Gainesville
Bike: 120 minutes with long tempo work
wu: 15 minutes RPE 3 working to 4 by end
main: 90 minutes at RPE 5-7 steady mix of aero and non
cd: 15 minutes at RPE 2-3.
2 Lipodrene
I again include the speed instructions here to demonstrate that I did not follow them at all. In fact, I didn't follow much of anything at all. I got on the bike today and immediately knew it was going to be a bad ride. It may have been because my computer was now registering a speed of 8.2 when I headed down 2nd to Hawthorne. Now I know I'm not exactly Greg LeMonde here, but I do not bike 8.2 on a flat surface in my sleep. This computer malfunctioning continued throughout the ride as I would frequently look down and see speed like 9.5, 11.1, 5.6. Again, I was dogging it today, but I was not dead. I just fucking love when I pay people to fix something and they don't fix it. Unbelievable.
The point is, today's bike was a waste. I mean by the 1:30 mark all I was thinking is "When is this shit fucking done?" I thought maybe I'd turn it around at halfway, as I was going over 21 for a while after that. But soon my enthusiasm waned, and my speed did as well. I took 2 gels on the ride, so it wasn't nutrition. It wasn't hot (even rained a little) and despite my not making it to the end of Hawthorne I was never thirsty. I just straight up didn't bring it today. Averaged 16.9 over 2 hours. Actually, 2:06 as I dogged it just as bad on the way back.
I would like to chlalk this up to not being fully recovered form Saturday's grueling trainer session. My legs were sore the whole time. And I think this is the main cause. I also had turkey for lunch, and that tryptophan may have been a factor. Yeah, right. No, I was just flat out demotivated today. I started getting stressed about money at about the one hour mark, and I am usually pretty good at blocking the rest of the world out on the bike. But all that negativity didn't really make me ride any harder. And much as I hate to think it was a factor, I had sex the past couple of nights. I only note this because looking back I was crushing workouts for the whole week and a half I wasn't doing it, and when I am again the last two have been average and terrible. I don't know why it would be a factor. The exertion isn't very long, and it's not like I'm not taking care of things when I'm not getting any. This Hawaii trip, assuming I don't get any, should be a good indicator.
But I also realized 2 long bike days in a row is NOT a good idea for training, Form here on in when I have 2 long bikes scheduled in consecutive days, I will put a rest day in between, since I'll have about 14 to play with from September on. I think the lack of recovery time made today's workout useless at best, and I'd care not to repeat this. Alright, next ride is in Kona. This should be pretty fucking awesome.
Showing posts with label computer break. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computer break. Show all posts
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
T60 - Opening the Second Half Strong - Bike, Swim
Gainesville
Bike - 90 Minutes
2 Lipodrene
I had to literally go and pick my bike up from the shop for this ride, before it was fixed. Essentially borrowing my own bike, which was kinda weird, but highly necessary. This wouls also be my last ride without a computer, which I was glad to be able to tell myself.
Of course, because I woke up at my usual crack of 11:15 and dawdles around for a while before heading over to the bike shop and picking up my bike. Ran a few errands, watched Maury, then saw that at 3 the skies decided to open up. So I had to sit in my living room waiting for the rain to stop until I could go for my ride. It was nice, though, by the time the rain let up at 4, the air had cooled down a lot and I was able to really put some umph behind this ride. The week-or-so off of the bike had dome me well, and I felt like I was maintaining in the 18-20 range the whole time. Of course, I had to go by the clock on time, meaning I was probably out there less than 90 minutes, but the ride felt good. I think the highlight may have been staying in my bike clothes and taking it back to the shop before it closed at 6. Always fun to wear those kinds of outfits in public. But the ride felt strong and I'm looking forward to this bike-intensive "week." I put this in quotations because the week will span from this Wednesday to next Thursday with 2 extra rest days thrown in. These are mostly travel days, and days set aside for the big Poison/Def Leppard show in West Palm.
Swim: race-specific
wu: 2 x 75, last 25 in each is backstroke.
main: 3 x 600, first at RPE 4, 2 at RPE 8, 3 at RPE 4
2 Lipodrene
I'm not real sure what exactly about 3 sets of 600 meter swims was "race specific," but I'm sure whoever wrote these training cards had his reasons. I decided to split this workout into two and not even attempt to brick it, so I did the swim second. I only put the RPEs up here to denote that I did NOT in fact do the second set at RPE 8. This who swim felt terrific, as I continue to remind myself to use my right side in the manner in which it is supposed to be used. That being said, I wasn't going to be able to maintain RPE 8 for 12 laps after a bike ride. Should I have at least given it a shot? Yes, yes I should. And perhaps this will serve as motivation to try to sack up and do it that way the next time around. But whatever. Nothing particularly memorable about this swim except the fact that i had no problems with it.
Bike - 90 Minutes
2 Lipodrene
I had to literally go and pick my bike up from the shop for this ride, before it was fixed. Essentially borrowing my own bike, which was kinda weird, but highly necessary. This wouls also be my last ride without a computer, which I was glad to be able to tell myself.
