Swim Day
1 x 150 Warm-up
4 x 100- Pull
4 x 100- 50-5, 7, 9/50-fingertip drag
1 x 100 Cool down
Total- 1050yds
I feel silly going to the pool for just over twenty minutes in the water and barely 1000yds, but it's gotta be done. The swim felt good though. In the lane next to me was a very pregnant lady doing sets of fly/free 50s and she was killing it. None of this "I have a giant belly so my stroke is crap" stuff either. Real fly. If she wasn't full of baby she'd have been kicking my ass. I have no ego left.
I know that it's very early in the training program so it seems strange that I'm in a recovery week already, but I'm following a plan that has them built in every four weeks to so. So even though I don't need it now, I'm going to be feeling it over the next few weeks and will be glad for the rest. Recovery is just as important to preventing injury as stretching and proper form. So this week ill feel weak-sauce, but it's supposed to.
Ride Day
time- 30min
dist- 10mi
I know, I know. 10 miles is nothing. Not my fault! I hold my training plan up to deflect recriminations.
It was a good ride, solid. Felt yesterday in my quads for the first few miles but that worked itself out. Every mile is one more step to Strong and Fast. Even recovery week miles.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Taking of Pineapple Hill
Cycle Day
time- 1:56
distance- 29.7mi
First of all, I'm pretty sure this is equal or nearly equal to my longest ride of the last training cycle. I don't know if I'm encouraged by my performance or scared to look ahead. A little of both.
I sped down Pineapple Hill to start my ride, watching my newly installed bike computer to see how fast I was going (with little effort). 40! If this thing is calibrated right, and I think it is, I hit 40mph on the way down. Course, that means its nice and steep, which means coming back will be fuuuun. (I forgot to take a picture of the computer so next time. Bike is already put away.) I rode arouns Haleiwa, including a modified lap of the Haleiwa Tri course. Then its back up that hill. Oof.
Having a bike computer helps set goals. I get real time speed and distance information. So setting off up Pineapple Hill for this first time in months I thought to myself, "Ok, I'll keep the speed in the double digits. No? Ok, I'll keep it above 8mph. What? What the hell? Stupid hill." Not so encouraging, but as I get stronger I'll be able to see gains right away. That will help.
Oh, a funny thing that happened on the way to Haleiwa (theater joke!). I passed four guys on Harleys parked on the side of the road. It would be funnier if they were broke down, but they were just waiting for friends who got caught at a light. You know what? This is my story. They were riding and I zoomed by them! Yeah...that's the ticket. And I waved when I passed them.
Legs are sore, stretching and shower felt wonderful. And as soon as I got home it started pouring rain. The cycling gods were warning me for taunting Cycle Dirtbag in Portland about how nice the weather is here compared to there. Message received.
time- 1:56
distance- 29.7mi
First of all, I'm pretty sure this is equal or nearly equal to my longest ride of the last training cycle. I don't know if I'm encouraged by my performance or scared to look ahead. A little of both.
I sped down Pineapple Hill to start my ride, watching my newly installed bike computer to see how fast I was going (with little effort). 40! If this thing is calibrated right, and I think it is, I hit 40mph on the way down. Course, that means its nice and steep, which means coming back will be fuuuun. (I forgot to take a picture of the computer so next time. Bike is already put away.) I rode arouns Haleiwa, including a modified lap of the Haleiwa Tri course. Then its back up that hill. Oof.
Having a bike computer helps set goals. I get real time speed and distance information. So setting off up Pineapple Hill for this first time in months I thought to myself, "Ok, I'll keep the speed in the double digits. No? Ok, I'll keep it above 8mph. What? What the hell? Stupid hill." Not so encouraging, but as I get stronger I'll be able to see gains right away. That will help.
Oh, a funny thing that happened on the way to Haleiwa (theater joke!). I passed four guys on Harleys parked on the side of the road. It would be funnier if they were broke down, but they were just waiting for friends who got caught at a light. You know what? This is my story. They were riding and I zoomed by them! Yeah...that's the ticket. And I waved when I passed them.
Legs are sore, stretching and shower felt wonderful. And as soon as I got home it started pouring rain. The cycling gods were warning me for taunting Cycle Dirtbag in Portland about how nice the weather is here compared to there. Message received.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Video Games vs. Working Out
Run Day
time- 40 minutes
distance- at least 4 miles
Again, not running with my JogTracker yet. Its a guess. But it was a good, smooth run. Aided, I think, by my triathlon books. You see, dear reader, one of those books pointed something out to me about running which I've never thought of before. Running if a hamstring exercise. I know some of you are thinking, "What the hell? Really?" Others of you are thinking, "You didn't know that?" And perhaps a small few of you are thinking, "I wonder what's on Fox right now. I like pudding." But it's true! Running is a pulling exercise. The quads pull the leg straight, while the hammys pull it back. When running your leg goes, wait for it...BACK! OMG! Like, wow!
