2x 3x1000 at the track

RUN: 8.4 miles in 1:10 2x[3x1000, 200rest] 1200 between sets, descending 1-3 and 4-6.

BIKE: 24.1 miles in 90 minsx 3x20 mins at 75% (aimed for 120-125 bpm)

That is probably the longest track workout I’ve ever done, and anything longer probably shouldn’t be done on a track! We had a great group today of BE, DC, IT, CM, DK, and a new runner DS. Track sessions are definitely better as a group. Everyone did their own thing, some of us doing my workout in some form, others following right along with me, others completely different. It was great!

The goals were simple. Shaving a few seconds off each 1000 within each set, then having the 2^nd set be like the first. Since I don’t know my 10K or 5K pace really (I could guess, but I mean I don’t know for sure) but I thought I’d start the first 1000 at just under 10K or just under 8m/m. Based on previous weeks, that should be no problem-o.

The interval data: #/time/distance/pace*/HR

1 4:50 0.72 6:41 150

2 4:42 0.71 6:36 156

3 4:38 0.73 6:23 165

Then a 1200m jog

1 4:52 0.70 6:56 154

2 4:35 0.70 6:33 153

3 4:21 0.69 6:17 137

*I mention distances since the Garmin didn't seem to measure a full 1000m and instead captured a 3/4 mile. If these numbers are put into a calculator using 1000m, the paces are not that fast. I'm sure sure which is right.

I was surprised at the speed of the 4:35 interval! It didn’t feel all that fast, but by that time I was warmed up and finding it much easier to do. So how was I going to beat that? Hang on to DC and BE! I started with them but soon enough they eased ahead. At the 200m to go mark I said out loud to a cheering IT that “I’m making my move” and I pushed it…my legs burned and my chest was starting to hurt…but I caught them!!  Right before the line I re-grouped with them and crossed just behind them. AWESOME!  And WOW!!!!

We closed with some 100m strides and headed off to get our days going. I still had a bike ride!

I hate to say it, but since I was very keen on getting the 20 min intervals in, I did this indoors. I noted in Sunday’s ride that I have a weakness of not being able to hold higher efforts for long. Not speed efforts, but rather just the ability to hit 80% and maintain it.  My focus would wander off or my legs would tire out. So today the goal was to STAY FOCUSED and get a feel for how that effort builds on the legs. If I had a long stretch of road I would have done it outdoors, but that’s not possible all the time.

It's also notable that I did this run in the newer 12-2/gray Adrenalines, this morning before the run I successfully adjusted the orthotics to a comfy fit! The left shoe really needed it. Now to test on a long run.

What a day! No, what a morning!!

JRR Tolkien quote

The greatest adventure is what lies ahead
Today and tomorrow are yet to be said
The chances the changes are all yours to make
The mold of your life is in your hands to break.

The greatest adventure is there if you are bold
Let go of the moment that life makes you hold
To measure the meaning can make you delay
It's time you stop thinking and wasting the day.

A man whose a dreamer and never takes leave
Who thinks of a world that is make believe
Will never know passion
Will never know pain
Who sits by the window
Will one day see rain.

The greatest adventure is what lies ahead
Today and tomorrow are yet to be said
The chances the changes are all yours to make
The mold of your life is in your hands to break.


Today was a day off for me, I needed it! I thought about swimming in the evening but that's as far as I got. Thinking about it.

A Day at Carlyle Lake

SWIM: 1.25? miles in 55? minutes
BIKE: 67.2miles in 3:57, ave speed 17mph and 119bpm

It was a long drive, but worth it. How often do you get OWS opportunites!? The water was smooth, warm, and had something that accumulated in my bra top to cash some irritation later...

The day was cool again, we really did catch a break from the heat this weekend. After checking in, getting a cool RMP tshirt and blankie, then heading to the beach I did 4 laps on the 0.25mi course. I tried to keep track of the times, I was doing roughly 11-12mins quarter miles. That's 400m, which should only take me 9 or so minute. But I certainly wasn't hurrying and I kept going off course on the backstretch.

At some point in the swim, my back itched. Like I had prickly crumbs in my top. Then I started noticing it in other places, legs, abs, arms. I ignored it, but later on I found what looked like sawdust in my bra top and a mild rash on my skin! Not sure what it was.

