When I grow up, I want to be an Alicorn

[unicornsandrainbows]

Sunday 12/29
Long trail run, 8.5 miles. 1:45.

Beautiful day here in the red rocks. Got lost trying new trails and ended up with an extra mile. Oh no, more time outside in one of my favorite places on earth. Ran with a with a Camelpack as well. That was a new experience. Certainly didn’t help the pace, but it was nice to have water and a place to carry shed layers.

Later
20 minute Caroline Girvan Upper Body

Perfect for hotel gyms! @EmilyQ put it best, I didn’t want to think or count, so I looked up CG and went for it. Just wanted something upper body so I can continue to hammer legs on the bike and running.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Monday 12/30
Mountain Biking, 13 miles.

New trail, probably one of my favorites in Moab so far. Great blend of flowy and technical.

Tuesday 12/31
Speed work run

5 min easy jog
2 x 2 min @ 5k Pace, 1 min recovery
1 x 7 min tempo, 2 min recovery
2 x 2 min @ 5k Pace
10 min easy jog

Woo, that one is a doozy. Running on some tired legs. Felt nice to open up the pace, but so hard to maintain it.

Thursday 1/2
Easy run, 15 minutes. 1.3 miles.

Shaking things out this morning. Yesterday was a whole lot of lounging around, a bit of meal prep, eating, and watching a lot of movies.

Happy New Year all!

[unicornsandrainbows]

Saturday 1/4
Long, easy run, 6 miles, 1:09

It was dry when I set off, but ended up running in sideways snow for 5 of the 6 miles. I didn’t bring a water-proof jacket either, so I came home soaked.
Pace was pretty good keeping my HR where I wanted it. I’m starting to feel recovered from my trip finally. It’s weird how much vacations can tucker you out.
Slightly Shorter long run this week. Just like a deload, the mileage builds for three weeks then lowers for one week.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Sunday 1/6
Jeff Nippard Hypertrophy Program, W1D1

Leg Press + 15 Back Extensions
3 x 6 x 380

BB Bench
8 x 115, 9, 8 x 105

Close Grip Lat Pulldown
10, 10 x 100, 10 x 110

RDL
3 x 10 x 115

Assisted Dip
8, 8 x -60, 8 x -50

DB Supinated Curl
10, 10 x 20, 10 x 15

Hip Abductors
3 x 10 x 60

Felt good today, I was excited to get back in the gym. More compounds and less accessories in this program, a welcome change.
Bulk also begins today, yay calories. Though my surplus is less than 100 calories per day. Compared to the cut, even maintenance felt amazing for the last two weeks.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Monday Weigh-In and the next few months
140.1 to start the New Year

Up about 2lbs from before the vacation, but not bad. Been adding carbs and calories in, so logically, this bump should be expected. That was what I wanted to end my bulk at, but I didn’t account for maintenance bump.

Layout for the next few months:
Phase 1:
-8 week slow bulk - 0.5-1lbs gain per month
-Increase lifting to 3x per week to improve muscle gain
-Continue to build running mileage

Phase 2:
-6 week cut - 0.5-1lb loss per week, I want to go slower than before, but also cut a bit of fat before the final run mileage push
-Reduce lifting to 2x week

Phase 3:
-8 week bulk - same gain goal as above
-This bulk will be running focused, working up the race I have picked out. Ill be increasing running to 4x a week
-Keeping lifting at 2x week, with a gap day or conditioning if schedule allows

[unicornsandrainbows]

Tuesday 1/7
Speed Work

5:00 Warm up - drills and easy jog
3x
3:00 @ 5k Pace, 2:00 easy
4x
:30 @ Mile Pace, 1:00 easy
5:00 easy jpg

Round one of the 3:00 felt easy, I was above the pace. Then round two I hit a wall and couldn’t get my legs to move fast enough, but I did happen to be on a slight incline at that point. Round 3 I was working hard, but holding.
All of the short intervals went well. Bit of a rollercoaster workout!

[unicornsandrainbows]

Wednesday 1/8
JN Hypertrophy, W1D2

Hip Thrust + 15 Back Extensions
3 x 6 x 225

OHP
3 x 8 x 65

Chest Supported Row
12 x 60, 12, 12x 70

Leg Extension
3 x 12 x 105
SS
Leg Curl (Seated, sitting up for more stretch)
10 x 90, 10 x 100, 10 x 110

Machine Flye
12, 12, 8 x Machine

Cable Crunch
100x12, 140x12, 12x150

I like this day a lot. Flows well, sucks enough to feel like your working, without dragging on too long.
Feels so good to be under a bar again for the OHP.
Chest supportes rows are the best, I feel it only in the back and you can’t cheat with momentum.
I couldn’t get in a good position with the machine fly, and the machine is too heavy empty. I’ll probably swap that for cables next time.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Thursday 1/9
Easy run, 2.5 miles, 27 minutes
3 x 15s sprints toward the end

Cold this morning, 20F. Winter is finally starting to winter.
Legs felt nice to shake out with the sprints. Feeling the power!

