Training Tools: Garmin 410

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One of the perks to working out and training for races is that you can justify toys and gear.  When I’m running, I love having my lap times.  I’ve use a Timex Ironman with heart rate monitor for years.  Well this spring Katie and I received a joint gift from family – a Garmin 410 watch (Amazon affiliate link).  This piece of gear has made my training so simple!

My training tool - the Garmin 410

My training tool - the Garmin 410

 

The Garmin tracks my route via GPS and tracks each mile as I run.  When I’m done, I just plug in a USB stick into my Mac and the watch wirelessly syncs my training data to my Garmin Connect account.  Taking this to the next level, I connected my Garmin account to DailyMile and so all my training is posted where my friends can see it.  This watch allows me to focus on my running and training.  I love tracking my mile splits and seeing how I can alter my runs, going out fast vs. a steady pace.  The Garmin brings this data to my computer seamlessly.

Here’s what the Garmin Connect data looks like when my watch syncs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is this watch cheap?  No.

Is it necessary.  No.

Is it a perk?  Absolutely.  But if you see your training as a healthy habit worth than you can justify it!

 

Question: Do you use a watch for training?  How do you monitor your workouts?

We all have the athlete within

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The beautiful 4th of July weekend is over.  It’s time to get back to work.  Wasn’t that weekend invigorating!  It seemed every time I turned around someone was biking, running, kayaking, swimming, or water skiing.  This weekend always seems to get people outside and active.  Which is a great thing… unless you don’t have the physical abilities to participate. 
We all have an athlete within ourselves.  We see the runners, the bikers, even the water skiers and think, “Boy does that look fun.  But I can’t do what they’re doing.  They must practice that all the time.  They must have been doing that for years.”
But you know what?  At one time they were right where you are.  They’re right where I am!  I can run and bike, but I don’t swim or ski or kayak recreationally.  I’d get blown out of the water if I went and worked out in any of those sports.  I offer two suggestions.
Be self-taught

You do not need a professional coach or specialized training to go start these activities right now.  Sure, the water skiing will take a little more effort, but it’s not rocket science.  So maybe you start with the running and biking.  Teach yourself some basic form.  Go online and find a YouTube video tutorial.  Learn how to change a flat on your bike, put on a helmet and go for a ride.  Go rent a kayak at your local shop and paddle.  Teach yourself to run, bike, and swim for three days per week for one month.

 

Go

Don’t wait for a training partner.  Don’t sign up for lessons.  Don’t use the weather as an excuse.  Don’t buy $150 running shoes.  Just go.  Go now.  Why?  Because you’re good enough right now and you’ll be amazed at your progress after three weeks.  That’s all it will take for you to start a routine and see the results.

We all have an athlete within us.

The strength and beauty of the human body is a work of art.  Enjoy and train yours and you’ll feel so much better about your days and weeks.  Teach yourself and go.  Then come back and tell me about it.
As for me, I’m going for a bike ride and then starting my speed workouts.  You?

Workout Essentials: iPod Shuffle

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Simplicity is beautiful.  And nothing is more simple than an iPod Shuffle.  I’ve tried some of the others a few years back, but when Katie and I bought our first one, we never looked back.  This little music players holds plenty of songs for a workout, clips right to your shorts or shirt, and you hardly know it’s there.  Yes, your iPhone is also a music player.  So is the iPod Touch, but do they really look like they’re ready to go around the block with you?  Continue reading →

Update: Improving in 2011

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Back in March I wrote about my goal for 2011: improve.  I am happy to report that I’ve reached my goal for this year!  Last month (I know, I’ve neglected this storyline) I ran Madison Marathon and improved my half marathon time by three minutes.  I am proud of the performance because I had been injured and unable to run for about 18 days during the last two months leading up to the race.  I had even told myself that I wouldn’t go for that goal in my first race of the season.  I had another race scheduled the following week and I figured it would take two races to get my legs back and in the fall I’d increase my speed work to go for the goal.

"Improve in 2011: check!"

