A nice easy run around the Jackie O Reservoir. I like having the Reservoir track nearby because it is generally a low-traffic run (some exceptions, of course), it's flat and it's dirt. All of these make for a good easy run. Today I monitored my heart rate quite a bit. Whenever I saw that it was nearing Z3, I backed it off. I find that I really do speed up... I have to consciously think about running slower. It was interesting to have done the Spinervals 16 video the other day because he mentions maintaining focus while you ride, otherwise your cadence will suffer. I really had to think about my run today - lest my cadence suffer, or my speed increase. It was a nice additional mantra to add to my mix.
I thought a lot about my running partner too. He and I have run a couple of endurance runs together, but at the time I didn't possess the understanding of Zone running that I do now. I kept thinking, "Wow, now I understand why he was frustrated that I kept speeding up!"
I feel like I did a pretty good job of keeping myself in check today though. And it was a lovely day for a run. The flowers were in full bloom and the day was clear and sunny, but not too warm. A smile for my run.
I also took a Pilates class today. I like how strong it makes me feel. We did a lat exercise today and I saw my arms in the mirror...! Color me surprised to see the definition in my upper body. It made me happy. :)
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
New Trainer!
I set up my new indoor bike trainer, a sleek Fluid2 from CycleOps. I love it. It was a gift from a dear friend (thank you!).
The set up was a little rough. Though very simple in theory, the one bolt that holds the whole thing together was very tricky to get into the specific place it had to be. Ah well, all things considered, it's a very clever contraption.
Rode to Spinervals 16, another great new toy. Big fan of the host. The format of the video is well thought out and includes no extra fluff. It's just functional, and that makes it perfect for training.
The ride was harder than it probably should have been, I think I tightened the resistance wheel too much and it created a bit more resistance than necessary. I was doing a lot of sweating too. A good experience though. Especially after I stopped worrying that I was going to fly off the trainer and ride through my living room wall! Kept the heart rate in zone 2.
The set up was a little rough. Though very simple in theory, the one bolt that holds the whole thing together was very tricky to get into the specific place it had to be. Ah well, all things considered, it's a very clever contraption.
Rode to Spinervals 16, another great new toy. Big fan of the host. The format of the video is well thought out and includes no extra fluff. It's just functional, and that makes it perfect for training.
The ride was harder than it probably should have been, I think I tightened the resistance wheel too much and it created a bit more resistance than necessary. I was doing a lot of sweating too. A good experience though. Especially after I stopped worrying that I was going to fly off the trainer and ride through my living room wall! Kept the heart rate in zone 2.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
TT6... sort of.
Gah!
Ten minute warm up followed by a TT6. That was the plan. What actually happened, you ask? Well, instead of hitting "lap", I hit "STOP"!!
Eugh. I was so ticked. But, instead of stopping and losing momentum and getting all bent out of shape, I simply pushed start again and hit lap. So, in reality, I probably ran a TT8...
Not sure how much my pace was affected, since I really went hard, but not so hard as to be unable to finish. My final TT6 score (not including the two minutes I lost before starting the clock) was exactly 8 minute mile average. I am happy with this.
Walked for two minutes and then did two sets of five minutes, starting slow and gradually getting faster. I tried to start around 11:30 and end around 8:45. This worked out pretty well. It's hard to gradually get faster.
Ten minute warm up followed by a TT6. That was the plan. What actually happened, you ask? Well, instead of hitting "lap", I hit "STOP"!!
Eugh. I was so ticked. But, instead of stopping and losing momentum and getting all bent out of shape, I simply pushed start again and hit lap. So, in reality, I probably ran a TT8...
Not sure how much my pace was affected, since I really went hard, but not so hard as to be unable to finish. My final TT6 score (not including the two minutes I lost before starting the clock) was exactly 8 minute mile average. I am happy with this.
Walked for two minutes and then did two sets of five minutes, starting slow and gradually getting faster. I tried to start around 11:30 and end around 8:45. This worked out pretty well. It's hard to gradually get faster.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Two Thousand Meters!
Pool time.
Today was my longest swim so far. I took my time with my warm up and really wanted to keep it steady. Drills went well. I'm starting to really like them. Did finger drag, catch up, and one-arm plus a new one: underwater switch. Two hundred meters of pull buoy started the main set. I feel like I need to work on stabilizing my hips with this one. I tried to focus on my arm entry and form today though. One thing at a time.