Thusly, I am spending mental time focusing on feeling that contraction. Concentrating on the very muscle group that is doing most of the, pardon the pun, leg work. And I think its helping. Just like thinking about the lats and tris in swimming and the quads on the bike, a mental focus on the muscles doing the work, I think, helps those muscles work better.
Abruptly switching topics, I am a gamer. Have been for little over a year and a half now. We own a PS3 and it is the awesome. I'm a huge God of War fan, have all three for the console and both the PSP games. But today I was pondering my gaming relationship to triathlon. You see, last summer I played Red Dead Redemption. Played it all the time. Game of the Year, easily. Loved it. After it ended was when I started getting interested in triathlon. Gaming during training dropped off, though it didn't go away. There have been games I've enjoyed, but nothing I've been super-uber-I-gotta-get-home excited about.
Until now.
Mass Effect 2 just came to PS3. I resisted as long as I could, nearly a whole week, but I gave in. It arrived yesterday. Rest day. Perfect. And it is pretty excellent. I think it could eat my life the same way RDR did. So now I have training every day, school, wife time, and ME2 to juggle. Its obvious the video game places last on the list of priorities, but for the first time since I started training a game is captivating my attention. So while the wife is doing homework after I've gotten back from a long ride or run the debate will no longer be nap or tv, with tv + nap winning out, but nap or ME2. And you can't game and nap.
time- 40 minutes
distance- at least 4 miles
Again, not running with my JogTracker yet. Its a guess. But it was a good, smooth run. Aided, I think, by my triathlon books. You see, dear reader, one of those books pointed something out to me about running which I've never thought of before. Running if a hamstring exercise. I know some of you are thinking, "What the hell? Really?" Others of you are thinking, "You didn't know that?" And perhaps a small few of you are thinking, "I wonder what's on Fox right now. I like pudding." But it's true! Running is a pulling exercise. The quads pull the leg straight, while the hammys pull it back. When running your leg goes, wait for it...BACK! OMG! Like, wow!
Thusly, I am spending mental time focusing on feeling that contraction. Concentrating on the very muscle group that is doing most of the, pardon the pun, leg work. And I think its helping. Just like thinking about the lats and tris in swimming and the quads on the bike, a mental focus on the muscles doing the work, I think, helps those muscles work better.
Abruptly switching topics, I am a gamer. Have been for little over a year and a half now. We own a PS3 and it is the awesome. I'm a huge God of War fan, have all three for the console and both the PSP games. But today I was pondering my gaming relationship to triathlon. You see, last summer I played Red Dead Redemption. Played it all the time. Game of the Year, easily. Loved it. After it ended was when I started getting interested in triathlon. Gaming during training dropped off, though it didn't go away. There have been games I've enjoyed, but nothing I've been super-uber-I-gotta-get-home excited about.
Until now.
Mass Effect 2 just came to PS3. I resisted as long as I could, nearly a whole week, but I gave in. It arrived yesterday. Rest day. Perfect. And it is pretty excellent. I think it could eat my life the same way RDR did. So now I have training every day, school, wife time, and ME2 to juggle. Its obvious the video game places last on the list of priorities, but for the first time since I started training a game is captivating my attention. So while the wife is doing homework after I've gotten back from a long ride or run the debate will no longer be nap or tv, with tv + nap winning out, but nap or ME2. And you can't game and nap.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
To Swim and Run is Divine
Swim Day
1 x 150 Warm-up
3 x 200 100-5,7,9/100-swim
4 x 100 Pull
1 x 500
1 x 100 cool down
total- 1750yds
The stroke is coming, slowly but surely its coming. It's not all that fast yet, but it will be.
I like the 5, 7, 9 drill, have I mentioned that? It forces a mental toughness for fight through, "5, 6, 7, wall, flip turn, glide, 8, BREATHE." It helps create stroke efficiency once the panic, "oh no, I can't breathe," is passed (which comes the first time or two through the set but goes away) because the body learns to use oxygen more wisely and you find the smoother stroke that allows that, given the time.
Course, then I did the pull set and found all those holes and hitches in my stroke that need to be patched. Time is our friend.
Run Day
time-25 minutes
distance- ? 3mi?
I'll start keeping distance week after next. Next week according to my training calendar is a rest week, so no need to keep distance then. I ran slightly faster today, feeling out my form with a quicker stride. Feels fine. Foot is sore, but no more than normal. I think I might be living with that now for the rest of my life. Or until I mention it to a doctor, they force an x-ray and say, "Uh, you do realize you gave yourself a hairline fracture years ago and it healed funny, right?" And I say, "mumblemumble triathlon training mumble no time mumble ice."Seriously, I'm sure its fine.
