Nothing insane here--I've done close to this volume before--but the difference is that I'm recovering from it week to week and putting in some solid training performances. I am really enjoying the challenge of swimming Masters and then JZ's occasional swim workout (hers are typically harder than the Masters workouts), learning how to really run easy when it's called for so I can then run fast/hard when I am supposed to, and the same for biking. This is solid training!
I have to mention, as always, that my metabolism is sky-high. I've stopped weighing myself because it just doesn't matter--I am incapable of putting on weight unless I start eating total crap, plus I just don't have time to eat any more! Saturday's workout was a straight 1-hour swim and then a 2:20 run, ending last 20 minutes at marathon pace (sounds easy, right?). This was the day after a 3200 swim and 1:20 hill workout (run) on Friday. I woke up at 2:30AM Sunday morning and made a huge turkey sandwich. I thought I'd eat only half, but I chowed the entire thing and then blissfully passed out until 5:30AM. My fridge is stocked with lots of string cheese, eggs, English muffins (I no longer have time to make my own breakfast muffins--will get back on that in the fall), greens/tomatoes for salads, grated Romano cheese (salad/veggie topping) all sorts of lean meats, stir-fry toppings and pasta sauces, and then, of course, Gatorade and Infinit. Dry/canned pantry has plenty of rice, pasta, tomato puree, sardines, canned fruit, jam, Chinese stir-fry ingredients (bamboo shoots, tiny corn, mushrooms, sauces), canned chiles and salsas. I eat well!
This week I get an entire rest WEEK! Fuckin' A! I have no long run this week, but get to ride 5 hours on the weekend. There are still not any organized rides with regularity, but in 2 weeks I am heading to Wisconsin for the Quadrupedal Century, which should be fun. And then I get a nice taper for Triple T. Shit--racing is about to begin! But I feel super well prepared, as basically I've been getting in the TTT distance between Friday and Sunday every week.
This weekend was particularly challenging--Friday was 3200 swim and 1:20 run hill workout. Saturday was that 1-hour swim and 2:20 (I shortened to 2:15 since Friday run was longer than anticipated) run, and then yesterday was 4:30 ride with 1-hour run off the bike. I only rode 83 miles for the 3 days, but I ran almost 29 miles in the 3 days. That run off the bike yesterday was a real test for me--I was to run easy (WTF else could I do after all that?), and I was shocked at how much less it sucked than I was anticipating. I ended up running 9:46/mile, which would be fucking awesome in an Ironman, eh? It FELT like I was on the last hour of an Ironman, for sure! Actually I'd be quite happy with an even 10:00/mile in IM marathon, but we will see.
All I can say is that JZ is toughening the shit out of me, and I am loving it! I continue to not question whether I can do something or whether I can go as fast as I am supposed to--I just do it. And as long as I stay on top of my calories, stretch, sleep, I am good to go. However, I am truly grateful for this rest week, as I have plenty of things to do!
Friday night my dryer crapped out, but it's good timing for me to replace the washer/dryer pair while the walls are down in my family room. The remodeling has begun, with new wiring installed on Friday. This week the electrical gets finished, hopefully the new washer/dryer installed, and preparation for drywall installation next week. On Friday, they cut power to my upstairs, where my bikes are living temporarily, and I had to ride on the trainer, but had no power to operate the fan, so I yelled downstairs to send me up an extension cord so I could get on with it! I have actually been enjoying riding in my living room, because I can blast my BIG speakers for huge amounts of tuneage! My recent muse is Nicki Minaj--she is so dirty, but her melodic and dance songs are great! Stupid Hoe is hilarious to listen to while biking! Basically the first 9 songs of Roman Reloaded are filthy dirty rap, but the remaining (except for Stupid Hoe) are really great, "normal."
Here's how things look in my living room right now (huge mess!):
Good thing the bikes match the living room, huh? See how I lined up all my bitches on top of the shelves? Cracks me up. My dining room table is covered with shit, and there is shit under it, some of which is new waiting to be installed downstairs (faucet, knobs, surround sound, e.g.), some of it just temporarily relocated (dry and pop-top canned goods from pantry). I am accepting of the mess, and will thoroughly clean all this once the downstairs is finished.
I had my first Dale Carnegie class last Wednesday. It is a cult. But I can go with the flow there. We had to make up words plus actions to help other people remember our names. So what I did was She-Ra for my first name and "plummet" for my last name. I got up in front of the room and made the Princess of Power pose as if I were on top of a cliff. Then, He-Man comes and knees me in the back, and I plummet down the cliff face. Of course, I quickly recall my super powers. I rolled on the floor for the plummet part. I got a big hand for that. One of the course objectives is to increase self-confidence. A few classmates already correctly figured out that I don't really need that. But actually there are a few situations where I could have a bit more, and so this is one of the things I will work on. We also had to write down our vision for where we would be in our personal and professional lives in October. I won't say what I wrote down unless it actually comes true, in which case, well let's just say life would be fucking fantastic--even more so than it already is!
Anyway, I'm glad for the rest week this week and can tell I'm still behind on my calories from the weekend, so off to eat and settle in for an easy day of training and hopefully, work!
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