Swim: 11,350
Bike: 100
Run: 41
Well this week continued another positive week for running and swimming but another mildly depressing streak of biking. I got in 100ish miles this week in two rides but I just don't feel like I have the same power I did a month ago. I'm thinking that it may be time for a week or two of just active recovery to get my legs back underneath me before I start ramping it up for my big fall/winter race (that I just signed up for on Monday...).
Got in some great swim workouts, which is always a good thing since that's my main weakness. I've been gradually dropping the times I do my intervals on - for example, If I do 15 x 100 yards I leave for each 100 on 1:40 intervals (so I leave at :00, :40, :20, :00 etc going by the pool lap timer) - which just shortens the amount of recovery I get and thereby makes me faster (hopefully). I don't feel like I've gotten faster per se but I can hold faster times for longer and longer efforts. I still can't go under 30 seconds for a 50yarder and I doubt I can go much under 1:15 on a 100 but I can hold under 1:25/100 yd pace for over 1000 yards. Strange.
The running this week (no workouts) culminated in a 22 mile run up in Davidson on Sunday. Much, MUCH hotter this week so that made the run feel much more difficult than the 21 miler felt last week. I definitely feel like I'm improving my endurance and building a solid run/long run base for November...
Speaking of November, on Monday I decided to register for Beach 2 Battleship Ironman Distance Tri (not technically an "Ironman" but for all intents and purposes it's the same thing) on November 7 (2009!) in Wilmington, NC. The expense was justified as I just won't do the two races I was thinking about doing in late September/early October and I just really wanted to do it. At a certain point you have to stop over analyzing and worrying and just get over yourself. A training partner said it best in an email when I was asking him what the course was like (he completed the race last year - and came in 5th overall) by saying "Don't chew on it too much. Clearly you want to do it, so do it. You can handle the distance no problem." That pretty much said it in a nutshell for me. So I bit the bullet and registered. It will be tough to stay movitated to keep training and putting in big volume that late in the year but I know another guy doing that race so we'll be able to get in long rides/runs together in preparation for the distance. It'll be fun and challenging. I'll see how far I can push myself...
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Running time
Swim: 7650 yds
Bike: 113 mi
Run: 52.4 mi
Well, it looks like I've really started to hit my stride running-wise. I've been feeling better and better on my runs so the increased run volume is starting to see some results. One of my biggest issues with running has always been a lack of run endurance so I started trying to change that when I was in Louisville with an 18 mile long run. This week I even incorporated (albeit unplanned) a 21 mile run and next week I'll have 22. I'm basically training (in terms of my long run, anyway) for a marathon but I'm not going to actually DO a marathon until December (Thunder Road). I'm just trying to log some solid miles so I can get back to being a stronger runner. I want to go under 1:30 in my half-ironman run portion. Preferably well under...
The biking has gone down every week since Louisville and I haven't had a long ride in a good while but that's ok as I think I've been pretty tired after the three tough weeks of biking (culminating in Louisville's suffer fest). Next week I'll pick it up again with a trip to the Georgia mountains (first time in the mountains since January!).
Swimming also took a hit this week but that was mostly accidental. I'll make up for it these next 2 weeks. Not much of a good workout this week unfortunately; no key sessions in the pool...
Bike: 113 mi
Run: 52.4 mi
Well, it looks like I've really started to hit my stride running-wise. I've been feeling better and better on my runs so the increased run volume is starting to see some results. One of my biggest issues with running has always been a lack of run endurance so I started trying to change that when I was in Louisville with an 18 mile long run. This week I even incorporated (albeit unplanned) a 21 mile run and next week I'll have 22. I'm basically training (in terms of my long run, anyway) for a marathon but I'm not going to actually DO a marathon until December (Thunder Road). I'm just trying to log some solid miles so I can get back to being a stronger runner. I want to go under 1:30 in my half-ironman run portion. Preferably well under...
The biking has gone down every week since Louisville and I haven't had a long ride in a good while but that's ok as I think I've been pretty tired after the three tough weeks of biking (culminating in Louisville's suffer fest). Next week I'll pick it up again with a trip to the Georgia mountains (first time in the mountains since January!).
