The Life Of Ryan» calories

Marathon Training – Day 133

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:04:21 +0000

I have to say, I very nearly threw in the towel today. If this were a video diary and I was less of the macho macho man that I am, this is the bit where I would be getting all teary eyed and emotional about how difficult it all is. After my first day back running yesterday in about 2 weeks, I was back in the all too familiar situation of having problems with the muscles in my shins.

This, as you will know if you’ve ready recent posts, has become quite the niggling injury and despite all my efforts to ease gently back into action on it, after one short 3 mile run, it’s in bits again. As a result, I didn’t really do any training today. I went for a 50 minute stroll around the area (and took in some houses that are for sale at the same time, two birds and all of that) but only covered just under 2 miles in distance, and even that was putting the leg under pressure.

I’m starting to seriously doubt that I can even make it to the start line of the marathon, let alone run the 26 odd miles when I get there. Today, for the first time, I started thinking about what I could do as an alternative, and thought about buying a road bike and joining a cycling club. Orla’s brother Mark and all his friends are big into cycling and he told me that on some of their big Sunday cycles you could lose 7,000 calories, which is pretty impressive. It has the advantage that it’s low impact (which clearly suits me) and is something that I think my body could handle a bit better than the running, which it is seriously struggling with.

Anyway, I haven’t given in yet, but I’m fairly down about the whole thing. I’m scheduled to run JUST ONE MILE tomorrow as part of the gentle easing back in training, but I’m not sure I’ll even be able to do that at this rate, which after 4 months purportedly training for a marathon is about the most depressing thing I have ever heard…

I know how he feels...

Ryan Phillips is a DJ on Spin1038, a radio station in Dublin Ireland. He’s trying to run the Dublin City Marathon 2010, but the training is not going at all well. Constant injury is starting to take it’s toll. Day 133 was Monday 8 March 2010, and, again, it did not go well!

Marathon Training – Day 128

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:07:18 +0000

Orla roared laughing when I told her what I did for training today, which I thought was a little mean, but makes me think you will probably have the same sort of reaction. Again, it’s worth stressing, my right leg is still injured and I have to be very careful with it for a while until it’s back to full fitness…

SO, instead of doing some cycling and cross training today, I went for a walk! I actually didn’t think it was that funny an idead to be honest, I wanted to put some weight on my leg, but not run on it to see how it got on, that’s sensible damnit. Now, I didn’t just walk to the shops or that, I went to Marlay Park and did 2 laps, walking 6.7 miles in the process. It took nearly 2 hours damnit, and it was real exercise!!

Today's Training - The Facts and Figures

iMapMyRun+: 3 Mar 2010 17:03
Find more Walks in Stillorgan,

Anyway, all laughing at my expense aside, I think it was a good days work, because today was really supposed to be a rest day anyway.

Sadly, that’s where the good news ends. Map My Run calculated that I may have lost about 526 calories doing that walk (which is pretty decent ok), however I can tell you from looking at the label on the Bag of Jelly Babies I ate earlier that that put on about 700 calories. And when you add in the 2 crisp sandwiches I had for lunch, I’m pretty much not breaking even for the calories today nor am I headed in the right direction for losing my first pound this week!! I’m not sure what it is about my personality that makes me do things like this. I’m eyeing up a big pack of crisps and a lint bunny that’s in the fridge as we speak, even though I know it’s bad, and not helping and counter productive and all the bad things that it is. If it’s in the house, my will power is just seriously week….it’s very sad.

So, whether you call it a success or a failure, or whether you laugh like Orla, that was day 128 of training for the Dublin City Marathon 2010 on 25 October. Another day, another bit of training tomorrow. Can’t wait!!

Marathon Training – Day 91

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:11:49 +0000

Today I got back on the horse (or, to be more accurate, and possibly to use a better cliche, bike) after a week out of the gym and without exercise. It was this day last week that I hurt by leg and developed what I have self diagnosed as Shin Splints. That still has to be resolved and there’s till huge tenderness around my shins but I decided to go back into the gym today to try and keep my physical/aerobic fitness levels up, albeit not doing any running.

I did some upper body weights, and discovered that I am still a puny little man who can’t lift squat (that’s a clever weight lifting pun in case you missed it). I always found it hard to do weights in the gym because I have always had strong muscular legs, but very weedy arms, and it’s always a bit embarassing doing weights with other guys around lift 2 or 3 times what I’m using. Anyway, today there was nobody around, so I didn’t really have to worry about it.