Of course, because I woke up at my usual crack of 11:15 and dawdles around for a while before heading over to the bike shop and picking up my bike. Ran a few errands, watched Maury, then saw that at 3 the skies decided to open up. So I had to sit in my living room waiting for the rain to stop until I could go for my ride. It was nice, though, by the time the rain let up at 4, the air had cooled down a lot and I was able to really put some umph behind this ride. The week-or-so off of the bike had dome me well, and I felt like I was maintaining in the 18-20 range the whole time. Of course, I had to go by the clock on time, meaning I was probably out there less than 90 minutes, but the ride felt good. I think the highlight may have been staying in my bike clothes and taking it back to the shop before it closed at 6. Always fun to wear those kinds of outfits in public. But the ride felt strong and I'm looking forward to this bike-intensive "week." I put this in quotations because the week will span from this Wednesday to next Thursday with 2 extra rest days thrown in. These are mostly travel days, and days set aside for the big Poison/Def Leppard show in West Palm.
Swim: race-specific
wu: 2 x 75, last 25 in each is backstroke.
main: 3 x 600, first at RPE 4, 2 at RPE 8, 3 at RPE 4
2 Lipodrene
I'm not real sure what exactly about 3 sets of 600 meter swims was "race specific," but I'm sure whoever wrote these training cards had his reasons. I decided to split this workout into two and not even attempt to brick it, so I did the swim second. I only put the RPEs up here to denote that I did NOT in fact do the second set at RPE 8. This who swim felt terrific, as I continue to remind myself to use my right side in the manner in which it is supposed to be used. That being said, I wasn't going to be able to maintain RPE 8 for 12 laps after a bike ride. Should I have at least given it a shot? Yes, yes I should. And perhaps this will serve as motivation to try to sack up and do it that way the next time around. But whatever. Nothing particularly memorable about this swim except the fact that i had no problems with it.
Monday, August 10, 2009
T58 - Its Harder When You do it Right, Isn't it? - Swim
Gainesville
In unrelated news, I brought my bike in to be fixed today. They have to order a part for the computer so it will finally work. It's only going to cost about $30, considerable cheaper than the $65 pricetag a whole new one would have come with. The downside, though, is I have no bike until Friday. Which may be difficult since I'm going to West Palm Thursday and Friday. I may go into the shop and ask for the bike Wednesday to do my workout then. We shall see. Point is, looks like that's finally unfucked.
Swim: speed day
warmupu: 100swim, 100 pull, 100 kick, 100 swim
main: 8 x 100 EBEH (each 100 = 25Easy, 25Build, 25Easy, 25 Hard)
2 Lipodrene
These types of days are almost rest days. I'm not even sure what the training value is, but I'm at a point now that I need to do something almost every day, so a half hour swim didn't seem unreasonable. I will say focusing on keeping my right arm out during its stroke is making swimming a lot more unpleasant. My right hand actually starts getting real sore from the increased effort it has to put out. My whole right side in general is getting tired faster. These EBEHs didn't feel much faster than usual, but they did feel more controlled. And I'm guessing a lot of that has to do with the better form.
Again, my intervals were shorter, and again the "Easys" weren't rest lengths, but rather like race pace. I also got stopped between sets by some guy sitting by the pool asking if I was getting enough air when I brought my head up. I figured it was some unsolicited coaching, but actually it was just a guy who didn't swim because he felt like he couldn't get enough air. I wanted to explain to him that that was me 2 years ago, and that it's really not that hard once you learn. But then he asked me about my Ironman 70.3 swim cap, and I told him about it, and the full Ironman in November, and this cute redhead in the next lane stopped and started asking me about it too. But just like I never really talk to girls socially at the gym, nor do I in the pool. But she was cute, for the record. It was a nice distraction on an otherwise unremarkable training day. But it's good. Tomorrow's run is the longest I've ever done.
In unrelated news, I brought my bike in to be fixed today. They have to order a part for the computer so it will finally work. It's only going to cost about $30, considerable cheaper than the $65 pricetag a whole new one would have come with. The downside, though, is I have no bike until Friday. Which may be difficult since I'm going to West Palm Thursday and Friday. I may go into the shop and ask for the bike Wednesday to do my workout then. We shall see. Point is, looks like that's finally unfucked.
Swim: speed day
warmupu: 100swim, 100 pull, 100 kick, 100 swim
main: 8 x 100 EBEH (each 100 = 25Easy, 25Build, 25Easy, 25 Hard)
2 Lipodrene
These types of days are almost rest days. I'm not even sure what the training value is, but I'm at a point now that I need to do something almost every day, so a half hour swim didn't seem unreasonable. I will say focusing on keeping my right arm out during its stroke is making swimming a lot more unpleasant. My right hand actually starts getting real sore from the increased effort it has to put out. My whole right side in general is getting tired faster. These EBEHs didn't feel much faster than usual, but they did feel more controlled. And I'm guessing a lot of that has to do with the better form.