Swimming also took a hit this week but that was mostly accidental. I'll make up for it these next 2 weeks. Not much of a good workout this week unfortunately; no key sessions in the pool...
Monday, July 13, 2009
More of the same
Swim: 9600 yds
Bike: 151 mi
Run: 35 mi
This week didn't have anything too special with the big day being on Sunday with a 51 mile ride and a 10 mile brick run. That run felt pretty awful and I'm not really sure why; although I think it may have to do with not enough water on the bike/not eating enough before and during. I'm going to get a little bit of a rest this week in terms of intensity (hopefully) with the only hard bike day being on Wednesday during another one of the Lowe's Speedway Time Trial series where I will go for the 25-29 Age Group course record (21:48, not that impressive actually). It should definitely be manageable given that last time I rode a 22:15 the day after a very tough bike ride. I might have a run workout later in the week but that will depend on how my legs feel after the bigger run mileage the past 2 weeks.
Bike: 151 mi
Run: 35 mi
This week didn't have anything too special with the big day being on Sunday with a 51 mile ride and a 10 mile brick run. That run felt pretty awful and I'm not really sure why; although I think it may have to do with not enough water on the bike/not eating enough before and during. I'm going to get a little bit of a rest this week in terms of intensity (hopefully) with the only hard bike day being on Wednesday during another one of the Lowe's Speedway Time Trial series where I will go for the 25-29 Age Group course record (21:48, not that impressive actually). It should definitely be manageable given that last time I rode a 22:15 the day after a very tough bike ride. I might have a run workout later in the week but that will depend on how my legs feel after the bigger run mileage the past 2 weeks.
Monday, July 6, 2009
To Louisville and back
Swim: 8200 yds
Bike: 195 mi
Run: 38 mi
I took the early part of this week pretty easy before heading up to Louisville, KY with Scott, Brad, and John to tour the Ironman Louisville bike and run routes. The race itself takes place on August 30th; thankfully I am not signed up to do it but the three others are getting ready to destroy their bodies in 8 weeks.
I did, however, take part in the last week of the Tuesday night track events put on by Charlotte Track and Triathlon Club. My plan was to race the mile and the 400 just to see where I was compared to last year when I managed a 4:56 mile (I didn't officially race the 400 but I raced in the 800 and just did 1 lap in :58 or :59). Last year I had been doing a lot more speed work and this year I have done almost zero. I just didn't know what to expect but I managed a 4:52 mile and a 55.92 400. Not bad, all things considered. I paced the mile poorly and am fairly confident I could go sub 4:50 with more even lap splits. For the 400 I was just tired from racing the mile and died a little bit in the middle before finishing strong. I was really happy and surprised that I could do these times with no specific focus on them.
We drove up to Louisville on Friday and hopped on our bikes for a 50 mile ride after an 8 hour car ride. It was pretty uneventful but my stomach felt pretty terrible so I couldn't enjoy the ride as much as I would have liked. We woke up Saturday morning for a preview of the entire course (112 miles) and set out in overcast/misty weather that would, by mile 65, turn into full-on rain. The ride was pretty good and I really enjoyed the course. It's rolling but still very fast. Sunday brought with it an 18 mile run doing 1 loop (plus a little extra) of the run course and it was really flat. That could be a fast marathon course; luckily I don't have to do it on race day. I will, hopefully, get to cheer on those guys.
Bike: 195 mi
Run: 38 mi
I took the early part of this week pretty easy before heading up to Louisville, KY with Scott, Brad, and John to tour the Ironman Louisville bike and run routes. The race itself takes place on August 30th; thankfully I am not signed up to do it but the three others are getting ready to destroy their bodies in 8 weeks.
