Pierini's May 2007 Training

Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Still in Rome. Did not train today but went to la spiagga (the beach), maybe walked 8-10 miles. Apparently the beaches in Rome (actually Ostia) are not free. You have to pay to have access to the beach. Today was a national holiday so many places were closed.

Trying to get in the journal mood so hence I decided to start this new thread.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007
A single set of 50 knuckle pushups this morning before heading to the Basilica di San Pietro per un altra l'udienza del Papa (for another Papal Audience). Before the day is over, I'll have another 8-10 miles of walking. My wife is ready to come home. We leave Saturday morning.

17 giorni a Rome é come eternità (17 days in Rome is like eternity).

Buon giorno!

La pace di Signore sia sempre con voi.

[seraphyne1]

8-10 miles of walking is also exercise and maybe a good break from the normal routine. Good to charge the batteries.

[gymgirl]

Glad you are having fun....come back already I miss you around here!

Thursday, May 3, 2007
Approximately 5 minutes of isometric contractions in the morning. About 10-12 miles of walking.

Friday, May 4, 2007
A single set of 50 knuckle pushups in the morning. About 8-10 miles of walking. Last full day in Rome.

Saturday, May 5, 2007
No exercise or walking to speak of today. Woke up at 4:00 a.m. Rome time to get the first train to the Metro (sub-way), then to the main train station for a train to the airport. Long flight. I've been up 24 hours and am ready to hit the sack. Sunday will be a day of rest. I'll be back at the gym on Monday.

edit update Sunday morning at 3:00 a.m. (still on Italian time)
I averaged 2 gelato treats per day and ate lots of pizza and pasta dishes. Had Chinese food for dinner one evening for a change-of-pace. Continued with my no cakes, cookies, candies, chocolate, crackers, chips, alcohol, sodas and fruit juice policy. Drank lots of acqua minerale frizzante (carbonated mineral water).

Morning BW was 177.0 lbs. and 13.5% BF the day of my departure. Sunday morning wake-up BW was 178.0 lbs. and 11.0% BF. I'm guessing I averaged 2,500-3,000 calories per day.

My wife walked at least 80% of the distances I covered. She even ran a couple of times as we chased the sub-way and crossed streets. Romans walk alot and run alot trying to catch busses and the subway trains. They generally are on the streets in the evening taking their evening strolls.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

Sunday, May 6, 2007
Active rest day. Woke up at 3:00 a.m. after going to bed around midnight and stayed up all day until I crashed at about 9:00 p.m.

I managed to walk a total of 3 miles today. 1 mile in the morning, walking home from the car rental place after I returned the rental car we drove back from San Francisco. Then 1 mile in the late afternoon walking to Sunday Mass, then about 90 minutes later another 1 mile walk home. All walks at about a 15-20 minute mile pace.

My eating is all messed up. I ate last at about 2:30 p.m. and nothing for the rest of the day.

Monday, May 7, 2007
Arrived at the gym at 6:50 a.m.

Elliptical trainer - resistance and incline both at level 10 for a 5 minute warmup, completing 952 strides (78 less than my last gym workout on 4/17/2007 and 218 less than my best effort of 1,170 strides. Took it easy this morning.)

CrossFit's Lynn WOD - 5 rounds of max effort BW bench press and max effort standard grip pullups. My morning BW was 176.5 lbs. so I used 180 lbs. for the bench press. #1 = 7,14 - #2 = 5,10 - #3 = 6,10 - #4 = 5,8 and #5 = 7,7. Total of 30 reps for the BW bench press and 49 reps for the standard grip pullups. I kept my reps at 1 less of maximum to play it safe.

Analysis: I haven't done pullups in 21 days and I've lost a little which I should get back in about a week. I little underfed this morning and still struggling to get back to my time zone. Overall, I'm satisfied with my effort this morning.

Running - on the treadmill at 1% incline. Warmup of 400 meters at 7.5 mph, then a 2-mile timed trial completed in 13:38. My average HR was 167 bpm (90% of max) and my highest HR was 179 bpm (97% of max).

Analysis: My plan was for a 3-mile timed trial but I've lost a little as I haven't run in 20 days. This was hard for me. I have definitely lost a little from when I ran 3 miles in 19:24. I should be there again in about 4-6 weeks. I'll get there slowly and may focus on slightly longer distances to build a base for speed work.

Stretching - on the floor to stretch my hams, quads, glutes, calves, etc. I haven't stretched in 3 weeks and it showed this morning.

Other - I took about 500 photos during my trip to Italy. I'll try to share one photo each day I post. Since all of our trips to Italy begin and end at the Vatican, it's only fitting that the first photo I share is of La Basilica di San Pietro. Here it is:

The main altar of the Basilica of Saint Peter at the Vatican

Have a great day!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

[trainerty]

Glad to hear you were taking the time too really chomp away on the italian cuisine.

