I got to try out my racing flats today. I am so grateful to have shoes that are actually for running. My previous cross trainers were, comparatively, like running on cardboard stacks. These shoes are grippy and feel much softer on my feet. I like them a lot. They are flexible and light.
My run today was an interval set utilizing my new TT6 score. I warmed up for 10 mins, focusing on a slower, steady warm up instead of an all-out run to start. After that, I ran 20 sets of 30/30. This interval would be at or around 7:10. My first interval was closer to 8:20, so I knew I had to go faster. I find it difficult to monitor my pace in such short intervals, so I rely on my cues from my body to tell me whether I'm going fast enough. This has proven to be slightly problematic in the past, and may have been similarly problematic today, as I seem to have exceeded my pace goal fairly significantly much of the time... whoops.
To see my data splits, you can check my Garmin site. Cool down was longer than anticipated, but that's mostly because I finished the set on the upper east side of the Reservoir, instead of near the lower west side. Much further from my house.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Swimming with a Guide
Today I had the opportunity to swim with Louis Tharp, author of The Overachiever's Diary. I drove up to his saltwater pool and swam about 1200y of drills. It was a very interesting learning experience.
We started with a range of motion test. Apparently, I am in the 90th percentile for flexibility. Who knew?
Drills consisted of arm entry, high elbow, patient hand (catch up, kind of), and stability/balance drills. Plus a focus on my kick throughout the last half of the workout. I learned a lot about the body in the water, which I will apply to my current training. He likened swimming to training on a balance ball. You don't have to tell your body to make certain adjustments to balance on the ball, you shouldn't have to consciously tell your body how to "balance" in the water. I like that idea, it gives me a different perspective on my body in the liquid.
At the end of the workout, Lou mentioned that I could be a "good" swimmer. He also mentioned that I should be able to swim :52 / 50yards quite easily and my race pace could be as low as :42 / 50 yards if I continue to improve. This sounds nice.
The meeting concluded with a compliment on the workout overall - something Lou confessed that he doesn't say often, which was nice of him to say - and an invitation to swim together again. I think I'll take him up on that.
Interesting experience. Good take-aways. Happy for the opportunity.
We started with a range of motion test. Apparently, I am in the 90th percentile for flexibility. Who knew?
Drills consisted of arm entry, high elbow, patient hand (catch up, kind of), and stability/balance drills. Plus a focus on my kick throughout the last half of the workout. I learned a lot about the body in the water, which I will apply to my current training. He likened swimming to training on a balance ball. You don't have to tell your body to make certain adjustments to balance on the ball, you shouldn't have to consciously tell your body how to "balance" in the water. I like that idea, it gives me a different perspective on my body in the liquid.
At the end of the workout, Lou mentioned that I could be a "good" swimmer. He also mentioned that I should be able to swim :52 / 50yards quite easily and my race pace could be as low as :42 / 50 yards if I continue to improve. This sounds nice.
The meeting concluded with a compliment on the workout overall - something Lou confessed that he doesn't say often, which was nice of him to say - and an invitation to swim together again. I think I'll take him up on that.
Interesting experience. Good take-aways. Happy for the opportunity.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday Stroll
Took the bike out to Riverside Park today. Rode around at a pokey pace, dodging children and puppies, enjoying the light breeze and the sunshine.
I lost some data due to a user malfunction - I need to remember to restart my watch if I stop it! Silly girl.
All in all it was a lovely day. Good for bike handling. I'm trying to get better at signalling my intentions.
I lost some data due to a user malfunction - I need to remember to restart my watch if I stop it! Silly girl.
All in all it was a lovely day. Good for bike handling. I'm trying to get better at signalling my intentions.
A Good Swim
I swam 1300y today. I found out that the pool I'm in is actually in yards, contrary to my initial understanding. The woman I asked originally had said meters, but it turns out she was wrong.
Three hundred yard warm up of drills. I really like the new fist drill that I've been asked to do. I like to watch the bubbles come off of my arms.
Four sets of three hundred yards at easy, medium, hard, medium. This was good. I felt like I tapped into "easy" and "hard" really well. Medium is where I like to swim now.
After a two-minute rest I dialed it in and did 2x50 on 10". This was supposed to be as hard as I could muster. I finished the first 50 in 47" and the second 50 in 52". I'm pretty pleased with that. I feel like I lose a lot of time at the turn because I do an open turn, but I don't do it very efficiently.
Two hundred to cool down. I tried to actually lower my heart rate today, as opposed to my usual quicker paced cool down. Bad. Need to slow down when it's time to go slow.
Three hundred yard warm up of drills. I really like the new fist drill that I've been asked to do. I like to watch the bubbles come off of my arms.
Four sets of three hundred yards at easy, medium, hard, medium. This was good. I felt like I tapped into "easy" and "hard" really well. Medium is where I like to swim now.
After a two-minute rest I dialed it in and did 2x50 on 10". This was supposed to be as hard as I could muster. I finished the first 50 in 47" and the second 50 in 52". I'm pretty pleased with that. I feel like I lose a lot of time at the turn because I do an open turn, but I don't do it very efficiently.
Two hundred to cool down. I tried to actually lower my heart rate today, as opposed to my usual quicker paced cool down. Bad. Need to slow down when it's time to go slow.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
TT6 - For real!
Today was a little rough, I had a self-inflicted headache and was fairly woozy all day due to some endurance drinking I did last night. Dumb. Oh well, I learned my lesson.
