When I left work at almost 7pm tonight I was thrilled to find that it was still a bit light outside. It instantly made me smile to think that evenings full of light are just around the corner.
Today was a rest day and boy did I need it. My body was tired from the long training weekend. I'm back at it tomorrow at 5am with a pre-work swim to kick off my biggest training week yet! I am actually looking forward to it.
March 16, 2009
March 15, 2009
Not so Fresh Feeling
Do you ever get that not so fresh feeling in your legs after a long workout? The state of my legs today was deceiving. I had been wearing compression tights so they didn't hurt and generally seemed ok, which was a good thing since I had the second big workout of the weekend scheduled today, my 12-mile long run.
Today was the perfect day for a long run. It was around 50 degrees, overcast, light wind and only a slight chill in the air. I miss running in Central Park so I decided to do the run there. It's big enough to randomly mix up the route and keep it from being boring.
I was slightly underfueled due to the need to carry everything. Since I cannot tolerate a fuel belt, I have to get by on what I and my tiny pockets can hold. But since it was chilly I was fine. My legs were certainly not their freshest. They felt heavy and sluggish throughout the run, but I had a fast first mile split (8:18) and knew I'd have to severely back that down to avoid burning out. I eased into a nice 8:50ish pace and maintained this for the entire distance with the exception of one mile slightly over 9:00.
Being able to do this run after my long brick was a good confidence booster. I'm still figuring out what my body is capable of and know I will have some really intense training weekends this summer. Little by little I'm improving and enjoying the challenge of pushing myself to a physical limit. I've always trusted the logic that you can most certainly complete an Ironman if you commit to doing the training. Of course there are the things you can't plan for, like race-week illness or bike maintenance issues, but in general, you can stack the odds in your favor by taking the training seriously. That belief will carry me through the next 6 months.
Running
Distance - 12 miles
Time - 1:46:01
Today was the perfect day for a long run. It was around 50 degrees, overcast, light wind and only a slight chill in the air. I miss running in Central Park so I decided to do the run there. It's big enough to randomly mix up the route and keep it from being boring.
I was slightly underfueled due to the need to carry everything. Since I cannot tolerate a fuel belt, I have to get by on what I and my tiny pockets can hold. But since it was chilly I was fine. My legs were certainly not their freshest. They felt heavy and sluggish throughout the run, but I had a fast first mile split (8:18) and knew I'd have to severely back that down to avoid burning out. I eased into a nice 8:50ish pace and maintained this for the entire distance with the exception of one mile slightly over 9:00.
Being able to do this run after my long brick was a good confidence booster. I'm still figuring out what my body is capable of and know I will have some really intense training weekends this summer. Little by little I'm improving and enjoying the challenge of pushing myself to a physical limit. I've always trusted the logic that you can most certainly complete an Ironman if you commit to doing the training. Of course there are the things you can't plan for, like race-week illness or bike maintenance issues, but in general, you can stack the odds in your favor by taking the training seriously. That belief will carry me through the next 6 months.
Running
Distance - 12 miles
Time - 1:46:01
March 14, 2009
Round and Round
Fifty miles on the trainer is not something one generally looks forward to. Every day this week I checked the hourly forecast trying to figure out if I'd be able to do even part of this ride outside. Sure, the temperature was expected to gradually rise and eventually land in the upper 40s, which is lovely for a neighborhood stroll or leisurely pedal around town, but not for a serious ride. I would have been frozen in 20 minutes and I'm sure it wouldn't have helped this lingering virus. So I sucked it up and did the ride indoors.
Long rides on the trainer are all about distractions. I started with a hands-free phone call to my parents that lasted the first 10 miles. Next I tried to watch a movie, Wall E on Blu Ray. It looked amazing and was very entertaining, but the lack of dialogue made it hard to watch while biking. After the third rewind I called it quits. I then had a five-mile TV-less stretch and realized being that alone with my thoughts just wouldn't cut it so I resorted to the old standby and watched two Kona broadcasts - 2007, my absolute favorite, and 2002.
