My training hours have been lower than normal the past two weeks, but my times on usual workouts are better with less effort, and I finally broke through on some weight loss. What's happening? I haven't figured it out. Nothing changed but the hours. Intensity remains the same, but volume dropped. I would like to simply call it better recovery, but I don't think that's it (gut feeling). I am sleeping better, so maybe that's the deal. I'm a bit more consistent, and everyone says consistency is the key. My diet hasn't changed at all. I'm not swimming because the pool is closed. Maybe it's just the weather; it feels like winter has really left us, and we're having standard spring weather (some rain, wind, cool but not cold).
Whatever it is, I'll take it.
Monday was a good run at lunch. Nothing else. Pool is still closed this week.
Tuesday was an easy 3 mile run this morning, and hill work on the bike for lunch. I only got in two hills instead of planned three because my lunch hour was a bit short. The times were 8:05 and 8:25 versus 8:20, 8:40, and 8:55 last week. I think the 40mph tailwind on the up might have had something to do with it!
I'm focusing on getting in two sets of planks after at least one workout each day. My abs are sore right now, so I guess that means my core is relatively weak. Gotta keep up those planks!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Bike 40k PR today!
Yesterday I didn't get to do the brick I was planning, and it was a beautiful day....a beautiful day to spend at the golf course for the Marine Corps League's annual fundraiser golf tourney. I don't golf, but it's an important day for our Marine Corps League. We use the funds raised to help out various former Marines in financial need, assist as needed at the veteran's home, and sponsor various things around town like Simplot Games and such.
But today was different. After church, I wanted to bike on another beautiful Idaho spring day. 60 degrees and sunny without much wind. So I headed out for a 40k cruise. I quickly realized that I wanted to hit it as hard as a could. Maybe it was some wind that pushed me to my fastest speeds on a flat by Century High School, but at that point I wanted to go for a PR. And my legs felt good even after a good hill workout on Friday.
I came in at 1 hour 11 minutes, the best for me ever on 40k. My only race 40k was 1:12 at the Bear Lake Brawl last year. The previous best on the course today was 1:16. On the way home, there was a fair amount of wind, so I'm calling this an average wind day and counting it as a true PR. In November, I decided my goal for a race was 24mph at cadence of 88 in my second highest gear. Today, I pushed the 24mph in the third highest gear at cadence of 88. Not sure how that all works out, but the main point is that I was holding 24mph on the flats, which is good for me. I also maintained a good pace on the ups, which is always nice. And even better, my legs weren't fried at the end. My average cadence was 87, but I felt it should have been much higher than that. I was pedaling 95 or so for what I thought was much of the course. I'm truly realizing that I need to think I'm averaging a cadence of about 93 to actually hit 88.
It was a good end to a wierd week.
Pool is closed all this coming week. More time to focus on the bike I guess. If I could get up mentally, I could go jump in Jensen's Grove, but I can't bring myself to do it. The water is probably about 55, which is doable, but I would prefer above 80 degrees on land so that I can warm up when I get done. Then I have to ask myself "How bad do I want that goal time?"
But today was different. After church, I wanted to bike on another beautiful Idaho spring day. 60 degrees and sunny without much wind. So I headed out for a 40k cruise. I quickly realized that I wanted to hit it as hard as a could. Maybe it was some wind that pushed me to my fastest speeds on a flat by Century High School, but at that point I wanted to go for a PR. And my legs felt good even after a good hill workout on Friday.
I came in at 1 hour 11 minutes, the best for me ever on 40k. My only race 40k was 1:12 at the Bear Lake Brawl last year. The previous best on the course today was 1:16. On the way home, there was a fair amount of wind, so I'm calling this an average wind day and counting it as a true PR. In November, I decided my goal for a race was 24mph at cadence of 88 in my second highest gear. Today, I pushed the 24mph in the third highest gear at cadence of 88. Not sure how that all works out, but the main point is that I was holding 24mph on the flats, which is good for me. I also maintained a good pace on the ups, which is always nice. And even better, my legs weren't fried at the end. My average cadence was 87, but I felt it should have been much higher than that. I was pedaling 95 or so for what I thought was much of the course. I'm truly realizing that I need to think I'm averaging a cadence of about 93 to actually hit 88.
