Sunday, July 31, 2011
Central Park Sprint Triathlon 2011
Very proud of myself.
Here's the breakdown:
Race morning- slept poorly, kept waking up and was unable to get back to sleep. Finally dozed off at 5am and my alarm (set for 5:35am) didn't go off because it is an iPhone alarm and I had it set for every day EXCEPT Sunday. Thank god my friend was staying over and woke up at 6. Packed up and rode my bike up to the park. Race prep went well, I set my things out and bought a race belt, everything felt good to go.
Swim- I was in the first heat, which means I was with the fast people. Heat 1 consists of numbers 1-75. I was bib 70. My lane figured out who was "fastest" before we started and then we were off. The pool was 75 yards across with a wall on only one side, so it mimicked the conditions of an open water swim better than a 25/50y pool would have. I felt laggy and slow and couldn't figure out why. The girl that was swimming behind me kept touching my feet. I realized (after the race was over) that she drafted off of me for 5 out of 6 lengths and that was why I felt so slow, regardless of the effort. That last length, once I broke away from her, was nice and smooth. Swim finished sub 8:30, I believe. Not too bad.
T1- slow. First, a woman hopped out of the pool right in front me and took her sweet time getting out of the way. Second, I decided to wear socks, which stuck to my feet. Third, my bike was close to the wall, but that didn't really get in my way too much, since I didn't have many people around to grapple with.
Bike- I feel like I rocked the bike. My average pace for two laps was 19.5mph and I seemed to achieve 30+ miles per hour several times throughout. I stayed down in the drops for most of the ride and really felt sharp on the course. I suppose I had better, I was riding in my own back yard! The last time up the hill by the Boat House left a little to be desired, but I was starting to feel tired at that moment. It felt really great to zoom past people in my heat, and was really cool to start passing people fresh out of the swim in the second loop.
T2- I feel like this transition was good. I might have been a smidge faster if I hadn't paused to reconsider whether I had everything. Compared to the effort required to transition swim to bike, the transition bike to run felt too easy and I didn't want to forget something.
Run- Wow. Thank goodness for all of the brick training. I got off of the bike and began my haul up hill to the tune of around 9 minutes/mile feeling like lead and considering whether or not to feed myself the GU that I had neglected on the second loop of the bike. I decided "now or never" and ate it. The first long descent was actually the more painful of the beginning run experiences. Increasing my cadence was really difficult because my legs didn't want to move and I was making them use the hill to get the extra time. Ouch. As I ran the first half of the 5K all I wanted was water. My mouth felt sticky and thirsty and my body was begging me.
Turnaround- I went ahead and grabbed two cups of water, one I "drank" immediately, pouring much of it down my front as I ran. I trashed that cup and started to sip into the second cup, getting more liquid out of that one. I carried the cup with me back to the top of the Great Hill because I didn't want to litter in the park. As soon as I hydrated, my legs woke up. I turned on the engine and gave the last mile and a half everything I had. I really felt great when the runners (racers and otherwise) that were coming at me began cheering me on. "Great job, 70!" I zoomed down the Great Hill. Glancing briefly at my watch revealed sub-7 minute pacing. Faster! Faster! The finish felt great. I saw my coach ready to cheer me through the gate and it made me pick up the pace for the last teeny leg, I wanted to finish strong, finish pretty and show him how much the work we have done has paid off. I wanted him to be proud, though I knew he already was. I heard him yelling my name every step of the way. It was a tremendous boost.
Arms high, head up! Great photo finish, somewhere around 1hr 15mins.
What could possibly make such a great race day better? I finished second in my age group. That's what. BAM!
The only issue I had with the race was that the run start was poorly marshalled. I had to call out to get information about where I needed to be going, no one seemed to be paying attention to the runners. At least not in the first heat. When I came back down the hill, I had to call out again for guidance and the marshall (who was on his telephone, wtf?) didn't offer help, but the photog did. Other than that, a good race. I will do it again next year.
Here's the breakdown:
Race morning- slept poorly, kept waking up and was unable to get back to sleep. Finally dozed off at 5am and my alarm (set for 5:35am) didn't go off because it is an iPhone alarm and I had it set for every day EXCEPT Sunday. Thank god my friend was staying over and woke up at 6. Packed up and rode my bike up to the park. Race prep went well, I set my things out and bought a race belt, everything felt good to go.
Swim- I was in the first heat, which means I was with the fast people. Heat 1 consists of numbers 1-75. I was bib 70. My lane figured out who was "fastest" before we started and then we were off. The pool was 75 yards across with a wall on only one side, so it mimicked the conditions of an open water swim better than a 25/50y pool would have. I felt laggy and slow and couldn't figure out why. The girl that was swimming behind me kept touching my feet. I realized (after the race was over) that she drafted off of me for 5 out of 6 lengths and that was why I felt so slow, regardless of the effort. That last length, once I broke away from her, was nice and smooth. Swim finished sub 8:30, I believe. Not too bad.
T1- slow. First, a woman hopped out of the pool right in front me and took her sweet time getting out of the way. Second, I decided to wear socks, which stuck to my feet. Third, my bike was close to the wall, but that didn't really get in my way too much, since I didn't have many people around to grapple with.
Bike- I feel like I rocked the bike. My average pace for two laps was 19.5mph and I seemed to achieve 30+ miles per hour several times throughout. I stayed down in the drops for most of the ride and really felt sharp on the course. I suppose I had better, I was riding in my own back yard! The last time up the hill by the Boat House left a little to be desired, but I was starting to feel tired at that moment. It felt really great to zoom past people in my heat, and was really cool to start passing people fresh out of the swim in the second loop.
T2- I feel like this transition was good. I might have been a smidge faster if I hadn't paused to reconsider whether I had everything. Compared to the effort required to transition swim to bike, the transition bike to run felt too easy and I didn't want to forget something.
Run- Wow. Thank goodness for all of the brick training. I got off of the bike and began my haul up hill to the tune of around 9 minutes/mile feeling like lead and considering whether or not to feed myself the GU that I had neglected on the second loop of the bike. I decided "now or never" and ate it. The first long descent was actually the more painful of the beginning run experiences. Increasing my cadence was really difficult because my legs didn't want to move and I was making them use the hill to get the extra time. Ouch. As I ran the first half of the 5K all I wanted was water. My mouth felt sticky and thirsty and my body was begging me.
Turnaround- I went ahead and grabbed two cups of water, one I "drank" immediately, pouring much of it down my front as I ran. I trashed that cup and started to sip into the second cup, getting more liquid out of that one. I carried the cup with me back to the top of the Great Hill because I didn't want to litter in the park. As soon as I hydrated, my legs woke up. I turned on the engine and gave the last mile and a half everything I had. I really felt great when the runners (racers and otherwise) that were coming at me began cheering me on. "Great job, 70!" I zoomed down the Great Hill. Glancing briefly at my watch revealed sub-7 minute pacing. Faster! Faster! The finish felt great. I saw my coach ready to cheer me through the gate and it made me pick up the pace for the last teeny leg, I wanted to finish strong, finish pretty and show him how much the work we have done has paid off. I wanted him to be proud, though I knew he already was. I heard him yelling my name every step of the way. It was a tremendous boost.