Legs are sore for the first time. Yesterday's ride included a real climb and two inclines that, while not steep, are enough of an angle to notice. Sore is good. Sore means I'm getting stronger. Yay for tomorrow being a rest day.
1 x 150 Warm-up
3 x 200 100-5,7,9/100-swim
4 x 100 Pull
1 x 500
1 x 100 cool down
total- 1750yds
The stroke is coming, slowly but surely its coming. It's not all that fast yet, but it will be.
I like the 5, 7, 9 drill, have I mentioned that? It forces a mental toughness for fight through, "5, 6, 7, wall, flip turn, glide, 8, BREATHE." It helps create stroke efficiency once the panic, "oh no, I can't breathe," is passed (which comes the first time or two through the set but goes away) because the body learns to use oxygen more wisely and you find the smoother stroke that allows that, given the time.
Course, then I did the pull set and found all those holes and hitches in my stroke that need to be patched. Time is our friend.
Run Day
time-25 minutes
distance- ? 3mi?
I'll start keeping distance week after next. Next week according to my training calendar is a rest week, so no need to keep distance then. I ran slightly faster today, feeling out my form with a quicker stride. Feels fine. Foot is sore, but no more than normal. I think I might be living with that now for the rest of my life. Or until I mention it to a doctor, they force an x-ray and say, "Uh, you do realize you gave yourself a hairline fracture years ago and it healed funny, right?" And I say, "mumblemumble triathlon training mumble no time mumble ice."Seriously, I'm sure its fine.
Legs are sore for the first time. Yesterday's ride included a real climb and two inclines that, while not steep, are enough of an angle to notice. Sore is good. Sore means I'm getting stronger. Yay for tomorrow being a rest day.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
When the Sun Goes Down on Me
Ride Day
time- 1:15
dist.- 18.5mi
I hate having to ride after meetings. I think I said something along those same lines yesterday. So reread that post then come back here. I'll wait.
...
Ok, rides are already getting longer. For some of you cyclists out there (are any of you out there?) 18.5mi isn't "long". Well it's as long as I was riding regularly during the last cycle so right now it's long-ish. I'm getting used to it. Adjusting. This is good.
Today wasn't fast, I don't think I'll be finding my fast for a few weeks yet, but it still felt good in the legs. I'm noticing the swim/ride, swim/run, ride start to the week after a ride and run weekend. Not too bad yet, that'll come, but I can feel it. I'm not sore or walking funny, but I bet I could play with my diet and decrease snackage to give the energy levels a more consistent boost. Meetings, like I said, don't help. Having heartburn or something today while climbing didn't help either. But I fought my way up that hill and got it done. In the second lightest gear, no less. Chain is still clicking and jumping so its back to the LBS Saturday after my run to have them look at it again. Everyone repeat after me: "This will be an easy, quick, and cheap fix." If you said it loud enough (especially if you're at work or in a public place) the bike gods will have heard you and will come to my aid.
Early morning swim tomorrow. Bring it.
time- 1:15
dist.- 18.5mi
I hate having to ride after meetings. I think I said something along those same lines yesterday. So reread that post then come back here. I'll wait.
...
Ok, rides are already getting longer. For some of you cyclists out there (are any of you out there?) 18.5mi isn't "long". Well it's as long as I was riding regularly during the last cycle so right now it's long-ish. I'm getting used to it. Adjusting. This is good.
Today wasn't fast, I don't think I'll be finding my fast for a few weeks yet, but it still felt good in the legs. I'm noticing the swim/ride, swim/run, ride start to the week after a ride and run weekend. Not too bad yet, that'll come, but I can feel it. I'm not sore or walking funny, but I bet I could play with my diet and decrease snackage to give the energy levels a more consistent boost. Meetings, like I said, don't help. Having heartburn or something today while climbing didn't help either. But I fought my way up that hill and got it done. In the second lightest gear, no less. Chain is still clicking and jumping so its back to the LBS Saturday after my run to have them look at it again. Everyone repeat after me: "This will be an easy, quick, and cheap fix." If you said it loud enough (especially if you're at work or in a public place) the bike gods will have heard you and will come to my aid.
Early morning swim tomorrow. Bring it.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Swim in the AM, Run from the Meeting
Swim Day
1 x 150 Warm-up
4 x 150 50-5,7,9/50-catch-up/50-fingertip drag
2 x 200 100-count strokes/100-swim
1 x 100 Cool down
total- 1250yd
Again, nothing strenuous, just getting my stroke back and experimenting with some of the drills I'll be using over the coming months. I'm especially going to be looking at my stroke count and trying to get that down. I'm thinking 12-15 strokes per lap give me 48-60 strokes per 100m and that should be nice and strong and long.