Again, my intervals were shorter, and again the "Easys" weren't rest lengths, but rather like race pace. I also got stopped between sets by some guy sitting by the pool asking if I was getting enough air when I brought my head up. I figured it was some unsolicited coaching, but actually it was just a guy who didn't swim because he felt like he couldn't get enough air. I wanted to explain to him that that was me 2 years ago, and that it's really not that hard once you learn. But then he asked me about my Ironman 70.3 swim cap, and I told him about it, and the full Ironman in November, and this cute redhead in the next lane stopped and started asking me about it too. But just like I never really talk to girls socially at the gym, nor do I in the pool. But she was cute, for the record. It was a nice distraction on an otherwise unremarkable training day. But it's good. Tomorrow's run is the longest I've ever done.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
T53 - Technical Difficulties...ABORT! - Bike
Gainesville
WARNING: POST CONTAINS EXCESSIVE ADULT LAGNUAGE
I had brought my bike into the shop the day before I left for Miami. The main thing I needed was to get the fucking computer fixed, I just can't ride right without it now. Sad, but true. I also needed to get the back wheel "trued," which basically means realigned to where it's supposed to be. This was likely a result of my getting rear ended by a Mercedes on a freeway in Orlando back in May. My rear tire was also pretty worn, so I got that replaced as well.
So I get to the bike shop and the first thing I ask the guy is "Did you guys get that computer fixed?" to which he gives me a very quizzical look, picks up the work order, and says "I forgot to write that down." Awesome.The one fucking thing I needed done, and dipshit didn't write it down. But, as he rolled the bike out to me, it was working, so I took it home.
I really fucking hate putting my bike into my car, as a 4 door Saturn S2 is not exactly made for carrying bicycles. I've figured out how to do it, but on a day like today where I was just not in the mood for any sort of glitches, fitting it in was not a chore I looked forward to. So I did what I always do when things require any sort of precision:I forced it in. Taking it out was easy, but as I rolled the bike down the ramp of my parking garage, the computer went out again. As someone who has been known to go into a fit of seething rage if a restaurant dares to put cheese on my burrito, you can imagine my fury when my fucking computer was still out. I took the bike back (easier to put back in my car again) and tried my hardest not to flip out at the bike store people. They're nice, and I need to keep a good relationship. The kid fucked around with it for 10 minutes before I left to pick up my sister for lunch.
I picked my sister up, and she commented on how much bigger and tighter my calves looked, and how much weight I'd lost around my midsection. Julie is never one to hold back on compliments, but she won't blow smoke up my ass either. So that was nice to hear. It was also the highlight of the training day.
After lunch, I get back to the bike shop and the guys tells me my sensor is dead. I'd have to come back on Monday when Tommy, the owner, is there to see if they'll fix it under the warranty. They fucking better. Especially since I bought the thing at this shop less than a year ago. At this point I had 3 options. First I thought
"Leave the bike here since you only have 2 short rides this week. Just use the stationary at GHFC until then."
then
"Well, I could just buy a new one now and keep going."
or
"Well, the thing is mission capable. No reason to miss training. Sack up and deal with not having the info you want." Needless to say, I chose option 3. Trevor told me to "listen to your body, you know how fast you go." Which I suppose is partly true, but I need external motivation. Whatever, I looked at it as a challenge.
Bike - 90 Minutes
2 Lipodrene
So I got home and took the bike out, computer-less, at 6. By the time I hit the head of Hawthorne and had no traffic noise, I noticed this scraping sound in my wheel. I had been riding well, but the sound was driving me nuts. So I stopped and spun the wheels to see if I could figure out what it was. Nothing. Rode some more, still scraping. So I shifted from big ring to small ring. Still nothing. I freewheeled to see if it was the chain, and the noise continued. I got to the beginning of the hammock and decided the bike was officially in worse shape than when I'd brought it in. I fucking hate that shit. I hate depending on people to fix your shit, and they make it worse.
Really ruined not only the ride, but more or less the whole afternoon. I am not a fan of these short rides anyway, and this one was particularly demotivating. I don't like to abort workouts, but I felt like this one may have caused some serious damage had it continued. And again, it was short. I ended up being out just under an hour. Fucking shitty ride, and these fuckers better get this shit unfucked tomorrow, because I'm not dealing with any more technical malfunctions. I'm putting in the fucking work, I expect the same out of my equipment. Thank God this week is light on bikes so I can take the time to get it fixed. Next week is bike intensive and, somewhat fortunately I guess, Klueber once again flaked on our East Coast roadtrip. Meaning that, on the bright side, I can get in all the training I need.
I have to add in some rest days, though, because I had counted on having more days off than called for on this trip. If I don't take them, I'm going to finish the cycle 2 weeks before race day, not exactly what I want to do. I'm sure I'll figure it out. No Klueber, you did not do me a favor by canceling the trip. This is what you call finding a silver lining.
WARNING: POST CONTAINS EXCESSIVE ADULT LAGNUAGE
I had brought my bike into the shop the day before I left for Miami. The main thing I needed was to get the fucking computer fixed, I just can't ride right without it now. Sad, but true. I also needed to get the back wheel "trued," which basically means realigned to where it's supposed to be. This was likely a result of my getting rear ended by a Mercedes on a freeway in Orlando back in May. My rear tire was also pretty worn, so I got that replaced as well.
So I get to the bike shop and the first thing I ask the guy is "Did you guys get that computer fixed?" to which he gives me a very quizzical look, picks up the work order, and says "I forgot to write that down." Awesome.The one fucking thing I needed done, and dipshit didn't write it down. But, as he rolled the bike out to me, it was working, so I took it home.