There isn't much to say about a long trainer ride other than it's uncomfortable (to put it mildly) and fairly boring. But I did have one minor distraction. I was testing out the IMNO 70.3 nutrition plan put together by my coach based on my sweat test. I had to consume 25 ounces of Gatorade Endurance every hour, which equates to one bottle plus a couple mouthfuls of another. Thirty minutes in I had my first gel and then another every hour. It seemed like a lot, especially since I've historically underfueled on the bike, but it worked. My energy level was steady and I wasn't hungry, which was a definite first for me. I made the executive decision to replace my last gel with an Uncrustable simply because after riding for three hours, I was craving solid food. I think the most amazing thing about this approach is that I wasn't ravenous immediately after finishing. Sometimes I can barely make it off the bike and to food, but this time I felt fine. I had my usual post-workout chocolate milk and didn't eat for almost two hours.
This was my long brick for the week so immediately after finishing the ride I did a 4-mile run. I've never done a brick this long so I was worried it would be slow and painful. Not only was it not painful, but it wasn't slow either. I did a 7:46 on the third mile and kept it in the low 8s for all but the first mile. But beyond that, it was fun. It reminded me of the pure joy of running. I caught myself actually smiling for much of it. And at the end of the day, isn't that why I do this?
Biking
Distance - 50 miles
Time - 3:40:34
Running
Distance - 4 miles
Time - 32:43
Long rides on the trainer are all about distractions. I started with a hands-free phone call to my parents that lasted the first 10 miles. Next I tried to watch a movie, Wall E on Blu Ray. It looked amazing and was very entertaining, but the lack of dialogue made it hard to watch while biking. After the third rewind I called it quits. I then had a five-mile TV-less stretch and realized being that alone with my thoughts just wouldn't cut it so I resorted to the old standby and watched two Kona broadcasts - 2007, my absolute favorite, and 2002.
There isn't much to say about a long trainer ride other than it's uncomfortable (to put it mildly) and fairly boring. But I did have one minor distraction. I was testing out the IMNO 70.3 nutrition plan put together by my coach based on my sweat test. I had to consume 25 ounces of Gatorade Endurance every hour, which equates to one bottle plus a couple mouthfuls of another. Thirty minutes in I had my first gel and then another every hour. It seemed like a lot, especially since I've historically underfueled on the bike, but it worked. My energy level was steady and I wasn't hungry, which was a definite first for me. I made the executive decision to replace my last gel with an Uncrustable simply because after riding for three hours, I was craving solid food. I think the most amazing thing about this approach is that I wasn't ravenous immediately after finishing. Sometimes I can barely make it off the bike and to food, but this time I felt fine. I had my usual post-workout chocolate milk and didn't eat for almost two hours.
This was my long brick for the week so immediately after finishing the ride I did a 4-mile run. I've never done a brick this long so I was worried it would be slow and painful. Not only was it not painful, but it wasn't slow either. I did a 7:46 on the third mile and kept it in the low 8s for all but the first mile. But beyond that, it was fun. It reminded me of the pure joy of running. I caught myself actually smiling for much of it. And at the end of the day, isn't that why I do this?
Biking
Distance - 50 miles
Time - 3:40:34
Running
Distance - 4 miles
Time - 32:43
March 13, 2009
Back Among the Living
After 7 days of viral plague, I finally feel better. I got up at 6 a.m. to swim and had the usual first-thing-in-the-morning cough and congestion, but I figured it would pass on the subway ride to the pool. As always, I was late getting to the gym so I was in a huge rush. I ran down the stairs, praying the pool wasn't packed. I can usually tell by the amount of splashing I hear.
Luckily it was relatively slow. I was able to join a lane with just one swimmer and get going. My workout was simple - swim 1500 by doing 3 x 500 with a one-minute rest interval. This was in my aerobic pace as well so I got to take it easy. But in a matter of seconds it was obvious I hadn't been in the pool for 10 days. Talk about sloppy. I struggled to maintain decent form and my breathing was off as well. I was holding my breath a bit, which was not a good thing with this cold. And speaking of the cold, I had to stop a few times at the wall to cough. Nice. At least I wasn't blowing my nose in the water. That wouldn't be good since an official pool rule is - No expectorating of mucus allowed. Just reading that makes me want to rethink swimming with my mouth open.
I really miss swimming. It seems to be dropping off the schedule a lot lately and it's not only an area I need to improve, but it's a sport I really love. It's how I got into all of this and I don't want to see it diminished to a fraction of my training plan. As soon as I'm on the mend and have my new schedule under control, I'd like to spend more time in the water.
