Pale Horse Acopalypse

The last session in the weight room of the year, and the second to last for quite some time. With all the swimming and other activities, I think hitting the weights with any focus is taking too much out of me. I need to build up my tolerance to all the run/bike/swim before I add it back in. So after Friday, it will be all endurance activities for the rest of the year. (Edit: I will continue with the prehab work two or three times a week. I truly believe the reason I've held off leg and shoulder injuries for so long is due to that work.)

After yesterday's long run, I was in a pit of fatigue, that I was barely able to crawl out of this morning. My knees are still somewhat angry, and a muscle in my groin was complaining loudly during some movements. I think the general tiredness was the reason for a less-than-stellar workout today. Everything was going well, but once I hit the pullups, there was no gas left in the tank. I doubt that I put on enough weight over the weekend to cap my abilities at two reps less than last time, although the way I've been eating this past week, I was definitely trying. I'm pretty sure I'll get those reps back on Friday.

Happy New Year to everyone. Celebrate safe, and make sure you get out there tomorrow. That's how you start your resolutions!

Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8/110 lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x8,6
Military press 2x8/58 lbs
Prehab circuit x20

The Last 20

... for a long, long time. And with this, the preparations for Disney are complete. The next two weeks are reduced volume, no intensity, with the intent of getting me to the start line fully rested and ready to run.

Since my schedule for next year doesn't include any races with a running component over 13.1 miles, I won't have to do any of these extra-long runs for quite some time. I'm glad about that. I enjoy running, but three hours is a long time. Maybe in the summer it will be more tolerable, but right now, I'm over it. I'm also looking forward to getting on the bike for more extended sessions (once I've recovered, of course).

As for right now, I'm tired. I had a brief nap this afternoon, and will probably hit the hay early tonight. Tomorrow's guaranteed to be a long day of celebration, and Tuesday is the Gator Bowl. Guns Up!

Run: 8 miles @ 145 bpm, 12 miles @ 150 bpm

Almost cooked

Two weeks from today is the half-marathon of the Goofy Challenge. Two weeks from tomorrow is the full. That weekend I'll run 39.3 miles (not counting walking to start lines and such) for three medals, because I'm addicted to the bling. Officially, the taper starts on Monday.

I've found that a three week taper is too long for me, so this time I'm going for two. I'll drop my mileage to about 60% of peak next week, then a few easy days to be fully ready on the start line. But there's still this weekend, which is the last weekend of work. Ten miles today, twenty tomorrow. On most weekends, the Saturday run is at (marathon) race pace, with Sunday at a more relaxed speed. That was the plan for this morning, but I stepped up the pace a smidgen, to make up for eating most of the "family-size" bag of Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups.

(Aside: How do they define "family-size"? I guess Claire and I are a family, and since she didn't have any, and I had all of them, that makes them family-sized. Similarly, M&M's are now in "bowl sized" bags, and 1.25 lbs. But I dump a bag of plain and a bag of peanut together into a large bowl, and they only take up half the bowl. So that's false advertising.)

So the pace was a bit quicker, but not overly taxing. I really feel like I should be able to hit my goal times, provided the weather cooperates (and if you think I'm not excited that we're finally within Accuweather's 15 day forecast, you don't know me that well). Now I'll watch some hockey, eat a bunch, and get ready for 20 nice miles tomorrow. I picked up a second pair of running pants today, so I should be good outside as long as my fingers don't freeze.

Run: 10 miles @ 7.8 mph

Catatonic

With no swimming this week, and the new habit of very early mornings, I am continuing with the plan of doing my lifting in the mornings, so that it's done and out of the way. It takes a few minutes to get the eyes open and body moving enough to feel OK slinging weights around, but once it starts, we're good to go. The plan originally was to move to sets of 10 this week, but by moving to mornings, and the general fatigue of marathon work, I've stuck to 8s. I'll reconsider this on Monday for next week's workouts.

Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8/110 lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x8
Military Press 2x8/58 lbs
Prehab circuit x20

I was able to really feel last night's session on the commute this morning. Good thing there was no wind, and the weather was very mild. I was reduced to just puttering along. Hopefully the food today and the rest at work will leave enough to get up the big climbs on the way home. Otherwise, I might still be out there when I'm supposed to run tomorrow.

