Ummm I have NO idea what you’re talking about!!! 
And I’m glad!
Eat your ice cream slow - enjoy it 
Good goin Heatwave, your training seems to be coming along fine. And I know what u mean about the ice-cream thing, It happens to me 2. Same thing when I drink some beverages (like pepsi/ju-c) when its very cold. The worst feeling EVER!
What races/circuits do you plan to take part in for 2006?
I cant wait to see how you do, im rooting for ya all the way man. With the kind of effort you are putting in, you are bound to reap satisfying rewards.
Stefanie, Daniel, et. al.
That actually happened to me today at work. Almost every night I freeze some kind of big drink, then I take it to work and let it thaw out all day–it turns into a slushie just like the ones you get at the 7-eleven stores. I took a plastic water bottle and filled it halfway with green tea then filled it the rest of the way with this pina colada mixture–shake it up and freeze it overnight. People are always wondering what’s in that bottle. I’ll do cokes, juices, whatever.
Daniel, I have good days and bad days with my workouts. Like today, my workout left me feeling terrible, so bad that I don’t even feel like going anywhere tonight. This is mostly because I’ve had very little sleep this week. When I run my 200’s, I look at the clock and get kinda aggravated. Now, granted, I’m not running all out but the real pisser is that I think to myself, “how in the world did I used to run this in 22 seconds with little training?” I’m still strong from my weightlifting days, am just under 6’ tall, 175 lbs. with low body fat, but it just takes time to re-develop speed after several years of distance only work. Patience, patience, patience. 
I’m still trying to figure out which events to focus on, but my gut feeling is that i’m a 400/800, long jump kinda guy. I can still jump very well also, so I’ll probably enter the long jump at whatever meets I choose. I know that’s a strange combo of events, but I’m not the typical middle distance runner. Remember, I’m the weird guy who won his state long jump, can dunk a basketball, and could run a 4:23 mile.
As for my circuit, my goal is to peak in July at the Georgia State games in Atlanta, which isn’t too far from me. There are also some meets in Alabama and Tennessee that I may join in, but overall, we’re looking at summer 2006, maybe a spring meet if I can find one nearby. We’ll see how things develop. I would love beat my old PR of 1:57 for 800m and set a new long jump mark also. I know I’ll do much better in competition than I do in workouts; always have…always will. I guess I’m a gamer . I’m really good at motivating myself and I think the root cause is just a fear of sucking at what I do.
“I got all my country learnin’ picking cotton, raising hell, and bailing hay.”
Today is just a bunch of power cleans , overhead squats,and ab work scattered throughout the day in between breaks. I’m painting the upstairs bathroom, doing laundry, etc. so, when I have a minute, I just go down stairs to the garage and crank out a few reps, then go back to whatever I was doing. By the time this day is done, I will have done my fair share. The weight for the power cleans is 82 kgs. Please don’t make fun of the light weights
“I got all my country learnin’ picking cotton, raising hell, and bailing hay.”
Today I am kinda sore from all those power cleans yesterday. It’s another day of perfect temperatures in the 70’s so it was outside for a 30 minute run. The run was mostly intervals with plenty of hills involved, so my legs feel very beat up when you factor in the cleans yesterday combined with the hills today—I need a massage!!. Don’t you all just love this nice weather we’re having? I love not having to run my central heat.
“I got all my country learnin’ picking cotton, raising hell, and bailing hay.”
FYI…
USATF Masters Outdoor Championships are in Charlotte, NC August 3-6, 2006.
I’m gonna try to make it down if I can. People tell me the meets are always well organized and well participated!
Thanks for the heads up on that meet. I’ll have to check the calendar because that particular meet may interfere with my job. I have a job with my local school system and that first week in August is usually when I have to report for the new school year. I do know that the Georgia State games in Atlanta will be in early July and there are also a couple of meets in Tennessee. I’m also going to check with the Alabama Striders for a couple of possible dates.
“I got all my country learnin’ picking cotton, raising hell, and bailing hay.”
No workouts today. Too tired, too much hurt in my shins, and feeling too wiped out. Another late night last night so, as usual, not enough sleep. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.
