Monday, January 26, 2009

Training A 38 Year Old Body or We're Having Pizza Tonight

Well, I never seem to learn. I have a chest cold. I can’t breathe, but that didn’t stop me from trying to do my Monday interval training. I was supposed to do 3x1mi, hopefully finishing each interval in less than ten minutes. The first interval was fine. I finished in about 8m10s. Maybe I went out too fast because I struggled through the second interval, and I barely finished in 9min20s. I walked part of the last lap. I just couldn’t breathe. I guess I don’t know how to pace myself, but I’m new to interval training so maybe it will help me learn. There was no third interval. I left the track more than an hour ago and I’m still coughing. On the plus side I’m losing weight and my brand new kicks felt great. I have to start keeping better track of my shoe mileage because I can never tell when my shoes are worn out until there are holes in them. But whenever I get new shoes a light goes on, “Oh, that’s what cushion and support are supposed to feel like.” I also have a new schedule which is going to allow me to ramp up my workout intensity. I’m going back to weights five days a week. I haven’t hit my legs hard since LMJ was born; she’s almost two. Welcome back Mr. Squat. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve started taking L-Carnitine, which is a free form amino acid that helps facilitate the metabolism of long chain fatty acids. Beta Alanine has also been added to the mix – it’s the junk – is another free form amino acid that helps regulate muscle pH levels. It allows muscles to process lactic acid more efficiently and therefore perform longer and recover quicker. The older I get the bigger the role nutrition plays in getting me through my workouts. It was a lot easier being an eighteen year old perpetual motion machine, but getting old is better than the alternative.

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