Category Archives: NudeNumbers

SOAP Notes tracking progress on my fitness goals

Nude Numbers (#22)

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For reference, here’s last week’s data. Curious what this post is about? Click here to find out.

Summary

This is the week I have to come clean on my Six-Pack Challenge progress. I’ll post separately following this.

But I spent the last week in Mexico and did well on training in the start of the week, but got very sick at the end. Read on for more.

Subjective Data

Workouts earlier in the week went well, but starting Thursday the flu I’d been fighting off got the better of me (which was a shame since it got both me and J, and we were in Mexico). It was nice to eat-to-gain again though J. I also took my photo for the challenge… more on that in another post.

Objective Data

Click here for a PDF version of my dashboard.

Note: There is no Body-Fat data for most of the week because I didn’t have a way to do it in Mexico (and forgot on Sunday).

Assessment

Apart from getting the flu, the new plan started out well (“apart from that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?”). I swam a bunch in the large pool at the resort we stayed at, alternating drilling and swimming, and I found things getting easier over time.

I decided to take the next phase of training with a new philosophy; listen to my body more. So, once the flu set in on Thursday, I’ve backed off training. I’m still a little under the weather as I write this, but am heading the right way. Hopefully this way I’ll manage injuries better.

Plan

I’ll be re-jigging how I present this next week, but my plan for this week is (subject to recovering from my illness):

  1. 20-40 25-yard swimming laps
  2. 90-150 minutes of Spinning
  3. 2-4 hours of weight training
  4. Set and maintain a diet of about 3,000 calories a day (trying to gain between .5 to 1.0 pounds per week)

Presentation Notes

No changes to data presentation this week. As with last week, data is presented in SOAP Note format.

– Art

Help me raise money for people suffering from cancer

Nude Numbers (#21)

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For reference, here’s last week’s data. Curious what this post is about? Click here to find out.

Summary

I’m posting the last two weeks in my old format to be consistent, but I have now starting on my new winter training schedule. A different format of data will show up the week of November 18th.

This is a post of data from before the marathon (which I didn’t do). I ramped down from workouts at the end of the week (which was planned), but otherwise stuck to plan.

Subjective Data

The main trick this week was diet; I kept to a strict diet, cutting at the end of the week and limiting sodium intake. Not doing the marathon sucked, but many of my friends successfully completed it and kudos to them. Next year!

Objective Data

Click here for a PDF version of my dashboard.

Assessment

Stuck exactly to plan. I worked out at the beginning of the week, then cut calories towards the end (who says I can’t try to look my best for the six-pack challenge). Also, since I was off to Mexico the next week and I’d eat a lot, it was fine to cut going into the week.

Plan

Go to Mexico; eat a lot; read a lot; do nothing; return.

The goals starting 11/5 are as follows:

  1. Be able to swim 1km without stopping by 3/1/08. This is really about form and balance for me.
  2. Gain 5-10 pounds from my 11/5/07 weight while keeping a 32 inch max waist by 3/1/08 (Starting weight: 157 lbs).
  3. For weight lifting, increase my 1RM by 5% on average across the board by 3/1/08 from my 10/30 1RMs (1RM = 1-Rep-Maximum).

Presentation Notes

No changes to data presentation this week. As with last week, data is presented in SOAP Note format.

– Art

Help me raise money for people suffering from cancer

Nude Numbers (#20)

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For reference, here’s last week’s data. Curious what this post is about? Click here to find out.

Summary

I did OK with my plan for the week, but I had a big decision to make. And I’ve made it. Read on for more (and do click the links… they’re fun J ).

Subjective Data

I did some (not much) weight lifting, tried some spinning, and went to see a physical therapist. Why? Because the pain from my run last Saturday did not subside as quickly as I would have liked. I also went back to my ortho-specialist to see what he thought and had an MRI. The result: nothing is broken, but I have a bad sprain and lots of bruising in my right foot.

My eating wasn’t great later in the week, and my numbers show it.

Objective Data

Click here for a PDF version of my dashboard.

Assessment

I had dinner on Thursday with my friends Jim and Sudipta (who by the way has a great new kids book on sale now… The Mine-O-Saur. Check it out). And during the conversation I asked them for their advice on whether to run or not. I thought Jim’s response is a good candidate for quote of the month:

You’re not Kenyan – the marathon is not a life defining event for you. If you injure yourself permanently during the run, it will become a life-defining event. Don’t make this a life defining event!

Well, facts are facts. I had a stress fracture, but now I have nerve pinching, swelling and bruising in my right foot. I get sharp piercing pain any time I stand up after sitting for 45 minutes or more. I could try to run the marathon on Sunday of next week, but odds are that (a) the pain would become unbearable late in the race and (b) I’ll permanently injure myself by re-breaking the stress-fracture or doing something else stupid as my body compensates over 26 miles to avoid the pain.

So, this morning I notified Team Continuum that I would not run, and have been guaranteed a spot in next year’s marathon. I’m going to take at least 6-8 weeks off running, and then work with a physical-therapist to slowly ramp up again. I’d like to target doing a marathon in the April or May timeframe of next year (and then maybe I do NY next year, maybe not…) – let me know if you have suggestions for one to do.

Also, thanks to everyone for their suggestions (public and private) on what to do. I really appreciate the feedback and support. In case folks are wondering on the breakdown of “live to fight another day” vs. “go for it!” the breakdown was:

Live to Fight Another Day

Go For It

20+ (I stopped counting…)

0

Telling, no?

