4/29
Short hike, LONNNG air squat sets. Hit a new PR: 510 squats in a row. 810 total over a 2.5 mile hike. Some uphill jogs but that’s it. The one set of 510 took about 16-17 minutes straight.
I thought about David Goggins today.
I’m training for endurance here and there’s no one out there with more endurance than that dude. If I could take a 10th of what he has I’ll hit my 3:30 marathon goal. Can you do one more rep? If yes, do it. I did it.
I’ll feel that one tomorrow and I bet 100 I sleep amazing.
I followed this with a short yoga sequence similar to this:
I’ll be hitting super high protein today but I will be going a bit lower with calories so it will be lean protein and limited carbs. Along with this endurance training I am also going to shed some bulk weight aka excess fat.
I have been hovering around 165-170 for a long time and want to take my weight down to high 150’s. But not just weight loss, fat loss. I plan to keep every ounce of muscle I’ve gained and revived over the last few years.
To do this I’ll go through periods of high protein, lower carbs, lower fats and on-demand eat to train as needed. Fluidly.
Macros today pretty accurate, what a recovery day of eating:
4/30
Lengthy upper body push/pull strength session. Went heavy (for me) on barbell bench and hit 225x4, did a bring sally up, lengthy dip set. In addition I did really good pulldowns, iso pullup holds, shrugs. Let the lower body recover. Legs super smashed from that air squat session and PR of 510 in a row OUCH
5/1
Hit an easy trainer run this am, just short of 7 miles in an hour. Took a slower pace, made sure I was recovered from the 1/2 marathon I did over the weekend. The air squats from 2 days ago are keeping me pretty sore but it’s all good, I ran through it.
I am preparing for a lengthy marathon training run this weekend. I am planning to hit 18 miles and I really want to keep a faster pace, 8-8:20 min miles.
My new goal is not just to complete the NYC marathon sub 4 hour but to actually hit 3:30. To do that I have to sustain 8 min miles the entire time.
5/2
Modified Bikram today - around 70 minutes in 110-115 degrees. I’ve done a modified Bikram class 5x in the last 2 weeks. I swear by it as a healer on recovery day. Active recovery that is.
5/3
Early hike with uphill sprints. Around 2.5 miles and 10-15 sprints throughout. My legs are fully recovered from the squat PR Monday and feel very strong.
I followed this with a pretty intense upper body strength training session.
I peaked the workout with 100lb flat dumbbells for 8, with the 8th rep of that set being all out war. I also did a decent back and triceps integration. I was at it for an hour and it felt great.
Daily calories remain around 2000 with 200 grams of protein being a key macro goal every day. Tomorrow I will try to take in 150-200 grams of organic clean carbs from multiple sources to make sure I have sustained energy for my Sunday long run.
5/4
Furious strength session today. Upper body did lengthy chest work with no weights:
1 set dips (25)
1 Bring Sally Up
and this whole video:
I also did several pre-long run yoga sessions. Just lengthening, stretching, dynamic stretching and went to the playground with my 6 year old. He literally had me do 6000 natural steps.
5/5
20 mile Sunday am haul! Way in the back half of New York City Marathon training. I don’t just want to complete the marathon, I’m gunning for 3 hours and 30 minute completion.
In order to run a 3:30 marathon I have to maintain an 8 minute mile pace the whole time. I’m gunning for it and I feel I am already at a sub-4 hour pace so I think I can do it.
Before this long run I did some prep.
Eating Run Fuel & Stretching
Yesterday I took in somewhere between 230-270 g carbs from multiple sources. Lots of watermelon, which is natural hydradtion. I also took down an entire homemade pizza. About 3/4 of an full Otto’s organic pizza dough which was 150g. The rest was fruit. I also took in good protein and fat. Went into it well nourished.
This morning I took down a banana, 1 tbs of organic Honey, 1/4 cup Grandy classic granola 2 hours ahead of the run.
During the run I ate a mandarin orange. I took it with me and threw it on the ground on my course. On my 2nd pass around this path I peeled it and ate it, at around mile 10. I also had a couple Starbursts. Pure sugar but if you keep it in your mouth it helps with thirst and dry mouth. This is the one time in life you might need pure sugar, as it becomes instantly available fuel. It’s when you eat it and sit idle that problems occur 
I am literally smashed as I type this. Legs, core, hip flexors, calves, lower back all pretty roughed up. I’ll eat a TON of clean lean protein tomorrow to help repair from this “trauma”. This self-imposed trauma. Lots of stretching and yoga inspired work too. And, some nice long woods walks. No running until at least Wednesday.
