Second verse, same as the first

Another week without bike commuting, another undercooked session on the trainer. Although I know these sessions are worthwhile, and I'm starting to get back some of last season's strength, I know I'd be better off with some midweek easy riding. Here's hoping the groundhog is nice on Monday, and the good weather will be on its way soon.

Of course Saturdays are the weekly appointment with Coach Troy, and today was the second part of the Have Mercy series (appropriately called Have Mercy, The Sequel). Again, these sessions are the "highlight" package of the previous few Spinervals DVDs, so it's one tough set after another. I actually find this one a bit easier than the original, mainly because it focuses on really long tempo effort sets, and those are right in my wheelhouse. I wasn't as wobbly-legged getting off the bike this week as last, although my output for the day was within 1.5 watts on the average (208.1w vs. 206.6w).

As I cycle through these DVDs, I know I'll be cranking up the intensity, and I'll be shooting for an average wattage of 240+ by the time race season approaches. (Isn't a 20% increase reasonable?)

Bike: Spinervals 14.0 - Have Mercy, The Sequel, 120 minutes

Back from the snow day

After missing Wednesday's swim (did you notice the lack of update?), it was back in the pool this morning. And what a morning in the pool. After a nice warm-up, it was another one-line workout on the big board: 1x2000m. A little longer than a half-IM swim. We did this last year, usually as a pull workout, but today was all freestyle, no aids. And not to brag, even though this is my blog so I get to brag, I turned in a pretty good day.

I remember last year we did a couple of 750m time trials, and I wasn't able to crack 15 minutes either try. I got close, but nope. This morning I hit 750m at ~14:30, with energy to spare. There were definitely some pacing issues for some folks, since I got passed early, but got them back before the end of the day. I was in the draft for maybe 600m or so of the set, I didn't think I had the gas to make the pass, but every time I slowed down and left a gap, I caught back up within a few lengths. With about 400m to go, I started making a couple passes to finish with a strong effort. I finished up the 20 laps of the pool at 38:10 (1:54.5/100m). For no pull buoy, no wetsuit, I can't complain about that.

We ended the day with some pace work, and drills, then bid goodbye to the assistant coach, who's off to the Philippines to train as part of Team TBB, the same squad that developed Chrissy Wellington. Watch out for Tereza this coming season.

Swim: w/u - 200m free, 4x25 drill/25 free, 20", 2x100 pull
1x2000 free (38:10)
100 free, predicted pace (Predicted: 1:55, actual: 1:54)
4x50 free on 1:10
4x50 pull on 1:10
4x50 drill on 1:30 (3 stroke - 6 kick or one-arm)
c/d - 100 non-free
Total: 3400m

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x12,12,14/175
Cross-arm Situp - 3x6,6,7
Chins - 3x8,8,6 (huge fail!)
Reverse flye/Lateral raise - 3x8,8,7/15
Reverse curl - 2x10,9/43
Diamond pushup - 2x8,8/20

Still just turning the legs

I'm not sure yet if I'm getting frustrated by the lack of progress on the run, or not. Here's the thing: the runs are getting easier. I can knock out the six miles without much physical effort, my cadence is up, and I'm not fatigued the next morning. But my heart rate is still higher than it should be for this kind of effort. I would have expected a downward trend by now, but I'm still kind of plateaued around 158-159 bpm. That's quite for me on what is an easy pace. I don't have any answers yet, but I'll continue to drag myself along until things work themselves out.

I think part of it may be that I haven't been able to commute to work on the bike with any regularity for the last month. It may seem counter-intuitive that doing even more work would help the situation, but I always considered those rides more recovery than anything. Other than the couple of climbs, there's no high-effort work at all, and my legs usually had a lot more spring when I'm getting those in as well. I can hope the weather turns soon, and I'll be able to get back in saddle soon enough.

Run: 6 miles @ 7.5 mph

A little dimmer

Another six mile run on the treadmill tonight. The positive result from Sunday was not reflected this evening. Not the run was a struggle in any way, but again my heart rate climbed a little higher than I'd hope for at such an easy pace. There's still work to do, and there's still time to do it.

Then I ate a bunch of ice cream watching The Biggest Loser.