Ten sets of EBEH. I received some great wisdom today, which I used as I swam. It kind of became my mantra. I thought about the easy sets as recovery sets. This helped because I realized that what I was doing in previous EBEH sets was "medium, harder, medium, hard". Today, thinking of the easy sets as recovery sets, I found "easy". Which is ironic, because I thought I was looking for "medium"!
What I came to realize was, I really like medium. I feel strong in the build section, I don't go blasting fast, but there is strength in the rhythm of that part of my set. I could really tell the difference between the three paces.
And, if it could possibly get any better, I really found treasure in the "hard" section. I found that I economized my breathing, I maintained good arm formation, I had a strong catch and my kick was purposeful and fast. I felt fast when I swam the last leg. What's more, I gave myself exactly 20seconds to recover each time and then used the following set's first "easy" leg to complete my recovery. I began to look forward to recovering while swimming. The pace and feel of swimming easy after swimming so hard revitalized me.
I really didn't know what to expect coming into today's workout. I knew it was my longest one yet. I knew it was a huge EBEH set. What I didn't expect was to find such valuable information while swimming today. Ten sets allows a lot of time to reflect on what you're doing. EXACTLY what you're doing. I learned a lot today, and I felt incredibly strong.
Cool down: two hundred each backstroke and breast stroke. I got right into the cool down after my final EBEH. Twenty seconds.
Total distance: 2000m
Total time in the pool: 55 mins
Today was my longest swim so far. I took my time with my warm up and really wanted to keep it steady. Drills went well. I'm starting to really like them. Did finger drag, catch up, and one-arm plus a new one: underwater switch. Two hundred meters of pull buoy started the main set. I feel like I need to work on stabilizing my hips with this one. I tried to focus on my arm entry and form today though. One thing at a time.
Ten sets of EBEH. I received some great wisdom today, which I used as I swam. It kind of became my mantra. I thought about the easy sets as recovery sets. This helped because I realized that what I was doing in previous EBEH sets was "medium, harder, medium, hard". Today, thinking of the easy sets as recovery sets, I found "easy". Which is ironic, because I thought I was looking for "medium"!
What I came to realize was, I really like medium. I feel strong in the build section, I don't go blasting fast, but there is strength in the rhythm of that part of my set. I could really tell the difference between the three paces.
And, if it could possibly get any better, I really found treasure in the "hard" section. I found that I economized my breathing, I maintained good arm formation, I had a strong catch and my kick was purposeful and fast. I felt fast when I swam the last leg. What's more, I gave myself exactly 20seconds to recover each time and then used the following set's first "easy" leg to complete my recovery. I began to look forward to recovering while swimming. The pace and feel of swimming easy after swimming so hard revitalized me.
I really didn't know what to expect coming into today's workout. I knew it was my longest one yet. I knew it was a huge EBEH set. What I didn't expect was to find such valuable information while swimming today. Ten sets allows a lot of time to reflect on what you're doing. EXACTLY what you're doing. I learned a lot today, and I felt incredibly strong.
Cool down: two hundred each backstroke and breast stroke. I got right into the cool down after my final EBEH. Twenty seconds.
Total distance: 2000m
Total time in the pool: 55 mins
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
A good day
Happy Easter.
It was warm today. I went to the park to ride, felt pretty strong. The lower loop was fairly packed, but the rest of the ride was reasonable. Tried to stay down in the drops as much as possible. Three loops plus a great cool down on a bench by Sheeps Meadow. Lovely.
Spent some time with friends enjoying the weather, then I went to the pool. I had 100m mixed warm up plus 200m drills. I worked on one-arm, catch-up, finger drag, and 3c drills. Main set was a 12 minute straight swim. I have to say, I freaked out a little, but I tried to just go smooth and steady. I didn't do a very good job of counting my laps. About halfway through, I stopped freaking out so much.
Cool down was 5x50m getting easier each time.
It was warm today. I went to the park to ride, felt pretty strong. The lower loop was fairly packed, but the rest of the ride was reasonable. Tried to stay down in the drops as much as possible. Three loops plus a great cool down on a bench by Sheeps Meadow. Lovely.
