2nd 20-miler

RUN: 20.25 miles in 3 hrs 10 mins. Ave pace of 9:24 min/mile. For the first time, I used the Garmin to capture mile splits. Since I was running on a flat trail, I aimed for even splits.

1st mile in 9.29, 2nd in 9.13, 3rd in 9.21, then 9.23, 9.22, 9.23, 9.22, 9.26, 9.32, 9.35, 9.30, 9.38, 9.24 9.35, 9.41, 9.32, 9.35, 9.30, 9.38, 9.24, 9.35, 9.41, 9.24, 9.26, 8.50, 8.44

Yes, I have that right, the last 2 miles were sub-9, quite close to my marathon goal pace!!!

Compare that to the previous 20-miler that took 3 hr 25 mins at a 10:15 m/m pace. Sadly I don't think the HR monitor was working, it was recording >200bpm for the last half of the run. I think I would have noticed that!

This run, unlike the previous one, was on a flat trail that sloped slightly as it traveled north. And since I parked in the middle and ran the loop, I was running only slight hills. The elevation on this trail ranged only from 440-640ft above sea level, so really flat. My pace is broken up by the intersections as the trail crosses the streets. Also, there was No Snow! Dry pavement so I could get to pace easier.

Notables on this run? I had to go to work beforehand for a short time, so I didn't start this until much later than usual. By the time I started, I was getting hungry and was 1.5-2hrs from breakfast. Not a bad situation, but it was new for me. I was evidently well hydrated, as by the time I left work and got to the trailhead I had to use the restroom again. Sign of the day? "Closed during the off season". I didn't find an open restroom until 8.5 miles!!

I stuck to my fueling plan better today than any run yet this year. Every 5 miles, a gel with water. In between, sips of Cytomax. So although I only had 3 gels total and 1 bottle of Cytomax (grand total of 400 calories?!) I was feeling fantastic! I could have kept going, and that's the goal here--get ready for 26.2 not just 20.2.

Recovery was stretching, a baked potato, Ensure, banana, water, water, water, then off to work for another few hours. I never got sore, stiff, pained, anything! No NSAIDS, no ice bath, just recovery socks and feet up that night. This was all helped by a flat run, but regardless of that it was still a >3hr run and I'm just a bit fatigued is all. :-)

How am I looking for a sub 4hr marathon? Good! I just needed to do another 6 miles (~55-60 mins), which if done today would have put me at 4-4:10. I'm planning on skipping the big bike rides the week beforehand, I'll have another 20 done, and I'll be tapered for the race. I'd just need to go ~10mins faster than today (although the course is much hillier than this trail). I say Yes, I Can!!

Lull before the 20

Friday BIKE: 38.6 miles in 2hr 10mins, still indoors. 2x33mins (1st 125bpm, 2nd 127bpm) and 1x5miles (15:41, 132bpm). The Garmin didn't seem to be working in the beginning, but part way thru the session it started displaying HR and speed. ?? But in the end it captured everything??

Saturday SWIM: 1700y in 45mins. Was going to be a 14x100y set, I got most of the way thru the 14 before my I became so sloppy I was barely moving. So I cut it short. This was supposed to be sort of a rest day.

Volunteered at a race this morning, it felt good to sleep in (5:45am). This normally would have been my long run day, but I moved that to tomorrow. That's how my long ride ended up being on Friday, today was for resting.

At this point, I'm just over 8.5 hrs for the week. I've skipped an aerobic "base building" bike ride and a swim already this week, mostly in prep for tomorrow. I expect this 20 to take between 3 and 3.25 hrs. Usually I'm more planning-oriented the night before a long run like this. What to wear, what to eat, where the route will be. Instead tonight I'm pretty calm. I have two explanations. 1-I'm tired and just don't care. 2-My confidence is higher and I don't need to worry so much. Ah, but reason #2 can have sub-bullets: 2a: I've had good long runs recently and so I think I've found a rhythm. Or, 2b: my confidence is really over-confidence and I'm going to go out unprepared. Time will tell! Right now I'm leaning towards #1, I'm so tired right now I'm slouched and leaning in the chair. Bedtime!!!

Thursday loop

RUN: 6.5 miles in abt 60 mins. Could not keep up the group this morning, it was a choice between pain, poor form or less pain and better form. The latter won out. I don't have the exact time. My quads are tight, so I had little spring in my step leaving my shoulders to pick up the job. Tight muscles, poor form, and accumulated fatigue make my running all the more inefficient. So I didn't keep up today. Nuts.