Swimming
Distance - 1,500 yards
Time - 30:00
Luckily it was relatively slow. I was able to join a lane with just one swimmer and get going. My workout was simple - swim 1500 by doing 3 x 500 with a one-minute rest interval. This was in my aerobic pace as well so I got to take it easy. But in a matter of seconds it was obvious I hadn't been in the pool for 10 days. Talk about sloppy. I struggled to maintain decent form and my breathing was off as well. I was holding my breath a bit, which was not a good thing with this cold. And speaking of the cold, I had to stop a few times at the wall to cough. Nice. At least I wasn't blowing my nose in the water. That wouldn't be good since an official pool rule is - No expectorating of mucus allowed. Just reading that makes me want to rethink swimming with my mouth open.
I really miss swimming. It seems to be dropping off the schedule a lot lately and it's not only an area I need to improve, but it's a sport I really love. It's how I got into all of this and I don't want to see it diminished to a fraction of my training plan. As soon as I'm on the mend and have my new schedule under control, I'd like to spend more time in the water.
Swimming
Distance - 1,500 yards
Time - 30:00
March 12, 2009
No Sweat
After being bombarded with tales of people getting pneumonia, dying after seemingly harmless illnesses or ending up in the hospital, I finally decided to see the doctor. I normally wouldn't go to the doctor for something like this because I was sure it was viral and there's nothing a doctor can do for that.
They say you know your body better than anyone else and sure enough, I was right. The doctor confirmed I have a virus with no signs of infection. He recommended I continue to rest, have some chicken soup and lots of fluids. The fever, which lingered throughout the day, is just a sign my body is fighting back. It's about time.
I did a sweat rate test tonight so my coach can develop my nutrition plan for the half Ironman. This was supposed to be a one-hour run, but given my sickness, he spared me and shortened it to 30 minutes. I had to weigh myself naked before the run and then again after to see how much weight I'd lost. It was chilly and windy outside, plus I was running way slower than normal so I wasn't sure I even sweated, but sure enough, I was down .8 pounds. I'll share this number with my coach and see what he comes back with.
It was nice to run even though my energy levels are pretty much rock bottom. Nevertheless, it's a good sign I was even able to do it.
Running
Distance - 3.27 miles
Time - 30:00
They say you know your body better than anyone else and sure enough, I was right. The doctor confirmed I have a virus with no signs of infection. He recommended I continue to rest, have some chicken soup and lots of fluids. The fever, which lingered throughout the day, is just a sign my body is fighting back. It's about time.
I did a sweat rate test tonight so my coach can develop my nutrition plan for the half Ironman. This was supposed to be a one-hour run, but given my sickness, he spared me and shortened it to 30 minutes. I had to weigh myself naked before the run and then again after to see how much weight I'd lost. It was chilly and windy outside, plus I was running way slower than normal so I wasn't sure I even sweated, but sure enough, I was down .8 pounds. I'll share this number with my coach and see what he comes back with.
It was nice to run even though my energy levels are pretty much rock bottom. Nevertheless, it's a good sign I was even able to do it.
Running
Distance - 3.27 miles
Time - 30:00
March 11, 2009
Misery
Today was not a good day. I woke up super early and discovered I had a massive migraine that was most likely brought on my the equally massive sinus pressure I had. I dragged myself out of bed for some water and Advil Cold and Sinus, then dragged myself back to bed. I slept until 9:30 and to my dismay, the headache remained. It was so severe I ended up laying on the couch with an ice pack on my head while I waited for round two of the pills to kick in.
Two hours later I was feeling somewhat better. By late afternoon I finally decided to attempt a trainer ride. I was supposed to run but there was no way with the coughing and the headache. So I hopped on the bike to do tomorrow's workout. I did the first round of drills, the first moderate interval and the first harder interval. About halfway through the harder one I totally lost steam. I was beat. I knew I'd have to stop when it was done.
It was frustrating to have so little energy. This was supposed to be a bigger training week for me and it has slowly fallen apart. I got an email from my coach with a modified schedule for the remainder of the week and weekend. I was relieved to see he wasn't mandating rest days as that was his initial reaction until I provided more details about my illness. He reduced both the volume and intensity of my Thursday and Friday workouts, and reduced the intensity of my long weekend workouts. The only thing I lost was the swim I was supposed to do Sunday after my long run. I can live with that.
