What I've Become

I ended this week pretty tired. My legs feel good, but my upper body is exhausted. That swim this morning has wiped me out. I was able to drag myself through my workout. I need a good night's sleep to get ready for the rest of the weekend.

Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x6/110 lbs
Pushup 2x6/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x6
Military press 2x6/70 lbs
Prehab circuit x20

Hey! I got wet again!

Looking at the analytics of the traffic to this blog (I'm watching you!) my most popular posts, outside of the lovely pics of Lightnin' McQueen, are when I post about swimming. Maybe y'all (I lived in Texas, I can say "y'all") have some kind of sick fetish about watching me drown (or reading about it), but hey, whatever gets some traffic, right? Luckily, there will always be at least posts a week where I might die at the end. Quite the cliffhanger, eh?

And today is one of those days, so after the alarm went off at 4:50 am (still an ungodly hour) and a bowl fo cereal, I was back at the pool. As per usual, we started with flip turn practice. I'm slowly getting better at this, but it's coming about in a weird way. I'll nail my first few, then once a mistake happens, I can never get it back together again. I did 3-4 really good ones, then went through a progression of: too close to the wall (almost pushed myself into the bottom), too far from the wall (nothing to push off of ... a bit disconcerting), then twisting the flip in any number of directions (while still being wither too close or too far). I won't be putting this to use as part of any main sets for a while still.

Then, more kick drills, or more specifically, side-kick drills. With flippers. I hate my flippers. They're killing my feet. The sizing on them is for sizes 8-9. The next size up as 10-11. I'm a 9.5. Since I had to choose, I applied my usual logic and went smaller, since I like a snug fit. Instead of a snug fit, I have the edge of the fin taking large chunks of flesh off my toes. It isn't too bad during the drills, but it's very noticeable in the shower afterward.

After the kicking, we did a new drill, with 50m of sculling on the back, with a pull buoy between your legs, feet first. I think it was near unanimous that this drill sucked. Nobody's favourite. I'm sure we'll see it plenty. You move SO slowly. It's a strange feeling of being relaxed (you're lying in the water, the pull buoy holds your legs so you just have to float your upper body), and working like a maniac to move anywhere (sculling like a hummingbird on meth). I have a sneaking suspicion I'll feel this tomorrow.

Once that drill was over, we got into some straight swim sets. Longer work, but still nice. In nine weeks, I've gone from doing 50m repeats with 30-90" rest, to 3x200m (30") as one of the last parts of a workout. And after it was all over, the coach commented that things are looking much better. I might make my way up to lane 4 (medium-slow, from lane 5, slow-fast) permanently.

I hope I didn't blush.

Edit: Thinking about it, the sculling thing was midway through the straight sets, not before, but I don't want to re-write the post. You'll have to live with it.

Swim: Flip turn practice.
3x(25m left kick, 25m right kick, 50m free), 10", with flippers
3x(100m 3 kick switch), 10", with flippers
3x200m free, 30", breathe to west wall (I tried alternate every 4th and 2nd)
3x(50m scull on back, feet first, 50m pull), 15"
3x(50m back, 150m free), 15"
Total: 2100m

Extra running

Due to some confusion on moving day, I was unable to go for my scheduled bike ride tonight (bits and pieces that should be here are not). Instead, I added a few more miles to this week's total with a nice 6 miler. The intent was to do half outside, then finish inside, but there was a ridiculously cold wind blowing (60+ km/h) so it became an all-indoor run. The first three miles were nice and easy, just cruising. The last three were the fastest I'm going to run until about March of next year (a shade slower than 10k speed), so I better enjoy it. And I did. Tougher work, but was never struggling, which is always key. Now I rest and prepare for my 30 mile weekend, which I won't skip this time.

Run: 3 miles @ 6.8 mph, 3 miles @ 8.2 mph

Longer and faster

Kind of a cold morning. Luckily, the predicted rain/snow last night didn't happen, or it would have been terrifically slick to ride. Instead, I was able to bundle up and pedal to the pool. Those who've never seen it before look bug-eyed then ask the usual questions, "Isn't it cold? How far do you come? What gear do you wear?" Those who saw me arrive for the last couple of weeks just smile the smile of "You're insane, but in a way that I can respect." Nice warm-up for the festivities.

Once we were in the water, we began again with flip turn practice. This is still hit or miss for me. Either I'm too close to the wall and almost fire myself into the bottom, or I'm too far and can't reach the wall. I got a few right, a bunch wrong, but I'm still trying. After this, we started into some drill work to warm-up, then some long sets, and finished with some fast work. The long sets were longer than anything I've ever done before, 3x300 yards. We were to breathe every fourth stroke. I'd be good for the first 150-200 yards, then I'd do every fourth, second, fourth, second, etc. Lung capacity and breathing rhythm need work.

