My blogging has been lousy again, but I have been doing the training and putting it on the spreadsheet...I often create a narrative in my head during my workouts, but the full story hasn't made it from my head to the keyboard very often...working on it.
This past week was crazy busy and ridiculously cold...I was filling in doing some dog walking for a friend who has a dog walk business and was on vacation, plus dog sitting myself, plus doing several other part time gigs and balancing the workout schedule. Thursday was a bit of a breakthrough workout as I ran 9 miles in the snow at 5:30 a.m. That was definitely one of those workouts that happened only because it was on the training plan, but I was really psyched once I did it...it was quiet and scenic and daylight by the time I got done. I felt pretty good, but was slightly sore on Friday from it. Anyway, due to the number of plates spinning, dogs walking, and temperatures plunging, I was pretty flattened by the end of the week and one trip to the gym for weights got scrapped this week.
Yesterday morning I was up at 5:00 to work at a charity walk in Everett...It was well below freezing and I ended up walking the 1.8 mile route twice while it was snowing. By the time I got done and organized for my brick around noon, I was not exactly brimming with enthusiasm for it. I thought about cycling outdoors (and talked to Seujan about joining forces), but it was just too dang cold and, after being out in it all morning, I just wanted to "on demand" some TV and get on the trainer to get it over with. The workout was supposed to be a 30 mile ride and a 25 minute run, but...I just couldn't pull it together to sit on the bike for 2 full hours. I usually go for "A" delivery of planned workouts...or even push for extra credit...but yesterday I decided that I'd settle for "B" level work and give myself a break. I'm 14 weeks out from the race so I figure there's a little wiggle room in the plan for "life" to affect training here and there. Anyway, I watched 2 episodes of my favorite show, "The Good Wife," on the bike and did the run in the cold...and called it good. Later, I was quite happy to sit myself down in a movie theater for "True Grit" and decompress the week over a beer with a new friend.
Today is scheduled to be a rest day, but I can't get to the Masters' workout tomorrow, so I'm going to swim today and take rest day tomorrow...and get back to the gym for weights.
Brick:
Bike: 1:32
Avg HR: 137
Transition: 1:28
Run: 2.92 miles, 25:45
Avg HR: 147
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Another sunny Wednesday!
Got in a double today...started out with the usual 3,000 yard wake up swim at Seattle U and got out on my bike in the sun this afternoon again (2 Wednesdays in a row, whoop!) and did the Mercer Island loop, same as last week. It was colder this time, but dry pavement and a bit of sun in February is still a thing of beauty.
23.5 mile ride
1:38:11
Avg HR = 122
Max HR = 152
23.5 mile ride
1:38:11
Avg HR = 122
Max HR = 152
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
It's best to digest
Got a little slack on the blog again, but have been doing the workouts, at least. Last week was a bit of a trainwreck on other fronts, but that generally fuels good workouts for me...so this part of things is good at the moment. I was even able to run off a potential hangover on Sunday, although I had to have 3 cups of coffee first.
Today was long run day...not the usual long run day, but that's the deal this week. Due to some morning stuff on the schedule, I'd planned a midday run and figured out a double breakfast strategy to prevent a bonk before the run. However, after I ate a pretty good amount at 10:00, my 10:30 client bailed (grrrr), so I decided to try to go out for the run about an hour earlier than planned, at about 11:00. The good news: having what felt like a spare tire around me forced me to run slow. It was, however, pretty uncomfortable for the first 4-5 miles. I'm (I think?) happy to report that no banana bread or yogurt was tossed in Ravenna Park, but I really was not sure whether I was hoping not to barf or hoping TO barf there for a while...I kept trying to create a new mantra but "I'm best as I digest," was about the best I could do---and that obviously sucked--- and before long I had the stupid "Do-re-mi" song from "Sound of Music" in my head ("Fa---a long long way to run" is probably how I landed there in random thought land). Clearly, I need to make up some new mantras...
For the most part, the run felt good and by halfway through, the stomach calmed down and the sun came out. Funny how during one longer run (and yes, I say this knowing that 9.5 miles is a short run for many people I know, but I still consider anything over 6 to be long), the entire day, body, and experience can feel completely different than it did at the start. Glad that this time it was better at the end than at the onset.
Anyway...glad I did it and good to know I can eat an hour before running, even though it's not optimal, and can handle it if I keep things slow. Better than running on too empty a tank and feeling bonky.
9.5 mile run
1:37:26
Avg HR: 134
Max HR: 159
Today was long run day...not the usual long run day, but that's the deal this week. Due to some morning stuff on the schedule, I'd planned a midday run and figured out a double breakfast strategy to prevent a bonk before the run. However, after I ate a pretty good amount at 10:00, my 10:30 client bailed (grrrr), so I decided to try to go out for the run about an hour earlier than planned, at about 11:00. The good news: having what felt like a spare tire around me forced me to run slow. It was, however, pretty uncomfortable for the first 4-5 miles. I'm (I think?) happy to report that no banana bread or yogurt was tossed in Ravenna Park, but I really was not sure whether I was hoping not to barf or hoping TO barf there for a while...I kept trying to create a new mantra but "I'm best as I digest," was about the best I could do---and that obviously sucked--- and before long I had the stupid "Do-re-mi" song from "Sound of Music" in my head ("Fa---a long long way to run" is probably how I landed there in random thought land). Clearly, I need to make up some new mantras...
