| Coming back to LJ after a brief break, while I worked on getting new training underway. I enjoy logging entries, so next task is to get that practice back into the mix. Since it's passed bed time, and swim is at 5:30 in the am, here's a brief recap of June: 41.75 hours
6/2-6/8: 10 hours
Swim: 1.25 hours
Bike: 5 hours
Run: 3 hours
Core/weights: .75 hours
6/9-6/15: 11.75 hours
Swim: 2.5 hours
Bike: 4.5 hours
Run: 3.75 hours
Core/weights: 1 hours
6/16-6/33: 9.5 hours
Swim: 1.75 hours
Bike: 4.25 hours
Run: 2.25 hours
Core/weights: 1.25 hours
6/23-6/29: 10.5 hours
Swim: 2.5 hours
Bike: 4.25 hours
Run: 2.5 hours
Core/weights: 1.25 hours
18 weeks to go. | |
|
| Today, Wednesday, was a long day. It went as follows:
Up at 4:30am, on the pool deck at 5:30. This was my first non-clinic swim practice, and I was a tad intimidated going in. I had picked up all the requisite gear, paddles, pull bouy, kickboard, bag to put them in, etc, and I like gear so this was fun. Another bag of stuff to tote around, however. The pool, which is at least 6 lanes, was chock full of bodies. I announced to the coach, Suzanne, that this was my first time and she got me set up in a lane. And the workout was underway, each lane a well populated microcosom of the morning's agenda. Several lanes of 6, a scant 5 at first and then down to 4 in mine. We swam. And swam some more. We used tools for swimming. And then used them some more. Most sets were 6xsomething, using something, with some rest in between. Can't recall those sets but they included paddles, pulling w/ and w/out paddles, and fins. A little hectic, and a good range of speed in my lane, but it was fun. A few more practices and I'll have the routine down and can find my place in the pool. Total workout was 2,500 meters, I was in the water for about 1hr 15mins. Back home shower, dress, and dog walk. Then on the road and into the office by 8:30.
5:45pm, at O'Henry middle school track, with a lap length of 364 meters from the outside edge of lane #2. After some warmup, lap education while jogging, and time wasting patient doddling for good measure, today's main workout went something like this:
1600 @ marathon: 8:33 - recover 1:30
1200 @ 1/2 mar: 6:08 - recover 1:34
800 @ 10k: 3:34 - recover 1:31
400 @ 5k: 1:33 - recover 1:39
200 @ +95%: 0 37 - recover 2:05
1200 @ 1/2 mar: 6:04 - recover 2:15
800 @ 10k: 3:41 - recover 1:39
200 @ +95%: 0 33
Then some attempted cool down (unsuccessful), some core work, then back home at 8pm. Totaly spent. | |
|
| Up at 5, out of bed and running at 5:45. Did a short 'hood loop, 32 mins, ~3.5 miles. Going to make running straight from my apartment work., Parmer, de damned. Tried a new route from work to T3's training facility, wrong! Won't use that route again. Arrived at 5:40, too late to join the core workout after setting up my bike, despite Jess helping me grab a spot and a traininer. So after I changed, I hopped on my bike early and added an extra 15 mins of easy warm up to what would be a packed 1hr 20min workout. Main sets were 3x5, 4, 3, 2, 1 mins as 1st little ring steady, 2nd big ring strong, w/ standing for last portion of interval, 3rd, little ring steady w/ sprint at last portion of interval - all building in gears throughout the workout. On the bike for ~1hr 35 mins, computer read ~29 miles. Wow, good stuff. I like cadence workouts, it seems to be a strength. I don't like climing workouts, probably means I need to do more of them. At the conclusion of the workout, folks began to gather for an info session on upcoming races, Austin tri and Longhorn 70.3, and the associated training program. ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) atx_tiger came 'round, as did several others from swim clinic. Sounds like the group will be growing. If anyone out there is shopping, I believe there's another: Training Plan Orientation - Tues 6/3 or Thurs 6/5 at 7:45 p.m.
Weekly schedule is tentatively planned, at a maximum it will be: Mon: off Tues: AM 'hood run; PM core/spin Wed: AM pool swim; PM track run Thurs: AM BS swim; PM bike Fri: AM pool swim; PM gym weights Weekend: long bike & run But haven't workout out the big picture details yet, so it's a work in progress... | |
|
| Figure this past weekend is a good place to begin again.
Saturday: Real Ale Ride, picked up marathon friend John for the early morning ride to Blanco. Nice morning, nice to catch up. It was warm but still pleasant at the ride start. As far as distance, I had teetered everywhere and between 85, down to the ultimate choice, 30 miles. In the end I reasoned that it was a trip for fun, so make it fun and nothing more (hard days hard, easy days easy). I'm pleased with the decision. It was a challenging 30, plenty of hills. But mercifully over in well under 2hrs. I recorded a new top speed: 49.8 mph. That was interesting. Although I certainly enjoy riding with good company, It was nice riding relatively solo for this ride, taking in the sights and sounds. I love the hill country.
Saw a big snake in the road. And a funny group of water stop volunteers taking a photo of themselves before riders began to arrive. They must have seen little or no riders and had finished setting up just before I rode by, they stood in front of a large monument of deer antlers, all of them in camoflauge t-shirts, every one of them holding large rifles. They cheered me on as I rolled passed their photo opportunity. Funny sight. Marathon friend Ed and his wife Ros, who's tackling the danskin next weekend, and their friend Erica were all present - we toured the brewery and sampled delicious beer. Paul and Amy, and their friend Dave(id) were also riding. Got to visit with Amy and Dave for a bit, but only spotted Paul from afar before he headed out to do 85. All in all a very nice day. Back home, quick shower then saw Young@heart - great, great film.
Sunday: 7 mile run starting at the rock, heading north on Exposition up to 35th, looping back down west again to exposition, and back the way I came. First half was with fellow T3ers, the trip back was solo. Hills again. Its been awhile. A happy run-in with teambaraka, before I was off on my run, she was just about wrapping her's up. Nice weekend. Now i'm wrestling with weekly schedule options. I'm a bit flustered, trying to plan trips to and from home (NW) and workout (downtown and W) and office (downtown), all while tending to my apartment bound dog and mascot, Gita. She's the most low maintenance creature, but planning to get to and from her is proving challenging, arranging associated trips and timing, not to mention the cost. But it must and will be resolved in relatively short order... | |
|
| I've been teetering in and out of training for the past week, the week before having been taken completely off. A couple of workouts just to accompany friends, a couple of trial workouts, all of these here and there. I've really enjoyed turning my training plan brain off for a bit. I think I needed it.
But after seeing nervous faces volunteering at packet-pick up on Saturday, and while out cheering on friends and many more strangers at CapTex on Sunday, feeling inspired by all the effort folks were spending, hunting for their own personal accomplishments, be it to finish a first or to PR (actually both are PRs, aren't they), I told teambaraka "I'm ready to get going again." And so I have. After much deliberation, I've joined T3 and will be racing in blue this year. I like blue. Spin classes have been tough, but not as tough as 6pm track workouts. Workout journaling will soon resume. | |
|
| 
They don't call it Gulf Roast for nothing...but I got it done. First attempt at 70.3 miles, overall time: 5:48:01
| |
|
| On Saturday, I'll be participating in my first half-iron distance race, Gulf Coast Triathlon, in Panama City Beach, FL. I found that over the past week, I am teatering between confidence and fear, or more likely juggling both. I feel relatively confident that I will finish the race, that I have sufficient endurance and can endure it, but I have some fear that it could go less than well. I hope to include another half-iron distance race this year so that I can include a time goal. But for the moment I am am feeling focused and excited about this race, and have been putting together a plan for it given my current level of fitness (which consists of 24 weeks of marathon training, followed by 10 weeks of multi-sport training). My goals for it are as follows:
1) Finish the race, preferably with a smile.
2) Observe the course (because I'll be back in Nov. for IMFL) and enjoy it.
3) Follow my nutrition plan.
4) Race smart by practicing restraint.
Still working on a strategy to get there... | |
|
| Met up with Jess on Saturday morning for a shortish brick. Fun to get a weekend workout in with buds, its been awhile. We met at the veloway, headed up Escarpment to William Cannon to SW Pkwy, and then back. We encountered some serious winds, particularly on SW Pkwy, mostly crosswind. We both practiced getting pushed around. ~1hr 45mins ride, ~followed by a ~21 min run off the bike. Good fun.
This afternoon, got a 45 min run in around the 'hood, ~4.9 miles. Feeling the accumulation of rest, I think. Soon time for new shoes, however.
Now its back to getting organized for the week and weekend to come. Two self-observations:
1) I think i'm on the cerebral end of the spectrum in terms of the various types of athletes.
2) I think it may be time to shed the "recreational" from my self-given title "recreational triathlete." Based merely on the time and energy committed to the activity. | |
|
| Swam this morning. The fin walkers were present, kicking up the bottom muck. ~28 mins, ~1350m
Started putting down the lists for this coming race week...mostly of lists I need to work up and check off:
Prep
* race plan
* nutrition plan
* pick race clothing
* post-race/mom plan
* weather contingencies
Travel
* itenerary / accomodation confirmation
* clothing
* workouts/workout clothes
* food on the road
Equipment
* swim list
* bike list
* run list
* packing it all plan | |
|
| Catch up for the week so far, lots of new stuff!
Monday, day off.
Tuesday morn, fun swim with jess, teambaraka, and other rogue captex peeps - got to meet shubbe and say hello to deankat. I followed along with the groups workout for the day and then added an extra lap: ~2200m. Did all this in my new Xterra Vector Pro X2 sleeveless wetsuit. Really liked it, love having the arms unencumbered! Sold my old wetsuit that no longer fit via craigslist to a guy in Florida of all places...got my asking price. Very, very pleased. I've been able to sell my canoe, bike, and wetsuit in short order via online p2p sales. Woohoo! Tuesday eve, headed out for a ride sporting a borrowed aero helmet - trying to get some road time in before next weekend to get comfortable in the hat. If I position the hat so the rear foil is actually touching my back, it exposes much more forehead than I'm used to. I'm not sure how its supposed to rest on the crown of the noggin, but I'll try again this weekend and plan to try somewhere inbetween normal forehead position and touching the back to split the difference. ~1hr 5mins of riding. Wednesday morn, got a short run in here in the neighborhood. ~30 mins, 3.25 miles. Wednesday eve, swapped my weight routine for some yoga...felt ohhh so good. Plan to do this for all my remaining weight sessions leading up to Gulf Coast. I'm so so far from a yoga expert, but the routine I have I really like: Yoga for Endurance Athletes. Its a single routine, and pretty short - about 30 mins, but it hits all the spots that very regularly get tight from the rigours of tri specific training. Love it. Thursday morn, another little run in the neighborhood. This week, I've taken to driving across parmer and parking on the curb in a nearby neighborhood. I've found a route that I like, its pretty much my run off the bike route, and it allows me to shower and dress for work at home instead of the shower at the office. ~45 mins, 4.8 miles. This eve, the bulk of my bike time ended up being mechanical. I had special ordered the new dual resevoir aero bottle system from Profile Desing, the AquacCell. It arrived at REI on tuesday, and I put it on quick for my tuesday ride but it did not fit properly and was wiggling all about. Today, I picked up a bracket to properlly set it up on my aero bars, took about an hour to install....got myself out for a 30 min ride after...a little at least. Like the bottle, still adjusting to its use. Much better with the bracket attachement. | |
|
|
