Oh how quickly I forget! Goals, damn it! I need to have goals!

My workouts and my diet have been suffering since my half marathon on November 27, 2010.  Since the race I've been slacking in my workouts and very bad about my diet.

I've tried to get myself motivated since then.  It's not like I haven't worked out - I have.  However, the workouts haven't been focused and I've struggled on multiple occasions to get myself started.  A similar story can be told about my eating habits.  It's not that I've eaten a steady diet of fat and sugar since 11/27, but sugar and fat seem to show up a lot more frequently while fruits and vegetables have all but disappeared from my meals.

I know the culprit that's behind my fitness woes.  I don't have any immediate short or intermediate goals.  Sure, my long term goal is still to get more healthy.  That alone, however, isn't enough to keep me working out hard and eating really well on a regular basis.

It's funny and neat how powerful the mind can be.  Setting a goal as simple as "I want to run 15 miles in the next 5 days" is enough to get me focused and I feel so much more fired up to do it.  Alternatively, if I were to just say "I'm going to run 3 miles a day" without an end date I'm quite likely to skip a day or two over the next 5 days.  In other words, its all in my head!

So, going forward I'm going to set small goals.  For example, as I head into the weekend I want to do a lot of cardio so I'm setting a goal: I will run 10 miles total between Saturday and Sunday!

Dec 6th thru Dec 12th, 2010 - Workout Plan

Beginning this week I'm going to sketch out my workouts for the week and then, in the same post, I'll write an update on how the workout went.  I'll also try to set out some goals.

Goals for this Week:

1. Run 15 miles
2. 6 days of strength training

MONDAY - Dec 6, 2010

No workout - Monday Night Football

TUESDAY - Dec 7, 2010

• Running - 1.5 miles  DONE
• Bench Press - 3 warm up sets, 5 regular sets (165, 185, 205, 205, 185, 165)  DONE
• Dumbbell Incline Chest Press - 5 sets (35, 40, 50, 50, 40)  NOT DONE
• Barbell Shoulder Press - 3 warm up sets, 4 regular sets (95, 115, 125, 135)  NOT COMPLETE
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises - 5 sets (15, 20, 30, 30, 20, 20)  NOT DONE
• Upright Rows (machine) - 6 sets (high reps) NOT DONE
• Tricep Pushdowns (machine) - 3 sets  DONE
• Tricep Rope Extensions (machine) - 3 sets NOT DONE
• Running - 1.5 miles  DID 1 mile
• Sit-ups - 3 sets  NOT DONE

I didn't have the stamina to do multiple exercises per muscle group.  By the time I finished the bench presses I knew I was going to struggle through the rest of the workout if I tried to do the dumbbell incline presses before getting to the shoulder exercises.  I may modify the rest of the week's exercises to on lift movement per muscle/group.  Maybe after a few weeks of training I can start adding multiple exercises.

WEDNESDAY - Dec 8, 2010

• Running - 1.5 miles
• Lat Pulldowns - 6 sets (9 plates, 10, 11, 12, 11, 10)
• Bent-over close grip rows - 6 sets (12 plates, 13, 14, 15, 16, 16)
• Squats - 4 sets (95, 95, 115, 125)
• Single leg Curls - 3 sets (high reps)
• Deadlifts - 3 sets (135, 155, 155)
• Sit-ups - 3 sets

THURSDAY - Dec 9, 2010

• Running - 1.5 mile
• Bench Press - 3 warm up sets, 5 regular sets (165, 175, 185, 175, 165)
• Dumbbell Incline Chest Press - 5 sets (35, 40, 40, 35, 35)
• Barbell Shoulder Press - 3 warm up sets, 4 regular sets (95, 95, 125, 135)
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises - 5 sets (15, 20, 30, 30, 20, 20)
• Upright Rows (machine) - 6 sets (high reps)
• Tricep Pushdowns (machine) - 3 sets
• Tricep Rope Extensions (machine) - 3 sets
• Sit-ups - 3 sets
• Running - 1.5 miles

FRIDAY - Dec 10, 2010

• Running - 1.5 miles
• Lat Pulldowns - 6 sets (9 plates, 10, 11, 12, 11, 10)
• Bent-over close grip rows - 6 sets (12 plates, 13, 14, 15, 16, 16)
• Squats - 4 sets (95, 95, 115, 125)
• Single leg Curls - 3 sets (high reps)
• Deadlifts - 3 sets (135, 155, 155)
• Sit-ups - 3 sets
• Stationary bike - 20 minutes

SATURDAY - Dec 11, 2010

• Running - 2 miles
• Bench Press - 3 warm up sets, 3 regular sets (175, 185, 205)
• Barbell Shoulder Press - 3 warm up sets, 3 regular sets (95, 115, 95)
• Upright Rows (machine) - 6 sets (high reps)
• Tricep Pushdowns (machine) - 3 sets
• Sit-ups - 3 sets
• Running - 2.5 miles

SUNDAY - Dec 12, 2010

• Running - 1.5 miles
• Lat Pulldowns - 4 sets (9 plates, 10, 11, 9)
• Bent-over close grip rows - 3 sets (12 plates, 13, 14)
• Squats - 4 sets (95, 95, 115, 125)
• Single leg Curls - 3 sets (high reps)
• Deadlifts - 3 sets (135, 155, 155)
• Sit-ups - 3 sets
• Stationary bike - 20 minutes

Running, lifting and working on losing some weight

With my first half marathon behind me and no races - long or short - upcoming in the next 5 months, my focus is now on general fitness and health.

While training for the half marathon I allowed myself to slide a bit on my diet.  In hindsight that wasn't smart.  While I can't say that poor diet had an impact on my half marathon results (because the biggest impact was the lack of training and the psychological unpreparedness for the cold), I do know that it will hurt my efforts in the long run.

I'm going to use the next 2 months (December and January) to focus on some general fitness and health goals.  February 2011 will mark 1 year of getting back into shape.  My goal is to weigh in at 190lbs (I'm at about 210lbs now - maybe a bit less).  In the process of reaching that goal I intend to get stronger and build more stamina through strength training and running.  Over the next two months I'm going to get back to a healthier eating regimen as well.