My dog, Yume, is a mix of Chihuahua and Maltise.
She can run with me at the same or faster speed than I can.
It was a beautiful weather in Paris, last Sunday.
We did jogging around the lake of Bois de Boulogne.
2.88 Km 16 minutes 22 seconds, 5 minutes 41 seconds/Km.
It’s a little bit faster than my target.
Then, I run alone two rounds, 5.28Km, 30minutes 45 seconds, 5minutes 49 seconds/Km.
It’s also better than the target.
Happy Sunday morning with my dog I had in Paris.
It’s Bois de Boulogne that many joggers come and run.
It was very fine last Saturday morning.
I run around the lake, 2.7 Km x 3 rounds, 8 Km
in 48 minutes 16 seconds. Namely 6 minutes 1 second/Km.
It’s my target. So glad to have done it.
Last week I had a sports medical checkup. I did this in the practice which is also used by all the VfB Stuttgart athletes directly besides the stadium so I hoped to see one of my favorite soccer players but no. Heart, Lung, Arteries have been tested, also some blood tests. Everything is fine and I am all right to do whatever I like.
After that the hard part started. I had to sit on a bicycle ergometer, a lot of cables were fixed to my chest and back for a Stress Electrocardiogram. A Blood Pressure Monitor was fixed on my upper arm and a respiratory mask on my face for a Spiroergometry. My ear was pricked to get blood for the Lactate Test.
Then I had to start cycling with 80 rounds per minute starting with 40 watt resistance going 40 watt up every 3 minutes till exhaustion. I gave up after 20 minutes which was 2 minutes 280 watt with a heart rate of 186. Another 5 minutes with 40 watt again to cool down then all cables were replaced and I took a shower.
The doctor told me your fitness is not bad but your VO2 Max which was measured with the Spiroergometry is pretty low. That’s genetic determined and can only be changed by 20-50%. You will never be really fast no matter how hard you try. But hey, a Marathon in four or five hours is still a Marathon! Now I even have an excuse to go slow…
I received a lot of data, actually every gasp was analyzed and I had a lot, at 280 watt almost one per second. Most of the data means nothing to me but I now know exactly with which heart rate I need to do what and for how long. This helps make the training more effective than just guessing or calculating heart rate zones from age. Actually calculating from age would be 10 strokes per minute too low in my case and would mess up the training effect big time.
There are 4 kinds of training regions with different effects:
Recovery Zone 115-127 BPM: After long workouts. Running is not at all a good idea because the muscles are exhausted and injuries are more likely. Better go for a swim or cycling.
Aerobic Zone 1 127-140 BPM: The body becomes more efficient at feeding the working muscles and learns to metabolize fat as source of fuel. Long and boring workouts. Runs up to 2,5 hours (I read somewhere that longer runs are not effective). With the bicycle it can be any length, ideally in not known areas to avoid boring trainings.
Aerobic Zone 2 140-158 BPM: Increase the cardio respitory capacity and increase overall muscle strength. 1-2 hour runs, 2-4 hour bike tours.
Anaerobic Zone 158-170 BPM: Increases the lactate threshold which improves performance. Training in this zone is hard and I will do it mostly with friends on the mountain bike on the trails in the forest around. Should do it also running, let’s see.
During the Winter I want to do my runs in Aerobic Zone 1. Mountain biking Sunday with friends mostly means Anaerobic Zone mixed with some recovery during downhill rides. Snow is very welcome, there are cross country skis in the cellar. Let’s get things started!
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So I woke up this morning with an ache in my neck and a slight stiffness in my legs!
I have missed that feeling, as the days progress and training gets a little more intense and positive, as your legs begin to feel like they know what they are meant to do again you know you are on the road to a place of very positive things. I began to remember the days when I would wake up and feel so full of energy I could not wait to go out for a ride, or when I could not wait to get home and put the running shoes on, the days when it seems like you have not had an illness in a long time and your body just simply feels strong.