SWIM: planned 14x100's.

Weds brick

BIKE: 20 miles in 70 mins. 3x12 mins, don't have the data available yet.
RUN: 3 miles in 29 mins. Ran to work. Very cold and very tired.

Long days at work are slowing me a bit, and so is the soreness from the xfit workout tuesday. My legs have the worst of it this week, the deadlifts maybe? My arms are OK, which is good they needed the rest!

Puking is acceptable

STRENGTH: 1hr of xfit, with 15 mins of actual work. 1 minute of each exercise with 1 minute rest in between: kettlebell swings, box jumps, push-ups, deadlifts, wall balls. Done 3 times, as many reps as you can do in 1 minute. Just reading it, this doesn't sound all that hard. But let me just say that I was dizzy by the 3rd round box jumps, shaking by the 3rd push-ups, and dropping the wall ball on my face by the end. In the last round, my heart rate just never recovered during the one minute rests. I put links in to demonstrate examples of the exercises. Awesome workout.



At the recent, xfit sectionals I saw this Tshirt: Puking IS acceptable, QUITTING IS NOT. Sounds like the triathlon motto of Death Before DNF to me. No wonder I love xfit!

RUN: 2.5 miles, 25 mins. Treadmilled just after xfit. This was hard to do, my legs were still shaky. My clothes were too wet to run outside in the 20F weather.

SWIM: 2200yards, 70 mins. This was even harder to do. Warm-up then 3x400y at 60%, 75%, then 80%. So each interval a little harder than the previous. I didn't think I'd get past the warmup! My arms were putty and my form was poor. But I figured that being tired is what I'm trying to work through, so I worked it regardless of fatigue. Lesson learned--you can push through it. (And if you can't there's a lifeguard).

This took all morning! I got up at 4:30am and didn't get to work until 11am!!?!??!? I wonder how that happened....
4:30-5:30: up, coffee, water, food (banana, raisins, almonds, energy bar), get dressed
5:30 drive to xfit gym and warm up
6-7: xfit
7-7:20: drive to YMCA, sign up for treadmill, refill water, struggle up and down steps to lockers
7:25-7:55: run
8-8:15: struggle down steps again, change clothes, shower, get in pool
8:15-9:25: swim
9:25-9:30: rave about xfit and talk injuries with another club member at the pool
9:30-15am: shower, drive home, eat eat eat (2 eggs, coconut milk, 1/2 acorn squash, and salt omelette; figs and macadamia nuts; banana; big white potato; honey, coconut oil, almond meal, *burp*)
10:15-10:35: walk doggie. Doggie needs exercise too! But 20 mins worth?
10:35-10:50: more food--prep smoothie for later (avocado, banana, coconut milk, protein power, salt)
10:50: leave for work!

But don't think I'm a lazy ass regarding work, it's almost 8pm and I'm still here waiting for a timepoint. I'm eyeing the desk in the office for a nap....

You know you're training for an IM when...

This will be a continuing post, I'll keep adding them as I experience them.

1. You're so tired after a workout, that while using a knife to stab the surface of a carb-filled soon-to-be-microwaved Yukon Gold you also stab your finger. And you don't stop stabbing the potato because you need the food more than you need a band-aid.

2. You'd rather take the stairs at work, but you're doing hours upon hours of training for an endurance event, and so you actually take the elevator, and justify it saying "I'm in recovery right now, my legs need the rest".

3. Your non-athlete friends think it's funny (and I have to admit it is) to say "hey I've got a package I need delivered two towns over, want to take it on your bike?" or "hey I've a dog that needs exercise". [your dog could take a lesson from mine, hide when the leash comes out].

Monday! Bike and Swim!

BIKE: 17.25 miles in 60 mins. 2x10mins at 75%
1st 10mins: 3.2 miles with ave HR 124
2nd 10mins: 3.16 miles with ave HR 133

SWIM: haven't done it yet, I'll come back to this.

It's sometimes hard to get excited about a Monday. It's the first day in the training plans so all workouts are still ahead of me at this point. On Weds, I'm almost halfway thru the list, by Saturday I can see the end. But then back around again to Monday, and all 12hrs are on the To Do List. One step at a time!

Easy Sunday ride

BIKE: 45 mins 13 miles. Easy. Just to stretch out legs and get some blood flow.