I was the last peep out of the water, so getting the bike together was a rush. In my hurry to get out the door with copies of the route maps, I forgot my aerobottle but thankfully nothing else. That's what I get for having a late night spent in a daze and not being efficient in packing.

The clouds overhead made it feel as if we were barely working, and the clouds in the distance kept us watching the skies. Around mile 24 we decided the storms would slip south. Around mile 26 we decided to do 66 instead of the planned 85. In the end this all worked out. To make up for it, I hit the pace hard on the way home, bringing the ride ave speed up out the 16's and into 17. I've been watching my bike speed the past few weeks and have been dismayed at the speed. If I want to do 17-18 in Redman, I have to start rocking it. Sure, I can't compare the stop/start of a training ride like this to the smooth go-go-go of a race...but still. It's a nice confidence booster to know I can do it.

My nutrition today was going to be EFS, but I opted instead for my new batch of homemade BOOMfinIT. Good stuff! I had just 300 cals of that and a powerbar over the 4hrs. I ate a lot of fruit before the ride, and more fruit after, then by the time I came home I was again ravenous. I just get so hungry I'm nauseated! I did this yesterday, and I did it again today. Sounds like it's time to research recovery foods that withstand the hot car, have good protein and fat, and don't leave me starving like today!!! Cuz now I ate too much again, just like yesterday, although I was more mindful of it today.

This week was just over 15hours of training, with this being sort of a rest week on the IM plan. Next week is 18hours.

Overall, I did 6700y swim, 129.2 mi bike, and 34 on the run. I hope to get my run mileage up next week.

Saturday Sandwich and Nakedness!

RUN: 6.48mi, 9:05m/m, ave 141bpm
RUN: 6.39mi, 9:21m/m, ave 147 bpm
BIKE: 48 mins, just under 10 miles, easy
RUN: 4.44 mi, 9:07m/m, 145bpm

TH and I met up for this sammie. My goal was a slightly slower pace than last week's sammie, to have run #3 be the same pace as run #1, and to test the hydration backpack.

Success all around! Last week we ran 8:53 for the first 6 miles, this week 9:05.
It would have been nice to have run #2 be like #1, but oh well.
And the hydration pack is something I need to learn to wear.

The morning was finally a cool one (although not cold like a lady at the VC was saying!). It was so refreshing! The first lap went great, unremarkable. The 2nd lap I wore the backpack. It's heavy, but like TH said it won't be heavy the entire run because I'll be drinking out of it! We didn't drink out of this one, just wore it to feel the weight. It was a distraction, but not a problem. Which means I just need to grow used to it. It will be very helpful to have one for the upcoming long runs! I don't like so much the handheld and the fuelbelt only holds so much.

So I'm not sure why run #2 was slightly slower, but each mile was just a few seconds slower. Maybe it's because we ran the 2nd loop counterclockwise like on the track!? We ran into SaMu at the end, she said NK was out running. We decided to find her on the bikes and heckle her a bit.

The goal was easy, but maybe we took this too easy! Puppy loves the park :)

The final run was going to be 4-6 miles, take them as they come. We didn't need the mileage, we just needed the transition back to running. We hit the 2mi point, wavered between turning around and going past the zoo, chose the zoo, and were rewarded by running into TB!  A nice IB'er morning :)

I didn't know when we finished that we'd hit 17.3 miles total, my math just isn't that good in-run. But right afterwards I felt great, even though I had to stop by work and I didn't get home until an hour later. This also means I didn't eat until later too, by the time I got home I was ravenous/sick. I really gotta watch out for that, then I eat too much and feel sick again!

Later on we saw the WNBR with friends. Yuck. But fun!

Next week the 18 miles won't be "broken" up by the bike ride. Straight through!

Started the weekend Friday afternoon

SWIM: 2500y in just under an hour. 30x50, first 10 80%, next 10 kick/sprint, last 10 FAST.

Didn't get the swim in before work and instead went in the afternoon. This worked out well, I recovered after Thursday's run/bike and before Saturday's long run.

I always think the pool will be busy on a Friday night, but it seems that's just my triathlete-centric view of things. I like to think that when people have a night free they could hang out at the pool! Wrong.

The pool was pretty dead. I shared a lane with a guy using a pull buoy but still dragging his feet. Reminded me to keep my head down.

I almost didn't do this, and if I hadn't of gone with DH to work, more than likely I would have just gone home after work. But this is a nice schedule option to keep in mind!

