WORKOUT -
(yesterday)
Ran outside -
10.5 miles/1:33
hilly but easy, relaxed pace
Walked dog – 2 miles
Like my friend, this post is a catch up photo dump of the weekend. I took yesterday off from blogging (the race recap was pre-written) to church and football it up.
In between football games I was trying to get some work done in my office, but Marni was laying under my desk sneezing, sighing, whimpering and whatever else qualified as an annoying but cute because you’re so tiny sound until I took her for a walk.
THE BIKE
I told you the other day how at the ZOOMA Ladies Night Out I helped with the bike demonstration by Trek Women… except I’ve never been on a “real” bike… so I totally looked professional I’m sure. But it was fun to get the gear on and learn how to clip in.
Do I look like a seasoned athlete or totally clueless? I’m going with absolutely brain-spinningly confused in this one:
{Thanks Jeni for the picture!}
THE RESORT
While I was only in town for about 25ish hours, I spent the night at the Abbey Resort where everything was held. The resort is older, but the grounds are beautiful. I wish I had more time to see it all because I felt like I didn’t see much of it.
The resort is right on the lake and has a sort of nautical feel with the exposed wood beams and a sailboat motif.
My room had a little patio that opened to the pool: there’s 3 pools (indoor and outdoor) at the resort, spa, jogging trails, fitness center, bikes, boating, a golf course, a little of everything. I would love to come back with the husband, but I don’t know if Wisconsin is at the top of his travel bucket list.
On the drive back to Chicago O’Hare after the race, I tried to show off my new BIC Band with getting stopped, lost or in a wreck. It required some open mouthed concentration:
tool.
THE POSTS (from the weekend)
The Expo, Ladies Night Out and padded diaper shorts
Meeting Sara Hall and the post-race fun
The ZOOMA half marathon race recap
WHAT’S FOR DINNER
I rarely show my cooking on here because it straddles the border of pathetic and unappealing…
I try to set the bar really low by cooking simple (but healthy) meals so if it ever goes beyond that, the man thinks I’m supergourmet and amazing.
Last night I made the “Fiesta Chicken” recipe on the back of the whole grain rice box. It was ok… just chicken, beans, rice and some vegetables.
My problem is I think if the recipe’s in print, it’s going to rival a Thomas Keller creation. Like what was I expecting the end result to be, Katsuya sushi?
Pretending I was fancy, I opened this bottle of Trader Joe’s Vickery Park sparkling wine. I can’t even remember where it came from, I think my neighbor?
It was a little dry for me but this coming from the girl who thinks candy makes a perfect birthday/holiday/anniversary/work promotion gift.
READER QUESTION
Reader Sarah has a question for you guys:
{I’m sure this is exactly what FBI agents look like or so Google searches tell me}
“I’ve been going through the application process for the FBI. As part of the physical fitness test, I must complete a 1.5mile run and a 300 meter sprint. I’ve been having a tough time finding training plans to help develop speed for such short distances; anyone know of any?”
“My goal is to maintain my overall endurance, but improve my speed for these shorter distances. My goal is to have below 10:30 for the 1.5mile in order to get the max points.”
“Also, I have to do push-ups to failure and sit-ups in a minute. If anyone has advice for how to improve in these areas, I’ll take that too!”
Any advice/training tips/plans for Sarah?
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{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
You DEFINITELY look like a pro on that bike! I would love to get into biking/spinning more…
I guess my best advice is to just start doing those activities frequently-practice will help improve! In addition, keeping close track and writing down numbers will help!
Not much advice I guess…just keep at it Sarah and it sounds like you have great, attainable goals!!!
For Sarah – do the 100 push up challenge! Start with 1 push up on day 1 and add a push up a day until you get to 100. It sounds like you already have a good foundation, so I would actually start at 20 or so and add from there, depending on how long you have until the test.
For sit-ups, if you have access to a GHD machine (glute/ham developer) you can do extended range of motion sit ups (you bend all the way backwards to touch the floor from a stand several feet in the air). Once you can nail those it makes regular situps a breeze. Good luck girl!!
I can’t really speak on improving short-distance speed but I am a boot camp instructor so as far as push ups/sit ups I would say (1) practice push ups and sit ups every day (brilliant, I know) but (2) do other exercises to improve your overall strength. so for the push ups, work with 5-7 lb. dumb bells doing bicep and tricep curls to exhaustion. As well as holding out the dumb bells with straight arms. Hold directly in front at shoulder height (hold 30 seconds) then out to the sides (hold for 30 seconds). Do a few sets of that a few times as week. For strengthening abs – the best exercise is a plank. That’s going to improve both your strength for sit ups and push ups. Hold a plank for a minute. Recover for 30 seconds and then repeat. Once basic planking gets easier, start doing “up down planks” that will work arms and abs. (you can look any of these exercises up on youtube for tutorials)
Best of luck!