This evening, after a good meal and a good pep talk with myself, I put on my gear and headed to the water for a run. I ran 5 minutes to warm up, making sure to consciously run slower than I usually do and 4 minutes at about 9:30. Following that, I took one full minute to run very, very slowly and get ready for what was to come...
"Start out feeling like you want to die, finish feeling like you wish you had..."
This is the guidance I received when asking how to run a TT6. I have a tendency to start out running too fast, but when told to "pace myself" I end up running too slow, so this was the mindset I began my run with.
It worked. I definitely started running at a pace that felt like I might die, especially if I kept it up. I looked at my watch to see how much time was left at about 2:30 in. Sometimes I hate knowing how much is left to go. I saw that I was running around 7:10 though, and I just kept my cadence steady and my breathing steady and my form intact. I used my elbows and felt the ground moving under my feet as I launched myself forward. I checked my watch twice more during the run, the next time was at 4:30 and the last time was at 5:30. I gave the last 30" every last helping of my ability and was really proud when I finished. I knew I had stayed in the 7 minute range throughout.
I walked for two minutes and then ran about 10:30 for ten minutes. I hit the lap button at around 4 minutes due to a lapse in brain functionality... Oh well. I got what I went out to get!
TT6 - 7:10
Yes. I am that fast. :)
This evening, after a good meal and a good pep talk with myself, I put on my gear and headed to the water for a run. I ran 5 minutes to warm up, making sure to consciously run slower than I usually do and 4 minutes at about 9:30. Following that, I took one full minute to run very, very slowly and get ready for what was to come...
"Start out feeling like you want to die, finish feeling like you wish you had..."
This is the guidance I received when asking how to run a TT6. I have a tendency to start out running too fast, but when told to "pace myself" I end up running too slow, so this was the mindset I began my run with.
It worked. I definitely started running at a pace that felt like I might die, especially if I kept it up. I looked at my watch to see how much time was left at about 2:30 in. Sometimes I hate knowing how much is left to go. I saw that I was running around 7:10 though, and I just kept my cadence steady and my breathing steady and my form intact. I used my elbows and felt the ground moving under my feet as I launched myself forward. I checked my watch twice more during the run, the next time was at 4:30 and the last time was at 5:30. I gave the last 30" every last helping of my ability and was really proud when I finished. I knew I had stayed in the 7 minute range throughout.
I walked for two minutes and then ran about 10:30 for ten minutes. I hit the lap button at around 4 minutes due to a lapse in brain functionality... Oh well. I got what I went out to get!
TT6 - 7:10
Yes. I am that fast. :)
Friday, June 24, 2011
Spinervals 2.0 - Time Trial
This workout was supposed to happen yesterday, but quite frankly, I was zonked. I didn't even move until 8:45am, which is unusual for me. I took the day easy and focused on work and the ride never ended up happening.
This morning, however, I wanted to get it done. I woke up at 6am (much closer to normal) and set up my bike and my gear. Hopped on around 7am and tried to keep my efforts up. I kept slipping into a feeling that I wasn't going hard enough, that I should push harder and being met with a response from my body telling me that it was giving all that I had. My heart rate data shows that I was in the right zone (I believe... I'm so frustrated by my inability to retain HR Zone info accurately. I think I just need to write it down!) and my efforts definitely felt like I was steadily giving what I had to give.
From the Cat:
Distance: 13.02 miles
Avg Speed: 12.7 mph
Max Speed: 22.4 mph
Usually when I do a video in my house, my watch recognizes that I'm indoors. Today, it seems to have had enough satellite reception to ride me all over the block. Weird.
This morning, however, I wanted to get it done. I woke up at 6am (much closer to normal) and set up my bike and my gear. Hopped on around 7am and tried to keep my efforts up. I kept slipping into a feeling that I wasn't going hard enough, that I should push harder and being met with a response from my body telling me that it was giving all that I had. My heart rate data shows that I was in the right zone (I believe... I'm so frustrated by my inability to retain HR Zone info accurately. I think I just need to write it down!) and my efforts definitely felt like I was steadily giving what I had to give.
From the Cat:
Distance: 13.02 miles
Avg Speed: 12.7 mph
Max Speed: 22.4 mph
Usually when I do a video in my house, my watch recognizes that I'm indoors. Today, it seems to have had enough satellite reception to ride me all over the block. Weird.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
A Nice Breeze, a Humid Day
Today was not the best day for me physically. I woke up with a headache and serious back cramps, my entire lower body hurt throughout most of the morning and I was sitting in a cold office through the early afternoon. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to run with a friend and I switched my TT6 from today... which would have sucked even more than it's supposed to... to Saturday. I'm very happy about this. As I was heading out to the park, my body was trying to be supportive of the idea of running, but it was, quite frankly, uncomfortable.
After the warm up and into the first set, I started to feel normal again. That's good, because today's workout consisted of five sets of 5t, 2r. I gradually felt stronger and generally happier through the run. I felt like I ended on a good note and the run accomplished what it set out to. Plus the bonus of good company.
My heart rate had a nice steady effort throughout and though the recovery run sections were slower than I'm used to, which is probably for the best, I feel that my overall effort was up to snuff. Good work!
After the warm up and into the first set, I started to feel normal again. That's good, because today's workout consisted of five sets of 5t, 2r. I gradually felt stronger and generally happier through the run. I felt like I ended on a good note and the run accomplished what it set out to. Plus the bonus of good company.