For the most part, the run felt good and by halfway through, the stomach calmed down and the sun came out. Funny how during one longer run (and yes, I say this knowing that 9.5 miles is a short run for many people I know, but I still consider anything over 6 to be long), the entire day, body, and experience can feel completely different than it did at the start. Glad that this time it was better at the end than at the onset.
Anyway...glad I did it and good to know I can eat an hour before running, even though it's not optimal, and can handle it if I keep things slow. Better than running on too empty a tank and feeling bonky.
9.5 mile run
1:37:26
Avg HR: 134
Max HR: 159
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Sunrise, sunset
I was running along Lake Washington when the sun came up this morning...and I was biking along Lake Washington when the sun set tonight. The fact that there actually WAS both a sunrise and a sunset in Seattle on Groundhog Day is no small thing and was not lost on me. Puxwatawny Phil did not see his shadow this morning, (apparently signalling an early spring with a 39% historical success rate as per the local TV weatherman...whose personal percentage of accuracy was somehow not mentioned in his commentary a few minutes ago, but I digress), but I'm more than happy to report that I could see MY shadow most of today.
This morning I got to sleep in a little and took off for a run around 6:45 a.m., just as it was getting light out...the sky was clear and it was really pretty along the Lake. I added a little out-and-back to my usual 5 mile route when I got to Seward Park, mostly just to get a better view of Mt. Rainier, which was pretty magnificent (Mt. Rainier, magnificent, that's redundant, but couldn't help saying it anyway). I could, unfortunately, feel my knee a bit, especially afterwards, but it was a good run with that good .5 mile hill and really nice to be out first thing on a clear 34 degree morning.
Today was my bi-weekly gig doing corporate massage at Seattle Magazine, so I was fortunately working by big west facing windows and could see the Olympics and the sunny day while doing massage for a few hours. Pretty cool. I was done at 3:00p.m., with enough time to hurry home and get on my bike.
I'd pumped up my tires and set out my gear this morning in the hopes that I wouldn't weenie out due to the cold and ride...a combination of factors (including my new Ironman friends who sent me their training calendar/schedule this morning... and the sunshine) motivated me to get my ass outside. As soon as I pedalled the first few times, I almost heard the old cheesy song, "Reunited," and fell in love with my bike again. I use my old chunky bike indoors on the trainer and I'm pretty sure I haven't ridden my good bike outdoors since...um...October? It felt great! I felt like I was riding strong and fast....which was refuted,of course, by the final stats (14.6 mph average), but I had a nice 23.5 mile ride from home around Mercer Island and back. I was SO happy I went...got home just as it was getting dark. Just enough time now to blog, eat, and go for a massage...sweet.
5.5 mile run
51:44
Avg HR = 139
Max HR = 157
Avg pace: 9:19
23.5 mile bike
1:36:14
Avg HR= 121
Max HR =147
Pace: 14.6 mph
This morning I got to sleep in a little and took off for a run around 6:45 a.m., just as it was getting light out...the sky was clear and it was really pretty along the Lake. I added a little out-and-back to my usual 5 mile route when I got to Seward Park, mostly just to get a better view of Mt. Rainier, which was pretty magnificent (Mt. Rainier, magnificent, that's redundant, but couldn't help saying it anyway). I could, unfortunately, feel my knee a bit, especially afterwards, but it was a good run with that good .5 mile hill and really nice to be out first thing on a clear 34 degree morning.
Today was my bi-weekly gig doing corporate massage at Seattle Magazine, so I was fortunately working by big west facing windows and could see the Olympics and the sunny day while doing massage for a few hours. Pretty cool. I was done at 3:00p.m., with enough time to hurry home and get on my bike.
I'd pumped up my tires and set out my gear this morning in the hopes that I wouldn't weenie out due to the cold and ride...a combination of factors (including my new Ironman friends who sent me their training calendar/schedule this morning... and the sunshine) motivated me to get my ass outside. As soon as I pedalled the first few times, I almost heard the old cheesy song, "Reunited," and fell in love with my bike again. I use my old chunky bike indoors on the trainer and I'm pretty sure I haven't ridden my good bike outdoors since...um...October? It felt great! I felt like I was riding strong and fast....which was refuted,of course, by the final stats (14.6 mph average), but I had a nice 23.5 mile ride from home around Mercer Island and back. I was SO happy I went...got home just as it was getting dark. Just enough time now to blog, eat, and go for a massage...sweet.
5.5 mile run
51:44
Avg HR = 139
Max HR = 157
Avg pace: 9:19
23.5 mile bike
1:36:14
Avg HR= 121
Max HR =147
Pace: 14.6 mph
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)