Well on race day I couldn’t find my race watch.  In 5 years of running I have never competed without a watch – talk about feeling naked.  But I went out fast and felt great the whole way.  I knew I was doing well around mile 9 when I found the pace team for a 1:40 finish time.  They were a little off but I knew I was running well.

The last 1.5 miles were tough to hang on.  My feet were getting sore and the uphill climb up East Washington killed me.  Still I came around that Capital Square strong and proud when I crossed the line.

So what’s next?

I’m not quite sure.  Katie and I have discussed adding strength training and speed work to our workouts.  I’m not sure if we’ll register for a race this fall but it’s the best way for me to go after a goal.

Did you take my challenge to improve in 2011?  It’s not too late!  Need help?  Email me or leave a comment.  And you can always click on “Hire Hans” and we can really get after your fitness goals.

 

Finish

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Late last year I had this picture on my desktop.  I had hit a place in life where I was starting a bunch of things but many weren’t coming to fruition.  I wasn’t finishing.  The classic case is the books piled up on the night stand.  I love reading books – well, I like starting books and then I get bored so I start another books.

  • I had about 8 books I was reading.
  • I had 15-20 blog post ideas but hadn’t finished publishing them.
  • I was studying for two certifications.
  • I had numerous house projects unfinished.
  • I had numerous magazine and blog articles I hadn’t got to.

Many people have problems finishing.  I think a lot of it is our culture shifting to a mindset that we can have anything and everything at our fingertips, and that knowledge and power temps us to move on to the next “rush” or exciting new venture, leaving things unfinished.

I’ve tried a few things to compensate for my propensity to start without finishing.  One has been to keep a journal, a log of what I’m doing so that I can sit down at my desk and see what projects I have going on, how far I am, and what I can realistically take on.  I’ve had some success with this but I’m recruiting Katie to help me organize it a little more.  It has some leaks and her accountability will help.

Along those same lines, I’m trying to look to my athletic world for other strategies.  As a personal trainer, I’m constantly insisting to clients that they need to have a goal in mind.  That goals should usually be a competition which is on the calendar and you can see it every day you train.  THis give context to your training.  In the same way, my reading and writing log gives me context to what I’m doing and I can quickly see when I’m getting off track or when I’m not focusing on the 3-5 projects at the top of my list.

You can see the two strategies that I’m finding fundamental to this process: documenting and accountability.  If I’m trying to DO THE WORK and SHIP, meaning coming up with creative value to my resume and knowledge base, I need to document the process and have someone review my work to keep me motivated and on track.

What about you?  Do you struggle with finishing projects?  Does journaling or working with other people help you to those ends?  What other ways do you process how you get things done?

Running Sucks

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Running sucks.  It really does.  Getting up before the sun and running that first 8 minutes before your body warms up is tough.  Kind of sucks, actually.

Running after work sucks, too.  Especially if you have a physically demanding job like mine.  I work in tree care.  I’m climbing trees and wrestling and dragging branches all day.  Sometimes we lift large logs.  We’re always wielding chainsaws.  So after a day of that, you think I want to go for a run? I’m thinking, “running sucks.”

Or after dinner and the kids are in bed.  But I have a 5 mile run scheduled for the day and it hasn’t happened yet.  I’d rather read, write or enjoy an episode of the West Wing with Katie.  But no, I’ve got to go for a run.  And running sucks!

But you know what also sucks?  Cancer.  Diabetes.  obesity.  Heart disease.  These suck.  These really suck.  Maybe I can put up with the running.

Training Tip: Go back-to-back

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Training can get boring – very boring.  It’s easy to lose motivation and that’s why I coach every client of mine to find a race or event to work towards.  Put something on your schedule.  Training with a specific goal in mind puts all your workouts into context.  I’ve organized workouts for the last six years around this idea and this summer I’ve taken it a step further.

I scheduled two half marathons for back-to-back weekends.  Madison half marathon was May 29 and Iowa’s Dam-to-Dam was the following weekend.  Now you might be saying “Hans, if you’re ready for the first, why wouldn’t you be ready for the second?”  When you get to the half marathon level, many runners upon completing 13.1 miles will take the next week off or at the most severely decrease their mileage. I didn’t have this luxury.  I needed to maintain my stamina and strength for the next weekend.  Two components further complicated things: (1) I ran a personal best in Madison, so my muscles were extremely fatigued, and (2) I didn’t have a full week between races.  Madison was on a Sunday and Iowa was the following Saturday.

