Monday, January 18, 2010
Cross Training...backcountry skiing
Spent Saturday and Sunday backcountry skiing the local mountains. Spent Saturday night in the yurt....I really love that place. The weather was really awesome, sunny and no wind. The "no wind" part is what was so great; I've never been there without 20+mph winds. The snow was not so good, but good enough to get some turns. On the ridgeline, we could see forever. The Grand Teton was in plain view, as were all the mountain ranges of central Idaho. Great skiing, and the workout was as awesome as ever; going uphill is never easy but always worth it when you get to go back down.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
After Christmas....going into the new year
The morning workouts continue to go well. I'm getting up and doing the workouts, and now I can feel my body beginning to be able to work at higher outputs in the morning. The human body is an amazing machine.
I did a nine-days straight push of workouts before leaving to NoDak for Christmas. My legs were ready to sit in the car all day, for sure. Then it snowed for three days straight with blizzard conditions most of the time. I was no-kidding planning to run, but I don't run in the wind...or two feet of snow. I don't mind the cold, it's the wind that gets me. So now workouts for six days.
My parents got me a nice wind-breaker cycling jacket for Christmas. Nice and bright, too. It should help me get out in the mornings during the summer. Maybe I'll start to ride even when it's down to 50degrees! Seriously, I need to be biking in the morning, and the cool wind has made me bail in the past. Not this year!
Today I basically destroyed my legs during my morning workout. I normally feel ok after a workout, but today the soreness set-in within a few hours. All day long I had trouble walking. The real challenge is to do tomorrow morning's workout.
I am seeing weekly improvements on my bike, and it is very motivating. It's easy to get up and workout when you know you are improving. Each day is a different type of workout, and each day I do better than the previous week. I'm not looking forward to the inevitable plateua at all.
Next week I start a new phase of this plan. I'll continue to do big bike workouts each morning, followed by a 1.5 or 3mile run. The bike is being extended by 20 minutes to reach a total of 80 minutes, which is just a bit longer than a normal 40k ride. Then I'll run with the goal of teaching my legs to run after the bike. At lunch will be lifting weights or swimming. I'm starting up swimming again next week when the gym at ISU opens up again. I'm not terribly excited about that, but I need to do it. I am excited about getting back into the weight room again, though.
This weekend I plan to get in my first turns of the year. A buddy and me are planning a backcountry ski adventure in the local mountains. The snow will be sketchy, but it should be there by now. Then it's a family fun XC ski on Saturday.
My race schedule is up in the air right now. The Marine Corps drill weekends and the two-week exercise at the end of August are really cutting into the schedule. Everything is falling on the same weekends, and the Marine Corps gets the priority. Looks like a couple of olympic tris in Utah at this point. The Rush Tri in Rexburg is definitely out, and that was going to be my A race. Also, the Bear Lake Brawl got moved to the last weekend of August, so that is out, too. Damn, my two favorite races are gone this year. But I still get to do Janet's Tri in June, so that is good; it's always nice to be in Yellowstone, do a tri, and then get in some early summer fishing.
Things are on track for a much improved bike time this summer, though, and that is my focus right now. When I'll get to prove that in a race is the question.
I did a nine-days straight push of workouts before leaving to NoDak for Christmas. My legs were ready to sit in the car all day, for sure. Then it snowed for three days straight with blizzard conditions most of the time. I was no-kidding planning to run, but I don't run in the wind...or two feet of snow. I don't mind the cold, it's the wind that gets me. So now workouts for six days.
My parents got me a nice wind-breaker cycling jacket for Christmas. Nice and bright, too. It should help me get out in the mornings during the summer. Maybe I'll start to ride even when it's down to 50degrees! Seriously, I need to be biking in the morning, and the cool wind has made me bail in the past. Not this year!
Today I basically destroyed my legs during my morning workout. I normally feel ok after a workout, but today the soreness set-in within a few hours. All day long I had trouble walking. The real challenge is to do tomorrow morning's workout.
I am seeing weekly improvements on my bike, and it is very motivating. It's easy to get up and workout when you know you are improving. Each day is a different type of workout, and each day I do better than the previous week. I'm not looking forward to the inevitable plateua at all.