Jillian Michael’s 30 day shred has made me able to do more push ups – without being bored. (No offense, “do a lot of push ups” guys. I would poke my eyes out.)
Are you a fan of A.L.? Just curious, (Adam Levine that is).
I have zero suggestions, but I enjoyed the advice in the comments so far. I’m on it.
I find that if I do push-ups every other day, as well as planks, I can do more of them. Everyone is different. I do them both to failure. To get faster, do sprints. I incorporate once speed session a week. I am no SR (read: fast), but have made gains since I started running 4 years ago.
Sarah,
My husband is an FBI agent and is also the fitness coordinator who lets recruits pass/fail. You are welcome to send me your email and I can get you in contact with him. mdavis5882@hotmail.com
That’s an amazing job!
thanks meredith!
Hey, I’m not really gunning for an FBI position but would love to upz my speed, endurance, general fitness. Ok, if I email you as well? I’m currently bummed coz I strained my hip flexor muscle on a training run over the weekend and have not been able to run since.
And a small request to SR readers – can everyone send me some healing love? Pretty please.
heal quickly, my friend!
I did P90x last year, and that program significantly improved how many pushups I could do, as well as my overall fitness. If you have access to that program, I highly recommend it for strength.
Look at you, we’ll just call you Mrs. Armstrong on that bike! err..or not,with his whole stripping controversy, but you get the point
For the FBI-hopeful: Join a CrossFit gym, assuming you have at least two months. The workouts are designed around short, strong bursts of activity such as sprints and tabata (look it up
) sets of sit-ups, push-ups and squats. After just a couple of months, you’ll be kicking a$$ and taking names.
400 and 200 meter sprint repeats should help her with both the 1.5 mile and the 300 meters.
The resort looks awesome!
My advice to Sarah would be to search videos on youtube about improving fitness for police. There are a lot of police services that create videos to help their applicants.
I just bought a BIC band thanks to you! It hasn’t come in the mail yet but I’m so excited because I guess my head is shaped like a cone? No headbands ever stay in place. I got the gold-sparkle one!
Hey I have the same problem! Let me know if it works
For FBI Sarah – my husband is Army and always gets the full 300 on his PT test. He’a in great shape but always prepares specifically for the test for about 2 weeks before. I asked what he recommends and he said – 400/800 repeats and pushups to failure with no more than a minute rest between sets.
thanks alison for the info!
The 100 pushup/200 situp challenge plans might be helpful too just to have a program to follow.
http://hundredpushups.com/
http://www.twohundredsitups.com/
yes! i also use this plan and it’s great.
I’m sad I missed the SR herself in my home state! I had to work, of course. As for Agent Sarah.. I would say practice every night! Back in the day, I was able to do 75 in one minute. Each night before bed I would stabilize my feet by my bedpost and go to town..basically do a speedy minute of situps and then sit ups to exhaustion. It’s all about the baby steps though, start small and work your way up with running and situps alike.
That resort does look pretty!
For the reader, I’d say to start with small steps–i.e. sprinting for 20 seconds, then 30, then 40, in between the running part. This will help increase speed. Also, working on weights –squats, lunges, etc. will build muscle which also helps with speed.
DO pushups every day –start with 10 & work your way up. Try ‘em on your knees to start-and as you get stronger, you’ll be able to do them on your toes.
Are you going to get a bike now? I have a Trek, they are nice.
The Kidless Kronicles
Jaymo should put WI on his list…lots of good golfing!! Then you could stay at The Abbey again
That resort does look pretty awesome! I don’t think I’d ever go there, though, because we have family and a lake house on the other side of the lake in MI.
Looks like a fun trip!
You definitely want to have a plan so that you’re not just starting with 10 push ups and working your way up: You’re starting with 10, doing that for a week, adding 5 the next week, adding 5, moving to your feet and subtracting 5, adding 5, etc., etc.
I would suggest writing down the date that your test is and then working backward to today in your plan. So if it’s 10 weeks away and you can currently do 10 push ups but you want to get to 100, add 10 per week. Make the 10 you’re doing now THE BEST PUSH UPS YOU CAN DO. What I mean by that is, use the right muscles (delts, lats, and pecs mainly; abs, glutes, biceps, triceps secondarily) to pull yourself down into the deepest position possible and then push yourself back up to the top. Make each one exactly the same as the previous one.
