Gainesville
Today was my last training day in Gainesville. I left for Panama City at about 5, and won't be back until the Ironman is over. Kinda weird to look at my room and all the shit in there, and all the kids in my classes and everything, and think that the next time I see any of it, this will all be over. A long time coming, you know? But anyway, for my last bike ride, I thought I'd go visit the Hawthorne Trail since I'd done it probably 100 times by now.
Bike: warm up 10 minutes, 30minues cruise at race pace, cool down.
3 Sudafed
2 Lipodrnee
All semester, I had intended to work in some training during my 3 hour break on Wednesday. Hadn't happened once. Usually that was nap or sex time, often both. But today, I actually managed to get in an entrie trianing day between my morning and afternoon classes on Wednesday. On my next to last day of training.
Anyway, the "warm up" here was essentially a nice cruise down Waldo to the trailhead. and then I hit Hawthorne going only slightly slower than my usual good pace. about 20.5-21 all the way down to the first hill. I notcied, though, that there was a bit of a wind on Hawthorne today, not something you get in the summer. Yet another reason I hate winter training, the fucking cold wind. I made it just past the bottom of the hill in the hammock, turned aorund, and went back up the hill. Becasue I typically need that 20-25 minutes to warm up, I went back up the hill much faster than usual, and I was even able to maintain about 18 up the final incline. Not something I do even on good rides.
I ended up averaging about 17.5 for the ride, but this was more because I rode the hilly seciton of Hawthorne only, and my average speed usually goes up a mile or 2 in the flats that comprise the rest of the course. And really, this was not the most crucial training ride of the cycle. I felt good about how it went, and it kept my body loose. And that's all one can ask.
Run: warm up 5 minutes, 15 minutes cruise at slightly faster than race pace,
cool down
I got home, had a sandwich, answered some email, then hit the Treadmill at Jefferson. Again, my last time on the treadmill I'd used most often. Because I'd brought the iPod, I did a nice little warmup at 5.5 (which is a hopeful race pace, really) and then did 8.0 the final 15 minutes. It wasn't even as hard as I'd thought it would be. I sweated like crazy, but made it through without even feeling overly winded. Hmmmm, maybe I COULD have pushed the run a little more. But it's a bit late to start thinking that.
So after, I went to class, got home, packed up and headed up to PCB. Total focus, and that is exactly what I need.
Showing posts with label treadmill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label treadmill. Show all posts
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
T107 - My Kinda Sprints - Swim, Run, Bike
Gainesville
Well, it's race week. I've got this kinda strange focus going on right now. Like I really don't want to talk to anybody or be too social. All week, just thinking about Saturday. It keeps occurring to me that a week from now, it'll all be over. And nice as it'll be to get back to a semi-normal life, I'm not looking forward to it at all. But more on that later.
My wetsuit came over the weekend. When I get up to Panama City Wednesday night, I'm going to do some wetsuit practice, then go swim a lap of the course Thursday morning. Until then, I'm just trying to get in some good meals and some good sleep. I took Monday off to recover from the weekend's strenuous events in Miami. I figured the short, keep-loose stuff the cards has scheduled wasn't overly crucial, and the rest would do met better. That being said, I still need to keep in constant training mode, as too much time off seems to have led to some bad workouts. But today's didn't look overly daunting.
Swim: warm up 5 minutes, 6 x 50 fast!, cool down 5 minutes
3 Sudafed
2 Lipodrene
The only concerning part about today's swim was when I did my traditional drop to the bottom of the pool when I got in. At about 1 foot down, my head started to feel like it was in a vice. Like one might if they don't eqaulize enough while scuba diving. But I was at 1 freaking foot! This is obviously a sign that I have some serious sinus congestion going on in my head, and the Sudafed, while making me breathe ok, isn't doing much to help that. Not that it's gonna keep me form doing the race, and the swim does not include a 30-foot underwater portion, but I do hope I get better.
The swim itself was fine. I definitely needed the warmup, and the sprints were hard. But short. And few of them. I can't keep that kinda pace for 100 yards, especially since I really haven't done much sprint work here in the last month and a half. Still don't like sprints, and even though I let up a little at the 40-yard mark of a couple of sets, my muscles felt good and I did for the most part what the card had instructed. Not my best swim, but I do like short sprints.
Run: warm up 5 minutes, 5 x 1 minute fast!, cool down 5 minutes (Treadmill)
Anything involving keeping a fast speed, I pretty much have to do on the treadmill. And, of course, I used the iPod. This section also felt fine. My legs needed a minute to warm up, but once the muscles got warm I made it through the sprint sections (which I only did at 8.0-8.3, depending on the song I had on) without difficulty. Holding a sprint for a minute is doable even for me, and my strides felt good. I think they just do these sprints to keep your muscles a little challenged without wearing them out. Good strategy, I think.
Bike: warm up 5 minutes, 5 x 2 minute fast!, cool down 5 minutes (trainer)
I briefly considered just doing this on the stationary, but I want to spend as much time in the saddle this week as I can. So I went home, had a sandwich, and got on the trainer. This was a bit more of a challenge, since the fast sections were 2 minutes long instead of one. For each one, I slowly shifted into my hardest gear, got into aero, and just went as hard as I could. I'd drop about 1-2 mph in speed by the end of the two minutes, but kept it over 22 the whole time. Again, I know speed isn't that relevant a stat, but it does give you something to show how you're doing relative to the rest of that workout. And my biking muscles felt challenged, used, but not worn out as I still felt fine after. I think all of this was a good first workout for race week.
Trevor told me today that I need to sleep by myself in my own bed the rest of the week. Obviously, that's not happening Wednesday on, since I'll be in PCB. And while I'm not sure I can keep to that tonight, I am promising myself that I'll be in bed by 12, to ensure a solid eight hours sleep. That's my minimum (at least attempted mimimum) for all but race night. When we know you never sleep. Other than that, a short bike and run tomorrow during the break, and then I'm off to Panama City. Hopefully these condos have wireless. Otherwise, I'll have to do the full report when I get back.
Well, it's race week. I've got this kinda strange focus going on right now. Like I really don't want to talk to anybody or be too social. All week, just thinking about Saturday. It keeps occurring to me that a week from now, it'll all be over. And nice as it'll be to get back to a semi-normal life, I'm not looking forward to it at all. But more on that later.
My wetsuit came over the weekend. When I get up to Panama City Wednesday night, I'm going to do some wetsuit practice, then go swim a lap of the course Thursday morning. Until then, I'm just trying to get in some good meals and some good sleep. I took Monday off to recover from the weekend's strenuous events in Miami. I figured the short, keep-loose stuff the cards has scheduled wasn't overly crucial, and the rest would do met better. That being said, I still need to keep in constant training mode, as too much time off seems to have led to some bad workouts. But today's didn't look overly daunting.
Swim: warm up 5 minutes, 6 x 50 fast!, cool down 5 minutes
3 Sudafed
2 Lipodrene
The only concerning part about today's swim was when I did my traditional drop to the bottom of the pool when I got in. At about 1 foot down, my head started to feel like it was in a vice. Like one might if they don't eqaulize enough while scuba diving. But I was at 1 freaking foot! This is obviously a sign that I have some serious sinus congestion going on in my head, and the Sudafed, while making me breathe ok, isn't doing much to help that. Not that it's gonna keep me form doing the race, and the swim does not include a 30-foot underwater portion, but I do hope I get better.
The swim itself was fine. I definitely needed the warmup, and the sprints were hard. But short. And few of them. I can't keep that kinda pace for 100 yards, especially since I really haven't done much sprint work here in the last month and a half. Still don't like sprints, and even though I let up a little at the 40-yard mark of a couple of sets, my muscles felt good and I did for the most part what the card had instructed. Not my best swim, but I do like short sprints.
Run: warm up 5 minutes, 5 x 1 minute fast!, cool down 5 minutes (Treadmill)
Anything involving keeping a fast speed, I pretty much have to do on the treadmill. And, of course, I used the iPod. This section also felt fine. My legs needed a minute to warm up, but once the muscles got warm I made it through the sprint sections (which I only did at 8.0-8.3, depending on the song I had on) without difficulty. Holding a sprint for a minute is doable even for me, and my strides felt good. I think they just do these sprints to keep your muscles a little challenged without wearing them out. Good strategy, I think.