Arms high, head up! Great photo finish, somewhere around 1hr 15mins.
What could possibly make such a great race day better? I finished second in my age group. That's what. BAM!
The only issue I had with the race was that the run start was poorly marshalled. I had to call out to get information about where I needed to be going, no one seemed to be paying attention to the runners. At least not in the first heat. When I came back down the hill, I had to call out again for guidance and the marshall (who was on his telephone, wtf?) didn't offer help, but the photog did. Other than that, a good race. I will do it again next year.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Race Prep
Tomorrow is the big day. I have two mini workouts today, a 20 minute bike and a 15 minute run.
Ride: 5mins easy, 10mins at race pace, 5mins easy
Run: 5mins easy, 5mins race pace, 5mins easy
I decided that, since I live up a five-story walk-up, I should just pop the bike on the trainer for the ride... which turned out to be harder than expected, since there is not respite on the trainer. You ride. Keeping my heart rate up wasn't hard, it was keeping my effort up that I found difficult.
I set up all of my gear so that I could do a relatively quick transition into the run and head right out the door once I finished my ride. I would have begun right away, but Garmin's satellites are never quite sure where I am. I ran up the equestrian trail to warm up and back down the road on the flat for the race pace section, then cooled down around my favorite park area, the Sheep Meadow. Decent data. I'm ready for tomorrow!
Ride: 5mins easy, 10mins at race pace, 5mins easy
Run: 5mins easy, 5mins race pace, 5mins easy
I decided that, since I live up a five-story walk-up, I should just pop the bike on the trainer for the ride... which turned out to be harder than expected, since there is not respite on the trainer. You ride. Keeping my heart rate up wasn't hard, it was keeping my effort up that I found difficult.
I set up all of my gear so that I could do a relatively quick transition into the run and head right out the door once I finished my ride. I would have begun right away, but Garmin's satellites are never quite sure where I am. I ran up the equestrian trail to warm up and back down the road on the flat for the race pace section, then cooled down around my favorite park area, the Sheep Meadow. Decent data. I'm ready for tomorrow!
Race Plan : Central Park Sprint Triathlon 2011
Night before:
In bed by 10:30pm, all of my race equipment packed and ready to go, fluids and nutrition packed.
Sunday morning:
Awake at 5:30am
Shower/dress - remember HR monitor
Eat pb&j and coffee with skim
Leave the house by 6:15
Ride bike to transition area, check in, pick up race packet
Prep transition area
Prep watch
15 mins before start - eat a gel
Stretch/warm up
Swim:
Glide! Focus on smooth, easy stroke. Go fast, but don't windmill
One minute or better per lap
Smooth transition
Bike:
Helmet, glasses, shoes, watch (gloves? socks?)
Good form, attack the hills, keep your cadence up, ride well - you know this course. It's home.
2nd loop - eat a gel if you need, hydrate
20 minutes or less per lap.
Run:
Shoes, hat
Start easy, feel your legs before going harder. It's three miles, try for negative splits: 9:15, 9:00, 8:45. Run pretty, breathe steadily, finish strong. Don't leave anything in the tank.
Post race:
Yay! You did it! Pat on the back and enjoy the feeling of finishing a triathlon. This is a preview of what will come in September. You did it. You can do it.
Pack up, meet friends, have brunch. Celebrate a job well done.
Race evening: recovery run
Goals: sub 1hr 30m race. Fast, smooth transitions. Good form throughout. Strong finish.
In bed by 10:30pm, all of my race equipment packed and ready to go, fluids and nutrition packed.
Sunday morning:
Awake at 5:30am
Shower/dress - remember HR monitor
Eat pb&j and coffee with skim
Leave the house by 6:15
Ride bike to transition area, check in, pick up race packet
Prep transition area
Prep watch
15 mins before start - eat a gel
Stretch/warm up
Swim:
Glide! Focus on smooth, easy stroke. Go fast, but don't windmill
One minute or better per lap
Smooth transition
Bike:
Helmet, glasses, shoes, watch (gloves? socks?)
Good form, attack the hills, keep your cadence up, ride well - you know this course. It's home.
2nd loop - eat a gel if you need, hydrate
20 minutes or less per lap.
Run:
Shoes, hat
Start easy, feel your legs before going harder. It's three miles, try for negative splits: 9:15, 9:00, 8:45. Run pretty, breathe steadily, finish strong. Don't leave anything in the tank.
Post race:
Yay! You did it! Pat on the back and enjoy the feeling of finishing a triathlon. This is a preview of what will come in September. You did it. You can do it.
Pack up, meet friends, have brunch. Celebrate a job well done.
Race evening: recovery run
Goals: sub 1hr 30m race. Fast, smooth transitions. Good form throughout. Strong finish.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Friday Time in the Saddle
Today's ride was all about going easy. I rode for about 15 minutes in Z2 and then did a 7 minute set at race pace (basically the entire west side of the park), then about 10 minutes off followed by another 7 minutes at race pace. One thing I really focused on for this ride, though it was generally easy, was the topography of the park's road so that I was consciously aware of the way I need to ride on Sunday to be the most efficient (and fast!) I can be.
One major note: the hill coming up from the flat stretch near the lake on the west side is longer and steeper than it appears - stand up!
One major note: the hill coming up from the flat stretch near the lake on the west side is longer and steeper than it appears - stand up!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Switcheroo
Long day. I started the morning at 6:30 at the office today and did a lot of running around throughout the day. This evening I still needed to do a bike ride, but I have been a little skittish about biking/running too late sometimes. I live in a very safe neighborhood, but I still don't like thumbing my nose at the possibility. Better safe than sorry?
Swam instead. Did 20 minutes of drills followed by 400y at race pace. The drills seemed to take a lot out of me and though I was swimming one length of drills followed by one length of freestyle, I still managed to get pretty tired.
Drills tonight: catch up (lots), 3T (lots), finger drag, one arm freestyle, one arm freestyle with arm at side, kick drill, underwater switch.
Race pace set: 400y
L1: 56.18
L2: 1'00.38
L3: 1'01.62
L4: 1'02.34 (swim clip slip)
L5: 1'01.54
L6: 1'00.58
L7: 59.68
L8: 56.95
Total: 7'59.27
Avg: 59.91
Swam instead. Did 20 minutes of drills followed by 400y at race pace. The drills seemed to take a lot out of me and though I was swimming one length of drills followed by one length of freestyle, I still managed to get pretty tired.
Drills tonight: catch up (lots), 3T (lots), finger drag, one arm freestyle, one arm freestyle with arm at side, kick drill, underwater switch.