I started to feel a little funny so I took my temperature. Sure enough, I have a fever. I'm going to bed early so I can get as much rest as possible. I'm so tired of being sick.
Biking
Time - 27:30
Two hours later I was feeling somewhat better. By late afternoon I finally decided to attempt a trainer ride. I was supposed to run but there was no way with the coughing and the headache. So I hopped on the bike to do tomorrow's workout. I did the first round of drills, the first moderate interval and the first harder interval. About halfway through the harder one I totally lost steam. I was beat. I knew I'd have to stop when it was done.
It was frustrating to have so little energy. This was supposed to be a bigger training week for me and it has slowly fallen apart. I got an email from my coach with a modified schedule for the remainder of the week and weekend. I was relieved to see he wasn't mandating rest days as that was his initial reaction until I provided more details about my illness. He reduced both the volume and intensity of my Thursday and Friday workouts, and reduced the intensity of my long weekend workouts. The only thing I lost was the swim I was supposed to do Sunday after my long run. I can live with that.
I started to feel a little funny so I took my temperature. Sure enough, I have a fever. I'm going to bed early so I can get as much rest as possible. I'm so tired of being sick.
Biking
Time - 27:30
March 10, 2009
Knowing When to Say When
As much as we hate to admit it, triathletes get sick. And getting sick often means training interruptions. This is incredibly frustrating and hard to accept. When I woke up at 5:45 this morning the first thing I noticed was a deep, sharp chest pain. The lingering congestion must have made its way down there and settled in overnight. The second thing I noticed was the equally painful cough that came with it. I was surprisingly wide awake so I sat there for a moment and pondered what to do. It's so hard to make the right decision for your overall well being, but I knew what I needed to do. There was no way I could attempt my bike workout with that level of fluid in my chest. So I stayed in bed another hour, not really sleeping but resting nonetheless, and hoped I'd feel better later.
My voice remained almost nonexistent all day and I ended up working far later than planned. I had rearranged my calendar to have tomorrow off instead of Friday due to client meetings so despite the lateness, I decided to do the ride. I figured I could sleep in tomorrow.
I felt relatively good but had a difficult time getting my heart rate up to my anaerobic range. This was a new workout and involved a lower cadence in a much harder gear so it definitely felt like work even though I'm sure I was performing at a lesser capacity. It was nice to feel my legs burn as well.
I finished the ride, had homemade chicken noodle soup, soaked in the tub and got ready for bed. I hope the turnaround is on its way.
Biking
Distance - 13.22 miles
Time -54:00
My voice remained almost nonexistent all day and I ended up working far later than planned. I had rearranged my calendar to have tomorrow off instead of Friday due to client meetings so despite the lateness, I decided to do the ride. I figured I could sleep in tomorrow.
I felt relatively good but had a difficult time getting my heart rate up to my anaerobic range. This was a new workout and involved a lower cadence in a much harder gear so it definitely felt like work even though I'm sure I was performing at a lesser capacity. It was nice to feel my legs burn as well.
I finished the ride, had homemade chicken noodle soup, soaked in the tub and got ready for bed. I hope the turnaround is on its way.
Biking
Distance - 13.22 miles
Time -54:00
March 9, 2009
Thank God for Rest Days
Yesterday and today were rest days and I have never been more thankful. I normally get bored on rest days, particularly two back to back. The only reason I even had two was because my coach adjusted my schedule for work, which means I won't get a weekend day off anymore. I had toyed with the idea of making up my missed swim yesterday but I was still feeling under the weather and decided to take it easy. By the end of the day my voice was fading fast and I felt like I was finally coming down with the rest of the cold that started up on Friday.
Sure enough, I woke up this morning to partial laryngitis. Speaking above a certain decibel was simply impossible and I sounded horrible. It might have been ok if I weren't in meetings, largely conference calls, the entire day. By the end of the day I was toast.
I'm hoping this is just a mild cold/throat thing and will try to stay on track despite it. I'm setting the alarm for 5:45 so I can do my trainer ride before work. I hope this is on the way out vs. settling in. I guess I'll have to wait and see.
Sure enough, I woke up this morning to partial laryngitis. Speaking above a certain decibel was simply impossible and I sounded horrible. It might have been ok if I weren't in meetings, largely conference calls, the entire day. By the end of the day I was toast.