5/6
Had a major recovery day of a 70 minute Bikram style yoga class in 110 degrees, a slow 5 mile bike ride and a deep tissue massage.
I ate around 250g protein with calories around 2500 for the day.
For the next few days I’m going into a bit of a fat loss phase and will keep daily calories around 1700 and protein around 170-200. I’ll target my carbs to fuel workouts as well and will only eat some fruit and honey, maybe a 1/4 cup Grandy granola. No other grains.
I want to note I went into training around 165-170lbs and have not gone below 165 since. Even running 20 miles. Weight loss does not happen via cardio, it happens by calorie reduction over time. 2 days here, 3 days there. Then maintain, refeed your muscles and repeat.
I want to go into the marathon the lightest I’ve been since high school: 155-160lbs. “High 150’s”
Let’s go.
5/7
Another day of active recovery. Kicked it off with a 5 mile woods hike. I did some light uphill jogging (Zone 2) not sprinting. Still some soreness in my calves and groin/hip flexors. I did just enough to not push it. I followed this with a 60% upper body strength session. Again, being mindful of the “trauma” in my body, specifically lower back and not wanting to push too much. I’ll be fully recovered tomorrow and will hit a training run.
5/8
Active day. I began with getting rained out of a run so I had to switch gears. It wasn’t the kind of rain you could run though. I went into strength training full on barbell squats. I worked up to a set of 225lbs for 18 reps. I asked chatgpt what my 1 rep max is based on this and it said 360lbs!
“Based on the Epley formula, your estimated one-rep max (1RM) for a lift of 225 lbs at 18 reps is approximately 360 lbs.”
I don’t want to test that but damn.
I followed that with a woods walk once the rain stopped. Some zone 2 jogs, a bit more speed on the uphills and did a Bring Sally Up to almost 4 rounds.
Later that evening I took a 20 min / 5 mile bike ride. I really love riding a bike and brought it back into my life during COVID. Been doing it since.
Very active day.
I also fed the day and ate more than normal to fuel the activity and recovery. 225-230grams protein, 150-175grams carbs hitting close to 2800 calories on the day.
Repair, Re-feed.
For the next 2 days I’m keep clean protein high and everything else low and will start to prep for another long run over the next 2 weeks. My next big one is going 22-26 maintaining an 8:40 pace.
Eventually hitting the distance goal and continually working on the speed.
5/9
I did something odd for me today, I ran at 11am which is something I never do. Sometimes I like to break patterns but today I just had early obligations and rather than try and squeeze it in ahead of it, I did it after.
A nice training run, decent pace, 1st full on run since my 20 miler.
I did a short powerful maintenance strength session. Got 100’s up on flat for 6, did pulldowns, pullups and a nice tricep drop set.
My body is super tired from my long squat set yesterday. Everything is labor today. I should recover 100% by Sat. I’ll hit a long run this Sunday.
Today I took in only 1700 calories or so but had around 200 grams protein. I’ll reduce carbs and fat today, tomorrow and ramp up carbs Saturday anticipating a Sunday run.
I had Cod, Shrimp, Turkey, Whey, Plain Greek Yogurt & Paleovalley Beef sticks - very diverse.
5/10
Simple active recovery day today. Very little movement but I did a 70 minute Bikram style yoga class in 110 degrees. I also call it a live stretching and strengthening DVD. It’s the same thing every time and it covers everything. Best “day off” thing to IMO
Protein back up around 200g
Carbs lower around 115-120g on the day, but will scale up tomorrow.
My goal is to do a fast 10 miler in 2 days.
I’m looking to do a very long run NEXT Sunday. 22 miles or so.
5/13
Furious upper body strength training today. I have been trying to work my flat bench back up and hit a 1 rep of 250lbs. I don’t have a spotter so I had to do a massive drop set out of it. 250x1, 225x3, 185x8, 55lb dummbells to failure
Also hit back pretty hard and did hex bar shrugs 190x18, 190x22
About 50 minutes straight. Left my legs alone to prep for 10-13 miles. I’m going for a faster pace than normal. Looking to do 8:15 min miles for the duration. Let’s see
5/12
Just hit a PR 1/2 marathon time. 7:55/min for 13.1 miles. I never did a 1/2 in the “7’s"!
I’m gunning for a 3:30 marathon time and to achieve that I have to maintain 8:00 minute miles x 26.2.