Plan

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed – I am. But when God gives you lemons, you find a new God. Whoops, I mean, you regroup and start again. So, the plan for this week is continue my new weight lifting routine, do some spinning, continue physical therapy, and then… get ready for Mexico. J and I are off to Mexico for 5 days next week (so, no updates next week). When I return, there will be a new format for tracking the metrics on my winter goals, which to remind you are:

  1. Be able to swim 1km without stopping by 3/1/08. This is really about form and balance for me.
  2. Gain 5-10 pounds from my 11/5/07 weight while keeping a 32 inch max waist by 3/1/08 (I’m expecting my 11/5 weight to be around 153-158).
  3. For weight lifting, increase my 1RM by 5% on average across the board by 3/1/08 from my 10/30 1RMs (1RM = 1-Rep-Maximum).

Presentation Notes

No changes to data presentation this week. As with last week, data is presented in SOAP Note format.

– Art

Help me raise money for people suffering from cancer

Nude Numbers (#19)

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For reference, here’s last week’s data. Curious what this post is about? I’m tracking my training progress for the New York Marathon. Click here for why.

Summary

I did one “last chance” run to see if my leg could take the mileage on Saturday. Results: 17 mile run, but I’m in a lot of pain now and back in my restraining-boot. So, I need to make a hard call by end of this week: surrender and fight another day, or go for broke in two weeks? Send me your thoughts!

Subjective Data

This was a rest week which was good since I had a slight cold. I did two spinning classes, no weight lifting, but my bike ride on Saturday didn’t pan out. So, instead I decided to try my luck running again (stupid me, I know). The good news is I got 17 miles done in 3:03:00 (although I had to walk the last mile). The bad news is, like my run 2 weeks ago, I’m in a lot of pain.

That said, I’m in slightly less pain than 2 weeks ago even though I did over 2x the mileage… hmmm…

Eating was very on target all week, and the numbers show that.

Objective Data

Click here for a PDF version of my dashboard.

Assessment

The rest was good. The diet-control was good. On that front, not a lot to change.

On the run, I learned a bunch of things:

  1. Going at a super slow pace actually makes things worse, not better. I did the first 4 miles at a 12-minute-mile pace and it really sucked. I need to run at my natural pace, which means a 9-10 minute mile pace with breaks.
  2. Tighter laces earlier in the run actually seems to help.
  3. I need to stop every 1-2 miles and walk for at least 60 seconds to let the pain subside (that’s what kills my overall times). If I do the marathon, that’s what I’ll need to do.
  4. It hurts more if I stop moving J
  5. But it hurts A LOT while I run. Specifically, sharp piercing pain on the top of my right foot when kicking off that is consistent with severe tendonitis.

Plan

This is the week I need to make my big decision: to go or not go for it. I have to decide by Friday, although I’m hoping to stretch it to Sunday since I’m having breakfast with my aunt from Ireland on Sunday and she’s run a bunch of marathon’s before (I’d like her advice).

The plan this week is to resume lifting on my old schedule, keep eating under control (still shooting for that Six-Pack Challenge), and do some spinning to maintain cardio (later in week once my foot heals from Saturday’s run).

As a reminder, I get to decide on October 24th whether to try to run the marathon anyway, or take my guaranteed spot next year. Let me know your thoughts.

I’ve decided my final goals for the winter will be all about swimming and lifting:

  1. Be able to swim 1km without stopping by 3/1/08. This is really about form and balance for me.
  2. Gain 5-10 pounds from my 11/5/07 weight while keeping a 32 inch max waist by 3/1/08 (I’m expecting my 11/5 weight to be around 150-155).
  3. For weight lifting, increase my 1RM by 5% on average across the board by 3/1/08 from my 10/30 1RMs (1RM = 1-Rep-Maximum. I did a re-measure of those 2 weeks ago).

I’ll create a new tracking dashboard for this after the marathon.

Presentation Notes

No changes to data presentation this week. As with last week, data is presented in SOAP Note format.

– Art

Help me raise money for people suffering from cancer

Nude Numbers (#18)

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For reference, here’s last week’s data. Curious what this post is about? I’m tracking my training progress for the New York Marathon. Click here for why.

Summary

I’m still a likely “no shot” for the NYC marathon but I’m keeping some hope alive. Good week last week, although I got sick (flu?) towards the end. This week the plan is for lots of rest. Woo hoo!

FYI – for some reason my blog was shut down over the weekend, but is back now.

Subjective Data

With the exception of running (which I’m still not doing), I had a good week. My weight workouts were hard and good. I did more spinning and got a short bike ride in. I still haven’t resumed swimming yet, which I’m not happy with, but my motivation to get in the water is lower now that fall is here.

My eating was mostly good all week – although Saturday and Sunday were bad. I think I have a cold or flu as well. On Saturday I was dazed all day, and on Sunday was coughing and had aches.

Objective Data

Click here for a PDF version of my dashboard.

Assessment

Apart from getting sick at the end of week, I had a good week. I stuck to plan very well.

This next week was a planned rest week anyway, so in some ways the sickness is well timed. I plan to do nothing most of the week, but I will try for a 50-mile bike-ride in Connecticut on Saturday weather permitting.

I’m still working on my winter goals, but they are looking like I what I outlined last week:

  1. Be able to swim 1km without stopping by 3/1/08
  2. Be between 163 and 168 lb with a 32 inch max waist by 3/1/08

I have a potential swimming partner lined up for the winter – now we just need to find a 25 yard pool that doesn’t require membership of a gym to use (since I already have membership in another gym).

Plan

Plan for next week:

  • Rest.
  • Continue calories under control (but not crazy cutting).
  • Weather permitting, do 50 mile bike ride in CT on Saturday.
  • Do smile.

As a reminder, I get to decide on October 24th whether to try to run the marathon anyway, or take my guaranteed spot next year. Let me know your thoughts.

Presentation Notes

No changes to data presentation this week. As with last week, data is presented in SOAP Note format.

– Art

Help me raise money for people suffering from cancer