Have any of ya’ll ever had one of those days where you feel like crap but you go work out anyway and it ends up being a good one? That’s what it was like today for me. My body is trying to catch a cold but I’m fighting it, anyway, I felt so lethargic today and just dragged my feet around all day long. My shins still hurt a little and I still feel a little fatigue from Saturday’s marathon power clean session.
Well, I said “screw it” and decided to go to the track anyway since it’s a nice 75 degrees outside. We’re supposed to get some really nasty storms through here tonight (we’re under a tornado watch) and it’s supposed to get much cooler tomorrow. It was so windy that I had to run on the back stretch of the track going the opposite direction; ain’t no way I could have run my 100’s into that wind. I wouldn’t have done them justice.
–800m warm up–this felt terrible–like I was gonna hurl.
–Stretch
–5x100m
–5x120m
–cool down, stretch
Each of these were done in a medium hard effort, maybe 75-80% and all were done in 13.xx, but actually, since I had a herricayne blowing at my back, the effort felt easier. Overall, though the workout felt good; much better than I expected. I’ll probably lift tomorrow, but I gotta work on gettin over this semi-cold; a shot or two of my uncle’s Dawson county moonshine oughta take care of that.
Later
It’s funny, but when I’m feeling a bit sick, have a cold, or when I’m feverish, I run GREAT practices…It’s just afterwards that I usually feel a bit crapier 
when I do that.
And puuleeease do notttt complain about weather, when you’re having days of 75 degrees… :rolleyes:
Stefanie, no, I’m, like, totally not complaining about the weather, it’s all good when I can go outside in November and run barefooted. In fact, I can’t stand to wear shoes. I hate them and think they are unnatural, (especially those big, heavy, thick soled joggin shoes). I usually take them off the minute I get in my truck and head home from work. I never wear shoes in the house and go barefoot when working outside or mowing. Shoes just weren’t made for me. I like to feel sand between my toes. Well, I have actually been known to wear sandles occasionally. So if someone calls me a barefoot “Cracker”, I am guilty as charged. Great way to live.
I feel pretty good today and I’ve been taking zinc pills all day to hold off that cold that’s been a coming on; so far, so good.
Today is weight training day
–half mile warm up over some hills
–stretch it all out
–kettlebell snatches
–power cleans --4 sets of 3 reps
–jumps onto my 41" ledge
–overhead squats–my favorite exercise 3x3
–a little more stretching
–When my rotator cuff heals, I’m a gonna add some military presses. My PR is 190 lbs. but I’m nowhere near that now, since my injury has curtailed my shoulder work.
–Now that I’m bragging about our good weather, a cold front went by yesterday and now it’s gonna get cold on us for a few days. It’s only supposed to be 60 degrees today and I may have to break out my jacket.
Why do people read this journal of mine and do they really care about what goes on with my “training” (training is loosely defined with me ). Anyway, things were running smoothly yesterday with my weight workout. The overhead squats were great, I worked my abs hard, and had a good workout but I had a big break in the middle of it. Later, I decided to resume the workout by going out to run a quick half mile.
—Note to self: when shins are hurting, take the day off from running—
After I was done, I came in and chilled for a while without doing any kind of cooldown or stretching and, when I tried to get up and walk across the room, I felt a stinging pain in my shins with every step–in the front/inside of the shin; just a bit in the left and a lot in right leg. Today, I usually would do a longer run with intervals, but I don’t think I’ll do it because of the pounding it will place on my shins. That sucks, bro, but I’ll keep on doing all the shin exercises that I know.
I don’t know what is causing this unless it’s too much/too soon, but then again, I’m not exactly high on volume at any point in time since taking this on. I may reduce the running load and see what happens. 100m tempo and weights don’t seem to aggravate as much. My focus was in the 400/800 direction but I don’t know how I’ll respond to the requisite training for those events. I may need to look at 100m/long jump instead. I think that type of training involved would suffice for the time demands that I have.