If I had ridden in the afternoon, it would have rained

RUN: 6.4 miles in 57 mins, 8:54m/m
BIKE: 23.5 miles in 1:25

I slept in--again!! I don't even remember my alarm going off. Usually I can at least recall waking up briefly. So I missed the group at the Thursday run. And just when I thought I'd be on my own, AC texts! We had a great run, I haven't seen her in weeks. She has such a great pace, hope she can join the earlier Thurs group or some of the trail runs. She's been training with the slugs, something I've been wanting to do. So I'm inspired to look into that more.

The bike was supposed to be my speed work of the week on the bike, but that's so hard to do in town. The plan called for 3x10K at 80+% but where can I find a 10K stretch of road except in the country. I could have driven somewhere, but since I slept in that was a no-go. So I rode out on Clayton/Conway hitting the hills hard and pushing a bigger gear than I would have normally selected.

The run and ride felt great, getting tired but nothing unexpected. And sitting here a few hours later, my right leg hurts--it's a quiet ache on the lateral thigh just under the hip. HTFU hip.

No rain now for weeks but it looks like it could rain tonight. I did the ride in the morning out of worry that it would rain in the afternoon and mess up my plans. The temps were cooler today, so an afternoon ride would have been better than the past few days and weeks. But no, it's over and done. I get to go home and rest!

I've been reviewing my schedule in my head, and wondering if Friday or Monday is my better day off? Monday has Master's swim, but I so dang tired on Monday! What if I took Monday off and turned the Tuesday recovery ride into a swim? Should I swim after a track workout?! I'm already sloppy, why add fatigue to it?

7250y and 7 months...I got nuttin' to complain about!

RUN: 4 miles in about 45 mins, so slow it hurt
SWIM: 2000y in 45 mins, so hot it sucked

Today's goal was to run a few miles just for mileage. I got a late start because I slept in then hung around the house with DH in the morning. By the time I started, it was 85-88F! Since I wanted to swim, I drove to the YMCA and ran from there, figuring I could combine the swim with a shower and be done! Also if I'm already at the pool, I'm more likely to actually get in it.

The run was hot, but I stuck to the goal of slow...I was doing 10:30m/m and my HR was still in the 130s. The heat is getting tiresome! Then I get back to the truck, and stand there, drinking water, stretching, debating...so am I gonna swim? Hmmm.....am I?.....it's hot out here...it's hot in the pool...yuck...but I need to swim...5 mins of this back and forth debate then finally I decide to go in.

Do it now, or do it never.

I get in and select a gameplan with 2100y--a nice 400, 300, 200, 100 descending efforts designed to come after a ride or run. Perfect! My friend D is there, he's busy with his big training goals and I need to get to work eventually so I don't stop to talk. I just get to swimming.

In the end the swim wasn't bad or hard or hot. I'm glad I went!  I was so proud of myself, then I talked to D and found he was wrapping up a 7250y workout! And his lane mate was 7 months pregnant! Man, I got nuttin. No excuses! And how inspiring!

No hip pain today like yesterday, but my ankles hurt. Especially the left one. It's like a tight burny feeling. I'll bet tomorrow it's gone and replaced by something else.

Holiday run at the track

RUN 6.35 mile in 57 mins
BIKE 28.5 mile in 1hr 45

BE, DK, and CB joined me at the track today! And it was so much more FUN! The plan called for 3x[4x400] at 85%, with 100m rest in the 4x and 400m rest in the 3x. Oof. It didn't sound fun. I thought about changing it. It just sounded so ... hard... but I still wanted to do it...all this tumbling around in my tired head.

I didn't want to do it because it sounded hard. Oh, HFTU.

Here are my lap times (and HRs): I missed the first lap:
?? (??); 6:38 (155); 6:45 (158); 6:43 (160);  clockwise
7:09 (156); 7:00 (167); 6:58 (164); 7:12 (166);  counterclockwise
6:32 (150); 6:26 (164); 6:28 (158); 6:16 (161); clockwise


So once again, my garmin logs the counter clockwise laps as longer! I was watching my times at each lap and they seemed consistent. Whatever, it's just funny!


In the end, this was a great workout!! Why did I think about changing it? BE noted as we ran the someone else (another coach, runner?) would have called the laps by the 12 months. So our last laps were Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc, LOL.


The ride was supposed to be an easy recovery ride. I need to start riding in county! This was a bit boring!


