Comeback

"In life and sports, the most difficult thing is a Comeback."

                        John McEnroe in 2013 New York Marathon Broadcast

Jerry has not PR'd in marathon since his first and only sub 3. 2:58:35 in January 2010 Houston marathon. 

In November 2011, Jerry PR'd a 1:21:06 Half.

In November 2012, the same Half, better weather, 1:28:25.

In November 2013, the same Half,  perfect weather, 1:24:46.

Jerry is certainly on his comeback. With Dallas 2013 cancelled unexpectedly, where else is a better place than Boston for a Comeback.

Jerry needs a marathon PR.

Week 1

Monday, December 9th -

Weight: 138 lbs.

I have some spike up since last weekend with lots of ice cream and some beers. I will need to cut 8-13 lbs.

Too much ice on the road, did quite strength training. From now on, I need to put strength training on priority again. My weak strength finally caught up on me again. I have no choice. I will assembly a more comprehensive strength workouts this week and need to do them 3 times a week.

At this age(46 in February), I need to focus more on disciplined in strength and weight instead hardworking, not that what I'm going to do is not hard, not that I am not prepared for the hardworking ahead. Work hard and smart may be the more accurate expression.

I'm in the same boat Jerry - just started strength training again and wow - I've a long way to go.  Ditto on the gaining weight thing too.  I think I need a comeback too....

I wouldn't be so hung up on the scale, Jerry.  If you're consistent on weight training, you'll gain weight because muscle is denser than fat, but you'll lose inches. 

As far as eating, stop eating processed foods, eat real food, and just keep an eye on how your clothes fit.  If they're looser, then it's working regardless of what the scale says.  But if your shirts start getting tighter across your chest, well, then that's a good thing.

Find you a doctor or sports clinic that has a Tanita scale that will measure your weight, fat % & fat weight and lean muscle weight.  You won't be able to lose more than your lean muscle weight, unless you stop working out. 
http://www.tanita.com/en/personal/
That way, you'll know (with a 5% margin of error against a DXA scan) how much fat and lean muscle you really have.  I got on a Tanita scale in July and where the BMI was around 27% body fat for my height and weight, on the Tanita scale my body fat was actually 11.3%.

The gold standard for measuring lean muscle and fat is a DXA scan (Dual Energy X-Ray).  Ask your doctor where you can go to get one done.

Good luck on the body reshaping.

I agree, put Dallas behind you & concentrate on Boston!

Hey Jerry I'll trade you my 169 for your 138? Still have about 4 to 6 pounds to drop myself. 

Hey you want to race in Boston?

John Kilpatrick wrote:I'm in the same boat Jerry - just started strength training again and wow - I've a long way to go.  Ditto on the gaining weight thing too.  I think I need a comeback too....

Good luck, John. Remember, don't be lazy.   

ounce wrote:I wouldn't be so hung up on the scale, Jerry.  If you're consistent on weight training, you'll gain weight because muscle is denser than fat, but you'll lose inches. 

As far as eating, stop eating processed foods, eat real food, and just keep an eye on how your clothes fit.  If they're looser, then it's working regardless of what the scale says.  But if your shirts start getting tighter across your chest, well, then that's a good thing.

Find you a doctor or sports clinic that has a Tanita scale that will measure your weight, fat % & fat weight and lean muscle weight.  You won't be able to lose more than your lean muscle weight, unless you stop working out. 
http://www.tanita.com/en/personal/
That way, you'll know (with a 5% margin of error against a DXA scan) how much fat and lean muscle you really have.  I got on a Tanita scale in July and where the BMI was around 27% body fat for my height and weight, on the Tanita scale my body fat was actually 11.3%.

The gold standard for measuring lean muscle and fat is a DXA scan (Dual Energy X-Ray).  Ask your doctor where you can go to get one done.

Good luck on the body reshaping.

I hear you. I have an old Tanita, probably not accurate, but still good enough to show the trend. The strength training will be body weight ones. My body doesn't react to weight training as well as running, so I don't anticipate to bulk up easily. But again, I will watch it as you said.

Dave P wrote:I agree, put Dallas behind you & concentrate on Boston!

I will see you in Boston, Dave.

Schuey, Chicago 2015 maybe, that is if you continue to do this slow jogging thing.

