I managed to wake up at 5:30AM today and swim before I started work. Although technically I slept 8.5 hours, I did not feel that rested upon waking. I did get in almost an hour of strength training yesterday evening, and I think that just pushed my muscular fatigue a little further than I would have liked. Even despite the fact that I stretched for about 35' afterwards. Oh well, note to self: not good to lift hard on same day as a hard brick workout (DOH!).
The swim was nothing to write home about. Everything about me physically felt tired and the water was warm, but I did try and swim with good form. I swear it's coming. I can now at least sense that I am not rotating as much as I thought I was, and it will take awhile to get myself doing it more and better. I am patient!
I had a "broken" tempo run to do today as follows:
15' z1, 10' z4, 10' z2, 10' z4, 5' z2, 10' z4
The Z4 stuff is tempo pace. I have to laugh that my coach's shorthand notation for my workouts has become REAL short. I think he knows that I know what he means for me to do, and I also think he's inventing new stuff for me. During the winter, I'm usually running on the treadmill, and I write down the levels in my own shorthand on a Post-It that I take with me to the Y, so this is all fine by me.
I thought today would be a good day to try out my new run paces, sans HRM, and so I did, and I have to say that for me, losing the HRM has the potential to lead to some major running breakthroughs (I've already achieved that on the bike) for me. I'd still recommend that someone who is in their first few years of running as an adult will benefit from seeing the information, but I already know I'm fit, and I already know what paces I can handle, and I just need to make sure I'm recovering.
The new tempo pace appears to be good! Even though my legs (and everything else, for that matter) were tired when I started, it was like a switch went on once I began running and all was fine. This is what happens when I'm running a lot. And stretching. And eating properly. And not doing 5 and 6-hour rides! Once I finished the run, I thought, hmmm....maybe I (or should I say my coach) am setting up a perfect peaking scenario in preparation for the 1/2 IM I have coming up. We shall see.
6 down--4 more to go. Somehow, I think I am getting used to running every day!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Day 5 of Ten Days Running; Brick #2
I am starting to think I can run in my sleep! I also have a certain Pink Floyd song stuck in my head--guess which one?
Today's bike workout was a new type for me. I enjoyed it, because it had many manageable chunks instead of just a few intervals. I don't think I executed it as well as I could have, but I get to do it again on Thursday.
It got HOT here today--crazy summer decided to come back. Last night we had monstrous thunderstorms, and I got a little water in my family room (just seepage, so no sewer germs to worry about!). Things were dry down there until about 9PM when the sky opened up and it rained about 3" in 1 hour. Oh well, at least I didn't lose power--people across the street did, and at one point, I think there were over 300,000 homes in the Chicago area that had lost power. They are saying tonight will be Round 2, but I sure hope not. The creek that is one door away from me overflowed into the road, but came down by about 11AM, and now my sump pump isn't running constantly. We had quite the lightning show, too. I get a little scared during such storms, which is a holdover from when I was a kid and would cower in a corner during thunderstorms, especially if tornado watches or warnings were issued. The winds didn't get THAT bad here last night, and there was no tornado watch, but the thunderstorms WERE severe, and they just dumped rain every which way. I am praying they aren't so bad tonight, especially since they aren't supposed to start until after midnight.
Speaking of praying, I haven't heard back from my friend Matt about his mom. Tough enough that he's going to Afghanistan in 2 weeks, but then this. I spoke with her on Saturday, and her husband remarked how Matt typically calls her twice a day. Talk about your good son! I weep for my friends when they go through things like this, partly because I know the pain of someone close becoming ill and dying but then now I start to acknowledge my own mortality. I guess turning 50 will do that to you.
OK, back to today's bike workout:
WU: 15' Easy, include 3-4 x 30" spinups.
MS: 4 x 30/30's, 4' @ FT, 2' Easy,
6 x 30/30, 6' @ FT, 2' Easy,
8 x 30/30, 8' @ FT, 2' Easy
10 x 30/30, 10' @ FT
CD: 5' Easy
Looks interesting, doesn't it? The 30/30's are done as 30" at Vo2Max watts (I shoot for 220+), 30" easy. As I began the workout in the heat, I thought, huh, I shouldn't have trouble with this. And as it turned out, I didn't. I was able to crank out my FT watts easily (well, as easily as it ever is). I could have done better on the 30/30's, but I used that time twice to fix my contact lenses (there was all sorts of stuff blowing in the wind today) and remove my tank top (I got pretty hot). It was just nice to do a different type of workout. But then, we had to see what running would be like.
I had decided that I was NOT going to use the afterburners like I did on Sunday, as I have a good tempo run to do tomorrow. Besides, even though I didn't have trouble with the bike workout, those things are deceptive, and I knew my run legs wouldn't feel fresh as a daisy afterwards!