So, today I’ll just do nothing; besides I have to get ready for our garage sale this weekend. You all please come buy and take some stuff
“Oh, Susanna, oh don’t you cry for me, for I come from Alabama With my banjo on my knee”
Since my shins were still in pain, I decided to take yesterday and today off. Tomorrow we’ll see how I feel, but if I’m still hurtin’ I’ll just take off, make a pot of sweet tea, and watch the Alabama/Auburn football game.
Sweet iced tea is one thing a southerner can’t do without year around. One time, when I was on trip in Connecticut (or Massachusetts, can’t remember fo sure) and asked for some ice tea. I was told it was out of season and to come back around June. Can you believe that?
So, I asked if they served hot tea. The answer was yes. I asked if they had an ice machine and they said yes. I asked if they had sugar and they said yes. I asked for two cups of tea, a large glass of ice and some sugar. They brought it to my table and I had to show them how to make sweet tea.
If I had not had ice tea that day I know I would have tossed and turned all night long. I just have to have my ice tea.
So, I am a hopeless addict. But maybe that is not bad because I honestly believe it keeps you young and slows down the aging process. Take me for example, I look and feel 10 years younger than I really am. No scientific evidence, just a hunch.
What about hot tea?? Does that keep you young? 
I’ve been drinking about 2-4 hot green teas I day lately… I’m not really thrilled by the tast of it; I like it, but it’s not chocolate milk or anything ( ) but I know it’s really good for you… I never heard about the “young” aspect of tea consumption though !
Stefanie,
No, hot tea won’t do, at least not around here; it’s got to be sweet iced tea with extra lemon. Tea leaves do have antioxidents and a chemical called “tannin” that is believed to be good for the skin, so maybe there is some scientific basis after all.
I credit my youthfulness to being raised on a menu of fish and grits, served with swamp cabbage. That will keep you young and fit. Living in the Deep South helps too, since we tend to have less stress.
My philosphy is to try stay fit and keep mentally alert. Enjoy every day you have on this earth and try to make every day better than the day before; also, don’t sit on the porch when I need to be working in the fields and I try to help those in need. If someone needs a field plowed, plow it for them. Live the Golden Rule and life will be worth it all. Age is way over rated. Who was it that said, “how would you perform (and act) prepare and train if you didn’t know how old you were?”
Now, after proclaiming and bragging about health, youth, etc…here I am with a touch of that stomach virus that’s been going around like gangbusters. I’m in a weakened state of being so I’ll lay off any track/weights for a few days or until I feel like going again. Lack of sleep, sick children, work, etc… all take their toll on training, but what can you do?
Later
“I ain’t as good as I once was… But I’m as good once… as I ever was”
No workouts again today. I still feel a little weak and queasy today, but a little better overall. My “training” (if you actually consider what I do to be training ) is going to suffer over the next week. I’m recovering from being sick, then I’m going on a trip for Thanksgiving break and my birthday, which is in a few days. At most, I’ll be able to do a couple of workouts that focus on speed, at the other end of the scale, of course, I’ll do nothing. If my history proves correct, even after a layoff, I’ll come back stronger and ready to either PR or take “training” to a higher level. Since I’m having trouble with my shins, this brief period of lighter activity may be a good time to recover a little.
I’m becoming convinced that I may need to revise my goals to match the training that I’m actually able to undertake. I’m re-learning just how much time it takes to prepare for 400/800 goals and I just cannot realistically do it justice with the volume of training that is needed for that when you factor in job, travel, wife, two little boys, etc and the unpredictable nature of daily dealing with all that.
I’ll continue another period of gpp until the new year, then I’ll consider training from the 100m/long jump perspective. My body type, muscle make up, and weight training style just seems to respond better to the shorter, more explosive/intense training and isn’t conducive to distance work or high volume.
Now, I’m not resigning myself to mediocrity or making excuses for any future shortcomings; I fully expect to PR in my long jump and establish some times in the 100, which is something I never did before. I believe I can handle the type of training required to perform well in those two. I’m not out to set any earth shattering records, but rather enough to surpass anything I’ve done before. I’ll check back later when I actually do something.