Bike: warm up 5 minutes, 5 x 2 minute fast!, cool down 5 minutes (trainer)
I briefly considered just doing this on the stationary, but I want to spend as much time in the saddle this week as I can. So I went home, had a sandwich, and got on the trainer. This was a bit more of a challenge, since the fast sections were 2 minutes long instead of one. For each one, I slowly shifted into my hardest gear, got into aero, and just went as hard as I could. I'd drop about 1-2 mph in speed by the end of the two minutes, but kept it over 22 the whole time. Again, I know speed isn't that relevant a stat, but it does give you something to show how you're doing relative to the rest of that workout. And my biking muscles felt challenged, used, but not worn out as I still felt fine after. I think all of this was a good first workout for race week.
Trevor told me today that I need to sleep by myself in my own bed the rest of the week. Obviously, that's not happening Wednesday on, since I'll be in PCB. And while I'm not sure I can keep to that tonight, I am promising myself that I'll be in bed by 12, to ensure a solid eight hours sleep. That's my minimum (at least attempted mimimum) for all but race night. When we know you never sleep. Other than that, a short bike and run tomorrow during the break, and then I'm off to Panama City. Hopefully these condos have wireless. Otherwise, I'll have to do the full report when I get back.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
T94 - Saddle Sores Gettin Serious - Run, Bike
Gainesville
I took Saturday off. I figured I rated a day off after a 112-mile bike ride. That and it was actually a scheduled day off as I began my last recovery week. As I've started to do for RWs, I opted to do a mechanical workout today, 45 minutes on the treadmill and an hour and 15 on the bike trainer.
Run - 45 minutes (treadmill)
2 Lipodrene
My legs felt surprisingly good after the rigorous ride on Friday, so I set the treadmilll to 6.8, which is about an 8:40 pace. Faster than I'm sure I'll do in the race, but good to get my legs used to running. The treadmills at Jefferson are loose, so for someone my size running at a decent clip, the belts tend to stick a lot when I step down on them. There is not only one treadmill I can use there.
As it was, I ran well through it, feeling a little bit labored but keeping the pace well. I started to fade a little towards the end, but I chalk this up more to that mental feeling of being near the end than anything else. I did use the iPod here, as again, its a treadmill run.
Bike - 75 Minutes, Trainer
2 Lipodrene
I took a nice long break between workouts, maybe 3 hours or so. I set up the trainer around 7, and it was already dark outside. And it is starting to cool off a little (for Florida anyway, Probably only 80 when I started)so it was not the perpetual sweatbox that it can be.
What it was was extremely painful. Those long rides leave you with some hemorrhoids or saddle sores or something nasty on your perineum, that just sends waves of soreness up your groin every time you drop into aero. I was able to keep aero for about the first 15 minutes, but had to sit up periodically after that. I didn't really look much at the speed, as Trevor told me that's a pretty useless statistic. But I felt like I pedaled pretty strong, and even closed my eyes and just went for some extender periods.
Let me tell you, biking on the trainer in aero with your eyes closed is intense. It's like you really feel nothing but you and the bike, and if you have the right kind of music on you get in an almost trance-like state. I was able to do this 3 or 4 times for about 5 minutes each, just pedaling hard the whole time. Sadly, eyes-closed biking on the open road, not a good idea. But that's why sometimes the trainer is fun. Anyway, I almost got in an interval workout this way. The only reason I stopped was because the saddle sores were killing me and when the initial adrenaline rush wore off I could feel them.
So I'm opting to take as much time between bike sessions as possible this week to let this heal up. That pain is not excruciating, but if I can minimize it I will. Your ass gets to a certain level of conditioning, but like everything else once you start doing 100 miles-plus, it's a whole new level of toughness. So I'll use this recovery week for what it was meant for: revcovery.
I took Saturday off. I figured I rated a day off after a 112-mile bike ride. That and it was actually a scheduled day off as I began my last recovery week. As I've started to do for RWs, I opted to do a mechanical workout today, 45 minutes on the treadmill and an hour and 15 on the bike trainer.
Run - 45 minutes (treadmill)
2 Lipodrene
My legs felt surprisingly good after the rigorous ride on Friday, so I set the treadmilll to 6.8, which is about an 8:40 pace. Faster than I'm sure I'll do in the race, but good to get my legs used to running. The treadmills at Jefferson are loose, so for someone my size running at a decent clip, the belts tend to stick a lot when I step down on them. There is not only one treadmill I can use there.
As it was, I ran well through it, feeling a little bit labored but keeping the pace well. I started to fade a little towards the end, but I chalk this up more to that mental feeling of being near the end than anything else. I did use the iPod here, as again, its a treadmill run.
Bike - 75 Minutes, Trainer
2 Lipodrene
I took a nice long break between workouts, maybe 3 hours or so. I set up the trainer around 7, and it was already dark outside. And it is starting to cool off a little (for Florida anyway, Probably only 80 when I started)so it was not the perpetual sweatbox that it can be.
What it was was extremely painful. Those long rides leave you with some hemorrhoids or saddle sores or something nasty on your perineum, that just sends waves of soreness up your groin every time you drop into aero. I was able to keep aero for about the first 15 minutes, but had to sit up periodically after that. I didn't really look much at the speed, as Trevor told me that's a pretty useless statistic. But I felt like I pedaled pretty strong, and even closed my eyes and just went for some extender periods.
Let me tell you, biking on the trainer in aero with your eyes closed is intense. It's like you really feel nothing but you and the bike, and if you have the right kind of music on you get in an almost trance-like state. I was able to do this 3 or 4 times for about 5 minutes each, just pedaling hard the whole time. Sadly, eyes-closed biking on the open road, not a good idea. But that's why sometimes the trainer is fun. Anyway, I almost got in an interval workout this way. The only reason I stopped was because the saddle sores were killing me and when the initial adrenaline rush wore off I could feel them.
So I'm opting to take as much time between bike sessions as possible this week to let this heal up. That pain is not excruciating, but if I can minimize it I will. Your ass gets to a certain level of conditioning, but like everything else once you start doing 100 miles-plus, it's a whole new level of toughness. So I'll use this recovery week for what it was meant for: revcovery.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
T87 - The Difference Between 90 and 100 is a lot more than 10 Miles - Bike/Run Brick
Gainesville
After four days off and a skipped fast on Yom Kippur (figured it wasn't a good idea to not eat the entire day before an important training ride. One year. I think God will understand) I felt ready to rock and roll for my first 100-mile bike ride. Ever. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm, but not really hot, and my body felt good. I didn't sleep particularly well but other than that I felt well-prepared. And I needed a good ride to try and reverse the trend of bad workouts.
Bike - 5.5 Hours
2 Lipodrene
3 Advil
1 Salt Tab
I started out on this ride like gangbusters. Just flew down 2nd, then down Waldo, and hit the trailhead in under 7 milutes (a record). Then continued my speed down Hawthorne, hitting Nigbridge in 25 flat and getting to the end of the trail in 55:02. Remembering that this was taking me about 1:03 in the beginning, I felt this was a major stride. Just missed breaking 55 minutes, and averaged 19.9 on the first trip. I was a little worried abount nuking the village here, but in my experience you are generally just as tired at the end of a long ride like this whether you go hard the first 20 miles or pace it. So I went hard.
I took another salt tab and headed back up. I realized then that I had had a bit of a tailwind, and that may have accounted for my record trip. But whatever. I made it back up at 1:40, and my average speed was still 18.9, despite the wind. Here I took 2more Advil and another salt tab, and headed back down. I tought I'd have another great trip given the tailwind, but I noticed it had died down, and only made it to the halfway point at 2:40, meaning it was about 12 minutes slower than my first trip. I was losing speed fast.
On the way back on trip 2, I found myself gettng tired. Not my legs, or even my back so much, but just general fatigue. My back had been hurting from about the 1:15 mark, and despite flooding my body with Advil, I found myself having to take brief, 30-second breaks about every half hour if I was not stopping already. I'm not sure how this is going to work raceday, but it's one of those things that I get mentally fatigued and start going like 15 for a while. Then I'll stop and be able to hit 20 again. Anyway, this last trip I kept slowing down, and having to tell myself "You're better than this" repeatedly to get my speed back up. At the 3:30 mark I took a short break, and felt like taking a nap. It was then I realized I had 2 more hours left. Well, nobody said this was gonna be easy.