Schuey wrote:Hey Jerry I'll trade you my 169 for your 138? Still have about 4 to 6 pounds to drop myself. 

Hey you want to race in Boston?

HaHa Jerry! Well the plan is to start running faster marathons along with running the Ultra's more up to my standards. 

2015 Chicago cool, hope you comeback again. It was fun when you were here the last time!

So about trainings:

1. Strength:priority, 3x/week. No choice on this one. I have been feeling stiff back etc. I need to explore ways to make my body more flexible as well.
   
2. Hill workout: I was not able to do hill workout. This is good for Boston as well as body strength, thus is my number 2 priority.
   
3. Diet: Self discipline is needed at this point. I have to do this.  
   
4. 70+mpw: this should not be much problem.
   
5. Speed Work: I have been running slow, mostly 9:30+ pace. This cycle, I will pick up overall pace if not real speedwork. I intend to start with Hill Sprint/Repeat and/or Tempo. I will see how they go and decide on VO2Max Intervals later.
   
6. Mid-Long distance: One thing I didn't do well 2013 was lack of 10-15 miles mid-distance runs. I did lots of double with 4-8 each. Now I need to discipline to get up and go out early a couple of days per week, if not after work to complete those runs, which was proven very helpful before.
   
7. Cut diet coke: no diet coke at home and minimal water intake after work. This is to ensure a good sleep as I have a habit to get up often at night.
   

If I can do above, I will be golden.

Please give up the Diet Coke - there I said it and everyone else was thinking it, Jerry.  You can do this and you are not too old (yet).

Yes, Michele, I forgot that. I've decided not to drink soda in dinner at home. We don't dine out often.

If you give up the caffeine in Diet Coke, you might just find yourself getting up less often at night - and maybe even during races.

One benefit of that Dallas cancellation: You have built a great base already with no recovery time needed, which means you can progress on with adding in speed and strength work for Boston. This could actually work out very well for you.

As for the age, pfft. You're still a punk kid.

 

Mark B wrote:If you give up the caffeine in Diet Coke, you might just find yourself getting up less often at night - and maybe even during races.

One benefit of that Dallas cancellation: You have built a great base already with no recovery time needed, which means you can progress on with adding in speed and strength work for Boston. This could actually work out very well for you.

As for the age, pfft. You're still a punk kid.

You should know.      

Ok, I am not old.


------

Tuesday, December 10

I don't remember I did anything. I had to work from home. The road was still not safe to even jog and my muscles were sore from Monday's strength work. So I did nothing.

Wednesday, December 11

135lbs in the morning.

7 slow in the morning. Had a little cramping feeling on my calf, I knew I needed to keep taking NUUN. I started trying CAPS,cause it's easier.

4 slow during lunch break. Had only a 8 oz orange juice as lunch after.

Jerry, Jerry, Jerry - Just OJ for lunch is not enough.  You don't need to eat bacon like Ounce, but you do need fuel even to lose weight.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Jerry, Jerry, Jerry - Just OJ for lunch is not enough.  You don't need to eat bacon like Ounce, but you do need fuel even to lose weight.

Jerry, if your body doesn't get enough protein (0.6 g - 1.0 g/pound), then it starts eating at your muscles. Lots of people starve themselves and they might lose weight, but it's not fat, it's muscle. The fat is still there as a survival tool for the body. Old people don't eat as much, then the body chews away at what muscle is left for its energy.

And orange juice is the wrong thing to eat, as it spikes your blood sugar, then you have a sugar crash. Eat a whole orange, not the juice. That's why I said to stop eating processed food. Go after the raw ingredients and cook it yourself or find a place that will.

Get your carbs from veggies, no dried fruit, no potatoes, no processed foods. Protein from fish, eggs, grass fed beef, even beans. Your times will suck without protein.

Buy a book called 'Good calories, Bad calories' by Gary Taubes or "The Calorie Myth" by Jonathan Bailor.

And Jerry, you may want to take a look at this. Everybody that does CrossFit is exposed to Whole30. They may not try Whole30, but they're exposed to it. Whole30 is the basis for doing Paleo diet/lifestyle. The Whole30 people are based in Dallas.

http://www.whole9life.com/category/whole-30/

Jerry, if you give up diet coke, you will pee a lot less, maybe even during races, and if you use Gu with caffeine during the race when you haven't normally had caffeine, it will give you a decent performance kick. When I quit caffeine, I felt much better daily and when I used in races, boy did it kick me up a notch!

