Getting stronger

A wise friend said to me once. "In order to be strong, you need to get strong NOT to look strong."

I think he's right. In the world of running, I realize that there are no shortcuts. It's the same with the other sports. It's not a video game. There's no cheat. You have to train hard, give your heart, be intelligent, and always get inspired.

In my opinion, these are some important factors in becoming a successful athlete. Whoa! I'm talking BIG! Athlete level. Good luck for me. Lol~ But why not. We all know the Adidas tag line, "impossible is nothing." Yeah it may be hard, but not impossible.Why should we dream of reaching the sky when we can dream of reaching the stars? You know what I'm saying? I'm already 27 years old and It's already hard for me to compete with the younger people out there. Also there are those guys who've already reached the pinnacle of running. But I think it's not bad to do you best. I mean, yeah running can be consider as a fad today just like badminton several years ago, but if you acquired that "heart" that other excellent runners have, then why not compete and do your best? I am always competitive. I don't want to belong to the median who just consider running as a hobby, or some other casual reasons. I want to take it seriously. Bring it to the next level. Let me see how far can I take myself.

Just earlier, I'm in the gym doing some strength training for my legs. Sometimes, I'm telling my self that I'm crazy because I'm pushing myself so hard, like I'm coaching myself. I know it's fun to train with a group. But when a group is not available and you're all by yourself, isn't it good to be able to push yourself too? Look what I did earlier then you decide. For me, I think it's not enough because I'm still conscious of the time.

1. 30 mins I jog barefooted in the thread mill and used an incline of 2-4%, I did this because I want to make my feet stronger and to prevent injuries. I remember the days when I run barefooted in muay thai but that's another strory.
2. Jump ropes barefooted 3 sets of 3 mins. 1 minute break in between.
3. Bulgarian leg exercise. I forgot the real term but it's like doing squats with one leg at a time then your other leg is resting behind a chair.I guess runners out there get what I'm describing. I did a variation of this my holding different weights. Thanks to Orly for suggesting me to twist my body while  holding the dumbell.
4. Lunges lunges lunges.
5. Step up. Like this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS-yX_cy7Tc. but holding 20 pounds for hand.
6. Core workout. See Ridgeline fitness in you tube.
7. Dips.
8. Squat to dumbell shoulder press.
9. Ab workout.

So these is all that I have squeezed in 2 hours and I think it's not enough. But as I have said earlier, I need to be intelligent as well to not over train since I just ran 9.2 km yesterday. I might get a hard time sleeping and I don't want my shift tonight to suffer. 

I'll still check my personal workout to see how long should I run tomorrow. I might do some hills because I'm starting to consider my VO2 max. See! I'm learning some running jargons. :) For now I have to rest and keep my self inspired. Someday, I want to see how I progress in running by the help of this blog. We'll see how it'll all go. So help me God. :)

-Sid