Turned around to make my third trip, taking my last 2 Advil and another Lipodrene. I now didn't feel like I needed to take a nap, but getting over 19 was tough. It didn't help that like an idiot I cruised right by the only water fountain for about 20 miles, leaving me with about a bottles worth for that entire stretch. So I think dehyydration my have played a part here too.
I had nothing left on any sort of incline, and was only able to hit 20-22 on declines. I think I averaged about 17 on this last trip, which isn't terrible, but is slower than I want to do. And it was one of those rides where I reeally felt done about an hour and 15 minutes before it was over. But, you perservere. I think that's what the Ironman is about, just keeping it moving when you feel like you're done. And I realized today how hard that is really going to be.
The 90 mile rides had been challenging, but not exhausting. This one had me wanting to stop 2 hours before it was over, which is a big mental obstacle. I talked to Trevor via IM about it last night, and he said I probably need to do at least 2 more to be ready for the big race. I am going to Panama City next Tuesday to do the course, then I think there's a Gainesville Century ride the next weekend. Much as I'm dreading it, I know it's something I have to do to have a good Ironman. Such is life.
I ended up back home at 5:29, having done 98.9 miles. So no, not quite a century, and yes, another mile wouldn't have killed me. But there's plenty of time for that. If you do the math, I averaged just under 18, which had been my goal. So I came just short of my goals today, but had some bright spots. Not a bad first century (almost) ride, but I'm definitely looking to improve on the next ones.
The ride also left my perennium incredibly sore, to the point I couldn't really sit down. Later in the evening I looked at it in the mirror and found I had gotten my first ever hemhorroid. Thanks Ironman! I don't see this hindering training much, but it does make me feel old. But really, after that much time on a bike, I figure it's more like a battle scar. I'm sure that's what fat-ass bus drivers say too. Anyway, hopefully it doesn't hinder training, but I'll keep you posted. The forearm, however, is fine now. Full aero a lot of the ride.
Run - 20 minutes (treadmill)
I got home and had my last gel (I'd done gels every 45 on the bike, with Cliff Bars at 2:15 and 3:50 or so. Still felt fatigued, so I may need to bring more food on my next century ride). Went upstairs, had a Powerade, answered a couple of texts, and went down to the gym at Jefferson. I put the treadmill on 6.2, faster than I usually do for post-ride runs, and it actually felt pretty good. I mean, I kept looking at the time, but the speed felt comfortable. Now, am I going to be able to keep that up for 26 miles? Hell the fuck no, I won't. But the fact that this wasn't completely laborious gave me a little glimmer of pride after an otherwise-difficult workout. That's it for Week 6. 5 weeks of training to go in 39 days. I'm staying in Gainesville until the Miami Beach Half Marathon to just train hard and get myself ready. Home stretch, and it will pay off.
After four days off and a skipped fast on Yom Kippur (figured it wasn't a good idea to not eat the entire day before an important training ride. One year. I think God will understand) I felt ready to rock and roll for my first 100-mile bike ride. Ever. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm, but not really hot, and my body felt good. I didn't sleep particularly well but other than that I felt well-prepared. And I needed a good ride to try and reverse the trend of bad workouts.
Bike - 5.5 Hours
2 Lipodrene
3 Advil
1 Salt Tab
I started out on this ride like gangbusters. Just flew down 2nd, then down Waldo, and hit the trailhead in under 7 milutes (a record). Then continued my speed down Hawthorne, hitting Nigbridge in 25 flat and getting to the end of the trail in 55:02. Remembering that this was taking me about 1:03 in the beginning, I felt this was a major stride. Just missed breaking 55 minutes, and averaged 19.9 on the first trip. I was a little worried abount nuking the village here, but in my experience you are generally just as tired at the end of a long ride like this whether you go hard the first 20 miles or pace it. So I went hard.
I took another salt tab and headed back up. I realized then that I had had a bit of a tailwind, and that may have accounted for my record trip. But whatever. I made it back up at 1:40, and my average speed was still 18.9, despite the wind. Here I took 2more Advil and another salt tab, and headed back down. I tought I'd have another great trip given the tailwind, but I noticed it had died down, and only made it to the halfway point at 2:40, meaning it was about 12 minutes slower than my first trip. I was losing speed fast.
On the way back on trip 2, I found myself gettng tired. Not my legs, or even my back so much, but just general fatigue. My back had been hurting from about the 1:15 mark, and despite flooding my body with Advil, I found myself having to take brief, 30-second breaks about every half hour if I was not stopping already. I'm not sure how this is going to work raceday, but it's one of those things that I get mentally fatigued and start going like 15 for a while. Then I'll stop and be able to hit 20 again. Anyway, this last trip I kept slowing down, and having to tell myself "You're better than this" repeatedly to get my speed back up. At the 3:30 mark I took a short break, and felt like taking a nap. It was then I realized I had 2 more hours left. Well, nobody said this was gonna be easy.
Turned around to make my third trip, taking my last 2 Advil and another Lipodrene. I now didn't feel like I needed to take a nap, but getting over 19 was tough. It didn't help that like an idiot I cruised right by the only water fountain for about 20 miles, leaving me with about a bottles worth for that entire stretch. So I think dehyydration my have played a part here too.
I had nothing left on any sort of incline, and was only able to hit 20-22 on declines. I think I averaged about 17 on this last trip, which isn't terrible, but is slower than I want to do. And it was one of those rides where I reeally felt done about an hour and 15 minutes before it was over. But, you perservere. I think that's what the Ironman is about, just keeping it moving when you feel like you're done. And I realized today how hard that is really going to be.
The 90 mile rides had been challenging, but not exhausting. This one had me wanting to stop 2 hours before it was over, which is a big mental obstacle. I talked to Trevor via IM about it last night, and he said I probably need to do at least 2 more to be ready for the big race. I am going to Panama City next Tuesday to do the course, then I think there's a Gainesville Century ride the next weekend. Much as I'm dreading it, I know it's something I have to do to have a good Ironman. Such is life.
I ended up back home at 5:29, having done 98.9 miles. So no, not quite a century, and yes, another mile wouldn't have killed me. But there's plenty of time for that. If you do the math, I averaged just under 18, which had been my goal. So I came just short of my goals today, but had some bright spots. Not a bad first century (almost) ride, but I'm definitely looking to improve on the next ones.
The ride also left my perennium incredibly sore, to the point I couldn't really sit down. Later in the evening I looked at it in the mirror and found I had gotten my first ever hemhorroid. Thanks Ironman! I don't see this hindering training much, but it does make me feel old. But really, after that much time on a bike, I figure it's more like a battle scar. I'm sure that's what fat-ass bus drivers say too. Anyway, hopefully it doesn't hinder training, but I'll keep you posted. The forearm, however, is fine now. Full aero a lot of the ride.
Run - 20 minutes (treadmill)
I got home and had my last gel (I'd done gels every 45 on the bike, with Cliff Bars at 2:15 and 3:50 or so. Still felt fatigued, so I may need to bring more food on my next century ride). Went upstairs, had a Powerade, answered a couple of texts, and went down to the gym at Jefferson. I put the treadmill on 6.2, faster than I usually do for post-ride runs, and it actually felt pretty good. I mean, I kept looking at the time, but the speed felt comfortable. Now, am I going to be able to keep that up for 26 miles? Hell the fuck no, I won't. But the fact that this wasn't completely laborious gave me a little glimmer of pride after an otherwise-difficult workout. That's it for Week 6. 5 weeks of training to go in 39 days. I'm staying in Gainesville until the Miami Beach Half Marathon to just train hard and get myself ready. Home stretch, and it will pay off.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
T81 - CRASH - Bike/Run Brick
Gainesville
I'm not liking these shorter days. I woke up at about noon on Tuesday and realized that in order to get in this 5 hour bike ride before it got dark, I had to leave by 2. Which was cool. Gave me a chance to watch Maury before I left. But still, I would have liked another hour or so to get mentally prepared.
