[2/11/06 Saturday]
Bike - 2:15 - aerobic endurance ride with a few long climbs
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Friday, February 10, 2006
music in my head
[2/10/06 Friday]
Run - 2.4 mi, 20:41 - Ave Heart Rate: 157
Bike - 40 min - easy indoor spin
My MP3 player battery died in the first minute of my run. I know I can run without music, but it made the 40 minutes on the spinning bike mentally grueling. I resorted to singing in my head and doing pretend intervals (this was supposed to be a recovery ride so i wasn't doing real intervals). I couldn't have made it much longer.
Run - 2.4 mi, 20:41 - Ave Heart Rate: 157
Bike - 40 min - easy indoor spin
My MP3 player battery died in the first minute of my run. I know I can run without music, but it made the 40 minutes on the spinning bike mentally grueling. I resorted to singing in my head and doing pretend intervals (this was supposed to be a recovery ride so i wasn't doing real intervals). I couldn't have made it much longer.
mind lagging behind body
[2/9/06 Thursday]
Swim - 3400m, 1:04 - 600 free, 400 pull, 400 free, 200 kick, 12 x 50 sprint on 60 sec, 200 pull, 16 x 25 (sprint 1/3, easy 2/3), 200 pull
Bike - 60 min indoor - 6 x (4 min seated climb, 1 min standing climb, 2 min recovery)
Abs (300)
My favorite part of today was my 12 x 50 sprint swim intervals. I haven't done much all-out effort stuff lately and it felt good to see how hard I could push. There was a fast female swimmer in the lane next to me and we were having a bit of an unspoken competition with each other. It is all mental for me when this happens. For much more of my life than I have been athletic, I have been totally physically incompetent. I am slowly getting used to no longer being the slowest/weakest/most-uncoordinated person and not automatically giving up when a close competitor puts up a challenge. I am used to giving up thinking that everyone is faster than me so why even try. My abilities have changed but my mind lags in full comprehension of that. It takes some conscious mental focus to tell my mind what I know is true in the present moment. Things have definitely changed because these days I am swimming in the fast lane at the University pool and comparable in speed to the other "fast" women.
Every cell of my body was toasted at the end of the workout today. My legs were quite sore from yesterday's strength workout, and I managed to pull out two good workouts today anyway. It is funny how sometimes when I feel tired and creaky before a workout, as soon as I get warmed up, my muscles feel better and I am not as tired. Anyway, I crashed into bed at 9:15.
Swim - 3400m, 1:04 - 600 free, 400 pull, 400 free, 200 kick, 12 x 50 sprint on 60 sec, 200 pull, 16 x 25 (sprint 1/3, easy 2/3), 200 pull
Bike - 60 min indoor - 6 x (4 min seated climb, 1 min standing climb, 2 min recovery)
Abs (300)
My favorite part of today was my 12 x 50 sprint swim intervals. I haven't done much all-out effort stuff lately and it felt good to see how hard I could push. There was a fast female swimmer in the lane next to me and we were having a bit of an unspoken competition with each other. It is all mental for me when this happens. For much more of my life than I have been athletic, I have been totally physically incompetent. I am slowly getting used to no longer being the slowest/weakest/most-uncoordinated person and not automatically giving up when a close competitor puts up a challenge. I am used to giving up thinking that everyone is faster than me so why even try. My abilities have changed but my mind lags in full comprehension of that. It takes some conscious mental focus to tell my mind what I know is true in the present moment. Things have definitely changed because these days I am swimming in the fast lane at the University pool and comparable in speed to the other "fast" women.
Every cell of my body was toasted at the end of the workout today. My legs were quite sore from yesterday's strength workout, and I managed to pull out two good workouts today anyway. It is funny how sometimes when I feel tired and creaky before a workout, as soon as I get warmed up, my muscles feel better and I am not as tired. Anyway, I crashed into bed at 9:15.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
building a strong swim base
[2/8/06 Wednesday]
Swim - 2000yd, 37 min - 400 free, 200 pull, 200 kick, 5 x 200 (50E/50M/50H/50E), 100 kick, 100 pull
Run - 2.5 miles, 20:02
Lower body/hips/core routine, Abs (300)
I ran fast today and my knee was ok! What a great feeling that is. With the minimal amount of running I have been doing lately, and with the slow pace, I am happy that I was able to spontaneously run 2.5 miles at just over my recent 5K race pace. This was a good test to know that my fitness is still on track.
Swimming 4-5 times per week is making a difference in how comfortable I feel in the water. Doing 2000 yards frequently seems more beneficial than doing 3000 or more just 2-3 times per week. At this point, 2000 feels like hardly a workout. My arms do not get sore either so I am able to recover completely in one day. Arthur Lydiard is a legendary running coach from New Zealand whose method emphasizes consistency with a slow pace to build a very strong base of aerobic fitness and structural soundness. Though he created his method for runners, I am able to successfully apply it to my swimming. By the time I race Ironman, I want the 4000 meter swim to feel as easy to me as the 2000 does now since I will have a long day ahead of me when the swim is over.
Swim - 2000yd, 37 min - 400 free, 200 pull, 200 kick, 5 x 200 (50E/50M/50H/50E), 100 kick, 100 pull
Run - 2.5 miles, 20:02
Lower body/hips/core routine, Abs (300)
I ran fast today and my knee was ok! What a great feeling that is. With the minimal amount of running I have been doing lately, and with the slow pace, I am happy that I was able to spontaneously run 2.5 miles at just over my recent 5K race pace. This was a good test to know that my fitness is still on track.
Swimming 4-5 times per week is making a difference in how comfortable I feel in the water. Doing 2000 yards frequently seems more beneficial than doing 3000 or more just 2-3 times per week. At this point, 2000 feels like hardly a workout. My arms do not get sore either so I am able to recover completely in one day. Arthur Lydiard is a legendary running coach from New Zealand whose method emphasizes consistency with a slow pace to build a very strong base of aerobic fitness and structural soundness. Though he created his method for runners, I am able to successfully apply it to my swimming. By the time I race Ironman, I want the 4000 meter swim to feel as easy to me as the 2000 does now since I will have a long day ahead of me when the swim is over.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
numb toes
[2/7/06 Tuesday]
Swim - 2000m, 35:37 - 250 pull warm up, 10x150 w/ 20 sec rest, 250 pull cool down
Bike - 18 miles, 1:12 - outside ride, rolling hills, Hwy PD to Paoli
I had two great workouts today. I had exactly one hour to leave work, get to the pool, swim, and get back to work. With no frills in my swim or shower routine, I made it it 1:07. The swim itself was short, sweet, and to the point: short warm up and cool down with endurance repeats as the main set. I didn't need to bother with a workout card, because I had the workout memorized before I got there.
