No Swimotivation

SWIM: ZERO!
BIKE: 80 mins and 24.5 miles

I was up on time, but had no motivation to go. Need to watch this--am I tired and burning out, or just tired? Either way, I just didn't' care to go.

Didn't help any that I woke up craving something I couldn't satisfy and ate too much. blah.

The bike was better than expected considering my state of mind. Still some pain in the right knee though. I keep saying I'm going to ice it but I keep forgetting to bring the ice packs to work.

I spent the rest of the morning in a mental jumble. Usuallythe only time mental issues get traction with me is when I'm tired. Tired and burning out, or just tired.   Either way. I spent the next few hours trying to satisfy that craving. I don't think it was food. Cuz I ate myself nearly sick and still didn't get my fix.

I started asking What Would Make Me Happy, Right Now. WWMMHRN, or W2M2HRN. Right now, this moment, what can I do. I started applying that to the day minute by minute. I decided I would improve my mood by focusing like this.

And surprisingly, it's little things that make me happy. I like things clean, no clutter. I like things simple and straightforward.  I hate tripping over things, knocking things over, having to move stuff around.

Simple enough. I cleaned the countertops. Threw away some foods I didn't want around. Did the dishes. It all brought a smile to my face.

I continued the theme.W2M2HRN? Getting to work on time. Starting my harvest. Talking to RH at the facility. Getting a good line for a perfusion.  Seriously. I was talking myself through the day, one affirmation after another. It was bad for a few hours there.

By mid-day I was better. I wonder how much of it was a food-coma effect? I did eat a lot, trying to find that "it" that I was wanting. In the end, I think all I wanted was some focus on myself from myself. Hard to put into words.

This is a long-running theme for me. I keep waiting, wanting, thinking that next week will be better or that I'll feel better later or that I'll get all this stuff done and life will magically improve.
But whew, what a morning....

Still pain in the knee

RUN 6.56 miles in 58 mins

Took it easy, the knee still hurts. Funny it didn't hurt yesterday at all until the trainer ride...then the trainer ride seems to beat it up a bit.

Ran with TB, CB, and AB. Hmmmm.....lotsa B's there!  Great run, nice weather, the sun coming up before we finished.

Gotta pay attention to the knee. I still think it's a post-Castlewood injury that will heal up if allowed to.

I think I need swim therapy

SWIM: 55 mins and 1900y

Not sure if I added that up right, I think it was about that, but I lost count. Not a good swim.

I can't understand how anyone who swims 6-8K a week can get WORSE in swimming. Yeah, I know, more swimming does NOT equal better swimming, I know. But you'd just think that with all the time and practice I'd improve somewhat.

OK, I'm not ignoring my recent PR times. I'm just saying that on average, I think I'm getting worse.

What a downer.

I'm just having one of those mornings I guess. I woke up with sore hip and calf muscles from the weekend. So one Monday problem is that I come into the swim tired.

Another problem is that I feel like I got nothing done at the house over the weekend, so I'm mentally overwhelming myself there. I can think of a zillion little things I need to do....really, a zillion....from fixing training gear to finding CdA flights to website to family to house to emails to work to .... AAAAAAHHHHHHH

Sometimes I think I need a therapist. Like today. Everyone swimming so much faster than me. I get down on myself. It's not so much that I make excuses (I already know why I'm slow) but I just get all mental and start analyzing all my problems right there in the pool while I'm swimming. So instead of being focused on the swim my mind is planning swim lessons, adding up swim yardage that hasn't improved me, thinking about strength training for swimming.... and more. 

Then it just builds. And builds. I think of more I need to do. Then more. Then I freeze up, unable to decide what to do next. Then the wave comes crashing back like a tsunami wave. I can't outrun it. It washes over me and suddenly I'm carried away by a mental jumble of overwhelming thoughts and planning.

Then the water recedes and I'm left with a mess. A hastily scratched out list, half-finished projects, and out of order plans that need to be re-analyzed.

