Sometimes you can’t get a full workout in, here is a quick workout you can do at the sports field.
Plan an Event
Today I completed my second half marathon of the year and I had a great time. Last month I did the race with Elizabeth and our daughter Hannah and today with our son Davis.
What I find very interesting is all the positive things that happen just for signing up for an event. First, it keeps you accountable to a time based goal. More important, it gives you an opportunity to invite others to either do the event with you or come along for support. When we did the Huntington Beach Half I invited our family members to participate, and six people signed up for and did the 5K. For all six this was their very first event. We had such a great time and had I not invited them it would have never happened.
This week I did something fun and I signed upfor a 50 mile gravel race in Arkansas. I’ve never done one and I don’t even have a gravel bike but I have plenty of time and I ride about 450 miles per month.
There is something very energizing about trying something new. That is my thought for you, consider signing up for an event this year. There are so many great things to do, especially in the spring and fall. Invite a buddy to do it with you- the world is out there waiting.
Using Strava Segments for Fun and Motivation
One of the things I love about Strava is the “Segments” feature. Segments a time trials of various lengths built into the places we run, ride and recreate every day. They have their own leaderboards which makes it very fun to track your progress against your rivals. The is a way I like to use segments that has nothing to do with other people. I love using it to gage my current bike/run fitness level against my former self. This is a story about Current Ralph versus History Ralph.
Let me give you an example I am actually quite proud of. There is a segment here in Pleasanton California called the Marilyn Kane trail. It is a 1.5 mile, L shaped paved path that is pretty flat. I have been running this trail for many years and I have now done it 99 times. My personal fastest time on this segment was set back in 2011, I was 48 years old. As my fitness has improved this year and I could see my mile splits getting faster, it was looking like if I really busted my butt I had a realistic chance of beating my former self.
Last week I decided to go after it. The trail start is about 3 miles from the house so I used that as my warm up to get my heart rate up a few times before I hit the start. Here we go 1.5 miles of pain, lets see if I can do it.
Yes! I did it, I was able to beat a PR on a segment I ran 13 years ago. I think we assume, that as we age, we are just automatically going to be slower and that is just not the case. If I didn’t have this history and all the data that goes with it I would have not had any idea this was possible. I find it very empowering and motivating to have this information. This has nothing to do with anyone else, this is just Today Ralph versus History Ralph. My goal is to stay as close to History Ralph as long as I possibly can.
Remember, everyday you workout you are laying down new history for future you and giving yourself a better chance at a powerful and strong life. So, Strava Segments are not just about being competitive with other people, they can be so much more.
Here is my advice – Find a few segments in your general area that you can use as your fitness tester. I have several for running and cycling. Some are hilly and others flat. Make those your fitness gage and use all the great tools provided in Strava to measure and track your fitness level. Thank you Strava for creating such great tools. I am not compensated to pump up Strava, I actually gladly pay for an annual membership because I think it is so good. You can follow me on Strava @RalphRajs
Post Segment Video – I was pretty psyched.
Planning Your Weekly Workout Schedule
Probably the biggest key to my workout consistency is having a weekly routine that I don’t have to think about from day to day. I have had this routine for at least the last 15 years. Depending on race preparation, I have made some adjustments but the main structure has worked through it all.
My point isn’t for you to adopt this particular plan. My point is when you thoughtfully layout your week, knowing where the challenges are, you are much more likely to stay on plan. Here is my thinking for my schedule and the reasoning behind it. I have found with this schedule I don’t get bored because every day is something new and I have managed to avoid injury logging 1,200 miles running and 5,000 biking annually the last 15 years.
Saturday and Sunday I have the most time available to workout. Saturday I do my long bike ride and Sunday I do my long run. Three hours on the bike, that’s 50 miles (give or take 2-3) and 9-12 miles running on Sunday depending what I am training for. The weekend workouts covers about 45% of my weekly volume.
Monday and Friday are active recovery and strength days. I lift weights on those two days emphasizing upper body with a little bit of lower body mixed in. I ride my city bike for an hour around town just having fun being on the bike. I keep my heart rate fairly low and focus on spinning and recovery.
Tuesday and Thursday are intermediate run days of 7 miles. I will mix in interval days, hill days, or just keep it chill depending how I am feeling.
Wednesday is intermediate bike day, typically about 30 miles. It’s a great way to break up the run days.
You can scale this how ever works for you and for the sports you enjoy. The point is to have a plan that you don’t have to recreate every week. It will make being consistent so much easier. I did a TikTok and Instagram video on this if you want to check it out.
Approach Your Fitness Like Beating a Video Game
I was talking to a friend the other day who is an avid gamer and also happens to work in the video game industry. When I talk to him about his gaming and leveling up, or acquiring new items in a game he just lights up. He was in San Francisco for a work trip and I was telling him all the cool places he should go while visiting. He said he would have to walk like five miles to see all the things I had on my list.
In my head I am thinking that’s a pretty cool 5 mile route. In his head he is not sure he could make it.
That got me thinking how being fit gives you access to places and experiences that others don’t have. The fitter you are the more ground you can cover in a given period of time and the more you get to see and do. Much like a video game, the better you are the more in the game you get to experience.
As people’s fitness improves as does their confidence to explore and try new things. This opens up all new worlds of life enriching experiences IRL- in real life.
Just start, you never know what you will discover even in your own neighborhood.
Crissy Field
Count Down to Chicago Marathon
By Ralph
With just six days to go until the Chicago Marathon, the countdown to race day has started. I completed my longest training run two weeks ago — a 20 miler. That’s a milestone that always feels good to hit.
I’ve backed off on the miles the last two weekends. I’ve done two 10-mile runs and have crossed trained with several long bike rides. We did a fun family run in Santa Monica last week, that included a set of stairs.
Overall, I feel ready. I had a high hamstring strain on my left side for three weeks that was bothersome, but not enough to miss workouts. I backed off my pace to help it heal, which is a small sacrifice to keep training. In the past, I’ve sometimes overdone it trying to do too much to heal it. I’ve learned through experience that I just need to be patient and dial it back a bit. That strategy definitely paid off this year.
I’m really looking forward to this year’s race in my “big city marathon” tour. It turns out both kids will be going on the trip, which is super fun. I’m excited that I’ll be able to share my birthday and the race with them and Elizabeth.
A few other pre-race logistical items we took care of included double checking all our travel arrangements, downloading the official race app, and reviewing the course map and elevation.
These last two weeks, I have focused on my diet and hydration as well as rest and recovery while keeping myself sharp. The trick is doing that while not losing fitness. I’m looking forward to getting to the starting line with a bunch of other enthusiastic runners. We’ll see how the day goes!