Also, it’s official. I put my money where my mouth is. This just got real.

I picked a race a bit earlier than I wanted, but I’ll make it work. It’s in one of my favorite places in the the country, and as soon as I saw it I knew it was the one.

[EmilyQ]

Where is it?

[unicornsandrainbows]

Bend, Oregon

[unicornsandrainbows]

Friday 1/10
JN Hypertrophy W1D3

Walking Lunges
2 x 10 x 30, 10 x 45

DB Incline Press
3 x 8 x 45

Chin ups
3 x 3 BW, 3 x 5 x Assisted

DB Rear Delt Fly
3 x 12 x 12.5

DB Lat Raise
3 x 10 x 12.5
SS
DB Skull Crusher
3 x 12 x 12.5

8 min AMRAP
10 Goblet Squats (35KB)
15 KBS (35KB)
25M Carry
(Did 4 rounds. Carries were Farmer, one arm waiter, farmer)

Day three brought to you by my “home gym”. The adjustable DBs I bought are still awesome. I specifically moved a couple movements around on this program to keep day 3 at home. I want the flexibility.
For instance, tonight I might be flying out of town for a student to take his final test down south. So, I got up early to get this knocked out in case the weather holds.
Lunges were done in the building hallway, chin ups on an I-Beam in the parking garage.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Saturday 1/11
Long, easy run - 9 Miles, 1:42:53

Great run. First couple of miles felt longer than the last 6. Brought a rain shell this time, but it barely snowed, unlike last week. All well, just practicing carrying extra weight!

This was going to be a trail run in the desert of the flight last night had worked out… But Aviation and weather happened.
Got stopped an hour in by snow. Little planes and frozen moisture don’t mix and end bad quickly.
I called it and landed an an alternate airport. Left the plane there since we were surrounded by more walls of snow. I only saw ot because the snow was reflected in the landing light. Way too close for comfort.

[EmilyQ]

Makes me nervous just reading about it. Yikes!

Nine mile easy run, tho! Go you!

[unicornsandrainbows]

It was a long debrief for both the student and I and a lesson on aeronautical decision making after!

Those miles are getting up there, double digits here I come.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Sunday 1/12
Jeff Nippard Hypertrophy Program, W2D1

Leg Press + 15 Back Extensions
6 x 380, 6, 6 x 390

BB Bench
8 x 115, 8, 8 x 105

Close Grip Lat Pulldown
10, 10 x 110, 10 x 100

RDL
3 x 10 x 115

Assisted Dip
8, 8 x -50, 8 x -60

DB Supinated Curl
10, 10 x 20, 5-5 x 20-15

Hip Abductors
3 x 10 x 60

10 minute treadmill walk, 5% incline, 3.2mph

Good freaking day. I decided to add 10lbs to the leg Press. I think I’ll do this every week, since I am getting the reps. By getting, I mean I have to pause between the last few reps on the last set. Working hard and going to near failure.
Bench stayed the same and still barely made the reps.
Lat pulldowns went up, two sets at 110 instead of one.

Monday 1/13
Weigh-In

139.6, -0.7

Bulk is going well. I even ate above MacroFactor’s allotment most days. Eating more, but still hungry. Go figure.

Working on shifting calories from protein to carbs and fats, per @QuadQueen’s recommendation. It’s going to take a bit of adjusting, I have a habit of a super focus on protein.
Also, look at that fiber number, I’m adding veggies to almost every meal and snack!

[simo74]

@unicornsandrainbows

adding veggies to almost every meal and snack!

teachers pet. LOL

[QuadQueen]

@simo74

teachers pet.

You’re just jealous! LOL

[simo74]

Er YES. of her discipline, youthfulness and body composition, and on top of all that she flies bloody planes.

[unicornsandrainbows]

@SvenG @QuadQueen
Oh, you two! I have been known for sitting at the front of the classroom back in my school days.

@simo74

discipline, youthfulness and body composition, and on top of all that she flies bloody planes

I mean, it’s a pretty awesome life. #spoiled.

[unicornsandrainbows]

Tuesday 1/14
Run speed work

5 minute jog and drills
2 x 1 mile repeats -
8:04, 8:33
5 minute easy jog/cool down

Those felt so much harder than an 8:00/mile has any right to be. I wanted to get a current Best Mile time for speed work pacing going forward. I was thinking I was going to be in the 7’s… Nope.
The effort was there. Legs didn’t feel super peppy this morning and I was breathing like a freight train the whole time.
I’ll have to re-visit these again in a couple months and see how they improve.

The rest of this week is going to be compressed to fit everything in. I have a last-minute work trip taking up Wednesday night and all of Thursday with travel and meetings. Making the travel part benefit me though, more on that later of things work out.