When time slows

Sixty minutes can be a long time, like when you're waiting for the turkey to be done cooking. Or sixty minutes can be an eye-blink, like when you're writing an exam you've barely prepared for. Tonight sixty minutes seemed like an eternity, but in a very good way. It's hard to complain about extending a fun ride.

Another session on the trainer, and another 60 minute tempo effort. I can understand why some people would get bored doing this type of work, but not me. I love the sensation, where you've hit that perfect pace, and although it's tough, you're not loading with lactic acid or struggling to breathe. As long as you can maintain concentration, the pedals keep ticking over. And you keep getting stronger. Tonight's ride was holding >280w for the duration, which is about a 10 watt improvement from two weeks ago. There was a recalibration of the trainer, and the measurements seemed high for different levels of effort, so I don't know if I necessarily put forth a greater effort than last time, but I know I did some good work, and that's really all that matters.

Bike: 90 minutes w/60 min tempo @ 280w
Run: 2 miles @ 6.8 mph

Work off the chocolate

Just an easy run to keep the legs loose, and burn off a few of the Christmas candies. I must be really skinny right now, because I got about 5 pounds of chocolate as gifts, I suppose to fatten me up a little.

Run: 3 miles @ 6.8 mph

Santa Ten-Miler

It's not an official event. It's not because it's one of the biggest holidays of the year. It's just because it's Tuesday, and I have a marathon (and a half) in two weeks.

After a glorious morning of opening gifts (including the official unveiling of Lightning McQueen) and waffles for breakfast, I took advantage of the reduced traffic and moderate temperatures to get in a nice ten mile LSD run. I felt really good the whole way through. Timed roughly, I did (according to Mapmyrun.com) 10.64 miles in 91 minutes. That's an 8:33/mile overall pace, and I was never stressed the whole run. This bodes very well for the upcoming races, and for next season. My legs are getting pretty good, my lungs and heart are getting pretty good.

Run: 4 miles @ 145 bpm, 6 miles @ 150 bpm

Down with the sickness

Since there's no swimming this week, and so that I could just relax once I got home tonight, I decided to wake up early (but still an hour later than usual) and hit the weights this morning before going in to work. There's was probably too much sugar yesterday, which kept me up a while last night, and I was a bit tired this morning. Also, it's been a while since I've done the "morning lifting" thing, so my body wasn't quite sure how to respond. A decent session, not great, but not bad.

Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8/110 lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x8,7
Military Press 2x8/58 lbs
Prehab circuit x20

Maybe not

A good night's sleep, after a day of napping and eating, and I was good to go this morning. I had 12 miles on the menu, and the temps were such that I should be able to get outside. I looked out the window and things looked OK, but they were still threatening rain and winds. After I got changed and warmed up, I went to the door, and as soon as I opened it, was welcomed by cold rain and high winds. They came up out of nowhere. So that decided it, back to the basement.

With that, there's little to report. Just another session on the treadmill, LSD work. I wish it was more exciting, but nope. I'm pretty sure Tuesday will be nice enough for me to get outside, with the additional benefit that there won't be much traffic. Next weekend might be clear enough too so that I can get my last 20 miler outside too.

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

Maybe tomorrow

The weather may be such that I'll get to run out of doors tomorrow. This week is a "rest" week, meaning a weekend of 6 and 12 miles. The six is at race pace, thus it must be done on the treadmill. The twelve is nice and easy, so I can go outside. It's supposed to stay above freezing, but it's threatening to rain with high winds, so we'll see in the morning.

Today, however, was in the basement. I must be a little beat up, with some residual fatigue, since my heart rate was exceptionally high today. Not a good sign, but I had a nap this afternoon, and will eat to my heart's content (or my stomach's content, as it were), and that should help considerably. I may be fighting an oncoming illness, since I noticed a swollen lymph node in my neck yesterday, and I have a faint T on my chest. (For those who aren't familiar, I have an illness "early-warning system". A few days before, I'll get a rash in the shape of a T on my torso. It's kind of cool.)