My triceps for whatever reason did not want my swimming today. Still tight, swollen-feeling, not as painful as last night? What'd I do?!

So I missed today's swim, and like last week I only got one swim/week in. This can't stay like this! I try to rationalize it by saying "one swim now won't make all that difference in Sept", but the training program is progressing while I'm not. What do I expect to do, go back in the plan a few weeks to catch up on the swim? No! I need to stay caught up NOW.

I also missed a run this week, but that is easier to rationalize. The IM training plan is not written for a marathon in April, and the marathon training plan doesn't know I'm biking. So I'm using some of the biking as my missed running.

One week down on the Paleo challenge. One week with no dairy! And surprisingly, I don't miss it! I used to eat a chunk of cheese "for some fat" but now I choose avocados and nuts. I looked, and the nutrient profile for avocados and nuts is much greater than that of cheese. I'm eating a whole avocado/day and a few servings of nuts. YUM!!! I thought I would miss milk in my coffee (Nope), or my nightly fruit with yogurt (not yet), or the melted cheese on a baked potato post-run (mmmm, but haven't missed it). Also one week without adding salt to food. I think that was a bad habit based on flavor, not physiological need. Good habit to break. I'm only adding some salt to recovery smoothies. So far, so great!!

Weekly numerics:
Swim: 2500 yards or 1.42 miles
Bike: 67 miles
Run: 26.5 miles
For a total of 10 hrs.

Next week: 20 miler, 2:15 ride, total of 11:55 hrs. Then a rest week!

And how does all this feel? Fantastic!

2nd 16-miler

RUN: 16 miles in 2:34.
1st 8 miles in 1:17:19 ave HR 146
2nd 8 miles in 1:16:58 ave HR 143
Overal pace 9:39 ave HR 144

This run felt great. It was finally warm outside 45+ for most of the morning! And no snow--finally a run at my goal pace. The previous 16-miler was in 2:26 but that included a half-mary race that helped up my pace. So while I was 5 mins slower here, I'm just happy to get a long run in at sub-10!

The biggest improvement over the previous 16-miler is that the final 3 miles of that run were hard to do, I struggled with form and focus and didn't finish strong. Today I finished strong and could have kept going.

Ate only 2 gels during the run (BTW-GU Orange Burst=yuck metallicy) and did fine. Ate carbs and fat before the run and this settled in the stomach OK. Ran the same route as I did for the recent 18-miler, just didn't lose my hat on this one.

My triceps are painfully sore. Did I do this during the run or is this still from xfit? I can barely bring my wrist to my shoulder! I had a great recovery, fatigued all day but no pain or tightness, can barely tell I did 16 miles. :-)

Thursday FP run

RUN: 6.5 miles in 55:23, about 8:30 pace. Now my arms are really tight and sore, I can't even straighten them out! And now the soreness in my legs is catching up but it's still pretty minor.

This run is my one week-to-week and month-to-month comparison. It's the only workout I do the same on a regular basis.

It's also my highest pace run of the week, it's replaced my speedwork. And since it follows my long ride and xfit days, a battle to the finish sometimes. Battle against myself, that is, as when I reach the 5 mile mark I'm struggling a bit to keep up.

I'm hoping to get another relaxing run in this afternoon. Maybe it will warm up above 30F!

Weds long ride

BIKE: 33 miles in 1:50. 2x11.2miles @75%. 1st=35:38, 117. 2nd=34:35, 124bpm. Good ride, felt the fatigue late in the 2nd interval.

I was already sore for xfit tues night! It's mostly in my arms, only one muscle in the quads are tired, maybe from the lunges.

Was supposed to run, but couldnt get it done today.

30's in crossfit

STRENGTH: 1hr class with 27:12 mins of work--30's!! 30 each of 1-arm kettle ball, toes to bar, box jumps, ring dips, double-under jump ropes, 45# thrusters, burpees, dip-shoulder press, pull-ups, and 300' of 25# weighted lunges...all as for time. I think that was all of them. Wow, my left calf was twitching by the end and I was sure I was going to drop a 25# weight on my head. A discussion in class revealed the xfit approach to speed vs form: keep good form as long as possible, but your form should start to fail if you are intense enough. Yeah, I think I reached that point today. My arms were so tired I couldn't hold a pen afterwards. I will most certainly be sore tomorrow.