It was a good end to a wierd week.
Pool is closed all this coming week. More time to focus on the bike I guess. If I could get up mentally, I could go jump in Jensen's Grove, but I can't bring myself to do it. The water is probably about 55, which is doable, but I would prefer above 80 degrees on land so that I can warm up when I get done. Then I have to ask myself "How bad do I want that goal time?"
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Thwarted AGAIN..I need backup plans
Today was the day I was going to up my sprint work to two sets each of 800,400,200, and 100. As I rode up to the track at the university, I saw a bunch of school kids in track suits..."This can't be good." All the gates were closed except one, where a couple of ladies were taking money for entry. "I guess I'm not running my speed interval set today, huh?" She said, "Not today, not until about 5:00pm anyway. And not tomorrow, either. Two day city track meet."
As I did on Monday morning when I found the pool closed for the week, I just went away. I really need to have backup plans for each workout. Pool closed. Track not available because of a track meet. Wind. Rain. Snow. My problem is that I simply walk away from the workout when I can't do what I wanted.
I'll take this as the learning point for this week.
As I did on Monday morning when I found the pool closed for the week, I just went away. I really need to have backup plans for each workout. Pool closed. Track not available because of a track meet. Wind. Rain. Snow. My problem is that I simply walk away from the workout when I can't do what I wanted.
I'll take this as the learning point for this week.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
A decent day
Raining this morning. I'm a fair weather biker, so I went to the gym and did 30mins of recovery bike on the recumbent. That was so incredibly boring that I may just take up biking in the rain! Did 15minutes of stretching.
At lunch, skies were cleared up and ran 5 miles very easy. The run I did yesterday in 38:58 took me 44:14 today, about 1m15sec min/mile slower. My legs were feeling really tired today.
Tomorrow is the day I do a full two sets of the sprint workouts on the track. That means 1x800, 1x400, 1x200, 1x100 then repeat. It's always the thought of doing the second 800 that stops me. I just don't want to feel that pain. I'm convinced that tomorrow I'll fight through it! I ate alot of crap tonight at an end-of-school-year party, so I'll just guilt myself into it.
Friday and Saturday weather is forecasted for sunny. Yeah!
At lunch, skies were cleared up and ran 5 miles very easy. The run I did yesterday in 38:58 took me 44:14 today, about 1m15sec min/mile slower. My legs were feeling really tired today.
Tomorrow is the day I do a full two sets of the sprint workouts on the track. That means 1x800, 1x400, 1x200, 1x100 then repeat. It's always the thought of doing the second 800 that stops me. I just don't want to feel that pain. I'm convinced that tomorrow I'll fight through it! I ate alot of crap tonight at an end-of-school-year party, so I'll just guilt myself into it.
Friday and Saturday weather is forecasted for sunny. Yeah!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Lunch Run, evening bike
Got in a nice 5 mile run at lunch. Only a minute slower than last week's run for time, and my effort level was slightly lower.
Biked the Portland Triathlon simulation route tonight. Up the hill twice. Times were a bit slower than two weeks ago, but I didn't have a five mile run earlier in that day.
Overall, a good day once I got over the pool closure.
Looking at a different open water swim area near town in American Falls Reservoir. I'll have to recon the route to see if it's truly accessible. Google Earth makes it look like it's good to go. I'd like to bike the 18 miles out there (kind of in the middle of nowhere with no facilities) then bike back, maybe even make a couple hours out of it by doing a run after the swim before biking back. I'm pretty excited about this plan if it works out. Heck, I guess I could drive out there with Tera and Paul; they could hang out while I swim and run. I just need the roads to be paved and not gravel, which entirely possible.