I'm hoping this is just a mild cold/throat thing and will try to stay on track despite it. I'm setting the alarm for 5:45 so I can do my trainer ride before work. I hope this is on the way out vs. settling in. I guess I'll have to wait and see.
March 7, 2009
Spring is in the Air
Just in time for my longest brick workout yet, spring temporarily arrived in New York. It was 60 by mid-morning and would reach almost 70 by afternoon. I had a ride partner lined up but only for 20 miles because Prospect Park has such a small loop. Since I had 40 miles on the schedule I did 20 on the trainer first. These long rides are the most boring because aside from monitoring my heart rate, there is nothing to break up the monotony. A quick break at 10 miles and quickly enough it was time to head out.
It was unbelievable outside. I was immediately way too hot in what I was wearing so I ended up putting on my short-sleeved running shirt. I've ridden outside a handful of times this winter but never when it was this nice. It was the first time I actually looked forward to summer and long rides that take half the day. I used to love biking and hopefully I will again.
The park was packed. Everyone was out enjoying the day after a long and miserable winter. Navigating the crowds was good practice for me although I couldn't get into aero much as a result. Nevertheless, every ride is a big step and anything to avoid another 1.5 hours on the trainer is a good thing.
My run also went really well. I'm not sure I've ever done a brick this long so I wasn't sure how my legs would react, but they felt pretty good. I ran through the neighborhood and ventured over to Red Hook to check it out a bit. Aside from struggling to find 4 miles to cover, this was a really easy run. I was averaging a much quicker pace than I was aiming for and it felt very comfortable. If the brick workouts are the most important and make the biggest difference in race fitness, I may not be doing so bad after all.
I was dying to eat and there was no time for formalities. It was already 2:30 so I threw some pants on over my shorts, put my biking jacket back on and went straight for food. It's amazing how hungry you get after biking and it's even more amazing how much you can eat. We had planned to hit the diner for a late breakfast and lots of coffee, but caved into the lure of the outdoor cafe as we passed by a restaurant. There was also the lure of the beef shortrib hash on the brunch menu and that sealed the deal. To top it off, they served the biggest cups of coffee I've ever seen. This really was the perfect Spring day.
Biking
Distance - 40.13 miles
Time - 2:41:30
Running
Distance - 4 miles
Time - 34:29
It was unbelievable outside. I was immediately way too hot in what I was wearing so I ended up putting on my short-sleeved running shirt. I've ridden outside a handful of times this winter but never when it was this nice. It was the first time I actually looked forward to summer and long rides that take half the day. I used to love biking and hopefully I will again.
The park was packed. Everyone was out enjoying the day after a long and miserable winter. Navigating the crowds was good practice for me although I couldn't get into aero much as a result. Nevertheless, every ride is a big step and anything to avoid another 1.5 hours on the trainer is a good thing.
My run also went really well. I'm not sure I've ever done a brick this long so I wasn't sure how my legs would react, but they felt pretty good. I ran through the neighborhood and ventured over to Red Hook to check it out a bit. Aside from struggling to find 4 miles to cover, this was a really easy run. I was averaging a much quicker pace than I was aiming for and it felt very comfortable. If the brick workouts are the most important and make the biggest difference in race fitness, I may not be doing so bad after all.
I was dying to eat and there was no time for formalities. It was already 2:30 so I threw some pants on over my shorts, put my biking jacket back on and went straight for food. It's amazing how hungry you get after biking and it's even more amazing how much you can eat. We had planned to hit the diner for a late breakfast and lots of coffee, but caved into the lure of the outdoor cafe as we passed by a restaurant. There was also the lure of the beef shortrib hash on the brunch menu and that sealed the deal. To top it off, they served the biggest cups of coffee I've ever seen. This really was the perfect Spring day.
Biking
Distance - 40.13 miles
Time - 2:41:30
Running
Distance - 4 miles
Time - 34:29
March 6, 2009
Friday. Finally.
I'm not sure I've ever been happier to have Friday arrive. My new work schedule includes Friday "off." I can sleep in a bit, not go to the office and have minimal work commitments. I didn't realize how much I needed the down time until I woke up and tried to swallow. My throat was swelled and sore, a sure sign my body is having adjustment issues. I went from plentiful sleep, low stress and convenient training times to limited sleep, high stress, a crowded subway commute, sick office mates and early morning training. I wasn't surprised and I wasn't happy.
