Date: 1/31/23
Training Week: 3
Time: 95 min (under-desk treadmill)
Activity: Quick arm and back exercises
Mobility/Stretching: No. Sigh.
Ate Well: Yes

Commentary: Running Arches without proper training was eye-opening. I discovered what I needed to focus my training on:

• Uphills – The second half of Behind the Rocks is mostly uphill. Bears Ear has 10k feet of elevation gain. Arches had 3k feet of elevation gain, and my uphill legs were dying at the end.
• Core – My core was the sorest part of my body after the race. Not my legs. Not my feet. My core.
• Arms – My arms were so tired by the end of the day. Holding them at 90 degrees and swinging them for almost nine hours was taxing.
• Endurance – This is obvious, but I’m putting it on the list anyway.

Since I’m super busy with work and school, I need to maximize what little time I have to train. The walking desk is a huge part of this. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends I can utilize the walking desk while I do computer work. My goal is to get up to at least five hours on the treadmill during workdays. Endurance – check.

Although my uphill legs were toast at the end of Arches, I could still go downhill just fine. Thank you gravity! Downhill training would be nice, but it’s not a priority. If I have time, I’ll try to get some in. I will mainly focus on uphill training.

First, I plan to get a Planet Fitness membership. It’s less than a mile from my house, affordable, and more importantly – has a Stairmaster. Monday and Wednesday, either before or after work, I will hit up the StairMaster. On the days I run, which I haven’t ironed out yet, the runs will have decent elevation gain. Well, as long as my legs aren’t toast from the StairMaster. Uphills – check.

As much as I would love to do ten-minute strength workouts five days a week, I don’t think it will happen. But, I have a plan! I will keep weights by my desk. I’ll do various arm exercises during my forced computer breaks on the days I work from home. Or whenever I don’t feel like working. I can also do pushups if I’m feeling froggy. Arms – check. On the weekends, I’ll do at least one strength training session that includes the core, back, chest, and possibly legs. Core – check.

In all honestly, I’m not sure how much running I will actually do for my training. I barely ran before Arches, and it didn’t seem to matter much. Obviously, I still need to run, but my focus will be on the StairMaster and getting walking miles in. I have a good feeling about my plan!

Question of the Day: What do you think of my new training plan? Be honest! Tell me if I’m crazy or if there’s something you think I can do better.

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