Spent some time with friends enjoying the weather, then I went to the pool. I had 100m mixed warm up plus 200m drills. I worked on one-arm, catch-up, finger drag, and 3c drills. Main set was a 12 minute straight swim. I have to say, I freaked out a little, but I tried to just go smooth and steady. I didn't do a very good job of counting my laps. About halfway through, I stopped freaking out so much.
Cool down was 5x50m getting easier each time.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Rainy day at the gym
Missed my Core Training class this morning - I really just couldn't talk myself out of the house into the rain - so I went to my first Mat Pilates class. The instructor was very no-BS. She didn't demonstrate anything, but relied on her ability to explain what she wanted. She's good though, there's no doubting that. I'm interested to see how sore I am tomorrow.
Run today was a mixed tempo run. Five min warmup followed by 4x 3t, 2r (that's 3 Tempo, 2 recovery). None of my gadgetry was working today, so I relied on my heart rate monitor and the good ole treadmill. Not sure how fast I was going exactly, but it felt about right and my heart rate breakdown was as follows:
WU: 122
1st set: 155/128
2nd set: 160/130
3rd set: 162/131
4th set: 165/138
CD from 138 to 131
I was a little worried about this one because I didn't want to go too fast during the tempo sections, for fear that I would not be able to sustain & recover properly. But fortunately, I had good guidelines for pacing. I thought about long strides during the tempo and deep breaths/hydrating during recovery. Successful run.
Run today was a mixed tempo run. Five min warmup followed by 4x 3t, 2r (that's 3 Tempo, 2 recovery). None of my gadgetry was working today, so I relied on my heart rate monitor and the good ole treadmill. Not sure how fast I was going exactly, but it felt about right and my heart rate breakdown was as follows:
WU: 122
1st set: 155/128
2nd set: 160/130
3rd set: 162/131
4th set: 165/138
CD from 138 to 131
I was a little worried about this one because I didn't want to go too fast during the tempo sections, for fear that I would not be able to sustain & recover properly. But fortunately, I had good guidelines for pacing. I thought about long strides during the tempo and deep breaths/hydrating during recovery. Successful run.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Z2/Z3 Ride
Brought my bike out to the park, it was windier than I thought. Did a 15 minute warm up in Z2, small ring 90-100 cadence, which took me all the way up the east side of the park. It was more difficult to maintain 90+ cadence than I thought it would be. I'm not used to riding my bike these days.
I rode up the Great Hill to start my Z3 main set. Tried to keep my heart rate between 150 and 170 for this section, coasted on some of the downhill stretches, which recovered my heart rate to around 140 a few times, but for the most part, my work was within range. I did 5 sets of 30sec one-leg drills at the Museum Mile and finished my main set just before I hit the lower loop again.
I started my cool down at the top of the lower loop and (mistakenly) did accelerations ever 5 minutes instead of every 3, but they were fun to do and it was interesting to watch my heart rate spike so quickly with such brief effort.
I feel like this was a good workout. It was hard, but I find that monitoring my heart rate zone is less irksome than monitoring my pace or my speed. I feel competitive and "not good enough" when I focus on speed, whereas looking internally, it doesn't matter how fast I'm going, just that the effort is appropriate for me and my body. I think it's a good thing to refocus on for now.
I rode up the Great Hill to start my Z3 main set. Tried to keep my heart rate between 150 and 170 for this section, coasted on some of the downhill stretches, which recovered my heart rate to around 140 a few times, but for the most part, my work was within range. I did 5 sets of 30sec one-leg drills at the Museum Mile and finished my main set just before I hit the lower loop again.
I started my cool down at the top of the lower loop and (mistakenly) did accelerations ever 5 minutes instead of every 3, but they were fun to do and it was interesting to watch my heart rate spike so quickly with such brief effort.
I feel like this was a good workout. It was hard, but I find that monitoring my heart rate zone is less irksome than monitoring my pace or my speed. I feel competitive and "not good enough" when I focus on speed, whereas looking internally, it doesn't matter how fast I'm going, just that the effort is appropriate for me and my body. I think it's a good thing to refocus on for now.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Slow and Steady
Recovery run. Tried to keep it slow and steady. I didn't prime by taking my inhaler today, which made for higher heart rates, I feel. Or at least, my heart rate didn't come back down once it had reached a high mark. I ran much slower because of this. I also realized as I began my run that I had a distractingly full bladder... unfortunately it was late and all the restrooms were closed.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Mind the lane markers
My elbow hurts. Some days I hug the lane markers too much (the lanes are shared, and some swimmers are "wider" than others) and I end up whacking my elbow on them. Doesn't take more than a couple times to really focus on high elbows.