But the first order of business, as far as this blog goes, is to set some priorities and use my friends and coaches to help me through this.
1.  Replan the week if needed so I can focus on the Monday swim, it's the most quality of my swims. Talk to CP and CHG about my swimming and see if this slow-down is real or imagined. Then see what I can do about it. Lessons, different swim schedule?
2. Get Frea from Big Shark and talk to KJ about either new wheels or whatever I need to improve the bike for this season. Then take that discussion to my Big Brothers in the club and see what comes of it.
3. Get to BRR and start making decisions on what shoes I'm wearing for TTT and CdA. CP can help with the shoes questions for TTT--trail or road? As for CdA, I just need to start really thinking about trainers, stick with the Adrenalines or keep looking? 

Sound like a plan? Get focused. Get things done. And don't get overwhelmed by a stupid to-do list.

How about shopping therapy instead?

RIDE: 90 mins and 25.5 miles, sadly indoors

I did the ride late in the day when I could, so it had to be indoors. I was feeling great except for a sharp pain in my right knee. Inside of the leg but towards the top, above the knee, feels muscular. It's probably some damage from the ankle roll on Saturday. The went all the way to the knee and I'm still surprised I don't hurt more from that.

So I took it easy, didn't stand much, but did have a good "indoors" pace. And riding outdoors yesterday was a sharp reminder of how little the trainer riding helps outdoors. You really have to push indoors to simulate the outdoors feel.

But back to therapy. I stopped by my LBS and test rode four road bikes. I said no to the two Giants and I'm left with a Cannondale Super Six and a Ridley Orion. I'm testing them again shortly after they've been better fit to me. The Orion was way huge for me, but it was still a good ride.

I'd like to get a road bike, but I'm still not sure I NEED one. Gotta be careful on that. Sure I can afford it. Sure I'll ride it. But do I NEED it?

First group ride of the season!

BIKE: 2:20 and 31.7 miles. I think just under 14mph overall. Windy!

Yeah, you read that right. Slooooowwww. The headwinds were a bitch today.

I almost didn't join this ride and almost did an indoor ride instead. I had too much to do around the house and a long ride wouldn't help my to-do list much. But some encouragement from DC got me going. After cramming in as many little chores as I could before I had to leave, I took the trainer tire off the Bird and headed out. Frea was at BS for a tuneup, besides it was too windy for Frea today!

It was cold but had all the makings for a warmer day before the ride was done. My plan was for 50 miles if possible, all depending on time and how the legs were holding up after yesterday's trail race. One interval at a time, if things look bad I could always take the shorter 25-30mi route.

We rode out of the MPlace up Cherry Hill, and the legs felt good. Not much zip but lots of endurance. The ride took familiar routes that felt different without the hot sun! The headwinds on the southern sections was brutal, I thought at times that if I quit pedaling I'd go backwards instead.

In the end I opted for the 30 mile route option, as did the rest of the group. I was running out of time! We had only 2hrs of AutoPaused time, but 3hrs of actual road time. Regarding this time differential, much more happened on the ride, but I'm going to stay out of that here. I don't know how I feel about that yet. Mixed. Let's just sum it up in one word: TheSlowZebra. I've been there, it's been me, I know how it feels. Still mixed about it.

I was happy to see CP on the ride, and hoped to get a chance to talk to him about March training. No dice during the ride unhappily but afterward we caught up and he answered a few questions:

Build starts after St patty's, so 3 weeks.
I havent' seen a rest week since I havent had one yet!
Long runs start anytime now.

This has me wondering about nutrition, I really  need to get that dialed in and I think Build Season is a good a time as any to jump off the Whole30 program.

Post Castlewood Swim

SWIM: 45 mins and 1500y of drills and blah.

Swimming after a good run feels good, but I rarely do it. It was still too cold to work on the woodwork outside so I rode along with the DH who was heading to the gym. I'd already foam-rolled out the legs and was feeling groggy and flat. Maybe a swim would pick me up a bit?

