10-Minute Swim HIIT Session (including showers)

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre Swimming Pool, Aston University
Date: 29th September

6 x Front crawl length, 95% effort.

15-45 seconds rest between each length; each length took 20-25 seconds.

Total time: 6 minutes

Post Workout Nutrition: Modified Primal/Paleo Breakfast of Champions - with one plum (recipe here), 50 minutes later

[one plum because I'm on a ketogenic stint and modified because I poured the coconut cream around the cooked egg like milk over porridge rather than mixing it in during cooking.]

I didn't quite manage 100% effort this time for two reasons.

1. My left calf kept cramping when I really went for it.
2. I had a terrible night's sleep and was not quite as fired up as I could have been.

That said, at the end of the 6 lengths I felt duly violated, so I think I did the required damage!

I will now rest until Sunday (5 days rest) in preparation for another Welsh mountain race, this time a little less severe than the monster earlier in the month.

I will not be running in Vibrams this time unless they arrive in the post in the next 3 days - I had to return them because they developed a hole. More on that in a future post about Vibrams. ... Read more

Turd Dodging in the Clent Hills

Location: Clent Hills, Worcestershire, UK
Date: 27th September 2009

Workout: 60 minutes of light jogging and brisk hiking

Post workout nutrition: crab, avocado and steamed kale, a few hours later

This is the first time I have been to the Clent Hills. I am told it is an area of great beauty with some excellent walks - so it's a pity we elected to take the acknowledged 'beaten track'.

As a result I did a little more work on my boxing footwork than I had intended as I dodged the minefield of dog doo-doo along the way. You know you are in dog poo central when there are stools in varying states of decay to be seen.

That aside, there were some good paths of varying steepness: , along with some great views . At one point I did some quick running up and down a steep bank just to mix things around a bit: . Finally, towards the end, I found a fairly steep and lengthy trail through the ferns (this photo taken towards the top) and finished off the last 20 minutes hiking briskly up, then jogging down.

I took my heart rate at various points and it varied between 120 and 140, which is about where I wanted to be. I was conscious that I had given my legs a fair battering in the BBS Workout 3 days earlier, but they seemed to hold up pretty well. I have been sleeping quite well recently, which probably helped. ... Read more

Body by Science Session 15: Progress in Spite of Alcoholic Weekend

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 24th September

Fifteenth BBS Big 5 session:

Session 16

*Session 15*

Session 14

Session 13

Session 12

Session 11

Session 10

Session 9

Session 8

Session 7

Session 6

Session 5

Session 4

Session 3

Session 2

Session 1

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Pull Down

155

155

1:48

155

-

155

1:55

155

1:51

155

1:49

150

2:13

150

1:51

Seated Row

120

1:44

120

1:42

115

2:02

115

1:56

115

1:31

110

2:02

100

2:15

80

3:08

Overhead Press

60

60

1:50

60

-

60

1:36

60

1:44

60

1:48

60

1:38

60

1:36

Chest Press

95

1:37

95

1:52

95

1:39

90

2:01

90

1:39

100

1:11

100

1:17

90

1:28

Seated Row

105

105

1:48

105

-

105

1:48

105

1:39

105

1:38

110

1:29

120

1:04

Pull Down

145

1:56

145

1:46

140

2:09

135

2:11

130

2:15

130

1:56

125

2:15

110

2:26

Chest Press

85

85

1:20

85

-

85

1:32 *

85

1:14

85

(1:10)

90

1:13

95

1:03

Overhead Press

60

1:33

60

1:28

60

1:37

60

1:49

60

1:37

60

1:38

60

1:44

80, 70

0:35, 0:25

Leg Press

340

330

2:19

330

1:42

330

-

330

-

330

1:33

320

2:14

320

-

Leg Press

310

2:30

300

2:01

290

3:24

280

2:12

260

-

250

3:02

230, 270

4.31

200

2:57

Total Time

11 mins

3 mins

8 mins

8 mins

11 mins

14 mins

10 mins

25 mins

14 mins

25 mins

25 mins

22 mins

28 mins

27 mins

Rest period

14 days (8 for legs)

20 days (for legs)

7 days

7 days

7 days

7 days

8 days

9 days

11 days

6 days

8 days

7 days

7 days

8 days

Notes

In spite of alcoholic weekend, some good progress. Could legs have benefited from the weekend laziness? Chest is blue because it's the best time on the correct machine.