SWIM: 2500 yards in 75 mins. WU ~22mins, then 2x800 at 70%. First in 18:30, second slower in 18:55. I meant to go a bit faster on the second one but my form was suffering. So maybe I was going too fast? I finished the prescribed workout in 48 laps, but decided to get 2 more in--so 50 laps. I was using the CD as a stretch, focusing on long arms, long legs, and long torso. My shoulders appreciated it.

Day 3 of the paleo challenge--following a stricter paleo plan to try to find why I was suffering some stomach upset. I was cheating too much and also having problems with ups and downs of energy. I'm already feeling the benefit, whether real or placebo doesn't matter--I'm feeling good! And I've tried coconut milk--delicious in omelettes!

A Holiday!

BIKE: 21 miles in 70 mins. 5x7:30 at 75% (1:30 rest)
Intervals: 2.4 miles 121bpm; 2.43 127, 2.45 122, 2.43 127, 2.43 133
RUN: 4 miles in 40 mins on a treadmill!!! BORING! I was going to do 5 miles but I just couldn't go any further.

Reasons to train on a treadmill:
-You can stop to adjust orthotic in new running shoes and have somewhere clean to sit
-You can refill water bottle all you want
-Controlled speed and incline intervals
-You can focus on form in a controlled enviroment

Reasons to NOT train on a dreadmill:
-There's nothing to look at except a brick wall or TV (I chose the wall)
-There's nothing on TV to watch, even if there are 4 of them on
-Your hands or hips keep hitting the handlebar if you don't pay attention
-There's no traffic to watch, no birds singing, no wind, no sun, no life
-Dreadmills are boring and don't make for an inspiring workout

So why was I on the treadmill? The hubby and I had the day off and I wanted him to go to the gym. And I thought the best way for that to happen is if I go along. It was 29F and snowing outside, not bad compared to the indoor climate. Our Y has slowing been replacing older treadmills with the ones that have a mini-TV screen in your face while you run, as if the only reason you are on the treadmill is to watch TV. There are only 3 "normal" treadmills remaining!

I have done a lot of miles on a treadmill, and I know people who just love'em. So I realize they have a place in running, but uh, just not in mine I guess.

Tripled Up Sunday

SWIM: 2100 meters in 60 mins 2x600 as 6x[50easy, 25hard, 25easy]
RUN: 8.25 miles in 1:22 in fresh snow, easy run
BIKE: abt 14 miles in 50 mins, super easy bike just to stretch legs

See what happens when I take a day off?!? I get all this crazy energy!

Weekly Numerics:
SWIM: 2100m, only made it to the pool once this week
BIKE: 83.5 miles
RUN: 21.75 miles, rest week
STRENGTH: 45 mins
for a weekly total of 9hrs 48mins

Next week: 2nd week of 2nd pre-season cycle 10hrs 15 mins
some big aerobic sets in swim and bike. for running: 32 miles with a 16-miler.

Crossfit Games

DAY OFF!

Watched the Crossfit Games--in a word AWESOME! The first WOD was all barbell--squats, overhead bar lifts, can't remember all the names. They had to do 5 sets of 20 reps, but each minute that had to stop and do 4 burpees. And finish within 20 minutes. The women lifted barbells weighted at 65#. The second WOD was as many clean and jerks as possible in 5 minutes, women lifting 95#.

What I loved about it--the athletes never gave up. They just kept at it for the whole 20 minutes even if they could barely lift their arms up over their heads to finish the burpee. Atheletes that finished collapsed on the floor, heaving and sapped of energy. They had nothing left at the end! I would love to try this next year if the competition is local!

I also loved that women and men weren't separated (they competed on the same floor but not against each other) and the men treated them as equal teammates. It was a lot like triathlon and running in that women hit the same course and aren't viewed differently. Some sports, from my perspective anyway, have women at a disadvantage or they get substantially less attention: cycling, college basketball, etc.

Maybe next year :)

Friday Long Ride

BIKE: 32 miles in 1:45, as per plan main set:
6.2 miles at 75% 19:10 ave 131
3 x 1mile at 84% 2:59/139; 3:02/134; 3:04/133
6.2 miles at 75% 19:49 ave 144
3 x 1mile at 84% 3:05/139; 3:03/149; 3:06/157

The rationale as described in the plan is "after the moderately hard set your body will be shocked into a higher HR with the higher levels of lactate, due to the higher amount of oxygen required to process this waste product. Be sure to hold HR UNDER 75% in the second 6.2 mile effort. This will help demonstrate the adjustments that your body makes when you push is harder in the midst of a longer aerobic effort"

I looked at it like an experiment: was my HR really going to be higher? It was!!! I had trouble keeping my HR low, it kept spiking to 150-160. In the end, I didn't get it quite right, as jugdged by the higher HR (144) and similar 19 minute times.