Aerobic swim today. Warm up: 100m backstroke, 200m drills (one-arm, finger drag, catch-up & delayed breathing). Drills were good. I especially liked the catch-up drill today. I tried to think about my arm position the whole time, from the reach to the catch. I still feel like my focus is inconsistent during the main set, but I tried to dial it into my arm when I found myself drifting.
Main set was 7x100m with 15s rest in between. Every 25m was supposed to be easy, medium, easy, medium. I realized that I'm not very good at grey areas. I'm okay at going easy and I'm good at going hard, but medium was a bit too ambiguous for me and I found myself going too hard some times and barely changing the effort other times. I will consider this for next time.
Easy 200m cool down. Swam 75m breast stroke and 25m back stroke twice in a row, getting slower for the second set.
Total distance: 1200m
Total time in pool: 38mins
Aerobic swim today. Warm up: 100m backstroke, 200m drills (one-arm, finger drag, catch-up & delayed breathing). Drills were good. I especially liked the catch-up drill today. I tried to think about my arm position the whole time, from the reach to the catch. I still feel like my focus is inconsistent during the main set, but I tried to dial it into my arm when I found myself drifting.
Main set was 7x100m with 15s rest in between. Every 25m was supposed to be easy, medium, easy, medium. I realized that I'm not very good at grey areas. I'm okay at going easy and I'm good at going hard, but medium was a bit too ambiguous for me and I found myself going too hard some times and barely changing the effort other times. I will consider this for next time.
Easy 200m cool down. Swam 75m breast stroke and 25m back stroke twice in a row, getting slower for the second set.
Total distance: 1200m
Total time in pool: 38mins
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Blustery Day
The weather leaves much to be desired these days. The warm-ish days are full of rain or are terribly overcast, the sunny days are chilly and windy. Today was the latter. Still, I hauled my bike down the stairs and out into the park. I thought about going to the west side, but thought better of it when I realized how windy it was in places. The park was busy, nevertheless. Pedestrians are harder to discourage with wind. Rode gently today, trying to get in touch with my "aerobic side". I forgot to bring my lovely Garmin fancy-watch. Realized my faux pas as I rode into the park, but went with my cateye info for the ride and tried to think about riding easy. Did a full loop (minus the hill at the top) plus another "middle loop", cutting out the treacherous lower loop.
Total distance: 10.1 miles
Total time: 48 minutes
Avg mph: 12.6 mph
Max mph: 25.4 mph
Went for a swim after a meal and a short nap. The 10minute straight swim was much less panicky this time... not sure if that's a function of the aerobic (slower) pace or the fact that I have already done a 10min straight swim. Probably both.
I know I need to choose one or two things to focus on when I swim though, my workout was fairly distracted with the minutiae of a million little thoughts regarding arm position, catch, head position, straight hips, rocking torso, good reach, slow pace, breathe deep, blah blah blah. Focus would be beneficial at this juncture.
300wu, mixed w drills
10min straight
3x200m
200 cool down
Ended up losing count during my ten minutes, but upon reflection I believe I did 550 in 10mins 26seconds.
Made myself beef stew for the week's lunches. It was yummy and satisfying after a gently active day. Feeling a little fatigued still, but I think that's more a function of emotional stress related to my career than my workouts. I'm generally motivated to go out and do my training when it's time, but generally motivated to take a nap if I have work to do.
Total distance: 10.1 miles
Total time: 48 minutes
Avg mph: 12.6 mph
Max mph: 25.4 mph
Went for a swim after a meal and a short nap. The 10minute straight swim was much less panicky this time... not sure if that's a function of the aerobic (slower) pace or the fact that I have already done a 10min straight swim. Probably both.
I know I need to choose one or two things to focus on when I swim though, my workout was fairly distracted with the minutiae of a million little thoughts regarding arm position, catch, head position, straight hips, rocking torso, good reach, slow pace, breathe deep, blah blah blah. Focus would be beneficial at this juncture.