It seems like it has been over a year since I have felt like that, but I can tell I am getting there, it feels like your waking up from a long hibernation and that constant groggy feeling and those misty eyes are beginning to clear.
I know my body is getting stronger and I know my energy is beginning to Boom, because today is meant to be a rest day, however I am sitting here desperate to run or ride or just do something. I work full time and like everybody else spend most of my working day either sat in a car, in meetings or behind my desk, which is where I am today. I am sitting here making business plans, making offers and writing copy for our new range of fitness monitors, but every now and again I get agitated, I get twitchy and have this need to do some training. I know I should rest but I am so looking forward to being 100% fit again and having that feeling of energy and strength that I just want to get out there.
However most athletes and coaches know that this is when training plans and programmes for athletes are vital, this is when top athletes can over train and burn out or have dips in performance, because most of them are so keen to get fitter and faster that they do to much and don’t allow for recovery.
Now I am not a top athlete despite my once desperate attempts to convince myself I could have been! However I can remember those times when I have done to much to soon and either got a cold or injured or just plain sick of training. That’s the balance you have to achieve, work, family, friends, rest and training otherwise we simply will not progress. Start slow and build up, the strength the fitness will come and you will feel better for it.
It is the same with weight loss, don’t try to achieve to much to soon, we know that drastic changes in dietary planning can lead to not just fat loss but lean muscle loss also if not balanced, you should aim to make manageable changes to your plans so you don’t over train or start a deitry plan that is just not manageable.
You can also use triggers and monitors to keep yourself motivated, I have set myself some small targets to achieve before Christmas, but they are small and achievable changes. Such as adding 1 extra swim a week into training for the next 4 weeks, like planning to reduce fat intake for next 4 weeks to achieve 1% loss in body fat, I started this 3 weeks ago and have lost 0.48% already. Once this has been achieved I can review and set new targets for the next 4-6 weeks, but all the time I have the ultimate goal of wanting to stay fit and healthy so each day I can wake up with energy and strength.
Let me know what your targets are for the near future! We are aiming for Amsterdam marathon on 2012 its a long way to go yet, that’s why we focus on the short term as well.
I am using my Tanita BC-1000 with Garmin Connect to track my training and Body Composition changes and will let you know if I achieve the 1% loss before December 25th!
Keep focused!
Simon
My name is Marc Kastermans. I manageTanita Europe since 2009. I have always been fascinated by endurance sports but personally never got further than running the occasional 5K around my house (about 10 times per year) and I usually felt very out of shape after that. I never really considered taking it any further. Then about three years ago I started feeling overweight. Maybe it was at Tanita because being on a weighing scale and measuring my body composition every other day is very confrontational. In that period the good life also got the better of me. Exceeding 100KG, 22-24% body fat, not good ! (I am 193cm. and now 43 years old)
In 2008 I also started playing landhockey again. Participating in a match every week made me feel better but also confronted me with my limitations and the idea that the field appears to be getting larger in the second half of the match. In that year my spouse also started running at the Gooische Atletiek Club. Looking at her coming home from her runs I started to feel even more out of shape.
It took until 2010 that I decided to take matters into my own hand by losing some weight and taking running and biking more serious. I started skipping all the food that I do not really like and all the snacks. No regime, just changed my food intake. In a period of about 3-4 months I dropped my weight to about 87KG and my fat percentage to about 15-17%. I started to feel much better.
Since then I have been running but I have always seen this as something ‘personal’. Just me, usually a headphone on and running every couple of days usually between 5-15km depending on my mood and my schedule. It clears my mind and gives me time to think things over. I never felt the need to do any of the organised runs nor did I feel the need to set a real goal. Furthermore I started biking. Ever since I live near a mountainbike path (yes, Holland is flat, but that’s still how we call it) I started doing some biking as well. Once a week, 50 km or so with a few friends. Nowadays I try to bike to our Tanita office in Amsterdam (25-30KM one way) a few times per week as well.