I felt great just after the ride but wiped the rest of the day. Actually didn't feel great at all by afternoon, I might have let myself get dehydrated.

Another catch-up post

TUES:
STRENGTH:45mins x-fit. Wasn't sore at all from this one.
BIKE: 17.5 miles in 60 mins. 20 min TT effort to find heart rate zones.
WEDS:
Off!
THURS:
RUN: 6.5 miles in about an hour. There was snow and ice, we just took our time. Very relaxed run.

Busy again, will come back later to get heart rate zones recorded, here is what I remember:
Z1 <118 bpm
Z2 118-132
Z3 133-139
Z4 140-147
Z5a 148->

Snowy Monday

BIKE: 67 mins, 20 miles 3x3.1miles at 75%. 1st in 9:31, ave HR 124. 2nd in 9:31, ave 124. 3rd in 9:28, ave 128.
RUN: 7 miles in 60 mins, 8:40-ish min/mile. Did this in the afternoon with a fellow club member, we did the route Monday BRR backwards.

I've said this before, there's nothing like good peer pressure. Knowing I was busy, I'd emailed the other club member and asked if they were running at 5pm. It's one thing to tell yourself that you're running at 5, it's another to tell someone else you're going to meet them to run. That and I ran at a better pace with someone else.

More snow again today, but it was a windless snow that fell quietly. The temps hovered just over freezing so only the bridges were snowy. Tomorrow will have more accumulation. I'd been blaming the snow for the snow pace on my long runs, and I wonder now how much was excuse and how much was reality. Cuz I ran just fine on the snow tonight!

Slow Sunday Swim

SWIM: 900 meters in ?? time.

I got tired just swimming from one end of the pool to the other. My hip and quad muscles are tight and a little sore. I feel fine otherwise, but any exertion just wears me out. awesome.

Summary of this week:
SWIM: 2984 yards. A little week on the swim
BIKE: 68 miles
RUN: 29.58 miles
10 hours and 56 minutes A little long on the hours.

Next week:
Goal time of 9.5 hours, start of the 1st week of the 2nd pre-season cycle. And it's a rest week on the run. This means two things. First, I'll be all nice and recovered by the middle of the week and feeling jittery. Second, it means I'll be Hungry! Yeah!!

20 miles, 1st of 3

RUN: 20 miles in about 3:25. Time is hard to say, since I'd stop every now and then or walk and the Garmin would keep counting. I didn't walk much at all, it was more pausing at intersections. But I will say up front that I'd hoped for a better time.

As it did last weekend, it snowed Friday night. There was only 0.5 inch of the crunchy type of snow, but there was lots of ice and slush. And as last weekend, my pace was dictated by the slick conditions. It's just hard to get up to pace when you feel your feet sliding under you. So again I took my time, focused on a low heart rate, and kept good form. The weather was much better too, 33F at start with some sunshine by the end of the run.

There was a 9.3 mile race in FP which is 4-5 miles from home. The original plan was to run from home, do the race, then run home after tacking on some extra tenths in the park to get an even 20 miles. But once I got to the park at 5.22 miles, I decided against waiting in the long lines to get a race number. I kept jogging while waiting for the bathroom lines to clear and re-filled the water bottles before heading out westward.

The day was looking good. I found myself on the marathon course as it heads into Clayton. Seeing an opportunity to review this end of the course, I followed a few turns of the course before turning around and heading back at 9.25. I'm glad I did this, I had forgotten just how hilly the course's west end is! Not that I mind hills, but it's nice to know they are there.

I don't usually run "in town" on short blocks with storefronts and traffic. A majority of my miles are paths, parks, or streets that I've picked for the low traffic. Clayton is full of intersections and stoplights. It breaks up the run and ruins the pace, but it's fun to look at all the stores. Especially the First Watch--mmmmmm food!

The run was mostly uneventful. I guess it's a good thing, but my mind was on a problem at work, so it's possible that the time flew by because I was pre-occupied. There were many times I'd forget I was running. That might just be the best thing you could say about a run. It felt so good I forgot about the hunger, pain, and fatigue.