When I got home from biking, I was already so pigged out, but I quickly donned running shoes and visor (I'm now using a visor when it's warm, as I read your head cools better and it seems to be true) and got out the door. I didn't feel quite like I did Sunday (shuffling through sand), but it was close, since I did a high-intensity ride. Once again, though, I tried to hold back and not go out too fast, since I was supposed to negative split the run.
Mile 1--8:37. I guess that is the speed I always run my first mile from home no matter what these days. That's a good thing, though, because it means I can run faster than that! Same deal as Sunday, run up to the .75 mile mark and turn around. I picked it up just a bit, but still wanted to turn down the volume just a bit. I was hot, tired and hungry. I ran the last mile in 7:55, so not quite as peppy as Sunday, but I was really expecting over 8:00 the way I was running. Oh well, the joys of no HRM and not being able to really read the tiny little numbers on my new Timex watch!
I'm halfway through my 10 days, and actually I don't feel bad at all. Not that I was expecting to feel bad, but so far, no bad runs. I can't believe I'm doing another brick in 2 days, but I am getting ahead of myself. Next order of business is to lift tonight followed by at least 30' of stretching and a good night's sleep, then a nice swim tomorrow, then we will just have to see how running tempo feels. It should feel fine, why wouldn't it?
Today's bike workout was a new type for me. I enjoyed it, because it had many manageable chunks instead of just a few intervals. I don't think I executed it as well as I could have, but I get to do it again on Thursday.
It got HOT here today--crazy summer decided to come back. Last night we had monstrous thunderstorms, and I got a little water in my family room (just seepage, so no sewer germs to worry about!). Things were dry down there until about 9PM when the sky opened up and it rained about 3" in 1 hour. Oh well, at least I didn't lose power--people across the street did, and at one point, I think there were over 300,000 homes in the Chicago area that had lost power. They are saying tonight will be Round 2, but I sure hope not. The creek that is one door away from me overflowed into the road, but came down by about 11AM, and now my sump pump isn't running constantly. We had quite the lightning show, too. I get a little scared during such storms, which is a holdover from when I was a kid and would cower in a corner during thunderstorms, especially if tornado watches or warnings were issued. The winds didn't get THAT bad here last night, and there was no tornado watch, but the thunderstorms WERE severe, and they just dumped rain every which way. I am praying they aren't so bad tonight, especially since they aren't supposed to start until after midnight.
Speaking of praying, I haven't heard back from my friend Matt about his mom. Tough enough that he's going to Afghanistan in 2 weeks, but then this. I spoke with her on Saturday, and her husband remarked how Matt typically calls her twice a day. Talk about your good son! I weep for my friends when they go through things like this, partly because I know the pain of someone close becoming ill and dying but then now I start to acknowledge my own mortality. I guess turning 50 will do that to you.
OK, back to today's bike workout:
WU: 15' Easy, include 3-4 x 30" spinups.
MS: 4 x 30/30's, 4' @ FT, 2' Easy,
6 x 30/30, 6' @ FT, 2' Easy,
8 x 30/30, 8' @ FT, 2' Easy
10 x 30/30, 10' @ FT
CD: 5' Easy
Looks interesting, doesn't it? The 30/30's are done as 30" at Vo2Max watts (I shoot for 220+), 30" easy. As I began the workout in the heat, I thought, huh, I shouldn't have trouble with this. And as it turned out, I didn't. I was able to crank out my FT watts easily (well, as easily as it ever is). I could have done better on the 30/30's, but I used that time twice to fix my contact lenses (there was all sorts of stuff blowing in the wind today) and remove my tank top (I got pretty hot). It was just nice to do a different type of workout. But then, we had to see what running would be like.
I had decided that I was NOT going to use the afterburners like I did on Sunday, as I have a good tempo run to do tomorrow. Besides, even though I didn't have trouble with the bike workout, those things are deceptive, and I knew my run legs wouldn't feel fresh as a daisy afterwards!
When I got home from biking, I was already so pigged out, but I quickly donned running shoes and visor (I'm now using a visor when it's warm, as I read your head cools better and it seems to be true) and got out the door. I didn't feel quite like I did Sunday (shuffling through sand), but it was close, since I did a high-intensity ride. Once again, though, I tried to hold back and not go out too fast, since I was supposed to negative split the run.
Mile 1--8:37. I guess that is the speed I always run my first mile from home no matter what these days. That's a good thing, though, because it means I can run faster than that! Same deal as Sunday, run up to the .75 mile mark and turn around. I picked it up just a bit, but still wanted to turn down the volume just a bit. I was hot, tired and hungry. I ran the last mile in 7:55, so not quite as peppy as Sunday, but I was really expecting over 8:00 the way I was running. Oh well, the joys of no HRM and not being able to really read the tiny little numbers on my new Timex watch!
I'm halfway through my 10 days, and actually I don't feel bad at all. Not that I was expecting to feel bad, but so far, no bad runs. I can't believe I'm doing another brick in 2 days, but I am getting ahead of myself. Next order of business is to lift tonight followed by at least 30' of stretching and a good night's sleep, then a nice swim tomorrow, then we will just have to see how running tempo feels. It should feel fine, why wouldn't it?
