Friday, September 30, 2011

TrainingPeaks is Ready to Go!

Okay, the TrainingPeaks site is up and running and you can get in on the free trial with the rest of us. If you like it, and want to continue using it after our trial is over, I’m estimating it will cost around $5 per month (slightly more the first month). Here’s what you’ll get for that!

  • The ability to have me create a personalized plan for you (basically for free, you’re only paying for access to the site once the trial is over!).
  • The ability to drag & drop my Spin Class profiles onto your workout calendar after you complete the days workout (this will give you more accurate calorie counts.
  • The ability to track the foods you eat, compare them to the calories you’re burning & create a plan for any weight goal you may have.
  • The opportunity to be on my kick-ass team “The Space Monkey Mafia” for all kinds of events!

Even if you don’t want to continue after the free trial log on anyway, create an account, get a free training plan for me for whatever you race you plan on doing, and print it out for later. No harm in that!

If you do sing up let me know. We’ll set up some time to talk on the phone, over coffee, or after spinning to fine tune your goals in the system and get you on a killer plan!

Click on the "SMM Athletes" bar at the top of this blog to sign up!

Best,

Ken

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Starting "Training Peaks"

Email me if you want to try this for free!
Turkey Trotters, spinners & other friends, we've been doing a lot of training together! Some of you have been following my Turkey Trot plan, meeting me for other workouts throughout the week, or just asking for me to help set you up with something. Well, here's the deal! As you know, I'm not really a certified "coach" of sorts, although I do have Johnny G Spinning certification, aerobics certifications, personal training & and some high level nutritional education.

That said, I'm still drafting training plans for a lot of people. Mainly they're just the plans I've created for myself, modified to fit other levels of fitness (higher & lower). All that said, I thought it might be cool to try an online tool to help keep track of all the people I'm working with.

It's called "Training Peaks." You can sign up for a free addition online, but your functionality is very limited. You can plug in workouts the day you do them, but can't schedule them in advance. There is a nutrition log, but you can't schedule meals in advance. There's the ability to set up an Annual Training Plan (based on the races you may or may not want to do throughout the whole year), but you have to pay a premium to access the feature. In fact, it can be as high as $19.95 to access all these features! A bit too high I think for those of us who aren't full time athletes!

The Solution...
I'm looking to set up a coaches account with Training Peaks, if we have enough interest in it AND I'm not looking to use it to make money. What's that mean? You pay what I pay! I'm just looking to cover the cost of the service each month and thinking if we have enough people sign up (only 10), the subscription fee will be around $5 each month (a bit higher the first due to the set up fees, maybe $10 - $15).

The benefits of this for you would be awesome! You're getting some pretty kick ass tools to monitor your training routines (you can track not only the training plans I give you, but enter your own workouts if your lifting weights, or doing something outside of what the group is doing). You'll have a really sweet online food journal, an Annual Training Plan based on what you plan to do next year (ie; you'll know what workouts to do and when if your planning major events like a 5k, 10k, marathon, MS 150, Pittsburgh Tri, etc.).

Best of all, you get me! I'll plug in your routines based on the races/runs/other goals you set for yourself. I'll add a library of our boot camp workouts and more.

So again, if this sounds like something you would be into, let me know!

Email kenpresutti@verizon.net and I'll get you access to try it for free. The Turkey Trot plan is already loaded in and once you're signed up I'll add it to your calendar so you know what to do when & don't have to use the Google spreadsheet. Also, there's a pretty cool (free) mobile app for your smart phone!




Saturday, September 24, 2011

This Week (9/26-10/3)

This Weeks Rambles...
Unfortunately, last week was somewhat of a bust for Turkey Trot training (for Kelly & I anyway). The stomach flu took its toll hard core starting on Sunday night and by the time I was even able to think about working out again it was Friday.

Kelly however did do a great job both last Saturday and on a run this Saturday and feels like she's where she needs to be. I'm hoping that everyone else who signed up is also right where they need to be. Here's the schedule of events for the week to come!