In fact, the only discomforts was wet shoes, sore feet, and a runny nose. I always get a drippy nose in the cold, and it's never much--just a slow drip. But when you're running, the easiest thing to do is wipe on your gloves. And most running gloves have a soft area around the thumb and 1st finger for just this reason. It's not like it's a snotty drip, it's just water. Today I messed up though. Usually I dedicate one hand to nose and one hand to mouth, to avoid cross-contamination. But I wasn't paying attention, and realized I'd lost track of which hand! So I decided to use 1st finger for nose and thumb for mouth. Genius! haha!

I made it back to FP at 13 miles, tooled around there until 16, refilled the water and took a bio-break. I was determined to drink and eat more on this run, and I was more successful. Three gels, and 3-4 small waters, and 2 cytomax bottles. Still not enough, but I need to work my way up to find what the tummy can handle. At 16.5 I took in a 2x caffeine gel, which I credit for the lift in my spirits for the next 4 miles. That or the fact that the roads were drier. I felt great going home, almost as if I could have done the 26.2 today! Mile 19.5-20 was mostly down hill, but that left me still .75 uphill miles from home. Although I felt like I could keep going, I walked it home. No need to get injured pushing up a hill in bad form.

This run felt fantastic, and so much easier than last week's 18! Differences? I ate more fat with dinner and breakfast beforehand, and less pure carbs. I took Friday completely off of training. The day was warmer and I wasted less energy keeping body temp regulated. And I didn't lose my hat!

Recovery was a breeze--Ensure, oranges, bananas at first. Then out for a meaty omelet, more fruit, some potato chips for a salt craving. Then dinner out as promised for the hubby. My salt content is HIGH today! NSAIDS again, stretching, feet up. I'm 9 hours post run sitting on the couch with a bounding heart beat, I can feel it in my chest. Heart rate is elevated in the high 50's. I've had this bounding feeling before after a long run, so I'm not worried.

Summary: I bumped the Lap button on the Garmin each time I opened the bathroom door:
Lap 1: 5.79 miles 10:33 min/mile ave heart rate 147.
Lap 2: 10.48 miles 10:17 min/mile ave HR 146
Lap 3: 3.73 miles 10:24 min/mile ave HR 147

MUCH slower than I wanted to go, and even slower than last weekend. HR was pretty constant, but I think a little higher than goal HR. Hopefully the next 20-miler won't have snow!

NEXT: Recovery week 4x6miles only.

For sentimental reasons...

I keep you...for sentimental reasons...

It's hard to convey music across a blog, but sing the above line to Nat King Cole's version of the song, then think of my closet.

It's full of shoes. Not dress shoes, boots, flats, summer shoes, winter shoes, and more. Rather, it's full of running shoes. While the average women might want a shoe for every occasion, or have to go out and buy shoes to match an outfit, I only have a pair of everyday sneakers, a pair of black dress shoes, and a pair of boots. It's probably safe to say for the average triathlete the occasion is a race and the outfit equates more to gear or sport. And my closet is a good example of the gear accumulation of a triathlete.

Two things yesterday brought this to mind for me. First, I cut the tags on a new pair of Saucony's. Second, I finally bought a new pair of road shoes for the bike.

In digging out the new Sauc's, I had to do a little digging in a pile of Sauc boxes and old shoes. Old Sauc shoe boxes are my sorting system throughout the house, proof that I've been through a lot of these shoes. But here's the roster on the closet floor:

Omni 6: 2008, white laces, 500+ miles, retired, marathon training shoes

Omni 6-2: 2008, dark blue laces, 500+ miles, retired, marathon and Great Illini shoes

Omni 7: 2009, light blue laces, 450+ miles, light use only, Racine and Redman shoes

Guide 1: 2009, white laces 400-450 miles, light use only

Guide 2-1: 2009, yellow laces, 270 miles, default shoe

Guide 2-2: 2010, dark blue laces, 6.48 miles, future marathon shoes

Yes, I buy duplicates so I need laces to tell them apart. And the usual limit on shoes is about 500 miles. That list does not include the Brooks trail shoes, the Sauc non-running everyday shoes, and the other pair of Sauc "gardening" shoes in the basement. But I'm proud to report that I've cleaned up the closet. Both Omni 6's are gone. Looks much different in there now-haha. But it's funny how I can look at a pair of shoes and remember a race in them. It also helps that the Redman shoes still have red mud stains on them. But the miles put on these shoes are memories, and I tend to keep them around like momentos of previous seasons.