Race pace set: 400y
L1: 56.18
L2: 1'00.38
L3: 1'01.62
L4: 1'02.34 (swim clip slip)
L5: 1'01.54
L6: 1'00.58
L7: 59.68
L8: 56.95
Total: 7'59.27
Avg: 59.91
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Keep it low
Today's run was a solid Z2 run. Actually, I suspect that it was a Z1 3/4, but that's better than Z3+ for a day like today.
I warmed up gradually and then kept my HR between 148 and 156 throughout the 25min main set. Strides every 5 minutes livened up the effort and put me up to 165bpm, but at least I was doing them correctly. Right before the first set of strides I had to stop at a traffic light, lest I become road pizza beneath the buses at the Waterway Pier. Hence, the odd drop in HR before a spike.
Cool down was also good, I actually "cooled". Afterward I walked to the Houston St subway station and went to the office to take care of some more work stuff. I have been working a lot these days. It reminds me of the person I was before all of the muck in my life. I like it.
Tonight is going to be a late one. I have a couple of proposals and estimates to get out for new work. Also, I have a screen test tomorrow and have to prepare a video demo for that tonight as well. I'm almost done, so it shouldn't be more than another hour or so.
I warmed up gradually and then kept my HR between 148 and 156 throughout the 25min main set. Strides every 5 minutes livened up the effort and put me up to 165bpm, but at least I was doing them correctly. Right before the first set of strides I had to stop at a traffic light, lest I become road pizza beneath the buses at the Waterway Pier. Hence, the odd drop in HR before a spike.
Cool down was also good, I actually "cooled". Afterward I walked to the Houston St subway station and went to the office to take care of some more work stuff. I have been working a lot these days. It reminds me of the person I was before all of the muck in my life. I like it.
Tonight is going to be a late one. I have a couple of proposals and estimates to get out for new work. Also, I have a screen test tomorrow and have to prepare a video demo for that tonight as well. I'm almost done, so it shouldn't be more than another hour or so.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Great Lessons
Today was a great day for me. I was finally able to get some pool time with my "coach". I believe this will prove to be an invaluable lesson in form and will provide me with a great deal of stability and (hopefully!) speed.
Today, I learned one mega lesson - slow down to speed up! This was taught to me through the other lessons I learned, namely that I am not a windmill. And even if I were a windmill, there is very little wind IN the water.
I began the swim (a good 200y fs set, just to assess my current form) with plenty of nerves sloshing through the water. I wanted to make a good impression, not tilt my hips, high elbows, good arm entry, good head position, good breathing... I neglected to think about the actual motion of my arms. I also, apparently, am not as good in the legs as I suspected.
We proceeded to work some drill sets and focused mainly on my glide, using "catch up" to illustrate the point. A few times I became overwhelmed with the amount of information I was trying to process and it really showed in my body. Hard to hide bad form in the pool.
Fortunately, my coach is very patient and took great care trying to get the message through my (unusually) thick skull. We worked on a 3T drill, which was very beneficial regardless of how exhausting it is. I will be doing a lot more of that in the coming weeks, I think.
A workset of 6x50y on 1:10 proved fairly fruitful and I was happy with the results, three laps at :56, two at :55 and one at :54, not too bad. I found myself windmilling a few times and tried to regain my focus as quickly as possible.
I felt that the whole experience was very much needed. I am grateful for the opportunity and wish I had had it earlier in the season, but I intend to capitalize on the insight as much as possible over the coming weeks.
For Sunday, I will just try to think long instead of short and smooth instead of choppy. Four heats of 75ppl at a time in Lasker Pool should be very interesting. I hope I am able to finish well and I hope that my transitions, nutrition and hydration are all managed well. Even though it's only a sprint, I should still put together my race plan soon.
Today, I learned one mega lesson - slow down to speed up! This was taught to me through the other lessons I learned, namely that I am not a windmill. And even if I were a windmill, there is very little wind IN the water.
I began the swim (a good 200y fs set, just to assess my current form) with plenty of nerves sloshing through the water. I wanted to make a good impression, not tilt my hips, high elbows, good arm entry, good head position, good breathing... I neglected to think about the actual motion of my arms. I also, apparently, am not as good in the legs as I suspected.
We proceeded to work some drill sets and focused mainly on my glide, using "catch up" to illustrate the point. A few times I became overwhelmed with the amount of information I was trying to process and it really showed in my body. Hard to hide bad form in the pool.
Fortunately, my coach is very patient and took great care trying to get the message through my (unusually) thick skull. We worked on a 3T drill, which was very beneficial regardless of how exhausting it is. I will be doing a lot more of that in the coming weeks, I think.
A workset of 6x50y on 1:10 proved fairly fruitful and I was happy with the results, three laps at :56, two at :55 and one at :54, not too bad. I found myself windmilling a few times and tried to regain my focus as quickly as possible.
I felt that the whole experience was very much needed. I am grateful for the opportunity and wish I had had it earlier in the season, but I intend to capitalize on the insight as much as possible over the coming weeks.
For Sunday, I will just try to think long instead of short and smooth instead of choppy. Four heats of 75ppl at a time in Lasker Pool should be very interesting. I hope I am able to finish well and I hope that my transitions, nutrition and hydration are all managed well. Even though it's only a sprint, I should still put together my race plan soon.
Monday, July 25, 2011
New SportCount!
SportCount!!
1-1.00.00
2-1.58.17
3-1.52.74
4-1.51.51
5-1.53.50
6-1.57.24
7-1.57.29
8-30.46
9-1.27.61
10-1.56.58
11-1.56.91
12-1.58.46
13-1.59.72
14-1.04.31
So, the data's a little wonky... Apparently, when you "pause" it doesn't also "lap" for you. So, when I swam each lap and hit the button, it would record the lap. But when I finished 100y and paused to recover, it just paused. Then, when I began swimming again, it picked up where it left off instead of starting a new lap.
Now I know. And, that bit of knowledge aside, I was operating the equipment correctly. Next time I will be sure to mark the lap.
WU: 300y drills (50 finger drag, 50 catch up, 50 each one-arm freestyle, 50 underwater switch, 50 thumb/thigh zipper)
MS: 12x100y at race pace. This averaged out to 56.33" per lap for me today. I feel alright about that. If I swim that pace on Sunday, I will finish the swim in 7.5 mins.
CD: 200y - I split this between breast stroke and back stroke.
Heart rate when I got out of the pool was 140bpm. I think that's too high.
1-1.00.00
2-1.58.17
3-1.52.74
4-1.51.51
5-1.53.50
6-1.57.24
7-1.57.29
8-30.46
9-1.27.61
10-1.56.58
11-1.56.91
12-1.58.46
13-1.59.72
14-1.04.31
So, the data's a little wonky... Apparently, when you "pause" it doesn't also "lap" for you. So, when I swam each lap and hit the button, it would record the lap. But when I finished 100y and paused to recover, it just paused. Then, when I began swimming again, it picked up where it left off instead of starting a new lap.
Now I know. And, that bit of knowledge aside, I was operating the equipment correctly. Next time I will be sure to mark the lap.