Next week I start a new phase of this plan. I'll continue to do big bike workouts each morning, followed by a 1.5 or 3mile run. The bike is being extended by 20 minutes to reach a total of 80 minutes, which is just a bit longer than a normal 40k ride. Then I'll run with the goal of teaching my legs to run after the bike. At lunch will be lifting weights or swimming. I'm starting up swimming again next week when the gym at ISU opens up again. I'm not terribly excited about that, but I need to do it. I am excited about getting back into the weight room again, though.
This weekend I plan to get in my first turns of the year. A buddy and me are planning a backcountry ski adventure in the local mountains. The snow will be sketchy, but it should be there by now. Then it's a family fun XC ski on Saturday.
My race schedule is up in the air right now. The Marine Corps drill weekends and the two-week exercise at the end of August are really cutting into the schedule. Everything is falling on the same weekends, and the Marine Corps gets the priority. Looks like a couple of olympic tris in Utah at this point. The Rush Tri in Rexburg is definitely out, and that was going to be my A race. Also, the Bear Lake Brawl got moved to the last weekend of August, so that is out, too. Damn, my two favorite races are gone this year. But I still get to do Janet's Tri in June, so that is good; it's always nice to be in Yellowstone, do a tri, and then get in some early summer fishing.
Things are on track for a much improved bike time this summer, though, and that is my focus right now. When I'll get to prove that in a race is the question.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Body clock changed successfully
I have managed to change my body clock. I'm now completely ready for bed at 9pm instead of 11pm. Of course, this helps me get up at 0445 for morning workouts. I've found that I'm much more consistent now, and I am doing all of my workouts. With lunch and after-work workouts, something would always come up that shortens the workout or completely cancels it. Consistency is my goal this year, and I think I've found my answer.
Last week was really cold, but I still got out and ran after the morning bike workout. It's a matter of gear and being warmed up. There's no way I could get out of bed and go run in -10 degrees, but I can get up and ride the bike for an hour and then be warmed up and ready to go outside in the cold. I got in three runs last week this way!
Interesting that as my body gets used to morning workouts, it gets easier to get my heart rate up. In early November, I couldn't get ready mentally or physically to get my heart rate much above 145 or so. After six weeks, I can get it up to 170 now and the intensity is close to what my afternoon workouts were. This should probably help come race day when I need to be "on" early in the morning.
Snow is here, and I can't wait to get in some backcountry skiing!
Last week was really cold, but I still got out and ran after the morning bike workout. It's a matter of gear and being warmed up. There's no way I could get out of bed and go run in -10 degrees, but I can get up and ride the bike for an hour and then be warmed up and ready to go outside in the cold. I got in three runs last week this way!
Interesting that as my body gets used to morning workouts, it gets easier to get my heart rate up. In early November, I couldn't get ready mentally or physically to get my heart rate much above 145 or so. After six weeks, I can get it up to 170 now and the intensity is close to what my afternoon workouts were. This should probably help come race day when I need to be "on" early in the morning.
Snow is here, and I can't wait to get in some backcountry skiing!
Monday, December 7, 2009
December going well so far...SNOW!
The December training schedule is going well. I've added a bunch of details for here on through Spring Break in March. The focus is on the bike, and I'm doing one workout of each type each week: M=power (slow cad, big gear, low heart rate) T=hard interval set, W=easy spin and spin-ups, R=hill repeats, and F=steady state at 75% LTR. I'm running 1.5-3 miles after the M,W,F workouts to train my legs for running after the bike, and I like that I have an entire winter and spring to do it. The distances are short, but it's the consistency I'm after; and it's damn cold in the morning now (avg about 5deg), so I like to keep it short. It's much easier to run in the morning after you've had a good workout because it's easier to get out in the cold with a working body rather than one straight out of bed.
I'm lifting weights at lunch on M,W,F, and swimming at lunch on T,R. All in all, the average scheduled hours is 9-10 hours, of which I hit about 7-8, with missing hours because of work, life, etc.
And there is now snow on the ground. In a few days, that measn ice on the roads. The running will be difficult, but it will force a shorter, faster cadence. My goal is to get to an average cadence of 84 on the run this winter, so I guess the conditions help that.