I did, however, take part in the last week of the Tuesday night track events put on by Charlotte Track and Triathlon Club. My plan was to race the mile and the 400 just to see where I was compared to last year when I managed a 4:56 mile (I didn't officially race the 400 but I raced in the 800 and just did 1 lap in :58 or :59). Last year I had been doing a lot more speed work and this year I have done almost zero. I just didn't know what to expect but I managed a 4:52 mile and a 55.92 400. Not bad, all things considered. I paced the mile poorly and am fairly confident I could go sub 4:50 with more even lap splits. For the 400 I was just tired from racing the mile and died a little bit in the middle before finishing strong. I was really happy and surprised that I could do these times with no specific focus on them.
We drove up to Louisville on Friday and hopped on our bikes for a 50 mile ride after an 8 hour car ride. It was pretty uneventful but my stomach felt pretty terrible so I couldn't enjoy the ride as much as I would have liked. We woke up Saturday morning for a preview of the entire course (112 miles) and set out in overcast/misty weather that would, by mile 65, turn into full-on rain. The ride was pretty good and I really enjoyed the course. It's rolling but still very fast. Sunday brought with it an 18 mile run doing 1 loop (plus a little extra) of the run course and it was really flat. That could be a fast marathon course; luckily I don't have to do it on race day. I will, hopefully, get to cheer on those guys.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
So about that whole 'moderation' thing
When sunny weather abounds, it's hard not to overshoot your limits.
Swim: 9550 yds (3:11)
Bike: 237 mi (11:46)
Run: 30 (3:45)
Total: 18:43 (career high in hours by a pretty good stretch)
Since last Sunday, I've actually biked over 300 miles. My legs were certainly tired after today's 104 miler but I don't feel as though I killed myself getting to that number.
Over the last 10 weeks, I have averaged (per week) a little over 7000 yards in the pool (including 2 weeks where I was out of town and could not swim at all :( so that's pretty good), 128 miles on the bike (includes 3 weeks of sub 100 miles), and 23 miles running (includes injury time off sadly). Not a bad string of 10 weeks, but the next 10 are going to be much, much better.
Next week should be another big week on the bike with another 100+ miler hopefully coming up on Saturday in Louisville. I'll also continue to build the run mileage to around 35 with a long run of between 13-15. Swimming should pretty much stay the same although it will be hard if I'm out of town Fri-Sun with no pool access to get in 8-10000 yards. We shall see.
Swim: 9550 yds (3:11)
Bike: 237 mi (11:46)
Run: 30 (3:45)
Total: 18:43 (career high in hours by a pretty good stretch)
Since last Sunday, I've actually biked over 300 miles. My legs were certainly tired after today's 104 miler but I don't feel as though I killed myself getting to that number.
Over the last 10 weeks, I have averaged (per week) a little over 7000 yards in the pool (including 2 weeks where I was out of town and could not swim at all :( so that's pretty good), 128 miles on the bike (includes 3 weeks of sub 100 miles), and 23 miles running (includes injury time off sadly). Not a bad string of 10 weeks, but the next 10 are going to be much, much better.
Next week should be another big week on the bike with another 100+ miler hopefully coming up on Saturday in Louisville. I'll also continue to build the run mileage to around 35 with a long run of between 13-15. Swimming should pretty much stay the same although it will be hard if I'm out of town Fri-Sun with no pool access to get in 8-10000 yards. We shall see.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Stress and Training, one and the same?
So the past week saw me in Cedar Rapids, IA participating in the AmeriCorps build-a-thon that happens yearly and brings together Habitat AmeriCorps from around the country to help a community rebuild. Last year heavy flooding devastated Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities and we got to play a small part in helping the recovery efforts.
That being said, it really sucked for my training. No biking and no swimming for a week is not good for my body; it needs it and craves it. It at least gives me an excuse for shaving my legs. I did, however, get to run so that was a nice thing since the past 2 weeks have seen zero running on my legs. Once I got back on Saturday I also biked and swam a little bit then on Sunday got in a nice long ride in the heat (90 degrees, windy, and sunburnt) followed by an abysmal run off the bike (it had been 3+ weeks since I bricked off the bike, ouch) and after some recovery a nice swim in the outdoor pool at the Y.
