Saturday, March 20, 2010

weekend of trainer

Bike 3:50 with intervals7 min (3 min rec), 12 min (4 min rec), 7 min (5 min rec), 3 x 15 min (5 min rec)
It was rainy, windy, and cold so a long ride on the trainer was the only option. I was supposed to ride the Spokes and Spurs organized ride but it was canceled because of weather. Luckily Pure Austin has a good selection of spinning options on Saturday morning. I took my tri bike in there instead of riding a spin bike so I could get in some hours in aero position.

I started with Matt's 90 minute endurance class from 9-10:30. Then I did the prescribed training plan intervals on my own, and ended with Ryon's spin class from 12-12:45. It was a long time, in one place but people were in and out of the room all morning so there was pretty much always something going on. I broke up the time by getting off my bike to get water, kleenexes, go to the restroom, etc. A few friends came over to chat with me during the middle section.

The intervals were mentally hard because from beginning to end, they add up to 1:38, which is a ton of time to be pushing to Z4 on a trainer. I put my mind in race scenario and imagined chasing or being chased to help keep me going hard. I listened to my favorite running songs and imagined how hard I would be working if I were doing these intervals as run repeats.

Brick Run 3 miles
24:15 (12:50/11:25)
I got off my bike and headed directly for the treadmill. When I first started, it was a strange feeling - my quads weren't tight or sore at all like they usually are but... my kneecaps felt like they might give out. Yes, my kneecaps. After a few minutes it worked itself out. What is up with that tri bike position? With my fresh quads and warmed up heart and lungs, I nailed this run. I can't believe I was able to run that fast after 4 hours on the bike.

Friday, March 19, 2010

swim and waffles

Swim 3300yd
[1:07, MS: 3x(4x100 descend,100 easy), 2x200,6x25]
At 6:15am it is still dark. Big Stacy pool is lit by a floodlight, steam rising off the water, lifeguard at his post snuggled up in a thick warm coat. There are a few swimmers already there. It's about 50 degrees and the air feels cold as I strip out of my sweats and into my suit. The cement is cold on my toes. The water feels cold at first but after about 4 laps, I am warm. I go through my intervals, checking them off one by one. I crush the speedwork. It stays dark until 7:15 and the sun has barely come up when it's time to get out.



Waffle Breakfast @ 24 Diner
From left to right:
Veggie Sausages - spicy, quinoa-based, delicious.
Eggs - scrambled, moist, tasty
Waffles - melted in my mouth, homemade texture, maple butter on the side, wow!
This food was outstanding.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

anyone want to do my dishes?

Long Run - 14 miles 
1:55 total
7 miles on Exposition/Pecos route, challenging hills - 55:30
7 miles at Town Lake trail, flat and gently rolling, last 3 miles as 3x1200 hard/400 easy - 59:30

I was super fresh and strong for the first half.  I've never run the full length of Pecos but those hills are tough and awesome for training. Things were all going well but in the last 4 miles my legs had some trouble. I have to say, I'm tired. The fatigue of all this is starting to build up. The fastest I could go on the 1200s was about a 7:50 pace. Haha. That's tired. I ate a handful of raisins in the middle and had a bite of almond butter at mile 10. I am really loving the Justin's Nut Butter single serving packets... they are like gels but more calories and not full of sugar.

Core
100 situps
60 tic-toks - bar held with straight arms above head, tilt upper body from side to side using obliques

--
What's my daily weekday schedule like, you ask? It's kinda like this:
6 - wake up
6:30 - start first outdoor workout - usually run or swim
8 - go to Pure Austin downtown gym to stretch, foam roll, strengthening exercises, shower
9 - eat breakfast and go to work
5 - leave work and drive through traffic to get home or to get to Pure Austin north
5:30 - start second workout
7:30 - go home and eat
8:30 - hang out, relax, pack workout bag and prepare food for the next day
10:30 - sleep

This is the constant grind of the IM training. There's very little time for anything else, even on this "reduced volume" plan I am on. Days with only one workout, or a set I can finish up in the morning are a gift. I need someone to do my dishes and laundry for me. Any takers?

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

do the work

Swim 3600yd
[1:10, MS: 4x200 moderate w/paddles, 4x200 match paddle pace, 6x100, 6x 25h/25e]


Bike 60 minutes w/ 10 min, 15 min, 10 min
Loops on Shoal Creek/Great Northern with tri bike
[1:03, one loop (3.5 miles) = 10:28, 10:38]

Brick Run - 20 minutes negative split
[18:42 as 9:55 out, 8:40 back - in neighborhood]

Not much to say here. Some days it's just about doing the work. And as we all know, #workworks.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

big pr on fight gone bad

This is the first day of week 6 of Ironman training. I feel great.


Run 7 miles with 5x800
[1:01, 800 splits: 3:24, 3:21, 3:18, 3:18, 3:19]
Rainy morning led me to the treadmill. These repeats were pretty darn fast.

Pushup Challenge
20-25-20-20-28
My shoulders were about to fall off during the last set.

Bike 45 minutes - Spin class
This was not on the training schedule but I wanted to do it. I miss seeing my friends for the usual weekday evenings at the gym.

Pullup Challenge
100 as 10x10. Got er done. Help from green band.

Crossfit Fight Gone Bad
3 rounds of one minute of each, with one minute rest between rounds.
Row (for calories)
Push Press (45 lb)
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (45 lb)
Box Jump (20 inch)
Wall Ball (10 lb)
Result:
round 1=87
round 2=84
round 3=85
total score=256

I did this same workout on Jan 11, and my score was a mere 207. MAJOR PR today! After all the stuff I did today before this workout, that is extra amazing.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

50 miles on tri bike

Bike 50 miles - Mansfield Dam Loop
[2:50]
This was my first long ride on my triathlon bike since getting it set up and things went well. I was almost 20 minutes faster this weekend than when I did this same ride on my road bike last weekend. I felt comfortable being aero and had no trouble with the saddle. The main adjustment I need to make is getting used to riding standard gearing. I'm used to my compact on my road bike and now I don't have the extra easy gear.  There were a few hills today where I was reduced to a very slow grind but I think I can get stronger by leaving things the way they are. IM Coeur d'Alene is flat and rolling.

Swim 2000yd - MS: 7x150 descend
[37 min]
An easy stretch out swim to get me up to three swims this week. I felt better after I did this than before. It got out the bike cooties.