“I ain’t as good as I once was… But I’m as good once… as I ever was”
That picture by my user name is a recent shot from Orange Beach, Alabama, where I go for my weekend beach getaways. I’d love to be there right now, actually. All right folks, I’m feeling just a pinch better than I have been and good enough for a light workout. It’s been raining cats and doggs all day long; a real frog-strangler out there and it’s cold too, it didn’t even make out of the 50’s today, so it was inside to hit the weights.
I only had time for one exercise and when that’s the case, you know I turn to my favorite lift–the overhead squat–that hits all the major muscles and leaves you huffing and puffing for breath.
–Overhead squats 4 sets of 4 reps–with 73kg’s(161 pounds). I know, I know, I can hear ya’ll laughing at the light weight, but remember, I’ve been sick and I’m trying to avoid overkill here. If you haven’t tried overhead squats, give em a shot and you will be humbled!
–Overhead presses with my 53 lb. kettlebell. I’m re-introducing shoulder presses into the mix since my rotator cuff seems to be up to the task.
–Tomorrow’ll I see about going out to the track for some 100m tempo reps and that’ll be my last workout for the week, you know with the holiday travel and stuff.
“There was ol’ Bobby Lee, stickin’ out like a bourbon bottle at a country revival.”
This was my last workout of da week since I’ll be out of town visiting my family for the Thanksgiving break. My parents are hosting and they’re having folks coming from all over–Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and elsewhere–it’s gonna be a good time but I’ll try not to eat too much since I know some of you all keep tabs on my diet and try to keep me in line. Since it is a special occasion, I can indulge, right? I promise I’ll get back on the discipline track next week.
Man, I love it all. My problem in life is I enjoy everything you put in front of me to eat. I was raised that if it doesn’t taste good, salt it (or add Tabasco sauce) until it does and then eat it. Oysters are a must for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. For turkey the best is a DEEP FRIED turkey. Have ya’ll ever had that? This is very popular where I live and we make it into a community thing with everyone showing up with plenty of peanut oil and a turkey or two. It probably wouldn’t be worth it to do just one, but when you have a gang of folks, ain’t nothing better.
I love Thanksgiving left overs. I like to go to the refrigerator and get a big old turkey leg and then slice some turkey, stack it about 10 inches high on a sandwich, then get a bowl of cornbread dressing and put some gravy over it made out of gizzards.
Then I turn on the tube watch a little football or the basketball Kentucky wildcats, and do it all over again. Oh, and I forget the spiral cut ham, sweet potatoes, and a shot of my uncle’s Dawson County moonshine.
Oh, sorry about that rant, my workout was a half mile warmup followed by tempo 120m reps–about 10 total followed by plenty of plyometrics, and ended with some stretching.
Have a good one…
11-28-05
My first workout in nearly one week. I’ve had a stomach virus and a bad cold, allergies are giving me fits, I’ve been out of state, and generally in a situation where I can’t lift or run with any regularity. I’ve put in 10 weeks of gpp and I’ll do what I can to extend that through the first of the new year before getting into more specifics.
Due to the hectic and unpredictable nature of my life right now, my weight training will consist of deadlifts, one explosive lift and some form of upper body press. Three exercises that I can do in around 20 minutes 3 or 4 days per week. I did this abbreviated weight training before and improved my deadlift up to 425 lbs. in no time flat. The deadlift is a great overall body strengthener that works nearly 80% of the body’s musculature. Lots of bang for your time buck.
Last night I did over head presses and eased my way back into some deadlifts, working up to an easy 330 lbs. before quitting for the day. Nothing major since I haven’t deadlifted in 6 months.
“There ain’t nothin’ more humiliating than being left all alone out in the middle of a country road.”
11-29
It was back to running today.
–800m warm up
–10x120m–75% effort
I felt like crap today; still plagued by allergies, today’s 120m reps (and even the “warm up”) felt slow and lethargic but I got through it and, to make it even more difficult, I was running into the wind on most of these reps. It was a rushed workout and I was on a time limit since my wife had a special birthday “treat” for me .
“There ain’t nothin’ more humiliating than being left all alone out in the middle of a country road.”