Then the end was 25 yards quick, 25 yards stroke count. My form still can stray if I don't focus on keeping my head down. I think that for eternity that will be my number one mental key. If I do that, other stuff just falls into place. I don't think I got too sloppy during the quick laps, and my glide during the stroke count lengths is much better. 20-21 strokes per 25 yards. Not great, but better than even a week ago (23 per). As long as I keep improving, I'm happy. So today, I'm very happy.

Swim: Flip turn practice, 15 min
2x(25 kick front, 25 kick left, 25 kick right, 25 free), 10" (w/ fins)
4x(50 3-kick stroke, 50 free), 10" (w/ fins)
4x(25 3-kick stroke, 75 free), 15"
3x300, 30" (breathe every fourth stroke)
6x(25 quick, 15", 25 stroke count, 15")
1x100 back, cooldown
Total: 2300 yards

Edit: Added a run after work, 3 miles @ 6.8 mph

Storming the Burning Fields

Today was probably the coldest day of the fall/winter so far. And it wasn't so much the air temperature, it was the 44 km/h (gusting to 66 km/h) winds. Before I left work, I noticed it was 0, feels like -8. That's somewhat unpleasant. So what did I do when I got home? Bundled up and headed out for a 10 mile run.

Since we just moved, I had to familiarize myself with the new neighbourhood, so I spent the afternoon memorizing my Map My Run five mile loop. My intention was to do the five mile loop. If everything was good, I'd do a second loop. If I was getting cold, I'd stop at home and finish on the treadmill. The final result was 5 miles outside, and 5 in, but not for the reasons above.

See, I'm training for the WDW Marathon, which is in Florida, which is flat. In our old neighbourhood, it was flat. There was probably a total of 20 feet of elevation change over multiple loops. So that works for prep. But at our new house, it is not flat. If flatness were on a continuum, with pan-flat at one extreme, and constant, repetitive steep ups and downs at the other, my new runs are definitely right of center. In general, this is a good thing. Running hills makes you strong. I like running hills. And the races I'll be doing next summer all have climbing, so running hills every day is a good idea. However, right now, I don't need the hills. My intention is to run about half of my outside runs outside, then finish on the treadmill, at least until January. That gets me fresh air, and good work, but I can still work on my flat speed. That's why, after the first loop, I pulled in, turned on the Dragonforce, and rocked out 5 miles on the treadmill.

Run: 5 miles @ 145 bpm (attempted, with wind and hills was as low as 132, and as high as 156)
5 miles @ 150 bpm on treadmill (approx. 6.9 mph, 1.5% grade)

Hourglass

Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x6/110 lbs
Pushup 2x6/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x6
Military press 2x6/70 lbs
Prehab circuit x20

Sloppy

First things first. You may have noticed that there were no posts over the weekend. Since I post what I did for training every day, that must mean I didn't do any training. And it does. Instead, I moved. I had full intentions of hitting my 10 and 20 mile runs over the weekend, but with knowing how much still needed to be done, I was better served by taking care of my responsibilities. Play time had to wait. Additionally, I knew that I've been feeling beat down lately, so the stress (both physical and mental) of moving added to the runs would have put my body potentially into a pit of overtraining I'd be hard-pressed to get out of in time for the marathon. So that's what happened. I'll be back on the (running) horse tomorrow. (As of right now, we're also missing the power cable to the computer I use for the bike trainer, so if it doesn't turn up soon, there may be an extra run on Thursday.)

After the weekend, I got to go for a nice swim this morning. We did more flip turn practice (soon I may try it during our main sets), then more kick sets. Today we broke out the fins. I have to say, the fins messed up everything for me, all day. During the front kick drills, the added propulsion made up for a hip drop (actually, my hips dropped so that the kick stayed in the water, making for more propulsion), so my form collapsed, and my kick had to be wider to keep the fins from slapping into one another. The side wasn't too bad, but the free lengths were awkward. It wasn't until the third or fourth "no gear" set that I finally felt like I had things back together again. Breathing every fourth stroke was tough. I could make about 25m, then I'd have to do 4 strokes, 2 strokes, 4, 2, the rest of the way. I guess there's still lots to do.