Run: 6 miles @ 7.5 mph

Just the facts

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
10x50 ez free, 10", focus on form as discussed on Friday
2x(400 ez free, 30", 1) w/gloves, 2) as 12.5 head-up/87.5 free
300 pull w/paddles, 30"
200 as 100 non-free/100 free breathe to weak side)
5x100 on 2:00, 1-2 hard, 3 non-free, 4-5 hard (1:40,1:42,1:40,1:45)
c/d - 100 ez non-free
Total: 3500m

Weights:
Bear - 2x4/48
Front squat - 3x10,10,11/105
Jackknifes - 3x8,8,10/3
Bent row - 3x8,8,10/95
Pushup - 3x12,12,11/60
Barbell curl - 2x10,12/43
French press - 2x10,10/35

Dim light at the end of the tunnel

Finally a pretty good running day, and surprisingly it was the day after near killing myself on the bike. How does that work? The weather was still pretty unpleasant (-18, feels like -23), so the treadmill was the answer. It was just a six mile jaunt, so I settled into my rhythm and let the metal take me away. For the first time in a while, I finished my run with my heart rate in the right range. 153 bpm. So, hoping it wasn't an anomaly, things are finally picking up.

Run: 6 miles @ 7.5 mph

Blew up

It's time to step things up. If I'm only going to be riding once a week, then I need to make it count. (I only got one day of commuting this week, so the cycling legs were either really rested, or atrophying quickly.) So, this morning was the first round of the hard work with Coach troy, in the form of Spinervals 9.0, Have Mercy. The easiest way to described this two-hour workout is as a greatest hits compilation, the hardest parts of the previous 8 DVDs. It's kind of relentless, with one hard section after another. The only real break is that the focus changes in each little block, from short, high-intensity bursts, to a long tempo effort, to superspins, before going back to the bursts for another loop.

I held up fairly well, trying to pace my way through the workout, but I'll admit to getting crushed by the end. It was an interesting phenomenon, where I was still able to drag out a bit of a sprint through the last block, but once I started to cool down in an easy gear, I could barely turn the pedals. I was done. I imagine the soreness is only going to build over the next day, but that must mean it's working. There will be a nap or two this afternoon, and tomorrow's run will be interesting.

Coach Troy, you won this battle, but I'll win the war.

Bike: Spinervals 9.0 - Have Mercy, 120 minutes

Swim faster by not swimming

A bit of a change of pace this morning at swim group. We had a guest coach come in, who happens to be the head coach of NYAC, so obviously he knows his stuff. Rather than doing a bunch of lengths, for the most part we sat and listened as he described how the freestyle stroke should be, and what we need to work on to get more out of our stroke. We did a few lengths to have our form watched, and I got a couple of tips that I think I'll be able to use. The main things I learned:

1. I need more rotation. I'm still too flat in the water, and I need to get closer to perpendicular.
2. I need to make sure I finish my stroke, because without it, I don't have enough rotation (see above).
3. There's a rhythm to the stroke that I need to work on, that involves different speeds and accelerations. When I run or cycle, there isn't the same issue, so it's a foreign feeling for me, but I need to change my timing somewhat. Part of this is spending longer on my side ("riding it out", as the coach told me), and snapping to the other side, instead of the metronomic movement I have now.
4. It gets very cold standing in the pool for long stretches if you're not swimming. *shiver*

So this really gets down to finishing my stroke, as I've been yelled at for over a year. That will be the main focus for the next few weeks, until I have it grooved.

Swim: w/u - 300 ez free
2x100 pull
100 ez non-free
Coaching (range)
4x50, 20"
Coaching (rhythm)
4x50, 20"
Coaching (rate)
4x50, 20"
Drills
2x50, 20"
Coaching (put it all together)
6x50, 20"
Total: 1600m

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x12,12,12/175
Janda situp - 3x15,15,15
Chins - 3x8,8,8
Reverse flye/Lateral raise - 3x8,8,6/15
Reverse curl - 2x8,10/43
Diamond pushup - 2x15,17

Mood lightener

Some times, if you're having kind of a crappy day, the best thing to do is turn on some Lamb of God, really loud (obviously), and get in a few miles. At least it works for me.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

Use what's in the tank

I felt pretty good for the first part of the swim. Warm up, and the first bit of volume felt pretty good. Then it was some quick 100s, and I found out I was more tired from Monday than I would have thought. There just wasn't much there, but I did what I could, tried to focus on good form, and let the times fall where they would. I demonstrated on Monday that I am definitely making gains already this spring, so a small step back is a small price to pay for what I know will be big steps forward in the coming months. Needless to say, I now need a nap.

Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
400 ez free w/gloves, 30"
3x100 hard free on 2:10 (1:26, 1:26, 1:25)
400 ez pull, 30"
3x100 pull w/paddles, 30"
400 ez as 100 non-free/300 free, 30"
3x100 hard free on 2:10 (1:27, 1:28, 1:26)
c/d - 100 ez non-free
Total: 2800yds

Recovery week

I'm in a base-building block, so I'm not doing that much intense work. Still, this week is scheduled as a bit of a back-off week, at least at the running end of things. As such, I just knocked out a quick three miler, and got to relax for the evening. Which translates to: "eat a package of cookies while watching Biggest Loser." Good times.

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

Pop quiz, hotshot!

This is a test week for swimming. We're going to do another 400m time trial to see if we've made any improvements in the last month. According to the calendar we got at the start of the season, well be doing this test on Friday. According to the coach this morning, we'll be doing the test today.

I guess that settles that.

Luckily I haven't been shoveling snow for most of the weekend. (Oh wait, yes I have.) Well, I guess then this will be a case of "fake it until you make it". I know I complained a while back about feeling like I'm regressing, so this was a chance to actually find out. I knew that I had screwed up my pacing last time out, so I wanted be a little more even, and hope to finish in the 7:05-10 range.

Things worked a little better than expected, and I hit the wall bang on 7:00. The splits broke out as approximately 1:40/1:45/1:48/1:48, so I kept everything in check and had a solid swim. I must be getting better. Once more, I'd never have pegged myself as being able to knock out 4x1:45/100m. I'm still not good, but I suck a little less than I did.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
100 ez free
3x100 descending free on 2:20
100 ez non-free
400m TT (7:00)
300 ez pull
(out of pool to time)
100 ez non-free
6x100 pull w/paddles on 2:10
c/d - 100 ez non-free
Total: 2600m

Weights:
Bear - 2x4/48
Front squat - 3x10,10,10/105
Jackknifes - 3x15,15,15
Bent row - 3x8,8,8/95
Pushup - 3x12,12,11/60
Barbell curl - 2x10,12/43
French press - 2x8,10/35

Still stuck indoors

Why is it that every time I plan on getting in a nice outdoor run, it's got to snow? Another 6-8 inches overnight, so it was treadmill time (then a round of shovelling). Not my first choice, but there are worse ways to spend a Sunday.

Run: 6 miles @ 7.5 mph

Coach Troy, we meet again

After about 18 months away, focusing most strictly on FTP style workouts or RLVs, today was the re-introduction of Coach Troy Jacobson's Spinervals workouts into my life. Since I'm still not very sharp, I wanted to begin with a reasonably easy workout, so I used one of the new ones I got for Christmas, the Aero Base Builder V two-hour session. There's always something fun about the first time through a Spinervals DVD, since you have no idea what's around the corner. This was a low-intensity day, mostly in what he called the "blue zone". There were some stretches in big gear, but even then the intensity was kept down. This was a day of long sets, some gear changes, but mostly just turning the pedals. It was a step up from what I have been doing, and a good opener for the more difficult workouts ahead. I'd recommend the workout to anyone who needs some variety or distraction to get through a two hour low-moderate intenisty workout.

Bike: Spinervals 24.0 - Aero Base Builder V, 120 minutes

In my place

Another bitterly cold morning, another trip to the pool. It was much warmer on deck than outside, so that was nice. I also finally got around to using my new goggles that I got for Christmas. The seal was pretty much done on my others after 15 months of regular use. Hooray for no chlorine in the eyes!

The swim itself went pretty well. I was hitting all the pace times, and maintaining what I figure was pretty good form. I am noticing that I feel the effort more in my right side (shoulder/lat region). I'm not sure if that's because I'm using my right side more to compensate for a weak left, or because my right side is the weaker one and is working that much harder. I'll keep track of this over the coming weeks and try to find a balance.

In more depressing news, I noticed a chart on my way out for Provincial standards for junior swimmers. Just out of curiousity, I looked at the times for the 100 free (PB=1:28ish). To qualify for Provincials, an 11 or under boy has to swim 1:10.67. I really suck. I just went to 70.3 Worlds, and I couldn't take part in the Provincial meet with a fake ID and a doctor's note about a thyroid condition. Looks like more pool time is necessary.

