Week 4 & 5: Beau 2 Boston

Anything Cool?:

Life, and training, are both about balance.

Maybe equally so.

They are also both about acceptance, and a warm understanding and attitude towards yourself. Meaning, when you go to Augusta National for a day of golf at the Masters, and you consume exorbitant amounts of food/beverage, you don’t beat yourself for it. You enjoy life, enjoy the moment, and get back on the health train when you can.

Beau Didier, Augusta National Tuesday Practice Round Food Intake:

• Domestic Beer $2.00: 9 total
• Import Beer $3.00: 7 total
• Bottled Water $2.00: 3/4 total
• Pimento Cheese Sandwich $2.00: 7 total
• Chicken Salad Sandwich $1.50: 3 total
• Club Sandwich $2.50: 1 total
• Pecan Praline Trate $1.50: 4 total
• Trail Mix (Masters Edition) $1.50: 3 total
• Popcorn (Caramel, Masters Edition) $2.00: 2 total
• Pimento Cheese Sandwich + Barbecue Chicken Sandwich $4.00: 3 total
  • Buy pimento cheese sandwich
  • Buy barbecue chicken sandwich
  • Peel top layer of pimento cheese sandwich
  • Peel top layer of barbecue chicken sandwhich
  • Press aforementioned sandwiches together
  • Wow

…

I note all that for a couple reasons:

1. I like writing in bullets. It’s fun and eliminates any skill or fluidity required of the writer (me).
2. To qualify for the Boston Marathon and to run a 6:52/mile pace, for a guy of my size, I’m going to need to really dedicate myself, my habits, and my weight. This day at Augusta shows that the figurative train (me) not only came off the tracks, but it may have decimated an entire train station, town, small city, and/or any national parks in the area. But…
3. I ate all that, and drank all that, and I didn’t judge myself. The next week, I came back stronger, more determined to train, and I fasted like a mother*cker.

Training:

• 03/28:
  • Nothing that would register as training. Played a little John Mayer Spotify so Sunnie and I kept it pretty mellow—didn’t get very mobile/dynamic.

• 03/29:
  • 5 X 1000 meters (.62 miles) in 3:55
  • 1000 meters then 1:00 walking rest

• 03/30:
  • F45 “MKATZ” workout.
    • Strength, resistance training

• 03/31:
  • F45 “Docklands” workout.
    • Cardio based workout, dynamic, lightweight movements.
  • Yoga

• 04/01:
  • F45 “Panthers” workout.
    • Strength, resistance training.
  • 5 miles at 7:19 pace
• 04/02:
  • 6 miles at a 7:26 pace
  • F45 “Triple Double”
    • Super hard cardio based training circuit
• 04/03:
  • F45 “Hollywood” workout.
    • Hour long hybrid (strength/cardio) circuit
• 04/04:
  • 16 miles at a 8:17 pace
• 04/05:
  • F45 “Redline” workout
    • Cardio circuit, body weight movement dominant
• 04/06:
  • Augusta National (Master’s) Day of Glutton
• 04/07:
  • Augusta Nation (Master’s) Hangover
• 04/08:
  • F45 “Panthers” workout
  • Times two (7:15 AM, 5:30 PM)
• 04/09:
  • Mini “Fartlek”1 mile warmup at 8:00 pace
  • 2 minutes at 6:15 pace
  • 30 second walk (breath recovery)
  • 3 minutes at 8:00 pace
  • Repeat until 7 miles completed (excluding warmup)
• 04/10:
  • F45 “Hollywood” workout
    • Hour long hybrid (strength/cardio) circuit
• 04/11:
  • Rest

Summary:

Balance, as noted in “anything cool”, is something very important to me. It is why I enjoy rigorous training and am able to maintain health and fitness, and the pursuit of the Boston Marathon, as a lifestyle rather than something temporary; something that won’t last.

When you have a lot of fun, though, like I do, and you straight up abuse trans-fats and simple carbohydrates during those 24 hour benders, you have to get back to work the next day. You have to bring things back into balance. Fasting, running and F45, hydration, and sound sleep protocol are things that help me meet my balance, propelling my progress. After a day/night of some bad choices—as they relate to optimal health and the pursuit of Boston—it’s important to lean into these practices. In the least haughty, arrogant way possible, I’m proud of myself for exhibiting some self-compassion and understanding, then hopping right back on the health train. 

That’s what’s cool this week.

Who cares.