Welcome back to the states my jet lagged friend

Thanks Ty, it feels good to be back in smoke-free California.

20 days away from the gym provides further validity to my mantra that I'm a middle-age man so I'm only as good as my last workout. I've got some work to do to get back where I was before I left. I'll get there.

[gymgirl]

great workout pierini, especially on your first day back!

How long of a rest did you take between rounds on Lynne? I am jealous that after 20 days of gelato you LOST bodyfat!?!? no fair!

Thanks for sharing the beautiful picture; and glad you are back I missed you.

Hi gymgirl and thanks for the welcome back.

I'm guessing that I took about 3-4 minutes rest between rounds. I was unsure if the WOD had a prescribed rest period so I checked out the CrossFit website this morning and didn't see one. I completed the 5 rounds in about 25 minutes.

I don't think I lost any BF as the readings were just due to changes in my hydration level. There were some days in Rome after I had walked alot (I'm thinking of 12+ mile day in particular) and looked at myself in the mirror at the end of the day and noticed that I looked to darn lean in the face. Now that I am back to sitting on my butt all day I'm sure I'll remedy that shortly.

I forgot to answer one of your questions you had asked about Harry's Bar in Rome. I have no idea where that could be but if I took a guess it would be in the Piazza Barberini area, a place with lots of high-end ristorante. My wife would not be willing to go to a place like that as it doesn't fit with her peasant lifestyle.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Arrived at the gym at 6:45 a.m.

Elliptical trainer - resistance and incline both at level 10 for a 5 minute warmup, completing 1,031 strides (79 more than yesterday and 139 less than my PR of 1,170).

Power clean & push presses - #1 = 45x5 - #2 = 95x5 - #3 = 115x5 - #4 = 135x3 (tried 4th rep twice and missed both spending alot of fuel attempting) - #5 = 145x1PR - #6 = 145x1 - #7 = 145x1 - #8 = 135x1 (was going for multiple reps but realized I was pooped).

Analysis: I haven't done these since 3/13/07 when I injured myself. That workout I did 135 lbs. for 5x5 so I am pleased with today's effort. Now that my back is not on the mend, I'll be doing these once a week.

3 rounds of - standard pushups on knuckles followed by knees-to-elbow. #1 = 35,15 - #2 = 35,10 - #3 = 25,7 (failed big time when trying rep 8).

Running - on the treadmill at 1% incline. 400 meters at 7.5 mph to warmup, then a 1-mile timed trial which I completed in 5:59. My average HR was 161 bpm (87% of max) and my highest HR was 173 bpm (94% of max).

Analysis: Last time I did a 1-mile timed trial was on 4/17/2007 which I completed in 6:00 with an average HR of 159 bpm (86% of max) and highest HR of 171 bpm (92% of max). Perceived effort this morning was hard. A couple more hard runs to clear my arteries from all that gelato I ate and I should be back in the saddle 100%.

Stretching - on the floor to stretch my hams, quads, glutes, calves, etc.

Other Stuff -OK here is another photo from my vacation looking up at the Spanish Steps, a great place to people-watch, or Spagna as the Italians call it. I created a couple puddles of drool hanging out here playing cento. Enjoy!

Spagna a Roma

Have a great day!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

[gymgirl]

Dang, that is a really fast mile! Great job on the clean and PP PR!

[The Flash]

Pierini, a sub-6 minute mile?! Good job!!!

[minime]

great job on the power clean Push press PR and on the sub six minute mile! I have to try that again soon but its so hard I don't want to!

your photos are beautiful

Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Well I slept until 6:00 a.m. this morning and woke up feeling like a "rich man". Sleep does wonders. I'm slowly getting back to California time.

So I made a "business decision" to skip the gym today. Quite frankly I'm sore from Monday and Tuesday's workouts, particularly my lats from Monday's pullups. The volume was low compared to what I normally do but after 21 days of no pullups at all, I guess some DOMS should be expected. I'd like to get a good 3 mile walk in when I get off work today at 3:00 p.m. so maybe I'll do it by running some errands downtown. Today is my Mom's 76th birthday so I'll go to her house this evening and bring her some flowers. She has made it firm that she doesn't want any "stuff".

In the photo-sharing department, there are 4 major basilicas in Rome. A couple of days ago I shared a photo of one of them, the main altar inside La Basilica di San Pietro (Saint Peter's Basilica). Today is a photo of another main basilica, the main altar inside La Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano (Basilica of St. John in Lateran). This is actually the cathedral for the Diocese of Rome. It, too, is breathtakingly beautiful so enjoy.

The main altar inside La Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano

Have a great day!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

[urmaniac13]

Pierini, che peccato, too bad I didn't know you were here!! I could have invited you as a free guest to my gym directly below the Termini station!! Well, next time you will know!!

Thanks for sharing some great pics too!! (you could have waited until 5am to take that Spanish Step pic, around that time you wouldn't have to deal with all those human obstacles in the way, lol!!)