I really fucking hate putting my bike into my car, as a 4 door Saturn S2 is not exactly made for carrying bicycles. I've figured out how to do it, but on a day like today where I was just not in the mood for any sort of glitches, fitting it in was not a chore I looked forward to. So I did what I always do when things require any sort of precision:I forced it in. Taking it out was easy, but as I rolled the bike down the ramp of my parking garage, the computer went out again. As someone who has been known to go into a fit of seething rage if a restaurant dares to put cheese on my burrito, you can imagine my fury when my fucking computer was still out. I took the bike back (easier to put back in my car again) and tried my hardest not to flip out at the bike store people. They're nice, and I need to keep a good relationship. The kid fucked around with it for 10 minutes before I left to pick up my sister for lunch.
I picked my sister up, and she commented on how much bigger and tighter my calves looked, and how much weight I'd lost around my midsection. Julie is never one to hold back on compliments, but she won't blow smoke up my ass either. So that was nice to hear. It was also the highlight of the training day.
After lunch, I get back to the bike shop and the guys tells me my sensor is dead. I'd have to come back on Monday when Tommy, the owner, is there to see if they'll fix it under the warranty. They fucking better. Especially since I bought the thing at this shop less than a year ago. At this point I had 3 options. First I thought
"Leave the bike here since you only have 2 short rides this week. Just use the stationary at GHFC until then."
then
"Well, I could just buy a new one now and keep going."
or
"Well, the thing is mission capable. No reason to miss training. Sack up and deal with not having the info you want." Needless to say, I chose option 3. Trevor told me to "listen to your body, you know how fast you go." Which I suppose is partly true, but I need external motivation. Whatever, I looked at it as a challenge.
Bike - 90 Minutes
2 Lipodrene
So I got home and took the bike out, computer-less, at 6. By the time I hit the head of Hawthorne and had no traffic noise, I noticed this scraping sound in my wheel. I had been riding well, but the sound was driving me nuts. So I stopped and spun the wheels to see if I could figure out what it was. Nothing. Rode some more, still scraping. So I shifted from big ring to small ring. Still nothing. I freewheeled to see if it was the chain, and the noise continued. I got to the beginning of the hammock and decided the bike was officially in worse shape than when I'd brought it in. I fucking hate that shit. I hate depending on people to fix your shit, and they make it worse.
Really ruined not only the ride, but more or less the whole afternoon. I am not a fan of these short rides anyway, and this one was particularly demotivating. I don't like to abort workouts, but I felt like this one may have caused some serious damage had it continued. And again, it was short. I ended up being out just under an hour. Fucking shitty ride, and these fuckers better get this shit unfucked tomorrow, because I'm not dealing with any more technical malfunctions. I'm putting in the fucking work, I expect the same out of my equipment. Thank God this week is light on bikes so I can take the time to get it fixed. Next week is bike intensive and, somewhat fortunately I guess, Klueber once again flaked on our East Coast roadtrip. Meaning that, on the bright side, I can get in all the training I need.
I have to add in some rest days, though, because I had counted on having more days off than called for on this trip. If I don't take them, I'm going to finish the cycle 2 weeks before race day, not exactly what I want to do. I'm sure I'll figure it out. No Klueber, you did not do me a favor by canceling the trip. This is what you call finding a silver lining.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
T49 - The Escape From Campus Lodge - Run/Bike/Swim Brick
Gainesville
Today's workout called for what amounted to a reverse Olympic Distance triathlon. And thinking the only way to get these transitions in quick was to base the workout out of somewhere that had a 25-yard pool and a good bike course, I figured I'd see if my friend Justin (who live at Campus Lodge, which has both) wanted to train with me. Justin is one of my former students who I'd actually trained with prior to that who did last year's Florida Ironman. He's a good person to train with because he's a tall, lean fucker who runs a lot better than me. But I bike better than him. So we can push each other to a point. He was not too thrilled to be starting at 9 a.m., but I knew doing the run any later would be even more miserable than it already was. Because this was in essence an reverse Olympic Distance Triathlon, I thought I'd give it a cute name. And given every city seems to like to have a race that involves an "Escape," hence the title of today's "race."
Run - 60 minutes
2 Lipodrene
The run wasn't too bad, going from Campus Lodge on Williston out the back way up to the Planet Smoothie on 34th where he works then up Old Archer Road a couple of miles. No shade to speak of really, but because it was pre-10 a.m., it wasn't too punishing. I ran with Justin about 3/4 of the way to turn around before he got out in front, and the heat was definitely slowing me down a bit. We stopped at the Planet Smoothie on the way back and grabbed a quick Powerade out of the soda machine, as I took the opportunity to use the bathroom and have a gel.
The run was tough, but it didn't feel too labored. I was happy about that, but the sun definitely started kicking my ass. Started getting a real bad headache toward the end, and was wishing I'd brought along some Advil. It's hard to stay hydrated on a run like that since there's not exactly aid stations handing you water. I felt strong about the run, but the mild dehydration would not help my bike.
