Health is Wealth - July 2nd - 8th

“Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.”
— Dalai Lama

For the remainder of the summer, all of my cardio days will be Run driven. I will alternate between distance and interval training until the Twin Cities Marathon. Any ride, will turn the day in to a two-a-day :) Summer time!

MONDAY: Stability Circuit
TUESDAY: Strength Circuit
WEDNESDAY: Run (Long 2Hours )
THURSDAY: Stability Circuit
FRIDAY: REST DAY
SATURDAY: RUN (Intervals) 
SUNDAY: RUN (Long 2Hours)

Health Is Wealth - Active Rest Week - May 14-20th

“I’m an ambitious person. I never considered myself in competition with anyone, and I’m not saying that from an arrogant standpoint, It’s just that my journey started so, so long ago, and I’m still on it and I won’t stand still.”

Coincidentally I am heading down to Bentonville, Arkansas to mountain bike this week. I take off Wednesday morning and will be riding Thursday-Saturday. 

This past weekend I rode about 12miles and ran nearly 10miles. I thought perhaps I could sneak in a Stability circuit today at the gym, but my body wasn't having it. Rest week is calling my name. If I wasn't heading out Wednesday, my week would look like this. 

Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: Stability Circuit
Wednesday: Rest Day
Thursday: Stability Circuit
Friday: Rest Day / Easy Run
Saturday: Easy Ride
Sunday: Rest Day

 

 

Week 25 - Explode and Power

I thought Spring was here but then we were dumped on, easily 12+ inches of snow. At least, today, the sun is shining crazy bright and it feels amazing. On to the work outs of the week!

Monday: Power Circuit
Tuesday: Stability Circuit
Wednesday: Power Circuit
Thursday: Rest Day
Friday: Stability Circuit
Saturday: Cardio Day: Run + Power Circuit
Sunday: Cardio Day: Spinning

 

Live Fearless, Not Reckless.

Cardio Day

“Any struggle or pain that you experience just gets you to the top, and you can’t get there without making the climb. A few years later, you won’t remember exactly the way the pain felt or how long it took, you’ll just remember the view from the top. In fact, you might smile at the fact you had to work to get there.”
— Hayley Williams

I've really come to love cardio days. Truthfully, I was always told and always told myself when I was younger that I was a sprinter, not a distance guy. I loved wind sprints, plyometrics, running hills, etc etc but I hated going out for a mile jog. I ran hurtles and sprint relays. I cant seem to get enough of the opposite now. Long runs and rides have become so therapeutic to me.. 

Post HS and into university between working in the service industry and partying I picked up the delicious habit of smoking. It was awful, as everyone knows. I couldn't even tell you why it started. I wasn't playing any sports or involved in any recreational activities so motivation was nowhere to be found. The only thing that kept me from weighing three hundred pounds was working as a valet parking attendant. Young and dumb. Fast forward half a decade and I've quite smoking, quite drinking any alcohol, caffeine, energy drinks and for the most part eat pretty clean. My diet is definitely not perfect, nobody's is but it's always getting better. This all brings me to my next point. How I feel. Cardio day. I love it. You almost don't even know how really shitty you actually feel or what they mean when they say you are what you eat until you know what it feels like to feel so freakin good.

A few life style changes and I've run a marathon with my eyes set on the Moab 200. Health is your wealth, man. Damn!

Today's cardio day. I walked a mile at the incline of 5 at 3.3mph to warm up which I think got me about 250 ft of elevation gain. It was a speed work day, and I was running so I settled on wind sprints. I ran a total of 4 miles between a 6mph at 8mph pace. My intervals were 30-60sec. 

Miles 1 and 3, I ran wind sprints. Mile 1 was 30sec intervals (6mph vs 8.5mph). Mile 3 was 60 sec intervals (6mph vs 8.5mph). Mile 2 and 4 was recovery speed jog at 6mph/ )10min/mi pace). 

I know a lot of people hate the tread mill, but I absolutely love it. For the most part, I find slower paced edm and focus on breathing. 

I followed my run up with 30 minutes of stretching. I rolled out with the roller and softballs and stretched.

You guys Have a Killer Thursday!

Live Fearless, Not Reckless.

Week 23 - Explode & Power... Back at it

Hi Guys -

It was a great rest week for me. I really only rocked a stability circuit and a couple of low HR cardio days. Back at it this week, here as followed

Monday: Power Circuit (plyometrics)
Tuesday: Stability Circuit
Wednesday: Power Circuit (plyometrics)
Thursday: Cardio - Long run, Low HR (5mi+)
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: Cardio Day - Spinning or Road Ride
Sunday: Cardio Day - Spinning or Road Ride

I was down in Moab, Utah a week ago now and rode the Whole Enchilada. From where I was shuttled to, it was only supposed to be a 20mi ride. Coming off of a week where I hiked 65+ miles in the three days prior, I didn't want to ride anything too long. In any case, I made a wrong turn somewhere down a jeep trail and ended up nine miles down near the canyon floor.  It was a dead end of course, so by the time I climbed my way out, I pretty much doubled my ride into a 40 mi ride. Super fun, just didn't have the juice in the legs I really needed. Luckily, didn't feel any cramping until the path ride back to town!