I slept in a bit and did my bike workout, more interval work on the trainer. It momentarily gave me a boost, but I could tell it was short lived. I had considered making up yesterday's swim, but after talking with my coach, decided to take it easy. He recommended rest, gargling with Listerine and drinking some bizarre herbal tea with anti-viral properties. Hey, anything's worth a try, right?
Biking
Distance - 9.81 miles
Time - 42:00
I slept in a bit and did my bike workout, more interval work on the trainer. It momentarily gave me a boost, but I could tell it was short lived. I had considered making up yesterday's swim, but after talking with my coach, decided to take it easy. He recommended rest, gargling with Listerine and drinking some bizarre herbal tea with anti-viral properties. Hey, anything's worth a try, right?
Biking
Distance - 9.81 miles
Time - 42:00
March 5, 2009
Good Intentions
Before starting this new job, I vowed I would do the majority of my training in the morning to avoid missing it due to long days. But my hours up until today had been manageable so I decided to do my swim after work. I did the math and it was going to be virtually impossible to get the full workout in and still be in the office by 9. So I got some extra sleep and packed up my gear with the best of intentions.
But as luck would have it, today ended up being the long one and I didn't leave the office until 8:15. After an 11+ hour day I just couldn't do the swim. It would have meant starting around 9pm and getting home around 11. At some point I have to draw the line and do what feels right for me in my life overall.
I know these days will happen, it's inevitable. All I can do is try my best to minimize it and find a way to keep the training from taking over my life and my life from preventing the training. A lot of people say the hardest part of an Ironman is the training. Even in these early stages I know exactly what they mean.
But as luck would have it, today ended up being the long one and I didn't leave the office until 8:15. After an 11+ hour day I just couldn't do the swim. It would have meant starting around 9pm and getting home around 11. At some point I have to draw the line and do what feels right for me in my life overall.
I know these days will happen, it's inevitable. All I can do is try my best to minimize it and find a way to keep the training from taking over my life and my life from preventing the training. A lot of people say the hardest part of an Ironman is the training. Even in these early stages I know exactly what they mean.
March 4, 2009
Running in Place
When you think about it, the treadmill is a nifty invention. You can avoid inclement weather and other hassles, plus you can watch TV while logging your miles. This can be a good thing unless you were me this morning running 10 miles on a treadmill in front of the TV showing the seemingly endless Core Rhythms infomercial. After about 45 minutes of hip swiveling and testimonials, inclement weather was sounding pretty good.
After the first 5 miles I took a quick bathroom/water fill-up/Body Glide break before tackling the second 5. I have to say, it wasn't that bad. I don't know if I'm just getting used to indoor training or if I'm getting mentally tougher, but I was pretty proud of myself for sticking to the plan and doing it. It felt great to have covered 10 miles before most people had finished their first cup of coffee for the day.
Running
Distance - 10 miles
Time - 1:29:17
March 3, 2009
Double Duty
5:45 a.m and the alarm already. Didn't I just go to sleep? These early mornings are going to take massive adjustment. I took a look outside and it was ugly. Snow and ice packed on the streets due to a steep drop in temperature and the "feels like" according to weather.com was -3. I had a moment to decide - get up, walk to the gym (12 minutes) and do the speed workout I had planned and freeze to death in the process, or sleep another hour and do the speed workout after work and before my bike workout. Easy decision.
The extra hour of sleep was bliss and when I made the frigid walk to the train I knew it had been the right choice. But as the end of the workday neared I became tired and unmotivated. Typical. This is why I'm suffering through the early morning workouts. It's the only way to guarantee I'll get it done. But tonight I rallied and was at the gym by 7:15, done with my speed work by 7:45, home by 8:30 and off the trainer by 9:20. Thank god for leftovers. I was ravenous by that point.
I'm really enjoying the speed and interval training. The workouts are short, but intense, and feel so much more valuable than my former "do it for the sake of doing it" workouts. The run consisted of two 10-minute anaerobic intervals with an easy rest interval. I ambitiously started at a 7:30 pace, but ended up bouncing between 7:45-7:52 for most of it. That's still pretty fast for me. The bike was also a series of drills and intervals so the time flew by.
