Fe-Lady asked what is TSS. TSS=Training Stress Score, which is a measurement of how hard you worked during a bike workout. You need to have a power meter in order to calculate this, and the Ergomo shows you "realtime" TSS while you work out. Which is kind of cool, because if you are a person motivated by numbers (as I am), seeing the number can give you motivation to work hard(er). Just even 2 months ago, I wasn't looking at or caring about my TSS, because I was too emotionally trashed to work hard enough to want to look at the number, because it would just contribute to how poorly I felt. But once I started feeling better (late January), I started caring about the numbers again, and truth be told, during the last 15 minutes of every trainer ride I work harder than I probably should just because I want to see at least 100 TSS for the ride. That's on my weekday rides--for my longer weekend ride, I'm looking for at least 150--200 would be better--but I can save that up for once I start riding outdoors. Jay reminded me that a total TSS of 500 for a week is a good amount for IM build riding. Since I've been riding 4 days per week this winter, now I'm staying around 500 each week, but I may drop back in a few weeks in preparation for outdoor riding--I haven't quite decided yet.
My bike FT watts may be back to my all-time high already--I haven't done a formal test, but I know from what I'm putting out in my workouts about where that number is, and I'm only about 10 watts off from where it was at a high point, and those 10 watts may just be due to riding indoors, but I'm working on pushing the number up anyway. Why? Because I love riding my bike, I love being fast on the bike and I guess I like working hard on the bike. WORK=SPEED ENTERING THE BODY.
There is a way to measure TSS for running, too, if you use a GPS, but I am not into running gadgets at this time. Just a watch. No more HRM. I still don't have an iPod, but that will happen soon enough. You will not see me with the damn thing strapped to my arm, either. That would spoil a perfectly good tan. I have plenty of shorts that should hold the stupid thing just fine, or I may get one of those running hats that has the pocket for the iPod. Anyway, I have been doing tempo work in each of my weekly runs, and I feel like I'm just about as fast as I've ever been, and I might even be a bit faster, but I will need to prove that in a race, right? Some of that may be due to the loss of 2 pounds or not.
I am 2 pounds lighter than my usual "fighting weight" of 112, so now I weigh 110. I laugh at how people say they struggle losing weight--try signing up for Dominatrix duties and let me know how much time you have to stuff your face. Now, 2 pounds over 3 months means a caloric deficit of a measly 78 calories a day. Was I eating less? Perhaps, but I bet it's just the extra busy work I've needed to do which has cut into my "slacking" time. Those 2 pounds will probably come back or maybe not--I don't think I've seen 110 on the scale since I went through a divorce 14 years ago! Back then I actually was down to 107, and yes, even *I* thought I was skinny, and I was. But I didn't have nearly the amount of lean mass that I have today. As to where those 2 pounds came off of my body, well when I take my measurements, I guess it's the "upper" part of my ass. I keep checking to see if my ass has just decided to head south, but if I try and pick it up it doesn't feel like it--it is just a little smaller. Which is hard for me to grasp considering I've been hitting the workouts pretty hard lately. Perhaps once I'm running outdoors on my usual fairly hilly routes my ass will show back up. That and riding on actual hills and standing up more on the bike usually does it.
Speaking of which, aging sucks. I mean, thank you anyone who tells me "you look good for your age." Some of this is just a reflection of the stress I've been under the last few months, and some of it is, well, I'm just fucking old. And it does suck. But it would suck a whole lot more if I wasn't in shape, and I can imagine I could look a whole lot worse. I still have fantastic abs, except my fucking skin isn't as elastic as it used to be. Oh well--all photos of me will now be taken in the upright and locked position! I still think I look OK in a swimsuit and skimpy running clothes, but I am holding off on the thong evaluation for a few months. That train may have just left the station! I assume that someone will tell me I shouldn't wear such revealing workout clothes because I look hideous, and then I will modify my wardrobe.
Odd that I'm sitting here writing a post--for some reason I was motivated to get up at 5:45AM today so I could swim before my long run, and well, I don't have any Dominatrix duties to do this weekend (yet, anyway), and so I'm going to go buy some books. I did catch some USA gymnastics on TV, and it reminded me of the Summer Olympics, and that will be awesome, because I love watching the male gymnasts and swimmers. OK, so I'll watch the female swimmers, too, but tough to beat the guys. What can I say, I love muscle and I love cut physiques.
Why am I training so much so early? Because I slacked for over a month during the fall and early winter and I felt like shit and now I don't and the reason is because I made myself work out. And I needed to see if I could still do it so I would know that I could still manage an Ironman this year and the answer is YES. This is the stuff that makes me strong, and I am so grateful for all the stuff I got to do in 2007--in retrospect, that was a crazy year--2 IM's, an open marathon and almost another IM (Triple T), and the most biking I've ever done. Something about that prepared me for what came after, and something about what I'm doing now is preparing me for whatever the next thing is, and that's good enough for me.
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