Swim: Flip turn practice
3x(50m kick, 50m free), with fins
3x(50m left kick, 50m right kick, 100m free), with fins
5x(50m - 3 kick switch, 50m free), no gear
5x(100m free, breathing to the west wall, every fourth stroke)
2x(50m back, 50m breast)
Total: 2100m (I may have done 6 each of the 3 kick switch pass and west breathing pass, lost count, but did 5 at least).

Bound by the Moon

Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8/110 lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x8,7
Military Press 2x7,6/70 lbs

Two weeks of water

This morning was the sixth swim in the new program. I've now had as many days in the pool in the last two weeks as I did in the previous six (as well as the 20 years before that). Improvements are still coming at a rapid pace. My comfort level in the water is much better. The side kick drills went much better today, even noticeable to the coach. I still don't have great balance on the side, but it's coming. I'm also much more relaxed. During some of the last few lengths, I was getting tired. Before, I would then thrash to the end of the pool, anything to be done. Now, I can calm myself, focus on good efficient form, and finish without panic.

If the 4:50 wake-up call doesn't kill me soon, I should be just fine for the rest of the year.

Swim: 5x100m warm-up (free, back, breast, pull, free)
Flip turn drills
2x(100m kick, scull 30", 100m kick right, scull 30", 100m kick left, scull 30", 2x100 free, 15")
2x150m (as 100m back, 50m breast), 30"
3x100m (as 12.5 m left kick, 12.5 m right kick, 75m free), 15"
Total: 2100m

Loss of power

It's official. I am losing the top-end of my bike strength. There's nothing there anymore. Granted, I'm in a pretty deep hole right now, with swimming, marathon training (including speed work), and trying to move. My recovery is poo, but all of that can't explain the significant drop-off that's happened.

Intervals tonight of 2 min, 1 min and 30 seconds. The two minute block was survived, but just barely. The ones and thirtys sucked. I can barely hold for one minute what I used to do for 3. I can't handle thirty seconds at 50 watts less than where I used to do 30s. I'm not impressed, but everything considered, I have to say, "It is what it is."

I may change things up for the last few weeks before the marathon. Perhaps I shouldn't be bothering with super-threshold stuff right now. With the change in focus, how much time do I really need to dedicate to these efforts? Most important is raising my FTP and 3 hour thresholds. I do believe in "raise the left, fill the right", but I think I'm too recovery-compromised to but the right efforts in on the bike with everything else happening. I can get back to this with a bike-focus block in the spring.

Bike: 90 minutes, w/ 6x2 min @ 340w, 6x1 min @ 400w, 6x30 sec @ 460w (as written, 1 min and 30 sec reps were short and under-powered)
Run: 2 miles @ 6.5 mph

Weather's turning nasty

Another Wednesday, another early morning. The weather kind of sucked, but I had to get to the Glendon pool, which requires the bike. I think a few people were surprised when I showed up in full commuter regalia. I guess most of them have become chained to the trainer by now. I'm trying to avoid it for a while longer.

The swim itself went pretty well. Some more flip turn practice (which I need), then some balance drills. I'm getting very comfortable on my front, but the side-kicking drills are pretty tough. I have quite a bit of work to do to get those perfected. The coach gave me a few pointers, but I'll need more time to get everything straightened out. We finished with some stroke-count drills. My first couple of 50s were in about 46 strokes. Again, the coach pulled me to the deck to watch some of the other swimmers who were in the mid-30s. After seeing how slow and relaxed they were, I did a couple of passes in 41-42 strokes. So a small improvement. I don't know if my times were the same, but that's less important than getting the stroke itself worked out.

After work, I was back on the treadmill for an easy 3 miles, just to work out the kinks from yesterday's speed session.

Swim: warm-up 100yds each free, back, breast, pull
2x50 free (count strokes), 15"
Flip turn practice
2x(100 as 25 kick/25 free + 100 free) on front, 30"
2x(100 as 25 kick/25 free + 100 free) on right, 30"
2x(100 as 25 kick/25 free + 100 free) on left, 30"
3x50 free (count strokes), 15"
1950 yards, including drills

Run: 3 miles @ 6.5 mph

Last day of speed

Tonight was my last session of fartlek work before the marathon. I prefer the idea of doing speed before going long. It matches the "raise the left, fill the right" theory. Once a reasonable base is built, develop the speed. Then, when you start going longer, you're going longer at a higher speed. This should lead to faster race times.

I won't be too sad to see the hard work disappear for a while. It's fun, but it's draining, and with the high-volume approaching (including my first 20 this weekend), my body needs to focus on good efforts during the long runs and recovery. I'll do another speed block in the spring, this one to develop my 5-10k speed, and another mini-block for half-mary speed in the summer. Otherwise, it's all LSD (E to M pace, if you're a Daniels fan).