It might if it wasn't a forced effort. I drug myself through the 1500y doing 100y sets of focused swimming. Focus on this drill, focus on that problem. I avoided pushing off the wall to rest the legs. At one point I thought I could hit a mile before the gym closed, nope. No energy to do so.

Felt good physically, felt good mentally that I did it, but didn't feel good technically. Slop Fest.

Castlewood Cup 15K race report

RUN: 9.3 miles in 1:23:31 for an 8:58 pace.
4th out of 22 in F35-39AG
18th out of 135 OA in F

I was hoping for better. Of course I was. You don't race hard without hoping for the best. If you know you have no chance of placing, then you don't race to place. Sometimes I have a goal of just doing good, sometimes I want a PR, sometimes I want a podium. And those goals dictate the "mentality" of the race. Today I wanted a podium. And even though I didn't get one, I'm pretty damned happy. I ran a sub-9, didn't walk any of the hills, and gave it all I had. So yeah, I'm pretty happy with my effort!! :)

Sometimes I think I'm starting to take this all too casually. I sort of rested coming into the race, I didn't prepare much at all beforehand, and I certainly didn't spend time warming up. I just woke up, packed, left, bounced around a little bit, then ran.  Is this good or bad? It's good in that I don't get all anxiety-freaked before a B/C race. It's maybe bad in that I don't get really psyched up and take it more seriously. Maybe.

Breakfast was hard to plan since I wake up at 5am and don't have to run until 10am. So I ate mostly light protein and carbs (which set me up for some blood sugar bumps later, I think). DH rode out with me and we spent part of the morning together. It was cold--low 40's at start--but had all the promise of warming up fast. I was in the 2nd wave, and for some reason seeded myself more towards the back. Why? I certainly don't like having to pass people right at the start.

The first half mile or so was a loop on flat grass. It helped stretch runners out before the major hill of the race over the bluff to the river. In this first stretch, I kept getting passed! This messed with me a bit. Usually I'm passing people because I'm seeded too far back. But this all changed at the hill, when all those peeps dropped out and walked. :)  Hill Carnage. I ate it up and kept running.

This set me up for a fast pace on the down hill. I pretty much bombed my way down it, smiling the whole way. I love my 'trail-ception'--the ability to look 7-8 feet ahead of me on the trail and have my steps calculated without having to look down right at the ground in front of me. It takes practice, confidence, and some fast mental calculations. And I'm not even all that good at it yet.

Down the hill, around some flats, and back up another hill. Again Hill Carnage. The race continued like this with me picking off one female at a time. The males I didn't worry so much about, but I did remind myself that although I was moving fast (or so it seemed) there were many, many people ahead of me yet.

At one point I was following a runner who I was running slightly slower than I was, but couldn't pass her on the single track. So I hung off her shoulder. She offered to let me go by, but I declined cuz I wasn't sure I could stay well enough ahead of her. Running tight behind someone in a trail race is risky, you can't see the trail with them in the way and the potential for them to trip up and get under you is high. As I found out soon enough! She tripped and I nearly ran right over her. I stopped, pulled her up, and let her get back ahead of me. I likened it to the No Passing in the Feed Zone rule in biking. She was OK but shook up, and let me go by while she recovered. If you let me go by, that's different, I'll pass ya.

Soon enough I had no females in front of me. This messed with my head a bit. Was I close to the front? Was I deluding myself? Was I in podium for my AG?  I tried to push all this aside and just run. Quit worrying about position and worry about the next minute of race.

Then my own trip-and-near-fall happened. I hit something and rolled the right ankle about 2.5 miles out. It was one of those rolls that makes all the tendons and bones stretch out of place, sort of a grinding/crushing feeling. With runners right on my tail I had to keep going until space cleared to stop, but my the time that happened I realized I might be OK. Besides, swelling won't happen until later, right? So I'm ok to run now, right? I kept going, and even got a little more aggressive over the next mile with the adrenaline rush.