Bike - 5 Hours
2 Lipodrene
3 Advil
1 Salt Tab
Today was to be a ride that went almost 3 times down Hawthorne and back. I am very encouraged by the fact that every time I do this trail, I am setting a new record in the time it takes me to get to the end. Today it was 56:10 for the first trip down, averaging almost 19. And I wasn't even that tired. I was low on gels, so I took a gel at 45 minutes and 90 minutes, then a bar at 2:15, which I think worked well. I seem to lose about .2 of a mile per hour off my average each trip, which I'm not thrilled about but I figure it's better to go hard that first 2 hours, because I think I'd end up doing 18 or so either way by the last trip down. Point is, I had a record first trip today and that was good. Took a salt tab at the turn around, then another 2 Advil at the end of trip 1.
Trip 2 also went nicely. Made it down in under an hour still, would have been 58 if you factored in the extra time from my house to the trailhead. Took a 3rd Lipodrene at the 2:30 mark, figuring that was about all the booster I'd need for the remainder of the ride. Finished the second trip at about 3:40, which I felt was a pretty solid time for 71 miles. Turned around for trip 3 and popped my last 2 Advil and a salt tab. Gels were working well. Body was feeling ok. my low back went in and out of pain, which I'll chalk up to Advil wearing off and kicking in. My shoulders also started to feel a little sore from all the time in Aero.
Anyway, I turned it around at the 4:17 mark, and wouldn't you know it it started to rain. Which I'm usually ok with, save for the filth it adds to my bike. Well I was trying to push the fast spots so I could end up averaging over 18 (my goal was 18 average, 90 miles for the ride)and this may not have been the best idea. I hit the final big curve (marked by a sign that reads "Big Curve") at about 22-23, and began to apply my brakes where I usually do. Unfortunately I seem to have forgotten that brakes do not work as well in the rain as they do when it's dry. Next thing I know I'm skidding around the curve at about 18, slamming my right side into the ground, and watching my bike fly over my head. I just said there thinking "Fuck, this hurts," and looking at my various new body parts that lacked skin. My right forearm got the worst of it, pretty much skinning the entire thing from my elbow half way down.
I did make a point to keep my head up to avoid another concussion. So I got up pretty quickly, dusted myself off, and re-did the chain to get ready to move. Then I noticed my handlebars were pretty much at a 45 degree angle to the frame. Yeah, definitely fucked my shit up. I bent them back to about a 10 degree angle, and biked the final 4 miles home like that. Which put a lot of stress on my left shoulder, which was already sore since it never leaves the handlebars. Sadly, I was not able to get into aero for any of the last part of the ride, and ended up averaging 18 and doing 91 miles in just over 5 hours. Would have been 18.1 or 18.2, but the last 4 miles were a lot slower than I would have liked. A lopsided, fucked up bike doesn't help. I got home covered in filth and blood, leaving a nice blood stain on my door, and necessitating a shower before I hit the treadmill.
Run - 30 minutes (treadmill)
I showered off, had my last gel, and hit the treadmill. The exposed flesh burned like a motherfucker in the shower, and I knew the sweat wasn't going to be any better. So I put a wristband over as much of my raw right forearm as I could, and hit the Jefferson 2nd Treadmill (thought some of the sorority girls down there might have been a little grossed out by a giant bleeding arm running next to them too). After the 91 mile ride, I felt a speed of 6 would suffice for today. And it was hard. Not brutally hard, but it was definitely a strain to keep that speed up for the whole half hour. I did it. Didn't like it, but I did it. I seriously hope I can at least start at this speed for a while during the Ironman. I know I'm not setting any records in my marathon, but I'd like to finish in a respectable time.
I'm relatively certain I'm not injured from the crash, and it wouldn't be a training cycle without at least one accident. Hopefully this is the only one, but you never know. Maybe the fatigue had something to do with it. but for now, I'm going to blame it on the rain.
I'm not liking these shorter days. I woke up at about noon on Tuesday and realized that in order to get in this 5 hour bike ride before it got dark, I had to leave by 2. Which was cool. Gave me a chance to watch Maury before I left. But still, I would have liked another hour or so to get mentally prepared.
Bike - 5 Hours
2 Lipodrene
3 Advil
1 Salt Tab
Today was to be a ride that went almost 3 times down Hawthorne and back. I am very encouraged by the fact that every time I do this trail, I am setting a new record in the time it takes me to get to the end. Today it was 56:10 for the first trip down, averaging almost 19. And I wasn't even that tired. I was low on gels, so I took a gel at 45 minutes and 90 minutes, then a bar at 2:15, which I think worked well. I seem to lose about .2 of a mile per hour off my average each trip, which I'm not thrilled about but I figure it's better to go hard that first 2 hours, because I think I'd end up doing 18 or so either way by the last trip down. Point is, I had a record first trip today and that was good. Took a salt tab at the turn around, then another 2 Advil at the end of trip 1.
Trip 2 also went nicely. Made it down in under an hour still, would have been 58 if you factored in the extra time from my house to the trailhead. Took a 3rd Lipodrene at the 2:30 mark, figuring that was about all the booster I'd need for the remainder of the ride. Finished the second trip at about 3:40, which I felt was a pretty solid time for 71 miles. Turned around for trip 3 and popped my last 2 Advil and a salt tab. Gels were working well. Body was feeling ok. my low back went in and out of pain, which I'll chalk up to Advil wearing off and kicking in. My shoulders also started to feel a little sore from all the time in Aero.
Anyway, I turned it around at the 4:17 mark, and wouldn't you know it it started to rain. Which I'm usually ok with, save for the filth it adds to my bike. Well I was trying to push the fast spots so I could end up averaging over 18 (my goal was 18 average, 90 miles for the ride)and this may not have been the best idea. I hit the final big curve (marked by a sign that reads "Big Curve") at about 22-23, and began to apply my brakes where I usually do. Unfortunately I seem to have forgotten that brakes do not work as well in the rain as they do when it's dry. Next thing I know I'm skidding around the curve at about 18, slamming my right side into the ground, and watching my bike fly over my head. I just said there thinking "Fuck, this hurts," and looking at my various new body parts that lacked skin. My right forearm got the worst of it, pretty much skinning the entire thing from my elbow half way down.
I did make a point to keep my head up to avoid another concussion. So I got up pretty quickly, dusted myself off, and re-did the chain to get ready to move. Then I noticed my handlebars were pretty much at a 45 degree angle to the frame. Yeah, definitely fucked my shit up. I bent them back to about a 10 degree angle, and biked the final 4 miles home like that. Which put a lot of stress on my left shoulder, which was already sore since it never leaves the handlebars. Sadly, I was not able to get into aero for any of the last part of the ride, and ended up averaging 18 and doing 91 miles in just over 5 hours. Would have been 18.1 or 18.2, but the last 4 miles were a lot slower than I would have liked. A lopsided, fucked up bike doesn't help. I got home covered in filth and blood, leaving a nice blood stain on my door, and necessitating a shower before I hit the treadmill.
Run - 30 minutes (treadmill)
I showered off, had my last gel, and hit the treadmill. The exposed flesh burned like a motherfucker in the shower, and I knew the sweat wasn't going to be any better. So I put a wristband over as much of my raw right forearm as I could, and hit the Jefferson 2nd Treadmill (thought some of the sorority girls down there might have been a little grossed out by a giant bleeding arm running next to them too). After the 91 mile ride, I felt a speed of 6 would suffice for today. And it was hard. Not brutally hard, but it was definitely a strain to keep that speed up for the whole half hour. I did it. Didn't like it, but I did it. I seriously hope I can at least start at this speed for a while during the Ironman. I know I'm not setting any records in my marathon, but I'd like to finish in a respectable time.
I'm relatively certain I'm not injured from the crash, and it wouldn't be a training cycle without at least one accident. Hopefully this is the only one, but you never know. Maybe the fatigue had something to do with it. but for now, I'm going to blame it on the rain.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
T77 - Wind is Like Privilege - Swim/Bike Brick, Run
Gainesville
Strange title, I know, but I'll get to it. Today was a run-bike session together which mandated that the run be done several hours later. So as it was I called Justin to see if he wanted to train, since I can do a swim/bike brick from Campus Lodge and he only wants to do short workouts in preparation for his Sprint Tri this weekend. So I met him a little after 5 and we got started.