For the running, you don’t just want to get your 1.5-mile time and 300m times down–you want to strengthen the muscles you need for those tasks and stay healthy. So you could try incorporating some isometric exercises in with your runs. For example, if you’re going to run 400s, do a lunge on each leg for 45seconds each (again, deepest position possible, so knee just off the ground and front shin perpendicular to the ground) and then go run the interval. Repeat 3-5 times, and each interval is taking you 1:30 + lap time.
When you do isometric exercises like that 45sec-lunge-each-leg, you condition your muscles to work at their extension; when they are conditioned that way, this will not get injured and will be able to sustain an incredible amount of force and pressure.
I have lots more to say, but then it would be as long as a book. Good luck, and I hope you keep SR apprised of how you’re progressing and how you do at the end so she can share it with all of us!
A lot of this came from a trainer-friend of my at Iron Will Sports and Fitness on FB (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Iron-Will-Sports-and-Fitness/179252845433965?fref=ts) and from my own experience as an Ironman and bike racer.
thanks kailin for all the info!
I’d definitely try some interval training with sprints….preferably sprints some hills. Other types of agility training will also help!
I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon (in Grand Rapids, MI), but I ran it yesterday and they had PICKLE JUICE at some of the aid stations. It really helped with cramping! Just thought you might be interested because I’ve noticed you eat a lot of pickles.
I WILL BE THERE next year. done deal.
Awesome
I didn’t think it was quite as fun as Chicago, but the course is gorgeous, and there are celebrity pace teams like “Lance’s Sub 3s”, “Pi’s Pacers”, “Ferrell’s Sub 4s”, P.Diddy, Oprah, etc.
I can vouch for the pickle juice at that marathon too – it really hit the spot for me last year!
Burpees and planks! And shots of tequila! …oh, wait.
Tell Jaymo that the Grand Geneva golf course is very close to The Abbey(the Grand Geneva is actually a bigger resort!)… Has a stellar golf course, been on the pro circuit a few times… Plus there’s good skiing there if you’re so inclined.
He might be a tad biased, but this is my husband’s advice for Sarah: forget the FBI, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service is the best kept secret in federal law enforcement.
I say follow your dreams, but if you think serving overseas for a decent portion of your career sounds interesting, you should check it out!
Good luck!
Sign up for 5ks they’re on the shorter side of races but a little longer than your 1.5 run. They’ll increase your speed I use them to increase my half marathon speed. The crowd and the race really gets my adrenaline going and an able to run a lot faster than by myself.
I think a crossfit style workout would benefit her for strength and speed in bursts like that. Also, I’m sure there has to be a few readers up in here with HS track workouts?
you are not allowed to speak of crossfit.
First of all, why did they make you wear that dorky helmet on the bike trainer??? Other than the helmet, you look like a legit biker!
Here is my unscientific opinion on push-ups to failure: slow and steady. Especially if they are looking for form – as in you nearly touch the ground. I seem to not have the muscle structure for rapid push-ups (I have seen people that can do that and my body dares me to try) but slow and even seems to work for me.
Oh. And I can’t be too full or “cold.” Hopefully they aren’t the first thing you are tested on but not after you have exhausted your arms and back on other tests.
Marni has a face that is begging to be squeezed! I see she is stalking you in your rice box picture. If she’s anything like my Bella, she’s thinking anything in a box that rattles is her special treats.
Hey,
Just wanted to say good luck on your FBI test! I like to improve my speed on the treadmill. I do a minute (or 2) at a fast speed and then a minute at a slower speed. For instance, 1 minute at 8.0 and 1 minute at 6.0. Something simple that helped me. Also lots of lunges and squats!
Skinny Runner: Thanks to your post the other day, I have been doing leg lifts while brushing my teeth! lol
http://stewsmith.com/linkpages/fbi.htm
Stews programs are the real deal to prep for police, fire, military entry tests ..etc …check it out
Several people at my crossfit box are training for similar PT tests and seeing results. I’m not training for anything but can do more pushups, situps, and run faster than when I used to run more often. Not sure if all boxes are this way but our coaches modify workouts for the folks training for PT tests so they can see gains in specific areas.
Switching topics, my boyfriend and I have never been able to roast a bird (seriously we’ve tried and screwed up chickens, Cornish hens, duck, goose, and turkey) until we you tubed Thomas Keller roasting a chicken and to our surprise it came out really well! The secret to a recipe that rivals a TK creation is to get one from the man himself.
i figured something was wrong when i went with the back of the rice box and deemed my kitchen “French Laundry Number 2!”