We hit the erosion-area, passed volunteer EK, and headed out to the last 1.5 miles of flats. Then I was passed by the same runner who fell earlier! Good for her, but damn it! She had a great pace cooking, no chance for me to catch her. Then we crossed the creek--not too deep or too cold--and one mile to go! Once again we did a loop on the half-mile grassy flat to the finish line. And I was passed again! Arg! Couldn't catch her even though she was seconds ahead of me.

Those fartleks we do on Tuesdays? Yeah, gotta work on those.

In the end, a great race. I gave full effort and don't think I really could have run any faster. I look at the other top times in the field in amazement, how do they go that fast on trails?!?!?

Nutrition wise--took no drinks or food during this race. I know I'm OK without food for a 1.5hr run, but I probably could have at least sipped some water!

After the race, I knelt down to pick up a bag and a small muscle in my quads above my left knee seized up. I could stand and walk, but not bend my knee! Luckily (?) I was within limping distance of the PHG tent. I've never tested ART before and had always wondered what it was like. Now's my chance, I guess, since more walking and movement didn't improve anything for the knee. He worked only a few minutes, but by the time he was done I was moving again. Turns out hill descents work the quads more, and a tired muscle was being affected by a cramped-up/impinged/whatever nerve in the hammy. Oh, and they call him Dr Pain for good reason!

Great race, will definitely do it again!

Day of Rest

Day of REST!

And aura.  A weird one that started with waves of nausea and "tummy discomfort" before moving into a bit of a dizzying aura. This aura moved to the left, while all my others move to the left. What does that mean?

Probably nothing. But I note it nonetheless.

For the next few hours I was disconnected and everything was visually sharp. Not photosensitive, just really, really sharp.

EDIT later in day: came home with tummy pain, no other symptoms. had me stuck on couch for a while. Did I eat some non-GFree food when I went to the cafeteria? The raisins and sunflower seeds had crouton bits in them, could that really cause that?  Or is the migraine aura a fore-warning of stomach upset? Something to keep track of, especially as these continue to occur.

Tired Thursday

RUN: 6.6 miles in 60 mins.

Yeah, I'm tired. There was just no zip today. LC was doing 18, and usually that number doesnt phase me. But hearing her plans left me tired just thinking about it!!

REST starts at 7am when this run is done!

Saturday is Castlewood Cup, my goal is to feel better by then.

Dull. Bored. Is it me?

SWIM: 2350y in 60 mins, IM day
BIKE: 15.5 miles in 60 mins, "steady state"

IM day at the pool means whatever goes. I was surprised I got that many yards in, sure didn't feel like it during the workout.

The bike was a disappointment. The plan called for 5 min WU, 60 min steady state, 5 min CD. What the heck does "steady state" mean? Outdoors it means just ride. But indoors? It means BORING!

But my mood has been dull the past few days, so is it me or the workouts? I'm sleeping soundly, eating probably too much (haha, it's all fruit too!), and otherwise OK. But the past week has me thinking I need a good rest week. I get tired easy, I'm not as sharp, and I'm getting bored with myself.

What a problem to have!

Form & Fartleks....my fartleks need work!

RUN: 6.7 miles in 56.5 mins, 8:25m/m pace

The plan said a form run, but the group wanted fartleks. The group being just DC and JM. I was just there for the ride. Or run. Whatever.

It was a relatively warm morning (mid-40's) but there was a wet wind out of the west that set a chill in. So I suggested we run backwards to take advantage of the tailwind on the WU and CD. Backwards it was. That was my biggest contribution to the run.  My left hip is OK, but it hurt a little more after the run. After I'd been sitting at my desk for a few hours. (ugh, sitting....)

A few miles in, JM called the first interval. Between them, we had 4-5 intervals. None of them were mine! Don't have pace data for the intervals, but a peak at the HR showed about 170bpm at the end of some. In the 3rd or so interval, I had a laugh at myself. Lately I've been chomping at the bit wanting more and faster workouts. Well, here it is--a faster workout. And guess what?