For the next couple of months I'm going to try and string together as many weeks as possible of consistent swimming, biking and running. My preliminary goals are 8000+ yards in the pool (my biggest limiter right now probably), 150+ miles on the bike (I'm happy maintaining the fitness I have while slowly improving it; I don't need 200+ miles a week right now I don't think), and 30+ running (preferably more but I have to easy into it...). Hopefully that will lead into a very solid showing at the South Carolina Half in October where I'd really like to go under 4:30. Well, I'd really like to actually "race" it but I won't come out of the water with any of the faster guys and I'll only make up ground on a couple of them with my bike but I'm hoping that with an increased focus on running I'll be able to post a solid time in that respect.
My stress is mainly related to the prospect of the job search. In a little over a month's time I will no longer be serving with Habitat for Humanity and finding the next step is a very daunting process. It stresses me out to no end, which affects both my training and my relationships, so having something ahead of me (i.e. knowing the next step) would be an amazing boost to my spirits. While I'd really love to stay in Charlotte I'd move if the right opportunity presented itself. Hopefully, one day, that stressor will be resolved.
That being said, it really sucked for my training. No biking and no swimming for a week is not good for my body; it needs it and craves it. It at least gives me an excuse for shaving my legs. I did, however, get to run so that was a nice thing since the past 2 weeks have seen zero running on my legs. Once I got back on Saturday I also biked and swam a little bit then on Sunday got in a nice long ride in the heat (90 degrees, windy, and sunburnt) followed by an abysmal run off the bike (it had been 3+ weeks since I bricked off the bike, ouch) and after some recovery a nice swim in the outdoor pool at the Y.
For the next couple of months I'm going to try and string together as many weeks as possible of consistent swimming, biking and running. My preliminary goals are 8000+ yards in the pool (my biggest limiter right now probably), 150+ miles on the bike (I'm happy maintaining the fitness I have while slowly improving it; I don't need 200+ miles a week right now I don't think), and 30+ running (preferably more but I have to easy into it...). Hopefully that will lead into a very solid showing at the South Carolina Half in October where I'd really like to go under 4:30. Well, I'd really like to actually "race" it but I won't come out of the water with any of the faster guys and I'll only make up ground on a couple of them with my bike but I'm hoping that with an increased focus on running I'll be able to post a solid time in that respect.
My stress is mainly related to the prospect of the job search. In a little over a month's time I will no longer be serving with Habitat for Humanity and finding the next step is a very daunting process. It stresses me out to no end, which affects both my training and my relationships, so having something ahead of me (i.e. knowing the next step) would be an amazing boost to my spirits. While I'd really love to stay in Charlotte I'd move if the right opportunity presented itself. Hopefully, one day, that stressor will be resolved.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Long time no see
Well, it's been a while since I put up a post, so here goes.
The notable things that have happened to me in the past 3 weeks are a (nother) severely sprained ankle and my first DNF in a race since freshman year of College. The ankle necessitated the DNF.
I also had my first time trial in several years last Wednesday at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. A local production group puts on a series of 10 mile TTs there over the course of the summer and it's a fun way to get a workout/race in while seeing some cool stuff. You park, quite literally, next to the garages where the Nascar teams do all their prep work and stuff for the cars; there were even some cars parked in the garage. You actually race ON the track; admittedly it's on the inner, level portion as oppoesed to the outer banked portion (that is ridiculously steep!). This was the second TT of the series and I plan on doing the rest of them because it's cheap, fun, and a solid way to test your fitness gains over time. I did my race (10 miles, 7 laps) in 22:15, which is a 26.97 mph average. I won my age group but that doesn't count for much because anyone who is a serious cyclist is going to be 'categoried' and I don't plan on renewing my USCF license anytime soon since I only have a tri bike and not a road bike (one that works, anyway). I can improve on that time a great deal since the day before I had a hard 60 mile ride and I also rode an easy (but still taxing) 40 miles the Monday beforehand so I know with fresh legs I can venture into the 21:xx range.
I also sprained my ankle while walking on a hiking trail during our annual AmeriCorps retreat last Sunday. Unfortunately I think my ankle was still weak after spraining it in early March so it wasn't ready for that kind of rolling action (I took a slight misstep and boom, dead ankle). I plan on taking a solid 2 weeks off from running (1 week already in the bank) and when I start running again to incorporate more strengthening exercises (to improve my balance/stability all over, not just in my ankles) because I think that will help with injury prevention in the future.
