Friday, May 05, 2006

positive mantra makes the day

[5/4/06 Thursday]

Run - 5 miles, 47 min - including 3 x 1 mile @ 7:55(partial uphill), 7:33(partial down), 7:50
Swim - 3500m, 1:19 (600 swim, 400 pull, 100 kick, 100 swim, 8 x 50 w/ 25 sprint/25 easy, 800 pull, 8 x 50 mod hard on 15 sec RI, 200 back, 400 B3/B5/B7/B9 on 100s, 100 kick) - long course pool 50m

My quads and pecs were still really sore from Tuesday's strength workout, but I was determined to have a decent workout day despite that. I hoping to hit 7:30 on the mile repeats of the run, but couldn't quite make it. Considering how sore I was, I am satisfied with my times for that. The swim was slow with my sore pecs, but I was determined to get through it no matter what. My mental mantra for the day was to push through it for love, not anger or hurt. Things like that can make the difference between finishing and not.

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Current favorite workout songs:

Hurt - Rapture
Kelly Clarkson - Walk Away
10 Years - Wasteland (acoustic)
Nickelback - Savin Me
Annie Lennox - Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Nine Inch Nails - Every Day is Exactly the Same
Theory of a Deadman - Santa Monica

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

hard mental day

[5/3/06 Wednesday]

Bike - 75 minutes, recovery ride - mostly flat with a few rolling hills
Swim - 2000m, 44 min - main set: 10 x 100 on 2:00 @ 1:50 pace

I did this workout as a brick in the middle of the day, leaving work to do it. I was trying to avoid rain (and was feeling trapped and unproductive at my desk), so I got up and went. The bike ride was fun. I really love biking these days. I haven't attempted to do a double workout in the middle of a work day and then go back to work and get anything done. It didn't work out today. When I got back, I spent a while eating lunch and staring blankly at my computer screen. I did a small task then decided it would just be better to take the afternoon off and go home for a nap. I didn't even bother to ride my bike home... I left it at work and took the bus.

I was disappointed with my swim today. I wanted to do 3000m with my main set as 15 x 100 @ 1:42 pace, but was too tired to make the pace. I only held it for the first couple repeats. 1:42/100m is the pace needed for a 1:05 Ironman swim. I was so depressed that I couldn't do it for short intervals today, that I gave up on the whole swim. I imagined my personal trainer Katy telling me to keep going to the end and not give up no matter what, like she does when I am doing pushups, but it only worked for a little while. I just didn't want to continue. I am so sore from my strength workout and hilly bike ride yesterday that it made today's workouts really hard. It turned out to be a rough mental day made harder with some unrelated personal issues going on in my head at the same time.

loving the hills

after a little break from writing here, i am back. in response to that last post, i have decided it doesn't matter if someone thinks this blog is boring. i am writing it for myself. there is nothing boring about ironman training. every day is different and every day is a new challenge.

[5/2/06 Tuesday]
Run - 3 miles tempo run on the treadmill with 1 mile at 7:30 pace, 26 min total
Bike - 90 minutes, 21.5 miles - Cross Plains/Blue Mounds area Horribly Hilly route
Personal training session - Squats, Cleans, Push Ups, Core Twist x 120 reps of each

I am getting ready for two races right now: the Mad City Half Marathon (May 29) and the Horribly Hilly 100K Bike (mid-June). My priorities right now are long distance run speedwork and strength for doing lots of very steep hills on the bike. Today's ride on the Horribly Hilly course was my first time out there this year, and I am so obviously stronger than last year I am amazed with myself. I powered up all the hills without stopping to rest, walking my bike, giving up mentally or getting cranky. I am much more confident on the downhills too. I really enjoyed this ride.
At some points my cadence got down to 30 and I must have been really close to VO2 max, but I just thought happy thoughts and kept pushing on. Hawaii did wonders for my fitness and my mental skills.

I am conflicted about whether or not to get a compact crank for my bike. A triple chainring is out of the question because it is too complicated to install with my aerobar bar-end shifter setup. A compact crank could be changed in and out. The Horribly Hilly course and the Wisconsin Ironman course are both easier with the easier gears, but then I sacrifice the harder gears for the flats and the chance to make my legs really really strong. I have heard mixed reviews about compact cranks.