Guess I wasn't in the mood...in fact my mood has been a bit dull the past few days. I'm tired, worn out, easily fatigued, dragging by the early afternoon. I'm sleeping 7.5-8hrs/night, going to bed around 8:30 and waking around 4:30am. I wake up around 10:30pm and maybe again at 12:30am, sometimes to use the bathroom, sometimes I just wake up. I'm relieved to see that there are a few more hours of sleep available but at the same time frustrated cuz I don't want to go back to bed.

And I'm having these crazy dreams. Crazy.

But there was a moment in today's run (a downhill, of course) in the middle of an interval along the zoo parking lot in which I felt the joy that I loved. I was flying. The ground flew by under me. I realized that no matter how tired I could still fly. These are the moments I'd like to remember when I'm old and gray, or injured. That feeling of flight. Of ease. Of struggle rewarded by wings.

I went back and looked at May 2010, which I estimate to be equivalent in training time to now for Ironman building. I was preparing for Kansas. I was still in base, doing about 12hrs/week. I was running about the same pace for the FP loop as today (!), and I was getting proud of my 1.5mi OWS at New Town.

I was relieved to see that I was still in base  at that time. I'm doing 11hrs/week now, so I guess that's comparable. My swim is so much stronger than 2010, and a swim of 1.5mi now is no biggie. (And just wait until that new wetsuit is debuted, gawd I'm gonna ROCK that swim!!) So I'm on track.

As for fatigue, I was tired then too. Worn out and looking for rest. I'm lovin it, don't take this as complaining! I love the fatigue and work and challenge.

But here it is 4:30pm and almost time to go home and I'm so tired I don't want to walk to the parking lot!!

2 x 55 mins

SWIM: 55 mins 2100y
BIKE: 55 mins 15.5 miles

The swim was Monday Master's (duh, it's Monday) and my work on swim timing continued. I swam 2 100's in 1:43!  I just realized (hours later) that's a PR!!  My most recent timed 100y swim was in late January and that was all-out-effort-time-trialing at 1:47.  Today was 1:43 :)

The bike was 5 mins moderate, 5 mins hard.

Very tired today, wanted to go to bed by 5pm! And again my fingertips were tingling. That happened a few weeks ago and I didn't figure out why. I should start keeping track. Salt? Vitamins?

The hip pain from yesterday's run is a 0.5-1 on the pain scale. Today before the swim it started to feel like something just needed to "pop" back into place. Maybe it did during the swim?

Hillz baby. Then injury?

RUN: 1:14 and 8 miles with 8 repeats up the "tunnel" hill in FP.

Started off with the SK5K group then split off as I was going longer. And uphill. No other takers.

CP gave me a good mental picture of what to shoot for in these repeats so I was able to stay focused on that goal each climb. I would chant something different each climb: legs up, light as a feather, pistons, etc.

No problems from yesterday's leg cramps.

It was all great, I felt strong, but in the last 1.5 miles something in the back of my left hip started hurting. The pain (a score of 2-3?) would come and go. Keep an eye on it!

Saturday Double

SWIM: 3200m in 90 mins
BIKE: 28 mi in 90 mins

The swim was the "2 mile masters" I've been doing, notable today because I did 100m intervals in under 2 mins!  Is that a PR?  My previous 100m PR was in the 50m pool at a 2:02, so I guess this is.  I did all 4 100m's under 2 mins, the guess was 1:55-1:57-ish.

My right calf cramped too, but not bad at all. Just a quickie.

The bike was notable for the movie intervals and the movie, Transporter 3. Plot? Eh, who cares (I'm not sure there even was a plot). I set the fight scenes as sprints, the car chases as "chases", the rest moderate, and each commercial I'd switch between big and small rings. I rested while forwarding through the commercials. I was pretty wiped after this :)

Thursday that wasn't a long run

RUN: 6.6 miles in 58-60 mins.

Stupid me didn't charge the Garmin. Smart me didn't turn this in a long run that I don't need to do.