Then I did a 10km cycle on the bike and the 8 minute abs workout. So I was exercising for about 50 minutes. I was starting to get cabin fever from not being in the gym, but I was just being abit ridiculous because it has only been a week for gods sake. Shame my diet has gone to such absolute shit. I worked off about 400-500 calories today, which wasn’t that much anyway, but I had a creme egg (it’s the season you understand) and about 10 biscuits before I went to the gym, so it’s all a bit shambolic!!

Anyway, back in the gym and back on the bike. Woot Woot!!

And I'm back o the bike....

Ryan Phillips is training to run the Dublin City Marathon 2010 – Follow his progress here on www.ryanphillips.net – Marathon Training Day 91 – Monday January 25 2010

Marathon Training – Day 56

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:36:26 +0000

As you might have seen from my entry the other day, the last 3 days were not at all good. So for Day 56 I hit the cross trainer and spent 40 minutes sweating and panting away 635 calories. There was some big rugby dude that kept catching my eye while I was training and I had one of those awkward gym moments, where I think he thought I was looking at him, whereas he was in my line of sight on the cross trainer, and so he was actually looking at me. It’s not terribly imporrtant, but if you’re reading this, I wasn’t checking you out….nor do I think you were checking me out. We’re just gym buddies…

Anyway, I got back into the gym after 3 days and it felt great to be doing some exercise. I’ve been trying to figure out an exercise timetable for the New Year after realising that it’s 10 months to the Marathon on Christmas day. I need to get jogging and swimming into the training regime, because cycling and cross training will only get me so far! I was thinking of doing 3 days on, 1 day off, like this Jog – Swim – Cyle & Cross train – Day Off – in a cycle like that. But I’m wondering if that’s going to be too much without a day off. And maybe I Should try Jog – Swim – Day Off – Cycle & Cross Train – Jog – Day Off – Swim – Cross Train/Cycle – Day Off

Still trying to work it out. I still have to get down to Amphibian King to try and get a proper pair of runners too, but having talked to my physio friend, it looks like I will need inserts or orthotics, so even good decent runners might not do the trick.

Here’s the money shot from yesterday’s training!

Huzzah!!

Marathon Training – Day 52

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:00:08 +0000

Smashed it (as some of the judges on the X Factor might have said!) in training today. Spent a full 45 minutes on the cross trainer varying the speed and the resistance. Shed a whopping 715 calories in the meantime and felt absolutely great after it. There’s a lot to be said for the great feeling you get after a good workout. There’s still so far to go and so much to do that it seems a bit hollow to be counting a good 45 minute session on a cross trainer as such a success. In should really be doing that, plus bike work, plus running in one session. But it’s still good progress and I’m still delighted to have gotten back in the gym and had a good session in some way shape or form.

I need to get my diet back under control though. It’s all bread and junk food as far as the eye can see at the moment. I’m finding it a lot harder this month, partly because I’m not as motivated, and partly because I feel I can justify a worse diet on the basis that I’m exercising a lot more and can afford to take on more calories. I keep telling myself and come January I’ll leave all these bad habits. I’m lying to myself aren’t I? Still, lets call today a realtively great success!! Huzzah!!

Marathon Training – Day 50

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:44:59 +0000

I injured my back on Sunday, and was told by Gemma (my Chiropractor) not to go to the gym yesterday. Today, in all honesty, my back was pretty much fine. My form however, not so fine! I just had a complete pig of a day and couldn’t motivate myself to go to the gym at all at all!! All was not lost, I thought, because I still had badminton training, so at least there would be some exercise. Nope. Badminton wasn’t on as there was exams on in the hall (a fact I deduced having driven the whole way into town and arrived at the door of the gym to see all the tables and chairs where I was supposed to be playing).

I don’t deel well with bad form and stress. My solution is usually to pig out. I say usually, which would lead you to suspect a “but this time, I’m happy to say I did not). But I did, massively, with loads of crisps and chocolate and wine and pizza and all sorts of good stuff. I must have taken on about 3000 calories in about 2 hours. And it felt GOOOOD!! At the time, not afterwards, obviously. But no training did mean I got to watch the Transormers 2 – Revenge of the Fallen which I still hadn’t gotten around to, that’s a result of sorts, right?? So after 2 days back at training, it was another 2 days off. A poor run of form If I’m going to make the start line in October 2010!

Better than training, though perhaps not as good for you

Marathon Training – Day 47

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:21:09 +0000

Back in the gym today after my day off yesterday and I decided to up the resistance on the bike, so I still did 20 minutes but at a higher resistance. Good god, I thought my heart was about to explode. That can not be at all good. Or, perhaps it’s quite the opposite, that has to be very good.

Then it was the usual cross trainer for a bit, 25 minutes this time. All in all, when I do the bike and cross trainer, I shed about 500 calories. That’s a decent amount, right?