Leg press only this week due to recently skipping it - but no upper body because seeking longer rest period overall. Full session next week.

No leg press because recovering from race. *Chest press not on ususal machine so may have affected time. Still feel like stagnation rules.

No leg press because race on Sat. Stagnation on all exercises suggests 7 days rest no enough. Or not enough calories?

Finally got that 4th rep with OH press. Because the chest press was in use, did leg press before chest and chest press on a different machine.

Lack of progress in pressing is mitigated by pulldown and leg success. Overhead felt better even tho TUL static

Less rest and a change in exercise order threw timings into disarray. Surprised by Overhead Press not being better

Baffling underperformance on chest and surprising improvement on legs, which may partly reflect increased intensity.

Finally finding the sweet spot for leg press. Much less rest, so not surprised by overhead press suffering.

Previous week's overhead press gains may have been due to slower reps.

First real signs of progress now that I have stability on the weights.

No leg press, hence shorter workout time. Was saving myself for fell race at the weekend.

Still finding it hard to judge the right weight for leg press.

Struggled to find right weight for leg press. Still finding the correct weight for all exercises.

Had to change weight with overhead because misjudged it.

"TUL" = Time Under Load
Red = got worse
Blue = improved
Black = weight changed or improvement did not exceed a previous best

Post Workout Nutrition: Primal/Paleo Breakfast of Champion - with plums (recipe here), 60 minutes later.

I drank a lot of booze between last Saturday and Tuesday. Cellebrations stacked on top of cellebrations. So I was surprised when Thursday morning did not see me struggling with the weights.

Leg Press provided a surprising jump in TUL, which could be attributable to very little physical activity at the weekend aside unless you count trips to and from the bar. Perhaps the recovery opportunity this provided exceeded the damage from the alcohol.

The small slippage on pull down is not a concern, especially given the steady progress I have seen on this exercise so far. I will really push this one next time, aiming to break the 2-minute barrier and graduate to 160 lbs.

Most gratifyingly, I saw an improvement in the overhead press TUL, which as you know has been dogging me for a while. I am hoping to break that 2-minute barrier next time as well.

Chest press has become difficult to monitor because I've been forced to use an alternative machine twice in recent weeks; but looking back at previous posts I see that 1:20 is genuinely the best time I have achieved with this weight on the correct machine (with this exercise order.) I should probably drop the weight to allow me to get into the 90-120 second TUL sweet spot, but am minded to continue with 85 lbs to see if I can't break into the sweet spot next week anyway.

That's the great thing about blogging workouts - it enforces a level of rigour that was previously not possible. I would not normally have forgotton the precise machines and times from previous sessions. It has prevented what Skyler calls 'fitness ADD' in his comment on session 13.

So, having brought legs and upper body back together this week, I will now rest probably for 13 days before doing either. I have a mountain race planned for 7 days time, which will mean either I skip legs on the next session, or risk insufficient post-race recovery. Either way, I am happy that a couple of days between the race and an upper body session is enough.

In any case, I have managed to make progress on leg press in recent weeks in spite of missed sessions - I wonder whether this is because skipping sessions means longer periods of rest. Perhaps there is different optimum rest cycle for different body parts? I should look into what the BBS book has to say about that. ... Read more

Shortest Workout Ever: Body by Science Legs-Only Session (#14)

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 16th September

Fourteenth BBS Big 5 session:

Session 15

*Session 14*

Session 13

Session 12

Session 11

Session 10

Session 9

Session 8

Session 7

Session 6

Session 5

Session 4

Session 3

Session 2

Session 1

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Pull Down

155

155

-

155

1:55

155

1:51

155

1:49

150

2:13

150

1:51

Seated Row

120

1:44

120

1:42

115

2:02

115

1:56

115

1:31

110

2:02

100

2:15

80

3:08

Overhead Press

60

60

-

60

1:36

60

1:44

60

1:48

60

1:38

60

1:36

Chest Press

95

1:37

95

1:52

95

1:39

90

2:01

90

1:39

100

1:11

100

1:17

90

1:28

Seated Row

105

105

-

105

1:48

105

1:39

105

1:38

110

1:29

120

1:04

Pull Down

145

1:56

145

1:46

140

2:09

135

2:11

130

2:15

130

1:56

125

2:15

110

2:26

Chest Press

85

85

-

85

1:32 *

85

1:14

85

(1:10)

90

1:13

95

1:03

Overhead Press

60

1:33

60

1:28

60

1:37

60

1:49

60

1:37

60

1:38

60

1:44

80, 70

0:35, 0:25

Leg Press

330

330

1:42

330

-

330

-

330

1:33

320

2:14

320

-

Leg Press

310

2:30

300

2:01

290

3:24

280

2:12

260

-

250

3:02

230, 270

4.31

200

2:57

Total Time

3 mins

8 mins

8 mins

11 mins

14 mins

10 mins

25 mins

14 mins

25 mins

25 mins

22 mins

28 mins

27 mins

Rest period

6 days

7 days

7 days

7 days

7 days

8 days

9 days

11 days

6 days

8 days

7 days

7 days

8 days

Notes

Leg press only this week due to recently skipping it - but no upper body because seeking longer rest period overall. Full session next week.

No leg press because recovering from race. *Chest press not on ususal machine so may have affected time. Still feel like stagnation rules.

No leg press because race on Sat. Stagnation on all exercises suggests 7 days rest no enough. Or not enough calories?

Finally got that 4th rep with OH press. Because the chest press was in use, did leg press before chest and chest press on a different machine.

Lack of progress in pressing is mitigated by pulldown and leg success. Overhead felt better even tho TUL static

Less rest and a change in exercise order threw timings into disarray. Surprised by Overhead Press not being better

Baffling underperformance on chest and surprising improvement on legs, which may partly reflect increased intensity.

Finally finding the sweet spot for leg press. Much less rest, so not surprised by overhead press suffering.

Previous week's overhead press gains may have been due to slower reps.

First real signs of progress now that I have stability on the weights.

No leg press, hence shorter workout time. Was saving myself for fell race at the weekend.

Still finding it hard to judge the right weight for leg press.

Struggled to find right weight for leg press. Still finding the correct weight for all exercises.

Had to change weight with overhead because misjudged it.

"TUL" = Time Under Load
Red = got worse
Blue = improved
Black = weight changed or improvement did not exceed a previous best

Post Workout Nutrition: Primal/Paleo Breakfast of Champions (recipe here), 40 minutes later.

The whole workout took 3 minutes because I did some tuck jumps and free-standing squats beforehand as a warm up.

9 seconds of TUL was a modest improvement on my last Leg Press effort, although we should bear in mind that normally this comes after 4 other exercises, whereas this time it was from fresh.

On the other hand, it also comes after two weekends of mountain running activity (here and here), the first of which was fairly demanding. In that respect, I was relieved not to have regressed.

As I menioned in Session 13, I wanted to do a legs session this week because they been neglected for two consecutive sessions - but since I am going to increase my rest period to at least 9 days, I skipped upper body.

Then next week, it will be back to a full session, followed by a rest periods of 9+ days for all body parts. ... Read more

The 'Buttermere Duathlon' and Other Exploits

Location: Buttermere Valley, The Lake District, UK
Date: 10th-14th September 2009

Day 1: Brief Lake Swim
Day 2: 800m Ascent at Sunrise, then Lake Swim
Day 3: Another Swim and Treetop Workout
Day 4: 'The Buttermere Duathlon'

Day 1 - Brief Lake Swim

When we arrived at Buttermere Valley it was overcast, but mild. I was determined to make the most of every opportunity to swim in the cold, clean, clear water of the lake, so I paddled out and splashed around for a few minutes .