What we do best at Tanita is measuring people’s body composition. But we all realise that this leads to many questions about lifestyle, sports, exercise, food intake etc. These conversations have made many of us change our lifestyle as well. Travelling around Europe the last years I have also had the chance to do an occasional run with my colleagues and we discuss this topic often. It is great to share a common interest ! That resulted in conversations about doing a run together. We decided to go for a real challenge together. October 2012, Marathon of Amsterdam it is ! Can I do this ? Of course, I say to everybody with confidence. But deep down inside I know it’s a stretch. I know I can do half a marathon under 2 hours, but double of that, I feel I need to structure my sports activities.
My current methods of tracking my results:
For measuring my body I have an old Tanita BC-410 in my office.
Occasionally I use a Tanita BC-1000 and track my results via Garmin Connect. I also use our new Tanita MC-980 whenever I have the chance. What a great machine !
I use a Garmin 310XT to track my running results and a Garmin EDGE 800 on my bike and I plan to start with putting a schedule together to bring some structure in my activities. I know it’s almost a year away so there is some time left.
We can do it !
Miss Rie Ishii has been working for Tanita’s fitness club near Tokyo.
She got the first prize at Itabashi Half Marathon held near Tanita’s headquarters on 4th of December.
Her record is 1 hour 28 minutes 27 seconds (4 minutes 12 seconds/Km)
The time was 1:55:46. It seems it is the average among participants, but I am happy with it, as I could run how I planned. Up and down, but I could manage almost every kilometer below 6:00 (15th km was 6:01). My strange characteristic of running I found is; I am fast at uphill slopes, but not good at downhill slopes. I pass runners at uphill, and am passed by downhill.
The last kilometer was the fastest lap and so I now would like to have one more!, but rather flat one (^_^).
The running with FR210 was fantastic. I had heard that the watch can read data of neighbor, but it worked perfect and I run with max. around 160bpm.
After the run, I had an Year-End party with Kendo friends, with celebaration of 7th Dan passing of my teacher, and I ate and drank as an elephant. No wonder, I spent more than 1,500 kcal. And so, my weight after the day was 1kg more than before (^_^).
A good experience! It was a fun
I jogged in Bois de Boulogne, Paris, last Saturday.
iPhone on my left arm showed me the exact distance and time, namely the reality of my running.
It was, unfortunately, slower than I had expected. 7.97Km/49 minutes 15 seconds.
This speed, 6minutes 11 seconds/Km should be increased to my target just 6 minutes.
I wonder if they would like to participate Amsterdam Marathon.
Hi, I am Stefan and I don’t like running. I am pretty slow but good in long distances.
On Inline skates I once finished an 111 km race in Switzerland but my passion is mountain biking, preferably in the Alps.
During the last 10 years I did 5 longer tours through the Alps: 6-12 hours per day 6-9 days in a row, 8 kg backpack and sometimes also the bike itself on the back. Those highlights are the reason why I do endurance sports.
I
I like effectiveness and don’t like training. Therefore I go for both next year, first another cross the Alps tour and after that the Marathon. I hope this works in a way that not much special training for my first Marathon is necessary.
I love sports gadgets and am happy about our cooperation with Garmin. Actually I use the Forerunner 610 (of course in combination with our BC-1000 scale) and my Android mobile phone which tracks the sports and doubles as MP3 player, Navigation, Skype, E-Mail, Phone …
I also use the BC-601 which gives you even a segmental reading. In my data below you can easily see that something went terribly wrong in week 10 this year. I ruptured my hamstring while playing soccer with friends. Obviously there is also room for improvement in terms of weight and body fat. Target is below 80 kg and 15%.
Meanwhile I am absolutely fine with biking but still I need to be careful while running but as mentioned, I am slow anyway. This is the result of this morning’s run (Garmin connect):
stefanhorrer 