My right hip, more specifically just under my hip, hurts on the outside. I feel it when I stand and walk. I could feel what I thought was the IT yesterday, keep an eye on it.

No swim, just rest

My legs are tired, I can feel it in the joints. They feel...loose...like they could move wrong. Pushing off the wall today would be a bad idea.

Freeeeeeee-buuuuuurgggg......

BIKE 69 miles in ~4:05hrs

I usually don’t do this, and I don’t enjoy doing it, but in the end I did it and enjoyed it…but I did a long ride alone this weekend. The goals were simple. A 3.5hr ride, focused and fueled, sure and steady effort. Oh, and ANY route other than the usual Columbia one I did all spring.

Luckily I found a route that leaves the same place, goes the same direction, but uses only some of the regular roads backwards. Backwards! Roads look different the other way, so this way I know where I am in case I have a problem but it’s different enough that I’m not bored.

During the drive over, the sunrise was gorgeous. As in, why don’t I stop for a picture of that gorgeous. But I didn’t. It was also a cool morning in the low 70’s. It didn’t last long but I enjoyed it while it did.

Riding alone is different. In a group ride there’s conversation, something to take your mind off the miles. I’m looking out for the “pack”, watching for cars and road hazards. But today I barely looked over my shoulder, quietly avoided bumps and holes, and just stayed quiet. It was a strange sound.

It was funny to be riding these roads from a new map. It was also funny to realize that for the most part I had no idea what the names of the roads were! But I recognized them—the hill I now call Zingger hill; the gas station in Freeburg that I stopped at during my 2010 bonk ride, the stretch of road I paused at in that same ride and tarred my shoes (tar is still there!)…all familiar. And wonderful to see again!

Amazingly, no problems or flats on this ride. The only blip was a bridge out on Press on the way to Smithton. I should have taken a picture of it, again a missed opportunity. And on the way into Freeburg I saw two Trail-net looking painted arrows indicating conflicting turns. Another good picture.

I wanted to stay focused and fueled, I usually burn out and fizzle in a ride of this length. I tend to underestimate how much fuel I need, thinking that it’s “only 3-4 hours”, and I tend to go out too fast and lose energy over time. I did good until about 60 miles, at which time I thought the road I was on to be much shorter than it actually was. I kept thinking ‘the next turn’, ‘the next turn’, etc, until I just lost focus. I reached a point where I just wanted to be DONE.

AH!! I needed to EAT!!!!  Hydration was OK, but I needed to eat. In the end, I had eaten a powerbar, 400 calories of Infinit, a small banana, and half a package of cashews from Freeburg. So…240+400+90+120=850 calories over 4hrs…or 212 calories per hour. That number should be closer to 300! 

On a good note, my feet hurt much less this ride. Ever since CDA, both feet have been more prone to tingling and hurting even in short rides. What has changed? Nothing! I thought at first it was just swelling or overuse injury from CDA, but they didn’t hurt at all in the race. It’s something I noticed a few days after coming home. And now even a short 90 min ride leaves me hurting with the burning feeling. It’s possible that my form is crappy and I need to work on that too.

As for how this week went, 33 miles of running in 5hrs, 121 miles of biking in 7.5hrs, and only 5800y swimming in 2.25hrs. I missed a swim and the speed bike workout.

 The bike speed has me worried. To get a 6hr bike I need 18.7mph average on the bike at Redman. For 6.25hr I need 17.92.  Sundays ride was ave around 16.8mph, which would be a 6.7hr bike ride!  This needs to be improved! This weekend and the last my bike ave speed was lower than expected. Sure, it’s counting the stop signs, hills, etc (but not stops since I use autopause) but is this ave speed normal for me? Or is it normal when I’m riding alone? Or am I tired. I do have to admit that the first 10 miles of this ride had me just certain that my rear wheel was dragging. Nope—I was dragging, not the bike! Something to watch.  

Saturday Sammich

RUN 8;15 miles in 1:15, pace over first 6 miles 8:53, 145 bpm overall
BIKE 16 miles in 1:00, 114 bpm
RUN: 6 miles in 54 pace 8:59, 153bpm

Today was the first long session built like a sandwich--a run/bike/run for aerobic extension. I ended up going longer than the IM plan, but ended up running the distance for the 50K plan.