My heart rate had a nice steady effort throughout and though the recovery run sections were slower than I'm used to, which is probably for the best, I feel that my overall effort was up to snuff. Good work!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Many in the Pool
I hopped in the pool to find that I had forgotten my swim clip, so I had to hop right back out to get it. *sigh*
The pool was quite busy this evening, three people in each lane once I got in. I always find it interesting to see the different personality types. In my lane were a triathlete and a girl who seemed quite enamored of that fact. In the lane next to mine were another triathlete, who seemed to know the first, an older guy I've never seen before and an older woman who I see in the pool on occasion. In the fast lane were an older man who obviously swims frequently, a young hot-shot who seemed solely interested in swimming as fast as humanly possible and another swimmer, seemingly between the two. I bring this up because I always feel awkward when the another athlete engages me in conversation. Yet, they seem to be completely at ease speaking to each other. The two triathletes told war stories and chatted with the girl in my lane every time they stopped (which was frequently). My main set this evening allowed for 20 seconds of rest time every 100m, so I was often in the shallow end listening to them talk, yet never feeling the desire to chime in. I feel horribly awkward around other athletes. I feel like an imposter.
Other than that, my swim was actually quite good. I successfully completed my main set as intended and felt very strong throughout. Fortunately, the athletes in my lane moved on and were replaced with a pair of odd gentlemen both swimming breast stroke in close proximity to each other. Easy to swim with them. No bother.
Drills went well both before and after my main set. I particularly liked the new fist drill that I did. Instead of sets of 50, I would do sets of 100 for that one.
The pool was quite busy this evening, three people in each lane once I got in. I always find it interesting to see the different personality types. In my lane were a triathlete and a girl who seemed quite enamored of that fact. In the lane next to mine were another triathlete, who seemed to know the first, an older guy I've never seen before and an older woman who I see in the pool on occasion. In the fast lane were an older man who obviously swims frequently, a young hot-shot who seemed solely interested in swimming as fast as humanly possible and another swimmer, seemingly between the two. I bring this up because I always feel awkward when the another athlete engages me in conversation. Yet, they seem to be completely at ease speaking to each other. The two triathletes told war stories and chatted with the girl in my lane every time they stopped (which was frequently). My main set this evening allowed for 20 seconds of rest time every 100m, so I was often in the shallow end listening to them talk, yet never feeling the desire to chime in. I feel horribly awkward around other athletes. I feel like an imposter.
Other than that, my swim was actually quite good. I successfully completed my main set as intended and felt very strong throughout. Fortunately, the athletes in my lane moved on and were replaced with a pair of odd gentlemen both swimming breast stroke in close proximity to each other. Easy to swim with them. No bother.
Drills went well both before and after my main set. I particularly liked the new fist drill that I did. Instead of sets of 50, I would do sets of 100 for that one.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Punched it in the Face!!
Oh, Sunday. You thought you had one on me with that Brick we had scheduled, didn't you? Who's laughing now?!
All I have to say is - four laps of the park with an average pace of 18mph.
The bike was fantastic. I felt strong, I tackled some hills with killer vigor, I maintained my speed as much as possible (lower loop is always tricky and requires slower speeds due to high pedestrian/pedicab/horse traffic) and I even had a cyclist compliment me on my zoominess.
I basically paced with two guys who were each riding the full loop. I'd lose them on occasion, and pass them on occasion, but we were never far from each other. One guy, after I zipped past him for the second time coming up to Lasker Hill (Harlem Hill?) kept up with me about two lengths back. I took the great hill by storm and never dropped below 12mph on that particular climb, then I stood up and powered over the first crest into the rollers and felt the wind on my face all the way down the west side of the park. When I got to the top of the lower loop, he rode up next to me and asked if I was training for a race (Triathlon, I said) and said, enthusiastically, that he was really having trouble keeping up with me. "You're really fast!"
This made me happy.
I finished out the last two laps very well and though I was starting to get pretty tired on the last lap, I kept my speed up and tried to make up for the lower uphill speed by powering through the flatlands.
I transitioned in 48 seconds.
The run was a bit more rocky than I would have liked, but it was also a fairly difficult set. I let myself warm up for 5 minutes, which I've decided equates to five minutes of manually overriding the body and forcing your legs to move the way you want. After that brief spell, I began ten sets of 2min at Z4 (roughly 8:30/8") and 1min at Z2 (roughly 10:30). The first mile wasn't bad. The second mile was pretty good. The third mile I became pretty tired. The fourth mile I couldn't force my body to run faster than 9". I did get some speed added to my chart with a long downhill section, during which I let gravity do most of the work and I just moved my feet.
I feel like I might have had more "go" left if I had eaten more sustainable food closer to my workout. I ate breakfast too early, and though I had nutrition immediately before my bike and then again before my run, and I juiced up with regular vitamin water during the bike, I felt a little bonky. I will do better next time.
Yay me!
All I have to say is - four laps of the park with an average pace of 18mph.
The bike was fantastic. I felt strong, I tackled some hills with killer vigor, I maintained my speed as much as possible (lower loop is always tricky and requires slower speeds due to high pedestrian/pedicab/horse traffic) and I even had a cyclist compliment me on my zoominess.
I basically paced with two guys who were each riding the full loop. I'd lose them on occasion, and pass them on occasion, but we were never far from each other. One guy, after I zipped past him for the second time coming up to Lasker Hill (Harlem Hill?) kept up with me about two lengths back. I took the great hill by storm and never dropped below 12mph on that particular climb, then I stood up and powered over the first crest into the rollers and felt the wind on my face all the way down the west side of the park. When I got to the top of the lower loop, he rode up next to me and asked if I was training for a race (Triathlon, I said) and said, enthusiastically, that he was really having trouble keeping up with me. "You're really fast!"
This made me happy.