With no swims for a week and a half, and fewer bike rides (less work means less commuting), I should be fully recovered for the next big weekend. We're three weeks out, and in general, I feel good, and am more than prepared. Let's go.

Run: 6 miles @ 7.6 mph

Last swim of the year

For the last time of 2007, I was up and moving (slowly) at 4:50 am. Last night's ride/run really beat me up, and I was feeling it still. Beside moving slow, my brain wasn't at full-speed and I forgot my water bottle this morning. No wonder the bag so was light.

Despite that, this morning's swim was really good. All long intervals, with some form work, but mostly just swimming. I guess this was kind of a transition into the start of "volume" that begins in January. Hopefully I won't lose too much in the next two weeks with the dearth of swims.

Swim: 3x200m free, ez, 30" (note: I will no longer point out when we did flip turns, since we do them every time we do free. I'd make an analogy about throwing someone into a pool to learn how to swim, but that seems kind of redundant in this case, doesn't it?)
3x200m as 100m drill, 100m free, 30" (drills w/mitts: 10&2, forearm flop, straight pull)
2x200m free as 25m fast/75m ez, 30"
200m as 100m back, 50m breast, 50m free
4x50m free, sprint, 30"
300m free as descending 100s (continuous set, but each 100 should be a harder effort than the last)
Cooldown: 3x50m back/50m breast
Total: 2600m

We actually finished about 15 minutes early. I think with no sculling or kicking drills, we cover a lot more ground (water?). I was considering doing some more, trying to get up to 3000m, but since I had swam really well all day, I would leave on a high note, and not risk flailing through the last few lengths just to hit an arbitrary number (like stumbling through a two mile run just because I wrote it down).

The commute to work this morning was tough. My legs are pretty shattered. I'm hoping the wind shifts and is at my back for the trip home, or I might not make it back until Sunday.

Later ...
Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8/110 lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs + 80 lbs
Pullup 2x8
Miltary press 2x8,7/58 lbs (finally admitted this wasn't going up, so I dropped the weight)
Prehab circuit x20

Eggs, mirrors, plumbers and me

What do all of these things have in common? Crack. Which pretty much sums up tonight's bike ride.

The ride shouldn't have been that tough. I'd done similar two weeks ago, although I was picking up the intensity, it wasn't by any great degree. 3x1-4 minute ladders @ 315w (up from 300w). This should not be that hard a session. And it wasn't.

Until it was.

Everything was good the first time up the ladder, and even well into the second. As I was midway through the four minute interval of the second ladder, I knew I was putting in a solid effort. My heart rate was way up (>175 bpm), and it took all my concentration to stay over 315w. After my rest, the third ladder began. One minute hard ... doable ... one minute easy ... two minutes hard ... this hurts ... two minutes easy ... three minutes hard ... I think my legs are numb ... three minutes easy ... four minutes hard ... didn't happen. After about 90 seconds at target effort, there was a small explosion and any strength I had disappeared. The wattage graph for the rest of the interval is kind of interesting, a series of downward trending humps, as I kept trying to pick up the pace, then collapsed again: 315, 290, 300, 275, 280, 250, 260 ... and on for 2 1/2 minutes. I think at the end I was pushing to keep about 240w.

Cooldown was a struggle. There was nothing left in the tank. Then I did my transition run, which may have been a mistake. I was light-headed and getting chills, but I had written it down in my workout log, so it was getting done, dammit!

I am so tired.

Bike: 90 minutes, w/ 3x1-4 minute ladder @ 315w
Run: 2 miles @ 6.8 mph

Last time in the short pool

This morning was the last go-round in the 25 yard pool for 2007. We have all of next week off, then only the Wednesday swim the week after. Then I get two more swims before I leave for Disney, and miss another 3 sessions. I hope I don't lose everything I've worked for over the last few months. Maybe I'll practice floating in the tub. No flip turns, though.

A good workout. It seems a bit short on yardage, but that's more a function of all the sculling drills than anything else. Those take up a fair bit of time. I can't decide if they're relaxing because I get to just kind of lay in the water, or hard work because my arms are going like a hummingbird for any forward progress. I'll let you know tomorrow by how sore I am.

