I have been so busy lately that I haven’t had any serious time for training.  I’ve been putting the job first way too much so it was time for a change.  Tonight I ran my first 10K in over 3 months.  And before that my last 10K was three months prior to that one.  The run went much better than expected.  45:29 Maybe it was the weather (I ran right after a big thunderstorm) or maybe it was the chance to finally blow off some steam.  I’m 100% positive that I am going to feel this one in the morning.  I’m also 95% sure that I will still feel it Friday morning!

I have been going back and forth recently about how serious I want to take training again in my life.  It all started a few years ago when a friend of mine Dan got into endurance sports.  He started off training for marathons and eventually has worked his way all the way up to competing in Ironman events.  He was running the Montreal marathon and I decided to go meet him along the route and at the finish to show him some support.  In talking with him afterward it awakened an old passion that I had back when I was training and competing in Cross country and track and field back in my high school and college days.

I used to be quite competitive in the mid 90’s when I was still a teenager.  By the time I was 17 I had won numerous events and medals.  At the age of 19 I even broke the 4 minute barrier in the mile.  I was good at more than just distance running however.  I was above average in short distance and could hold my own in some field events.  I never had the opportunity to compete in a decathlon back in those days but I have a feeling I would have done quite well.

Fast forward a few years…

My interests in life had taken a different turn.  I was involved with Drum & Bugle corps competing on the highest level and experiencing the same success that I did with running.  If you want to see just how physically demanding drum corps really is watch this video

Fast forward a few more years…

I had a desk job, very little running or drum corps.  I was getting fat and out of shape.  Thankfully I caught myself before it got too late and got back to the gym and at least got the weight under control.  I still wasn’t in peak physical condition, but I was at least back on track to a semi healthy lifestyle.

Fast forward to now…

I am fully back on track and eating a clean diet of mostly organic foods and it definitely shows in my physical makeup today.  After an intense summer dedicated toward rehabbing a knee injury and getting in shape I have scaled back my workouts to one per week, sometimes two versus the one or two per day I was doing.  So here I am thinking that I want to start training again for the past few months when I see another friend of mine D.M. getting into crossfit.  This is something that my workout regimen is more tailored to as opposed to running or competing in triathlons.  I like the overall idea of total body fitness and strength it is a basic philosophy that I can agree with and relate to.

…but me I always want to put my spin on it.  There are many programs out there that can show you the lifestyle and the training methods.  I know the lifestyle and training methods, it is a matter of staying disciplined and sticking to the program and the lifestyle.  I am looking to create my own program and see how far I can push myself in the process.  I have the physical tools and the mental fortitude to do this, but I have to push myself in the discipline department a bit.  There was a time when I never took a day off or “half assed” anything.  I need to get back to those days and back to that attitude.

So with that being said, it’s time to commence training and launch Shawn Carpenter 3.0!

Today I went for a run after not running for three weeks.  The results were much better then I expected.  My 10K time is down 4 seconds and the run was much more effortless then the last time I ran that distance (29 days ago.)

I have been doing a lot of walking and a lot of cross training for hockey season.  I have been on the ice a few days a week and on the roller blades a few times to get my legs ready for games.  This has made running that much easier for me as there was no fatigue at all in my legs today during my run.  My only issue was cardio and I was really feeling it for the last few miles today.

Now that I am in full hockey mode running is my real cross training at this point because getting on the ice or the roller blades does not work my cardio enough.  Running also works a different muscle group in my legs so it will allow me to be more explosive on the ice.

If you are a runner, I highly recommend that you add some form of cross training to your workout regimen.  You will feel the difference right away and you’ll be setting personal records in no time!

Back on Track!

The last time that I actually made my way to a real track for training was back in 1997!  I attempted to do some interval training last week.  I didn’t accomplish the workout that I wanted because I tweaked my hamstring a bit, but I am satisfied that my legs can actually withstand moving at a fast speed!

See the results of the workout here!

Yesterday I ran my first 10K since college.  This time it was only in training and not in a race.  The time, 49:44, actually wasn’t too bad considering that I don’t train to run long distance any more.  I can’t remember the exact times that I was running back when I was competing, but if I had to ball park it I would say around 37 minutes.

Sure I’ve lost a step or two since then.  I’m also 40 pounds heavier and carrying quite a bit more bulk (and fat!)  I’m not training everyday to run only long distance either.  There is also this knee injury that I am finally getting over.

I guess the point is that my training is coming along quite well.  I haven’t really set any individual goals yet other then to improve my cardio and strength from what it was just a couple of months ago.  I don’t see myself getting back to the level where I used to be either.  I’m doing different sports now, not endurance sports.  Still it is interesting to compare my times today to my times from 14 and 15 years ago!