty stomach some ask? Others wonder - aren’t you going to get extremely thirsty?

Frankly I’m concerned about these issues too. I’m also concerned about getting the right nutrition at the right times during Ramadan. Given that I’ll be eating around 4 am and and then again at 8pm, it will be hard to get high quality calories and enough protein to sustain my training.

My Ramadan Workout

I intend to continue my workouts during Ramadan. I need to be prepared to accept a decline in my performance on a daily basis. The goal during Ramadan is to sustain the gains without any deterioration in muscle strength and running endurance.

The best times to workout will be about 1.5 hours before daybreak, 1.5 hours before sunset or after sunset. Working out before daybreak or after sunset will allow for drinking water during the workout. Both have significant drawbacks though. Daybreak on Wednesday will be 4:26am. In order to work out and still have time for a post-workout meal I’ll need to start my workout at 2am. That’s not realistic.

The post sunset workout is more reasonable. I can break my fast with a light meal and then head to the gym. However, anything more than some fruit and water will make it hard to workout immediately. If I go this route, then I’ll be consuming a post-workout meal right before going to bed and that doesn’t seem like a good idea either. Also, a late evening workout possess the risk of making it harder to fall asleep quickly (while I normally fall asleep very easily, I have a lot of trouble getting to sleep right after a strenuous workout).

The third option is to time my workout to end just round sunset so that I can eat and drink right away. This option isn’t ideal. After working all day it will be tough getting to the gym at 6 or 6:30pm to workout. But as soon as the workout is done I can make my post-workout meal my fast-breaking meal as well. Then I can give myself about 2 hours to rehydrate and relax before going to bed.

I have no delusions that this is going to be easy. Back in college and even in law school I could take naps in the day time and my overall schedule wasn’t nearly as rigorous as it is today. Working out at 6pm when my last morsel of food or sip of water was over 13 hours earlier will be hard. But not impossible. This is where mental strength comes into play. 

People who work in hard labor and soldiers and others involved in vocations requiring heavy physical exertion endure Ramadan’s challenges without missing a day of fasting. Frankly, I need to make sure I workout during Ramadan in order for it to count since working out is a normal part of my lifestyle now, and to eliminate it in Ramadan to make my fasting easier would be like taking a long nap in the middle of the day when that isn’t normally done. Not working out would be a copout.

My Ramadan Diet

I expect to lose weight this Ramadan. This isn’t usually the case (and losing weight isn’t the reason for fasting). Ramadan is usually observed in a rather absurd way by indulging in excessive food and drink during the pre-daybreak and post-sunset meals. Ramadan is traditionally (and wholly in contravention of the religious purpose) a month of indulgence with sumptuous meals early in the morning and late into the night. I’ve often come out of Ramadan a few pounds heavier than when I started it.

By working out and avoiding the fried foods, the greasy stews, the many rice-centric dishes and the abundant sugary treats I expect to lose some weight. While that is fully in line with my plans, I am concerned that I may lose muscle instead of fat because the caloric intake will be drastically minimized.

As such, I intend to load up on protein during Ramadan in the form of lentils, quinoa, chicken, fish, eggs and protein drinks. I will use a protein supplement during the pre-daybreak meal, the post-sunset meal and just before going to bed. I will try to consume fruit and fiber during breakfast and vegetables and meat protein supplemented with quinoa and lentils at night.  Just before bed I’ll drink a protein drink again.

Goals for Ramadan 2010

I’m going into Ramadan a little bloated from a week of vacationing in Florida where I gave into a range of unhealthy foods and only worked out a fraction of the time I normally do. The first week will be a purge of the vacation binge. In the remaining 3 weeks of Ramadan I expect to see some additional (new) weight loss.

I’d like to be at 190 by the end of Ramadan. This would be a 25 pound drop. This is one goal.
A second goal is to cut out all candy and sweets during Ramadan. Candy is self-explanatory. Sweets include ice cream, cake, cookies, sugar and desserts. I will allow myself sugar substitute with my coffee and tea. I will also allow myself some Rooh-Afza (a sweet, rose extra syrup traditionally mixed with water or milk) sweetened protein shakes.

My third goal is to eat more fruits and vegetables. Specifically, I want to consume 2 servings of fruit for breakfast and 2 servings of vegetables for dinner.

The final goal for Ramadan is to drink 64 to 80 ounces of water everyday. This is to insure that I don’t get dehydrated. I’ll accomplish this by drinking water consistently in the evening after sunset and up to the time I go to bed.

Closing Thoughts

Professional and amateur athletes throughout the world train in Ramadan. I’m not breaking new ground by trying to maintain my training regimen through Ramadan.

Other than my training, most of my daily activities are sedentary and comfortable. Millions of people around the world observe the Ramadan fasts under harsh weather conditions while doing back-breaking work for long hours. So I recognize that what I’m doing isn’t particularly impressive.

That said, training hard and consistently while eating balanced meals throughout Ramadan is notable for me. It will be a departure from Ramadan fasting over the past 15 to 20 years.

The purpose of my training is to strengthen me physically and to improve my mental frame of mind. The purpose of fasting is to strengthen my spirituality. By observing the fasts (and the heightened and increased spiritual activities that go with it) while training hard, I can use the coming 30 days to rejuvenate myself like never before.

Working out on vacation!

Working out while on vacation is tough, but I’m working on keeping up with my running and strength training as much as possible during our family’s weeklong trip to Tampa, FL. It helps that there is a really good treadmill at our host’s home and a Planet Fitness gym just a few miles away.

There are so many activities going on and this has made it hard to find time to get out and exercise. It is an active vacation so we’re in the pool, in the ocean, walking around the beach and carrying kids and other stuff from here to there and back. It’s tiring but I’m not sure I’m really getting the training I normally get.

I’ve got a membership at Planet Fitness on Gunn Highway (Tampa, FL). It’s a decent gym. I hope to get to the gym a few times during the vacation.