All I ate in the am about an hour and a 1/2 ahead of the run was a 1/2 banana, 1/4 cup Grandy Organics original granola, a little bit of cantaloupe, 1tbs honey and 1 scoop of Pure Encapsulations electrolytes
I’m actively trying to reduce my body fat to get lighter. Notice I didn’t say “lose weight” although I am trying to lose weight, I am specifically losing body fat and not muscle.
Running doesn’t make you lose weight despite what people think. Weight loss is almost entirely food based.
Running burns about 100 calories per mile.
Even though in a 1/2 marathon run you burn about 1300-1400 calories, that effort could have easily been erased with 1/2 of a pizza and 1 beer. Instead I ate to recover with clean protein and fruit.
Protein will stay very high for recovery and muscle retention this week. 180-230g clean, diverse protein per day is the goal. Reduction of carbs and fat early in the week and will ramp up for my next run.
5/13
I did a 5 mile/10,000 step hike with light jogging this am. In the afternoon I did a decent strength session going up to 185 on incline barbell for 8. Dropping to 135, 95 and then went to flat dumbbells 55lb x 22, 80llbx11 which was basically failure.
Did a nice drop set from pulldowns, to iso bicep holds, a static pullup hold and a tricep drop set.
Did an additional 5000 steps playing with my 6 year old - 15,000 total on the day
I felt very hungry this PM and ended up taking in an extra meal. Macros on the day are around 220g protein, 150g carbs, 100g fat 2300-2400 calories.
5/15
Killer strength session today. I hadn’t done hex bar deadlifts over 225 since I began marathon training but today I went up to 370lbs x 1. Felt great.
I did some good back work and finished the workout with this workout I assembled based on some of my favorite pushup moves from Shawn T’s Insanity and Tony Horton’s p90x with a biceps intermission inspired by a workout from Sagi Kalev in old “Body Beast” - which I do 1-2x per month and on vacations:
I then went out in the sun and did some stretching and core work. I’m preparing for an air-squat PR tomorrow in the woods.
I followed this with a 5 mile bike ride later after lunch.
Riding a bike made up a huge part of my childhood. I forgot how much I used to love riding a bike! Hell I was a BMX kid, a freestyle Haro, Dyno, Redline old school mag wheel, rotor and pegs kid!
So my take-away here: Do the things you love to do.
I got a Raleigh mountain bike from Facebook Marketplace during COVID because bikes were literally sold out everywhere. Guess what? I’ve been riding this bike in the Spring and Summer ever since.
5-10 miles. Up hills and down hills. It’s fun, low impact but can be super challenging when you add in hills. Get at it!
5/15
I hit a PR of 600 air squats in a row today with a total of 850 total reps over 6 sets 10-15-25-600-100-100. I also did a couple uphill sprints over a 3 mile hike. It was a bit rainy, quite muddy, the bugs just kicked in, so what. Better workout than any gym.
“Calisthenics” have evolved my legs muscle mass, strength, endurance and as a result have impacted my run times. At this point I only do barbell squats 1-2x a month.
I took a pic of the back side because the pump from that set was so severe it went through my entire leg. I literally have veins popping out of my calves 
Balance is also a consideration here. After 600 of these you really do put most of your body into it.
I will counter this tomorrow with some kind of lengthy stretch routine in the heat and most likely a walk. (Active recovery)
5/16
70 minute Bikram style yoga class temps hitting 110-115. I did a short powerful arms routine. Worked up to 185lbs close grip flat bench for 10 reps. Along with a few nice heavy bicep pulldowns sets.
Legs devastated from air squats
5/17
7 mile trainer and maintenance run today. Legs still SMASHED from that 600 rep air squat set 2 days ago. It’s unreal. It didn’t really affect my 7 miler just now I’m done. Planning series of training runs ahead of my next long haul.
Also another 2 miles in natural movement walking field day and playing with kid after school, somehow he still had more energy
Tomorrow is a lengthy strength session.
To repair and continue fat loss, I took in around 2200 calories. 240 grams of protein from many sources, mostly animal based. Kept carbs and fat low.
@TerryA macros nuts. Had every form of protein it’s like a f/t job haha
5/18
I hit a powerful upper body strength session today. I worked up to 100lb flat dumbbells for 9. Hitting a new PR for that move. I attribute the extra boost in power to the previous days of eating super high protein, very clean.
Prepping for a long run tomorrow - I took in around 200-250 grams of carbs today from various sources. Some clean (fruit, organic oats), some “dirty” (pizza, beer
Let’s Go!