This past weekend I was at Camp Pendleton for my drill weekend. I liked the warm sunshine, but I simply didn't do any workouts other than a bike spin on some rusted out stationary bikes in the Del Mar gym. Next drill periods, I resolve to do lunch and after-work-hours workouts like long runs instead of sitting in front of a tv.
I also got the video analysis of my bike tonight (Thanks, Tera!). Everything looks good. I have a bit of a "snake" action in my core that I don't know if it should be there or not, but it sure looks like it shouldn't. Also, my right heel doesn't come down like it should, although the left ankle action is looking pretty good. The Cobb seat is AWESOME!
I'm lifting weights at lunch on M,W,F, and swimming at lunch on T,R. All in all, the average scheduled hours is 9-10 hours, of which I hit about 7-8, with missing hours because of work, life, etc.
And there is now snow on the ground. In a few days, that measn ice on the roads. The running will be difficult, but it will force a shorter, faster cadence. My goal is to get to an average cadence of 84 on the run this winter, so I guess the conditions help that.
This past weekend I was at Camp Pendleton for my drill weekend. I liked the warm sunshine, but I simply didn't do any workouts other than a bike spin on some rusted out stationary bikes in the Del Mar gym. Next drill periods, I resolve to do lunch and after-work-hours workouts like long runs instead of sitting in front of a tv.
I also got the video analysis of my bike tonight (Thanks, Tera!). Everything looks good. I have a bit of a "snake" action in my core that I don't know if it should be there or not, but it sure looks like it shouldn't. Also, my right heel doesn't come down like it should, although the left ankle action is looking pretty good. The Cobb seat is AWESOME!
Monday, November 23, 2009
The good and the bad
The good:
1. I got the V-Flow Max saddle. So far, I love it. It really is much more comfortable than the old stock saddle. It's even comfortable during 60-second one legged drills; with the old saddle I was screaming after only 10 seconds. I also got my hips a couple inches closer to the handlebars, and I feel much more powerful in this setup. All in all, a good thing.
2. This morning workout thing is going well, and I like it alot. I'm almost to the point where I actually want to be in bed by 9:30pm instead of telling myself that I need to be in bed by that time. I am getting up every morning, and it's great. 100% of my workout hours are invisible to my family at this point; 90 minutes in the morning and 60 minutes at lunch, completely invisible (ie no conflict between family and practice)!
3. Lifting weights in the morning on M,W,F after the bike. Once done with the bike workout, it's a short 5-minute jog to the gym for weights or swim. So far, I've managed to start the weight lifting in earnest. The first days I was very quite sore, but now that's gone and it's just a matter of consistency. It feels good to be lifting weights again. I swam four laps on one day last week; my form and feel are still there, with 35 second 50's with little effort. But I had no motivation to be in the pool. So I'm not sure what I'll do about the swimming; I can always do a longer bike workout those mornings, which is probably needed more than swimming right now anyway.
The bad:
1. Running consistency was good for a while but will now be non-existent. I missed Wed - Friday of last week, and now my heel feels much better after some sort of pain after the PFT on Oct 31. I figure I'll just stay off it a few more days and let it get to 100%. I forgot what a completely pain-free heel feels like, I guess.
2. Nearly 190 pounds, versus 175 during the summer. Not sure what's going on, other than I must be eating more than I think. I'm averagine 7 hours of workouts / week, and gaining 2-3 pounds per week.
1. I got the V-Flow Max saddle. So far, I love it. It really is much more comfortable than the old stock saddle. It's even comfortable during 60-second one legged drills; with the old saddle I was screaming after only 10 seconds. I also got my hips a couple inches closer to the handlebars, and I feel much more powerful in this setup. All in all, a good thing.
2. This morning workout thing is going well, and I like it alot. I'm almost to the point where I actually want to be in bed by 9:30pm instead of telling myself that I need to be in bed by that time. I am getting up every morning, and it's great. 100% of my workout hours are invisible to my family at this point; 90 minutes in the morning and 60 minutes at lunch, completely invisible (ie no conflict between family and practice)!