300wu, mixed w drills
10min straight
3x200m
200 cool down
Ended up losing count during my ten minutes, but upon reflection I believe I did 550 in 10mins 26seconds.
Made myself beef stew for the week's lunches. It was yummy and satisfying after a gently active day. Feeling a little fatigued still, but I think that's more a function of emotional stress related to my career than my workouts. I'm generally motivated to go out and do my training when it's time, but generally motivated to take a nap if I have work to do.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Slow Run
I'm sad. :(
When I plugged my watch in to upload my last workout it didn't have it. This is really disappointing because I wanted my heart rate data from it.
What I do know is that I ran 4.14 miles in 48 minutes. My splits were between 11'40" and 11'20". I monitored my heart rate frequently and my bpm was between 138 and 146 throughout most of the workout. Times where my heart rate went above this: typically hills. I was surprised by how little effort was required to change my heart rate on a hill. Conversely, when I was going quickly down a hill, my heart rate didn't fluctuate much, if at all. Also somewhat surprising.
Plyo beforehand. Core class today. Weights on Thursday. This week my food intake included some unhealthy choices and a lot of calories from junk. Not a lot of junk, but junk high in calories.
When I plugged my watch in to upload my last workout it didn't have it. This is really disappointing because I wanted my heart rate data from it.
What I do know is that I ran 4.14 miles in 48 minutes. My splits were between 11'40" and 11'20". I monitored my heart rate frequently and my bpm was between 138 and 146 throughout most of the workout. Times where my heart rate went above this: typically hills. I was surprised by how little effort was required to change my heart rate on a hill. Conversely, when I was going quickly down a hill, my heart rate didn't fluctuate much, if at all. Also somewhat surprising.
Plyo beforehand. Core class today. Weights on Thursday. This week my food intake included some unhealthy choices and a lot of calories from junk. Not a lot of junk, but junk high in calories.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Biking Indoors
I really despise the saddles on the Spinning bikes at the gym.
Ninety-seven minutes, aero-base building workout. I brought my heart rate monitor and Forerunner with me to the gym, strapped it to the bike and monitored my heart rate. I was able to really work consistently and was surprised by the level of exertion that I was at (low) to keep my heart rate in the zone.
I realized later, that I was probably still too high for much of the workout, but it was a good exercise and a great learning experience.
Ninety-seven minutes, aero-base building workout. I brought my heart rate monitor and Forerunner with me to the gym, strapped it to the bike and monitored my heart rate. I was able to really work consistently and was surprised by the level of exertion that I was at (low) to keep my heart rate in the zone.
I realized later, that I was probably still too high for much of the workout, but it was a good exercise and a great learning experience.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
I feel like I'm in San Francisco
I was able to leave work a touch early today, which I was exceedingly grateful for, as I had a mega event to attend and needed to get my run in beforehand.
I was able to get home and back out the door relatively quickly, and since it wasn't (officially) raining, I opted for the park. I felt instantly transported to the Bay Area, as the fog was thick and the temperatures were incredibly accurate for a morning jog through San Francisco or the Santa Cruz mountains.
I had speed work to do today. A five minute warmup followed by 15 sets of 40/30. My data leaves a lot to be desired as far as consistency goes... I really wasn't monitoring very well today. Also, I believe this is the first time I've ever run intervals outdoors, a much different experience. My "fast" was too fast, and when I felt too tired, my "slow" became grapevine drills or running backward, which slowed up my pace quite a bit. I should focus more on maintaining consistent pace for each interval. I also should probably figure out my TT6(?).
Anyway, the event was utterly fantastic. Some of my biggest political idols were there, as was one of my favorite musical artists. Fantastic.
I was able to get home and back out the door relatively quickly, and since it wasn't (officially) raining, I opted for the park. I felt instantly transported to the Bay Area, as the fog was thick and the temperatures were incredibly accurate for a morning jog through San Francisco or the Santa Cruz mountains.
I had speed work to do today. A five minute warmup followed by 15 sets of 40/30. My data leaves a lot to be desired as far as consistency goes... I really wasn't monitoring very well today. Also, I believe this is the first time I've ever run intervals outdoors, a much different experience. My "fast" was too fast, and when I felt too tired, my "slow" became grapevine drills or running backward, which slowed up my pace quite a bit. I should focus more on maintaining consistent pace for each interval. I also should probably figure out my TT6(?).