Thursday, December 12

133lbs.

I've cut NUUN and use S!CAPS instead. I got up late and it was under freeze outside. I debated if I should just do some strength training without 2-3 warm up miles. Eventually I decided not to be lazy. Just .2 mile out, my left calf cramped up and I had to walk home shivering. So much for the warm up. I did some strength training.

I will test more on the S!CAPS.

Five miles on the TM during lunch break.

Friday, December 13

134lbs

5 easy in the morning.

4 easy during lunch break.

I don't know how you can run so much eating so little but if it works I'm not going to say too much. Eager to see how your training goes. At least you have fairly nice winters, right?

Saturday, December 14

8 in the morning before eating some Chinese restaurant with my wife. Lucy was in the Lego league competition, so we could eat those hot and spicy junk that of cause put some lbs on me.   

Sunday, December 15

10, surprisingly I was able to pull a 10 miles in before Lucy's friends all left from her birthday sleep over party. Then Lucy took us out to Olive Garden with the gift card she receieved.

So the first week, I did 42 miles. Not too bad, but could be better.

Boston Traing Week 2 - 12/16-22

Monday:

18

Then cleaned up the leaves in the front yard, not an easy job and took me several hours.

Tuesday:

2 miles warmup with strength training. Plank is a wonderful workout for my back.

Wednesday:

135lbs.

In the morning, 7xhills, total 6.3x miles. Not sure the grade, but not steep, all I can find in my neighborhood. I start hills not only for strenghth and Boston course, but also get me transitioned to faster pace. I don't worry about training too slow, but it can't be optimal to continue after a year of it. More importantly a change of stimulus creates excitement as well as greater benefit, I believe.

Just bought McMillan Runner's Core Routine, 3 DVDs, taking advantage of Running Warehouse's 12 days holiday sales. I don't feel I can get back to 1:21:06 half level in 2011 without a strong body.

Thursday:

135lbs.

6 on TM during lunch break. 5 miles, I felt like sea sick on a boat, and almost jumped. The guilt of not running in the morning kept me on.

Have been on TM regularly since February, I can't stand this thing any more.

Friday&Saturday:

I didn't run. I am very sorry.

Sunday:

I did maybe 5 miles. Again, I am very very sorry.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Jerry, Jerry, Jerry - Just OJ for lunch is not enough.  You don't need to eat bacon like Ounce, but you do need fuel even to lose weight.

Haha, desperate measures at desperate times.

ounce wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Jerry, Jerry, Jerry - Just OJ for lunch is not enough.  You don't need to eat bacon like Ounce, but you do need fuel even to lose weight.

Jerry, if your body doesn't get enough protein (0.6 g - 1.0 g/pound), then it starts eating at your muscles.  Lots of people starve themselves and they might lose weight, but it's not fat, it's muscle.  The fat is still there as a survival tool for the body.  Old people don't eat as much, then the body chews away at what muscle is left for its energy.

And orange juice is the wrong thing to eat, as it spikes your blood sugar, then you have a sugar crash.  Eat a whole orange, not the juice.  That's why I said to stop eating processed food.  Go after the raw ingredients and cook it yourself or find a place that will.

Get your carbs from veggies, no dried fruit, no potatoes, no processed foods.  Protein from fish, eggs, grass fed beef, even beans.  Your times will suck without protein.

Buy a book called 'Good calories, Bad calories' by Gary Taubes or "The Calorie Myth" by Jonathan Bailor.

I hear you. That seems to explain why I couldn't cut any weight without eating much this past cycle.

carleenp wrote:Jerry, if you give up diet coke, you will pee a lot less, maybe even during races, and if you use Gu with caffeine during the race when you haven't normally had caffeine, it will give you a decent performance kick. When I quit caffeine, I felt much better daily and when I used in races, boy did it kick me up a notch!

Can't do. Sorry. The best I can do is to cut the volume. I have already given up smoke and drink and don't want to be greedy.

Julie, I run quite slow.

Julie wrote:I don't know how you can run so much eating so little but if it works I'm not going to say too much. Eager to see how your training goes. At least you
have fairly nice winters, right?