While it's not impossible to do a double workout on a weeknight I know the reality of my life and schedule. So many things could have happened to prevent me from getting this done. I was lucky today, but tomorrow I'm back to 5 a.m.
Running
Distance - 3.3 miles
Time - 30:00
Biking
Distance - 8.54 miles
Time - 40:00
The extra hour of sleep was bliss and when I made the frigid walk to the train I knew it had been the right choice. But as the end of the workday neared I became tired and unmotivated. Typical. This is why I'm suffering through the early morning workouts. It's the only way to guarantee I'll get it done. But tonight I rallied and was at the gym by 7:15, done with my speed work by 7:45, home by 8:30 and off the trainer by 9:20. Thank god for leftovers. I was ravenous by that point.
I'm really enjoying the speed and interval training. The workouts are short, but intense, and feel so much more valuable than my former "do it for the sake of doing it" workouts. The run consisted of two 10-minute anaerobic intervals with an easy rest interval. I ambitiously started at a 7:30 pace, but ended up bouncing between 7:45-7:52 for most of it. That's still pretty fast for me. The bike was also a series of drills and intervals so the time flew by.
While it's not impossible to do a double workout on a weeknight I know the reality of my life and schedule. So many things could have happened to prevent me from getting this done. I was lucky today, but tomorrow I'm back to 5 a.m.
Running
Distance - 3.3 miles
Time - 30:00
Biking
Distance - 8.54 miles
Time - 40:00
March 2, 2009
Winter Storm Warning
Here we are... my first day at a new job, my first attempt at early morning training and on a Monday no less. The one day of the week where Murphy's law is sure to be in effect. Even though it's the first week of March, New York was slammed with one of our worst snow storms yet.
I woke up at 5 a.m. and was out the door by 5:40 to swim. The snow on my front steps was ankle deep so I had to grab onto the railing and walk down sideways to keep from riding down on my butt. The subway platform was surprisingly crowded for how early it was. Where was everyone going at 6 a.m.? It got even more crowded as we waited 30 minutes - yes, 30 minutes - for a train. The first one that appeared was all iced over and didn't stop. I later learned that the trains were so icy they couldn't open and close the doors properly. Way to be prepared MTA. A train finally came and I arrived at the gym about 30 minutes later than I planned.
It was the least crowded I've ever seen it. Maybe it was the snow or maybe people in the West Village sleep in, either way it was perfect. There was only one person in the pool when I started, only a handful mid-swim and no one but me for a short while. I wish it could always be that way. I was swimming quite well despite the fact that I hate mornings. But the delayed start forced me to end early and cut my swim short. It was the only way I could make it to work on time and it was my first day after all.
This was another speed workout and I once again found it hard to hit the anaerobic goal pace established by my test. I did it for the first few sets and kept it up on and off for more than half, but was off by 2-3 seconds per 100 by the end. It's a huge challenge for me to push myself in the water and I've definitely improved, but I'm anxious to prove that my test wasn't a one-time occurance I'll never be able to repeat. There's always next time.
Swimming
Distance - 2,050 yards
Time - 37:23
I woke up at 5 a.m. and was out the door by 5:40 to swim. The snow on my front steps was ankle deep so I had to grab onto the railing and walk down sideways to keep from riding down on my butt. The subway platform was surprisingly crowded for how early it was. Where was everyone going at 6 a.m.? It got even more crowded as we waited 30 minutes - yes, 30 minutes - for a train. The first one that appeared was all iced over and didn't stop. I later learned that the trains were so icy they couldn't open and close the doors properly. Way to be prepared MTA. A train finally came and I arrived at the gym about 30 minutes later than I planned.
It was the least crowded I've ever seen it. Maybe it was the snow or maybe people in the West Village sleep in, either way it was perfect. There was only one person in the pool when I started, only a handful mid-swim and no one but me for a short while. I wish it could always be that way. I was swimming quite well despite the fact that I hate mornings. But the delayed start forced me to end early and cut my swim short. It was the only way I could make it to work on time and it was my first day after all.
This was another speed workout and I once again found it hard to hit the anaerobic goal pace established by my test. I did it for the first few sets and kept it up on and off for more than half, but was off by 2-3 seconds per 100 by the end. It's a huge challenge for me to push myself in the water and I've definitely improved, but I'm anxious to prove that my test wasn't a one-time occurance I'll never be able to repeat. There's always next time.