Turkey Trot Training
Monday -Running at 7pm Indoors @ LA Fitness
Wednesday -Running at 7pm Indoors @ LA Fitness
Saturday -Running at 9am at Jefferson Middle School Track (21 Moffett St., Pittsburgh PA)

DON"T FORGET to log your workouts on the spreadsheet (click the link below).

Read more & sign up through the link on the top of my blog, or click here. This week I plan on running Monday & Wednesday at 7pm and possibly early on Saturday.

Spin Schedule
Monday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am
Tuesday -LA Fitness @ 6:45 pm, Rivers Club @Lunch
Wednesday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am, Rivers Club @Lunch
Friday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am

Other Workout Schedule
Monday -LA Fitness @ 5:00 am -Chest, Back and Core
Tuesday -LA Fitness @ 5:30 am -Legs and maybe Swimming
Wednesday -LA Fitness @ 5:00 am -Shoulders, Arms and Core
Thursday -Out of Town
Friday -LA Fitness @ 5:00 am -Stretching and Core

Friday, September 23, 2011

Training in the AM

As of now Kelly & I are planning to hit the Baldwin track around 10am for the next round of Turkey Trot running. Feel free to join!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Turkey Trot Training for Wednesday

Congratulations to everyone who sucked it up and ran last night (even without me there)! Don't forget, even on days we can't all be together, you still need to complete the workout and record it in the spreadsheet so that we know you're not dogin' this!

Wednesdays workout is another one I won't be around for. I'm still recovering from this crazy stomach thing that hit me Sunday night. As a heads up, the Baldwin Whitehall track looks like its in use, but TJ's track looks open. I'd suggest you hit that up for tomorrows workout.

Remember, you can do these workouts on your own, at the track, in the gym, or anywhere else. Just make sure you do them!

I plan to be back in commission for Saturdays workout. I'm thinking it'll be in the AM at the Baldwin Track (probably around 10am).

Monday, September 19, 2011

Turkey Trot Training Update

Sad to report that I am "man down" with a pretty bad stomach bug. I've been up all night (and we'll leave it at that). Missed work & Spin class today so needless to say I will not be at training tonight :-(.

I do however still recommend that you go and do today's scheduled workout. Almost everyone who signed up knows everyone else, and if you don't I guarantee you'll all get along very well. If you don't know what today's workout was suppose to be, simply check our training plan spreadsheet.

Maybe even leave a comment below if you plan on going so everyone knows who to look out for. Thanks for understanding, looking forward to the next workout with everyone soon!

k

Sunday, September 18, 2011

This Week (9/17 - 9/23)

Turkey Trot Training
Turkey Trot Training starts this week. Read more & sign up through the link on the top of my blog, or click here.

We'll start tomorrow night at 7pm at the Baldwin Track. Wednesday you'll be on your own to complete that workout, and I'll shoot for another group training day next Saturday AM. Check the link above for details on the training plan. See you at the track!

Spin Schedule
Monday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am
Tuesday -LA Fitness @ 6:45 pm, Rivers Club @Lunch
Wednesday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am, Rivers Club @Lunch
Friday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am

Other Workout Schedule
Monday -LA Fitness @ 5:00 am -Chest, Back and Core
Tuesday -LA Fitness @ 5:30 am -Legs and maybe Swimming
Wednesday -LA Fitness @ 5:00 am -Shoulders, Arms and Core
Thursday -Out of Town
Friday -LA Fitness @ 5:00 am -Stretching and Core

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Turkey Trot Training Starts Monday 9/19!

Alright, here's the deal. It looks like the Baldwin HS track will be open. If you're training with us for the Turkey Trot, be there at 7pm on Monday! Get more info on the training by clicking the link at the top of this page!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

This Week (9/12-9/18)

This Weeks Rambles...
Here we go, week 3 post Ironman & week 2 back at the gym. You'll notice below that I've broken the typical weekly schedule out into a few different categories. The first is my Spin Class schedule, the second is any other additional workout that I'll be adding into the week.

Now that Ironman is over, I don't need to spend every free second of training swimming, biking, or running. This means more time for actual lifting in the gym. Last week was tough as I started getting back into lifting with a chest/back day, leg day and shoulder day.