I did this at CCP with a few friends. TH and I did the first run together. We did the first 6 miles in about 53 mins for a 8:50-ish pace. We paused briefly to see EC then TH took me to see this awesome hill! I'm not big on running hills, I'd much rather bike them, but this was a beast. And I loved it! It was soft and gravely, and just when you think you see the top at a curve it keeps on going. Elevation of 473 at the base and 614 at the top over about a half a mile. Garmin says about 30% grade, I'm not sure how accurate but it sounds painful enough to be right :)

The ride had the simple goal of being easy. The IM plan called for 30 mins but I went for 60, out to the Katy trail head across the river, out towards HH Hill, then back.

The last run was alone and I set the goal of doing at least the first 5 miles at the same pace as the first run. I was feeling good, the day started out cool in the low 70's and only now at mid-morning was starting to get hot. Much of the trail I was on was shaded. And I had the day before off to rest. Lots of reasons this run buzzed along. By running both at the same pace, I hoped to compare the average heart rates between the two. In the end, they were pretty similar.

So what does this mean? What is the conclusion from the day? Let me think on it...

Thursday thirteen

RUN: 56:44 mins and 6.6 miles, 8:35m/m and 153 bpm ave
RUN: 63 mins and 6.5 miles, 9:47m/m and 148 bpm ave

No I didn't do two separate workouts, it's just that my two loops were so different from each other that I reset the garmin and tracked them separately.

I had planned to run yesterday but ran (ha!) out of time, so that run got pushed into today. I know there's a rule somewhere about not cramming missed workouts...

The first loop was with the group: DC, IT, and LC. Running with them (or behind them as I did in the last 2.5 miles) keeps my pace up. But the goal for today wasn't a tempo run or speedwork, so I dropped back after a few miles so I had something left for the second loop.

The second loop was only going to be a few miles alone, maybe 4, but as I was running I just kept going and finished off another loop. By the time I finished, I was hot and tired but satisfied. Funny how more miles and more miles are needed to make me "satisfied". What do I mean by that?

The original plan for Thursdays was a medium paced 6-7 mi run followed by a speed ride later in the day. Today was too busy, the ride is moved to somewhere else. Maybe Saturday? What was that rule about missed workouts...

6x300's Descending--Goal times hit!!

SWIM: 3500y in 1:20, see below.
BIKE: turned into a late bike indoors, 60 mins and 17 miles

6x300's, 1st 3 at 75% and 2nd 3 at 85%.
First 3: 6:10, 6:08, 6:12. Ave pace 2:03.
Second: 5:58, 6:05, 5:59. Ave pace 1:59

My right ankle popped out in repeat #5, distracted me a bit. Excuses, excuses...

I picked this workout first off because it would be the longest I've swam since IMCdA, and if I had time I could push through to the 2 mile point. The 300's seemed a nice contrast to the 600's I did Monday. The 600s were slow (12:47 time!) and I kinda wanted redemption.

The first 3 600s were at a quick pace but not sprinting. I was OK the first 4 laps, then the 5th lap I told myself "relaxed but fast" like yesterday at the track. Then in the last and 6th lap I focused on perfect form. This helped me to refocus away from the fatigue and stay thinking about efficiency and smoothness.

The second 3 600s were hard, still not sprinting but pushing the pace. I did these about as reasonably fast as I could and still keep the pace. The 5th was the hardest, not only for the ankle but also for the "2nd to last effect"--doing an interval fast but knowing you had to keep something in reserve for the last one. On the last one you can blow it all out, so that one is the "easiest" to pace.

I'm also working my way back up on kick sets, today I did a few 100's kicking. The ankle was feeling it, but I took it easy doing long slow kicks to test flexibility and strength.

4x1200 at the track

RUN: 6.2mi in 53 mins
BIKE: 19 mi in 1:24

The track session was 4x1200's (200 rest)
#1: 0.83mi  6:37m/m  158bpm  5:31 mins clockwise
#2: 0.76mi  7:01m/m  167bpm  5:2 1mins c-clockwise

#3: 0.86mi  6:25m/m  170bpm  5:29 mins clockswise
#4: 0.77mi  7:12m/m  172bpm  5:301mins c-clockwise

Now I don't normal log the direction I ran on the track, but this time it seemed to make a difference!

My new friends were again at the track, it really does make it more enjoyable to have a few "good jobs" and high-5's in your workout :) Oh and the sprinklers were on again!