Swim: 3x200 yds free, ez, w/ flip turns, 30"
6x150 yds (25 scull/50 pull), 10" (sculls were: 1) on back, feet first, hands at sides, 2) on back, feet first, hands overhead, 3) on back, head first, hands at sides, 4) on stomach, feet first, hands overhead, 5) on stomach, full scull, 6) on stomach, full scull)
2x200 yds pull, ez, w/flip turns, 30"
8x50 yds free, w/mitts, drills (10&2, forearm flop, straight pull)
Total: 2100 yds

After work, Run: 3 miles @ 6.8 mph

I wish this was exciting enough for a good title, but it's not

Just another quick LSD run after work. I'm getting into kind of the dregs of the schedule. With the holidays and crappy weather, and with all long, "slow" runs, it's tough to get motivated some days, especially days when I have to take the bus. But, I'm not going to get any faster, or have a better race, if I don't get the miles in, so I force myself to do it.

The back-up race packages for WDW Marathon arrived yesterday. Since we just moved, the packages were originally sent to the old address, and I wasn't sure that they would be forwarded, so I had race registration update the address and send extras. Now they have the correct address, and it was some additional motivation. I'm getting pretty excited. I think I should be able to hit my goal times, depending, of course, on weather.

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

Everybody in the pool

There was a surprising turnout at swim practice this morning. Given the weather of the weekend, I figured that almost no one would show up, but we actually got most everybody. We're a hearty bunch, us triathletes. (I count myself among the "triathletes" now, because I can swim ... slowly.) Another technique-oriented session, focusing on catching more water.


I may be one of the faster people in my lane, but I can really tell there's a huge gap to get to the next one. On some of the laps, I'd have two people pass me from the other lane. They're a good 10+ seconds per 50m faster than I am. Looks like there's more work to do if I want to keep moving up.


Swim: 3x200m ez free w/flip turns, 30"
2x100m mitts, 100m pull, 30"
2x100m mitts, 100m free, 30"
200m back
3x100m (25 left fist/25 free/25 right fist/25 free), 15"
3x200m free w/flip turns
4x25m free sprint, 25m breast
Total: 2700m

Upper body:
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8/110 lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs+80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x8,7
Military press 2x6/70 lbs
Prehab circuit x20

And the wheel goes round and round

Still horrible weather. We've had better than 25 cm of snow since last night. There is almost no traffic on our little crescent. Hopefully the plows will come through overnight and get the road clear enough that I can get to swimming (if it's not cancelled). But all this snow once again tied me to the treadmill.

Today was the "fast finish" run. Basically, the run is set up in three parts: 7 miles of really easy pace(~145 bpm), 7 miles of easy pace (~150 bpm), then 6 miles at projected marathon pace. The last time I did this (although the distances were shorter), my paces were 6.2 mph, 6.4 mph, then 7.6 mph. That was in the middle of my speed block, and I'm much faster and fitter now. As such, I knocked out much better speeds. The first two blocks were at 6.3 mph, and 6.8 mph. As it happens, my heart rate was much lower than projected at both of these paces (<140, <145), so for the last block I opened it up a little more: 7.8 mph. Although my actual pace for the marathon will be about 7.4 mph, it felt good, and was a huge boost to confidence. There will be one more 20 miler, but that one will all be at a relaxed pace. This was the last long, fast run. I think I can say with a degree of confidence, that I'm ready. Time to go get another three medals.

Run: 7 miles@ 6.3 mph, 7 miles @ 6.8 mph, 6 miles @ 7.8 mph

Additional work: Three trips outside to shovel the driveway. Better to keep taking layers off than trying to do it all tomorrow morning. All that effort, and I didn't have anywhere to go today.

Hamster weekend

The weather is taking a pretty awful turn this weekend, so it looks like I'll be treadmill bound for both runs. Today was 10 miles, nice and easy. The key was to get it done early in the day, so that I could do some grocery shopping and finish my Christmas shopping before the insanity hit.

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

Additional training: trimming the tree

I am teh win!

I may be slow, but at least I'm an intellectual...