Monday, October 02, 2006
Days 3 and 4 of Ten Days of Running
By the way, above is the soccer ball I located and kicked home for 3/4 of a mile on Friday, which was Day 1 of 10 Straight Days of Running. I suppose it's now my icon for the festival.
Yesterday was Day 3 of running, and the first of 4 bricks (I don't call ANYTHING except a bike followed by a run a brick workout, and don't you ever call something else a brick around me) in 10 days. I'll be doing a brick workout every other day now, so yesterday (Sunday), then Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. At least that's the plan.
Coach had written yesterday's bike workout as if it would take 2.5 hours, but when I added it up, it was more like 3.5. Since it was such a nice day, I was good for 3.5 hours, maybe even more. But I'd never done a workout like this, and it looked pretty hard on paper:
Warmup: 30'
Main Set: Repeat this 4 times: [25' at 85-90% of FTP, 12' at FTP, easy 10]'.
I didn't feel great on Sunday morning--it was a combination of having run fairly hard (although not racing), and then eating like crap Saturday night. My good friend, Matt, is being deployed to Afghanistan (and his mom broke her hip yesterday and is touch and go since she already has emphysema), and he had a big party, and I indulged myself in appetizers, jelly beans, fried chicken, cake, miniature eclairs (THOSE were good) and a few beers. I had not so much a beer hangover (I didn't drink that much), but kind of a food hangover. My body just isn't used to that sort of thing.
Anyway, the day dawned cool, but it was warming fast. I popped a couple of Tylenol 8-hour, hoping that would fix me up, and it was good for my head but not my body. I headed out, and the warmup felt fine. I went to my usual stomping grounds (Fermilab) for intervals, and pounded out the first 2 repeats without too much trouble. When I hit the 3rd one, try as I might, I just couldn't muster the required power output. That's OK, I still got repeat #3 with decent power, just not as much as I wanted. Based on how I was feeling, I decided to bag the 4th repeat and just ride "easy-ish" home, knowing I still had to run off the bike. I hope this type of workout feels a bit better this coming weekend, because I have more of the same. This is hard, focused work (big surprise there!).
I frankly felt like shit when I got home, even though I had hydrated well and even ate gels (yuck), so I know I had plenty of calories in me to run on. The order was for 30', negative split the run. OK, fine, so I'll just go out REAL SLOW. I'm no longer wearing my HRM, so without too much time elapsed after getting my bike in the house, I was out and about and "running." It didn't feel like I was running--it felt like I was shuffling through sand. But that was fine. At least I felt like I could tough out 30', which was the main point.
I get to the Mile 1 mark and I'm thinking I'm running 9+ mpm. Nope. 8:40. WTF??? How am I running like that when I didn't get much sleep, I ate like crap the night before, I was losing power on the ride and it just felt like I was running in sand? Oh well, soldier on. I was flummoxed between the way I felt and the speed I was going. Run up to the 15' point and actually a little more since I'm supposed to negative split, and I know I can at least go a little faster on the way home because of one slight downhill. But come on, even just maintaining pace would be fine today.
When I get to the start of the last mile, I'm like, OK, what the hell, may as well try and push it. I'm less than 9 minutes from being done with this bad boy, there's barely any wind, let's just go. So I push what I think is a little harder, and my lungs don't feel any worse, and I feel like the aerobic capacity is certainly there, and I take short steps anyway, and it's a gorgeous day, so I push on and get to my house and voila, 7:40. SEVEN FORTY! How did I do that?
I started my workout late (11AM), ended late, and so I made a promise to myself that curfew was 8PM, to ensure I got some sleep so I could actually wake up and swim early today. I had a little bit of trouble falling asleep because my metabolism was racing, but I got the job done.
This morning, when I awoke, I felt pretty toasted from the last week. 17.3 hours, and that's just training for a 1/2 Ironman! But I got in my 5 hours of running (and great running at that), some high intensity biking and a decent amount (11,000 yards) of swimming. And I'm lifting a bit more already, too, so I'm marching on with my 2006-2007 goals and objectives.
I only swam 2200 yards this morning, just a drill workout. It felt pretty good, though, and then I thought, OK, running AGAIN. Day 4 out of 10. I only had to run 45', with 10' of strides in there. I delayed getting outdoors in gorgeous weather, and then it started to rain. Oh well, off to the Y I go.
Today was my first run on the treadmill without the HRM. What a difference! There was no number telling me how I should or might feel, and it just felt great! I even tested out new pace zones for future use. I was shocked at how good my legs felt.
Maybe it's just a mental thing, but this running stuff is the bomb! Now I know better than to think I will have 10 days straight of great runs, but I will assume they'll be great unless I prove otherwise. As long as I stay on top of stretching, nutrition and sleep, I should be good to go.
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