JM, LC, and BK joined for a relatively warm 44F run. LC was going long, BK training for Boston, leaving me and JM to our own goals. The run started out slow. No one was up for speed. Eventually JM and I peeled off, making for an interesting run. Started slow, ended somewhat fast. Like a long slow build.

Calf feels great! I keep meaning to foam-roll it. Would have been good to have attended the Club's session on that last night. Stupid mouse.

Breaststroke: it looks easy on the YouTubes

SWIM: 2100y in 60 mins
BIKE: 17 miles in 60 mins

Breaststroke day started off with me testing the calf (OK) and watching the YouTubes for breaststroke tips. I know my timing is off in addition to poor kick form. It all looks so easy on video....

In the water is a different story. But luckily today it was just me and BH in the 8th lane. No worry about faster swimmers or slowing anyone down. I was able to focus on form and timing in the drills.  All was well until we did 3x200 free. I was called out and up onto the deck (!) for some schoolin'.

CHG said he's not giving up on me.  Good. Because he's the 95% reason I come to these sessions. That guy hasn't given up on me since about 2006. If he can see some hope, then I'm banking on that. Either that or he doesn't have the heart to tell me to give up.  HAHA. Doubt it.

My current problem is that I'm not up on my side when I start the pull. I know I'm supposed to do that, but to be honest I don't think about it all lately when swimming. I can only focus on one thing at a time. Really. My neurons don't fire at multiple levels when swimming. I've been focused on high elbows and keeping that left arm from sweeping under me.

I tried a length focusing on being on my side. I feel it! My lats felt the strain. Try it again. Arm sweeping under me. (See above!). Try it again. More lats feel. Hang on to this thought and carry it into Saturday's masters.

The bike was cut short since I had to get to work. Another pyramid. Still don't know the goal HR? effort? speed? cadence? I'm supposed to have for these! But I took it easy and selected lighter gears to keep resting that calf. And it was reflected in the mileage.

Painful, tired, when-are-we-done run

RUN: 6.6 miles, 1hour?

DC and I did this run in the winter's first real snow!! All of 1.5 inches of it. And it was 34F at run start so the snow didn't last long :( Oh well.

The morning started off with me sleeping in until 5:10. So only a banana in the tummy, no coffee yet. My left calf was still hurting (1 on a scale of 10, really) but it was more of a lack of flexibility. The snow wasn't helping any since it forced me to push off differently.

By the zoo I was wanting quit, right at 4 miles. Keep going.
By the science center. By the dinosaur, by the skating rink, by the last turn off. Oh man did I want to QUIT.  DC walked with me for a few seconds at one point. :(    Walking? What?

My quads hurt. My head hurt. My back hurt. My calf hurt. My body wanted to quit but the mind didn't.  Where have I heard this music before? Oh yes, Redman. Let's not go there again.

What was the mind saying this time around? STFU. HTFU. And Keep Going.

I finished, but oh man did that hurt.

Did I rest yesterday?

SWIM: 2350 in 65 mins
BIKE: 12.2 miles in 40 mins

Answer to the question=No. And I'm feeling it!

The swim was interesting in that the sets were broken up so we could do the intervals faster. So a 500 as 250, 100, 100, 50, with just a few seconds of rest.

I was in lane #8 due to some reshuffling of peoples. There was a low-turnout for a Monday, but BE and I moved over to #8. And since most of the lane #8 regulars didn't show, I really was the slowest person in the pool. And I hate swimming along that wall!

My left calf CRAMPED hard today in the pool. I tried to ignore it but I eventually had to stop and find the wall. So much for "what would I do in a race?". It had cramped overnight too, and is still sore hours later.

The bike was supposed to be all small-ring but it ended up bo-ring. Didn't even finish the 70 mins set. I just quit. Again, "what would I do in a race?" if I didn't feel like continuing? At least in a race I would have something to look at.

Day off, but not resting

But I should be resting! Instead I painted the office. I started yesterday and finished today, actually. By the end my hands were raw, my first righthand finger swollen, and my arms sure to hurt tomorrow.