Bike - 90 Minutes
My car, where my bike was, was by this time in the middle of a blistering hot parking lot. So I got no relief from the sun. Changed over while Justin got his bike out of his apartment, and we headed out towards 441 to bike to Micanopy. 441 was the site of many a terrible ride last cycle, which I blamed on a lot of things. The one thing I forgot to blame those terrible rides on was wind. Hawthorne really doesn't have much wind to speak of this time of year. Not the case on 441. Not only that, but it has this washboard shit on the left side of the shoulder to keep cars from drifting into you. Nice for life-saving, I suppose, not so fun when you're in aero and don't see it and end up riding over a series of inch-deep slits in the road.
Anyway, I hit one of said washboards, and what do you know but my fucking computer goes out again. And, really ,with wind and heat, I was like "Fuck. this." The thing came in and out throughout the rest of the ride, but was more or less useless. I had to depend on Justin to tell me when we got to 45 minutes to turn around. The way down, because I had no way of knowing how far I had to go or when I'd be done, was highly unpleasant. Top that off with not a hint of shade and a continually-warming sun, and the first 45 was straight up shitty save for a little Aero race we had going through the "streets" of Micanopy. Justin stated asking me why I would pull harder than he would, but then when it was my turn to draft I would fall back. I had no idea, other than "I'm just getting lazy." Which is not a solid answer.
We turned it around (I had a gel here as well.) and it was like a whole new ride. I think mentally knowing how far I had to go made a huge difference, and the ice water from the Micanopy Country store didn't hurt either (I do need to remember to bring cash on all street rides, though). My speedometer came on intermittently and it was usually between 20-23. So that felt good. But man, the heat was just unrelenting. The air felt like steam the whole ride, and at one point when we hit Alligator Alley, Justin even remarked that it had all of a sudden just gotten much worse. Really, one of the hottest training days I can ever remember
I'm not sure if I'll ride 441 much more after this, I'm really not a fan. Especially with all the fucking cars. But even with the improved speed we got back in the same time it took us to get down there. Which makes me wonder. I think that included our water stop, though, so who knows. Point is, I'm taking the bike in tomorrow before I leave for Miami to get this computer unfucked once and for all. I can't have another ride get ruined by that.
Swim - 30 Minutes
Justin had warned me this swim was gonna suck. And suck it did for about the first 11 laps, but then I got into a groove and my shoulders weren't sore and I just kind of glided along, True, it was harder to push it having just been brutalized by the sun for 2 and a half hours, but when we did a time check at 25 laps it was only 25:44. So I did 4 more laps and got in 1450 in 30 minutes, which is certainly a solid improvement. The swim was even hot, though, as the water would get warmed evey time the sun peeked thourgh the clouds. That outdoor swimming was fun in Sac, not so fun here. But the swim wasn't bad, and while this wasn't my BEST workout, given the heat and the technical glitches, I't wasn't my worst.
I have to say, though, I've been disappointed with my workouts this week. I had hoped to really crush this reverse tri, and instead just had a workout I'd call "not bad." I think last week and even into Monday I got a little too into the old lifestyle of just drinking whenever and then training when I was sober, and that's just not gonna fly for this. I really need to realize that more than a couple of drink endeavors have to be few and far between now. Ice Luge this weekend being one of them, but still.
I also got a late-night text from a lady friend last night who came over at 1. We were done with things by 2, giving me a solid 6 hours of sleep, but I still have to wonder if the sex made me lose my edge a little bit. She was still in my room when I got home, and I was able to go again. I'm not sure if that means I didn't train hard enough, or I just really don't mind cramping muscles and exhaustion when it comes to sex. Probably, a little of both.
Today's workout called for what amounted to a reverse Olympic Distance triathlon. And thinking the only way to get these transitions in quick was to base the workout out of somewhere that had a 25-yard pool and a good bike course, I figured I'd see if my friend Justin (who live at Campus Lodge, which has both) wanted to train with me. Justin is one of my former students who I'd actually trained with prior to that who did last year's Florida Ironman. He's a good person to train with because he's a tall, lean fucker who runs a lot better than me. But I bike better than him. So we can push each other to a point. He was not too thrilled to be starting at 9 a.m., but I knew doing the run any later would be even more miserable than it already was. Because this was in essence an reverse Olympic Distance Triathlon, I thought I'd give it a cute name. And given every city seems to like to have a race that involves an "Escape," hence the title of today's "race."
Run - 60 minutes
2 Lipodrene
The run wasn't too bad, going from Campus Lodge on Williston out the back way up to the Planet Smoothie on 34th where he works then up Old Archer Road a couple of miles. No shade to speak of really, but because it was pre-10 a.m., it wasn't too punishing. I ran with Justin about 3/4 of the way to turn around before he got out in front, and the heat was definitely slowing me down a bit. We stopped at the Planet Smoothie on the way back and grabbed a quick Powerade out of the soda machine, as I took the opportunity to use the bathroom and have a gel.
The run was tough, but it didn't feel too labored. I was happy about that, but the sun definitely started kicking my ass. Started getting a real bad headache toward the end, and was wishing I'd brought along some Advil. It's hard to stay hydrated on a run like that since there's not exactly aid stations handing you water. I felt strong about the run, but the mild dehydration would not help my bike.
