wha'cha think?
ALRIGHTY THEN! SO! (i dunno whats up with all caps. don't ask...)
here's the deal.
this winter, between crossfit and KC Multisport, i'm going to have training opportunities pretty much every day of the week in one form or another, and i'd like to take part. HOWEVER, recently i've got some over-use type sitchyachins going on in my elbow and knee, so i'd like to enter into winter training months with a plan so i don't get burnout or injury.
here's what's on tap..
crossfit M/W/F (which i've been doing now for about 4 months and love. LOVE. these cannot go away)
now adding... crossfit SUNDAY as well, structred slightly differently, focused more on endurance and just good times all around.
spinning on TUESDAYS with KC Multi-Sport (i.e. we bring our own bikes/trainers and 0% guy, whom i might now refer to AS THE DEVIL because of the pain he inflicts in these spin sessions, takes us through a grueling hour of spinning)
adding in January... spinning on THURSDAYS as well.
then we have...group rides on Saturdays (until it gets too cold outside.. at which point i will niet be attending!) which might morph into group runs on saturdays cuz i don't bike in the snow, yo!
and lastly...... swimming, in a pool.. at some point during the week, which... quite frankly, i've as of yet not figure out when i have time for. but i will.
i promise!
but so, okay.. good, fine, great.
second... nutrition. currently i'm "kinda" doing the Zone (40/30/30) but know from experience that monitoring my calorie intake is what helps my weight come off in a healthy yet consistent manner... BUT.. once i start being so active, i start getting way hungry all the time, so...
i need to know how to know how many calories i should be taking in while still slowly but surely losing weight?!?!
(15lbs. i'd like to lose 15lbs OF FAT by like... march. for me? harder than it sounds.. trust me on this one.)
third... i've been asking around about this and gotten some guidance, but... i wanna look into incorporating some HR Monitoring devices to my training.... but need to know how to do it correctly, cuz right now it just is all very confusing to me.... with graphs and numbers and zones and OMG i have no idea...
so.. those of you that swear by HR training... what do you suggest i get, and how do i go about using it?
aaaand, fourth..
well. there is no fourth. its just mainly those three things.
but SO! my active, triathlete, have been doing this for years so know what's up big brotherly/sisterly type people...
wha'cha think? how do i do this? should i do this? i don't want to over-do it, but i don't want to sell myself short, because i'm ready for my training to be kicked up a notch, so..
gimme your thoughts. and those of you with the HR Monitors... whats the deal with that, and how do i get in on it?!?!?
thanks guys! i know i can always count on y'all for words of wisdome!!!
Comments
Oh my. So many questions, so little time. And there's the fact that you're a 'U2 Hater'... but you did make a stupendous blog header for me... oh, I'm torn. Ok, I'll make some recommendations... you'll hear from me tomorrow, k? :P
Posted by: Tammy | November 20, 2006 11:05 AM
I'm wanting to do HR training, too but it's not for the lazy. I got the Sally Edwards Heart Zone training book but sadly I'm too lazy to work it all out.
Mark over at CRN has been posting some good HRM stuff. Figuring out what you need for your own training takes time, though. Unless someone is willing to spoon feed the info to you. If you find that person can I tag along? ;-)
Posted by: 21stCenturyMom | November 20, 2006 11:40 AM
1st: Need at least one rest day per week if you are going with any kind of intensity at all. Even spring chickens (which alas I am not) can get overuse injuries.
2nd: A sports nutritionist can teach you how to use your heartrate monitor's caloric reading and your base metabolic rate (how many calories you need just a'lyin' in bed) to eat the right amount of the right stuff to change your body composition the way you want. I think it is harder for the chicas than for the guys. I just have to go to two a days, and then it happens. I eat good food five times a day and the fat falls off.
Third: Polar has a wide variety of HR monitors, including ones that can test you and set your zones. Their website is somewhat helpful in knowing how much monitor you need and what the features are. Or, you can ask Bolder, 'cause he knows all things technical.
Older Brother OUT.
Posted by: Greyhound | November 20, 2006 12:16 PM
dunno. i'm an HRM user, but i'm not a triathlete.
plus, i ate almost an entire medium pizza last night.
Posted by: good ol' j | November 20, 2006 2:57 PM
1 - yeah I would second greyhound's comment and say to make sure you have some rest days.
2 - My food intake goes up during training, but I try to spread it out over the whole day in an attempt to keep the metabolic engine running all day. And I rarely count calories; it takes the fun out of food.
3 - I use HR training very loosely. I look at HR zones as a guideline, not an absolute rule to abide by. I prefer perceived exertion. In training, each workout should have some target HR zone that you try to stay within. Unless you really love numbers and data, I would say just get a basic HR monitor first a play with it on your own for a few weeks. FYI, I have a Timex HRM, due mostly to being able to get a really good deal on it.
And yeah there really is a lot that could be said on these topics. Hopefully you can get a lot of good information from other folk's comments.
Posted by: qcmier | November 21, 2006 12:13 AM
I agree with Greyhound and believe that a sport nutritionist will help you a lot with making good choices and help you lose weight.
Posted by: Denise "Firefly" | November 21, 2006 1:12 AM
I agree with Greyhound and believe that a sport nutritionist will help you a lot with making good choices and help you lose weight.
Posted by: Denise "Firefly" | November 21, 2006 1:14 AM
crossfit is NOT helping me lose weight whatsoever. my arms have turned into massive muscular nasty tree trunks, and my butt has gotten bigger. when i did triathlons i lost about 10 pounds and lost two sizes...think about getting back into that, and stop eating dominos pizza every sunday when im hungover.
Posted by: Kim | November 22, 2006 9:55 AM
Ok, miss thang... I'm finally getting to you! :P
You have so many questions, and I have so little information. First, I need more information on what exactly it is you do at Crossfit. What activities/intensity/duration? And tell me about this "sitchyachin" w/your elbow and knee. What kind of pain? Has it been diagnosed? etc.
Get a HR monitor, because tracking your morning HR is a good way to diagnose over-reaching before it turns into over-training.
Nutrition is a whole 'nother ballgame. You must feed the machine in order to perform well, but I understand the desire to shed some pounds, because I share it! I hate to track calories and %'s... it's a little cumbersome. So, I'm just focusing on small portions, making sure I have a lean protein source with every meal, steering clear of processed foods/grains, eating whole grains (but in limited amts), and getting a lot of fruits and vegetables. And healthy fats! Olive oil, flaxseed, nuts/seeds... that kind of thing.
ttyl.
Posted by: Tammy | November 25, 2006 12:25 AM