Get a Cash Advance

Good after bad

I admit it, Wednesday's swim sucked. Nothing worked. I should have been wearing water wings, for all I was accomplishing in the pool.

That's what makes today's swim feel so good. I know I'm not fast, in any objective sense, but I also know I can swim. I can get from one end of the pool to the other under my own power. I know this. Sometimes I just need to get out of my own head, and let it happen. Relax, put the skills I've been taught to work, and it won't be such a struggle. This is what I promised myself this morning before we started the session.

And it worked. Once again, everything clicked into place. I wasn't flailing. I felt strong and smooth. I led the workout in my new lane. I had fun. With the holidays almost upon us, we're going to have a lot fewer swims in the coming weeks, and with the marathon trip, I'll actually only be in the pool 3 times between the 22nd and January 17th, and I'll miss it. I won't miss the early wake-ups so much, but I'm really enjoying this swimming thing. Maybe I'll have to splash around in the hotel pool in Florida before it's taken over by munchkins every morning.

My flip turns are only slightly better. I had 2 or 3 that were almost spot on, but the majority were either my twist or an ugly flip, and a few were so bad I'm surprised the lifeguard didn't think I was having a seizure and try to save me.

We finished the day with some sprints. I like these. It's like doing strides on the run. The form has no choice but to smooth out. I couldn't think about 10 different mental cues, so I couldn't trip myself up. I was able to strip it down to, "Keep your head down, reach out in front, push all the way through." I think I'd do a little better during each workout if these were thrown in early.

Complimentary side note: During one of the longer rests, one of my lanemates asked me my swimming background. "I took lessons at the Y about 25 years ago, then started again about six weeks before the class started." She said, "You're picking it up quick, and moving through the lanes." I held back from saying, "Aw shucks, ma'am, t'weren't nothin'." But I may have had a little grin when I pushed off from the wall.

Swim: 2x200m free, ez, w/flip turns, 30"
2x100m (50m 3 kick switch, 50m free), 15"
2x200m free, ez, w/flip turns, 30"
2x100m (50m scull, 50m pull), 15"
2x200m free, ez, w/flip turns, 30"
2x100m fist drill, 15"
2x200m free, ez, w/flip turns, 30"
100m back
4x(25m free sprint, 25m breast, ez), 30"
Total: 2500m

Remember when I was struggling to finish 1200m in a workout? Me too.

Later ...
Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8,7/110 lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x8,7
Military press 2x6/70 lbs
Prehab circuit x20

A little bit better

If it's Thursday, it must be Bike Day. This is a day I look forward to with equal amounts of joy and dread. Joy, because there are few things I enjoy doing as much as riding the bike, especially when it's only once a week. Dread, because these workouts are long, tough, and since I'm only riding once a week, I have to fight that much harder to maintain a degree of strength.

So after a brief spin to warm up the trainer and calibrate, and some one-legged drills (these were tough because I ratcheted up the tension in my pedals, so clipping in/out was exceedingly difficult), it hit the main set: 1x60 minutes @ 270w (~90% FTP). I LOVE long sets like this. It's such a mental struggle to keep the pace. Hit it hard, and keep going. I switched my hand positions every few minutes (6 min in the drops, 3 on the hoods). I probably wasn't in as aero a position as I could have been, but I did what I could. It will be interesting in the new year to spend all my time in the aerobars for a few months.

For the first time in a number of workouts, I hit all my goals, and felt strong. So maybe this marathon training is blunting my high-end, but my threshold and long-range powers are still there. That's always good news.

Bike: 90 min, w/60 min @ 270w
Run: 2 miles @ 6.8 mph

Back to splashing

You ever have one of those mornings where everything just feels "off"? It might even be the case that things aren't off, but they definitely feel that way? That's how it went in the pool this morning. Right from the gun, I just didn't feel coordinated in any way. I keep getting really useful hints on improving my stroke, but my list of mental cues is getting pretty long, and if something isn't natural, there's a long systems-check to get it all back together.