WU: 300y drills (50 finger drag, 50 catch up, 50 each one-arm freestyle, 50 underwater switch, 50 thumb/thigh zipper)
MS: 12x100y at race pace. This averaged out to 56.33" per lap for me today. I feel alright about that. If I swim that pace on Sunday, I will finish the swim in 7.5 mins.
CD: 200y - I split this between breast stroke and back stroke.
Heart rate when I got out of the pool was 140bpm. I think that's too high.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Bike and a run
I rode my bike in Central Park today, trying to take the course at different speeds. Unfortunately, I hit "stop" instead of "lap" on my watch for one really great leg and lost the info. Dumb.
There were a lot of bike riders out today. You'll notice I didn't call them "cyclists". Lots of Bike and Rollers. Tricky.
After my main set, I rode down to my office to set up some renders and then rode home. Two hours in total. On the way back home there was a serious headwind. Whew.
~~~~~~~~~
My run was supposed to be 10 minutes of warm up followed by 20mins at race pace, five mins of recovery, another 20mins at race pace and a cool down. The first half went really well. However, though I had programmed my watch to keep track of my workout as listed above, it chimed in the miles on auto lap... damn. So, the first half of the workout is split by miles and the second half of the workout is split by training type.
I lost my running partner about five minutes into the second race set, hence the heart rate and pacing drop as I looked for them. Unfortunately, we weren't able to run into each other and the second half of the run was a bit of a mess because of it. In spite of the upset, I needed to try to finish as best I could. I wish it would have gone differently, but shit happens I suppose.
Oh well.
There were a lot of bike riders out today. You'll notice I didn't call them "cyclists". Lots of Bike and Rollers. Tricky.
After my main set, I rode down to my office to set up some renders and then rode home. Two hours in total. On the way back home there was a serious headwind. Whew.
~~~~~~~~~
My run was supposed to be 10 minutes of warm up followed by 20mins at race pace, five mins of recovery, another 20mins at race pace and a cool down. The first half went really well. However, though I had programmed my watch to keep track of my workout as listed above, it chimed in the miles on auto lap... damn. So, the first half of the workout is split by miles and the second half of the workout is split by training type.
I lost my running partner about five minutes into the second race set, hence the heart rate and pacing drop as I looked for them. Unfortunately, we weren't able to run into each other and the second half of the run was a bit of a mess because of it. In spite of the upset, I needed to try to finish as best I could. I wish it would have gone differently, but shit happens I suppose.
Oh well.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Run Revisit - PR: 5K
I thought that it might be a good thing for me to revisit my great 5K run by blogging about my experience. Considering the negative day that I had yesterday, along with the lapse in motivation the week prior, I want to get my head in a more positive place. It is important for me to focus on things that are going to help me succeed rather than focus on negative moments that only add up if I let them.
I had family in town this week and the big thing that I was worried about was the amount of time that I would have to complete my training. I am back on a heavy workload and need to devote a lot of time and energy, not only to the training itself, but to personal maintenance, ie: sleep, nutrition and general mental wellbeing. Last week I experienced a tremendous loss of motivation and found myself skipping workouts left and right. I came away from that feeling a little hopeless, but knew I could get back on it if I just did it. Nike definitely got it right there.
"You'll have to stay up later and wake up earlier," was the advice given when asked how to possibly train with family in town. So, I heeded that advice and after a completely frustrating dinner debacle with said family, I suited up and went for my scheduled run: 10min warm up, followed by a 5K at race pace, remaining time at Z2. I started running at 12:30am...
I didn't really focus much on speed for the warm up, but focused more on gradually increasing my heart rate to 150bpm so that I would be in a good range when I began my "race". I was successful in this endeavor.
As I began my main set, running south under the West Side Highway, I felt good. I felt like I was running at a pace that was fast, but not unsustainable and my body was cruising with good from and great cadence. I felt like I looked great running. What was intriguing to me, however, were the numbers coming from my Garmin watch. I was pacing within a 7:30-8 minute mile. Or less. I figured my watch was wrong, but when my iPhone informed me that Nike+ agreed with this pacing, I was elated. I was running fast, and I was feeling great!
I continued my run through the remainder of the 3.11 miles and as I ran, my gadgets reinforced my great work by calling out numbers like "average pace: 8'10" per mile" Awesome.
As I reached the last several feet of my 5K, I knew I had recorded a personal best. I knew I had run well. I knew I looked great running. I knew I had achieved something fantastic.
Turns out, due to my lazy recovery week, I had actually mimicked the step-down process that one goes through into race week, thereby allowing my body to experience the burst of energy that was created.
Similarly, my swim the following day (a fantastic 3000y triumph) felt equally fulfilling and gave me a great boost of enthusiasm. These two fantastic experiences followed by a difficult and disappointing bike ride further contributed to the "down" feeling I had.
Thankfully, after a splash of metaphorical cold water to the face, I realized that I was being entirely too hard on myself (what's new?) and had disregarded a key piece of information: I was trying a new saddle. Duh.
The things that I found the most difficult were all, likely, caused by my new equipment. My knees hurt. My muscles weren't responding the way they usually do. I felt bow-legged even as my knees graced the top tube. Instead of acting rationally and stopping the workout (something I am always loathe to do) in order to address the issue, I muscled through and put my body in a compromising position. My feet and lower legs began to go numb (saddle) and my knees were feeling strain that affected me when I stood (also saddle). Fortunately, I suppose, I became so fed up with my dysfunctional body that I quit halfway through. I could have really hurt myself if I had tried to push through with my equipment in the wrong position. Sigh. Use your brain, not just your brawn.
Tonight I will run again, a long haul - 40 minutes at race pace, over an hour on the road total. Tomorrow I will swim (with my new SportCount! Yay!) and bike, careful to listen to my body for cues as to whether the new equipment is working for or against me.
Pouring on the positive. I have worked very hard to make it to where I am now. Everyone has a bad workout, a bad day, even bad weeks. I am injury free (knock on wood) and in a great position to continue to succeed. There is no reason for me to stand in my own way by putting myself down. Plus, I have wonderful people in my life supporting me in ways I could never have asked for. I am so very grateful for their presence in my life and my humble appreciation can only begin to be expressed with words.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Spinervals 15.0 - Have Mercy part 2
I'm glad I waited a tiny bit before writing my blog. I was so angry when I got off the bike.
Had I not waited, the blog would have gone something like: "Fuck this."
But I did wait. So I'll try to be a little more tactful.
Not a good ride, which is odd considering that I felt good about starting the ride. I was tired, so I took a 30 minute nap and woke up feeling refreshed. Got on the bike and started my ride feeling pretty good, but within minutes I felt crappy, tired, hot, sore, numb and slow. And it just went downhill from there.
