Adding reps to the Pump and Run

At the start of the week I got back in the pool. Counting strokes and working on efficiencies is making swimming easier than ever. I am not adding much speed but the effort is reduced – and I am not losing any speed.

I also retested the 70% body weight bench press for the Pump and Run competition. After last weeks math snafu (I added too much weight – around 87% but thought that it was 70%) I wanted to see an increase in reps. The work out zone was empty so I did not have a spotter but considering the light weight I would be okay.

The bar did feel light this time and I decided to work a plan. I did a brief pause at every 10 reps. I took just an extra second at the top of the lift. Ten reps went by easily. Then twenty reps - no problems. The last time that I truly tested this weight range I got 36 – which was up from 32 two weeks prior. This time I blew through the 30’s. I was hoping for 40 reps but I was unstoppable. I ended up with 50 reps – the last one was difficult but with a spotter I could have muscled up one or two more.

Now for the math – 50 reps X 20 = 1000 seconds. That is 16:40 deducted from my 5k time. If I can put up another 10 reps then I do believe that I will be into the negatives. But, anther 10 reps are a long way to go.

KC asked me what kind of recovery shakes I like to drink. To be honest I usually don’t drink anything but prefer to have a meal. On the weekends when I am home that meal is almost always a big bowl of oatmeal with a huge dollop of peanut butter. I know you are supposed to have simple sugars and stuff after hard cardio sessions but I simply enjoy the real food.

Now, if I have a truly hard session I will make a shake to get some quick calories and this past Friday was one of those occasions. With the Ryders sunglasses KC had also sent me some GU BREW recovery powder. This powder claims that it has “the best protein, the most amino acids, optimal carb blend, essential vitamins and GU’ great mellow taste.” I am not sure about all of that but I it was pretty damn good.

I did, however, mix it up (pun intended) with a whole bunch of crushed ice and about 2 cups of Almond Milk. The vanilla almond milk mixed with the strawberry watermelon GU BREW was fantastic. With the ice and almond milk I go two shakes out of the mix which I drank over the next 30 minutes. After that I had my normal oatmeal concoction.

I can’t comment scientifically on whether the recovery aspects of the shake helped any more than real food but the drinkability was right on.