Run
time- 20 min
dist- ?2mi
Again, I'm cruising these early runs, looking for stride and form. Feels good right now, no pain, no issues. Some soreness afterwards, but that's to be expected of course. It's hard to run so slow, I spend time thinking about how this isn't helping and I'm reverting back to my ten-minute miles that I started with. But I know that's not true because it feels slow and because I can feel the energy to go faster in my legs and my lungs. Right now form is more important, that's all. It'll be good for me later.
I hate sitting in meetings (where there is food) before I have to go run. And tomorrow it's going to happen again before my ride. Bleh to meetings. Bleh I say!
1 x 150 Warm-up
4 x 150 50-5,7,9/50-catch-up/50-fingertip drag
2 x 200 100-count strokes/100-swim
1 x 100 Cool down
total- 1250yd
Again, nothing strenuous, just getting my stroke back and experimenting with some of the drills I'll be using over the coming months. I'm especially going to be looking at my stroke count and trying to get that down. I'm thinking 12-15 strokes per lap give me 48-60 strokes per 100m and that should be nice and strong and long.
Run
time- 20 min
dist- ?2mi
Again, I'm cruising these early runs, looking for stride and form. Feels good right now, no pain, no issues. Some soreness afterwards, but that's to be expected of course. It's hard to run so slow, I spend time thinking about how this isn't helping and I'm reverting back to my ten-minute miles that I started with. But I know that's not true because it feels slow and because I can feel the energy to go faster in my legs and my lungs. Right now form is more important, that's all. It'll be good for me later.
I hate sitting in meetings (where there is food) before I have to go run. And tomorrow it's going to happen again before my ride. Bleh to meetings. Bleh I say!
Starting the Two-a-Days
Swim Day
1 x 150 warm-up
5 x 100 (50- 5, 7, 9/50-swim)
2 x 200
total yardage- 1050yds
It was dark and my stroke felt like a million pieces. That's how it always is first swim back. Well, the million pieces part at least. I haven't been out of the water too long but it still takes some time to make the freestyle smooth and easy again.
One of the mental toughness aspects of the next 17 weeks will be the swims. You see, my plan has no pure swim days. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday involve a swim and either a bike (M) or run (Tu/Th). The plan also says to alternate am workouts between swimming and the other discipline, but I'm not sure how often that's going to happen. I'd rather swim in the morning. It's easier and safer than running around my neighborhood in the dark early morn. So three days a week I'll be getting up early and hitting the pool before school. This will teach my body to get up and go tired, which comes in handy at Oh Dark Hundred on race day.
Ride Day
time- 1hr and a few minutes
distance- 17mi
Great ride today. My normal lap for this distance will be up to the base, up Kolekole (Big Climb #1 for me from the first training cycle), then a loop back to the house. Not too challenging, but not super easy. I'm looking forward to getting it under an hour, which I think is do-able. My climb felt good and quick. I'm having gear change issues with my rear ring, which I had adjusted last weekend but is still acting up. When I stopped at the LBS on Saturday I told them about it but then the bike wouldn't do it! Don't you hate it when that happens? "No, really, the chain tries to click off the big ring on to the next one! I swear!"So this weekend I'll take it in again and ask them to look at it. Wednesday I'll just avoid that gear.
I'm already feeling stronger on the bike. I'm looking for an 18mph average come race day, and I think I can put in the work to get there.
1 x 150 warm-up
5 x 100 (50- 5, 7, 9/50-swim)
2 x 200
total yardage- 1050yds
It was dark and my stroke felt like a million pieces. That's how it always is first swim back. Well, the million pieces part at least. I haven't been out of the water too long but it still takes some time to make the freestyle smooth and easy again.
One of the mental toughness aspects of the next 17 weeks will be the swims. You see, my plan has no pure swim days. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday involve a swim and either a bike (M) or run (Tu/Th). The plan also says to alternate am workouts between swimming and the other discipline, but I'm not sure how often that's going to happen. I'd rather swim in the morning. It's easier and safer than running around my neighborhood in the dark early morn. So three days a week I'll be getting up early and hitting the pool before school. This will teach my body to get up and go tired, which comes in handy at Oh Dark Hundred on race day.
Ride Day
time- 1hr and a few minutes
distance- 17mi
Great ride today. My normal lap for this distance will be up to the base, up Kolekole (Big Climb #1 for me from the first training cycle), then a loop back to the house. Not too challenging, but not super easy. I'm looking forward to getting it under an hour, which I think is do-able. My climb felt good and quick. I'm having gear change issues with my rear ring, which I had adjusted last weekend but is still acting up. When I stopped at the LBS on Saturday I told them about it but then the bike wouldn't do it! Don't you hate it when that happens? "No, really, the chain tries to click off the big ring on to the next one! I swear!"So this weekend I'll take it in again and ask them to look at it. Wednesday I'll just avoid that gear.
I'm already feeling stronger on the bike. I'm looking for an 18mph average come race day, and I think I can put in the work to get there.
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