I got a new saddle for my birthday. Not sure whether that contributed to any of the aforementioned issues, I was feeling too out of sorts to gauge where the problems were originating. I got to the 54 minute mark and felt like such a piece of shit that I didn't want to continue. I cried when Troy told us to stand and I couldn't do it. I tried to reason with myself, after all, I had blocked out the time (finally) to do the ride, so I didn't have other obligations. I had fed myself. I had a really good workout week so far. I only had an hour left. Then the beat down came... I shouldn't be tired, I shouldn't be so dysfunctional, I should be faster than this. I should be spinning harder. My heart rate is crap. I'm only going 15mph. Why do my knees hurt when I stand?! Why are my feet numb? What the hell is going on with my muscles?
Fuck this.
I stopped. Mid-workout. I made it to one hour and then, like a piece of shit, lame, no good, wannabe, I stopped.
Bah.
Had I not waited, the blog would have gone something like: "Fuck this."
But I did wait. So I'll try to be a little more tactful.
Not a good ride, which is odd considering that I felt good about starting the ride. I was tired, so I took a 30 minute nap and woke up feeling refreshed. Got on the bike and started my ride feeling pretty good, but within minutes I felt crappy, tired, hot, sore, numb and slow. And it just went downhill from there.
I got a new saddle for my birthday. Not sure whether that contributed to any of the aforementioned issues, I was feeling too out of sorts to gauge where the problems were originating. I got to the 54 minute mark and felt like such a piece of shit that I didn't want to continue. I cried when Troy told us to stand and I couldn't do it. I tried to reason with myself, after all, I had blocked out the time (finally) to do the ride, so I didn't have other obligations. I had fed myself. I had a really good workout week so far. I only had an hour left. Then the beat down came... I shouldn't be tired, I shouldn't be so dysfunctional, I should be faster than this. I should be spinning harder. My heart rate is crap. I'm only going 15mph. Why do my knees hurt when I stand?! Why are my feet numb? What the hell is going on with my muscles?
Fuck this.
I stopped. Mid-workout. I made it to one hour and then, like a piece of shit, lame, no good, wannabe, I stopped.
Bah.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Three Thousand Yards
I swam 60 laps in the pool today and it felt great!
Picked up my interrupted workout from a couple weeks ago. An 800y warmup set started me off feeling strong yet calm. Follow that with a 300y descending ladder (x25) and you end up with a really nice pool set. I made sure to rest only as much as necessary (<20sec) between sets and I tried to sight as much as possible, which I felt successful with. As I progressed down the ladder, I poured a little more into the swim, trying to lengthen my stroke and speed up each leg. Fed myself a GU after 225. Horrible cramping in calves (and once or twice in my foot) after the 200y leg. Learned how to swim through that... tricky.
Finished off with a nice 4x50y set with descending speed. I didn't really stop in between these sets, just stepped down the speed so that I was actively recovering.
I'm excited to possibly have another great swimmer watch me work next week. Eyes on my form in the pool are a valuable asset that I don't have much opportunity to capitalize on.
Picked up my interrupted workout from a couple weeks ago. An 800y warmup set started me off feeling strong yet calm. Follow that with a 300y descending ladder (x25) and you end up with a really nice pool set. I made sure to rest only as much as necessary (<20sec) between sets and I tried to sight as much as possible, which I felt successful with. As I progressed down the ladder, I poured a little more into the swim, trying to lengthen my stroke and speed up each leg. Fed myself a GU after 225. Horrible cramping in calves (and once or twice in my foot) after the 200y leg. Learned how to swim through that... tricky.
Finished off with a nice 4x50y set with descending speed. I didn't really stop in between these sets, just stepped down the speed so that I was actively recovering.
I'm excited to possibly have another great swimmer watch me work next week. Eyes on my form in the pool are a valuable asset that I don't have much opportunity to capitalize on.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Personal Best for the 5K
25:28 5K run!
More to come, but for now: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/100472798
More to come, but for now: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/100472798
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Good Run
I got out in the hot midday of a July Saturday and, well fed and hydrated, began my run.
Today I ran with my headphones in. I haven't run with music in ages. It has possibly been 6 months. I must say, I enjoyed the experience. I kept my pace down fairly effectively for the first five minutes, and then maintained a steady 8:30-9:00 pace for the next 30 minutes. I ran around the loop, so hills are a definite consideration, but I felt pretty strong running up most of them. By the end of my 30 minute Z3 section I will admit that I was tired, but I also feel that, in a race situation, if I had shot a GU at the beginning of the run, I would have had enough "go" for a while longer, even with the heat.
I kept having to remind myself to cool down for the last five minutes. I would lower my heart rate, but then start going too fast again.
Good run.
Today I ran with my headphones in. I haven't run with music in ages. It has possibly been 6 months. I must say, I enjoyed the experience. I kept my pace down fairly effectively for the first five minutes, and then maintained a steady 8:30-9:00 pace for the next 30 minutes. I ran around the loop, so hills are a definite consideration, but I felt pretty strong running up most of them. By the end of my 30 minute Z3 section I will admit that I was tired, but I also feel that, in a race situation, if I had shot a GU at the beginning of the run, I would have had enough "go" for a while longer, even with the heat.
I kept having to remind myself to cool down for the last five minutes. I would lower my heart rate, but then start going too fast again.
Good run.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Motivation: Zero
I had an oddly fulfilling day at work, even though I really wasn't doing anything interesting. Just the work made me feel good though.
I woke up early with a weird swollen lip and part of my face was numb, not sure what happened there, but I took a Benedryl, knocked out some more zz's and then took the long train to Brooklyn. I got home at a reasonable hour and it was even a reasonable day out, but I truly had no desire to exert any physical energy. I watched a movie instead.
Odd thoughts and feelings today. Unmotivated to go to work, but once I got there (and was very productive) I felt good. I feel that if I had applied the same "just do it" mentality to my bike ride today, I would have done well, but something about starting the process with a hike down my stairs or by dismantling my ride to lock it into the trainer just didn't appeal to me.
I'll ride tomorrow, pending further motivation.
I woke up early with a weird swollen lip and part of my face was numb, not sure what happened there, but I took a Benedryl, knocked out some more zz's and then took the long train to Brooklyn. I got home at a reasonable hour and it was even a reasonable day out, but I truly had no desire to exert any physical energy. I watched a movie instead.
Odd thoughts and feelings today. Unmotivated to go to work, but once I got there (and was very productive) I felt good. I feel that if I had applied the same "just do it" mentality to my bike ride today, I would have done well, but something about starting the process with a hike down my stairs or by dismantling my ride to lock it into the trainer just didn't appeal to me.
I'll ride tomorrow, pending further motivation.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Fun Run
Today I ran 25 minutes with a ten minute warm up and strides every five minutes. Other than that, I tried to keep the pace around 9' and just thought about smiling.
It was hot. I have new yankz for my slick new running shoes. Now I look really fast!
My birthday was today. It was a great day, nice weather, great birthday wishes from friends and family, a good run. My friend is getting me a new saddle for my birthday. I'm
very excited. I'm going to try the Specialized Ruby saddle in 155mm size. I think that this will be a good adjustment from my current saddle, as the stock saddle I'm riding is too narrow for my (wide!) hip bones. This Ruby saddle will alleviate the width issue without adding any padding, plus the cutout is similar to the saddle I'm currently riding.
