For this Sunday...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Getting Used to It
Since my training has been focused on accomplishing a number of things, it's only normal to expect not everything to line up all at once. My strength training has been going well, and since I'm just this week almost to a maintenance (i.e., no increase in overall load), I know that it is impacting s/b/r in various ways. Throw in every 2 weeks races with a 1:30 run afterwards, mix things up with a few group bike workouts to throw off my training/recovery schedule, add in a virus, and it's been quite an experience. Nothing that I didn't expect, though! The whole point of what I'm doing is to make me very strong so that once I kick up the volume in mid-March, my body will be fully prepared for it.
So on that note, last week I had some pretty good bike workouts, although Saturday I wasn't on. Sunday I had a great 1:40 run. Monday I didn't get enough sleep, but still managed to run, which was the thing I needed to do. Yesterday my bike workout sucked--I just had dead legs--but I didn't obsess over it. Today I had a decent swim even though the pool was stinking hot, and then this afternoon I had a really great track workout.
I'm going to lift tonight because I normally start on it on Monday, but work has been in my way, so I'm starting tonight and will do some more tomorrow and perhaps Friday. I should have a good bike workout tomorrow, and then Friday and Saturday are all about a holding pattern before I race again on Sunday.
I am definitely feeling the intensity of everything I'm doing, and I'm only 2 weeks away from the last indoor sprint tri and then my lifting goes into maintenance mode! That's always something I look forward to because it just changes my physiology. My massage therapist commented to me yesterday that he could feel the changes in my muscles from the progressive work I've been doing, and I've also added 500+ yards of swimming with paddles to each workout now, so I'm intentionally putting the hurt to myself.
Periodically I ask myself whether it's worth it to put myself through all of this because right about this time of year, I am very up and down with workout success, but as long as I keep moving in the right direction, which I am, I'm OK with being tired or cranky or a little extra sore. This is the price I pay to have the strength and endurance to do all the crazy shit I like to do starting in May, and that is my definition of big fun!
I suppose that as long as I can race well again on Sunday, it doesn't matter whether I'm "on" for each and every workout, does it?
Hey, it's all good, even the crappy workouts. I won't even remember the crappy workouts. All I will remember is that come May I was out there kicking ass and taking names.
So on that note, last week I had some pretty good bike workouts, although Saturday I wasn't on. Sunday I had a great 1:40 run. Monday I didn't get enough sleep, but still managed to run, which was the thing I needed to do. Yesterday my bike workout sucked--I just had dead legs--but I didn't obsess over it. Today I had a decent swim even though the pool was stinking hot, and then this afternoon I had a really great track workout.
I'm going to lift tonight because I normally start on it on Monday, but work has been in my way, so I'm starting tonight and will do some more tomorrow and perhaps Friday. I should have a good bike workout tomorrow, and then Friday and Saturday are all about a holding pattern before I race again on Sunday.
I am definitely feeling the intensity of everything I'm doing, and I'm only 2 weeks away from the last indoor sprint tri and then my lifting goes into maintenance mode! That's always something I look forward to because it just changes my physiology. My massage therapist commented to me yesterday that he could feel the changes in my muscles from the progressive work I've been doing, and I've also added 500+ yards of swimming with paddles to each workout now, so I'm intentionally putting the hurt to myself.
Periodically I ask myself whether it's worth it to put myself through all of this because right about this time of year, I am very up and down with workout success, but as long as I keep moving in the right direction, which I am, I'm OK with being tired or cranky or a little extra sore. This is the price I pay to have the strength and endurance to do all the crazy shit I like to do starting in May, and that is my definition of big fun!
I suppose that as long as I can race well again on Sunday, it doesn't matter whether I'm "on" for each and every workout, does it?
Hey, it's all good, even the crappy workouts. I won't even remember the crappy workouts. All I will remember is that come May I was out there kicking ass and taking names.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Weekly Workout Totals 02/09/2009-02/15/2009
Someone on Slowtwitch asked why so many triathletes blog. I responded in there, mostly to reaffirm what a big, giant dork I am since I post training totals and stuff. But this blog ain't all about training totals, is it? Things will get spiced up no doubt once winter is over and I'm out riding and causing general mayhem (or at least I hope to be) and wearing less clothes. Until then, I still don't care if anyone reads this, and I still don't care what anyone thinks who reads this, I don't mind the people who stop by only for the pics, and I'm going to keep on writing as long as something strikes my fancy.