I was going to run, and kept the option open all day while I worked. But I really did need to sacrifice this day to get stuff done. I can train during the week.

More swimming!

SWIM: 3250y in 90 mins
BIKE: 27 mi in 90 mins, indoors

Another Friday-Saturday Back-to-Back long swim set. And lickety split, done no problems. While I'm not getting faster, I am getting longer.

The bike was a pyramid. Again.

How Rest Day becomes Make-Up Swim day

SWIM: 3600y in 1:18, 200's theme

In honor of a new triathlete-in-training I met last weekend, I've designed a "make up swim" for the one I missed on Monday.

200s theme, in honor of her 200y swim. Because we all started somewhere:
WU 200
MS 10x200 odds as 100easy/100fast; evens reversed. Pull buoy on #3,6,9.
       1x200 easy off strokes
       5x200 with fins as 50 flutter, 50 flutter fast, 50 dolphin, 50 dolphin fast
CD 200 choice

Would you believe that 200 easy was the hardest? I just wanted to get done!

Nice workout, flew right by. Did this it the So Ci Y pool.

From 10K pace to 12.6 miles long

RUN: 12.6 miles in 2hrs, easy long run pace.

Just me and LC. Took off out of FP on the 2nd loop to run the Forsyth section of the GO! course.

Does this count as a long run?

No.

Master's Poster Child

SWIM: 2250in 60 mins
BIKE: 27 miles in 90 mins, indoors

Sometimes I feel like the poster child for the slogan "you don't have to be fast to swim Master's". Which is kinda sad, but doesn't seem to stop me from going.

Today was backstroke day and a solid 80%+ of swimming today was backstroke and backstroke drills. Actually, I'm surprised to have hit 2000y. Wonder if I added that up right.

I keep going and going to Master's, but don't seem to be getting any faster. Sure, I'm more efficient, but no faster. Unless everyone else in my lane is increasing their speed at the same rate. Doubt it.

So I'm the poster child.

The bike was an indoor "hills simulation" by adding a few gears every 10 mins. It was a kinda vague workout.

Edit: I did have the swim math wrong--but  I'd forgotten a set so the number went UP instead!

Tax Run

RUN: 10 mins in 90 mins.

This was supposed to be a form run, but I kept it going after the prescribed 60 mins to get a longer run in. It felt easy and clean. I ran alone and had all the focus needed to think about form.

So this was like a long-form 10-90 EZ run? Is there a tax form like that? ;)

A case of the Mondays

SWIM: Zero!
BIKE: 17.5 miles in 1 hr

I woke up on time, slept in a few minutes, had a snack and some coffee, then decided to miss my swim. ARG. Then I proceeded to eat a heavy breakfast. Then I did the bike ride indoors. Then my stomach had a heavy blah feeling. Then I went to work.

It was a case of the Monday's.

On the plus side, CHG wasn't the coach for the day. Another plus is that I have a cool 200's themed workout planned as a make-up swim. More on that later.

Missed the run, but didn't miss a good weekend

RUN: Zero. :(

But had a great weekend at home. :)

Saturday Swim: back to back long swims

SWIM: 3550y in 1:20

I put the extra 50 in there because a true 2 mile swim is 3520y. Yesterday was 3500, today 3550 to get the "extra" 20's in. Cuz otherwise I have to swim one length of the pool only partway to get the 20 yards :)

This was a back-to-back long swim! I had some apprehension about it, worried about wearing out the muscles or injury but I do bike rides and runs back to back, so why not swims?

WU: 400, 300, 200 (bilateral), 100 (paddles)
MS: 4x400 with race pace intervals. 1st 400 had 1st 100 at RP, 2nd 400 had 2nd 100 at RP, etc. 30s rest between intervals.
50 off stroke. (this was my bonus 50).
5x150 kick as (25 side, 50 flutter, 25 other side, 50 dolphin)
150 off/drills/easy.