I finished out the last two laps very well and though I was starting to get pretty tired on the last lap, I kept my speed up and tried to make up for the lower uphill speed by powering through the flatlands.
I transitioned in 48 seconds.
The run was a bit more rocky than I would have liked, but it was also a fairly difficult set. I let myself warm up for 5 minutes, which I've decided equates to five minutes of manually overriding the body and forcing your legs to move the way you want. After that brief spell, I began ten sets of 2min at Z4 (roughly 8:30/8") and 1min at Z2 (roughly 10:30). The first mile wasn't bad. The second mile was pretty good. The third mile I became pretty tired. The fourth mile I couldn't force my body to run faster than 9". I did get some speed added to my chart with a long downhill section, during which I let gravity do most of the work and I just moved my feet.
I feel like I might have had more "go" left if I had eaten more sustainable food closer to my workout. I ate breakfast too early, and though I had nutrition immediately before my bike and then again before my run, and I juiced up with regular vitamin water during the bike, I felt a little bonky. I will do better next time.
Yay me!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
2000 Meters of Watery Goodness
So I inhaled a full gulp of water today. That was bogus. I was literally face down, looking at the bottom of the pool when my lungs decided to breathe. What the heck!? I swam through it nonetheless, but it was still mildly disturbing.
Four hundred meter warm up consisted of mixed stroke and drills. Main set was 8x100 on 2' followed by a 200m easy set and 2x200 on 4'. My 100s came in between 2:00 and 2:08 and I ended up swimming all of them on 2:15. Because of this, I made sure to pull a little more out for the 200m sets and finished the first one at 4:00 and the second one at 4:08. Not bad. I know I could have gone harder for the 8x100m, but quite frankly I didn't really want to.
Four hundred meter warm up consisted of mixed stroke and drills. Main set was 8x100 on 2' followed by a 200m easy set and 2x200 on 4'. My 100s came in between 2:00 and 2:08 and I ended up swimming all of them on 2:15. Because of this, I made sure to pull a little more out for the 200m sets and finished the first one at 4:00 and the second one at 4:08. Not bad. I know I could have gone harder for the 8x100m, but quite frankly I didn't really want to.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
My ride today felt good, but I definitely went out harder than was necessary to start. Unfortunately, my data doesn't seem to pick up anything until the second lap... which sucks because the data is further screwed up by a few pauses at the beginning of the second lap, which I apparently didn't stop my watch for... bah.
The ride was good though. I had a couple of good accelerations and a good hill exercise. I'm getting faster at the Harlem Hill/Great Hill and can climb at a steady 11mph or better the whole way, if I focus. I am also faster on the rollers. I feel great about my 29mph max speed. I wish I had the data from the first loop. Oh well.
The ride was good though. I had a couple of good accelerations and a good hill exercise. I'm getting faster at the Harlem Hill/Great Hill and can climb at a steady 11mph or better the whole way, if I focus. I am also faster on the rollers. I feel great about my 29mph max speed. I wish I had the data from the first loop. Oh well.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Run. Enjoy it.
I went for a run this afternoon with the intention of just doing whatever I wanted. I ran as fast as I wanted and I didn't worry about the time or my heart rate or anything. I didn't look at my pacing.
Turns out I sped up as I went. Turns out my heart rate steadily increased along the way. Not sure what I think about that. But I tried to just enjoy myself and smile.
Tried on some new shoes at the Jack Rabbit after my run. I have a hard time shopping sometimes, especially in times of financial, well, nonexistence. But I want to try out new shoes to see if there's something out th
ere that's better than the old New Balance cross-trainers that I've been running in. The tricky thing is, I don't know what good shoes are supposed to feel like. I've never run before last year and the last 300 miles have been in these non-descript cross-trainers.
I tried on the Saucony Kinvara, which felt comfortable... but almost too comfortable. The shoe was so soft, I felt like I was running on gel. Which very well may be what I'm supposed to feel when I run, but I've been running on crappy, compressed foam for the last 300 miles. The toe box was also really wide... but I feel like that might help me to spread my toes instead of scrunching them up like I tend to
do when I get tired. I tried on the blue/green ones. They also come in several other color combos. The question is, if I'm buying the pair of shoes that will be the only shoes I have for the next 400 miles, what do I want them to look like?
I also tried on the Saucony Grid Type A4. These felt more similar to my current shoe. Snug, flat, no-nonsense. Probably because they're racing flats... snug, flat and no-nonsen
se is exactly what they should be. And though I've been injury-free thus far (knock on wood), I wonder if continuing to run on a stiff, flat shoe is best for me, or if it would be better to give my body a break and run on something a little softer. And again... if this is going to be the only shoe I use for the next 400 miles, I feel like I need to make a wise decision for my body and for the shoe that I'll be committing to.
Turns out I sped up as I went. Turns out my heart rate steadily increased along the way. Not sure what I think about that. But I tried to just enjoy myself and smile.