The other group was doing 5x800, with the middle intervals at a "fast but relaxed pace" to teach us how to run fast yet relaxed. Then the last intervals was to "make up the time" between the first and middle. Interesting! So I blended that idea into mine: first lap fast, second lap fast but relaxed, and the third just hang on to the form! I can't do math in mid-interval, so that's the best I could do :)

Interestingly, my times were similar to last week, in that I was doing low to mid 7's, even though I was running a 1200 and not a 600. This means that either a) I have only one track pace; b) I didn't run hard enough last week; or c) ...I forget c now. I had it earlier....

Anyway, this was a great workout. I could start to feel my form suffer in the last lap of each 1200, and especially in the last 1200. I envisioned an IM finish line at my stopping point...it worked, I finished strong.

The ride was just tooling around on Puppy. We hit some of the CX trails in FoPa before going back to the paths. Although unlike last week, this time I spent more time on the gravel path. Puppy is happier there.

Missed Masters!

SWIM 50-ish mins and 2300y. 2x600. First one in 12:48 (2:07pace), second in 12:40
I was awake for Masters but didn't go. As it was on Friday, the long drive didn't appeal to me. That and I had that newsletter to finish...

So I picked a "short" workout with 2 600s. D was at the pool and we talked CdA, in fact we probably spent a little too much time talking, but it's fun to hear about his training. Wonder if I'll ever do a swim 10K?

The swim was solid, but slow. In fact, it was right at the minimum IM goal pace I've set. Humph. The 2nd 600 I used a pull buoy the first 4-5 laps -- I was feeling lazy, and once I realized that I ditched it, so I'm not counting the time there.

I'm really getting burned out on swimming. I just need to hold pace and ramp up again later to keep it fresh.

Slayer of Old Roadies

BIKE: 67.6 miles in 4:07
RUN: 4.1 miles in about 40 mins

I was getting ready to leave and noticed the Garmin wasn't charged. I gave it as much juice as I could before leaving. 40% should get me through, right?

Then I get to Alton and realize that Frea's tools and gas cartridges were still on Puppy.

And then after my ride, I realize I have not a single calorie of recovery fuel with me. WTH? IronFuzz is back!

This is my first time doing this ride! Alton is a bit of a long drive for me and I hate driving more than I ride, and in this case it was almost equal mileage, but it was worth it. I love seeing new roads, and after spending all spring on the same loop every weekend I needed the change. It wasn't a hugely attended ride, and I might have been the only triathlete. All Recs and Roadies. The first 9 miles were out the to the L&C Tower (the short ride turned here). After that we opened up a bit onto the open road.

But the road wasn't all that open--it was gravel season. (This set up in my mind a repeating loop of Duck Season! Gwavel Season! Duck! Gwavel!...ugh). It wasn't bad, but it was enough to slow me in curves and some hills. At times I thought Puppy would have been the better bike!

But Frea, Slayer of Old Roadies, did great. At the 39mi rest area we came up behind 3-5 riders, and one said he expected me to pass them "hours" ago, after he saw me putting embrocation cream on my legs in the parking lot. LOL. We talked about IM CdA (Frea still has the frame sticker on the down tube), then took off. They had joked about wanting a locomotive to pull them in, and they meant it! They did train behind me for the next few miles. They fell off after a bit, but not before the same guy said I was like drafting off a paper clip. Thanks...I think.  At one of the last intersections getting into Alton, they asked for my name, "oh slayer of old roadies"...haha...I think....

Frea and I didn't stop at the end of the long route, and headed out to do the short route for extra mileage. The photo is Frea resting at the L&C tower. Damn I love that bike.

The run was on the same levee trail as the first part of the ride. It was hot, but not unbearable. During the ride, I kept coming up with reasons as to why I should cut the run short. I don't want to get injured running too much too fast! It's too hot out! Maybe I could go home and run when it cools off some! I don't have cold water! I don't have enough nutrition! OH HTFU!

And I did :) I decided on 20 mins out and 20 back, a modification of the planned 50 mins total. My turnaround was at the lock and dam, which had the only ice cold water I had to drink that day! Yay!

Right as I got back to the truck, the Garmin died. It didn't even save my run! Time to quit I guess. While I was heading out on the run, I saw fountains in the riverside park that looked so cool and refreshing. I promised myself that if I had a good run, I could jump into one of the sprayers and cool off :) YAY!  Felt soooooo good!

This first week went great. I missed only Friday's swim, but that's not bad. I'm enjoying the daily change-up in the schedule, always a hard work out or a recovery workout to keep it different.