Bike - 90 Minutes
My car, where my bike was, was by this time in the middle of a blistering hot parking lot. So I got no relief from the sun. Changed over while Justin got his bike out of his apartment, and we headed out towards 441 to bike to Micanopy. 441 was the site of many a terrible ride last cycle, which I blamed on a lot of things. The one thing I forgot to blame those terrible rides on was wind. Hawthorne really doesn't have much wind to speak of this time of year. Not the case on 441. Not only that, but it has this washboard shit on the left side of the shoulder to keep cars from drifting into you. Nice for life-saving, I suppose, not so fun when you're in aero and don't see it and end up riding over a series of inch-deep slits in the road.
Anyway, I hit one of said washboards, and what do you know but my fucking computer goes out again. And, really ,with wind and heat, I was like "Fuck. this." The thing came in and out throughout the rest of the ride, but was more or less useless. I had to depend on Justin to tell me when we got to 45 minutes to turn around. The way down, because I had no way of knowing how far I had to go or when I'd be done, was highly unpleasant. Top that off with not a hint of shade and a continually-warming sun, and the first 45 was straight up shitty save for a little Aero race we had going through the "streets" of Micanopy. Justin stated asking me why I would pull harder than he would, but then when it was my turn to draft I would fall back. I had no idea, other than "I'm just getting lazy." Which is not a solid answer.
We turned it around (I had a gel here as well.) and it was like a whole new ride. I think mentally knowing how far I had to go made a huge difference, and the ice water from the Micanopy Country store didn't hurt either (I do need to remember to bring cash on all street rides, though). My speedometer came on intermittently and it was usually between 20-23. So that felt good. But man, the heat was just unrelenting. The air felt like steam the whole ride, and at one point when we hit Alligator Alley, Justin even remarked that it had all of a sudden just gotten much worse. Really, one of the hottest training days I can ever remember
I'm not sure if I'll ride 441 much more after this, I'm really not a fan. Especially with all the fucking cars. But even with the improved speed we got back in the same time it took us to get down there. Which makes me wonder. I think that included our water stop, though, so who knows. Point is, I'm taking the bike in tomorrow before I leave for Miami to get this computer unfucked once and for all. I can't have another ride get ruined by that.
Swim - 30 Minutes
Justin had warned me this swim was gonna suck. And suck it did for about the first 11 laps, but then I got into a groove and my shoulders weren't sore and I just kind of glided along, True, it was harder to push it having just been brutalized by the sun for 2 and a half hours, but when we did a time check at 25 laps it was only 25:44. So I did 4 more laps and got in 1450 in 30 minutes, which is certainly a solid improvement. The swim was even hot, though, as the water would get warmed evey time the sun peeked thourgh the clouds. That outdoor swimming was fun in Sac, not so fun here. But the swim wasn't bad, and while this wasn't my BEST workout, given the heat and the technical glitches, I't wasn't my worst.
I have to say, though, I've been disappointed with my workouts this week. I had hoped to really crush this reverse tri, and instead just had a workout I'd call "not bad." I think last week and even into Monday I got a little too into the old lifestyle of just drinking whenever and then training when I was sober, and that's just not gonna fly for this. I really need to realize that more than a couple of drink endeavors have to be few and far between now. Ice Luge this weekend being one of them, but still.
I also got a late-night text from a lady friend last night who came over at 1. We were done with things by 2, giving me a solid 6 hours of sleep, but I still have to wonder if the sex made me lose my edge a little bit. She was still in my room when I got home, and I was able to go again. I'm not sure if that means I didn't train hard enough, or I just really don't mind cramping muscles and exhaustion when it comes to sex. Probably, a little of both.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
T48 - Knowledge is Power - Swim/Bike
Gainesville
Swim: speed day
wu: 400 continuous. last 50 in each 100 is kick
main: 10 x 100 EBEH (each 100 = 25Easy, 25Build, 25Easy, 25 Hard)
2 Lipodrene
It seemed that the Monday illicit activities were not hampering me today as I managed to get up earlier than normal, and was at the pool before noon. That's two days in a row of starting before noon, if you're counting. This workout today was nothing new. But I made it through with good power and felt great the whole time. I mean, I think set 4 or 5 I slowed a little on the "Hard" lengths, but I had to marvel at how these used to kinda kick my ass. Like even during the last cycle, I often used the 3rd length to totally slack and take it easy. Now it's probably a similar speed to the old "Build" lengths. Also, my intervals in between are getting a lot shorter, which has to be a good sign. Like I'm generally ready to go again in 30 seconds, and can generate the same speed and power as I was in the last set. Improvement is always fun.
Bike: 1.5 hour with some climbing or low cadence work if you're on the
trainer. RPE 3-4 on the flats and allow yourself some out of the saddle work
of RPE 7-8 on the hills
2 Lipodrene
I took a solid 5 hours between the swim and bike today. Didn't see much point for a brick with the "Escape to Campus Lodge" tomorrow. More on that tomorrow. Anyway, I decided to go at the suggested RPE on the flats and then balls out on the hills in the Hammock on Hawthorne. But when my computer went out 3 blocks into the ride, I got a little pissed. There's a sensor on the wheel that I guess gets misaligned, and it had been fine since I brought it in in June, but after I washed the bike it has been fucking up again. And I realized on the course in Orlando that not knowing how fast you're going, or how much time you've been out there, makes it hard to push it on the bike. At least for me. So after I stopped for like 5 minutes to try and un-fuck it, I gave up and decided to just use the clock on there as my timer.