I did all the work I was supposed to, with the exception of the last set of freestyle, when I was pulled out of my lane to work more on flip turns. Let me put this simply, my flip turns suck. What I do at the moment wouldn't even really be called a flip turn, it's more a pseudo-sideways roll. It gets the job done, but is not what we're looking for. It seems that whenever I do a head over heels flip, I end up pushing myself almost into the floor of the pool. Since that sucks, I've developed my hybrid. I'll keep working on this (I am honestly trying to flip when I do my twist, but that's just how it works out), and hopefully it will fall in place soon. Especially in the 25 yard pool, I'll just be getting my stroke fixed (see above about splashing) then I'll have to worry about the wall.

But I did my swim. And I'll do my run later. Then tonight I'll sleep.

Swim: 6x100 yds free, EZ, w/ flip turns
4x100 (25 scull/25 pull)
1x200 free, EZ, w/ flip turns
3x100 (75 fist/25 pull)
1x300 free, EZ, w/ flip turns (was supposed to be 2x200, but I had to use the facilities, then jumped in where I could)
2x100 (25 scull/25 pull), w/ finger paddles
1x200 free, EZ, w/ flip turns
Flip turn practice (was supposed to be 3x200, but I am teh suck)
Total: 2200 yds

Run: 3 miles @ 6.8 mph

I think this is "wintry mix"

With the somewhat crappy weather we've been having, my bike commute has been adjusted to keep me more on major roads, since some of the paths haven't been cleared. This makes things a bit longer, and also a bit hairier, with more traffic. No issues so far, but there's a stretch of road with a bike lane, but I can't ride in the bike lane because that's where the plows dumped all the snow. That's a bit frustrating.

Anyway, after I got home tonight, I headed out for a nice 10 miler. The pace is just relaxed, since we're putting the finishing touches of volume into the system. The weather sort of copperated, with temps around freezing, but that means the precipitation that wsa coming down couldn't decide if it was rain or snow, so it tried to be both. If it was windy, I would have hit the treadmill, but with calm winds, it was actually a nice run. I got to see some of the Christmas lights around the neighbourhood. The pace was a bit slower than usual, but that could be from a combination of factors, including the weather, the commute, and general fatigue. I'm not concerned, though. I'm sure everything will be A-OK for the weekend.

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

Keep pushing

This morning was my full first session in the new, faster lane. Just before we got started, one of my old lane mates congratulated me on the move up, which was nice. I have to admit, I had a little bit of nervousness and trepidation as the workout started, especially looking at the board and seeing all these long sets, but I hopped in and did the best I could my hold my place. And what's surprising is that I didn't just hold my place, I ended up distancing myself from the group.

I had been in second spot (just how things fell out), and then person ahead of me got moved to the next lane (his own promotion ... congrats). So I was in first, but the guy behind me, I guess, isn't too good at the kicking drills, so he fell well behind me, causing a logjam, and by the end of the workout, I was almost caught up to the end of the pack. Even more amazing is that I did that while not hammering the pace, just keeping it where I was comfortable and focusing on form. I know I'm definitely not ready for the next lane (those folks hammer), but it feels good to know I not only belong in my new lane, but I'm at the "pointy end of the stick", as Phil Liggett would say.

Swim: w/u: 2x200m ez, w/ flip turns
9x200m (50m drill, 150m free), 30"
Drills: kick left side, kick right side, 3 kick switch, scull, finger/wrist/elbow, 10&2, forearm flop, straight pull, scull
c/d: 2x200m (150m back, 50m free)
Total: 2600m

Edit later to add:
Upper body
Bear 2x4/75 lbs
Row 2x8/110 lbs
Pushup 2x8/30 lbs + 80 lbs tubing
Pullup 2x8,7
Military press 2x6/70 lbs
Prehab circuit x20

Still the short weekend

Day two. If I have to do 18 miles over the weekend, and I did 6 yesterday, what does that mean about this morning? It means 12 miles, easy, outside. Temps were -4, feels like -7, when I stepped out the door. That's kind of cool, but with the proper gear, easily survivable. My fingers got a bit cold (still thawing), but beyond that it was nice. I got to investigate a little bit more of my new neighbourhood. Some nice houses, and a few folks out setting up their lights. The season is upon us.