3. Lifting weights in the morning on M,W,F after the bike. Once done with the bike workout, it's a short 5-minute jog to the gym for weights or swim. So far, I've managed to start the weight lifting in earnest. The first days I was very quite sore, but now that's gone and it's just a matter of consistency. It feels good to be lifting weights again. I swam four laps on one day last week; my form and feel are still there, with 35 second 50's with little effort. But I had no motivation to be in the pool. So I'm not sure what I'll do about the swimming; I can always do a longer bike workout those mornings, which is probably needed more than swimming right now anyway.
The bad:
1. Running consistency was good for a while but will now be non-existent. I missed Wed - Friday of last week, and now my heel feels much better after some sort of pain after the PFT on Oct 31. I figure I'll just stay off it a few more days and let it get to 100%. I forgot what a completely pain-free heel feels like, I guess.
2. Nearly 190 pounds, versus 175 during the summer. Not sure what's going on, other than I must be eating more than I think. I'm averagine 7 hours of workouts / week, and gaining 2-3 pounds per week.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Great week so far....
The only consistency is my inconsistency.
Last week's workouts sucked. This week I'm on a roll. I've done all my workouts this week, morning bike trainer rides and runs at lunch. If...no, when, I hit tomorrow's workouts, I'll have done 100% of my schedule. That doesn't happen often. I don't think it has ever happened. So I'm on a roll there, and I think I'll hit 20 miles running, too.
USMC Birthday was Tuesday night. We had a great dinner with the local Marines, all retired except me and a Corporal. I have absolutely no discipline when it comes to Marine Corps Birthday Cake; I ate at least four pieces, probably six, I lost count!
Looking forward to some snow and getting into the backcountry on skis! The seasons are at point right now that I don't do anything on the weekend. Kind of relaxing, actually.
Last week's workouts sucked. This week I'm on a roll. I've done all my workouts this week, morning bike trainer rides and runs at lunch. If...no, when, I hit tomorrow's workouts, I'll have done 100% of my schedule. That doesn't happen often. I don't think it has ever happened. So I'm on a roll there, and I think I'll hit 20 miles running, too.
USMC Birthday was Tuesday night. We had a great dinner with the local Marines, all retired except me and a Corporal. I have absolutely no discipline when it comes to Marine Corps Birthday Cake; I ate at least four pieces, probably six, I lost count!
Looking forward to some snow and getting into the backcountry on skis! The seasons are at point right now that I don't do anything on the weekend. Kind of relaxing, actually.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Not a great week.
This past week was not so great. The only workout I got was a three mile run. No bike at all. Wow...what happened? Still not sure, but I know I was really tired and needed sleep, so I wasn't getting up in the morning. Tera and Paul were both sick all week, so I think that was affecting me, and my body must have been successfully fighting it off. I didn't get sick, but I got really tired for sure.
I haven't called about the V-flow seat yet. Still looking into it and pretty sure it's going to happen.
This upcoming week is an important time for me to get back into the swing of morning workouts and daily runs. I was doing pretty good in October and need to get that enthusiasm back. With November here, I am to a point where I shouldn't be too worried about burn-out anymore. I took off alot of September and workouts in October were pretty low-key. At this point, I'm losing important time on the bike that will get me down to the 1:08-1:10 times I want next summer.
In December, I want to start getting into the pool for about 2,000 yards a week and three days of weight lifting.
And Tuesday is the 234th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Happy Birthday Marines!
And everyone have a safe Veteran's Day....say thanks to a veteran and also to his/her family because it's tougher at home when a family member or good friend is deployed.
I haven't called about the V-flow seat yet. Still looking into it and pretty sure it's going to happen.
This upcoming week is an important time for me to get back into the swing of morning workouts and daily runs. I was doing pretty good in October and need to get that enthusiasm back. With November here, I am to a point where I shouldn't be too worried about burn-out anymore. I took off alot of September and workouts in October were pretty low-key. At this point, I'm losing important time on the bike that will get me down to the 1:08-1:10 times I want next summer.
In December, I want to start getting into the pool for about 2,000 yards a week and three days of weight lifting.
And Tuesday is the 234th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Happy Birthday Marines!
And everyone have a safe Veteran's Day....say thanks to a veteran and also to his/her family because it's tougher at home when a family member or good friend is deployed.
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