On a ride where you're supposed to take it easy, not having a speedometer to make sure you don't go TOO easy makes you slack. Unfortunately, I have no idea how bad I was slacking, but I was definitely taking it easy. My quads were a little sore, presumable from Sunday's run and lack of any viable nutrition since then (that munchie-induced large cheese pizza from Mellow Mushroom was probably not the BEST idea)so I really had no reason to push it. When I got to the hills, though, I floored it, going as hard as I could and ignoring my throbbing quads as I did it. I feel like the first hill went well, although I'd been doing it at 20 or higher the last tow rides. This felt about similar.
My computer decided to start working just after nigbridge, so once again I'm not going to take it in to be fixed. Maybe when I get my rear wheel unfucked next week. At any rate, I decided to keep a solid 18-19.5 the rest of the way, which worked out well with the RPEs for today. I didn't make it that far, though, as even lame 90 minute rides I'd had previously got me further on the trail. But the way back I hit the tough hill in the hammock (the way back is steeper) and stayed at 16-18, which is about 7-9 MPH faster that I do some parts of it on long rides. So that was a bright spot.
Not sure what I'm going to do about this computer. I can't have it go out during the Ironman, but at the same time would getting a new one even fix the problem? Definitely a question for Tommy when I take this think in next week. Tonight I had some Muscle Milk a big pasta dinner as tomorrow morning's workout will be tough.
Swim: speed day
wu: 400 continuous. last 50 in each 100 is kick
main: 10 x 100 EBEH (each 100 = 25Easy, 25Build, 25Easy, 25 Hard)
2 Lipodrene
It seemed that the Monday illicit activities were not hampering me today as I managed to get up earlier than normal, and was at the pool before noon. That's two days in a row of starting before noon, if you're counting. This workout today was nothing new. But I made it through with good power and felt great the whole time. I mean, I think set 4 or 5 I slowed a little on the "Hard" lengths, but I had to marvel at how these used to kinda kick my ass. Like even during the last cycle, I often used the 3rd length to totally slack and take it easy. Now it's probably a similar speed to the old "Build" lengths. Also, my intervals in between are getting a lot shorter, which has to be a good sign. Like I'm generally ready to go again in 30 seconds, and can generate the same speed and power as I was in the last set. Improvement is always fun.
Bike: 1.5 hour with some climbing or low cadence work if you're on the
trainer. RPE 3-4 on the flats and allow yourself some out of the saddle work
of RPE 7-8 on the hills
2 Lipodrene
I took a solid 5 hours between the swim and bike today. Didn't see much point for a brick with the "Escape to Campus Lodge" tomorrow. More on that tomorrow. Anyway, I decided to go at the suggested RPE on the flats and then balls out on the hills in the Hammock on Hawthorne. But when my computer went out 3 blocks into the ride, I got a little pissed. There's a sensor on the wheel that I guess gets misaligned, and it had been fine since I brought it in in June, but after I washed the bike it has been fucking up again. And I realized on the course in Orlando that not knowing how fast you're going, or how much time you've been out there, makes it hard to push it on the bike. At least for me. So after I stopped for like 5 minutes to try and un-fuck it, I gave up and decided to just use the clock on there as my timer.
On a ride where you're supposed to take it easy, not having a speedometer to make sure you don't go TOO easy makes you slack. Unfortunately, I have no idea how bad I was slacking, but I was definitely taking it easy. My quads were a little sore, presumable from Sunday's run and lack of any viable nutrition since then (that munchie-induced large cheese pizza from Mellow Mushroom was probably not the BEST idea)so I really had no reason to push it. When I got to the hills, though, I floored it, going as hard as I could and ignoring my throbbing quads as I did it. I feel like the first hill went well, although I'd been doing it at 20 or higher the last tow rides. This felt about similar.
My computer decided to start working just after nigbridge, so once again I'm not going to take it in to be fixed. Maybe when I get my rear wheel unfucked next week. At any rate, I decided to keep a solid 18-19.5 the rest of the way, which worked out well with the RPEs for today. I didn't make it that far, though, as even lame 90 minute rides I'd had previously got me further on the trail. But the way back I hit the tough hill in the hammock (the way back is steeper) and stayed at 16-18, which is about 7-9 MPH faster that I do some parts of it on long rides. So that was a bright spot.
Not sure what I'm going to do about this computer. I can't have it go out during the Ironman, but at the same time would getting a new one even fix the problem? Definitely a question for Tommy when I take this think in next week. Tonight I had some Muscle Milk a big pasta dinner as tomorrow morning's workout will be tough.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
T45 - Glad I Cleaned My Bike - Swim/Bike
Gainesville
This workout was supposed to be a swim/bike brick, preferably in open water. Well, lacking any sort of large, swimmable bodies of water around here the open water part was out. And the pool here at Jefferson is too small to train in, and I don't know of any good rides near GHFC. So, in short, no brick. Though I think in the fall if I have a day with nothing to do and a longer one of these, I may do the 3 hour sdrive down to Ft. DeSoto in St. Petersburg, just for shits and giggles.