Swim: w/u - 200m free, 200 non-free, 100 pull
4x50 on 1:20, as 25 side-kick/25 free
2x50 on 1:20, as 25 finger drag/25 free
2x50 on 1:20, slow/smooth/excellent form
3x(200 pull on 4:20
3x100 free on 2:05), 30"
4x75 as 25 scull/25 non-free/25 free, 30"
300 ez free
Total: 3000m

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x10,10,12/175
Janda Situp - 3x15,15,15
Chins - 3x8,8,8
Reverse flye/Lateral raise - 3x8,8,6/15
Reverse curl - 2x8,8/43
Diamond pushup - 2x15,15

Mysteries of the human machine

So on Tuesday I was complaining that continuing to reduce the speed has been able to reduce the intensity of my runs. Instead, I was going to go back to what I considered a reasonable speed, and force my heart rate to come down at that speed. It's the old brute force method. How did that work tonight? Well, five miles at 7.2 mph on Tuesday finished at 158 bpm. Five miles at 7.5 mph tonight finished at 156 bpm. How's that for messed up? Now, that's well within any margin for error for the measurement, so it's not a definite increase (comparing two n=1 samples is not a great idea) but at least my HR didn't skyrocket. Who knows how these things work sometimes. Maybe the faster speed makes for a more efficient stride, maybe I'm just a little better rested, maybe it's just measurement error. Whatever it is, I'm sticking with this plan for at least a few weeks.

Run: 5 miles @ 7.5 mph

Cold morning

Not a pleasant morning to wake up to. -30C with the wind chill, luckily there wasn't any snow overnight to shovel. I bundled up, made my way to the pool, and hoped that the water was going to be warm. Then we moved through a workout alternating volume and speed/strength. Good day. I felt pretty good this time. Hopefully this will continue.

Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
500 ez free, 1', w/gloves & flip turns
4x100 free on 1:50,
100 ez non-free
400 ez free, 1', w/gloves & flip turns
3x100, 30", pull w/paddles
100 ez non-free
150 ez free w/flip turns,
100 hard (1:20)
Total: 2650yds

No explanation, so stop worrying

Somehow, I continue to slow down on the run. I'm not sure how this is happening, but it is.

Rather than watch a HR monitor for the entire run, I just do a check with about 0.1 miles to go. Assuming that my heart rate has been at that level or below for the entire run, it gives me some idea of the intensity of the run. Since my MAF HR is supposed to be 150-155 bpm, if my heart rate is in this range at the check, then the run was on target. If it's below, then I can speed things up by 0.1 mph the next time out. If it's over, I drop back by 0.1 mph.

Following this progression, in my build to Clearwater, I got up to comfortably running at 7.9 mph for these runs. When I started back, I dropped the speed back to 7.5 mph, assuming there would be some de-training. AT that first run, my heart rate had climbed to 158 bpm. So I scaled back, and repeated that process through the following runs, almost all of which I was ending up over target. Then tonight, I did another five miles, this time at 7.2 mph, and again, my heart rate finished at 158 bpm. Three weeks of training, reduced speed, and I'm still overshooting the target range. I don't know why this is. I shouldn't be that far out of shape. So I've decided to temporarily junk my scheme, and just run at 7.5 mph. If my heart rate is in the target range, great. If not, it better get with the program soon because speedwork starts in 5.5 weeks. No more tickling or gently nudging my fitness. I expect to be able to run comfortably at 7.5 mph, and I'll darn well do it.

Run: 5 miles @ 7.2 mph

Funny feeling

I think I slept funny on my shoulder last night, since it felt awful all through the swim. If I weren't an idiot, I probably would have called it a day early, but instead I ground my way through. My times definitely weren't fast, and I'm almost sure I'm slowing down, which seems to be the theme in all three sports right now. It's tough to find the motivation when that's happening. Our next test day is next week, so I'll find out then whether or not I'm actually getting worse.

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
2x400 free, 1', 1) w/gloves, 2) breathe to west wall
3x300 free, descending, 30", (6:05, 6:00, 5:40)
8x100, 15", odd: ez non-free, even: pull w/paddles
10x50, 15", odd: ez non-free, even: sprint
Total: 3600m

Stuck inside

It's not THAT cold. I really could have gone outside for today's run. But we did get snow last night, between 1-2 inches, and the plows haven't come through, so I'd be running through the muck, which holds little appeal. Instead, I just hit the treadmill, knocked out my miles, and called it a day. Nothing exciting to report on that front at all.

