When I grow up, I want to be an Alicorn

[unicornsandrainbows]

Thursday 2/19
Interval Run
20:00 Warm Up w/ 6x :20 strides
4 x 3 minute hill reps, 3:00 Rec
15:00 Easy Run
Total-6.17mi, 1:00.03

The hill I used near the new house wasn’t quite long enough. These ended up being half hill, half fast run around a block at the top. Which was actually pretty fun. I’ll find a different hill, but I will keep this approach and sprinkle it in with the interval days I have left.
The intervals start going down as the training block continues. I really like this approach. The idea behind it is, as time goes on in a training block, your accumulated fatigue grows and ability to recover declines. I feel lifting could be approached the same way.

Later-
FB/U/L - Lower, W3D3
Power Squat Machine (Leg Press was busy)
10, 10, 8x 270

Seated Leg Curl
12, 11 x80

DB BSS
10, 9, 8 x40
SS
DB Lateral Raise
15, 12, 12x10

Hip Thrust
10, 9, 9 xm+125
SS
KB OH Tricep Ext
15, 12x35

Hip Abduction
3 x 10 x 100

Another day that I went in feeling meh, and ended up getting more reps on most movements. Love it when sessions turn around.
Slowly peeling off the accessory work sets in the spirit of removing volume and fluff.

Hubby said I need to back off lifting and keep shifting focus to running, as “I have many big races this year”. Let lifting coast and support running. I like the term coast instead of maintain, it sits better in my head. He also said the lifting season must be hit hard, but not until races are done. At that point, I truly need to back off running, 2-3 days per week. Coasting.
I am putting this here, because we all understand seasons and Keeping the Goal, the Goal. Repetition is good for my brain.

[EmilyQ]

I like all of this. I think you’re on the right track.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Saturday 2/21
Endurance Run - 90min
8.5mi, 1:30.48

All trail, in a dusting of snow. This is the most we have had all winter (in the valley at least).

Sunday 2/22
FB/U/L - FB W4D1 (Deload)
Leg curls
12 x 80

Power Squat (New Machine)
8, 8 x m+320

DB Bench
8, 7 x 50s

Machine Row
11, 8 x 180
SS
Lateral Raise
15, 14 x 10

Pull ups
9, 6 (!PR?)

SL DB RDL
10, 9 x 65

Lifting went nicely, actually doing a planned deload week in the form of two sets or less on everything. Lining it up with my running back-off week for recovery and adaptation all around. In theory.
Decided to take the training wheels off pull ups and sent it. 9 in a straight set was a glorious surprise. I need to believe in my strength more.

Then:
Endurance run - 60min
6mi, 1:00.35

Ran home from the gym, well, with some added distance, we are only one mile away from the gym now.
New house is near a canyon, so this was 50% dirt. Much warmer and no snow.

Met up with a friend I met at the gym. Had a nice chat and coffee with her. It was nice to have someone else initiate and follow through on an activity, normally I get ghosted trying to make friends.

[EmilyQ]

@unicornsandrainbows

Had a nice chat and coffee with her. It was nice to have someone else initiate and follow through on an activity, normally I get ghosted trying to make friends.

This is huge! Congratulations on that along with the PR!

[unicornsandrainbows]

Much appreciated! It was a pretty great day, nice mental booster.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Tuesday 2/24
Easy run - 45min
4.5mi, 48:50

Complete PNW type morning. I thoughly tested my rain shell. Spoiler alert, I stayed dry. For the first time ever, I came across another runner at 4:20am. It was weird. I cleverly said, “Good morning, I’m not the only idiot out here!”
I’ve never claimed to be a great conversationalist, even less so that early.

FB/U/L - Lower, W4D2 (Deload)
Power Squat Machine
11, 10x 270

Seated Leg Curl
12, 11 x80

DB BSS
10, 10 x40
SS
DB Lateral Raise
15, 12x10

Hip Thrust
12, 10 x m+125
SS
DB OH Tricep Ext
10, 9 x 40

Hip Abduction
2 x 10 x 100

Deload continues. Feels great to send it on two sets and be done.
New PT is helping with the IT band and glute med engagement. Really feeling it on the heavy leg press.

Speaking of heavy, shopping some Full body plans in 5/3/1 Forever. Looking like a 5s Pro SSL/1000% Awesome template would be a good fit to let lifting “coast” through race season.
Not doing AMRAP sets seems better for recovery.

[freshyfresh]

@BethB

In my non lifting days I fast until about 10, then I have a protein shake. Then I eat lunch at around 11:30. I’ve found that not eating in the morning is easier than trying to stop eating in the middle of the day. I was afraid I would get light headed at some point, but so far so good.

Catching up but this is so true. For some reason, if I don’t eat in the morning, I’ll be hungry but I’m not like irritable or nauseous. If I stop eating midday, I crash and get super hangry. No idea why (probably a blood sugar thing)

[T3hPwnisher]

No idea why (probably a blood sugar thing)

That’s exactly what it is. Most meals spike insulin, which drives blood sugar up and makes us happy, then the blood sugar comes down and the body interprets this as a crisis, demanding that we spike that blood sugar back up again. Fasting is an approach, as is the “Meat and nut breakfast” that Charles Poliquin wrote about.

[freshyfresh]

That makes a lot of sense! Thanks!

Actually thinking about it, that’s probably why fasting harder when I’m doing something like vertical diet as opposed to JL’s apex predator diet

[T3hPwnisher]

Yeah, fasting with a carnivore approach is like a cheat code. Along with that, your body’s preferred energy substrate becomes fat, rather than carb/glucose. You won’t run out of the former, whereas the body can only store so much of the latter, so you’ll burn that out and get that hangry feeling.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Wednesday 2/25
Easy Run - 45min
4.25mi, 45:10

Beautiful morning, 40F, no wind or rain. More new roads explored. Absolute bliss.

Later-
FB/U/L - Upper, W4D3 (Deload)
Assisted Dips
9, 8 x BW-10

Cable Row
11, 10 x 90

Neutral-grip Pulldown
12, 11 x 100

Cable Bicep Curl
2 x 10 x 30

Rear Delt Fly
10, 10 x 60

Landmine Press (Weight added to bar)
1 arm - 11, 10 x 10
SS
Leg Raises
2 x 15

• 30 minutes EASY stationary bike

Finished out the deload week. Felt great. Added some reps, nothing crazy sticky. A bit of a grind on the pull downs. Those always get me.

Decided on a 5/3/1 template. Hubby suggested I stop going to failure and focus on compounds. Strip the fluff. The internet agrees.
I picked a 5’s Pro template because it is all sub-max lifting. If left to my own weight selection, I will go till failure and add fluff. Now is a great time to lift heavy, gain strength and run like mad.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Thursday 2/26
Easy Run - 45min
Actual - 5.25mi, 55:40

Did this after work. Such a nice night, I went a little longer than called for. It felt like spring, 50F and sunny. People were out, therefore lots of activity to observe. It was awesome.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Saturday 2/28
Interval Run
20:00 Warm Up w/ 6x :20 strides
4 x 3 minute hill reps, 3:00 Rec
15:00 Easy Run
Total-6.00mi, 1:03.01

Done on trails. Only interval run this week, which is great, I’m tired today. Found a nice hill to do these on, it averages 8-9% grade according to my Garmin. Which means they were slow intervals, my breathing being the loudest thing in the forest for miles.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Sunday 3/1
5/3/1 Full Body 1 W1D1

Rogers Squat Pro (weights are +machine)
5 x 5 x 150

OHP
5 x 60
5 x 70
5 x 75

Dips
4 x 10 x BW-10

Chins
80 total
*Various sets and assistance use

BSS
4 x 10 x 40

Hanging Leg Raise
2 x 10

I had to resist the urge to run BtM. Keep the goal the goal.
Felt great though, left feeling like I had more in the tank. Yes, I am swapping BB squat for a machine. My discs and recovery are more important than axial loading purity.
This template is from 5/3/1 Forever, it’s marked as “one of the easiest to recover from” so, it won. Planning on 2-3 cycles, 4th week deload, lined up with my mileage back off weeks.

Not much later:
Endurance Run - 1:30.00
8.42mi, 1:30.22

Ran home from the gym. Maybe 30% dirt, the rest pavement. It was a bit of a slog. I was feeling worn out all weekend, for some reason. I want to take a moment to appreciate that I can casually run 8 miles after a lift, in sweats and a hoodie, and think “this is slightly harder than normal” at mile 5. While also still averaging less than 11:00/mi.

[EmilyQ]

OMG, fantastic!

[BethB]

@unicornsandrainbows

I want to take a moment to appreciate that I can casually run 8 miles after a lift, in sweats and a hoodie, and think “this is slightly harder than normal” at mile 5.

That is a rather impressive statement to be able to make.

[unicornsandrainbows]

@EmilyQ
Thanks!

@BethB
Seriously. I was feeling sluggish and beating myself up, then immediately laughed at myself for it, mid-run.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Monday 3/2
5/3/1 Full Body 1 W1D2

RDL
5x135, 5x160, 5x180

Bench
5x80, 5x95, 5x105
5x5x95

Power Squat Machine (top pegs)
5xm+90, 5xm+100, 5xm+115

Assistance:
Incline DB Press
2x10x35, 10x40, 7x45

Cable Face Pulls
3x15x30

Step-Ups
3x10x50

Leg Raises
2x10x5

+30 minutes spin bike w/ 1 round Tabatha intervals

Great day, left feeling like I could have done more. Which, is the point, but feels off.
Got a bit carried away with the incline DB on the last set. The nice thing about total reps is, if I hit failure because I got overzealous, I just stop.
New spin bikes in the gym. They are NICE. Time to start acclimated to a bike seat in time for MTB season.

Tuesday 3/3
Interval Run
20:00 Warm Up w/ 6x :20 strides
5 x 3 minute hill reps, 3:00 Rec
15:00 Easy Run
Total - 6.75mi, 1:05.33

Little chilly this morning, 33F. I’m having trouble finding a steepish, 1/4 mile hill near the new place. I ran out of hill the last bit of these and ended in a sprint. The point is intensity, not pace, so it worked. However, the hill search continues.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Physic update:
Left is end of bulk, Jan 28th.
Right is today, after a mini-cut.
139 → 135.2lbs.

Lighting changed slightly due to move. Happy with the changes in a few short weeks. Gives me a solid base to eat for performance for the next many months. I’d like to stay under 140lbs, but I care more about running up mountains.
Trying to get back to a less frantic level of eating too. Hubby is on a FODmap diet in an effort to pin-point a couple of gut things. Which means I am also on a Fodmap diet. I’m using it as a starting point for less seasoning as well.
Smoked 5lbs of bison meatloaves to start. Forgot to make a sauce, and glad I did. They didn’t need it. Only a couple days in, but feeling less bloated already. I get a bit agitated and urges to find more food when my plate is empty after every meal, but I imagine that will take a while to go away.

[BethB]

You are looking very fit!