Swim - 30 minutes, 1500 meters
2 Lipodrene
They have a nice outdoor pool at Campus Lodge, and today it happened to have some music going for the after-work tanning crowd. Justin was doing some sprints, but I kept a solid pace and got in the full 30 laps I'd aimed to do in the allotted half hour. Or so Justin told me. He also told me that I was bringing my right arm out way too far on my strokes, something I am consciously doing. So I'm going to have to try and modify this a little during my short swim in New York. Maybe bringing the arm forward and bending the elbow as I come back to eliminate the drafting effect while still keeping the arm in.
Bike - 1 Hour
Did a nice transition at my car and headed down Williston on the bike. I hadn't done this road in a while and I remember why, it's just all trucks and a very narrow bike lane. Not exactly prime biking conditions. I also have some bad, bad associations with terrible rides on that road as well. But after I crossed I-75 I settled into Aero and was doing a solid 22-25, even after yesterday's grueling bike effort. I mean, I know I have to show off a little when I train with Justin, since he destroys me in the run and is a slightly better swimmer too, but I was just straight flying. He kept up, but I was thinking "Damn, I"m just crushing this today." I looked at the plants for any sign of wind and saw none, thus assuming I was just that good.
Then I turned around. Justin had bailed at the 20 minute mark as he'd wanted to do a shorter ride, but at 30 minutes I turned around, having averaged about 22 on the way down. Crushing a short ride, I thought. Well, notsomuch. Despite my thinking there wasn't much wind, I couldn't manage to muster much over 18 at the beginning of the way back. I even slowed to around 16 before I said "Fuck this, I'm averaging 20 on this bitch" and pushed it all the way to the end. Made it just over 20 miles in just over 1 hour, averaging exactly 20. The gel I took at the 15 minute mark helped, but during the ride I sarted to think, ya know, wind is a lot like societal privilege. Could be racial, gender, socioeconomic, whatever. But here's my thoughts...
Like wind, when you have privilege working for you, you don't even notice. You breeze through not realizing that you have a great force working behind you. You usually just think you're doing awesome all on your own. Or, for some, you realize you have it and decide to take full advantage, pushing as hard as you can to get the best possible result. But really, you never notice it until it is working against you. When wind, or privilege, is not in your favor everything becomes twice as hard as it usually is. You spend a lot of time saying "This isn't fucking fair. This looks so easy but for some reason I just can't do as well as I want to." Then you either decide to let the force against you win and perform poorly (as I did most of last cycle), or say fuck it, work a lot harder, and get the result you want. Like I did on my ride today. Last cycle I was a nigger sitting in jail. This cycle I'm Barack Obama. You see what I mean?
Deeper than usual? Sure. But it can't all be gels and Cliff Bars.
Run - 45 minutes (treadmill)
In continuing with my theme of improving my speed with treadmill work, I opted to do today's short run on the treadmill at 6.4. Which was too fast to maintain, so I dropped it to 6.2 and did ok. My stomach started feeling a little weird, which I found odd since I hadn't had any more Lipodrene and had only a Cliff bar and PB&J. I felt a little strained going at that speed for 45 minutes, which some might call sad, but I think its an improvement that needs to be made. Yeah, this run was kinda pathetic, but I need to keep doing treadmill work on shorter runs until my speed improves. I did get to watch the end of the Mets-Marlins game. But for some reason the bullpen only seems to like to close out games quickly when I'm tryingto watch them during a workout.
Strange title, I know, but I'll get to it. Today was a run-bike session together which mandated that the run be done several hours later. So as it was I called Justin to see if he wanted to train, since I can do a swim/bike brick from Campus Lodge and he only wants to do short workouts in preparation for his Sprint Tri this weekend. So I met him a little after 5 and we got started.
Swim - 30 minutes, 1500 meters
2 Lipodrene
They have a nice outdoor pool at Campus Lodge, and today it happened to have some music going for the after-work tanning crowd. Justin was doing some sprints, but I kept a solid pace and got in the full 30 laps I'd aimed to do in the allotted half hour. Or so Justin told me. He also told me that I was bringing my right arm out way too far on my strokes, something I am consciously doing. So I'm going to have to try and modify this a little during my short swim in New York. Maybe bringing the arm forward and bending the elbow as I come back to eliminate the drafting effect while still keeping the arm in.
Bike - 1 Hour
Did a nice transition at my car and headed down Williston on the bike. I hadn't done this road in a while and I remember why, it's just all trucks and a very narrow bike lane. Not exactly prime biking conditions. I also have some bad, bad associations with terrible rides on that road as well. But after I crossed I-75 I settled into Aero and was doing a solid 22-25, even after yesterday's grueling bike effort. I mean, I know I have to show off a little when I train with Justin, since he destroys me in the run and is a slightly better swimmer too, but I was just straight flying. He kept up, but I was thinking "Damn, I"m just crushing this today." I looked at the plants for any sign of wind and saw none, thus assuming I was just that good.
Then I turned around. Justin had bailed at the 20 minute mark as he'd wanted to do a shorter ride, but at 30 minutes I turned around, having averaged about 22 on the way down. Crushing a short ride, I thought. Well, notsomuch. Despite my thinking there wasn't much wind, I couldn't manage to muster much over 18 at the beginning of the way back. I even slowed to around 16 before I said "Fuck this, I'm averaging 20 on this bitch" and pushed it all the way to the end. Made it just over 20 miles in just over 1 hour, averaging exactly 20. The gel I took at the 15 minute mark helped, but during the ride I sarted to think, ya know, wind is a lot like societal privilege. Could be racial, gender, socioeconomic, whatever. But here's my thoughts...
Like wind, when you have privilege working for you, you don't even notice. You breeze through not realizing that you have a great force working behind you. You usually just think you're doing awesome all on your own. Or, for some, you realize you have it and decide to take full advantage, pushing as hard as you can to get the best possible result. But really, you never notice it until it is working against you. When wind, or privilege, is not in your favor everything becomes twice as hard as it usually is. You spend a lot of time saying "This isn't fucking fair. This looks so easy but for some reason I just can't do as well as I want to." Then you either decide to let the force against you win and perform poorly (as I did most of last cycle), or say fuck it, work a lot harder, and get the result you want. Like I did on my ride today. Last cycle I was a nigger sitting in jail. This cycle I'm Barack Obama. You see what I mean?
Deeper than usual? Sure. But it can't all be gels and Cliff Bars.
Run - 45 minutes (treadmill)
In continuing with my theme of improving my speed with treadmill work, I opted to do today's short run on the treadmill at 6.4. Which was too fast to maintain, so I dropped it to 6.2 and did ok. My stomach started feeling a little weird, which I found odd since I hadn't had any more Lipodrene and had only a Cliff bar and PB&J. I felt a little strained going at that speed for 45 minutes, which some might call sad, but I think its an improvement that needs to be made. Yeah, this run was kinda pathetic, but I need to keep doing treadmill work on shorter runs until my speed improves. I did get to watch the end of the Mets-Marlins game. But for some reason the bullpen only seems to like to close out games quickly when I'm tryingto watch them during a workout.
Monday, September 7, 2009
T76 - Putting the "Labor" in "Labor Day"- Bike/Run Brick
Gainesville
It was Labor Day. And I figured what better way to spend Labor Day than working out for 5+ hours. But today wasn't so much a workout as a true training day. Like everything I did today was direct preparation for the Ironman. And it felt good.
Bike - 4.5 Hours
2 Lipodrene
3 Advil
1 Salt Tab
I went into the longest bike ride I'd ever done not dreading it, but wanting to do well. The goal was to average 18, which I'd struggled to do on shorter rides early in training, but figured was a reasonable goal for today. And lacking any originality when it comes to bike rides, I opted for 2+ laps of Hawthorne as my course.
The first trip down and back went well, making it to the end in 57:10 (a new record, I think) and back to the trailhead at 1:47. Meaning I took about as long to get back as I did to get down since the trailhead is 7 minutes from my house. My low back was starting to hurt at 1:30, even with having taken the Advil, which I do not find encouraging. But knowing I only had 3 more Advil for 3 more hours, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to hold off. I thought it might, but that did not stop me from taking the last three at this turnaround.