I had been signed up for the Festival of Flowers triathlon (1.5k, 24mi, 10k) for a long time and even though I didn't think I was going to be able to do the run portion of the race I still wanted to go down and see my grandmother and get in good efforts on the swim and bike (and get my race t shirt, duh). The swim was ok; my time is listed as 27:41 but I think it should be 23:41 as my wave started 4 minutes after the first and the digital clock always shows total race time...but who knows, I could have just had a bad swim. I'm definitely capable of ~24-25 minute swims in international distance. The bike was a good course, rolling but fast and I managed just over a :59. My legs didn't feel great though so I know that I've still got work to do on the bike if I want to continue to improve. I didn't even really try to run. I put on my shoes in transition and jogged 10 yards and said 'no thanks.'
My tentative plan for the coming months is to race Assault on Cherokee in late August (int'l distance) and forego Age Group Triathlon Nationals (too expensive and too far away for something I'm not going to place in...) then do South Carolina Half in early October. I'm also contemplating running (not racing) the Thunder Road Marathon in early December, just so I can say I've run a marathon. I'll have to see about that one though...
The notable things that have happened to me in the past 3 weeks are a (nother) severely sprained ankle and my first DNF in a race since freshman year of College. The ankle necessitated the DNF.
I also had my first time trial in several years last Wednesday at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. A local production group puts on a series of 10 mile TTs there over the course of the summer and it's a fun way to get a workout/race in while seeing some cool stuff. You park, quite literally, next to the garages where the Nascar teams do all their prep work and stuff for the cars; there were even some cars parked in the garage. You actually race ON the track; admittedly it's on the inner, level portion as oppoesed to the outer banked portion (that is ridiculously steep!). This was the second TT of the series and I plan on doing the rest of them because it's cheap, fun, and a solid way to test your fitness gains over time. I did my race (10 miles, 7 laps) in 22:15, which is a 26.97 mph average. I won my age group but that doesn't count for much because anyone who is a serious cyclist is going to be 'categoried' and I don't plan on renewing my USCF license anytime soon since I only have a tri bike and not a road bike (one that works, anyway). I can improve on that time a great deal since the day before I had a hard 60 mile ride and I also rode an easy (but still taxing) 40 miles the Monday beforehand so I know with fresh legs I can venture into the 21:xx range.
I also sprained my ankle while walking on a hiking trail during our annual AmeriCorps retreat last Sunday. Unfortunately I think my ankle was still weak after spraining it in early March so it wasn't ready for that kind of rolling action (I took a slight misstep and boom, dead ankle). I plan on taking a solid 2 weeks off from running (1 week already in the bank) and when I start running again to incorporate more strengthening exercises (to improve my balance/stability all over, not just in my ankles) because I think that will help with injury prevention in the future.
I had been signed up for the Festival of Flowers triathlon (1.5k, 24mi, 10k) for a long time and even though I didn't think I was going to be able to do the run portion of the race I still wanted to go down and see my grandmother and get in good efforts on the swim and bike (and get my race t shirt, duh). The swim was ok; my time is listed as 27:41 but I think it should be 23:41 as my wave started 4 minutes after the first and the digital clock always shows total race time...but who knows, I could have just had a bad swim. I'm definitely capable of ~24-25 minute swims in international distance. The bike was a good course, rolling but fast and I managed just over a :59. My legs didn't feel great though so I know that I've still got work to do on the bike if I want to continue to improve. I didn't even really try to run. I put on my shoes in transition and jogged 10 yards and said 'no thanks.'
My tentative plan for the coming months is to race Assault on Cherokee in late August (int'l distance) and forego Age Group Triathlon Nationals (too expensive and too far away for something I'm not going to place in...) then do South Carolina Half in early October. I'm also contemplating running (not racing) the Thunder Road Marathon in early December, just so I can say I've run a marathon. I'll have to see about that one though...
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