It was hot. I have new yankz for my slick new running shoes. Now I look really fast!
My birthday was today. It was a great day, nice weather, great birthday wishes from friends and family, a good run. My friend is getting me a new saddle for my birthday. I'm
very excited. I'm going to try the Specialized Ruby saddle in 155mm size. I think that this will be a good adjustment from my current saddle, as the stock saddle I'm riding is too narrow for my (wide!) hip bones. This Ruby saddle will alleviate the width issue without adding any padding, plus the cutout is similar to the saddle I'm currently riding.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Race Distance
Today I swam 1900y.
During the main set, I was to swim 3x500 increasing my speed and effort as I went. I found this to be very helpful. I feel like I am getting stronger overall and that I am in a better place mentally and can digest the swim without freaking out (as much).
The first set was good. I swam the full 500 with a good, steady cadence. I tried to think a little faster each 100. By the last 100 I was going pretty quickly, but I figured I could go harder. After a minute of rest, I tried it out.
The second set I worked too hard. Started too fast and continued to speed up. I got to 300 and started to panic, but made myself try to stay consistent. Instead of thinking about how fast I was going, I refocused on my breathing and tried to breath out more. This helped.
One minute later, I did my third set. By this time I was a bit tired (especially after the fast 2nd set) and my poor nutrition had crept up on me. I probably did this set a little faster than the first set, but didn't finish as fast.
I was having a hard time feeding myself this evening. Not sure what's up with that, but I had some sort of mental block against good nutrition tonight. That ended up sucking. Oh well, 100y to cool down and I was out of the pool. Lessons learned.
During the main set, I was to swim 3x500 increasing my speed and effort as I went. I found this to be very helpful. I feel like I am getting stronger overall and that I am in a better place mentally and can digest the swim without freaking out (as much).
The first set was good. I swam the full 500 with a good, steady cadence. I tried to think a little faster each 100. By the last 100 I was going pretty quickly, but I figured I could go harder. After a minute of rest, I tried it out.
The second set I worked too hard. Started too fast and continued to speed up. I got to 300 and started to panic, but made myself try to stay consistent. Instead of thinking about how fast I was going, I refocused on my breathing and tried to breath out more. This helped.
One minute later, I did my third set. By this time I was a bit tired (especially after the fast 2nd set) and my poor nutrition had crept up on me. I probably did this set a little faster than the first set, but didn't finish as fast.
I was having a hard time feeding myself this evening. Not sure what's up with that, but I had some sort of mental block against good nutrition tonight. That ended up sucking. Oh well, 100y to cool down and I was out of the pool. Lessons learned.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Run, Bike, Run
Big brick today. Ended up running pretty evenly for the first set and finished feeling a little tired, but not totally fatigued. The lower loop has some pretty long hills in it.
The bike felt really good. I won't say "great" because I was muscling through some of it due to general fatigue. I got some good practice in with hydration while going fast/cornering and I fed myself a GU, which I haven't done while riding since I had to do it for the Pinehurst Triathlon relay last November. Probably a good thing to have under one's belt before race time. Nice average pace and good hill climbs.
The final run was hard. My legs felt like lead throughout and my pacing was achieved solely through cadence and form. I really focused on swinging my legs from the hip and keeping my upper body in good form. Again, killer long hills on the lower loop. There was an added pain feature in this leg... right after I crossed by Bethesda Fountain my insides began to cramp painfully. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of cramping I am used to breathing through, these were intestinal cramps caused by gas throughout my GI, or so it seemed. I felt like my body was going to explode. Ouchy ouch. I ran through it, but my pace slowed considerably at one point and affected my final numbers. The good thing is, it did go away after only a minute or so.
Good transitions, 53 seconds to bike and 50 seconds back to run. I need to get Yankz for my new running shoes, I tied them too tightly and my ankle hurt for the second loop.
Ran with compression today. Smart move.
The bike felt really good. I won't say "great" because I was muscling through some of it due to general fatigue. I got some good practice in with hydration while going fast/cornering and I fed myself a GU, which I haven't done while riding since I had to do it for the Pinehurst Triathlon relay last November. Probably a good thing to have under one's belt before race time. Nice average pace and good hill climbs.
The final run was hard. My legs felt like lead throughout and my pacing was achieved solely through cadence and form. I really focused on swinging my legs from the hip and keeping my upper body in good form. Again, killer long hills on the lower loop. There was an added pain feature in this leg... right after I crossed by Bethesda Fountain my insides began to cramp painfully. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of cramping I am used to breathing through, these were intestinal cramps caused by gas throughout my GI, or so it seemed. I felt like my body was going to explode. Ouchy ouch. I ran through it, but my pace slowed considerably at one point and affected my final numbers. The good thing is, it did go away after only a minute or so.
Good transitions, 53 seconds to bike and 50 seconds back to run. I need to get Yankz for my new running shoes, I tied them too tightly and my ankle hurt for the second loop.
Ran with compression today. Smart move.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Pool plus a Bonus Bike
I had the opportunity to ride in the park with a friend today. It was really nice to just ride and not have to think about my heart rate or my speed. I enjoyed just riding and enjoying the companionship of a great cyclist. Learned a neat trick about riding downhill, which I will have to practice.
After my ride I zipped over to the Y to hop into the pool. I swam 200y of drills (finger drag, catch up, one-arm freestyle) and 20 minutes freestyle. I felt strong in the water today, very focused and I felt that my form was solid though most of the swim. My swim clip needed adjustment and I practiced knocking off my goggles and fixing them while swimming. Tricky. I also practiced sighting and I did a couple of laps with my eyes closed when my face was in the water - this was very interesting, slightly disorienting, but good. Adding the sighting into this was a good experience.
I have no idea how far I swam, unfortunately. As I continued to swim and add things into my workout (distractions, sighting, etc.) it became more and more difficult to recall the lap I was on.
After my ride I zipped over to the Y to hop into the pool. I swam 200y of drills (finger drag, catch up, one-arm freestyle) and 20 minutes freestyle. I felt strong in the water today, very focused and I felt that my form was solid though most of the swim. My swim clip needed adjustment and I practiced knocking off my goggles and fixing them while swimming. Tricky. I also practiced sighting and I did a couple of laps with my eyes closed when my face was in the water - this was very interesting, slightly disorienting, but good. Adding the sighting into this was a good experience.
I have no idea how far I swam, unfortunately. As I continued to swim and add things into my workout (distractions, sighting, etc.) it became more and more difficult to recall the lap I was on.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Tough Love
My knees feel like they might burst.
I may choose to elaborate on this ride later. For now, here's my heart rate data.
I tried to figure out how to attach my new cadence/speed sensor to get data for my ride, but it was getting too late and I wasn't making much headway. Will have it for next time. Until then, the Cat says I rode 39.02 miles with an average speed of 13.1 mph and a maximum speed of 21.6.