It took about half an hour to work, but it made me feel a lot better. Though on the second trip I found it difficult to keep my speed at 21 or so as I had the first time, I was still encouraged that I was hitting 21 to 23 in a lot of spots on the way back. I made it to the end of the train for the second time at 2:44., still under and hour, but considerably slower. I took my next two Lipodrene at this point and another salt tab. Filled my bottles as well, but I went through them both before I even got all the way back, and had to fill up agian right before the final incline. I ended up going up the final big hill in the hammock at sub-10, as I knew my legs were shot.
I've kind of decided to play to my strengths on these long bikes. I know I can fly through straightaways, and I am going to use them to make up times I am going to lose on inclines. For some reason I feel like if I fight through the inclines, my legs are going to be shot and my flat times will suffer. Plus, I don't want to shoot my legs out when I have to go 112 miles then run a marathon. It was this philosophy that led me to ride down to the Alachua Lake Lookout on my third trip down instead of going to the hammock. I hadn't been to the lookout since like my 3rd or 4th ride ever when I lacked the coordination to make the turn onto the long trail. At any rate, I did that, went up the less-steep half of the hill, turned around at the top and headed back. I ended up getting back to Jefferson at about 4:20, having gone just under 80 miles. I had wanted to do a full 80, so I biked up to 12th and turned around in the roundabout, making it home at just over 81 miles in 4:25. Yes, I cheated myself out of 5 minutes, but I did end up averaging about 18.3. So I felt good.
I also felt like, ok, if you put a gun to my head and said "Do Hawthorne and Back one more time" I could have. that distance would have been just over the Ironman course. Not so sure about running a marathon after, but in 2 months I'll be there.
I do think I kind of underestimated myself today, though, and that's why I got back early. I didn't think I'd go as fast at the start, and also figured my last trip down would be much worse. So I'll try and set my goals a little higher next time, as at the very worst it will lead to my not cutting myself short.
Nutrition wise, I took a gel every 45, as prescribed, and opted for the Cliff Bar at 2:10. A little early, but I was fucking starving by that point. I think 1 cliff bar was enough for a ride like this, and by the beginning of the last lap my stomach felt like shit. I seriously wanted to vomit about an hour after taking Lipodrene 3 and 4. But, you know, a lot of things are going to hurt on race day. I'll just add my stomach to the list.
Run - 30 Minutes (Treadmill)
I had some Powerade and headed down to the treadmills here at the gym at Jefferson 2nd. I have decided that for my brick runs for the next few weeks, I am going to start utilizing the treadmill to give myself a faster muscle memory when it comes to strides. I know had I run on the road I would have just chopped it out for 30 minutes because I was so sore, but the hope here is to train my legs to go at 6 mph after a long ride so I can go at that pace at the Ironman. At least to start out. My last 3 bricked runs have all sucked, so I needed to figure out how to make those better.
Treadmills are easy, as was this run. I just trotted along watching the Cincinnati-Rutgers game, and enjoying the AC and bevvy of ethnic looking girls who came in after I started. Ended up going 3 miles in 30 minutes, a pace I hope I can keep on race day.
All in all, a tough training day to be sure. But I have at least 3 more like this, plus the race. The feeling of exhaustion is good, but I may actually be able to get to bed early tonight.
It was Labor Day. And I figured what better way to spend Labor Day than working out for 5+ hours. But today wasn't so much a workout as a true training day. Like everything I did today was direct preparation for the Ironman. And it felt good.
Bike - 4.5 Hours
2 Lipodrene
3 Advil
1 Salt Tab
I went into the longest bike ride I'd ever done not dreading it, but wanting to do well. The goal was to average 18, which I'd struggled to do on shorter rides early in training, but figured was a reasonable goal for today. And lacking any originality when it comes to bike rides, I opted for 2+ laps of Hawthorne as my course.
The first trip down and back went well, making it to the end in 57:10 (a new record, I think) and back to the trailhead at 1:47. Meaning I took about as long to get back as I did to get down since the trailhead is 7 minutes from my house. My low back was starting to hurt at 1:30, even with having taken the Advil, which I do not find encouraging. But knowing I only had 3 more Advil for 3 more hours, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to hold off. I thought it might, but that did not stop me from taking the last three at this turnaround.
It took about half an hour to work, but it made me feel a lot better. Though on the second trip I found it difficult to keep my speed at 21 or so as I had the first time, I was still encouraged that I was hitting 21 to 23 in a lot of spots on the way back. I made it to the end of the train for the second time at 2:44., still under and hour, but considerably slower. I took my next two Lipodrene at this point and another salt tab. Filled my bottles as well, but I went through them both before I even got all the way back, and had to fill up agian right before the final incline. I ended up going up the final big hill in the hammock at sub-10, as I knew my legs were shot.
I've kind of decided to play to my strengths on these long bikes. I know I can fly through straightaways, and I am going to use them to make up times I am going to lose on inclines. For some reason I feel like if I fight through the inclines, my legs are going to be shot and my flat times will suffer. Plus, I don't want to shoot my legs out when I have to go 112 miles then run a marathon. It was this philosophy that led me to ride down to the Alachua Lake Lookout on my third trip down instead of going to the hammock. I hadn't been to the lookout since like my 3rd or 4th ride ever when I lacked the coordination to make the turn onto the long trail. At any rate, I did that, went up the less-steep half of the hill, turned around at the top and headed back. I ended up getting back to Jefferson at about 4:20, having gone just under 80 miles. I had wanted to do a full 80, so I biked up to 12th and turned around in the roundabout, making it home at just over 81 miles in 4:25. Yes, I cheated myself out of 5 minutes, but I did end up averaging about 18.3. So I felt good.
I also felt like, ok, if you put a gun to my head and said "Do Hawthorne and Back one more time" I could have. that distance would have been just over the Ironman course. Not so sure about running a marathon after, but in 2 months I'll be there.
I do think I kind of underestimated myself today, though, and that's why I got back early. I didn't think I'd go as fast at the start, and also figured my last trip down would be much worse. So I'll try and set my goals a little higher next time, as at the very worst it will lead to my not cutting myself short.
Nutrition wise, I took a gel every 45, as prescribed, and opted for the Cliff Bar at 2:10. A little early, but I was fucking starving by that point. I think 1 cliff bar was enough for a ride like this, and by the beginning of the last lap my stomach felt like shit. I seriously wanted to vomit about an hour after taking Lipodrene 3 and 4. But, you know, a lot of things are going to hurt on race day. I'll just add my stomach to the list.
Run - 30 Minutes (Treadmill)
I had some Powerade and headed down to the treadmills here at the gym at Jefferson 2nd. I have decided that for my brick runs for the next few weeks, I am going to start utilizing the treadmill to give myself a faster muscle memory when it comes to strides. I know had I run on the road I would have just chopped it out for 30 minutes because I was so sore, but the hope here is to train my legs to go at 6 mph after a long ride so I can go at that pace at the Ironman. At least to start out. My last 3 bricked runs have all sucked, so I needed to figure out how to make those better.
Treadmills are easy, as was this run. I just trotted along watching the Cincinnati-Rutgers game, and enjoying the AC and bevvy of ethnic looking girls who came in after I started. Ended up going 3 miles in 30 minutes, a pace I hope I can keep on race day.
All in all, a tough training day to be sure. But I have at least 3 more like this, plus the race. The feeling of exhaustion is good, but I may actually be able to get to bed early tonight.
Friday, August 28, 2009
T69 - Rainy Day Recess - Bike/Run Brick (Stationary Bike, Treadmill)
Gainesville
Fucking rain. I left Seattle to get away from the fucking perpetual gloom, but I forget occasionally summers in Florida provide a similar effect. Such was Thursday. The rain never let up all day, so my 90 minute light spinning ride became relegated to the exercise bike at GHFC. I wasn't about to do a 90-minute trainer session with a road ride the next day and a race on Sunday. And it's recovery week, so that's what exercise bike sessions are for. I opted to do a little bit of what I used to call "Fake Limited Triathlon" and do an Exercis Bike/Treadmill brick. Or, bascially, an incelement weather workout.