Tried on some new shoes at the Jack Rabbit after my run. I have a hard time shopping sometimes, especially in times of financial, well, nonexistence. But I want to try out new shoes to see if there's something out th
ere that's better than the old New Balance cross-trainers that I've been running in. The tricky thing is, I don't know what good shoes are supposed to feel like. I've never run before last year and the last 300 miles have been in these non-descript cross-trainers.I tried on the Saucony Kinvara, which felt comfortable... but almost too comfortable. The shoe was so soft, I felt like I was running on gel. Which very well may be what I'm supposed to feel when I run, but I've been running on crappy, compressed foam for the last 300 miles. The toe box was also really wide... but I feel like that might help me to spread my toes instead of scrunching them up like I tend to
do when I get tired. I tried on the blue/green ones. They also come in several other color combos. The question is, if I'm buying the pair of shoes that will be the only shoes I have for the next 400 miles, what do I want them to look like?I also tried on the Saucony Grid Type A4. These felt more similar to my current shoe. Snug, flat, no-nonsense. Probably because they're racing flats... snug, flat and no-nonsen
se is exactly what they should be. And though I've been injury-free thus far (knock on wood), I wonder if continuing to run on a stiff, flat shoe is best for me, or if it would be better to give my body a break and run on something a little softer. And again... if this is going to be the only shoe I use for the next 400 miles, I feel like I need to make a wise decision for my body and for the shoe that I'll be committing to.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Drills with Drills and some Drills
Five hundred meters of drills to start this short recovery swim. I chose the following (in 50m increments): finger drag, underwater switch, right side kick (25), left side kick (25), pull buoy, kickboard, right arm freestyle (25), left arm freestyle (25), catch up, thumb/thigh zipper drill, right side kick (25), left side kick (25), right arm freestyle (25), left arm freestyle (25). I rather enjoyed this workout. I particularly enjoyed the pull buoy set because I zoomed through the water.
Main set was 2x 500m on 45". I felt good about these, though I suspect I may have dropped a lap on the first set. Times were 10:55 and 11:45. Although, the seventh lap of the second set I had to flip to back stroke to fix my swim clip, not that that should have made as much of a difference as it seems to have... sigh.
Cool down with 50m breast stroke and 50m back stroke.
Main set was 2x 500m on 45". I felt good about these, though I suspect I may have dropped a lap on the first set. Times were 10:55 and 11:45. Although, the seventh lap of the second set I had to flip to back stroke to fix my swim clip, not that that should have made as much of a difference as it seems to have... sigh.
Cool down with 50m breast stroke and 50m back stroke.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Recovery Week part 3, day 1
Today marks the first day of my third recovery week! I would like to take a moment to reflect on what this means to me.
This means that I have completed 11 weeks of formal training. I have, with few exceptions, taken hours out of each week and dedicated them to one thing - me. These hours have resulted in stronger muscles, faster speeds, better recovery and a sense of well-being previously unattainable. During these hours I have remained focused on my body, my mind and my workout. I set out each day with a purpose, I am thoughtful about each workout and what it has meant for me to finish it. But the one thing that I have achieved, which is immeasurably more valuable than even the physical benefits, is that I have made a habit of putting myself first. I have effortfully and thoughtfully placed myself on my own calendar and have made a habit of being on my own team, cheering myself on, being important to me. I make good decisions about my daily life based on the fact that I have certain needs that deserve to be met.
I have not done this alone. Without the guidance of my best friend and (informal) coach whose dedication to me bolstered my confidence and whose dedication to himself provided a guide to follow, I would have been lost and would have given up on those days when I was overwhelmed by the task ahead of me. I continue to be inspired by the example he provides. I draw further inspiration from the workouts that he plans for me. Because of the support that I feel daily from him, I am able to fly further and try harder and achieve more than I could on my own.
AND I am half way to my goal - in twelve more weeks I will be suiting up in Washington, DC to run my first Olympic distance triathlon. But I feel that this process is infinitely more about the journey and all of the things that I have learned, all of the personal growth and all of my experiences along the way. I have already planned to be in the New York City Triathlon next year so that I continue to be motivated to be more.
But I digress, today I woke up much earlier than I would have liked and reluctantly gazed into my calendar app to discover what my morning swim would consist of. Fortunately, I was rewarded for my curiosity with an easy swim: 100m of drills followed by an 800m main set at race pace and a 100m mixed cool down. Ah... A sigh of relief.
I clocked the main set at 17:35. I feel this was reasonable, considering that I really didn't go "hard" at any point. This leaves my average lap at a comfortable 1:06. I know I can go faster, but I didn't feel that today was the appropriate day to do so.
Early this evening I rode my bike around the island for a while. I rode across the park and down the east side of Manhattan and then back up the west side. Brilliant me, I wore my heart rate monitor, but neglected to bring along my watch (duh), so I only have my data from the Cateye, no map or heart rate or speed data. The Cat says I rode just over 16.75 miles in just under an hour and fifteen minutes. Average pace was 13.6mph and max pace was 21.2. Leisurely enough. Want to look in to saddles over the coming weeks.
Here's to a great recovery week. I intend to sleep a lot.
This means that I have completed 11 weeks of formal training. I have, with few exceptions, taken hours out of each week and dedicated them to one thing - me. These hours have resulted in stronger muscles, faster speeds, better recovery and a sense of well-being previously unattainable. During these hours I have remained focused on my body, my mind and my workout. I set out each day with a purpose, I am thoughtful about each workout and what it has meant for me to finish it. But the one thing that I have achieved, which is immeasurably more valuable than even the physical benefits, is that I have made a habit of putting myself first. I have effortfully and thoughtfully placed myself on my own calendar and have made a habit of being on my own team, cheering myself on, being important to me. I make good decisions about my daily life based on the fact that I have certain needs that deserve to be met.
I have not done this alone. Without the guidance of my best friend and (informal) coach whose dedication to me bolstered my confidence and whose dedication to himself provided a guide to follow, I would have been lost and would have given up on those days when I was overwhelmed by the task ahead of me. I continue to be inspired by the example he provides. I draw further inspiration from the workouts that he plans for me. Because of the support that I feel daily from him, I am able to fly further and try harder and achieve more than I could on my own.