I am preparing for my bike trip to Hawaii and am concerned that only doing spin classes is not going to prepare me for the hills and longer rides. I decided to do an outdoor ride today. There is no snow on the ground and it is 30 degrees, so conditions, while not ideal, are acceptable. I rode one of my common routes of rolling hills. Next week I need to start working the hills even more, but this week I let myself ease into the outdoors. My toes were completely numb by the end, and I didn't have enough water with me, but other than that it was ok. I started to get cold by the end. My friend told me that while some people have relationship baggage, I have biking baggage. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but maybe it has something to do with enjoying certain rides more when they are over.
Techniques that I work on in spin class were helpful to think about on my real bike today, like: keep my shoulders down at all times, use the entire pedal stroke on flats, when hills get hard only pull up on the pedals. Getting the chance to practice these techniques on my real bike at the same time that I am re-learning them inside will hopefully help them stick in my mind as the weather warms up and I don't go to spinning anymore.
Even though it was 30 degrees outside and the water in my water bottle turned to ice today, the manure on the farmland that I biked through still smelled like manure.
Swim - 2000m, 35:37 - 250 pull warm up, 10x150 w/ 20 sec rest, 250 pull cool down
Bike - 18 miles, 1:12 - outside ride, rolling hills, Hwy PD to Paoli
I had two great workouts today. I had exactly one hour to leave work, get to the pool, swim, and get back to work. With no frills in my swim or shower routine, I made it it 1:07. The swim itself was short, sweet, and to the point: short warm up and cool down with endurance repeats as the main set. I didn't need to bother with a workout card, because I had the workout memorized before I got there.
I am preparing for my bike trip to Hawaii and am concerned that only doing spin classes is not going to prepare me for the hills and longer rides. I decided to do an outdoor ride today. There is no snow on the ground and it is 30 degrees, so conditions, while not ideal, are acceptable. I rode one of my common routes of rolling hills. Next week I need to start working the hills even more, but this week I let myself ease into the outdoors. My toes were completely numb by the end, and I didn't have enough water with me, but other than that it was ok. I started to get cold by the end. My friend told me that while some people have relationship baggage, I have biking baggage. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but maybe it has something to do with enjoying certain rides more when they are over.
Techniques that I work on in spin class were helpful to think about on my real bike today, like: keep my shoulders down at all times, use the entire pedal stroke on flats, when hills get hard only pull up on the pedals. Getting the chance to practice these techniques on my real bike at the same time that I am re-learning them inside will hopefully help them stick in my mind as the weather warms up and I don't go to spinning anymore.
Even though it was 30 degrees outside and the water in my water bottle turned to ice today, the manure on the farmland that I biked through still smelled like manure.
Monday, February 06, 2006
2006 Race Schedule
[2/6/06 Monday]
REST Day
My tentative race schedule for 2006 is:
April 2 - Shamrock Shuffle 8K - Chicago IL
April 29 - Crazy Legs Classic 8K - Madison WI
May 28 - Mad City Half Marathon - Madison WI
June 4 - Lake Mills Sprint Triathlon - Lake Mills WI
June 17 - Horribly Hilly Hundreds 100K Bike - Mount Horeb WI
July 1 - Pardeeville Sprint Triathlon - Pardeeville WI
July 15 - Lifetime Fitness Olympic Triathlon - Minneapolis MN
August 5 - Steelhead Ironman 70.3 - Benton Harbor, MI
September 3 - Cow Chip Classic 5K - Sauk Prairie WI
September 10 - Ironman Wisconsin - Madison WI
REST Day
My tentative race schedule for 2006 is:
April 2 - Shamrock Shuffle 8K - Chicago IL
April 29 - Crazy Legs Classic 8K - Madison WI
May 28 - Mad City Half Marathon - Madison WI
June 4 - Lake Mills Sprint Triathlon - Lake Mills WI
June 17 - Horribly Hilly Hundreds 100K Bike - Mount Horeb WI
July 1 - Pardeeville Sprint Triathlon - Pardeeville WI
July 15 - Lifetime Fitness Olympic Triathlon - Minneapolis MN
August 5 - Steelhead Ironman 70.3 - Benton Harbor, MI
September 3 - Cow Chip Classic 5K - Sauk Prairie WI
September 10 - Ironman Wisconsin - Madison WI
Sunday, February 05, 2006
digestion rollercoaster
[2/5/06 Sunday]
Run - 3 miles, 28:32
Swim - 2000yd, 34 min - main set as 800yd pyramid (13:44): 25 easy/25 hard, 50 easy/50 hard, 75easy/75 hard, 100easy/100 hard, 75 easy/75hard, 50easy/50 hard, 25easy/25 hard
Hip strength routine, Abs (100)
My "long run" of 3 miles went well today and my knee didn't hurt. As long as I continue to hold back on distance and pace, I think I will be back to normal running fairly soon. Overall, my body is feeling a little on the edge of tired and sore so I am looking forward to tomorrow's rest day.
[2/4/06 Saturday]
Run - 2 miles, 18:35
Bike - 2:15, 2 indoor spin classes back-to-back
As I have been increasing the amount of time I am training each day, my food is getting a little messed up. After long workouts like today, I get really hungry and then I eat too much and feel sick. Then some days I eat too little and feel lightheaded. When last season ended, it was hard to go from eating as much as was required to sustain training, to relatively little. Now it is the reverse problem. Eating has never been a problem for me, but now it seems that my body is having trouble digesting larger quantities.
Today's back-to-back spin classes were a pretty big jump in my long bike ride time for what I have been doing lately. Other than the food stuff, I felt fine and had no knee problems, even after running.
[2/3/06 Friday]
Rest Day
Not only did I take an unplanned rest day today, I ate a big bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese, a bunch of chocolate, and stayed up late even though I have a big workout early tomorrow morning. Days like this are sometimes necessary.
[2/2/06 Thursday]
Swim - 2000 yd, 37:48 - main set as drills, 5 x 100@ 1:36, 1:35, 1:34, 1:33, 1:32, 10 x 50 alternating hard/easy
Bike - 1:38, outside on mountain bike - broken into several rides: work commute, bike to gym and back home
Lower body and hip routine, Abs (300)
This was an exhausting day. All the biking as transportation was a fun way to get in a lot of biking without an official bike workout. I pushed pretty hard on my leg routine and can tell I am going to be sore.
Run - 3 miles, 28:32
Swim - 2000yd, 34 min - main set as 800yd pyramid (13:44): 25 easy/25 hard, 50 easy/50 hard, 75easy/75 hard, 100easy/100 hard, 75 easy/75hard, 50easy/50 hard, 25easy/25 hard
Hip strength routine, Abs (100)
My "long run" of 3 miles went well today and my knee didn't hurt. As long as I continue to hold back on distance and pace, I think I will be back to normal running fairly soon. Overall, my body is feeling a little on the edge of tired and sore so I am looking forward to tomorrow's rest day.
[2/4/06 Saturday]
Run - 2 miles, 18:35
Bike - 2:15, 2 indoor spin classes back-to-back
As I have been increasing the amount of time I am training each day, my food is getting a little messed up. After long workouts like today, I get really hungry and then I eat too much and feel sick. Then some days I eat too little and feel lightheaded. When last season ended, it was hard to go from eating as much as was required to sustain training, to relatively little. Now it is the reverse problem. Eating has never been a problem for me, but now it seems that my body is having trouble digesting larger quantities.
Today's back-to-back spin classes were a pretty big jump in my long bike ride time for what I have been doing lately. Other than the food stuff, I felt fine and had no knee problems, even after running.
[2/3/06 Friday]
Rest Day
Not only did I take an unplanned rest day today, I ate a big bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese, a bunch of chocolate, and stayed up late even though I have a big workout early tomorrow morning. Days like this are sometimes necessary.
[2/2/06 Thursday]
Swim - 2000 yd, 37:48 - main set as drills, 5 x 100@ 1:36, 1:35, 1:34, 1:33, 1:32, 10 x 50 alternating hard/easy
Bike - 1:38, outside on mountain bike - broken into several rides: work commute, bike to gym and back home
Lower body and hip routine, Abs (300)
This was an exhausting day. All the biking as transportation was a fun way to get in a lot of biking without an official bike workout. I pushed pretty hard on my leg routine and can tell I am going to be sore.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
hips and core
[2/1/06 Wednesday]
Swim - 2750 yd, 51:47 - mixed workout with 4 x 400
Run - 2 miles, 20 min - treadmill workout
Hip/Core Series
My runner's knee is a symptom of weak hip muscles that result in extra stress being put on the knee. In physical therapy I have been given a series of hip strengthening exercises. Regular lower body weight-lifting exercises that involve bending the knee are not good for my knee right now, so I have replaced it with a series of natural movement exercises for the lower body that target primarily the hips and core. This is my current routine:
1. Side step with elastic band around ankles (3 x 20 steps each direction)
2. Raised-knee walk with elastic band around ankles (3 x 20 steps each forward/backward)
3. Walk and raise knee as high as possible on each step (around 250 steps)
4. Side lunge (3 x 20 each direction)
5. Speed-skater step (3 x 10 each direction)
6. Speed-skater step and touch opposite side (3 x 10 each direction)
7. Speed-skater step and touch same side (3 x 10 each direction)
8. Outer adductor weight machine (4 x 15)
9. Standing calf raise (4 x 15)
[1/31/06 Tuesday]
Swim - 1750 yd, 33:41
Bike - 60 minute spin class
Upper body weights, Abs (300)
I went to the west side Princeton Club to swim this morning, which I don't usually do. I guess I should have checked the pool schedule because my swim got cut short when a water aerobics class started at 8am. I was planning to swim 3000yd but only made it to 1750. Sadly, I was totally in my groove of doing 400yd repeats with negative splits at the time.
Swim - 2750 yd, 51:47 - mixed workout with 4 x 400
Run - 2 miles, 20 min - treadmill workout
Hip/Core Series
My runner's knee is a symptom of weak hip muscles that result in extra stress being put on the knee. In physical therapy I have been given a series of hip strengthening exercises. Regular lower body weight-lifting exercises that involve bending the knee are not good for my knee right now, so I have replaced it with a series of natural movement exercises for the lower body that target primarily the hips and core. This is my current routine:
1. Side step with elastic band around ankles (3 x 20 steps each direction)
2. Raised-knee walk with elastic band around ankles (3 x 20 steps each forward/backward)
3. Walk and raise knee as high as possible on each step (around 250 steps)
4. Side lunge (3 x 20 each direction)
5. Speed-skater step (3 x 10 each direction)
6. Speed-skater step and touch opposite side (3 x 10 each direction)
7. Speed-skater step and touch same side (3 x 10 each direction)
8. Outer adductor weight machine (4 x 15)
9. Standing calf raise (4 x 15)
[1/31/06 Tuesday]
Swim - 1750 yd, 33:41
Bike - 60 minute spin class
Upper body weights, Abs (300)
I went to the west side Princeton Club to swim this morning, which I don't usually do. I guess I should have checked the pool schedule because my swim got cut short when a water aerobics class started at 8am. I was planning to swim 3000yd but only made it to 1750. Sadly, I was totally in my groove of doing 400yd repeats with negative splits at the time.
Monday, January 30, 2006
eating for performance
[1/30/06 Monday]
REST Day
I am gradually working on optimizing my diet for performance. Generally I eat very healthy, mostly vegetarian, with occasional salmon or tuna. A rule of thumb that I attempt to go by as much as possible is 'if it does not occur in nature, don't eat it'. That means I eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, plain yogurt, egg whites. My daily caloric intake during base training period (right now) is usually 2000-3000 depending on how long the day's workout was. During the summer when I do high volume training, my daily calories are more like 3500-4000.
This is a typical weekday for me:
Breakfast (7 am) - 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal (measured dry) with flax meal and wheat germ, small glass of orange juice
Morning Snack (10 am) - piece of fruit
Lunch (noon) - Hummus, spinach, sprouts, avocado sandwich on whole wheat, piece of fruit
Afternoon Snack (3pm)- handful of almonds and dried apricots, Clif Bar (post-workout)
Dinner (6:30pm)- sliced tofu fried in Indian spices and olive oil, steamed kale, sweet potato (plain)
Evening Snack - (9 pm) air-popped popcorn (plain or with brewer's yeast), decaf green tea
I am reading a book now on how to be a vegan and an endurance athlete - Thrive by Brendan Brazier. This is a great book and I would recommend that all athletes interested in nutrition read what Brendan has to say (look at www.brendanbrazier.com to get started). I saw Brendan speak at last year's Vancouver Marathon expo where he demostrated making homemade vegan energy bars. A main point he makes is that to enhance daily recovery, it is important to choose foods that do not create further stress within the body. It is important to choose foods that create an alkaline state within the body since hard exercise makes the body acidic.
REST Day
I am gradually working on optimizing my diet for performance. Generally I eat very healthy, mostly vegetarian, with occasional salmon or tuna. A rule of thumb that I attempt to go by as much as possible is 'if it does not occur in nature, don't eat it'. That means I eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, plain yogurt, egg whites. My daily caloric intake during base training period (right now) is usually 2000-3000 depending on how long the day's workout was. During the summer when I do high volume training, my daily calories are more like 3500-4000.
This is a typical weekday for me:
Breakfast (7 am) - 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal (measured dry) with flax meal and wheat germ, small glass of orange juice
Morning Snack (10 am) - piece of fruit
Lunch (noon) - Hummus, spinach, sprouts, avocado sandwich on whole wheat, piece of fruit
Afternoon Snack (3pm)- handful of almonds and dried apricots, Clif Bar (post-workout)
Dinner (6:30pm)- sliced tofu fried in Indian spices and olive oil, steamed kale, sweet potato (plain)
Evening Snack - (9 pm) air-popped popcorn (plain or with brewer's yeast), decaf green tea
I am reading a book now on how to be a vegan and an endurance athlete - Thrive by Brendan Brazier. This is a great book and I would recommend that all athletes interested in nutrition read what Brendan has to say (look at www.brendanbrazier.com to get started). I saw Brendan speak at last year's Vancouver Marathon expo where he demostrated making homemade vegan energy bars. A main point he makes is that to enhance daily recovery, it is important to choose foods that do not create further stress within the body. It is important to choose foods that create an alkaline state within the body since hard exercise makes the body acidic.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
nothing special
[1/29/06 Sunday]
Run - 2.5 miles, 25 minutes
Swim - 2000 yd, 36 minutes - with 1 mile time trial and short warm up/cool down
Run - 2.5 miles, 25 minutes
Swim - 2000 yd, 36 minutes - with 1 mile time trial and short warm up/cool down
Saturday, January 28, 2006
biking hat makes the day
[1/28/06 Saturday]
Bike - 1:05, spin class - various terrain while attempting to stay in 65-75% heart rate zone
Run - 1 mile, 9:30
Abs (300), Lower body strength and hips
I know I am not supposed to be doing bike/run bricks right now, but I couldn't help doing a mini run after the bike. My legs and knee were feeling good... well, my knee was ever so slightly tight, but like I said, I couldn't help it. I feel like I am in great shape and it is hard to hold back sometimes.
I got a cute biking hat that keeps my hair out of my face. When I gave myself a haircut a few weeks ago, I cut it too short to put back, but it is still long enough to get hot. A biking hat is the kind of detail that can make all the difference in a workout.
The winter regulars are gradually starting to come back to the saturday morning spin class. Several of them are training for Ironman. I like training with others around that are strong athletes and I like feeling like part of a gym community.
Bike - 1:05, spin class - various terrain while attempting to stay in 65-75% heart rate zone
Run - 1 mile, 9:30
Abs (300), Lower body strength and hips
I know I am not supposed to be doing bike/run bricks right now, but I couldn't help doing a mini run after the bike. My legs and knee were feeling good... well, my knee was ever so slightly tight, but like I said, I couldn't help it. I feel like I am in great shape and it is hard to hold back sometimes.
I got a cute biking hat that keeps my hair out of my face. When I gave myself a haircut a few weeks ago, I cut it too short to put back, but it is still long enough to get hot. A biking hat is the kind of detail that can make all the difference in a workout.
The winter regulars are gradually starting to come back to the saturday morning spin class. Several of them are training for Ironman. I like training with others around that are strong athletes and I like feeling like part of a gym community.
Friday, January 27, 2006
shorts in january
[1/27/06 Friday]
Run - 2.3 miles, 20:40
I did today's run outside thanks to another 50 degree January day in Wisconsin. I even wore shorts. I ran the whole way with no knee pain and felt good.
[1/26/06 Thursday]
Swim - 2000yd, 39:08 - main set as 7 x 150 build w/ fastest split 2:15
Bike - 60 minute spin class
Abs (300, again!)
Run - 2.3 miles, 20:40
I did today's run outside thanks to another 50 degree January day in Wisconsin. I even wore shorts. I ran the whole way with no knee pain and felt good.
[1/26/06 Thursday]
Swim - 2000yd, 39:08 - main set as 7 x 150 build w/ fastest split 2:15
Bike - 60 minute spin class
Abs (300, again!)
breakthrough discoveries
[1/25/06 Wednesday]
Swim - 2200m, 41:00
Run - 2.6 miles, 27:41
Abs (300), Hips
It was a great day for workout discoveries today.
1) I think I finally figured out how not to drop my elbow in my freestyle swim stroke. This is something I never really understood how to do before. I realized that I have been bending my arms too much on the catch phase of the stroke. If I keep my arm straighter and reach more as though I am trying to touch the bottom of the pool, I can generate noticeably more power. I have long arms and this allows me to take full advantage of them by pulling more water with each stroke.
2) If I run as part of a bike/run brick, my knee is going to hurt. If I run on days that I don't bike, I will be able to run without pain. I don't know why I was doing all those bricks for the past two weeks. It is not necessary at this point of the year, and it just puts extra stress on my knee.
3) Running slow is better than not running at all. I need to fight the urge to run at an 8 minute pace at all times. Going at a 10 minute pace right now seems to be ok for my knee.
4) My ab routine has been getting stale and too easy lately. The author of a book I have been reading on how to coach swimming says that he has his swimmers do a minimum of 300 sit-ups and 100 push ups each day. I am going to incorporate that strategy into my training, but gradually. Today I started with the 300. I like to do a variety of exercises that work different parts of the abs, so instead of just sit-ups I am going to do 300 reps of any combination of ab exercises. It was a challenge to get to 300, but I made it and felt the burn.
Swim - 2200m, 41:00
Run - 2.6 miles, 27:41
Abs (300), Hips
It was a great day for workout discoveries today.
1) I think I finally figured out how not to drop my elbow in my freestyle swim stroke. This is something I never really understood how to do before. I realized that I have been bending my arms too much on the catch phase of the stroke. If I keep my arm straighter and reach more as though I am trying to touch the bottom of the pool, I can generate noticeably more power. I have long arms and this allows me to take full advantage of them by pulling more water with each stroke.
2) If I run as part of a bike/run brick, my knee is going to hurt. If I run on days that I don't bike, I will be able to run without pain. I don't know why I was doing all those bricks for the past two weeks. It is not necessary at this point of the year, and it just puts extra stress on my knee.
3) Running slow is better than not running at all. I need to fight the urge to run at an 8 minute pace at all times. Going at a 10 minute pace right now seems to be ok for my knee.
4) My ab routine has been getting stale and too easy lately. The author of a book I have been reading on how to coach swimming says that he has his swimmers do a minimum of 300 sit-ups and 100 push ups each day. I am going to incorporate that strategy into my training, but gradually. Today I started with the 300. I like to do a variety of exercises that work different parts of the abs, so instead of just sit-ups I am going to do 300 reps of any combination of ab exercises. It was a challenge to get to 300, but I made it and felt the burn.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
kona, here i come
i just bought my ticket to hawaii... kona, here i come!
in february i am going to hawaii for 3 weeks to swim, bike, and run the Big Island, and do some sightseeing in Oahu. it can't hurt to test out the Ironman World Championships course now... even though I won't be participating for a long long time.
in february i am going to hawaii for 3 weeks to swim, bike, and run the Big Island, and do some sightseeing in Oahu. it can't hurt to test out the Ironman World Championships course now... even though I won't be participating for a long long time.
protein power banana bars
[1/24/06 Tuesday]
Swim - 3000m, 55:43 -
450 free, 100 kick, 450 pull, 6 x 25, 4 x 50, 400 pull, 2 x 200, 500 free, 14 x 25 as 2 easy, 3 B5, 2 B7, 3 B3, 3 B5, 2 easy
Here's a tidbit from issue 2 of my unpublished zine Trigirls:
Last issue included an article reviewing various commercial energy bars. It got me thinking, if I eat so many of these, couldn’t I come up with a few good homemade recipes and make them in mass quantities? For me, the perfect energy bar has lots of protein, is not overly sweet, has a moist texture, and contains no partially hydrogenated oils.
Protein Power Banana Bars
I came up with this recipe myself. I started with a basic recipe for banana bread and substituted whole-grain and higher protein alternative ingredients. The bars are dense and cake-like.
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup protein powder (chocolate is good)
about 4 ripe bananas
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup water (or adjust to get batter-like consistency)
mini chocolate chips (as many as you like, optional)
Mix together dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then combine them. Put in a greased pan (13 x 9). Bake for around 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool, cut in squares, and wrap each square in plastic wrap for portable individual treats. Makes 15 bars.
Swim - 3000m, 55:43 -
450 free, 100 kick, 450 pull, 6 x 25, 4 x 50, 400 pull, 2 x 200, 500 free, 14 x 25 as 2 easy, 3 B5, 2 B7, 3 B3, 3 B5, 2 easy
Here's a tidbit from issue 2 of my unpublished zine Trigirls:
Last issue included an article reviewing various commercial energy bars. It got me thinking, if I eat so many of these, couldn’t I come up with a few good homemade recipes and make them in mass quantities? For me, the perfect energy bar has lots of protein, is not overly sweet, has a moist texture, and contains no partially hydrogenated oils.
Protein Power Banana Bars
I came up with this recipe myself. I started with a basic recipe for banana bread and substituted whole-grain and higher protein alternative ingredients. The bars are dense and cake-like.
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup protein powder (chocolate is good)
about 4 ripe bananas
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup water (or adjust to get batter-like consistency)
mini chocolate chips (as many as you like, optional)
Mix together dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then combine them. Put in a greased pan (13 x 9). Bake for around 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool, cut in squares, and wrap each square in plastic wrap for portable individual treats. Makes 15 bars.
Monday, January 23, 2006
shred of hope
[1/23/06 Monday]
Rest Day
My knee feels better with an ace bandage on it. I am not limping at all today. This gives me a shred of hope.
[1/22/06 Sunday]
Swim - 3000yd, 58 min - Main set as 4 x 200, did some drills with hand paddles
Lower body weights, abs
I did the entire swim with a pull buoy to avoid any stress on my knee. Even swimming with a normal kick irritates it now. It is frustrating because for the past two months I have been taking it very easy, and still my knee is not recovered. This makes me cranky.
I attempted to do lower body weights without affecting my knee today. That was kind of challenging. I basically just did isolation exercises for everything except my quads and hamstrings. I walked one lap around the track bringing my knees up as high as possible on each step. That was great for my hip flexors which were feeling the burn by the end.
[1/21/06 Saturday]
Bike - 75 minutes - easy aerobic (indoor, spin class)
Run - 2.8 miles, 25 min - 2 x 1 miles @ 8:37, 8:47 with recovery
Weights (shoulders, arms), abs
This felt like the closest thing to a real workout I have done in a long time. 1:45 of good old biking and running, then weights to top it off and completely tire me out. It was a lot of fun. The only problem was that I started feeling my runner's knee about 10 minutes into the bike. Maybe I should have stopped right away when I felt it, but I kept going and just did high cadence spinning instead of the hills. I really wanted to run, so I did, but it got worse the more I did. As I was running, I was wondering how many weeks of no running would have to follow this workout. It is really hard to not run when all I want to do is run. I am jealous of people who can. Going only 2 miles at a time feels like nothing. After I am healed, I will be grateful for every normal run I can go on.
Rest Day
My knee feels better with an ace bandage on it. I am not limping at all today. This gives me a shred of hope.
[1/22/06 Sunday]
Swim - 3000yd, 58 min - Main set as 4 x 200, did some drills with hand paddles
Lower body weights, abs
I did the entire swim with a pull buoy to avoid any stress on my knee. Even swimming with a normal kick irritates it now. It is frustrating because for the past two months I have been taking it very easy, and still my knee is not recovered. This makes me cranky.
I attempted to do lower body weights without affecting my knee today. That was kind of challenging. I basically just did isolation exercises for everything except my quads and hamstrings. I walked one lap around the track bringing my knees up as high as possible on each step. That was great for my hip flexors which were feeling the burn by the end.
[1/21/06 Saturday]
Bike - 75 minutes - easy aerobic (indoor, spin class)
Run - 2.8 miles, 25 min - 2 x 1 miles @ 8:37, 8:47 with recovery
Weights (shoulders, arms), abs
This felt like the closest thing to a real workout I have done in a long time. 1:45 of good old biking and running, then weights to top it off and completely tire me out. It was a lot of fun. The only problem was that I started feeling my runner's knee about 10 minutes into the bike. Maybe I should have stopped right away when I felt it, but I kept going and just did high cadence spinning instead of the hills. I really wanted to run, so I did, but it got worse the more I did. As I was running, I was wondering how many weeks of no running would have to follow this workout. It is really hard to not run when all I want to do is run. I am jealous of people who can. Going only 2 miles at a time feels like nothing. After I am healed, I will be grateful for every normal run I can go on.
Friday, January 20, 2006
is there such a thing as "fast" water?
[1/20/06 Friday]
Swim - 2000m, 40:10 - with 1000m time trial (16:40)
This is the second fastest I have done this time trial. The fastest was last November when I clocked in five seconds faster at 16:35. I went to the university pool today and was reminded of how much I like that pool. It is meters (not yards), the lanes are wide, it is not too chlorinated, and it is deep. I have heard that deep cold pools are "fast". That might be true because my meter length swim times are always comparable to my yard length swim times in the usual warm shallow pool that I swim in.
I am starting to feel my runner's knee a little in the past two days. It is not painful at all, but it worries me that I can feel it. I think that the long swim kick set I did early in the week may have been hard on it.
[1/19/06 Thursday]
REST DAY
I had three hours in the middle of the day scheduled to do my workout today. I was planning to go to the gym to do a bike/run brick. My other option was to stay home and crawl into bed for a nice long nap. This is rare for me, but today I picked the nap and called it a rest day. My body was feeling tired and my eyes were sleepy, so I think it was a good call.
Swim - 2000m, 40:10 - with 1000m time trial (16:40)
This is the second fastest I have done this time trial. The fastest was last November when I clocked in five seconds faster at 16:35. I went to the university pool today and was reminded of how much I like that pool. It is meters (not yards), the lanes are wide, it is not too chlorinated, and it is deep. I have heard that deep cold pools are "fast". That might be true because my meter length swim times are always comparable to my yard length swim times in the usual warm shallow pool that I swim in.
I am starting to feel my runner's knee a little in the past two days. It is not painful at all, but it worries me that I can feel it. I think that the long swim kick set I did early in the week may have been hard on it.
[1/19/06 Thursday]
REST DAY
I had three hours in the middle of the day scheduled to do my workout today. I was planning to go to the gym to do a bike/run brick. My other option was to stay home and crawl into bed for a nice long nap. This is rare for me, but today I picked the nap and called it a rest day. My body was feeling tired and my eyes were sleepy, so I think it was a good call.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
walkers in the pool
[Wednesday, 1/17/06]
Swim: 2600yd, 52:50 - with 700 kick drills, Avg Heart Rate 131/ Max 146
I took the day off from work today and got to go swim early. I forgot that the crowd at the Princeton Club pool around 8am is mostly walkers... very slow walkers, and none of them seem to like getting wet. This morning I was surrounded on both sides by people doubled up in lanes walking. It was hard to do my hard kick sets and not splash anyone, though I tried to dodge them by moving back and forth between the sides of my lane. During the freestyle sets, it is good practice to try to swim without making any splash. I think that if you are in a pool though, you can't be too upset if you get wet. I try to be courteous though, because I have gotten some pretty bad looks.
I don't usually weigh myself, but I did today and I am one pound less than I have ever been... I am down to 136.
[Tuesday, 1/18/06]
Bike (indoor) - 30 min - with 8 min in a hard gear at low cadence
Run - 2.4 miles, 23 minutes - with 2 x 1 mile at 8:25 pace
Bike - 30 min - with 8 min in a hard gear at low cadence
Weights - Chest, Back, Abs
Breaking up the brick into Bike/Run/Bike was a fun way to work out. Biking inside on a spin bike gets a little mentally tough after a while, so this gave me a way to not get bored. Plus, the biking acted as a good warm-up and cool down for the run. Today's run is the farthest I have gone since recovering from my knee injury. My knee was feeling fine, so this is a good sign. Doing weights after the bike/run/bike made this workout get kind of long but I made myself do it. I guess I am getting stronger, because I was able to go up in weight on almost every exercise I did. All in all, this workout was great because the visible improvements I am making at this time of the season make me optimistic for what I am goingn to be able to achieve later in the year.
I gave myself a haircut tonight. My shoulder length hair has been dragging me down and becoming more and more of a pain to deal with before, during, and after my workouts. I cut it to chin length and layered the back substantially. It feels a lot lighter on my head now... maybe that will make me faster :)
Swim: 2600yd, 52:50 - with 700 kick drills, Avg Heart Rate 131/ Max 146
I took the day off from work today and got to go swim early. I forgot that the crowd at the Princeton Club pool around 8am is mostly walkers... very slow walkers, and none of them seem to like getting wet. This morning I was surrounded on both sides by people doubled up in lanes walking. It was hard to do my hard kick sets and not splash anyone, though I tried to dodge them by moving back and forth between the sides of my lane. During the freestyle sets, it is good practice to try to swim without making any splash. I think that if you are in a pool though, you can't be too upset if you get wet. I try to be courteous though, because I have gotten some pretty bad looks.
I don't usually weigh myself, but I did today and I am one pound less than I have ever been... I am down to 136.
[Tuesday, 1/18/06]
Bike (indoor) - 30 min - with 8 min in a hard gear at low cadence
Run - 2.4 miles, 23 minutes - with 2 x 1 mile at 8:25 pace
Bike - 30 min - with 8 min in a hard gear at low cadence
Weights - Chest, Back, Abs
Breaking up the brick into Bike/Run/Bike was a fun way to work out. Biking inside on a spin bike gets a little mentally tough after a while, so this gave me a way to not get bored. Plus, the biking acted as a good warm-up and cool down for the run. Today's run is the farthest I have gone since recovering from my knee injury. My knee was feeling fine, so this is a good sign. Doing weights after the bike/run/bike made this workout get kind of long but I made myself do it. I guess I am getting stronger, because I was able to go up in weight on almost every exercise I did. All in all, this workout was great because the visible improvements I am making at this time of the season make me optimistic for what I am goingn to be able to achieve later in the year.
I gave myself a haircut tonight. My shoulder length hair has been dragging me down and becoming more and more of a pain to deal with before, during, and after my workouts. I cut it to chin length and layered the back substantially. It feels a lot lighter on my head now... maybe that will make me faster :)
Monday, January 16, 2006
adventures in buying gear: the bike
Last year I started a zine called TriGirls and published a great first issue... but then financial constraints and some mental blocks prevented me from publishing the next issue. I wrote the second issue almost to completion and several readers have asked me to publish it. I like the idea of having a piece of paper in hand to read rather than just reading something online. Alas, I am going to do what I don't like and put the articles online because it is easier and cheaper. This is the first one.
Adventures in Buying Gear: The Bike
(written in february 2005)
In mid-January 2005, I went to the Cronometro Bike Swap, a local bike shop’s expo of used gear and sale stuff with booths by individuals and retailers. This is a paradise for bikers in need of gear. You can get padded shorts, slightly used jerseys, and other clothes for as low as $10. I saw a complete set of used panniers for $20, tons of new and used shoes around $30, and pretty much everything a biker would need. You could build a great bike from scratch by buying parts at the Bike Swap, if you were so inclined. And yes, they also had complete used bikes for sale by individuals. I went in with the idea that I would buy a triathlon bike if I found the right one. After a cursory browse through the booths, I had narrowed it down four contenders which I then checked out in full detail:
1. Quintana Roo tri bike $1500
It was a beautiful dark blue (my preferred color), had full aerobars and aeroframe, had a rear disc wheel, and included a computer. The guy selling it clearly loved the bike and told me he had done several races on it. It was in very good condition and looked like it might fit me, but sadly turned out to be way too small. Given that it was a size 53 and the owner was several inches shorter than me, this wasn’t very surprising. According to my biodynamic fitting, I am more like a size 56. In every instance that I have talked about buying a bike with male salesmen who are also bikers themselves, they cannot believe that I need a bike that large. Who knew that so many male egos are connected to bike frame size? Anyone ever heard of a woman with long legs? This bike was definitely out.
2. Cervelo P2K tri bike $1900
My second contender was a bright red Cervelo P2K, size 56. It could have been my dream bike, but closer inspection revealed that it wasn’t in very good shape. It included disc wheels, aerobars, and computer, but had clearly been ridden a lot and/or not taken very good care of. The brake pads were worn, and there was duct tape holding a cable and part of the aerobars together. The wheels weren’t exactly straight, as when inspected with frontal view while spining, they were dented, maybe from a pothole. Disk wheels are not good for everyday training rides, so this bike would require a whole new wheelset. The frame was also somewhat scratched up. Not worth the price. Oh well.
3. Fuji road bike $1200
This bike looked brand new, despite the fact that the owner had ridden it over a thousand miles and used it in last year’s Wisconsin Ironman. It was a road frame though, not specifically a triathlon geometry, and only mid-range quality. The components were Shimano 105, which is what I was looking to upgrade. After measuring the frame with a tape measure and referring to my biodynamic fitting report, a knowledgeable salesperson determined that the size could work with some adjustment, but it would never fit me like a glove. The top tube was too long for my short torso and therefore the reach would never be quite right. This just wasn’t the perfect bike for me.
4. Cannondale tri bike $1600
My final contender is the bike that I purchased, and it was an extremely lucky find. The frame is a Cannondale Multisport 700, 2002 model in bright yellow with silver and black. Nothing from the original setup remains other than the frame, because everything else had been upgraded by the previous owner. It was a steal for $1600 (including everything but the handlebars). The frame and components are in perfect condition, taken very good care of. It has a full aero frame, carbon aero fork, Selle Italia carbon seat, Thompson carbon seatpost, Mavic Kyserium SSL wheels, complete Dura-Ace components, and Cane Creek 200SL brakes. The aerobars it came with were uncomfortable for my wrists when I test rode it, so I purchased it without them. The seller agreed to reduce the price from $1800 to $1600. I test rode the bike indoors in the exhibition space, up and down the aisle. This wasn’t much, but I got a sense that it fit well even with no adjustments. The frame measurements matched those on my biodynamic fitting report. (Later, while doing my final adjustments at the bike shop, the mechanic told me that other than a custom frame, no bike could fit me better. Awesome!) This bike is so light, I can bicep curl it with one arm. For the aerobar setup, I decided on a Profile Design bullhorn bar (40 inch), and Syntace C2 Clip aerobars. I wanted my aerobar setup to be comparable in quality and proportional weight to the bike itself. It took about a month and a half to get all the parts I needed and have the final adjustments made, which seemed like an eternity of looking at an unbelievablely fast yet unrideable racing machine sitting in my living room. There was snow on the ground so I couldn’t have taken it out anyway. It was a complete stroke of luck that I found this great bike with high-end components at such a good price. It would have cost probably $1000 more had I bought everything new.
There was some tweaking and additional parts to get besides the bike itself. This will be a continuous work in progress. Here is the complete rundown of my bike setup (as of Feb 2005):
Cannondale 2002 Tri-bike (used) $1600
Profile Design Bullhorn handlebar $30
Syntace C2 Clip-on Aerobars $150
Profile Design Stem $30
Speedplay X2 Pedals $165
SIDI T-1 Shoes $150
Water System: aero bottle, regular water bottles, carbon cage, dual rear cage $100
Bento Box $15
Computer $35
Biodynamic fitting $165
Labor for final setup and adjustments $70
Adventures in Buying Gear: The Bike
(written in february 2005)
In mid-January 2005, I went to the Cronometro Bike Swap, a local bike shop’s expo of used gear and sale stuff with booths by individuals and retailers. This is a paradise for bikers in need of gear. You can get padded shorts, slightly used jerseys, and other clothes for as low as $10. I saw a complete set of used panniers for $20, tons of new and used shoes around $30, and pretty much everything a biker would need. You could build a great bike from scratch by buying parts at the Bike Swap, if you were so inclined. And yes, they also had complete used bikes for sale by individuals. I went in with the idea that I would buy a triathlon bike if I found the right one. After a cursory browse through the booths, I had narrowed it down four contenders which I then checked out in full detail:
1. Quintana Roo tri bike $1500
It was a beautiful dark blue (my preferred color), had full aerobars and aeroframe, had a rear disc wheel, and included a computer. The guy selling it clearly loved the bike and told me he had done several races on it. It was in very good condition and looked like it might fit me, but sadly turned out to be way too small. Given that it was a size 53 and the owner was several inches shorter than me, this wasn’t very surprising. According to my biodynamic fitting, I am more like a size 56. In every instance that I have talked about buying a bike with male salesmen who are also bikers themselves, they cannot believe that I need a bike that large. Who knew that so many male egos are connected to bike frame size? Anyone ever heard of a woman with long legs? This bike was definitely out.
2. Cervelo P2K tri bike $1900
My second contender was a bright red Cervelo P2K, size 56. It could have been my dream bike, but closer inspection revealed that it wasn’t in very good shape. It included disc wheels, aerobars, and computer, but had clearly been ridden a lot and/or not taken very good care of. The brake pads were worn, and there was duct tape holding a cable and part of the aerobars together. The wheels weren’t exactly straight, as when inspected with frontal view while spining, they were dented, maybe from a pothole. Disk wheels are not good for everyday training rides, so this bike would require a whole new wheelset. The frame was also somewhat scratched up. Not worth the price. Oh well.
3. Fuji road bike $1200
This bike looked brand new, despite the fact that the owner had ridden it over a thousand miles and used it in last year’s Wisconsin Ironman. It was a road frame though, not specifically a triathlon geometry, and only mid-range quality. The components were Shimano 105, which is what I was looking to upgrade. After measuring the frame with a tape measure and referring to my biodynamic fitting report, a knowledgeable salesperson determined that the size could work with some adjustment, but it would never fit me like a glove. The top tube was too long for my short torso and therefore the reach would never be quite right. This just wasn’t the perfect bike for me.
4. Cannondale tri bike $1600
My final contender is the bike that I purchased, and it was an extremely lucky find. The frame is a Cannondale Multisport 700, 2002 model in bright yellow with silver and black. Nothing from the original setup remains other than the frame, because everything else had been upgraded by the previous owner. It was a steal for $1600 (including everything but the handlebars). The frame and components are in perfect condition, taken very good care of. It has a full aero frame, carbon aero fork, Selle Italia carbon seat, Thompson carbon seatpost, Mavic Kyserium SSL wheels, complete Dura-Ace components, and Cane Creek 200SL brakes. The aerobars it came with were uncomfortable for my wrists when I test rode it, so I purchased it without them. The seller agreed to reduce the price from $1800 to $1600. I test rode the bike indoors in the exhibition space, up and down the aisle. This wasn’t much, but I got a sense that it fit well even with no adjustments. The frame measurements matched those on my biodynamic fitting report. (Later, while doing my final adjustments at the bike shop, the mechanic told me that other than a custom frame, no bike could fit me better. Awesome!) This bike is so light, I can bicep curl it with one arm. For the aerobar setup, I decided on a Profile Design bullhorn bar (40 inch), and Syntace C2 Clip aerobars. I wanted my aerobar setup to be comparable in quality and proportional weight to the bike itself. It took about a month and a half to get all the parts I needed and have the final adjustments made, which seemed like an eternity of looking at an unbelievablely fast yet unrideable racing machine sitting in my living room. There was snow on the ground so I couldn’t have taken it out anyway. It was a complete stroke of luck that I found this great bike with high-end components at such a good price. It would have cost probably $1000 more had I bought everything new.
There was some tweaking and additional parts to get besides the bike itself. This will be a continuous work in progress. Here is the complete rundown of my bike setup (as of Feb 2005):
Cannondale 2002 Tri-bike (used) $1600
Profile Design Bullhorn handlebar $30
Syntace C2 Clip-on Aerobars $150
Profile Design Stem $30
Speedplay X2 Pedals $165
SIDI T-1 Shoes $150
Water System: aero bottle, regular water bottles, carbon cage, dual rear cage $100
Bento Box $15
Computer $35
Biodynamic fitting $165
Labor for final setup and adjustments $70
Sunday, January 15, 2006
as promised, boot camp class made me sore
[1/15/06]
Swim - 2000yd, 36:52 - main set as 5 x 100 build, 10 x 50 alternate easy/hard
[1/14/06]
Cross country ski - about 60 minutes
Bike - around town, around 10 miles i think - about 60 minutes
At my boot camp workout on Friday, the trainer said that since it was my first time at the class, I should go easy or I would be so sore that I wouldn't be able to do anything for a week. I only partially listened to this... and now only some of my muscles will be out of commission for a week. My hip flexors, glutes, and calves feel like I just ran a hard marathon. I had trouble walking yesterday. I actually think of it as a good thing because the class allowed me to find some weak spots in my body that need to be worked on. The fact that my upper body is not sore at all makes me think I have been doing a good job strengthening it with weight-lifting. I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day because I feel pretty toasted overall after pushing my body through the weekend workouts despite my sore legs.
Swim - 2000yd, 36:52 - main set as 5 x 100 build, 10 x 50 alternate easy/hard
[1/14/06]
Cross country ski - about 60 minutes
Bike - around town, around 10 miles i think - about 60 minutes
At my boot camp workout on Friday, the trainer said that since it was my first time at the class, I should go easy or I would be so sore that I wouldn't be able to do anything for a week. I only partially listened to this... and now only some of my muscles will be out of commission for a week. My hip flexors, glutes, and calves feel like I just ran a hard marathon. I had trouble walking yesterday. I actually think of it as a good thing because the class allowed me to find some weak spots in my body that need to be worked on. The fact that my upper body is not sore at all makes me think I have been doing a good job strengthening it with weight-lifting. I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day because I feel pretty toasted overall after pushing my body through the weekend workouts despite my sore legs.
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