Run: 5 miles @ 7.2 mph

Add some spice

This is pre-season. I'm not doing any real hard training, at least I'd like to think so. (How I feel after swimming most mornings might disagree.) The runs are definitely all very manageable right now, although I'd rather be faster. Then there's cycling. I'm trying to get some riding by continuing to bike commute, except on those days when the weather conspires against me. (Fresh snow or temps below -10 will get me on the bus.) Other than that, it's just the Saturday morning trainer ride to provide any cycling stimulation. So on weeks like this one, I got commuting rides in on Monday and Tuesday, and have been otherwise bike-free for three days. When springish weather returns, I'll be able to get rides all five workdays, but for now, it's hit or miss. Because of this, I need to make the Saturday rides count, so after a few weeks of just getting my butt used to the saddle again, this morning I added a little bit of intensity work, as I try to slowly tickle my fitness upwards.

It was a workout that would have barely registered last fall, and even today wasn't much of a test, but it helped to get my heart rate up and turn the pedals a little harder. A quick 2x20 minutes at 220w as part of a two hour ride. This left me nicely tired by the end of the ride, but not shelled, so things aren't as far off as I may have feared. Add some stretching afterwards to keep my hamstring/ITB from becoming a problem again, and it was a nice morning in the basement.

Bike: 120 minutes, zone 1-2, w/2x20 minutes @ 220w, 10 minute recovery

Late plans, need a nap

I'm glad it's Friday, which means I can sleep in (as much as possible, which isn't that much) tomorrow morning. Of course, tonight is AC/DC, and I'm about to rock. (You should be saluting at this point.) Knowing that it will be a late night of ear-splitting goodness, one would think that I'd go in well-rested. However, the swim coach had other ideas.

On the face of it, it didn't seem like it should be a particularly hard workout. A few big sets of repeated 100s on a descending pace time, but not at a sprint pace or anything. But all that moderate effort builds up a good deal of fatigue, and now I'm ready for a nap if I'm going to stay awake through Angus' performance. I don't know if I'm too old for this athlete thing, or if I'm too old for this rocker thing. But I may be too old for both.

Swim: w/u - 100m ez free, 30"
6x50 on 1:20, 25 drill/25 free (one-arm, catch-up, finger drag)
200 pull, as breathe every 3/5/7/3 strokes
100 free moderate
5x100 on 2:20 (~1:55/100), extra 1' rest
4x100 on 2:10 (~1:55/100), extra 1' rest
4x100 on 2:05 (~1:50/100)
500 non-free/free, as 25/25, 50/50, 75/75, 100/100
2x200 pull, 60" breathe every 3/5/5/3 strokes
4x50 on 1:20, swim golf (50"/59 strokes, 51"/54s, 51"/54s, 52"/55s)
Total: 3100m

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x8,8,10/175
Janda situp - 3x15,15,15
Chins - 3x8,8,8
Reverse flye/Lateral raise - 3x12,12,13/10
Reverse curl - 2x12,13/38
Diamond pushup - 2x15,15

Good news, less good run

It's a small world. If you've ever been to Disneyworld, you already knew that, but today was more evidence of the same. See, when I first hopped on the bike a couple of weeks ago, I did something to my knee. It seems that two months off, plus hitting the weights, and not stretching, may have tightened either my ITB or my hamstring tendon to the point that it was skipping over the head of my fibula, and the friction has causing some sort of tendinitis. At least that was my diagnosis after hours of scouring the Internet and various websites on sports injuries and the structure of the knee. But I decided to make an appointment with a real sports doc to confirm my suspicion, and perhaps get some recovery advice. I had become a dedicated stretcher again since that day, spending 10-20 minutes after every workout loosening up my legs, focusing on hammies and ITB, and that seemed to help, since I rode last weekend without pain. Anyways, all that is set-up as to why the world is so small.

As it turns out, the doctor I saw today is in my swim group, from one lane over. We've talked a few times, and this now explains the Jaguar he drives to practice. It really helped to cut down on how much explaining and background I had to give him, so the appointment took almost no time. He did some mobility and structural tests, seeing where there was any pain, and his opinion is the same as the Internet's, tight hamstrings/ITB. Recovery: keep stretching,, and if that doesn't work, there is a Plan B. I didn't ask about Plan B, but I'll assume it involves surgery. So here's hoping Plan A works.