I planned to increase my exposure time with each day. Although September is the warmest time for lakes in the UK, the cold still took my breath away when I went underwater.

In the evening we ate shoulder of lamb with vegetables.

Day 2 - 800m Ascent at Sunrise, then Lake Swim

The ascent of Red Pike from Buttermere valley is a steep affair. I ran it in 39 minutes a couple of years ago and I couldn't walk the next day. That was before I realised that running every mountain as fast as you can is not necessarily the way to better times.

You gain about 700 metres in height over a distance of less than half a mile. A good portion of the route has stone steps. Imagine going up the Eiffel Tower via the steps - twice, with a few dozen extra flights for good measure. If you are taking it easy, you take one step at a time. If you are racing, two.

During this ascent I took my heart rate at regular intervals. It averaged about 150. This is a little more than I wanted, but it still felt easy. In any case, given that I wanted to hike without resting (except when taking my pulse!) this was as easy as I could make it on this gradient.

My camera stopped working after this first photo - it shows the mist over the lake; but from my photos of previous years I have the following: this is where the steps begin - not too steep at first. The path then continues through the woods. On the right hand side of this photo you can see the scar of a waterfall through the forest leading up to the hanging valley - the path follows, roughly, that waterfall. Here is the peak of Red Pike taken from a different part of the valley: - it's the pointy one, roughly in the centre of the mountain range.

This was a truly spectacular morning, so I must put into words what I could not capture with the camera:

By the time I had reached the flank of Red Pike, the sun had emerged in all its glory, bathing that side of the valley in a rich orange glow. I've run in this valley on many occasions, often witnessing some beautiful mornings - but I can honestly say this beat all others.

I scrambled the final metres to the summit, reaching it in 70 minutes. I stood surveying the view. There was almost no sound to be heard and barely a breath of wind.

The sheep, dotted around the flanks Red Pike and its side-kick Dodd, were unusually silent, perhaps knowing it would be churlish to bleat in the face of such majesty. The only sounds came from the twittering birds, too innocent to know better, as they flitted around the grassy slopes; and of course there was the distant, low sound of the waterfall.

I tried the camera again, cursing its failure to work at such a moment. It was surely ashamed to function, knowing its primitive lens couldn't possibly capture the beauty of the scene.

In the distance, the Newlands and Borrowdale valleys slumbered beneath duvets of cloud and mist, awaiting the attention of mother sun, whose sole affection seemed for now to be directed our way.

Forget standing on the bow of the Titanic with a Kate Winslet. I know where I'd rather be.

After a few moments, I began the descent. It's almost impossible to descend via this route without feeling as if you are taking the mountain with you. The slope is eroding with every footstep - great for breaking a fell runner's footfall and allowing a rapid descent, but not great for the mountain. I have always said Red Pike would make a great fell race, but I am guessing the owner, quite rightly, forbids it.

By the time I reached the steps, both Vibrams had taken in stones and grit. Even the Flows could not keep this stuff out. I stopped briefly to deal with it.

Once re-shod, I made the final descent down the many stone steps, bronzed for 15 minutes by twin suns, as the mirror-still lake reflected the surprisingly powerful September rays, now blazing above Hindscarth edge on the other side of the valley.

105 minutes after I set off, I was back lakeside, and ready for a dip. Once again, I was disappointed not to be able to capture the scene with my camera: millpond stillness with a thin layer of mist, glowing from the sun's rays.

The cold water, as ever, took my breath away at first, but once I was accustomed to it, I did about 10 minutes of front crawl and paddling on the shoreline, marvelling at the clarity of the water and enjoying the cooling effect on my legs.

Back at the hotel, breakfast was scrambled eggs with tomato.

Later Mrs M and I walked around the lake, which took around 2 hours.

Lunch was a baked trout with salad. After a nap and some reading, in the evening we had shoulder of lamb (again!) , after which Mrs M capitulated and consumed a banana and toffee cheesecake: .