Biked the Portland Triathlon simulation route tonight. Up the hill twice. Times were a bit slower than two weeks ago, but I didn't have a five mile run earlier in that day.
Overall, a good day once I got over the pool closure.
Looking at a different open water swim area near town in American Falls Reservoir. I'll have to recon the route to see if it's truly accessible. Google Earth makes it look like it's good to go. I'd like to bike the 18 miles out there (kind of in the middle of nowhere with no facilities) then bike back, maybe even make a couple hours out of it by doing a run after the swim before biking back. I'm pretty excited about this plan if it works out. Heck, I guess I could drive out there with Tera and Paul; they could hang out while I swim and run. I just need the roads to be paved and not gravel, which entirely possible.
My favorite type of morning...not
So I actually got out of bed this morning at 0550 to be at the pool at 0600 cuz now I'm excited about a few changes to my schedule. And I actually talked to Tera about getting up in the morning instead of lounging around. I got up, got to the pool, and the pool is close. I love when this happens....yeah, right. I would normally be really pissed but after I read the sign I remember a coworker telling me he thought the pool was going to be closed this week. Still, ISU communications systems suck.
On Saturday, I saw an opportunity for one hour of biking at a local area (Bartz Field) that has a nice little hill and a loop road. Basically, you can do laps that are the equivalent of hill intervals, which is nice. I decided to do that with a one hour window of no rain and before guests came for dinner, and also because I wanted to see how long each lap takes so I can schedule this during a lunch period...and, I wanted to stay close to home in case my tire repair didn't work out so well. I did two laps, each just over 2:00 on the uphill when my tire lost its seal with the rim. No problem, I just aired down to push it back on, then I realized my air was sitting on the bench in the garage right where I put it so I couldn't forget to put it on my bike. Yeehaw....walk one mile to home and end of workout.
Mowed the yard yesterday. I'm counting this as an hour long workout. My heartrate gets to at least 140 for that hour, and I have to push the mower up a small hill. I think it's a legitimate workout. In the summer heat it can kick my butt.
On Saturday, I saw an opportunity for one hour of biking at a local area (Bartz Field) that has a nice little hill and a loop road. Basically, you can do laps that are the equivalent of hill intervals, which is nice. I decided to do that with a one hour window of no rain and before guests came for dinner, and also because I wanted to see how long each lap takes so I can schedule this during a lunch period...and, I wanted to stay close to home in case my tire repair didn't work out so well. I did two laps, each just over 2:00 on the uphill when my tire lost its seal with the rim. No problem, I just aired down to push it back on, then I realized my air was sitting on the bench in the garage right where I put it so I couldn't forget to put it on my bike. Yeehaw....walk one mile to home and end of workout.
Mowed the yard yesterday. I'm counting this as an hour long workout. My heartrate gets to at least 140 for that hour, and I have to push the mower up a small hill. I think it's a legitimate workout. In the summer heat it can kick my butt.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
This week kind of fell apart
After a good first three days, this week has kind of fallen apart for training. Monday and Tuesday went well, then Wednesday was ok, and Thursday, Friday, today, and probably tomorrow are not good. Thursday I did get a good, hard 5 mile run in, but Friday turned into nothing. Today is raining and "various tasks," so nothing happening today, either. Tomorrow isn't looking good, either, but maybe I can bring myself to an inside bike workout after a swim.
My last training cycle was pretty good, and I was obviously trying to continue that trend. I wish this rain would go away and come back in November and December as snow. But I know all the rain is good for us. Maybe I can just believe that three lost days doesn't translate to lost fitness, just lost gains.
My last training cycle was pretty good, and I was obviously trying to continue that trend. I wish this rain would go away and come back in November and December as snow. But I know all the rain is good for us. Maybe I can just believe that three lost days doesn't translate to lost fitness, just lost gains.
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