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

Short weekend

Since last week was the 30 mile weekend, this week I get a bit of a break. I wonder how many other people would consider running 18 miles over two days "a break"? Not many, especially when it's below freezing. Luckily, today is a treadmill day, with 6 miles at projected race pace.

Run: 6 miles @ 7.6 mph

Needles

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

Permanent

When I woke up this morning (if you can call stumbling out of bed at 4:50 "waking up") I was tired, sore, and didn't really feel like going to swimming. But I did, because you do what you have to do when you have to do it. And then things turned around pretty quick. Another morning started with flip turns. I'm still not very good, but I'm better. (We'll get into how not very good in a minute.) Then we began the main set. After 100m, the coach stopped me, and said, "Get on the end of this lane" (pointing to the next lane over). I had mentioned a few weeks ago about a temporary move, just for one part of one day, but I had gone back to Lane 2. But today was the official call-up. Not quite getting called to the "bigs", more of rookie ball to single A move. But it's a step on the journey. And then, even more surprising, I didn't completely throw off the entire lane with my slow swimming. I belonged. Actually, I was a bit too fast through part of it, because I was trying to prove myself, but once I relaxed, all was right in the world.

So, about these flip turns, like I said, I'm not too good. The last block of the workout was 4x200m, doing flip turns. So three turns per rep, two of which were at the shallow end. I'm not really tall, but I'm tall enough that the water level is at my waist when I stand in shallow end. That doesn't seem like a lot of room for flipping, so what I ended up doing was a pseudo-flip/sideways barrel roll/ handplant breakdance maneuver, which did, in fact, turn me around without touching the bottom (with my feet ... my hand kept my head from hitting). I'll need to correct this before the coach watches from that end. At the deep end, I would do OK, except a few times I had almost caught the swimmer in front of me, so I had to wait for him to clear the area, which threw off my rhythm, and the flailing monkey took over. More practice required, but that's what I've been doing so far, and it's already moved me up a lane. So I think I can live with that.

Swim: Flip turn practice
4x(25m scull, 25 pull, 25 scull, 25 pull)
1x200m free, ez, breathe to west wall
4x50m finger/wrist/elbow, 10"
4x50m forearm flop, 10"
4x50m straight pull, 10"
4x200m free, ez, w/flip turns
Total: 2000m

Back on the bike

After a week off due to moving issues, I was back in the saddle. Since I'm in the last leg of the marathon work, I decided I didn't need to hammer myself. Instead, just get some good work done. This thinking goes along with the Daniels principles of doing just enough to work the system you intend to, and not more. Do the minimum needed to derive the benefit. So with that in mind, I did my ladder workout 3x(1-4 minute work, equal rest, @ 300w). I was never struggling, but definitely got a good sweat going, and followed it up with a quick transition run. Good night.

Bike: 90 minutes, w/ one-leg drills, 3x(1-4 min ladder @ 300w)
Run: 2 miles @ 6.8 mph

Ow

With this stretch of cold weather, I haven't been biking to work. It isn't so much the cold, as the wind and road conditions. If it warmed up just a couple of degrees I'd be able to ride without incident, and if the wind calmed it wouldn't be nearly so unpleasant. Instead, I ride the bus. It's not fun. I'm also eating more, which is probably a bad idea if I'm not riding those 70+ miles a week. I think it's just a replacement of calories from the 30 mile weekend. I don't usually get such vicious cravings for sugar (cookies and M&Ms, specifically) as I have the last two days. It's not like I have to be that concerned about my weight, but it's worth noting the phenomenon. With all the activities I'm now involved in, I have to really watch for overtraining.

Another good swim this morning. We did still more work with the pull. I didn't get to finish the workout as written, but I think it was overly ambitious for distance. During one of the sets, I tried to one stroke too many, and jammed my finger HARD into the wall. That's painful. The worst part, though, is that my stroke was looking good, so the coach wanted me to change my hand position. However, keeping your fingers cupped and relaxed is nigh impossible when every stroke brings shooting pain up to your elbow. Relaxed isn't really an option at that point.