Run: 10 miles, w/8x5 min 5-10k pace, 3 min recovery

Train of Consequences

Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8,7/110 lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x8,7
Military Press 2x7,6/70 lbs

Little victories

Last week was about familiarizing ourselves with the pool and lane assignments, and just getting some distance in on the swim (or so I'm told, I was just trying to not swallow the whole pool). This week, we began with some form work, to try to become better swimmers. In my case, it's to become "A swimmer".

After a warm-up (which for me is still almost a workout unto itself), we started learning to do flip-turns. I don't know how much I would put this to use in the future, but I guess it's a useful skill. We worked it as a progression: once we could prove that we could do a somersault in the water, we moved onto doing the somersault with about three strokes lead-in. Once we mastered that skill, it was doing lengths with a somersault every 5-6 strokes. I had just moved to the last part when time was up, so no real attempts there.

Then we did some balance drills (read: lots of kick sets). I'm getting pretty good at the face-down kicking (I'm not being yelled at anymore, so I'll take that as "pretty good"). After a few of those, we did side kicking. These are not pleasant. I have a lot of work to do here to improve my balance. I was exhausted midway on each length. I won't usually touch the bottom on any lengths, but I had to on occasion here. So there's something to work at.

After all that, we got to finish up with some longer sets (2x200 free) and a breast/back cooldown. Here's my small victory for the day. For the 2x200, I was moved up a lane! I was no longer the fastest of the slow, I was slowest of the medium. I know I'm not quick by any standard, but on more than a few lengths, I could really feel things coming together. My balance is better, I feel like I'm catching more water and really propelling myself with each stroke. Maybe in a few weeks I'll move permanently to lane 4 (if 1 is the fastest and 6 is the slowest). My endurance is still improving, and I can swim more relaxed, extending the sets (although I have to admit that the 2x200 was more of an assortment of 50s and 100s, as I was plum-tuckered.

I don't ever see myself getting used to the 4:50 wake-up call, but days like today make it worthwhile.

Long ... Longer ...

It was not a bad morning for a stroll, but three hours is a long time. This was the first time in a few weeks I actually was able to dress appropriately. It was cold enough to wear some cold-weather gear.

The run iteself felt good. I know my pace fell a little in the last few miles, even with the higher heart rate, but a body's going to get tired over 19 miles, especially with 9 at race pace the day before, and a bunch of physical errands. I'm pretty tired at this point. Next week is the first of the 20s, so I've almost reached the higher limit. As much as I enjoy the longer runs, it would be better to get these miles in the summer. I don't know how often I'll want to train for a winter event in the future. It's tough to get out there. On the other hand, the fact that I'm out there when most wouldn't be is another couple of places I'll move up next season.

Run: 9 miles @ 145 bpm, 10 miles @ 150 bpm

Some days work out pretty well

Today's posting comes quite late in the day, considering I was finished the workout just after 10 am. But it's been busy, but a good busy.

The run itself went really well. It's kind of boring knocking out 9 miles on the treadmill, but if I can handle that, I can handle the loneliest stretches of any race I'll do. I got to sleep in until almost 8, so the extra energy may have helped.

The afternoon was taken up with some moving errands, and a quick run to Mississauga to the swim store that sponsors the NYAC program. I picked up some short fins, and a swim cap in the colours of my alma mater. I was also hoping to pick up a special snorkel for freestyle (it would be a lifesaver for kick drills), but they were sold out. When I got home, there was an email from the coach telling us the store was sold out, but would have more in a week or so. Great timing, eh?

Now I'm relaxing, resting for tomorrow's 19 in the cold, and watching some football. I don't want to jinx anything, but so far, so good. Can't complain about that.

Run: 9 miles @ 7.6 mph

Lots more water

I'm slowly getting more accustomed to this 4:50 wake-up call that required for the swimming. It's not easy yet, but not only did I wake up today, I actually got some work done while at the office. So, my brain is still functioning with somewhat less sleep. It was another good session in the pool this morning. It can be a little frustrating as I'm doing my last few laps, and I look over and the fast lanes have been empty for quite some time. I know my time there will come. I have the general fitness, I just need the form.

More long intervals today. Last week I was impressed when I did 100m non-stop. This week I'm doing repeat 200's. I guess there's something to be said for motivation. The tips I'm getting are helping considerably. I can tell that form is better, when I'm focusing on it. It's still not ingrained (it's only been a week, I don't have unrealistic expectations) so concentration is a must. As long as my rate of progress stay here for the next few months, I'll be out of the water MOP next summer, giving me the chance to ride and run down the field.