"Done, and done!"

Still, it was a great experience.  The excitement between races was a new feeling for me.  Rather than peaking at one race for one day (really one morning) I had the feeling of being a competitive athlete for an entire week because I ran and had to come right back and do it again.

Training tips like this help keep things fresh.  They’re new and exciting experiences and make for great stories.  You may be asking “How did the second race go?”  I made an agreement to run with my brother-in-law and his wife so we ran an easier pace the whole way.  It was a great decision because it was the smoothest and easiest half marathon I’ve ever ran.  I walked away feeling very strong and confident in my back-to-back races.

Are you running any races this year?  Certainly it doesn’t have to be at the half marathon level.  What about back-to-back 5K?  You in?

Back to Back Races

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Last weekend I ran Madison Half Marathon for my first race of the season. I’ve documented the training (and injury) in earlier posts. But I’m excited to have another race this weekend – my first race outside Wisconsin. My father-in-law and I are going to Iowa to run Dam-to-Dam which is a 20K race. I’ve never done back-to-back runs. Thus will be a challenge.

I had a great race on Sunday, running a PR of 1:44, over three minute faster than my previous best. I’ve been running for World Vision this spring. I hope you will look at my previous posts and join my team.

I’m Running Madison Marathon this Weekend

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This weekend I’m running Madison Marathon for the third time.  It’s been a good (not great) season of training this spring.  I’m running for World Vision and I would be honored if you joined my team.  Hint: take your Starbucks money from this week and go donate to the Clean Water project at World Vision.

Here’s a few posts from my training this spring:

I’ve also gone on the record to say that one main goal of mine this year is to run my fastest half marathon ever.  I don’t plan on going for that this weekend or next weekend in Iowa, but rather compete this fall towards that goal.

You should consider joining my team and supporting World Vision’s Clean Water Project.  It’s an excellent way to join my efforts as I train for this half marathon and help nearly 1.5 million children who die each year from unsafe water and poor sanitation.

We would love to see you on the course in Madison this Sunday.  Bring your bikes, bring your chairs, bring your kids and cheer us on for a great organization.

Plan, Work, Perform, Succeed 26.2

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A couple years ago I was training for my first full marathon. It was Memorial Day weekend which also happens to be my birthday weekend. So Katie got me this iPod Shuffle with the following engraved on the back:

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"Plan, Work, Perform, Succeed 26.2"

PWPS 26.2

It stands for Plan, Work, Perform, Succeed in training for a full marathon. I absolutely love this iPod as a gift because it holds so much meaning. Training for a marathon is more work than most people know. But it’s also more doable than most people realize. One of the benefits of training for that inaugural marathon was a huge sense of pride as Katie was watching me throughout my training and as I prepared for the competition. The gift brought it all together.

Rewards are an excellent motivation for training. I can justify a new $49 iPod Shuffle because I’m using it 3-4 days per week and it helps me get through so many long runs. Same with apparel and even food – it’s a worthy expense. But these are still simply tools towards the bigger objective: train and succeed. And then repeat.

Sports play a beautiful analogy to life. The lessons of sport have been with me for my entire life. And as I’ve prepared for half and full marathons, I’ve grown into this PWPS mentality.

  • I’ll Plan out my training miles and put it on a calendar.
  • I’ll Work hard at the training and put in the time.
  • I’ll Perform to the best of my abilities based on the training I completed.
  • I’ll Succeed because I planned it out and worked hard.

How might you use PWPS in your life? Is there a project at work that needs a little attention to take to fruition? Are there chores at home that could get lined up and knocked out with this plan? Even relationship – does someone in your life need a little more intentional attention?

Life is a series of projects. And a successful life is full of doing good things for yourself and others. Go Plan, Work, Perform, and Succeed. Then buy yourself an iPod Shuffle as a reward and do it again.