Anyway, the event was utterly fantastic. Some of my biggest political idols were there, as was one of my favorite musical artists. Fantastic.
Swimming in the Rain
Yesterday was too busy to squeeze my swim in, and this workout required a bit more focus, so I wanted to be sure to give it the time it might need. Whew! Glad I did.
Started with 100m backstroke and 2x100m drills. I ended up doing 4x50m by accident, as I wasn't really thinking in correct terms for this section. Did finger drag, slow arm recovery, pause breathing and quick catch...? I don't know if that's the correct term. Thought a lot about keeping my front arm long and not engaging (pushing down) when I breathe. Then speed drills. Eugh.
Six times 50m on 1:10 to start. I was tired by the end of this set. My laps were coming in around :58 each time, slower toward the end, but not more than 1:03. I rested for 3 minutes to recover.
Second set was 6x50 on 1:07. My first lap came in at :56, and subsequent laps came in closer to :58, 1:00, 1:02. Fifth lap I came in at 1:05, but I didn't comprehend the turnaround time until a few seconds too late, so there was a lag.
Two sets of 50m kick drills followed by another 4x50 set of drills (which were supposed to be 2x100). Then the big scary: 2x50 on :55... wowzer. I swam the first 50 in :50. Thank god, because I needed every second of "rest" (AKA: gasp for air) in between. The second lap came in at :56. I stood at the end of the pool for a full minute recovering, plus another minute to come back to a functional heart rate. The last 6 strokes of the last lap were intense, I literally took a breath in and said "Argh!" into the water as I swam. Killer.
My cool down was delicious after that. One hundred meters back stroke plus 100m breast stroke. Ah... Total distance: 1500m Total time: 57mins
Started with 100m backstroke and 2x100m drills. I ended up doing 4x50m by accident, as I wasn't really thinking in correct terms for this section. Did finger drag, slow arm recovery, pause breathing and quick catch...? I don't know if that's the correct term. Thought a lot about keeping my front arm long and not engaging (pushing down) when I breathe. Then speed drills. Eugh.
Six times 50m on 1:10 to start. I was tired by the end of this set. My laps were coming in around :58 each time, slower toward the end, but not more than 1:03. I rested for 3 minutes to recover.
Second set was 6x50 on 1:07. My first lap came in at :56, and subsequent laps came in closer to :58, 1:00, 1:02. Fifth lap I came in at 1:05, but I didn't comprehend the turnaround time until a few seconds too late, so there was a lag.
Two sets of 50m kick drills followed by another 4x50 set of drills (which were supposed to be 2x100). Then the big scary: 2x50 on :55... wowzer. I swam the first 50 in :50. Thank god, because I needed every second of "rest" (AKA: gasp for air) in between. The second lap came in at :56. I stood at the end of the pool for a full minute recovering, plus another minute to come back to a functional heart rate. The last 6 strokes of the last lap were intense, I literally took a breath in and said "Argh!" into the water as I swam. Killer.
My cool down was delicious after that. One hundred meters back stroke plus 100m breast stroke. Ah... Total distance: 1500m Total time: 57mins
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Solo pool time
The pool at the Y was completely empty when I got there today. I swam 200m breast stroke for warmup and then 10mins freestyle without stopping. This translated to 450m. I find that swimming and running are similar for me, insofar as I feel panicky/unable to imagine continuing for the duration of the workout for the first several minutes of a workout. With running, I have identified this months ago, and so I know that if I just keep going I will run past that feeling. Today, with the straight swim, I realized that I was feeling the same way about swimming. I felt there was no way I would make it for ten minutes, I felt my breathing was laborious and not supplying my body with enough oxygen, I felt like it was taking me a long time to do a lap. Then, suddenly (around 250m) I was fine. Better than fine, even. I felt smooth, my oxygen intake was sufficient, my lungs weren't tight, I was no longer panicky, but instead was comfortably swimming and adjusting the little things about my body that I could track: arm movement, form, head position, etc.
After those 10 minutes, I swam 5x100 with the first 25m spent in a drill. I chose pull, slow arm recovery, 3c, finger drag and kickboard (which I realized I am doing incorrectly...) The first 25m really informed the next 75 in each set. I felt much more tuned in to what I was doing, plus the sets were over in no time, compared to the 10minute solid swim before. I rested for 30-45s between each set. Cooled down with 100m alternating breast/back stroke ever 25. Total time in the pool: 38mins. Total distance: 1250m.