I’m looking forward to January and adding the running into the mix for the exercise. I’ve been working on a provisional training timetable in my head, and it should be a bit more interesting and exciting, and would also mean you could read something more than “went on bike and cross trainer” every day!!

My home from home, the gym at Wyckham Point

Marathon Training – Day 43

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:32:33 +0000

40 minutes, 2828 strides and 630.2 calories later and I’m done. That’s enough exercise for today for me thank you very much. Sometimes it’s hard to put into words how much you dislike something. I used to have that problem with the cross trainer, but now I’m actually starting to quite like the thing! They say that happens when you start exercising, that you end up getting a bit hooked on it. I’m hoping that’s what’s happening, I know I’ve never lasted 40 minutes full throttle on the cross trainer before, success I say!

After 4 days off with my cold, that’s 4 days on the trot back in the gym, and feeling a bit more like I’m actually doing some marathon training.

On the negative, If I’m being totally honest, my diet has totally gone to shit. I had crisp sandwiches for lunch, and ate half a white sliced pan by the time I was done this evening, and I’ve been nibbling on chocolate treats and generally getting into the Christmas Spirit. I’ve been telling myself that it’s ok, and that I can let myself go for December and then reign it in in December. I know I’m kidding myself really, but I’m managing to convince myself it’s ok, so shut up!!

In other news I went for a blood test (as part of my general health check) and she took about 7 litres of blood (though that may be a slight exaggeration) which I thought was a little unnecessary. My arm is still sore now, almost 12 hours later. Bitch. Orla says I’m a wuss. Bitch

Take that Cross trainer!!

Marathon Training – Day 42

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:47:25 +0000

Oh crud (which is word I’m trying to bring back FYI), how can I have been at this training for 6 weeks already? It doesn’t feel like I have achieved anything? I can honestly say that in the last 10 years, I haven’t done as much exercise as consistently as I have for the last 6 weeks. Now that’s not to say that I’m spending ages in the gym or that I’m pushing myself to the limit, I’m not, and at the moment I’m not trying to. But it’s still a little disappointing to see how little has been achieved and how little I’ve come on.

It’s not like I’ve lost a stone, or I’m looking totally ripped or I feel way fitter. To be honest, I can’t really see or feel any difference from me now to me 6 weeks ago. I feel a bit robbed. Anyway, what can you do but keep plugging away and going and little bit harder and trying a little bit more each day.

Today, I quite simply ran out of time, though I’m open to the argument that I would have been better off spending another 20 minutes in the gym and not writing this blog post, and could only manage 35 minutes on the cross trainer (which is enough to shed 500 calories, I’ll have you know) and no time on the bike or anything else.

I’m finding the whole thing a bit frustrating to be honest, who do I speak to about having more hours in the day, there just don’t seem to be enough at the minute!

Marathon Training – Day 29

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:23:12 +0000

Blood, sweat and tears

You probably (a) can’t make out what’s in that photo, and (b) once I tell you will wish you hadn’t found out. That is a little baby puddle of sweat. I know this principally because it’s mine and because I was watching it grow as I cycled my now customary 7km cycle on the sitty down bike thingy. Incidentally, that proper name for a sitty down bike thingy is actually a “recumbant exercise bike”.

I know it’s gross, and I know everyone will say (and many will mean) that they REALLY don’t want to see pictures of my sweat, but nonetheless, I present it as evidence to you, dear reader, that despite having bad days where I binge on junkfood (see Marathon Training – Day 28), when I get my act together, I really do work hard in the gym. Today, I needed to work off a fair few extra calories put on yesterday, so I peddled and strode my little socks off and managed to dump 500 odd calories and a few pints of sweat.

Thankfully, I was in the gym on my own, as for the first time in a long time I had to do some weights. The Wyckham Point Gym has some machines and things so I eyed them all up suspiciously and gave many ago, in the process exercising some muscles that have been dormant for quite some time. It’s embarassing how weak my arms are, it really is. I’ve always said I was built like a kangaroo (big feet, powerful legs, weedy little arms), but even by my own standards, I was embarassed. It’s going to be a long old road before I’m attending any Gun Shows, let’s put it that way. That was only 7 hours ago now, and already absolutely everything hurts. I’d imagine the pain tomorrow is going to be un-ruddy-bearable! If I didn’t think it would push my man credentials over the edge of the cliff they are currently hanging on to, I’d seriously consider a long soak in a bubble bath!!

Tomorrow is a swimming a cross training day (hopefully) and then there’s a badminton match on Thursday to look forward to.

Day 29 – Done