I had a solid training week last week and felt pretty much back on my game after a race. It was interesting leading the bike workout on Wednesday night and then doing a track workout Thursday morning--not really enough recovery time in between 2 key workouts! But I only had to swim on Friday, so no worries. I just did not feel great on the bike on Saturday, which I'm owing to antibiotics that I'm taking for a minor thing, but the brick run was solid. Yesterday I ran 1:40 and ran strong and well, and did an easy :50 swim afterwards that felt great.
This week will be a "normal" training week; i.e., I am not moving workouts around like I did last week, and I've got another race on Sunday. This time, they put me in a wave with the top 10 women overall, so at some level I am going to get my ass handed to me! That's OK--it will be seriously motivating to be up against the talent. I may even beat 1 or 2 of them! Plus, at this race, the bikes are in the center of the 8-laps-to-the-mile running track, which makes it even more exciting. I'm going to get my lucky Brazilian wax the day before because thinking about that pain while racing makes it seem not so bad!
In other news, my back is feeling pretty darn great now. I am pronouncing myself healed! And I'm over the URI I had for about 1.5 weeks, and starting tomorrow, I'm off the antibiotics (which mess with my gut and also sometimes make me drowsy). So putting all that together with my (hopefully) third solid training week in a row, and the stars could be aligning for me to have a great race this Sunday. I'm already looking forward to the post-race festivities--food, massage, beers, a nap, more food, more beers. Or maybe champagne...depending on whether I can take my AG again and stay in the top 10 overall. And maybe hit 7 miles on the bike. Why do I keep raising my own celebratory stakes? Why not?
Here's what I did last week:
I had a solid training week last week and felt pretty much back on my game after a race. It was interesting leading the bike workout on Wednesday night and then doing a track workout Thursday morning--not really enough recovery time in between 2 key workouts! But I only had to swim on Friday, so no worries. I just did not feel great on the bike on Saturday, which I'm owing to antibiotics that I'm taking for a minor thing, but the brick run was solid. Yesterday I ran 1:40 and ran strong and well, and did an easy :50 swim afterwards that felt great.
This week will be a "normal" training week; i.e., I am not moving workouts around like I did last week, and I've got another race on Sunday. This time, they put me in a wave with the top 10 women overall, so at some level I am going to get my ass handed to me! That's OK--it will be seriously motivating to be up against the talent. I may even beat 1 or 2 of them! Plus, at this race, the bikes are in the center of the 8-laps-to-the-mile running track, which makes it even more exciting. I'm going to get my lucky Brazilian wax the day before because thinking about that pain while racing makes it seem not so bad!
In other news, my back is feeling pretty darn great now. I am pronouncing myself healed! And I'm over the URI I had for about 1.5 weeks, and starting tomorrow, I'm off the antibiotics (which mess with my gut and also sometimes make me drowsy). So putting all that together with my (hopefully) third solid training week in a row, and the stars could be aligning for me to have a great race this Sunday. I'm already looking forward to the post-race festivities--food, massage, beers, a nap, more food, more beers. Or maybe champagne...depending on whether I can take my AG again and stay in the top 10 overall. And maybe hit 7 miles on the bike. Why do I keep raising my own celebratory stakes? Why not?
Here's what I did last week:
| Weekly Workout Totals | 02/09/2009-02/15/2009 This week's totals are sponsored by the awesome feeling of being 100% healthy! |
| Swim: | 9200 yards (5.22 miles) in 3.25 hours; 23% of weekly workout time; approx. 1138 calories burned Canadian: 8412.48 meters |
| Bike: | Approx. 102.15 miles in 5.43 hours; 39% of weekly workout time; approx. 2774 calories burned; Total TSS=323 Canadian: 164.39 kilometers |
| Run: | Approx. 25.94 miles in 3.97 hours; 28% of weekly workout time; approx. 1797 calories burned Canadian: 41.75 kilometers |
| Strength: | 1.4 hours; 10% of weekly workout time; approx. 350 calories burned |
| All Sports: | Approx. 133.31 miles in 14.05 hours; approx. 6059 calories burned Canadian: 2.13 kilometers |
| Sleep: | 7.75 hours avg./night |
| Stretching: | 2.13 hours. Massage: 1 hours |
Sunday, February 15, 2009
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