Swimming
Distance - 2,050 yards
Time - 37:23
March 1, 2009
Week of 2/23 - Cliff Notes
There are a couple reasons I haven't posted for awhile. First, I was way busier than expected trying to wrap up personal things before starting a new job on March 2. But most importantly, I was on a "rest week." I have one of these every 3 weeks or so on my schedule. It sounds nice in theory, but it was rather dull and uninspiring and while the rest did feel good, my motivation sank to a new low as a result of the reduced activity.
The week began with a rest day on Monday, which was actually perfect since it was the day after my race and a long day of driving back from Provincetown.
Tuesday involved an easy 45 minute ride on the trainer and a quick 2 mile run. A nice workout but not a difficult effort.
I was in the pool Wednesday for my only swim of the week, 1,400 yards done in 4 sets of 300s with a 200 warm up. This was actually rather nice since I'm not a huge fan of being in the pool for an hour or more.
But Thursday is where things began to slide. My schedule called for strength training. Just strength training. It seemed easy enough, it would take an hour or less of my day and should have been a nice break. But as the day wore on I just couldn't bring myself to go to the gym. The effort of dressing, carrying gear and getting to the gym didn't seem worth it for this short workout. So I skipped it. I felt guilty but the motivation just wasn't there.
Friday seemed to be looking up. The weather was nice so I decided to take my bike out for the easy one hour ride on my schedule. But by the time I got out the door, the wind had picked up to gusty levels and the sky was dark. Rain was coming. I worried I'd get caught in it so I was nervous to start. Then a series of unfortunate event occurred in the first 10 minutes that forced me to abort the ride. I was really upset. I don't need more setbacks on the bike. I did my 5 mile run instead, which turned out great. I ran on the Brooklyn Bridge and along the waterfront, views I will never get tired of. I intended to finish my ride on the trainer but I had dinner plans with friends and was out of time. Another workout missed.
Saturday and Sunday were rest days. I honored that on Saturday but was feeling rather anxious by Sunday so I hopped on the bike for 45 minutes to redeem one of the week's lost workouts. It was an easy effort and I still felt rested.
I'm sure I'll look back and wish for another easy week like this when I'm immersed in long workouts and even longer work hours next week.
Totals for the Week:
Swimming
Distance - 1,400 yards
Time - 26:45
Biking
Time - 1:40:00
Running
Distance - 7.46 miles
Time - 1:05:28
The week began with a rest day on Monday, which was actually perfect since it was the day after my race and a long day of driving back from Provincetown.
Tuesday involved an easy 45 minute ride on the trainer and a quick 2 mile run. A nice workout but not a difficult effort.
I was in the pool Wednesday for my only swim of the week, 1,400 yards done in 4 sets of 300s with a 200 warm up. This was actually rather nice since I'm not a huge fan of being in the pool for an hour or more.
But Thursday is where things began to slide. My schedule called for strength training. Just strength training. It seemed easy enough, it would take an hour or less of my day and should have been a nice break. But as the day wore on I just couldn't bring myself to go to the gym. The effort of dressing, carrying gear and getting to the gym didn't seem worth it for this short workout. So I skipped it. I felt guilty but the motivation just wasn't there.
Friday seemed to be looking up. The weather was nice so I decided to take my bike out for the easy one hour ride on my schedule. But by the time I got out the door, the wind had picked up to gusty levels and the sky was dark. Rain was coming. I worried I'd get caught in it so I was nervous to start. Then a series of unfortunate event occurred in the first 10 minutes that forced me to abort the ride. I was really upset. I don't need more setbacks on the bike. I did my 5 mile run instead, which turned out great. I ran on the Brooklyn Bridge and along the waterfront, views I will never get tired of. I intended to finish my ride on the trainer but I had dinner plans with friends and was out of time. Another workout missed.
Saturday and Sunday were rest days. I honored that on Saturday but was feeling rather anxious by Sunday so I hopped on the bike for 45 minutes to redeem one of the week's lost workouts. It was an easy effort and I still felt rested.
I'm sure I'll look back and wish for another easy week like this when I'm immersed in long workouts and even longer work hours next week.
Totals for the Week:
Swimming
Distance - 1,400 yards
Time - 26:45
Biking
Time - 1:40:00
Running
Distance - 7.46 miles
Time - 1:05:28
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