I just wanted to say I really noticed the difference in my riding and over all ability after hitting the gym hard with Dee's MTB training program. Im not a paid advertiser, just wanted to say how awesome it is to notice the difference. 

Live Fearless, Not Reckless.

Week 22 - Active Rest Week

Hi Guys!

I am actually on the road at the moment which works out great for an active rest week. On my rest weeks, I keep my cardio to walking, the elliptical and light spinning doing my best to keep my heart rate down. Yoga too, I have come to love Soma Yoga Classes on my rest days. 

Soma Yoga: 
-A unique and beautiful practice, a SomaYoga includes a series of slow, subtle movements to guide you toward relief for body, mind and spirit.
Each practice includes a combination of:
-Breathing techniques to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and move the body from a state of stress to a new found relaxed resilience.
-Muscle release, relaxation and balance through the use of somatic movements which focus the brain specifically on the contracted muscles and movement patterns.
-Strength and stability techniques to create more ease in the body and mind.

And onto my active rest week! 

Monday: Cardio - 3-5mi run
Tuesday: Stability Circuit
Wednesday: Rest Day
Thursday: Stability Circuit
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: Rest Day
Sunday: Rest Day

I have to admit, rest days are incredibility hard for me. When I wake up, all I want to do is go and go F***** hard! At the beginning of the program, I didn't take any rest days. In fact I ramped up my cardio or added a heavy strength day to off set the circuit training. I am sure you are shaking your head, (especially if Kenny is reading this). I got it, i got it! Rest days are important. 

Both Lord Kenny and Dee warned me, and yes I should have listed. In fact, I have been listening! I've been continually getting better at listening to my body and backing off when the body says so. For me, I think the tell tale sign is the achy knees. Knock on wood, most of my injuries have been from colliding with trees on my bikes. 

Disclaimer: As Always, I am not a personal trainer. I invest a lot of time in myself figuring out what works for me.

If you have any questions, interested in training or programs, Hit up Master Dee or Lord Kenny.

Cheers Friends! 

Week 20 - Explode and Power

Hi Guys -

I completely spaced on posting yesterday so here it goes! 

Monday: Stability Circuit Day
Tuesday: Power Circuit
Wednesday: Rest Day
Thursday: Power Circuit
Friday: Stability Circuit
Saturday: Cardio - HR < 150
       60 minute Run
       60 Minute Spin

Sunday:  Cardio
      Wind Sprints - Minute on the Minute Sprints (30-45min)
                             - 30 seconds @ comfortable jog/ Recovery Pace
                             - 30 Seconds @ Sprint
      Row Machine - 30 Minutes

 

I just want to say that I have absolutely been in love with this circuit program. I think that this style of workout and programming is great for anyone that loves adventure sports and traveling. A lot of the body weight circuits, you can do anywhere along with your cardio. 

I'm not a paid advertiser for MTB Training, I just took a chance on it and have loved it so far. This is my first off season training in this way. So I am super excited to see how my riding goes this summer. I feel into the trap that most people do when hitting the gym. Lifting and exorcising to lose weight and look a certain way. The problem is, there really isn't a motivating factor hitting the gym that way and is easy to make excuses on the days you just don't really feel like going. It is not sustainable. Find a hobby, something you love and then train to live ;)

 

Disclaimer: As Always, I am not a personal trainer. I invest a lot of time in myself figuring out what works for me. If you have any questions, interested in training or programs, Hit up Dee or Lord Kenny. Cheers! 

Week 19 - Explode and Power

Good Afternoon & Happy Sunday - 

           I believe I figured out how I am going to utilize this space. On Sundays I am going to drop a post with my program for the week. Intermittently, I may write up a post when something inspiring pops up in a workout. 

          My workouts start with one of three different warm ups. 

  1. Walking Hill Climb - Incline @15, 3.5mph pace. ( with or without weight vest)
  2. 1 mile run where HR is under 140/150. 
  3. 15min on elliptical where HR is under 140/150

        This Week Should be a good one. 

  1. Monday - Stability Circuit
  2. Tuesday - Power Circuit 
  3. Wednesday - Off Day (Yoga or light mobility work)
  4. Thursday - Power Circuit
  5. Friday - Stability Circuit
  6. Saturday - Cardio
    1. 30min MinOnMin - (30sec) - 6mph vs 10mph
    2. 15-30min Rowing
    3. 15-30min Elliptical or Sprinning
  7. Sunday - Cardio
    1. Long Run 
      1. 5+ miles with HR under 150
    2. Long Spin or Ride

 

Good Afternoon and Welcome

Hello!

Nick, here again, just another blog section I'd share how I utilize my off season and gym time to train new and upcoming adventures. Feel free to reach out if interested in discussing!

I reached out Dee Tidwell of Enduro MTB Tradining along with the Lord Kenny over at American Strength to get my fitness on! In the past I have always been in the gym to stay in shape and typically to put on size and strength with out much care for cardio.

After a marathon and a few bike races I knew I needed to start training for what I enjoy doing, which meant training smarter, not just harder.

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