Day 3 - Another Swim and Treetop Workout

My enthusiasm had clearly had an impact on Mrs M because the following morning I managed to persuade her to accompany me to the lake for a pre-breakfast, dawn swim. Only the cows were up before us .

Armed with fresh batteries for the camera and treated once again to a clear sky, I was able to capture a little of what I had experienced the day before. This was the view of the lake at the point where the path meets it . This is a view of the inviting water's edge where we swam ; and the obligatory Vibram shot from in the water, showing the 'twin suns' keeping us warm .

I swam out about 30 metres then back in to shore twice, spending about 10 minutes in the water. I was testing my ability to swim front crawl for a sustained period without my breath being taken away by the cold.

I wasn't telling Mrs M, but the next morning I planned to swim across the lake at its narrowest point (about 300 metres.) I wasn't telling Mrs M because last time I mentioned it she insisted she would row alongside offer assistance if needed. I felt this was overkill and a scenario with the makings of a classic comedy sketch.

For breakfast, a coffee.

Later, we went for a woodland walk, where I resisted the temptation to take another dip here . It was mainly the thought of having to dry out the Vibrams again that stopped me, although now I think about it, I should have simply braved the rocks with bare feet.

We did some sunbathing and ate some lunch - for me a classic medley of healthy fats (salmon, sardines, avocado, Brazil nuts) with a token red pepper which I ate like an apple.

Mrs M then whipped out a book, leaving me somewhat at a loose end. So, I monkeyed around in the trees, seeing what exercises I could do and, rather childishly, demanding Mrs M take photos at regular intervals. This was in part to punish her for having brought a book without suggesting I bring one too, and in part so I could include them in this post.

I could have done a good workout, but I was mainly playing. I did some balancing , some pulling up , some handstands and some rock lifting .

On the way back we picked some wild blackberries for dessert .

Later we went for a curry in Cockermouth, at the Spice Club. Nice place. I ate this , but am including a photo of Mrs M's plate since I ended up eating half of that, too. She made a textbook blunder by treating herself to a garlic naan, which of course filled her up too much to finish the Tandoori platter. Bread: seems like a good idea at the time but rarely delivers on its promises.

Day 4 - 'The Buttermere Duathlon'

On the final morning I arose early and did not encourage Mrs M to join me for my morning swim. She didn't come.

I then ran halfway round the lake, to the point where it is at its narrowest. This photo from last year shows it . For obvious reasons, this time I could only take with me my shorts and my Vibrams.

I then spent 30 seconds in the water, acclimatising to the cold, before setting off across the lake.

Have you ever noticed how running outside is harder than running on a running machine? It seems there is a parallel with swimming in a pool vs. swimming in a lake. The lake was harder, I suspect for the following reasons:

1. The cold
2. An inability to see where you are going once you get into the deep water
3. Not getting a brief rest every 30 metres (at the end of each length)

The crossing took about 10 minutes. I never doubted I would make it, but nevertheless was given new respect for people who undertake (or are involuntarily thrust into) greater aquatic challenges than this.

Once you are out there in the deep, you really are on your own. When you are running, you can stop. Standing still takes no effort. Treading water, does.

I could tell that the cold and the effort had affected me because I was initially unsteady on my feet as I began running back. Here is the route marked on a satellite image of the valley: .

Thus did I compete in (and win) the inaugural event of the Buttermere Duathlon. Estimated time: 45 minutes. Admittedly there was not a great turnout, but look at it this way: if I can persuade my running partner to take part next year, I will double the field!

Breakfast was melon followed by scrambles eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms .

Then we drove home to the city :-(

Day 1: Brief Lake Swim
Day 2: 800m Ascent at Sunrise, then Lake Swim
Day 3: Another Swim and Treetop Workout
Day 4: 'The Buttermere Duathlon' ... Read more

Body by Science Session 13: Decision Made to Increase Rest

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 10th September

Thirteenth BBS Big 5 session:

Session 14

*Session 13*

Session 12

Session 11

Session 10

Session 9

Session 8

Session 7

Session 6

Session 5

Session 4

Session 3

Session 2

Session 1

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Pull Down

155

155

1:55

155

1:51

155

1:49

150

2:13

150

1:51

Seated Row

120

1:44

120

1:42

115

2:02

115

1:56

115

1:31

110

2:02

100

2:15

80

3:08

Overhead Press

60

60

1:36

60

1:44

60

1:48

60

1:38

60

1:36

Chest Press

95

1:37

95

1:52

95

1:39

90

2:01

90

1:39

100

1:11

100

1:17

90

1:28

Seated Row

105

105

1:48

105

1:39

105

1:38

110

1:29

120

1:04

Pull Down

145

1:56

145

1:46

140

2:09

135

2:11

130

2:15

130

1:56

125

2:15

110

2:26

Chest Press

85

85

1:32 *

85

1:14

85

(1:10)

90

1:13

95

1:03

Overhead Press

60

1:33

60

1:28

60

1:37

60

1:49

60

1:37

60

1:38

60

1:44

80, 70

0:35, 0:25

Leg Press

330

330

-

330

-

330

1:33

320

2:14

320

-

Leg Press

310

2:30

300

2:01

290

3:24

280

2:12

260

-

250

3:02

230, 270

4.31

200

2:57

Total Time

8 mins

8 mins

11 mins

14 mins

10 mins

25 mins

14 mins

25 mins

25 mins

22 mins

28 mins

27 mins

Rest period

7 days

7 days

7 days

7 days

8 days

9 days

11 days

6 days

8 days

7 days

7 days

8 days

Notes

No leg press because recovering from race. *Chest press not on ususal machine so may have affected time. Still feel like stagnation rules.

No leg press because race on Sat. Stagnation on all exercises suggests 7 days rest no enough. Or not enough calories?

Finally got that 4th rep with OH press. Because the chest press was in use, did leg press before chest and chest press on a different machine.

Lack of progress in pressing is mitigated by pulldown and leg success. Overhead felt better even tho TUL static

Less rest and a change in exercise order threw timings into disarray. Surprised by Overhead Press not being better

Baffling underperformance on chest and surprising improvement on legs, which may partly reflect increased intensity.

Finally finding the sweet spot for leg press. Much less rest, so not surprised by overhead press suffering.

Previous week's overhead press gains may have been due to slower reps.

First real signs of progress now that I have stability on the weights.

No leg press, hence shorter workout time. Was saving myself for fell race at the weekend.

Still finding it hard to judge the right weight for leg press.

Struggled to find right weight for leg press. Still finding the correct weight for all exercises.

Had to change weight with overhead because misjudged it.

"TUL" = Time Under Load
Red = got worse
Blue = improved
Black = weight changed or improvement did not exceed a previous best

Post Workout Nutrition: Primal/Paleo Breakfast of Champions (recipe here), 40 minutes later.

The mountain race on Saturday hit my body pretty hard. Yesterday, 5 days later, was the first day my legs had stopped hurting. On the basis this probably meant they were still not fully recovered, I reluctantly skipped legs a second time. In the past I would have done them anyway. In the past I was permanently overtrained.

But I had a faint sense of weaknes on the upper body too, which may have been my imagination, or it may be residual recovery.

Either way, don't read too much into all that blue. It still felt like a session without much progress. Seated Row was the only increase we can attatch any significance to. Chest Press was on a different machine (once again, the only other gym-goer in the building had gravitated to our usual machine at the very moment I was due to use it!) so I am not sure it was a genuine improvement and on Pull Downs it was not a big enough TUL increase to be significant. As for Overhead Press, don't get me started on that.

Rest Changes
I will kick this off by doing only legs next week, since they are owed a good session. This will be my shortest workout ever. Walk in, 2 minutes on the legs machine, stagger out.

The following week I will do a full session - which will mean my upper body had 14 days rest. From then onwards, I will take at least 9 days rest between sessions. Everything else I will keep the same. ... Read more