When I got home, I hit a five mile run. It felt pretty good, but my HR got more elevated than it should have at this pace. I'm not sure why this happened, since I didn't do anything for legs yesterday and should be well-recovered, but it did. I will continue to scale back the pace until I get the effort back to where it's supposed to be.

run: 5 miles @ 7.3 mph

Drill volume speed

Once warm-up was completed for this morning's swim, there were three chalkboards greeting us with the three sections of today's workout. First off was some simple drill work. Nothing extensive, but some good form pointers to remember for the rest of the day. Then we'd get into some volume work, in the form of descending 300s. I went a little too quick here, but once you get in the mindset of having to descend, any plans for "slow/mod-slow/moderate" become "mod-slow/moderate/tempo". I'm still having trouble finishing my stroke at harder efforts. It seems to be first thing to fall off once I start upping the intensity. We finished the day with a set of 50s to build some speed. We were sent off at the same interval, so we had people to race. I didn't bother looking at Lane 2, and instead focused on beating my competition from Lane 4. Which I did, with Phelpsian margins (1/100 of a second, or thereabouts). Felt like a good day, so now I rest.

Swim: w/u - 200yds each free, non-free, pull
2x100 as 25 stretch/25 stroke count, 15"
2x100 as 25 finish/25 stroke count, 15"
3x300 free descending, 30" (5:25, 5:15, 4:58)
5x50 sprint on 1:30
c/d - 50 non-free
Total: 2200yds

Found my pace

After a week and change of scaling back from I thought was a conservative pace, I finally had a run where I ended in the appropriate HR zone. Surprisingly, the run itself felt a bit harder than any last week, with some difficulty keeping my cadence up. (Maybe Hank III isn't run-appropriate music?) But I got through, and can start working my way back up from here.

Run: 5 miles @ 7.3 mph

And up goes the volume

Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull
4x(200 as 100 drill/100 ez free, 20"
Drills: 1) scull, 2) fist, 3) wide flat foot, 4) finger drag
300 ez free, 30", w/flip turns, breathe to west wall
4x25 sprint, 30"
100 ez non-free)
Total: 3400m

Weights:
Bear - 2x4/48
Front squat - 3x10,10,10/105
Jackknifes - 3x15
Bent row - 3x12,12,13/85
Pushup - 3x12,12,10/60
Barbell curl - 2x10,11/43
French press - 2x8,8/35

Not as cold as they said

It was a late night, but considering the fun that was had, well worth it. Of course that means that the schedule for everything else to happen today gets pushed back. So after a mid-morning nap, I planned on going out for the day's run, but first was a check of the weather. Predictions were not pleasant, saying it was -8, but feels like -12. I still got bundled up, expecting to be quite cold since I had the right amount of gear for 0 to -5. Turns out, that was about right. I was more than comfortable all through the run, and got in a solid 6 miles at a relaxed effort. Then it was time for another nap in the afternoon. There might be one more before bedtime. Naps are gold.

Run: 6.3 miles, easy pace

Better than last time

Last week, ninety minutes on the bike of pretty easy pedalling generated a significant level of discomfort in my knee, enough that I've scheduled an appointment with a sports doc to get things checked. This week, the level of intensity was basically the same, but the time was up to two hours. Result: no discomfort. This is the product of spending a week studying fitting dimensions, and stretching the unholy crap out of my hamstrings. I'll need to keep that second one up for the rest of the year (and further, unless the sports doc has a better answer), but at this point I'll take doing 10-20 minutes of stretching, massage, and trigger point therapy everyday over not being able to ride at all.

Bike: 120 minutes, zone 1-2

Day off didn't pay off

With Tech playing in the Cotton Bowl, there was no way I'd be going in to work today, so I booked some vacation, and stayed home to catch the game. Before it went off, I hit the weights for a pretty good workout. Numbers continue to inch up. Then the game happened. Not the way I wanted the season to end, but I guess that's the case for half the teams playing in the Bowls.

Weights:
Chaosbringer - 2x4/48
Deadlift - 3x12,12,14/165
Janda Situp - 3x12,12,15
Chins - 3x8,8,8
Reverse flye/Lateral raise - 3x12,12,12/10
Reverse curl - 2x12,12/38
Diamond push-up - 2x15,15

Happy New Year

To start the new year, I knocked out what should have been an easy 5 mile run, but with the lacking fitness that I have right now, it was harder than it should have been. All I can do is keep at it and wait patiently for something resembling fitness to reappear.

Run: 5 miles @ 7.4 mph