Regarding cycling shoes, I've been meaning to buy new road shoes for 2 seasons. I'm not sure what I was waiting for? But I tend to be cheap and want to wear out gear as much as possible before replacing (see running shoe list above). I've had the Nike mountain biking shoes since late 2005, they were a cheap pair of shoes purchased before I knew just how hooked I'd get on cycling. My other cycling shoes are the Sidi's, Italian tri-specific shoes purchased for about $200 in 2008. I love these shoes, and besides, every woman should have a really sweet pair of Italian shoes, right?

Last night I finally committed to buying replacements for the Nike's. Cycling shoes don't accumulate mileage like running shoes, but I still didn't intend to buy expensive shoes. But when I take into consideration the fact that I keep cycling shoes for years, why not go big? Oh, and go big I did! I started off in $100-$120 shoes, but didn't like them. Stiff. Uncomfy. Then I tried the Mavic Pro Road shoes. Not only do they look nice, they are NICE. Light, carbon soles, well-vented, nice wrap around the foot. And yes, expensive. But I've yet to ride in them, that's for this weekend. That will be the true test.

The salesman really knew what he was doing--show me the el cheapo's first, then the el guapo's next. Slick business! But my feet ain't complaining.

Thursday run

RUN: 6.48 miles in 57 mins, abt 8:55 min/mile. A little slower than usual. First run in the new ProGrid Guide 2 I bought a few months ago. This is I think my 3rd version of these shoes, the previous being yellow, these are blue. My current Guides have close to 300 miles, so it's time to rotate in a new pair. They had a few problems today--heel slip and misaligned orthotic in the right shoe.

The effects of the crossfit workout set in last night--sore, tight muscles. It hurt to stand, walk, sit, pick something up, etc. I almost bagged the run, worried about doing further damage but peer pressure is hard to beat even at 4:30am. And I knew from experience that while it might hurt a bit I would survive.

It was 30F with a cold front moving in, so it was a damp, windy 30F. I miss the days where I go out in shorts and bra top. Days like this it's a hat, gloves, bra top, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, jacket, insulated tights. My laundry pile is huge this time of year.

I knew the run would hurt, and it was actually OK until about 45 mins in, at which point I realized I was spending more energy worrying about getting dropped from the group. I wouldn't get dropped, they would wait for me, and that is even worse than getting dropped. So for the last 2 miles it was a head game. Really though, it was a battle of body over mind! My legs and lungs were on board to finish but my drive to keep going was slipping. But as always I finished. Again, peer pressure is hard to beat. Running alone I would have slowed a bit.

Tomorrow is a DAY OFF my first in a while. I'm resting up for the 20-miles on Saturday.

Long ride of the week

BIKE: 34 miles in 1:50. 3 x 9.3 miles aiming for 75%, aerobic pacing goal.
1st: 29:05 ave speed: 19.3 mph, ave bpm: 122
2nd: 28:33 19.6 mph, 122 bpm
3rd: 28:21 19.7 mph, 120 bpm
The goal is to see how this compares to a similar ride in a month or two.
Skipped the run, just didn't need it.


I'm not sure what magic happened, but my cadence monitor worked this morning?!? So when I say 34 miles, I really did 34 miles! And now that I have my HR monitor working I'm all set, except that I need to figure out what my zones are.

Catch up post

Monday:
BIKE: ~21 miles in 75 mins, 4x8mins at 75% (2 min recovery)
RUN: 3.1 miles in 27 mins, afternoon run on the BRR short route. Felt surprisingly good!

Tuesday:
STRENGTH: 1 hr xfit: 3x[10 toes to bar, 20 shoulder presses, 30 bar squats, 40 lunge/twist], then 8x20 crunches (10s). Oh this hurt, all 19:49 of the main set, but oh did I LOVE it.

SWIM: 2000 y in abt 55 mins, 10 laps WU then 3x500 Locos: 25 hard/25 easy; 50 hard/ 50 easy; 75/75, 50/50, 25/25. Loved this interval, made the 500 go by fast. Although it was really only 9 laps...so I have something wrong. Whatever.

BIKE: ~13 miles in 45 mins. "recovery effort" 27 min TT at 75%, 40 mins total.

I've got the HR monitor working, this last bike ride was ~115-119 for 75% RPE. Now I gotta get the cadence monitor working.