AND I am half way to my goal - in twelve more weeks I will be suiting up in Washington, DC to run my first Olympic distance triathlon. But I feel that this process is infinitely more about the journey and all of the things that I have learned, all of the personal growth and all of my experiences along the way. I have already planned to be in the New York City Triathlon next year so that I continue to be motivated to be more.
But I digress, today I woke up much earlier than I would have liked and reluctantly gazed into my calendar app to discover what my morning swim would consist of. Fortunately, I was rewarded for my curiosity with an easy swim: 100m of drills followed by an 800m main set at race pace and a 100m mixed cool down. Ah... A sigh of relief.
I clocked the main set at 17:35. I feel this was reasonable, considering that I really didn't go "hard" at any point. This leaves my average lap at a comfortable 1:06. I know I can go faster, but I didn't feel that today was the appropriate day to do so.
Early this evening I rode my bike around the island for a while. I rode across the park and down the east side of Manhattan and then back up the west side. Brilliant me, I wore my heart rate monitor, but neglected to bring along my watch (duh), so I only have my data from the Cateye, no map or heart rate or speed data. The Cat says I rode just over 16.75 miles in just under an hour and fifteen minutes. Average pace was 13.6mph and max pace was 21.2. Leisurely enough. Want to look in to saddles over the coming weeks.
Here's to a great recovery week. I intend to sleep a lot.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
A Late Run
I ran tonight much later than I hoped, but my day was packed with immovable obligations. The hour-long Z2 run that was scheduled today ended up being a half-hour Z2 run from my apartment to another immovable obligation.
It was oddly chilly and so I wore pants and my running jacket, but I also needed to transport my overnight things, so I ran with a backpack. This was weird. I only did it because I knew I would be running easy.
When I arrived at my destination 3.5 miles later, I felt like I wanted to keep running. I also felt like I had a lot to do before I slept and I anticipated getting very little quality sleep due to the conditions present... and I hadn't slept well the night before at the same location. So I called it what it was - a half-hour Z2 run.
It was oddly chilly and so I wore pants and my running jacket, but I also needed to transport my overnight things, so I ran with a backpack. This was weird. I only did it because I knew I would be running easy.
When I arrived at my destination 3.5 miles later, I felt like I wanted to keep running. I also felt like I had a lot to do before I slept and I anticipated getting very little quality sleep due to the conditions present... and I hadn't slept well the night before at the same location. So I called it what it was - a half-hour Z2 run.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Time in the Saddle
I didn't really go very far today, and today is an "off" day for me anyway, but I did put some time in the saddle and I wanted to comment on it.
I feel like I need to invest in a new saddle this season. The stock saddle that I have is fine, but it's not great and I have the sneaking feeling that it could be better.
I only rode about 7 miles all told, which really isn't far. I worked on bike handling and listened to my body as I rode in this easy and training-free zone. It was really nice to feel how my training has informed my muscle groups and though I wasn't consciously thinking about form or using certain muscles or pedaling a certain way, when I "tuned in" to my body I found that I was already there.
It was nice to use my bike as a mode of transportation. I don't get to very often. I liked it.
I feel like I need to invest in a new saddle this season. The stock saddle that I have is fine, but it's not great and I have the sneaking feeling that it could be better.
I only rode about 7 miles all told, which really isn't far. I worked on bike handling and listened to my body as I rode in this easy and training-free zone. It was really nice to feel how my training has informed my muscle groups and though I wasn't consciously thinking about form or using certain muscles or pedaling a certain way, when I "tuned in" to my body I found that I was already there.
It was nice to use my bike as a mode of transportation. I don't get to very often. I liked it.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
This one hurt
I really tried to go harder today.
Two hour Spinervals video. Version 9.0: Have Mercy.
I cried. Multiple times. Thirty minutes left on the clock and my body was feeling betrayed and I cried. But I finished the video. And I gave it all that I had... over and over and over again.
I believe I consumed nearly a gallon of fluid during this ride. I may have won the puddle contest today. I am going to bed.
Two hour Spinervals video. Version 9.0: Have Mercy.
I cried. Multiple times. Thirty minutes left on the clock and my body was feeling betrayed and I cried. But I finished the video. And I gave it all that I had... over and over and over again.
I believe I consumed nearly a gallon of fluid during this ride. I may have won the puddle contest today. I am going to bed.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Well, I know I ran...
Today was a wonky satellite day, apparently. My devices couldn't decide where I was or how fast I was going, which was a little frustrating considering that I was supposed to be attempting a tempo increase while maintaining heart rate... Oh well. At least I ran. The heat was getting me down and my mood has been less than satisfactory lately.
Speaking of mood, I was about 1/3 into my run when I remembered the advice, "Smile." Unfortunately, the last thing I felt like doing was smiling, but I tried to do it anyway. It was not an organic smile, but it seemed to produce results nonetheless. I had just finished running strides and my heart rate was still around 160, I had been floating around 158 during the first part of the run. Within a couple of seconds, my heart rate fell to 155 and then 153. Interesting.
I had set out with the intention of only running home (I helped a friend move an AC unit late last night, he lives just about 2 miles from me.) Once I got into the run, I felt compelled to finish the full 42 minutes required. It felt good to be running.
One last interesting point - I was maintaining my Z2 heart rate and was not really feeling the (intense!) heat of the night during the run... but as soon as I consciously started to cool down, my pacing became erratic and my heart rate stayed solidly above 160. I started to feel incredibly hot and uncomfortable and my muscles began to ache. It was not a pleasant experience.