Bike - 90 Minutes (Stationary Bike)
2 Lipodrene
Because the Marlins had a noon game, there really wasn't much to watch on TV during a 90-minute exercise bike session other than reruns of "King of The Hill." Which was fine by me. I had exchanged the F-ed up headphones earlier in the day, and brought the iPod along. I decided on an all-Silversun Pickups set, including some older stuff that was on there from before I even liked the band. But it was suprisingly motivating, and aside from feeling a little worn out at about the 1-hour mark, the ride went pretty well. It's hard to gauge how good an exercise bike workout is, becasue you don't really go anywhere and the resistance is set. But I averaged about 17.5, which is not great, but not bad. I wasn't really pushing it, but I did get in some good sprints. I was also encouraged by the fact that I biked a lot harder that last 15 minutes than I had the rest of the session.
I took a gel at the one hour mark (didn't see the need for 2 during an indoor workout) and finished a full bottle of water. The exercise bike has a totally different seat than a regular bike, so my ass was surprisingly sore after about 50 minutes. When I finished up at the 90-minute mark, I seriosuly had trouble walking. I've developed saddle sore immunity from my bike, since I've ridden it so much, but this one left me seriosuly uncomfortable. And the walk to the treadmill was very awkward.
Run - 30 Minutes (Treadmill)
Went back to abuse the Summer Run 2009 mix, once again, but the first 5 minutes all I could think was "God damn, my ass is sore." But as with all extremety pain during a run, once I got going it pretty much went away. I mean, I still feel sore from the exercise bike seat now - 20 hours later - but at the time it wasn't an issue. This was a short, indoor run with an iPod, so obviously I crushed it. It felt so good that when I got to "Big Sky" at about the 28-minute mark, I opted to just run to the end of the song. I NEVER extend workouts past their assigned times unless I'm going slower than I should be. Ever. But I was motivated and felt like I wanted to keep going and so I did. Nice to crush a run, I hadn't had a real good workout in a while.
Recovery week is going well, and this is the kind of workout you do during recovery week. I just hope the rain lets up, as I can't really be subbing in the stationary bike during the next month. That was something I did a little too much last cycle, and we all know how that turned out. But I've been avoiding most of those habits this time around, and I feel like the results will reflect that.
Fucking rain. I left Seattle to get away from the fucking perpetual gloom, but I forget occasionally summers in Florida provide a similar effect. Such was Thursday. The rain never let up all day, so my 90 minute light spinning ride became relegated to the exercise bike at GHFC. I wasn't about to do a 90-minute trainer session with a road ride the next day and a race on Sunday. And it's recovery week, so that's what exercise bike sessions are for. I opted to do a little bit of what I used to call "Fake Limited Triathlon" and do an Exercis Bike/Treadmill brick. Or, bascially, an incelement weather workout.
Bike - 90 Minutes (Stationary Bike)
2 Lipodrene
Because the Marlins had a noon game, there really wasn't much to watch on TV during a 90-minute exercise bike session other than reruns of "King of The Hill." Which was fine by me. I had exchanged the F-ed up headphones earlier in the day, and brought the iPod along. I decided on an all-Silversun Pickups set, including some older stuff that was on there from before I even liked the band. But it was suprisingly motivating, and aside from feeling a little worn out at about the 1-hour mark, the ride went pretty well. It's hard to gauge how good an exercise bike workout is, becasue you don't really go anywhere and the resistance is set. But I averaged about 17.5, which is not great, but not bad. I wasn't really pushing it, but I did get in some good sprints. I was also encouraged by the fact that I biked a lot harder that last 15 minutes than I had the rest of the session.
I took a gel at the one hour mark (didn't see the need for 2 during an indoor workout) and finished a full bottle of water. The exercise bike has a totally different seat than a regular bike, so my ass was surprisingly sore after about 50 minutes. When I finished up at the 90-minute mark, I seriosuly had trouble walking. I've developed saddle sore immunity from my bike, since I've ridden it so much, but this one left me seriosuly uncomfortable. And the walk to the treadmill was very awkward.
Run - 30 Minutes (Treadmill)
Went back to abuse the Summer Run 2009 mix, once again, but the first 5 minutes all I could think was "God damn, my ass is sore." But as with all extremety pain during a run, once I got going it pretty much went away. I mean, I still feel sore from the exercise bike seat now - 20 hours later - but at the time it wasn't an issue. This was a short, indoor run with an iPod, so obviously I crushed it. It felt so good that when I got to "Big Sky" at about the 28-minute mark, I opted to just run to the end of the song. I NEVER extend workouts past their assigned times unless I'm going slower than I should be. Ever. But I was motivated and felt like I wanted to keep going and so I did. Nice to crush a run, I hadn't had a real good workout in a while.
Recovery week is going well, and this is the kind of workout you do during recovery week. I just hope the rain lets up, as I can't really be subbing in the stationary bike during the next month. That was something I did a little too much last cycle, and we all know how that turned out. But I've been avoiding most of those habits this time around, and I feel like the results will reflect that.
Friday, August 7, 2009
T54 - Fucking Fartleks - Run (Treadmill)
Gainesville
R: 90 minute tempo workout
wu: 10 minutes RPE 2-3
main: 7 x (7t, 3r) (7minutes tempo at RPE 7, 3min recovery at RPE 2)
cd: 10 minutes RPE 3
2 Lipodrene
Despite the mildly-obscene sounding name, Fartleks are tempo intervals that were apparently devised by a guy named Fartlek. I'm not joking. Anyway, today's workout looked to be especially brutal because it involved 7 sets of these, where you run at tempo (slightly faster than your race pace, but not a sprint) and then recover for three minutes. And, as we know, I am not a fan of running fast. I tend to do these on a treadmill because it's the only way to ensure your pace stays at the appropriate level. Even when you you push it, your natural inclination is to slow. So I went over to GHFC and used their treadmills.
I started out using the iPod, because a Fartlek workout almost requires some sort of external motivation. I once again used my Summer Run 2009 mix, and did the warmup at 6.0 I managed to get through the first 3 Fartleks at 7.5, with a 5.0 recovery, which again is not impressing anyone, but was tough for me. By the time I got to the middle of set 4, I was already looking at the clock every 30 seconds to see if I was done yet, and I my breathing was getting really labored. So I dropped it to 6.5 for the next 2, with a walking recovery. By the time I got to the last one, since I knew it was the last one, I went back up to 7.5 and felt pretty good.
I would have liked to have kept the 7.5 pace the whole time, but 70 minutes of Fartleks is not easy. Try it. So I was pleased with how I did, going about 10 miles in the 90 minutes and burning around 1500 calories. The iPod music didn't exactly line up, as I found myself walking during the apex of some of the high-energy songs, and I think I need to give the iPod and the sumer run mix a little rest. The music isn't as firing-up as it has been. The workout left me as tired as I'd hoped. I went out to the parking lot and started to get into the wrong car I was so out of it. In my defnese, it was a baby blue Saturn parked 3 spots away from my car, with a Marine Corps sticker on the back and Florida plates.
But it was good to see I was so dizzy and dazed from the effort that I wasn't recognizing my own car. I also forgot to take a gel, which I'm getting in the habit of taking on any workout over 75 minutes. I also tok two bottles, one with water and one with Gatorade, both of which helped me prevent a dehydration headache.
R: 90 minute tempo workout
wu: 10 minutes RPE 2-3
main: 7 x (7t, 3r) (7minutes tempo at RPE 7, 3min recovery at RPE 2)
cd: 10 minutes RPE 3
2 Lipodrene
Despite the mildly-obscene sounding name, Fartleks are tempo intervals that were apparently devised by a guy named Fartlek. I'm not joking. Anyway, today's workout looked to be especially brutal because it involved 7 sets of these, where you run at tempo (slightly faster than your race pace, but not a sprint) and then recover for three minutes. And, as we know, I am not a fan of running fast. I tend to do these on a treadmill because it's the only way to ensure your pace stays at the appropriate level. Even when you you push it, your natural inclination is to slow. So I went over to GHFC and used their treadmills.