Swim: (from memory, so there's likely to be errors. Did I mention I'm tired?)
5x100 warm-up (free, kick, pull, back, breast)
3x200 as 25m kick/25m free
4x50 low stroke count
4x200 (1st and 3rd - free, 2nd and 4th - pull)
4x50 back, 50 breast, 50 free
Total: 2700m

Afternoon weight session went pretty well. Rows were a bit off, but I think I pulled something in my neck/traps trying to breathe during the kick sets this morning. Otherwise, a really good session.
Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8,6/110lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs+80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x8,7
Military Press 2x7,6/70 lbs
Prehab circuit x15

Hard tempo

Since today was supposed to be a busy day, I took the day off work, and got to do my ride in the afternoon. Right now it seems that this once-weekly ride, along with the commuting, is just enough to maintain my strength levels. I'm not making any huge gains right now, but since this isn't the focus, I can't be too upset. Sure, I'd like to be getting stronger all the time, even if all I was doing was eating M&M's (what a wonderful world that would be), but that's not realistic. Today's session was almost an exact replica of six weeks ago, to within 1.5 watts over the 90 minutes. I probably could have pushed a bit harder at the end, and narrowly beat last time, but the fact is, I'm where I was. We'll see if there are any big improvements once the speedwork is by the wayside.

Bike: 90 minutes, warm-up, one-leg drills, then 2x15 min @ 315w, 1x15 min @ 305w, 10 min rest between, cooldown
Run: 2 miles @ 6.5 mph

Early

It's 8:30. I've been at the office for over an hour. Why? you ask. Because Wednesday swims are about 2 blocks from work, so I can bike commute to the pool, then jet over to the office. The morning bike ride was nice: not much traffic, surprisingly warm. It was cumbersome trying to carry my backpack loaded with swim gear and my messenger bag with work stuff at the same time. I think I'm going to ask for a new XL or XXL messenger bag for Christmas. I love my Timbuk2, but it's a medium, and with more space I could be down to one bag.

As for the swim, it was another good day. It's still unlikely that swimming will ever surpass running or cycling in my heart, but I do enjoy it (when I'm not trying to filter the pool water with my nose and mouth). This swim was in a 25yd pool, so mentally it seemed quicker, just from getting to turn so often. I was next to last out of the pool (although I know some folk left before they did all the work), but I did finish every set on the board. The pointers I got on Monday and today continue to help. I'm really trying to focus on improving one thing at a time, until it's ingrained, then I can move one. Right now, if I try to take concentration away from keeping my head down, say, to focus on the catch, within 6-8 strokes I can feel myself faltering again. Lots of work to do. I don't have natural speed or talent, but I do have tenacity. I'll be at every workout, and I'll finish them all to the best of my ability.

Swim: (sets to the best of my remembering)
100yd each of: free, kick, pull, breast, back
3x(100yd kick, 10" rest, 100m pull, 10" rest)
2x(75yd back/75yd breast, 15" rest)
3x200yd (1st-pull, 2nd-free, 3rd-pull), 30" rest
2x(50yd back/50yd breast/50yd free), 15" rest
Total: 2300yd (holy crap!)

Editted later to add: Ran 3 miles easy (6.5 mph) on the treadmill when I got home. Didn't think it was worth it's own post.

Almost done the speedwork

Today was the second to last speed session in prep for Disney, and the last of the short (painful) intervals. It wasn't as warm out as the weather people were claiming. My hands shouldn't have been that cold in 9 degrees. Still, another good run, and I'm definitely setting myself up well for January. I did find that my HR wouldn't get up to where I'd expect it, although my legs and lungs would argue that I was working at full capacity. This could be an artifact of the cold, or I'm overreaching right now. I don't feel excessively tired, considering the 4:50 am wake-up on Monday, so this is still in the "keep an eye on it" stage.

Run: 9 miles, w/11x2 min @ 5k pace, 3 min jog

Blunt Force Trauma

I had some running around to do this afternoon, so I wasn't holding to my usual schedule, but I still got in my weight workout tonight. I can tell that even with a few hours of recovery, the morning swim will be taking something out of me, at least until my body redistributes its recovery resources. This wasn't my best performance, but I muddled through, and got the work in. If things are still way off on Friday, I'll look into rearranging the plan, but I think I'll be OK.

Upper Body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8,6/110 lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x8,6
Military press 2x6/70 lbs
Prehab circuit x15

I still didn't drown (The 100th post)

And so, this morning, after weeks of flailing on my own, I got to flail in front of an audience. You can't imagine my joy. Let me start by saying, anything before 5 am, is f-in' early. Not just early, but f-in' early. If the Coffee Time isn't open yet, that may be a sign that nobody should be awake.

After the briefest of introductions, it was into the pool for the workout. We were told to seed ourselves in one of six lanes. I chose the next-to-slowest lane. I chose wisely. The workout was 20x100, with 30 sec rest, of a variety of stuff: free, pull, kick, back, breast. I got some coaching from the coach, and fellow swimmers as we went, and made it through the workout, almost. While the fast people had been finished for a while, the slower lanes just kept plugging along. At the end of the session, I had done 19 of the 20 assigned laps. Considering that I was pretty strict about rest, and if my freestyle time would be ~2 minutes/100, and everything else much slower, my hour was spent in near constant motion. The last few lengths were tough, but what I found was that if I didn't do it right (or as close to right as I'm able as of now), I didn't go anywhere. So I had to do it right(er). I'm quite sure that I'll be feeling this around 2 pm.

Pros: Got a great workout. Learned how to do a kick only drill (bury your head to get the hips up). This helped my free form as well. Right now, to balance, I really have to tuck my head, almost to the point where I'm looking at where I came from, but it gets my hips up, so I can move. That's a trade I'll make for now.

Cons: 4:50 am is early. Took a karate chop to the throat from a passing backstroker.

Swim: 1900m (a new record, and how far I have to go for the 70.3)

Hollywood (No More) Shuffle

It may be cooling off, but I really enjoy these easy Sunday morning runs. No pressure, no time demands, just go out and get the miles, and keep the heart rate down. I get lots of funny looks in my shorts when the temperature is just above freezing, but it's actually quite comfortable. My legs don't get cold, probably because all the blood is there anyway.

My pace is ever-quickening. To keep my heart rate below 150 bpm, a couple of months ago I was shuffling along at almost 10 minutes per mile. I don't accurately time these runs, but according to G-map pedometer, I covered 12.45 miles, in 105.5 minutes. That's an average pace of 8:30/mile. I'm pretty chuffed about that. This speed work thing that almost kills me every Tuesday seems to be paying off. The stride is longer, the breathing is good, the turnover is right where it's supposed to be. I guess all it takes to get faster is some hard work and consistency. Who knew?

Run: 5 miles @ 145 bpm, 7 miles @ 150 bpm

Car Chase City

The race-pace runs keep getting a bit longer. Every mile that I can cover now is another mile on race weekend that will go easier. And I really need things to go easier.

I'm now pretty sure that nothing happened to the treadmill. I know I'm getting fitter, and today the heart rate was only a bit below the previous weeks, so that's good enough for me.

By the way, if you're going to be stuck on the treadmill, you can do a lot worse than listening to Tenacious D for the last few miles.

Run: 9 miles @ 7.6 mph

Save Me

Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x6/110 lbs
Pushup 2x6/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x6
Military Press 2x6/70 lbs
Prehab circuit x15

More ladders

I must say, I really enjoy these ladder workouts. They're a lot of fun, if thinking you're having a heart attack while being clubbed in the legs and blowing snot all over your face is considered fun. And it is for me. I'll probably work these into the anaerobic power building part of next season. I'm still trying to figure out what part of next year that will be.

A moderate improvement from 6 weeks ago, with the effort 10 watts higher. I'll try for another ten next go round. The sprints were kind of all over the place. Somehow I cranked all of the 53x15 sprints over 900 watts (and a peak of 943w), which apparently requires 130+ rpm. That must have used up a lot of juice, because the 53x13 sprints didn't get nearly as high as last time. Still over 900, but there was no threatening a grand this time. All in all, a good ride, and I'll be back to go after that elusive 1000w mark.

Bike: 90 min, w/ 2x1-4 minute ladders (equal rest) + 4 sprints @ 53x15, 4 sprints @ 53x13
Run: 2 miles @ 6.5 mph

Plan the work, work the plan

This is what happens when I get bored at work. I pull out a calendar, a pencil, and I start mapping out my training and race schedule for 2008. OK, not all of 2008, just the part until Sept. 14. That's not too bad, is it?