Speaking of mood, I was about 1/3 into my run when I remembered the advice, "Smile." Unfortunately, the last thing I felt like doing was smiling, but I tried to do it anyway. It was not an organic smile, but it seemed to produce results nonetheless. I had just finished running strides and my heart rate was still around 160, I had been floating around 158 during the first part of the run. Within a couple of seconds, my heart rate fell to 155 and then 153. Interesting.
I had set out with the intention of only running home (I helped a friend move an AC unit late last night, he lives just about 2 miles from me.) Once I got into the run, I felt compelled to finish the full 42 minutes required. It felt good to be running.
One last interesting point - I was maintaining my Z2 heart rate and was not really feeling the (intense!) heat of the night during the run... but as soon as I consciously started to cool down, my pacing became erratic and my heart rate stayed solidly above 160. I started to feel incredibly hot and uncomfortable and my muscles began to ache. It was not a pleasant experience.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
A Great Swim
I really wasn't feeling "gung-ho" about this swim. Well, that's not entirely true. I was fine with the idea of the swim, but really didn't want to have to wake up at 5am to do it. I've been really tired lately and though my sleeping patterns are pretty stable, my cumulative fatigue seems to be getting the best of me at times.
I woke up at 5:23 without an alarm. I got up and proceeded to talk myself into and out of and back into getting to the gym, each step progressing more toward the pool (go to the bathroom, tell myself to get back in bed, put in my contacts, tell myself to get back in bed, brush my teeth, tell myself to get back in bed...) I feel like I made it to the gym the same way I make it through some of my harder workouts - I relied on my training. Ha!
Today was a big ladder set. I fed myself well (but not too much) beforehand and prepped food and recovery drinks for after. Stretched and set up my game plan and hopped into the fast lane, because no one was in it.
Each ladder began with a 50m drill. I chose to start with finger drag for two reasons: 1. I felt most comfortable/stable starting with finger drag as a "warm up", and 2. I knew this was my longest set and wanted to start with something strong that I could really focus on and reinforce as I went through each of the 9 laps. I feel that this was a massive success and I really gave myself a huge benefit by keeping my elbows high and thoughfully performing this set.
The progression after went as follows: one-arm freestyle with focus on hand entry (400), under water switch (350), right/left kick drill (300), finger drag (250), under water switch (200), fist drill (150), catch up (100), one-arm freestyle with focus on hand entry (50), cool down backstroke-100.
I found myself really focusing on each drill in order to find the "nugget" of information that would be utilized throughout the following set. This was incredibly informative and created some surprising results at times. For example, after swimming 50m of under water switch, I adjusted my catch so that it more closely resembled that of the drill and my pull benefited from the adjustment so much that I was going much faster... which made for an interesting first lap as I adjusted my breathing and tempo to accomodate the change. Also, I found myself automatically rolling the "lesson" from the last set (or last several sets) into the set I was working on, making for a more complete form alteration.
At the 250m ladder a guy got into the lane with me - the fast lane, as you may recall. This created some anxiety in me. I instantly thought that I should move to the next lane. I instantly began berating myself for being an "intruder" in the fast lane. I instantly became accutely aware of ALL of the other swimmers in the pool. And I pushed harder each 50m in order to stay ahead of the speedy swimmer who was gaining on me.
But I didn't leave the lane.
This was a huge psychological workout for me. Instead of exiting the lane (or the pool, as I thought to do once or twice as well), I pulled my focus off of him and back to me as often as I could whenever I strayed. I told myself that I was a good swimmer and was not in his way. I told myself that I only had a few sets left. Then I adjusted my workout to suit me, not him, and was able to get my final sets in, while also staying well ahead of him.
In the end, I completed the entire workout. I feel like I learned a lot throughout the hour and ten minutes that I was in the pool. The best part (aside from all the "greats" listed above) was looking at the clock and thinking, "Oh, I can keep going... I've only been in the pool for an hour." Only. Only an hour. What a dramatic change from a few weeks ago.
I woke up at 5:23 without an alarm. I got up and proceeded to talk myself into and out of and back into getting to the gym, each step progressing more toward the pool (go to the bathroom, tell myself to get back in bed, put in my contacts, tell myself to get back in bed, brush my teeth, tell myself to get back in bed...) I feel like I made it to the gym the same way I make it through some of my harder workouts - I relied on my training. Ha!
Today was a big ladder set. I fed myself well (but not too much) beforehand and prepped food and recovery drinks for after. Stretched and set up my game plan and hopped into the fast lane, because no one was in it.
Each ladder began with a 50m drill. I chose to start with finger drag for two reasons: 1. I felt most comfortable/stable starting with finger drag as a "warm up", and 2. I knew this was my longest set and wanted to start with something strong that I could really focus on and reinforce as I went through each of the 9 laps. I feel that this was a massive success and I really gave myself a huge benefit by keeping my elbows high and thoughfully performing this set.
The progression after went as follows: one-arm freestyle with focus on hand entry (400), under water switch (350), right/left kick drill (300), finger drag (250), under water switch (200), fist drill (150), catch up (100), one-arm freestyle with focus on hand entry (50), cool down backstroke-100.
I found myself really focusing on each drill in order to find the "nugget" of information that would be utilized throughout the following set. This was incredibly informative and created some surprising results at times. For example, after swimming 50m of under water switch, I adjusted my catch so that it more closely resembled that of the drill and my pull benefited from the adjustment so much that I was going much faster... which made for an interesting first lap as I adjusted my breathing and tempo to accomodate the change. Also, I found myself automatically rolling the "lesson" from the last set (or last several sets) into the set I was working on, making for a more complete form alteration.