I started out using the iPod, because a Fartlek workout almost requires some sort of external motivation. I once again used my Summer Run 2009 mix, and did the warmup at 6.0 I managed to get through the first 3 Fartleks at 7.5, with a 5.0 recovery, which again is not impressing anyone, but was tough for me. By the time I got to the middle of set 4, I was already looking at the clock every 30 seconds to see if I was done yet, and I my breathing was getting really labored. So I dropped it to 6.5 for the next 2, with a walking recovery. By the time I got to the last one, since I knew it was the last one, I went back up to 7.5 and felt pretty good.
I would have liked to have kept the 7.5 pace the whole time, but 70 minutes of Fartleks is not easy. Try it. So I was pleased with how I did, going about 10 miles in the 90 minutes and burning around 1500 calories. The iPod music didn't exactly line up, as I found myself walking during the apex of some of the high-energy songs, and I think I need to give the iPod and the sumer run mix a little rest. The music isn't as firing-up as it has been. The workout left me as tired as I'd hoped. I went out to the parking lot and started to get into the wrong car I was so out of it. In my defnese, it was a baby blue Saturn parked 3 spots away from my car, with a Marine Corps sticker on the back and Florida plates.
But it was good to see I was so dizzy and dazed from the effort that I wasn't recognizing my own car. I also forgot to take a gel, which I'm getting in the habit of taking on any workout over 75 minutes. I also tok two bottles, one with water and one with Gatorade, both of which helped me prevent a dehydration headache.
Friday, July 10, 2009
T31 - Country Club Training Day - Swim/Run Brick (Treadmill)
Sacramento
I decided that doing another long bike would not be a good idea, given the short amount of time I had Tuesday as well as how my back had been feeling to that point. And since Wednesday was a rest day (and by "rest" I mean waking up before 4 a.m. and flying across the country)I thought this would give my body a nice respite. So I took Sunday's training day and moved it to Tuesday. This day looked to be the easiest of the week, so it made sense for a day where my time was limited.
Swim: 30 Minutes Continuous
2 Lipodrene
Again, my swim schedule was dictated by my nieces' swimming lessons, so I ended up going to Rio Del Oro with them as they did their lessons in the kiddie pool. I swam laps in the lap pool, and felt good the whole way through. I really am going to miss the outdoor swimming, especially because my tan is looking phenominal right about now. At any rate, I did 27 laps in 30 minutes, and that included the beginning where I had to stop at the end of my first 4 lengths to fix my goggles. They are definitely starting to leak, and I'm thinking it may be time for a new pair. We'll see how long it is from this revelation to any actual purchase.
Run: 45 Minutes (treadmill)
Well, I have come to the conclusion that there is no easier way to run than with an iPod on an indoor, air conditioned treadmill. Seriously, I just kept turning the speed up I felt so good, so this is obviously a form of cheating. This whole workout was very fancy-boy, swimming in the nice outdoor pool with nobody there then doing the run on the treadmill. It times out perfectly and there were only 5 extra minutes to the scheduled training time. But they are rarely going to be this easy. My headphones are still broken (I borrowed some of dads) so the next few runs will have to be sin musica.
I decided that doing another long bike would not be a good idea, given the short amount of time I had Tuesday as well as how my back had been feeling to that point. And since Wednesday was a rest day (and by "rest" I mean waking up before 4 a.m. and flying across the country)I thought this would give my body a nice respite. So I took Sunday's training day and moved it to Tuesday. This day looked to be the easiest of the week, so it made sense for a day where my time was limited.
Swim: 30 Minutes Continuous
2 Lipodrene
Again, my swim schedule was dictated by my nieces' swimming lessons, so I ended up going to Rio Del Oro with them as they did their lessons in the kiddie pool. I swam laps in the lap pool, and felt good the whole way through. I really am going to miss the outdoor swimming, especially because my tan is looking phenominal right about now. At any rate, I did 27 laps in 30 minutes, and that included the beginning where I had to stop at the end of my first 4 lengths to fix my goggles. They are definitely starting to leak, and I'm thinking it may be time for a new pair. We'll see how long it is from this revelation to any actual purchase.
Run: 45 Minutes (treadmill)
Well, I have come to the conclusion that there is no easier way to run than with an iPod on an indoor, air conditioned treadmill. Seriously, I just kept turning the speed up I felt so good, so this is obviously a form of cheating. This whole workout was very fancy-boy, swimming in the nice outdoor pool with nobody there then doing the run on the treadmill. It times out perfectly and there were only 5 extra minutes to the scheduled training time. But they are rarely going to be this easy. My headphones are still broken (I borrowed some of dads) so the next few runs will have to be sin musica.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
T25 - Aaaaand the Ass Kicking Begins - Swim/Run "Brick"
Gainesville
You will see why I put the "brick" in quotes in a minute. But the plan had been to go on an early morning bike ride to get ready for the early flight Wednesday. Well, a Monday night booty call and a vicous earl-ymorning thundersorm put the kibosh on those plans. By the time I woke up at noon, it was still pouring and I was like "Fuck it, I'll do the long Bike in Sac. It never rains in July there." So I headed to GHFC for a long swim.
S: long day
wu: 200 continuous
main: 1 x 2500 at RPE 4
2 Lipodrene
Having done nicely in my previosu swims, I figured this would be an ot too difficult swim. Given I'd done more than this distance several times before. Yeeeah, about that. I'm not sure if it was becasue I"d swam the night before, but by lap 25 I was done. I even stopped using my counting method of tihnking of the girls I'd slept with in chronological order for each lap. Which is good, becasue 25-38 are mostly ones I'd like to forget anyway. Point is, I was going strong, but not feeling good. I was so hungry afterwards I took a gel, then stoped at the GHFC snack bar and got a piece of chocolate bread. THe "brick" hence, was ruined since I too ka solid half hour in between. But the nutrition was well needed.
Run: 45 minutes, easy pace
Treadmill
I opted for the treadmil since theweather looked suspect at best. I have mixed feelings on the challenge level of the treadmill, since I can't slow down at all, but the reisistance is less. Eh. Whatever. I had put the Silversun PIckups CD I"d purchased for one song only on the iPod, and honestly the run was almost too easy. I like to use music on the treadmill since there's no scenery change, but yes, I know, I need to wean myself off of it.
But after I gto home, I was done. Like I packed for California, and then just lay in bed for like 2 hours. COuldn't move. Even after getting some Taco Bell, I had nothing. That long seim and short run just killed me for the rest of the day. I see how this works, that prep month is just to get you used to training. Base 1, this is where we start to die. Good to go, Ironman. Bring it....
You will see why I put the "brick" in quotes in a minute. But the plan had been to go on an early morning bike ride to get ready for the early flight Wednesday. Well, a Monday night booty call and a vicous earl-ymorning thundersorm put the kibosh on those plans. By the time I woke up at noon, it was still pouring and I was like "Fuck it, I'll do the long Bike in Sac. It never rains in July there." So I headed to GHFC for a long swim.
S: long day
wu: 200 continuous
main: 1 x 2500 at RPE 4
2 Lipodrene
Having done nicely in my previosu swims, I figured this would be an ot too difficult swim. Given I'd done more than this distance several times before. Yeeeah, about that. I'm not sure if it was becasue I"d swam the night before, but by lap 25 I was done. I even stopped using my counting method of tihnking of the girls I'd slept with in chronological order for each lap. Which is good, becasue 25-38 are mostly ones I'd like to forget anyway. Point is, I was going strong, but not feeling good. I was so hungry afterwards I took a gel, then stoped at the GHFC snack bar and got a piece of chocolate bread. THe "brick" hence, was ruined since I too ka solid half hour in between. But the nutrition was well needed.
Run: 45 minutes, easy pace
Treadmill
I opted for the treadmil since theweather looked suspect at best. I have mixed feelings on the challenge level of the treadmill, since I can't slow down at all, but the reisistance is less. Eh. Whatever. I had put the Silversun PIckups CD I"d purchased for one song only on the iPod, and honestly the run was almost too easy. I like to use music on the treadmill since there's no scenery change, but yes, I know, I need to wean myself off of it.
But after I gto home, I was done. Like I packed for California, and then just lay in bed for like 2 hours. COuldn't move. Even after getting some Taco Bell, I had nothing. That long seim and short run just killed me for the rest of the day. I see how this works, that prep month is just to get you used to training. Base 1, this is where we start to die. Good to go, Ironman. Bring it....
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