It's still a rough schedule, because I'm waiting to a few dates to be confirmed, but assuming things take place when they say they will, or on the usual weekend, I know almost all of my races for next year. There's been some talk of doing a triathlon relay with some friends (Team Crocular), which we can coordinate some time in the future. I have a mix of running, cycling and triathlon events. Enough to keep my appetite whet, but not too many for burnout (I hope). What does it look like? Here's the rough version:

January 12-13: Goofy's Race and Half Challenge
May 10: Mississauga Marathon 10k
May 18: Niagara Classic
June 1: Milton Triathlon
June 15: Muskoka Chase
June 21-22: Ride to Conquer Cancer
July 20: Niagara Triathlon
August 16-17: Jewel in the Wilderness
September 1: Oakville Half-marathon
September 14: Muskoka Ironman 70.3

That should keep me out of trouble, eh? I've also started roughing out the training plan. Based on some reading I've done lately, I'm getting away from 4 week blocks (21 days on/7 recover), and switching to 3 weeks (16 days on/5 recover). This will allow me some more recovery, but I'll always be able to keep my long rides/runs on the weekends. Two weeks after Goofy, the first of eleven blocks begins (those weeks will be for full recovery, swimming, probably some light riding, but few if any runs). The first couple of blocks will be about building saddle time, and starting to rebuild some run mileage. Blocks 4-5 will be run focused again, to build early season speed. There will be another run focus in block 9. All of 5 day recovery periods will only have the scheduled swims, bike commuting, and a daily 3 mile LSD run.

There's still lots of detail to work out, but I guess there's also lots of time to do that in. I may be a bit obsessive, but I'm a planner, so this is how I operate. I would assume that by January 1st, I'll know every workout I'll do for the next 9 months. Then I just have to do them, and that's the fun part.

The last uncoached swim

As per the new schedule, I did a quick run after work. Just four miles on the treadmill, nice and relaxed. My wife expressed some concern that my session on Sunday may have burnt out the motor, since she felt that it's not running as fast as it was last week. So I kept an eye on my HR and effort at my usual pace to see if I may have broken the treadmill. My HR did seem low, but my breathing and PE were about the same as usual, and my cadence was in the same range. The HR may have been depressed from the fartlek on Tuesday, so it's still tough to judge. I'll give it another spin after the bike ride Thursday. I'd hate to think I busted it already. I wasn't even going that fast. Just long.

Run: 4 miles @ 6.5 mph

After food and some resting, it was back to the pool for my last swim that won't be guided by a professional. Let me say, I definitely need the guidance of a professional. Things keep getting better, but I have a lot of ground to cover if I want to be competitive next year. Tonight was further than I've gone previously, and I was able to reduce my rest periods, and string together more lengths. The pace was a backed off a bit, but I was more concerned about near-continuous motion. I don't want to show up next Monday, be assigned something like 5x200m, and be left to exclaim, "This isn't Pottery 101! What am I doing here?" It is interesting to note that, in the next two weeks, I'll do as many swims as I have in the last 6 weeks (and 25 years for that matter). There's a metaphor about "sink or swim". Now's the time to see if that works in the no-metaphor sense as well.

Swim: 1500m, w/4x100m non-stop

Title changes

The original title of this post was supposed to be 'Things That Suck'. That was the plan before I even stepped out the door. In fact, I had been dreading this run since I looked at a forecast a few days ago. There were promises of darkness, near-freezing temperatures, high winds, and rain or snow. On top of that, it was another fartlek session. Nine miles of speed work in the cold, wind, and rain. This was truly going to suck.

But it didn't. All the factors above were still there. It WAS dark. It WAS cold. It WAS windy. It WAS raining. I WAS running hard. And I had a blast doing it. As bad as the conditions were, I've been through worse, and going through it again, gets me ready for the next time. If the conditions at Disney are similar to those two years ago, then I'll be prepared. (If they're like last year, then I might run into issues. Cold and wet doesn't prepare you for 85 and humid.)

Somebody I'll be racing next year took the day off today, and I'll beat that person. I don't have many athletic gifts. I'm not naturally fast, or strong, or even have that great of endurance. What I bring to the table is an uncommon tenacity, and a love for the sport. I don't miss training days. If it's in the schedule, it gets done. Every mile, every minute. And I hesitate to ever call what I do "workouts". It's not work. This is my playtime. Intervals in the rain? That's fun. Tempo session on the trainer? I can hardly wait. These sessions are some of the highlights of my days.

Running in the cold and rain doesn't suck. Skipping nights like tonight would.

Run: 9 miles w/ 7x5 min @ 5-10k pace, 3 min recovery

Angel of Death

I'm liking this new resistance training set-up. It's not overly taxing, but I can tell I'm getting good work in, and I can feel some small increases in strength. Since the weight and reps haven't changed, it's more of a sensation that at the end of a set, instead of one rep in the tank, there's two now. Every little bit helps.

Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x6/110 lbs
Pushup 2x6/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x6
Military press 2x6/70 lbs
Prehab circuit x15

Long runs are long

I have in my schedule that every third week, the Sunday long run is a "fast finish" run. I had decided months ago that the best way to do this was on the treadmill. Fast forward to today, and I was on the books to do 17 miles, on the treadmill. Ugh.

It wouldn't be too bad if I could see the TV from my stationary position. But I can't. So I listened to about 8 or 9 episodes of Newsradio, and stared at my NHL figures, the slowly increasing numbers, and the new Cervelo. The worst part is the monotony. The pace doesn't change much over 2.5 hours. To get through, you end up doing all sorts of creative arithmetic gymnastics so that it seems like it's almost over. At one point, I had convinced myself that 5 miles was ALMOST halfway. Turns out, it's not.

But I survived. In three weeks, I have a twenty miler under these conditions (the day after moving ... joy), but that's the last truly long run that has to be done on the treadmill. After completing today, I'm not worried about any runs in the future. I can handle just about anything now.

Run: 6 miles @ 145 bpm, 6 miles @ 150 bpm, 5 miles @ 7.6 mph.

In some good news, today was the last run in the current shoes. (Good thing too since I raised a bit of a blister.) With ten weeks to go, I can pull out the new shoes and get enough miles in them to break 'em in, but not break 'em down. I know I keep talking about Christmas coming early, but these have been in my closet since July, waiting to be unleashed. If you see flames coming from the Downsview area on Tuesday, that will be me burning up the streets.

And in even further good news, I got an email from the head coach of the swim program. The excitement builds! One thing he did mention, was that some folks will skip the group swims until the new year, but since the first couple of months are dedicated to technique, if your stroke is an 'issue', you should make sure you turn up. I think we've established that my stroke is not just an 'issue', it's a bound volume of the last few year's issues, so I won't be missing any swims for a while.

Sometime this week, I'll be unveiling a tentative race schedule for next year. It's a cornucopia of endurance athletics. I guess that's what being a multisport athlete causes.

Cool runnings

The title of today's post has two meanings. First, the temperature this morning was definitely on the cool side. According to weather.com, it was exactly 0 when I walked out the door. I'd prefer to think of it as "brisk", rather than cold. It's always fun to run through the neighbourhood, wearing shorts, with people sitting in their cars waiting for it to warm up. I got more than a few confused looks and second glances.

Second, the run itself went really well. After the bike session on Thursday, I was concerned about overtraining (and will continue to keep an eye on it), but today my HR was down, and the pace was up. It was just a zone 1-2 run of eight miles, but when I checked the clock at the end, I was faster than I expected. So the running is going well. Am I maybe losing some bike strength? Perhaps, I hope not, but even if I am, it's not the end of the world, with the focus on the marathon and run miles right now. I can get that back in the new year pretty quickly. Or, it may just be that I'm under-recovered on Thursdays from the fartlek sessions. That's OK too, and I'll show the improvements when I switch Tuesdays back to LSD work in a few weeks.

Now I'm relaxing, watching Tech on the Gametracker, eating leftover candy, and seriously considering a nap. This is how a Saturday should be.

Run: 3 miles @ 145 bpm, 5 miles @ 150 bpm

Just One Fix

Same as Monday. Nothing of note to report. Hopefully this will leave enough in the tank for the weekend's runs.

Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x6/110 lbs
Pushup 2x6/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x6
Military Press 2x6/70 lbs
Prehab circuit x15

More tempo

Back on the bike, and back to tempo work. All told, a good session, with a big improvement in wattage. On the other hand, there was a big increase in heart rate, much more than would be expected for the harder effort. I'm hoping that this is from some mild overreaching, and can be rectified with a couple of good nights of sleep, and not the start of more serious overtraining. A second theory is that I'm just not fully recovered from Tuesday (same effect as last week). This is the first time I've seen higher HRs for almost the same level of work. Running,and my other bike workouts, have all shown a decrease in heart at a given pace, so I'll be keeping an eye on this over the next week. Now is not the time for a long break to get out of a training hole. My volume and intensity are not so high that I should be breaking down. I've done more in the past and been fine. Fingers crossed I'll be fine this time. More sleep and food may be required, and given the pile of leftover Halloween candy in the house, I'm OK with that.

Bike: 90 minutes w/ 60 min @ 270w tempo
Run: 2 miles @ 6.5 mph