At the 250m ladder a guy got into the lane with me - the fast lane, as you may recall. This created some anxiety in me. I instantly thought that I should move to the next lane. I instantly began berating myself for being an "intruder" in the fast lane. I instantly became accutely aware of ALL of the other swimmers in the pool. And I pushed harder each 50m in order to stay ahead of the speedy swimmer who was gaining on me.
But I didn't leave the lane.
This was a huge psychological workout for me. Instead of exiting the lane (or the pool, as I thought to do once or twice as well), I pulled my focus off of him and back to me as often as I could whenever I strayed. I told myself that I was a good swimmer and was not in his way. I told myself that I only had a few sets left. Then I adjusted my workout to suit me, not him, and was able to get my final sets in, while also staying well ahead of him.
In the end, I completed the entire workout. I feel like I learned a lot throughout the hour and ten minutes that I was in the pool. The best part (aside from all the "greats" listed above) was looking at the clock and thinking, "Oh, I can keep going... I've only been in the pool for an hour." Only. Only an hour. What a dramatic change from a few weeks ago.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Swimmy Swim
I was tired this morning, but I talked myself into the pool by telling myself that it was "only 20 minutes" of swimming, which is kind of true...
I started with 3x100m drills (catch up, finger drag, left arm, right arm) and followed with a main set of 10x100m with 15" rest between. These were supposed to be just under race pace (figure 2:00 per) and the goal was to keep them consistent. I feel like I accomplished this to the best of my ability. And it only took 23 minutes. :)
Cool down was an easy set of 5x50m mixed and drills. I did finger drag, catch up, one lap easy freestyle with sighting (I keep forgetting to sight during main set), breast stroke and back stroke.
Unfortunately, fatigue got the best of me by the afternoon and I bagged my 85 minute easy bike ride. I could totally fathom the 4 laps of the park. What I couldn't fathom was hefting my bike down and, more notably, back UP the stairs. I could barely get ME up the stairs this evening. And as much as I love Coach Troy, I really didn't want to spend an hour and a half stationary today. Oh well. One for the wind.
I started with 3x100m drills (catch up, finger drag, left arm, right arm) and followed with a main set of 10x100m with 15" rest between. These were supposed to be just under race pace (figure 2:00 per) and the goal was to keep them consistent. I feel like I accomplished this to the best of my ability. And it only took 23 minutes. :)
Cool down was an easy set of 5x50m mixed and drills. I did finger drag, catch up, one lap easy freestyle with sighting (I keep forgetting to sight during main set), breast stroke and back stroke.
Unfortunately, fatigue got the best of me by the afternoon and I bagged my 85 minute easy bike ride. I could totally fathom the 4 laps of the park. What I couldn't fathom was hefting my bike down and, more notably, back UP the stairs. I could barely get ME up the stairs this evening. And as much as I love Coach Troy, I really didn't want to spend an hour and a half stationary today. Oh well. One for the wind.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
10K in the Park
This was a good run. Four minutes to warm up and then four 15min intervals, 10t, 5r. Longest I've sustained tempo in an interval set. I am really beginning to see the economy in my stride and am grateful for the ability to focus my breathing and my energy in order to maximize my efficiency.
Beautiful day. And they FINALLY grated and patched the trail around the Reservoir. Wahoo!
The rest of my day was a complete delight, spent wandering through the park discovering new and exciting nooks and crannies. A truly wonderful day.
Beautiful day. And they FINALLY grated and patched the trail around the Reservoir. Wahoo!
The rest of my day was a complete delight, spent wandering through the park discovering new and exciting nooks and crannies. A truly wonderful day.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
So... tired...
Bike for 128 mins, but first, rack up fatigue from the last five days.
Spinervals 30 - Muscular Endurance. I really felt that this workout was going to do a lot of good, but I was already so tired that I was nearly falling asleep an hour into the workout. I made it 1:48 and had to quit. Actually, my brain was all for finishing the video, but my body intervened and wouldn't allow any more movement.
My heart rate data shows just how tired I was, as I tried to maintain Z3, but slowly gave up a few bpm each set. A learning experience, for sure.
Spinervals 30 - Muscular Endurance. I really felt that this workout was going to do a lot of good, but I was already so tired that I was nearly falling asleep an hour into the workout. I made it 1:48 and had to quit. Actually, my brain was all for finishing the video, but my body intervened and wouldn't allow any more movement.
My heart rate data shows just how tired I was, as I tried to maintain Z3, but slowly gave up a few bpm each set. A learning experience, for sure.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Run... and sweat.
It's really hot out. I waited until 9 to run tonight because it was unbearably warm out earlier. I probably should have run this morning.
Five minute warm up followed by 4x 5t, 2r. I tried to run steadily, maintaining the speed that I started each set with. I ended up running my tempo speed closer to 8', rather than 9'. My cool down pace was between 10' & 11'. I felt good about the run. I felt that it was difficult. I felt that my heart rate was good (aside from two stop lights, one in the first set and one in the last set). I'm not sure that I went ... slow enough. I don't know whether to slow down or keep the pace where I set it.
Five minute warm up followed by 4x 5t, 2r. I tried to run steadily, maintaining the speed that I started each set with. I ended up running my tempo speed closer to 8', rather than 9'. My cool down pace was between 10' & 11'. I felt good about the run. I felt that it was difficult. I felt that my heart rate was good (aside from two stop lights, one in the first set and one in the last set). I'm not sure that I went ... slow enough. I don't know whether to slow down or keep the pace where I set it.
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