Back on the fitness training pony

I’m back, did you miss me?

Pierini Fitness took last week off for active rest and recovery.  It had been a while and was time.  It felt good to spend time in a heart rate zone where most people do, rather than way up there in the anaerobic or fire engine red zone.

He ended the week of active rest and recovery on Sunday with a serious late afternoon and into the evening nap, waking up to take a shower and then back to bed for a finale sleep.

Before going any further, here are some photos from Wharf to Wharf 2019:

Ready for the run sans the running shades

Pierini Fitness in motion with lots of runner traffic

Enjoying the coastal breeze and temperature

Lot of people behind me but lots ahead

Within striking distance of the finish line

  

Done, tried to pass that kid but couldn't

Got to include one "sucking air" finish photo

The enjoyable week of active rest and recovery ended yesterday with the following workout done during the noon hour at a park:

Weighted alternating pull-ups and chin-ups with a 20kg kettlebell (pull-ups on odd-numbered rounds and chin-ups on even-numbered rounds - 5-3-3-4-3-3-3-3-3-3) plus double 20kg kettlebell overhead press for 5 reps every 2:30 for 10 rounds – completed 10 rounds in 23:36.

Surprisingly, the weighted pull-ups and chin-ups felt heavy, proving once again that heavy is best dealt with frequently.  It had been three weeks since my last weighted pull-ups and chin-ups workout and reps per round were higher across the board.

Enough of the details, it feels great to be back on the fitness training pony.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Wharf to Wharf 2019 results

The official 47th anniversary Wharf to Wharf poster, titled “Wharf To Wharf: A Wild Ride”, by artist Russell Brutsche with concept design by Robin Lerios

Here’s a quick and dirty preliminary report of how I did yesterday running the Wharf to Wharf 2019 in Santa Cruz where I still am.  I composed this using my iPhone which is hard for me to do.  Later this week, I’ll post an expanded version with additional comments.

Wharf to Wharf 2019 - 6.0 miles in 53:34 official results. According to my Garmin Forerunner 35, I ran 6.07 miles in 53:37. There was lots of first mile traffic so I did a bunch of zig zagging to pass other runners and this apparently added 0.07 mile to the distance.

Here is a snapshot of my official results from the Wharf to Wharf 2019 website:

And here is a mile by mile pace report courtesy of my Garmin Forerunner 35:

More in a couple days but for now, these are my Wharf to Wharf 2019 results.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Santa Cruz bound

Today Pierini Fitness is in Santa Cruz where he’ll be until Monday, the day after this Sunday’s Wharf to Wharf 2019 fun run. 

Since his last training report, Pierini Fitness has continued training hard and is now officially, in the tapering time zone. 

The hard work has been done, he feels well-prepared and does expect to meet his goal of completing the six miles at an average 9-minute mile pace.

Next Monday, he’ll give his sports fans an official report of how he did with all the statistical detail he enjoys but that may bore you to death. 

Manage the middle-aged man fort while Pierini Fitness is away Santa Cruz bound.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Last long training run for Wharf to Wharf 2019

Last Friday I was in Santa Cruz on business and had an opportunity to take in a long afternoon run.  It likely was the last long training run before my upcoming 6-miler fun run this Sunday, the Wharf to Wharf 2019.

While the rest of the country was sizzling and sweating with an unpleasant combination of record-high temperatures and high humidity, Pierini Fitness was enjoying a meandering 8-mile steady-state run from the west side of Santa Cruz to beach-view running path along West Cliff Drive.  The run was a loop of four miles out and four miles back with a mid-afternoon temperature of 64F degrees.

For the middle-aged man data geeks, my 8-mile run took 1:24:12 to complete which is a 10:31 mile pace. 

According to my Garmin Forerunner 35, my average heart rate during this run was 139 beats per minute or approximately 77 percent of my maximum heart rate.  My highest heart rate during this run was 149 beats per minute or 83 percent of my maximum heart rate.  I burned 1,073 calories during this 84-minute run and worked up a big sweat and giant appetite. 

What a difference a 25F degree cooler temperature, an ocean breeze and pleasant scenery makes on my workout heart rate.

Here’s what my mile split times were:

Afterwards, I drank lots of water and ate big but, apparently, not enough because the following day, I woke up hungry as a bear.  So, it was necessary that I front-load my daily food fueling with about a 1,500 calories early lunch.  This tamed my hunger beast by early Saturday afternoon, and it has been quiet since then.  I took the rest of the weekend off so today is the beginning of one of three remaining running workouts as I taper and tweak my conditioning for hopefully what will be a fun run and a decent time.  My goal is to complete the 6-mile course in 54 minutes or a 9-minute mile pace.

And this, Pierini Fitness sports fans is your Monday morning middle-aged man executive briefing of my last long training run getting ready for Wharf to Wharf 2019.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum