sun sun sun

Bike 3 hours with 2 x 8 min hard, 1x12 min hard, 2x20 min hard
[~50 miles, Mansfield Dam Loop]
The scenery is beautiful on this ride.... too bad I had my head down hammering those intervals for so much of it... it was no joke on those, that is for sure. I just did the same ones on Wednesday but this time I also had 2x20min and 2 additional hours of riding. I was strong for most of it but lost focus on the last 20 minute interval.

I lost my game in the last hour. I wasn't even that tired, just sort of bored and unfocused. I had to add time to the loop by adding extra miles and I got a little lost so I spent mental energy trying to find my way back instead of pedaling hard. I think I'd be better riding for miles rather than time so I have an incentive to get it done faster. I am a bit disappointed about not nailing this ride but I'm moving forward. At least I got in the time.

Brick Run - 30 minutes with 15 min easy/15 min@marathon pace[28:39 for 3.5 miles (8:11 average pace)]
The run was good. I notice that when I start a run off the bike, my heart rate gets really high at first and my breathing a bit out of control. If I stay with this for about a mile, then walk for a minute or so to get calmed down, I can turn on my running speed as usual. The walking break makes a huge difference for some reason.

During Workout Nutrition-
32 oz water, 2 nuun tablets, 3 scoops Clif Electrolyte, 1 packet Justin's Nut Butter, 100 calorie pack of Girl Scout cookies
I probably could have had more water but this was enough calories to start the run feeling fueled. Breakfast was power oatmeal and an orange.

burpee breakthrough

Crossfit 7's
7 rounds for time:
7 burpees
7 squats
[6:32]
I had a breakthrough in my burpee technique today. Until now I have been stepping back instead of jumping to go down, then jumping to get up. Stepping is a lot slower than jumping so I decided that it is time to stop using it as a crutch. The mind is a powerful thing, and I was able to do it no problem. I kept my legs a little further apart and that made it much easier - less flexibility required. I did all of these sets jumping and it actually made the burpees easier than they used to feel. You know what? I think that I *like* burpees!


Pushup Challenge
12-13-10-10-15
I have realized that my original goal of 100 real pushups in 6 weeks is not realistic for me. I couldn't even do the workouts in the second week. It is now week 3 and am now aiming for 100 knee pushups. That will be an accomplishment itself. After I do that, I can restart the challenge with real pushups.


Swim 3000yd
[57 minutes]
- 150/200/250/200/150 with 20 sec rec, even stroke count [16-17 strokes/25yd]
- 3x150 negative split [2:27,2:23,2:18]
- 10x25 hard on 30 seconds [all 20-21 sec]
It took my shoulders about 20 minutes to get warm and forget about the fact that they had just done 49 burpees and 50 pushups. After that this swim felt good.  Last time I trained my stroke count, I was always around 18 / 25yds. Now, 16 feels normal. I can tell I am more in tune with stretching and rolling on each stroke to take advantage of how far I can go with my long arms. Yay for progress there.

long run, tacos, and sprained toe

Run 90 minutes: 3mi@9min pace (easy), 2 mi@8min pace, 2mi@9 min pace, 3x1200m hard w/ 5 min
[1:38, 11 miles with first 3 miles hilly, 1200's: 5:31, 5:46, 5:30 (~7:25 pace)]

I was totally psyched for this run because long runs are my favorite workout of the week. Unfortunately my body was not as psyched as my mind. I had GI issues in the first two miles (even though my stomach was empty) and had to stop to find a restroom. I had to walk some and this completely broke up the run and my head got lost. After the rest stop, I was able to continue but.... The 9 minute pace wasn't feeling "easy". I was able to hold the 8 minute pace for 2 miles, but it was definitely feeling harder than it should have. The 1200's were pretty much all out and I know I can run those much faster than a 7:25 pace. My legs are not sore, and they aren't feeling a burn of lactic acid buildup. They just weren't flowing this morning. I was starving after the run and rewarded myself for not giving up by getting some breakfast tacos on the way to work: 3 egg and potato tacos with hot salsa from Taco Cabana, 660 calories.

Oh yeah, and it turns out my toe is sprained. I stubbed my fourth toe on a chair on Tuesday night. It wasn't that bad at first but now it's completely swollen and purple. Luckily it's on the top of the toe so I can still run on it.

wednesday brick

Bike 1 hour with 2x8 min hard/3 min rec, 1x12 min hard
[1:05 total with 2x8min: 2.59mi, 2.61mi, 1x12min: 3.59mi (headwind)]
I did the intervals on the Shoal Creek/Great Northern loop which is pretty much flat. There was some wind today. I averaged around 20mph on my road bike and had to work for it. These were fun. I'm getting into the groove here, noticing that all the workouts have intervals so I get used to doing them. I am getting used to putting out a hard effort, which is exactly what I need to be comfortable with on race day.

Brick Run 30 minutes as 15 min moderate, 15 min mod/hard
[1.85 miles out in 16:14 (8:46 pace), 1.85 miles back in 14:28 (7:49 pace)]
The way out felt like torture - tight quads, stiff back, slightly uphill, headwind. Was I even moving? I started to feel normal on the second half and finished strong.

Snow!

Run
5.5 miles with 5x800 repeats (2 min rec)
[Splits: 3:30,3:26, 3:24, 3:24, 3:22]

Crossfit Grace
30 clean and jerk
[50lbs, 5:41]

More strength work...
100 situps for time [4:52 - 38 second PR!!]
5x10 pushups [on toes to failure then knee]
5x7 pullups [lightly assisted with feet on wall]

Swim 2400yd

It snowed in Austin this morning - big fluffy flakes that melted as they hit the ground. It was very wet and I decided to hit the treadmill for my run. Yesterday I took an unplanned rest day, slept a lot, and ate a lot. I think I must have needed that because I was able to nail my run repeats with a perfect negative split. I also felt strong for the Crossfit stuff, and did a huge PR on the 100 situps. 

This is week 3 of my training plan and my goal this week is to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night, and continue to work on getting my tri bike set up so I can ride it. I'm waiting on some parts, then I need to get my new aerobar installed, and get a tune-up and fit. I decided to keep my Felt DA this year rather than selling it even though I'm not a huge fan of the carbon frame or the aggressive position. It's the fastest bike around, and I'm going to make it work. The new aerobar will make it a little more comfortable, and I bought a pair of SRAM S80 race wheels so I can be even faster.

weight gain during ironman training

Bike 2 hours, rolling hills
[32 miles]
It was beautiful, sunny, and 70 today. Wow, what a day! There was also a strong wind - headwind on the way out, tailwind on the way back. My HR monitor battery died so I didn't get HR data but this ride was supposed to be in Z3 most of the time, and I'd say I got a lot of time in at that effort.


Last time I trained for an Ironman, I didn't watch my food intake and didn't ever weigh myself and ended up gaining 10 lbs of fat. Even with 15-20 hours of aerobic exercise per week, I gained all this weight. I think this happened because I often mistook fatigue for hunger, and also because I was putting a lot of stress on myself by worrying about outcomes of my training. The stress hormone cortisol is known to lead to weight gain when elevated. This time around I am not stressed, and actually feel so laid back about the training it hardly feels like I am training at all. Ha!  As for the eating, I am being more careful about portion control and listening closely to signals from my body. Eating an extra snack isn't going to help if what I really need is a nap. If I can keep my weight steady, then I know I am taking care of myself.

3 hours with no gels or bars

Bike 2:30
2x10 min Z5 HR (5 min rec), 2x17 min Z3 HR (3 min rec)

I woke up and was excited to go to a group ride with Austin Cycling Association. I was all prepared with my bike and gear, and stepped outside to find it was raining. Ugh. I hadn't even looked out. I debated riding outside anyway, but wasn't sure I could get all the intervals as planned if conditions were bad. Ok, so change of plans. I headed to Pure Austin for a 90 minute spin class followed by 60 minutes on the spin bike on my own. I got in the intervals as planned. The time went by pretty fast. Unfortunately I was dripping in sweat by the end and had some pretty bad chaffing on my behind from the wet shorts. Check it off.

Run 30 mins as 15 min mod, 15 min harder
[3.4 miles as 1.6/1.8]
This was a brick run on the treadmill immediately following the bike. I was getting to the limit of my endurance at this point but the run felt good.

Workout Nutrition:
Breakfast - oatmeal with protein powder and almonds
During workout - 3 bottles water, 1 nuun tablet, 1 banana, 1 packet Justin's Honey Peanut Butter, 1/4 cup raisins
Post workout - smoothie with 2 cups mixed frozen fruit, protein powder, Hammer Recoverite, water

The nutrition worked... no gels or bars! :) The peanut butter was a little heavy in my stomach because I ate the whole package at once, but it was fine after about 5 minutes. I could have split that up. The raisins worked well and tasted good.

Bootcamp with Biggest Losers

This morning Mo and I drove to Kyle Texas at the crack of dawn to do a 5:30am bootcamp workout with the cast of The Biggest Loser, sponsored by Texas Fit Body Bootcamp for charity. Since that is my favorite show I was excited to get the opportunity to see the Losers in person and also get the chance to workout with them.  Ok, in the back of my competitive mind I also wanted to see how my fitness compares with theirs after they went through the rigors of Bob and Jillian.  Liz, Pete, Sione, Filipe, and Tracey were there.

 

Me with Biggest Losers

Mo and I worked out next to Tracey and Liz, and Mo was on a roll cracking jokes with Tracey.  Both of them are the same height (5'2") so they had a bit of comraderie about that. The bootcamp workout itself was ok, but not particularly challenging. Exercises included jogging, pushups, butt kicks, single leg lunging, reverse lunges, side lunges, side plank, tricep dips, stretching. I broke a sweat in the middle but doubt I will be sore from it. I don't think Liz or Tracey broke a sweat.

All the Losers had gained some weight back since the finale of their season, and overall just struck me as normal people doing a workout. Sione and Filipe came in late, like two high school kids late for class. It was all very low key and fun.

 

Mo with Losers 

..later in the day....

Swim 2300yd, drill focus
[38 min]

good run, not-so-good crossfit

Long Run: 10.5 miles
[3 miles easy, 3 miles marathon pace (8:00), 2 miles easy, 2x1200 hard/800 jog (5:46,5:29)
1:25 total]
My legs felt good and this run was pleasant. I like how Endurance Nation puts the long run on Thursday to save the weekend for biking, and I like how the long run is not just slogging out slow miles. Each part of the run was structured with specific pacing, which made it more interesting and more productive.

Crossfit Chipper WOD
100 jumprope
45 air squats
40 push press (30lb)
35 situps
30 pushups
25 walking lunge (10lb med ball overhead)
20 pullups
15 tuck jump
10 wall ball
5 burpees
[16:06]
All I could do was go through the motions on this. After a long run and full day of work, I just wasn't feeling it. The soreness is building up and my strength is going down. I was feeling irritated with myself about this. The push press and pushups were the hardest. Arg. Some workouts just aren't as good as others.

today vs. age 7

Today was a rest day. I went on a walk around my neighborhood to stretch out after work. I wanted to check out a nearby park (Brentwood) to see what kind of playground equipment they have that might be fun to play around on. It turns out they had lots, including a section for grown up kids to do workouts on: pullup bars, balance beams, parallel bars, upright ladder, monkey bars.

There were lots of parents and little kids there playing. The kids started copying me. When I got on the swings, a 2 year old boy came over looking at me with a big smile and wanted to get on. His mom put him on her lap on the swing next to me. When I was hanging on the bars, a different toddler came over to watch and then grabbed onto a bar and started swinging, and laughing. He had his eye on me the whole time and told his mom that I am big like her.

It's been so long since I've played like that. I wanted to test my body now compared to when I was a kid. Well, it turns out I weigh a lot more, am not as comfortable with body weight exercises, have a weaker grip, am not as flexible, and have a lot more fear. Fear... mostly fear of injury but also fear of what I think I can't do. Crossfit is helping me break that down. Parcours inspires me to get creative. Thinking about being a kid reminds me to play.

Where am I today versus when I was 7?

• Cartwheels - scared to try, lack of hamstring flexibility might make them kinda ugly
• Handstands - scared, not strong enough yet
• Backbends - omg that would hurt.
• Swing across monkey bars - Yay! I did this today. The grip was hard but I've been working on that. I went down and back with about 8 steps each way.
• Hang upside down from monkey bars- Yay! I did this too. It was scary because I thought I might fall on my head, but it felt great.
• Hang upside down from bar and back flip off - I used to do this all the time, but today, um no.
• Stand on parallel bars and walk across - I got up and stood on top, but was scared to move my feet
• Pushups on top of parallel bars - did it today. kids don't care about pushups.

oh fran, why you gotta be so difficult?

Swim 2300yd - endurance focus
[42 min, Main set: 200/300/200, 6x150 all steady mod-hard pace]

Crossfit Fran
21-15-9
Thrusters (45lb bar)
Pullups (green band)
[9:53]


I went to Big Stacy pool after work for my swim today since Deep Eddy is closed right now and Barton Springs is too cold. I forgot how nice that pool is - it was warm and there was hardly anyone there. My swim felt really strong today. My form is good and I can tell that all this work on upper body strength is already helping me pull harder on the water. After that I was famished so I stopped at 7-Eleven for a Clif Builder bar, which I inhaled while driving to the Austin Track to meet Bonita for today's Crossfit WOD.

Fran is always a killer. I think I may have done a partial Fran in the past with dumbbells but gave up before completing it. Today not only did I not give up, I went heavy with the 45 lb bar. I started crying in the middle set because it was so hard and I was failing on the thrusters, but I got it back together and finished. I put aside all concerns about speed and aimed for steady solid effort. My shoulders and quads were screaming the whole way through, and my breathing was just barely on the edge of control.

Best Workout Song Ever: Clubbed To Death

The song Clubbed to Death by Rob Dougan (aka Matrix Theme) is the best workout song ever. At 7 minutes long, it is the perfect length to run a fast mile or to do a long hill climb (bike or run). It alternates back and forth between work/recovery beats, which is perfect for intervals. I am an unstoppable aerobic machine when listening to this song. According to my iTunes, I have listened to it 162 times.



What I Did Today...


Crossfit Baby Bear Complex
3 rounds of 7 x (power clean, squat, push press, squat, push press)
[35lb, 40lb, 42.5lb]

Ugh. This was hard. The real Bear Complex is 7 rounds and I was whipped after just 3. You are not allowed to set the bar down until the round is complete.

Strength warmup
Pushups: 9-11-8-8-9
20 box jumps on 20" box
20 box steps on 24" box
20 burpees

Bike 60 minutes with 2 x (10 minutes hard/5 min rec)
[HR for intervals: 156, 152]
It worked perfectly to do the box jumps and burpees right before I got on the bike. I was already warmed up and I had no trouble getting my heart rate into the work zone. I did this within Danielle's spin class, just doing my own thing and using the music to push me. That's much more fun than trying to hammer the intervals by myself.

Run 30 minutes as brick with 15 min long run pace/15 min marathon pace
[1.7 miles (HR 142), 1.8 miles (HR 150) => 3.5 miles]
I got on the treadmill after spin class and my legs felt fine right away. No brick transition dead legs. I ran at 6.7mph for the first half and 7.2mph for the second half. It was all conversational pace. I wonder if the planned pace is supposed to be Ironman marathon pace or stand-alone marathon pace. There's quite a difference between those two. Today I chose Ironman marathon pace.

I am hardly sore at all after yesterday's half marathon. It's just a pleasant soreness in my glutes and calves but didn't interfere with my workouts today at all. I am not walking funny or anything like that. I think I am still enjoying the benefits of the extra rest and massage I got last week. I'm also wondering whether red meat could be making a difference here.

Whatever it is, I am super-motivated, happy and loving it when I am able to nail the workouts.

Austin Half Marathon Race Report

Austin Half Marathon - 13.1 miles
[1:40:54]
Finished 92nd of 5086 women overall
19th in age group F30-34
Splits and HR data:
7:41(147), 7:46(162), 7:46 (164), 7:13 (162), 7:07 (159), 7:08 (159), 7:45 (159), 7:45 (159), 8:14 (158), 8:03 (159), 7:49 (159), 7:52 (159), 8:02 (161)

The weather was perfect for running this morning: 40 and clear. I feel so lucky to be in Austin when I know that most people around the country are dealing with harsh winters. My pre-race routine went smoothly, starting at 5am with a bowl of oatmeal with protein powder. Parking at the race was no problem and I got there with the perfect amount of time to stretch and relax my mind. I could tell my quads were a little sore from all those squats yesterday but I wasn't going to dwell on that. I run sore all the time.

The first three miles were mostly up hill. I didn't push too hard yet but my quads were already burning. I knew it was just a matter of sticking with it because there would be a lot of downhill coming up. Miles 3-6 were mostly down. The spectators were lively along South Lamar and there were bands along the course. As we got back into the downtown area, the crowds were dense and several people deep for at least a half mile. Around this 10k mark is when doubts started entering my mind, thoughts about walking, thoughts about how I hadn't done my usual mileage leading up to this race and therefore wasn't ready for it, etc, etc. I wasn't going to walk in front of all the crowds so they kept me motivated to just work through it a little longer.

I gave my mind short goals like "just get to the next aid station", "just get to the next mile marker". My legs were starting to hurt a lot and I walked through the aid station at mile 7 while eating my gel. I knew this was going to take a warrior mental effort to stay strong to the end. I felt overwhelmed because I knew we hadn't gotten to the challenging hills yet. I stayed in the moment. I thought about how I enjoy running... I mostly believed that, but it wasn't all that comforting. I thought about how lucky I am to be out running a race with no injuries. I noticed how there were very few women around me, and the ones that were looked very fit and so did the guys around me. I remembered that I worked hard to be in that position in the field and I need to respect that.

The hills started around mile 9.5 and lasted through mile 12.5. Up and down, big rollers, one after another. I cranked up my music and focused. My boss and his family, and Bonita came out to cheer. Seeing them made me smile, which gave me some extra energy and helped break up those hills. The biggest hill was at mile 12, climbing 15th street just as it crosses over Lamar. I walked about 20 steps at the steepest part because I figured a fast walk would be the same pace as a slow run and it would conserve a little energy. That was a good strategy because once I got over the top I was able to turn it back on for the last half mile. I was able to pass a lot of people who were still trying to recover from running the massive hill. The finish took us around the Capitol and down Congress Ave through the finish line. I sprinted that last 0.1 miles and finished strong with a big smile on my face. Mo came to meet me at the finish line, and we had fun watching runners, enjoying the beautiful day, and eating tacos.

I didn't set a PR (it still stands at 1:37), but it was a hard course and my mental strategies were perfectly executed. I stayed with the discomfort and didn't let negative thoughts pull me down. I learned where my fitness is at today, and I couldn't have ran a stronger race.

Pre-race day

Crossfit WOD (with Saturday Tribe)

3 rounds of:
10 burpees
20 lunges
30 squats
[7:07]
Added a little running to warm up my legs

Swim 1700yd with 10x100
[100s- 1:21,1:23, 1:25,1:25,1:25, 1:27,1:27, 1:26,1:25,1:26]


Thursday I got a massage and yesterday was a complete rest day. I felt super fresh today and am really ready to go have a fun race tomorrow. It feels great to be in good form and injury free going into a race. Coach Bonita told me that I should skip my run today and replace it with a crossfit workout to wake up my legs, and then stretch it out with a swim. Initially I was nervous to not run, but the workouts I did today worked my body in similar ways while keeping my run muscles as fresh as possible. The times on those swim repeats show that I am fresh.

I took a 3 1/2 hour nap this afternoon, had a good dinner (turkey, broccoli, sweet potato, avocado, raspberries), and have all my stuff laid out for the morning. I am going to dream about running a perfect race.

sweet spot

My off-season culminates with the Austin Half Marathon tomorrow, then I begin to transition into the triathlon season. I am looking forward to a fun year ahead and go into it with a renewed positive attitude. Here's what's new this year:

1. Nutrition: Primarily vegetables, fruit, meat, and nuts, but laid back about also eating grains and beans if I want to. I take a balanced approach so I enjoy my food and never feel restricted. All meats are on the menu.

2. Fish oil. This has made a huge and unbelievable difference in reducing post-workout inflammation and helping recovery.

3.  Reduce sports foods. As much as possible, I am replacing gels and bars with real foods like raisins, dried fruits, dates, nuts, bananas, pb+j.

4. No more workout volume just for the sake of it. Weekly volume will be kept down and all workouts will have some component of intensity. Slogging out miles puts needless wear and tear on the body.

5. Keep up regular Crossfit workouts throughout Ironman training. Lower endurance volume should allow me more space for this.

6. No time goals and huge expectations placed on myself. I am going to train as hard as I can and see where I can get. It doesn't matter to me what other people are doing because I know that all this trial and error has led me to a sweet spot in my training (and in life). I will focus on making each workout the best it can possibly be and I will always make sure I keep it fun.


Endurance Nation coaches say that the best part of all this training is that it allows you to do cool stuff with your high level of fitness. Right on! I am looking forward to going on new rides, seeing new places, lifting more than I ever thought possible, and pushing myself beyond my limits in the weeks and months to come.

embrace it

Bike 2:30 with 3 x 8 min hard (4 min rec), 2 x 12 min hard (6 min rec)
[HR averages for the intervals: 144, 145, 144, 142, 144]

Massage 60 minutes of lower body

---

It was cold and rainy today and since I am running on Sunday, I needed to get my long ride of the week in today. No choice but to take this inside to Pure Austin. I joined a spin class as a warmup, then hit the intervals on my own. It took at least 30 minutes for my legs to get moving. There was a lot of junk built up in them. The intervals were all supposed to be zone 4, which I usually consider to be in the mid 150's. Obviously I was quite a bit below that... even though my legs were burning. I had trouble pushing big gears today since my legs are tired and ended up spinning easier gears at a high enough cadence so that I was still working hard. Based on perceived exertion I'd say I worked hard enough. Nevermind the mental challenge of being on a trainer the whole time!

These workouts are a mental challenge every day. It is constant practice of learning to break down and work through hard moments. I am embracing it because it takes discomfort to have growth.

@lululemon said today:  Remember, race results stay in Google forever. Can you push yourself a little hard?

extra lean ground beef

 Run 45 minutes with 2x1 mile hard
[miles@7:14,7:11]
I ran in shorts and it was in the 30s. I could hardly feel my legs. I was fatigued (but not sore) in my lower back from yesterday's crossfit and that was a factor today.

Swim 1800m
[about 37 minutes]
I forgot to write down the planned workout before getting to the pool. I guess I'm still working on the life organization aspect of the Ironman training. It was freeeezing to swim outside today. There was so much steam coming off the water I couldn't even see halfway to the other side. Not the most pleasant swim but I made it. My upper body was tight to start but once I got going I felt like I had a little extra muscle to put behind each stroke. It's been almost a month since I have been in the pool.

Pushups
[challenge week 1/day2= 6-8-6-6-7]

Today I bought red meat for the first time EVER. I haven't eaten red meat since high school and at that time my mom was making the dinner choices and doing the shopping.  I wanted to get bison but they were out so I settled for extra lean ground beef. It feels like I have crossed over a big bad line with this. I have mixed feelings but I'm just giving it a try. Here's the evidence. This stuff better go straight to my muscles and iron stores.

randy and red meat

Bike 2 hours (always pushing, zones 3-4)
[1:41, avg HR 123]
I did this ride outside at 7am. It was cold and windy and I could not get my heart rate up. My max heart rate for the whole ride was 140, even with pushing up hills into wind. I'm not sure what was going on. Part of it may have been that I had trouble getting my mind around grinding hard for that long, and part of it might have been tired quads or dehydration. Even though I was happy with myself for getting it done early before work, I need to do better if I want to ride faster.

Crossfit Randy
75 snatches
[15:45, 30lb bar]
I had fun with this workout. It sounds dirty, huh? I thought I would hate this workout but I actually liked it. The infamous snatches. They are hard for me because I am just not flexible to get low into an overhead squat position...yet.  Bonita and I worked on form first using PVC. The goal is to keep the bar close to the body the whole time, shrug and transition at the perfect moment, and not let the bar go forward from your body. It's supposed to scrape your quads, hit you in the pelvic bone, and then scrape your stomach on the way up. I took this workout at a steady pace and did 3 sets of 25. My form started to degenerate around #65 and my shoulder started to hurt. I freaked out. Then I calmed down and ripped off the last 10 with my best form of the day. I like snatches now. Just gotta practice more so I don't forget that.

And...
I ate bison meat for the first time today and liked it. Bison in spaghetti sauce with spinach pasta. Could red meat help my performance? Stay tuned.

Day 1

Brick Workout
-Bike 1 hour with 3 x (8 minutes hard/2 min recovery)
[I did this inside on the trainer. Interval heart rates: 157, 154, 154]

-Run 30 minutes as 15 min easy/15 min mod
[1.6 miles/1.8 miles]

Strength, etc.
Day 1 of Hundred Pushups Challenge (hundredpushups.com): 6-6-4-4-5
1-rep max power clean: 45, 55, 65, 70, 75 (fail)
Farmer's walk: 3 x 20 steps with 40 lb kettlebell in each hand - grip workout
20 burpees

This was the first day on the Endurance Nation Ironman training plan. Nice brick there. Taking the pace down in the last 15 minutes of the run was challenging and UNcomfortable.

This was also the first day of the Hundred Pushups Challenge. The 5 sets were pretty easy to crank out. I could have done more sets but not more reps within each set. That was fun.

half marathon preview run

Run 8 miles, hilly on Austin Half Marathon course, with last 2 miles at half marathon effort
[1:03 w/ last 2 around 7 min pace]

I had springs in my legs today, which was a complete surprise after yesterday's 250 air squats. The hills flew by and I had no trouble cranking out those last two miles at a hard pace. Amazing!

Next Sunday is the Austin Half Marathon and it will be my key race of the "off season".  I would like to set a new PR or at least tie my old one (1:37). All systems are ready, now a week of taper, a pre-race massage and I should be set.