Good night. Yay for a short swim tomorrow. I really don't know if I'll have knees.
I may choose to elaborate on this ride later. For now, here's my heart rate data.
I tried to figure out how to attach my new cadence/speed sensor to get data for my ride, but it was getting too late and I wasn't making much headway. Will have it for next time. Until then, the Cat says I rode 39.02 miles with an average speed of 13.1 mph and a maximum speed of 21.6.
Good night. Yay for a short swim tomorrow. I really don't know if I'll have knees.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Killer Run
Today was hard. It was hot and my upper body was already sore from my swim yesterday. I can't imagine how hard today would have been if I had gotten those extra laps in.
Warm up followed by 20 minutes increasing speed by 1 mph every five minutes. This was hard. The first ten minutes were fine, five minutes at 8' was difficult and five minutes near 7' was literally a force of will. My heart rate was 190. I was running at my max.
Ten minutes to recover followed by 35 minutes at "race pace". The target for this was 8:30/8:45. Unfortunately, I didn't stay within my recovery heart rate zone (at or below the 160 range) for very long and ended up running in the upper 170 range for the duration of this section. At one point, I became slightly emotional, which lead to a brief episode of hyperventilation. Fortunately, I recovered in a reasonable amount of time.
I finished well enough, but probably could have given the last little bit to get up the final hill. I had already decided to walk from the 72nd Street exit though and my body wanted to recover. Hard. Painful. Many lessons learned.
Warm up followed by 20 minutes increasing speed by 1 mph every five minutes. This was hard. The first ten minutes were fine, five minutes at 8' was difficult and five minutes near 7' was literally a force of will. My heart rate was 190. I was running at my max.
Ten minutes to recover followed by 35 minutes at "race pace". The target for this was 8:30/8:45. Unfortunately, I didn't stay within my recovery heart rate zone (at or below the 160 range) for very long and ended up running in the upper 170 range for the duration of this section. At one point, I became slightly emotional, which lead to a brief episode of hyperventilation. Fortunately, I recovered in a reasonable amount of time.
I finished well enough, but probably could have given the last little bit to get up the final hill. I had already decided to walk from the 72nd Street exit though and my body wanted to recover. Hard. Painful. Many lessons learned.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Swimmmaintenance?
Swimming along, feeling great, excited to do my first 3000 yard work out and they kick me out of the pool! Bah.
Well, I did most of it. Four sets of 200y to warm up followed by a 25 yard descending ladder from 300. I made it thru 175. That, plus the length back to the shallow end to grab my things gave me a grand total of 2250 yards. *sigh*
Well, I did most of it. Four sets of 200y to warm up followed by a 25 yard descending ladder from 300. I made it thru 175. That, plus the length back to the shallow end to grab my things gave me a grand total of 2250 yards. *sigh*
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Sunday, muddy Sunday
It rained today. When I woke up this morning the thunder was louder than I have ever heard in the city.
I enjoyed my swim today. I started with 300 yards of drills. I decided to focus on the drills that I worked on with Lou last week. I did two sets of each: arm angle, catch up/reach, and a balance drill. It was interesting to think about the drills in "my pool". I tried to think about how to apply the lessons I had learned to the work I have already done. I feel like I found a good medium for the day.
Eight sets of 50 yards with 12" rest started the main set. I really enjoyed this. I came in under a minute (54-58) for all but two sets. This section helped me to focus on each lap and the mechanics of what I was doing.
The ladder that followed was also beneficial from a focus perspective. I felt like I successfully increased my pace each step. After swimming the last 100, I decided to cool down with 100 yards of freestyle to get used to the feeling of swimming tired, then I did my usual breast stroke and back stroke. Good swim, 2000 yards.
I did Spinervals 21 this evening. I really wanted to ride outside, but it was cruddy. Stayed in aerobic for the duration... pretty much. Good ride.
I enjoyed my swim today. I started with 300 yards of drills. I decided to focus on the drills that I worked on with Lou last week. I did two sets of each: arm angle, catch up/reach, and a balance drill. It was interesting to think about the drills in "my pool". I tried to think about how to apply the lessons I had learned to the work I have already done. I feel like I found a good medium for the day.
Eight sets of 50 yards with 12" rest started the main set. I really enjoyed this. I came in under a minute (54-58) for all but two sets. This section helped me to focus on each lap and the mechanics of what I was doing.
The ladder that followed was also beneficial from a focus perspective. I felt like I successfully increased my pace each step. After swimming the last 100, I decided to cool down with 100 yards of freestyle to get used to the feeling of swimming tired, then I did my usual breast stroke and back stroke. Good swim, 2000 yards.
I did Spinervals 21 this evening. I really wanted to ride outside, but it was cruddy. Stayed in aerobic for the duration... pretty much. Good ride.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Hot and Tired
Wow. This week is just killing me. I don't know what to say. I'm speechless.
... alright, well I think part of the problem is my nutrition. I've been pretty stressed out and when I stress about money in particular, I tend to ration everything. EVERYTHING. This means food too. Trick is, before I started training this didn't matter much. I'd tighten the purse strings and eat a little less and spend less over all. Now, it seems I have done myself quite a disservice by inadvertently depleting my glycogen stores and providing my body with less fuel to work with. Bad.
I ate really well this morning, had a smoothie, some protein, a pb&j on flatbread, fluids. Didn't matter. As I was running I realized that the bonk I had experienced yesterday was just one part of a low-energy food situation. I hadn't eaten poorly yesterday, I hadn't even eaten at the wrong times, but I hadn't been feeding myself well for the last couple of weeks and my muscles and body have suffered for it. Today, as I was running, I felt the effects of that same low-energy drain. I apologized to my body. We are going to go food shopping later.
Anyway, today's run was riddled with pains of all sorts. I started my warm up nice and slow, but had to stop to stretch because my right thigh (interior) felt like I had bruised it or something. It was really painful. After the stretch and easy running my muscle warmed up the pain dissipated and went away. That was disconcerting.
I ran up to the Reservoir and began my first set of 15 minutes by running at about 8:15/8:00. This seemed to be an okay pace, but I found that I was too hot and though I was able to physically maintain the pace, I felt that I needed to slow down a little because my heart rate kept climbing. This was probably also due in part to the fact that I didn't have any fluids with me and I should have. Though, I did take care to stop a few times at the fountains throughout the run. Got a cramp (minor) about 20 minutes in.
I ran the first 15 minute set at an average of 8:30. I am happy with this. My heart rate climbed to 178 at the end though, and I probably should have gone a touch slower to keep myself in range. As I ran my 5 minute recovery set, I wanted to get my HR back down into the 150s. I was on my way, but about halfway through I lost my focus and started going too fast, raising my HR back into the mid 160s. Checked myself, slowed down, started the second 15 minute set with a heart rate of 165.