After those 10 minutes, I swam 5x100 with the first 25m spent in a drill. I chose pull, slow arm recovery, 3c, finger drag and kickboard (which I realized I am doing incorrectly...) The first 25m really informed the next 75 in each set. I felt much more tuned in to what I was doing, plus the sets were over in no time, compared to the 10minute solid swim before. I rested for 30-45s between each set. Cooled down with 100m alternating breast/back stroke ever 25. Total time in the pool: 38mins. Total distance: 1250m.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Run in the Dirt
I used the equestrian trail and the reservoir track today, so the entire run was on a trail. Dirt is better for my knees than asphalt, I'm told.
I set up my nifty Garmin watch to track intervals today. This is such a great feature! I set it for warmup/cooldown and started out with 10mins at an "easy" pace... which I realized was much faster (9:30) than I probably should have been going. Then the watch counted out my splits for me, 30s strides with 5mins easy running to break them up. I will set the timer better next time, but this worked well today. I was able to glance at my pace and watch my speed a bit today, as I wasn't watching the time. I am very inconsistent. I would like to try to improve in this area.
Also, my strides were too fast. But I'm learning, and I'm performing better overall.
I set up my nifty Garmin watch to track intervals today. This is such a great feature! I set it for warmup/cooldown and started out with 10mins at an "easy" pace... which I realized was much faster (9:30) than I probably should have been going. Then the watch counted out my splits for me, 30s strides with 5mins easy running to break them up. I will set the timer better next time, but this worked well today. I was able to glance at my pace and watch my speed a bit today, as I wasn't watching the time. I am very inconsistent. I would like to try to improve in this area.
Also, my strides were too fast. But I'm learning, and I'm performing better overall.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Three loops plus drills
I have decided that I suck at keeping myself within a heart rate zone. Especially on the bike. I really want to find a new way of thinking about my rides, I always feel like I'm going too slow. It doesn't help when you get passed four times by a guy on a Bianchi wearing a rear-view mirror.
In all honesty, I'm not slow. I'm not fast, necessarily, but I'm not slow. I tried to keep myself in zone 2 (after I realized that I was working too hard initially) and did 15 minutes of drills at the fountain (AKA: 5mph) and still averaged 13mph overall.
I can tell I am starting to have power in my legs tho, I am able to conjure it up on hills and prolong my threshold of tolerance in tough spots. It's getting there. Keep lifting weights, keep working on intervals, keep doing drills...
Speaking of drills, I did 5 minutes of one-leg pedal drills and 15 minutes of drills at the fountain. Arms and abs felt it.
In all honesty, I'm not slow. I'm not fast, necessarily, but I'm not slow. I tried to keep myself in zone 2 (after I realized that I was working too hard initially) and did 15 minutes of drills at the fountain (AKA: 5mph) and still averaged 13mph overall.
I can tell I am starting to have power in my legs tho, I am able to conjure it up on hills and prolong my threshold of tolerance in tough spots. It's getting there. Keep lifting weights, keep working on intervals, keep doing drills...
Speaking of drills, I did 5 minutes of one-leg pedal drills and 15 minutes of drills at the fountain. Arms and abs felt it.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Good form
Today's run called for speed intervals. Ten minutes of 30/30, two mins of jogging and eight mins of 45/30 after a 10 minute warmup. I could see the reflection of my legs in the window, good form. Made me happy to see it.
It was raining today, so I did my run at the gym. Did four plyo exercises before I started: bunny hops, side to side jumps, lunge jumps and squat jumps. After the run I did two sets of weights and then had sushi.
It was raining today, so I did my run at the gym. Did four plyo exercises before I started: bunny hops, side to side jumps, lunge jumps and squat jumps. After the run I did two sets of weights and then had sushi.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Keep those elbows high!
Pretty hefty swim today. Definitely fatigued by the end.
300m wu
3x200m
3x100m
3x50m
Drills
200m fs cd
Total: 1850m 50mins
Rest between sets was 1minute for all but the 50m (30sec) and the drills (just transition time <30sec).