Swim - 1000m continuous
2 Lipodrene
I headed out early today to try and leave the afternoon free for drinking or doing whatever since I was taking Saturday as a rest day. Got to the pool, and even without a warmup I was able to swim this strongly. I didn't time myself, which I need to start doing, but I felt like I was pushing through pretty much the whole way. Definitely one of my best continuous swims. I only hope I can keep a pace like this in my first race in August.
Bike - 2 Hours
1 Lipodrene
It was probably 45 minutes between the end of my swim and the time I got on the bike, so I can't really qualify this as a brick. I took a gel before I left, and had 2 more for the ride. I decided to try and use Trevor's suggestion of riding like I was training with him, and was able to keep that pace pretty well, maybe 40 seconds slower to the point we turned around. I got past that about a half a mile, and my computer decides to go out. Basically, the eye on the wheel gets knocked off line, and all of a sudden I have no speed and no clock. And it's hard to push your speed when you don't know what your speed is. So I pull over and attempt to realign it, and just as I do, I feel the rain start coming down.
Nothing is fucking better, I might add, than spending an hour cleaning your bike with cleaners and q-tips, really getting all the sand out of it, and then having the rain just dump on you the NEXT FUCKING DAY. So not only did my computer go out, the rain was coming down and filthying up my pristine bike. And, of course, it was the first time I"d been caught in the rain on the bike all year. Fuck. I finally got the eye lined up again, and kept a good pace down to the end of Hawthorne. Although the rain did slow me down. I made it down averaging 18.9, in just over 57 minutes. And, some little kids on bikes decided they wanted to pass their sister on the trail just as I was hunkering down to the finish, and I had to swerve onto the dirt/mud to avoid them. I would have crashed were this a year ago, but fortunately I was ok.
I went to ride back and the rain hit me again, considerable slowing me down. Then I got to the big hill in the hammock and decided to try out the small ring as Trevor had suggested. The guy has given me a ton of good training advice over the years, but I can safely say I am not a fan of the small ring. I felt like I wasn't using any less energy than in the big ring, and I was going slower. So, basically, same output with a worse result. I may try it again on a day when I don't have a bunch or other aggravations and my attitude is a little better, but I was disappointed to have only made it back in 2:01. 4 minutes longer than it took me to go down, and my final average speed was 18.4. So I lost a lot of speed coming back.
Not all rides will have this many aggravations, and hopefully I can continue to build on the speed from earlier in the week.
This workout was supposed to be a swim/bike brick, preferably in open water. Well, lacking any sort of large, swimmable bodies of water around here the open water part was out. And the pool here at Jefferson is too small to train in, and I don't know of any good rides near GHFC. So, in short, no brick. Though I think in the fall if I have a day with nothing to do and a longer one of these, I may do the 3 hour sdrive down to Ft. DeSoto in St. Petersburg, just for shits and giggles.
Swim - 1000m continuous
2 Lipodrene
I headed out early today to try and leave the afternoon free for drinking or doing whatever since I was taking Saturday as a rest day. Got to the pool, and even without a warmup I was able to swim this strongly. I didn't time myself, which I need to start doing, but I felt like I was pushing through pretty much the whole way. Definitely one of my best continuous swims. I only hope I can keep a pace like this in my first race in August.
Bike - 2 Hours
1 Lipodrene
It was probably 45 minutes between the end of my swim and the time I got on the bike, so I can't really qualify this as a brick. I took a gel before I left, and had 2 more for the ride. I decided to try and use Trevor's suggestion of riding like I was training with him, and was able to keep that pace pretty well, maybe 40 seconds slower to the point we turned around. I got past that about a half a mile, and my computer decides to go out. Basically, the eye on the wheel gets knocked off line, and all of a sudden I have no speed and no clock. And it's hard to push your speed when you don't know what your speed is. So I pull over and attempt to realign it, and just as I do, I feel the rain start coming down.
Nothing is fucking better, I might add, than spending an hour cleaning your bike with cleaners and q-tips, really getting all the sand out of it, and then having the rain just dump on you the NEXT FUCKING DAY. So not only did my computer go out, the rain was coming down and filthying up my pristine bike. And, of course, it was the first time I"d been caught in the rain on the bike all year. Fuck. I finally got the eye lined up again, and kept a good pace down to the end of Hawthorne. Although the rain did slow me down. I made it down averaging 18.9, in just over 57 minutes. And, some little kids on bikes decided they wanted to pass their sister on the trail just as I was hunkering down to the finish, and I had to swerve onto the dirt/mud to avoid them. I would have crashed were this a year ago, but fortunately I was ok.
I went to ride back and the rain hit me again, considerable slowing me down. Then I got to the big hill in the hammock and decided to try out the small ring as Trevor had suggested. The guy has given me a ton of good training advice over the years, but I can safely say I am not a fan of the small ring. I felt like I wasn't using any less energy than in the big ring, and I was going slower. So, basically, same output with a worse result. I may try it again on a day when I don't have a bunch or other aggravations and my attitude is a little better, but I was disappointed to have only made it back in 2:01. 4 minutes longer than it took me to go down, and my final average speed was 18.4. So I lost a lot of speed coming back.
Not all rides will have this many aggravations, and hopefully I can continue to build on the speed from earlier in the week.
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