You'll notice on my data that there is a peak at the beginning of my second set and then a drop. That's because I started going and my HR was already way too high, so I stopped, walked around a bit, dropped my HR back down to a reasonable place and then began again. I feel that this was a good decision on my part, because I would have been too tired to finish otherwise.
The second set was all about focus. I just had to focus on my cadence and my form. I focused on my breathing and my elbows. I didn't go as fast this time (8:49) but I was able to give the last 5 minutes a little bit extra, simulating a race finish for myself. I ran the last five minutes at approximately 8:10. At 45 minutes I got a cramp in my side. This one was pretty painful, but I kept running. I paid attention to it, but mostly I tried to breath oxygen into that part of my body and help it move out without my stopping. That worked.
At the end of the second set (and after the simulated race finish) I allowed myself a minute of walking in order to recover my heart rate, which had climbed into the 180s. Easy run down to the fountain, take a drink, easy run down the bridle path headed home... got to the hill and thought "free speed" but as I leaned into the hill and tried to pick up my cadence I got another horrible side cramp. This one I couldn't run through. I jogged feebly down the hill instead. Bummer.
Finally, I was nearing my one hour finishing point and I was just beat to shit. I headed out of the park and finished on West End Ave, walked to the Starbucks and drank a skim mocha with extra chocolate to recover. Good enough.
What was disappointing about today was that I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, but my body and my data were consistently against me. That's okay. It is what it is. Good run nonetheless.
... alright, well I think part of the problem is my nutrition. I've been pretty stressed out and when I stress about money in particular, I tend to ration everything. EVERYTHING. This means food too. Trick is, before I started training this didn't matter much. I'd tighten the purse strings and eat a little less and spend less over all. Now, it seems I have done myself quite a disservice by inadvertently depleting my glycogen stores and providing my body with less fuel to work with. Bad.
I ate really well this morning, had a smoothie, some protein, a pb&j on flatbread, fluids. Didn't matter. As I was running I realized that the bonk I had experienced yesterday was just one part of a low-energy food situation. I hadn't eaten poorly yesterday, I hadn't even eaten at the wrong times, but I hadn't been feeding myself well for the last couple of weeks and my muscles and body have suffered for it. Today, as I was running, I felt the effects of that same low-energy drain. I apologized to my body. We are going to go food shopping later.
Anyway, today's run was riddled with pains of all sorts. I started my warm up nice and slow, but had to stop to stretch because my right thigh (interior) felt like I had bruised it or something. It was really painful. After the stretch and easy running my muscle warmed up the pain dissipated and went away. That was disconcerting.
I ran up to the Reservoir and began my first set of 15 minutes by running at about 8:15/8:00. This seemed to be an okay pace, but I found that I was too hot and though I was able to physically maintain the pace, I felt that I needed to slow down a little because my heart rate kept climbing. This was probably also due in part to the fact that I didn't have any fluids with me and I should have. Though, I did take care to stop a few times at the fountains throughout the run. Got a cramp (minor) about 20 minutes in.
I ran the first 15 minute set at an average of 8:30. I am happy with this. My heart rate climbed to 178 at the end though, and I probably should have gone a touch slower to keep myself in range. As I ran my 5 minute recovery set, I wanted to get my HR back down into the 150s. I was on my way, but about halfway through I lost my focus and started going too fast, raising my HR back into the mid 160s. Checked myself, slowed down, started the second 15 minute set with a heart rate of 165.
You'll notice on my data that there is a peak at the beginning of my second set and then a drop. That's because I started going and my HR was already way too high, so I stopped, walked around a bit, dropped my HR back down to a reasonable place and then began again. I feel that this was a good decision on my part, because I would have been too tired to finish otherwise.
The second set was all about focus. I just had to focus on my cadence and my form. I focused on my breathing and my elbows. I didn't go as fast this time (8:49) but I was able to give the last 5 minutes a little bit extra, simulating a race finish for myself. I ran the last five minutes at approximately 8:10. At 45 minutes I got a cramp in my side. This one was pretty painful, but I kept running. I paid attention to it, but mostly I tried to breath oxygen into that part of my body and help it move out without my stopping. That worked.
At the end of the second set (and after the simulated race finish) I allowed myself a minute of walking in order to recover my heart rate, which had climbed into the 180s. Easy run down to the fountain, take a drink, easy run down the bridle path headed home... got to the hill and thought "free speed" but as I leaned into the hill and tried to pick up my cadence I got another horrible side cramp. This one I couldn't run through. I jogged feebly down the hill instead. Bummer.
Finally, I was nearing my one hour finishing point and I was just beat to shit. I headed out of the park and finished on West End Ave, walked to the Starbucks and drank a skim mocha with extra chocolate to recover. Good enough.
What was disappointing about today was that I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, but my body and my data were consistently against me. That's okay. It is what it is. Good run nonetheless.
Friday, July 1, 2011
BONK!
Well, now I know what that feels like.
I was supposed to bike yesterday, but my energy levels just weren't where I needed them to be, plus my schedule was a little ornery, so I moved the ride to today. After prolonging the inevitable to the afternoon, I hopped up on the trainer and started Spinervals 14.0 - Totally Time Trial. This ride has a 25 minute warm up and four 15 minute sets of time trial simulating LT workouts. This means that I should be riding hard and staying at or above lactic threshold (for me, around 160-165) the entire time.
The first set I did pretty well. The second set, I found that it was harder for me to stay consistently at LT, I floated around 155-163 but I pushed when I noticed I was flagging and was able to "focus" my way back to threshold. The third set, however, I was barely able to keep my HR in the 150s. I was pedaling as hard as my body would pedal and I didn't have anything else to give. Typically, if I'm pedaling as hard as I can and I'm just fatigued, my heart rate shows the effort. Mine was at 143. WTF?
I literally felt like I was in a car, pedal to the floor and the tank only had fumes and was coasting to a stop.
I decided to quit the workout since it wasn't doing what it was supposed to. No sense in pushing my body and getting nowhere.
Heart rate data.
I was supposed to bike yesterday, but my energy levels just weren't where I needed them to be, plus my schedule was a little ornery, so I moved the ride to today. After prolonging the inevitable to the afternoon, I hopped up on the trainer and started Spinervals 14.0 - Totally Time Trial. This ride has a 25 minute warm up and four 15 minute sets of time trial simulating LT workouts. This means that I should be riding hard and staying at or above lactic threshold (for me, around 160-165) the entire time.
The first set I did pretty well. The second set, I found that it was harder for me to stay consistently at LT, I floated around 155-163 but I pushed when I noticed I was flagging and was able to "focus" my way back to threshold. The third set, however, I was barely able to keep my HR in the 150s. I was pedaling as hard as my body would pedal and I didn't have anything else to give. Typically, if I'm pedaling as hard as I can and I'm just fatigued, my heart rate shows the effort. Mine was at 143. WTF?
I literally felt like I was in a car, pedal to the floor and the tank only had fumes and was coasting to a stop.
I decided to quit the workout since it wasn't doing what it was supposed to. No sense in pushing my body and getting nowhere.
Heart rate data.
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