Swim: 15 minutes of EZ 100s, doing flip turns (did about 300, I think)
3x100 as (25 scull, 25 pull)
4x50 finger/wrist/elbow
2x150 free
4x50 10 & 2
2x150 pull
4x50 forearm flop
2x150 free
4x50 straight pull
1x150 pull (supposed to be 2x, but ran out of time)
(Not done: 4x25 sprint on 1')
1x25 back, 25 breast (supposed to be 2x50 back, 50 breast)
Total: 2500 yds

Later,
Run: 3 miles @ 6.8 mph

Not much to say ... tired

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

Annihilation

The day started in the water. OK, it really started in bed, but by the time I was cognizant, I was in the water. Swimming at 5:45 is tough when it's cold out. Anything is tough when it's cold and the sun isn't up.

As per usual, we began with the flip turns. I'm getting (slightly) better. I still have a tendency to push myself too deep, and I'm not good at transitioning into actual swimming yet, but I'll keep on doing the work. We then did a quick set of balance drills as reminders before beginning a new type of form work.

Today we started learning about what to do with our arms. The movement was split into four parts, and we did drills for each part, focusing on some mental cue. This was followed by long pull sets, trying to piece it all together. I'm sure this will be the flavour of our next few sessions, so I don't feel too bad with being all over the place today. Some things felt good, so did not. Sometimes a drill wouldn't work for a length, but it would click, then it disappear again. Good thing I have nine months.

In the afternoon, after a long bus commute home, I hit the weights. All the arm-focused work of the morning left me deeply fatigued. The session didn't go as well as it has; I hit all the reps I was supposed to, but it was much harder than last week. I'm sure it's just an under-recovery issue. I'll be fine for Friday as long as the swim isn't as arm-intensive.

Swim: Flip turn practice
2x(100m 3 kick switch, 100m back)
4x50m of each drill: 10 & 2, finger/wrist/elbow, elbow drop, straight pull; w/pull buoy
5x200m pull
Total: 2200m

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

Thanks Jim Henson

Today was the first long run, of the really long runs. The 20s. The runs that bring you to that mental threshold, where only a 10k would be left. If you can finish these with lots in the tank, you can go to the line very confident.

Unfortunately, last night we got hit with a pretty significant dump of snow. There was the better part of 4 inches of the white stuff on the ground. Seeing as I still don't know the neighbourhoods that well, and the extra effort of lifting my feet out of the snow, and uncertain footing, and hills, all this added up to another treadmill session. Twenty miles without going anywhere. Doesn't that sounds like fun?

All told, it went pretty well. I'm sure the basement smelled lovely by the end, but I chugged through my eight hours (the clock claims it was just under 3, but the treadmill causes a tear in the space-time continuum, so it was much longer). The saving grace was my DVDs of the first season of the Muppet Show. 7 episodes, back-to-back-to-back-to- well, you get the idea. If the antics of Kermit, Fozzy and the rest of the gang can't keep you entertained, and a smile on your face at mile 18, then you've got some problems.

But then again, I sing "Happy Feet" to myself while I'm running, so I may be a bit biased.

Milk was a bad choice

This cold weather we're getting is a bit disconcerting. Yesterday, it was announced by Environment Canada that we should expect the coldest winter in 15 years. As someone who likes running outside, and bike commutes to work, this isn't really good news. I may not be able to do anything about the commute (other than ride the bus ... ugh), but I do have the refuge of the treadmill for running on the worst days.

Today, however, was scheduled as a treadmill run, no matter the weather. I like doing my Saturday race-pace runs on the t-mill so I can ingrain the pace, and since I don't have mile markers on my routes, I can maintain exactly what I'm trying to. Today was 10 miles at race speed, and it went really well. When I started this training block, at the same speed, my heartrate would spike into the high 160s to low 170s by mile 3 or 4. This morning, there were a few moments when I went as high as 161, but was mid to high 150s for the entire run. My breathing was 4-4 the whole way. All the LSD work (and some of that horrible speedwork) has made the same pace much easier. That's always nice to see.

Writing this post a few hours later, I'm a bit tired, but I could have held that speed easily for another 3.1 miles, and I don't think another 16.2 would be a stretch. The only issue would be distraction: is the course at Disney as interesting as watching Anchorman (thus the above quote)?

Run: 10 miles @ 7.6 mph