As with yesterday, I was surprised at how easy and fun this felt. Nothing like my Mon/Weds Masters in which I get down on myself and tired. Those sessions are 75 mins long and I rarely get in 3500y, let along 3000y. So why can I swim so much here in the same amount of time? Aside from the fact that I'm usually 5-10 mins late for Master's?

I get really Mental in Master's. I'm worried about the faster swimmers around me. I'm comparing myself. I'm watching behind me. I'm subtracting off yards that CHG gives us so I can finish my shorter set in the same time  the others to. I've calculated my "handicap" for Master's-- 300y to their 400. But I can do it! These last 2 swims show it. I just can't do it fast.

COLD again today, so after the swim I went to the therapy pool. 93 degrees!!!! HOT DAMN that felt good! And since that Y has cold showers and cold air, it was extra helpful for helping me to recover lots of the lost body heat from the lap pool. When your hands are blue the rest of the day after your swim (like they were yesterday), it's a sign that it's too cold out baby!

And how can I be complaining about the cold? It's the warmest winter in ages (was 65F degrees in STL this past week) and on top of that IM CdA is famous for cold water. So HTFU, right?

Right?
Brrrrr..............

Monday Master's on Friday

SWIM: 3500y in 1:20 at the IL Valley Y. 

Similar to yesterday, I was moving workouts and moved Monday's Missed Masters to Fun Friday. And it was fun!

WU: 500, then 4x150 kicks as (25 side, 50 flutter, 25 other side, 50 dolpin)

MS: 4x500 with each 500 having a 100 fast segment. The first 500 had 300-400 fast, 2nd 500 had 200-300 fast, etc. 10s rest after fast, 45s rest between segments.

100 easy

CD 300

or something like that. I've decided to keep track of these good workouts, especially ones that sound god-awful at first read (4x500?!?) but then get really good the more you think about it.

This was at the IL Valley YMCA which is probably the nicest pool I swim in. And I'm not counting the nice purple flags in that assessment :)  Or the rotating-position lifeguards, which arent so bad once you get used to the idea of someone standing at the wall when you flip. 

But I do have a complaint about the COLD of that building and pool. Sure CoC is cold, but DAMN it this swim left me cold the rest of the day.

And I met a triathlete (sort of met him, anyway) at the pool. Funny how we can pick each other out like that. He was training for a 2nd go at the Chicago tri this August. Once he admitted to not really following the sport, I let him back to his swim. :) 

Also visited the new-to-me Trek store in Peru!! Not a tri bike in the place, but COOL!!!!! An LBS for the home area :) LOVE IT. 

Thursday long run

RUN: 10.8 miles in 1:40, 9:15m/m

Today was supposed to be a tempo run, but that got moved to Tuesday, meaning Tuesday's Fartleks were moved to today. But then knowing I'd be busy this weekend, I moved Sunday's long run to Thursday, thusly in the end moving Tuesday's Fartleks to Sunday, which in the end when knowhere.

Make sense? Yeah, I know.

So today LC and I did our long run. DC and IT dropped us pretty fast. LC wanted 12, I wanted 10, we figured we'd meet in the middle somewhere and did.

This felt really good, really easy, no HR data. I love being back to long runs!!!!!

Unfocused Flying

SWIM: 1400 in 50 mins, fly day

BIKE: 22.5 miles in 75 mins, big and small ring pyramids

My first swim back had to be on fly day. I bought by new punch card and tried to get excited but it just wasn't there. I was happy to swim, but it just wasn't there. I couldn't get a grip on the water, it just flowed past my hands. I could feel it rippling over my forearms. I was moving forward, but slowly. And every touch to the wall left me gasping for air. Unfocused.

At one point we did fly with fins and I felt the first twinges of a hamstring cramp. That was it. I was out. I got out early and cut my losses.

The bike was much better. I was starving hungry by the time I got home from the swim, ate about 500 calories (!) then hopped on for the ride. After a weak swim I went for redemption in the ride and did the entired session as planned.

I need to get focused and work on the hydration. I've been dehydrated for most of the past week. When I don't feel good, I just don't drink much.