The placement of the drills in the workout was interesting and I paid special attention to it. By the time I got to it, I was tired. This made me have to work harder to achieve good form with the drills. I found that one-arm were the most challenging at this juncture.
After drills I did 200m of freestyle. This slow-pace focused time reinforced the drills I had just completed, forced attention to form due to fatigue and made me really commit to the distance. I found myself trying to talk myself out of finishing, shave off 100m or 50m. Then that little voice in my head - the one that gets me through all of my workouts - said "if you stopped 50m from shore, it wouldn't do you any good!" and "come on!", "finish strong!", "don't lose your form just because you see the finish line!"
Thankful for that voice. It keeps me on track.
300m wu
3x200m
3x100m
3x50m
Drills
200m fs cd
Total: 1850m 50mins
Rest between sets was 1minute for all but the 50m (30sec) and the drills (just transition time <30sec).
The placement of the drills in the workout was interesting and I paid special attention to it. By the time I got to it, I was tired. This made me have to work harder to achieve good form with the drills. I found that one-arm were the most challenging at this juncture.
After drills I did 200m of freestyle. This slow-pace focused time reinforced the drills I had just completed, forced attention to form due to fatigue and made me really commit to the distance. I found myself trying to talk myself out of finishing, shave off 100m or 50m. Then that little voice in my head - the one that gets me through all of my workouts - said "if you stopped 50m from shore, it wouldn't do you any good!" and "come on!", "finish strong!", "don't lose your form just because you see the finish line!"
Thankful for that voice. It keeps me on track.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Long Sunday
Woke up at 6 today and cleaned my house. It felt great to organize and sort and wash and wipe. I always seem to find calm and my personal center when I clean, organize or rearrange.
After that, around 9 or 10, I went to the gym to get my swim/bike out of the way for the day. I swam 300m warmup, 200m ladder, 100m cool down. It took me 35 minutes today. I focused on my arm position and thought about the angle of entry and the catch. Most of all, I thought about high elbows and reaching over the barrel.
I changed and went upstairs to ride an interval set on the bike. All of the spinning bikes were taken, so I had to start on one of the crap stationary bikes. Fifteen minutes on one of those was plenty to make me appreciate the form and functionality of a road bike setup. Switched to the spinning bike when one became available and finished up my ride there. Lots of standing, lots of hills and one "running with resistance" set, which kills.
This evening, I had work in Westchester. On my feet most of the night, didn't get home until just before midnight. My day was packed. But I made a lot of progress and I got to drive a Prius around. I love driving.
After that, around 9 or 10, I went to the gym to get my swim/bike out of the way for the day. I swam 300m warmup, 200m ladder, 100m cool down. It took me 35 minutes today. I focused on my arm position and thought about the angle of entry and the catch. Most of all, I thought about high elbows and reaching over the barrel.
I changed and went upstairs to ride an interval set on the bike. All of the spinning bikes were taken, so I had to start on one of the crap stationary bikes. Fifteen minutes on one of those was plenty to make me appreciate the form and functionality of a road bike setup. Switched to the spinning bike when one became available and finished up my ride there. Lots of standing, lots of hills and one "running with resistance" set, which kills.
This evening, I had work in Westchester. On my feet most of the night, didn't get home until just before midnight. My day was packed. But I made a lot of progress and I got to drive a Prius around. I love driving.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Week 1 complete!
Woke up to sunshine outside my window. Went to my core training class - which I LOVE. Finished the last half of the weights I started on Thursday (before they kicked me out of the gym... it was late).
Did an aerobic base run with strides every 5mins after a 10min w/u. I don't think I ate enough before heading out because I started to bonk around minute 25/30. Didn't have any refreshers with me to help out. Lesson learned. Want to get a small bottle to run with so that I have fluids too.
Run could have been better, but I gave it all I had. Heart rate was up there at the end. Maxed out at 185. Did a lot of the run on trail/gravel. Good enough!
Did an aerobic base run with strides every 5mins after a 10min w/u. I don't think I ate enough before heading out because I started to bonk around minute 25/30. Didn't have any refreshers with me to help out. Lesson learned. Want to get a small bottle to run with so that I have fluids too.
Run could have been better, but I gave it all I had. Heart rate was up there at the end. Maxed out at 185. Did a lot of the run on trail/gravel. Good enough!
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