Needless to say much of the strength I had built up over the past year disappear somewhere in the 5 months of cardio I was doing to prepare for Ironman. Never the less, I'm ready to get moving again in the weight room. I'll probably be going on the lighter side for the next few weeks and put an added emphasis on core conditioning. Feel free to join me if your around in the AM at LA Fitness for any of these workouts.

Spin Schedule
Monday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am
Tuesday -LA Fitness @ 6:45 pm, Rivers Club @Lunch
Wednesday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am, Rivers Club @Lunch
Friday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am

Other Workout Schedule
Monday -LA Fitness @ 5:00 am -Chest, Back and Core
Tuesday -LA Fitness @ 5:30 am -Legs and maybe Swimming
Wednesday -LA Fitness @ 5:00 am -Shoulders, Arms and Core
Thursday -LA Fitness @ 5:30 am -Maybe Yoga (anyone interested?)
Friday -LA Fitness @ 5:00 am -Stretching and Core

Turkey Trot Training
Don't forget, we're going to train for the Turkey trot starting next Monday. Read more & sign up through the link on the top of my blog, or click here.

Help Out A Fellow Triathlete, Vote for Geoff
So most of the followers of my Blog also know Geoff Murray, who use to teach spin at LA Fitness with me. He's asked for some help in a contest he's part of. All you need to do is click this link and vote for him in a contest to be featured as "Accel Recover's" official athlete. I know he'll appreciate the votes. You should also check out his blog, Road to Kona 2012.


Sunday, September 4, 2011

This Week's Schedule

Okay, I'm feeling pretty good and fully recovered from last week. Time to hit it hard again. Haven't quite figured out what my strength plan is going to be, bu here is the Spin schedule. Hope to see you in class!

Monday -No Classes
Tuesday -LA Fitness @ 6:45 pm, Rivers Club @Lunch
Wednesday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am, Rivers Club @Lunch
Friday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am

Thursday, September 1, 2011

It's Time to Train!


What's Next?

Okay, since Ironman's over I've been feeling like I need something else to train for. Sure, the Pittsburgh Marathon is coming up in May (but that's still pretty far away) and the Race to Any Place is in February, but I'm looking for something to do while the winter sets in.

What I've come up with is putting a team together for the YMCA's 21st Annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning and I want you to train for it with me! It's a 5K or 5 mile race

I'll be reaching out to most of my blog readers in an email shortly. If you're interested in training (regardless of your fitness level) reply to my email, shoot me a message at kenpresutti@verizon.net, or leave a comment below. Regardless of your fitness level, we'll get you to a point where you can jog the entire 5K race!

Here's how the program will be divided up for all levels.


3 Groups that Can Train with Us for the Turkey Trot

"I Don't Run" or "I Hate to Run"
Your going to follow a program based of the recently famous Couch to 5K running program. Your training will start on September 22 and I'll give you a plan that includes some workouts on your own, a group run here and there on the weekends (or after work) and I'll set it up so you can use my Spin Class to substitute a run workout every now and then.

"I'm Ready to Hit a New PR"
This is the category I'll likely fall in. Again, I'll set up a plan for those of us looking to move a little faster during the Turkey Trot. We'll meet up with the Couch to 5Kers for group workouts on the track or at South Park, but let's plan on running a little faster (especially since the majority of those in this category will already be runners to begin with).

"Let's Get Podium Time"
So maybe you're really looking to hit it hard and trying to place in this race. That's awesome! You can certainly train with us and even as an "age grouper" just looking for a new PR, I'll do my best to keep up with you during training.

Why Train with the Team?
Easy, because training alone sucks! Plus we'll be working to keep each other accountable with some simple online tools to so everyone can see the progress the team is making. Whether your starting out with a quick walk, jog, run or all out sprint, I hope you'll sign up to run with us!

Like I said, leave me a comment, send me an email, or shoot me a Facebook comment to let me know if your interested. Don't sign up through Active.com just yet. I'll send out all the instructions soon.