My head/neck issues are better but lingering. It's more of a tingly pain now, prominent when I try to stretch too much or rest on a pillow at a bad angle. At least the weakness I was feeling is gone, made it hard to carry anything! My feet are still hurting, again better but lingering. I'm not sure what to do about that, it's bilateral and non-specific. I worry about the upcoming increases in mileage, and whether or not I can get my orthotics to fit better to improve this? I'll find out!

Reverse brick

RUN: 12.0 miles in 1:52
long run with 3x20min intervals, did a "pushed" pace but not a specific race-pace
#1: 8:48 pace, 153bpm, 2.27mi
#2: 9:02 pace, 161bpm, 2.22mi
#3: 8:41 pace, 163bpm, 2.31mi
BIKE: 13.1 miles in 60 mins

One thing about my training plan--it really makes use of aerobic extension and focuses on "easy" rides for recovery. This is the first one I've done.  I also like it for the interval specifications, I wouldn't normally break up a run like that, and that's exactly what I need to be doing!

It was kinda hot, but not like in previous weeks. I wound though TGP (Saw JoM!) then out to BRR SC and back.

The ride was also to BRR and back, I bought some Nuuns. Funny that I rode longer than I ran!

I'd like to say more but I'm behind on everything, so this will be short.

Missed the long swim

It was a long day at work, and the idea of driving to Bwood to the pool did not appeal to me. So I took a rest day.

My swimming has not come back online like running and biking have. I do recognize the fact that my long swims in May/June are what got me through the CdA swim, so I know I need to keep them up. But I'm wondering if a break from swimming will help this issue? It seems to be pure mental.

I Saw Tall Skinny Guy!

RUN 6.6 mi in 56-57 mins 8:38m/m

Finally getting back into the swing of things, and that means Thursday morning runs! I saw Tall Skinny Guy for the first time in months!

I miss this run--the speed I get from it and the social aspect. It felt good, even though I ran both Tues and Weds and my legs felt dead I managed to hold a good pace.

Swim 8x150, Easy Run

SWIM: 60 mins 2400y. 8x150 (30s) building by 50y 75%, 80%, 80+%
RUN: 60 mins 6.1 miles EASY

I wasn't all that energetic at the pool this morning, I sort of robotically did the workout but I enjoyed it. I picked this one because it had some race-pace swimming in it. I did the 150s on 3 mins which works out to a 2:00/100y pace. And I was pushing a little bit for that. I had a realization since Monday--when I realized I needed at 2:07 pace for a 1hr30min IM swim--that a 2:07 ain't all that fast. So I should be thinking "gee a 2:07 is coasting", right?!  AH! I'm happy I've got this pace thing calculated out. I need this as a dose of reality.

I focused on form a bit today, trying to find the timing balance, the shift in weight from side to side, and the catch. The Elusive Catch. I haven't given up, but damn it's Elusive for me. I also worked on breath control and I'm thinking that one reason my first 50 feels so good but my form in next 50s suffer is because I start to lose my O2 saturations? When I did the 150y and focused on breath control I was able to keep my form better. As per usual, I can only think of one thing at a time when swimming. So if I'm low on oxygen I end up low on form too. Not that I have much to begin with.

The run was in FoPa, and EASY out-n-back from work. The goal was just time in the shoes. It was 73F, sunny, light winds--the morning just begged for a run! In the first mile, my left foot stepped on a rock and a rolled it a bit. It hurt for the next half mile and I had thoughts about going back to pick up that stupid rock and do something back to it. Haha, like what? I looked for it on the way home, but didn't see it on the path. It was probably a stupid little pebble and not a rock. But I need to keep in mind that I'm back on the iron road and the littlest things could derail me--like rolling an ankle over a stupid pebble!

10x600s on the track

RUN: 6.6 mi in 55mi, 10x600m at ~10K pace, 200m rest
BIKE: 22.9 mi in 1:35, time in the saddle post-run

This felt like the first real day of Redman training! It also helped that it was "raining" at the track (sprinklers) and the road was stained a red color (red rubber track surface). :)

10x600 didn't sound like much til I arrived at the track, then it sounded like a lot, then as I was doing the workout it wasn't so bad. It's all in my head.

But it is a 5mi workout at the track. The plan called for 84-92% so I switched it up to 10K pace, but I wasn't sure what my 10K pace was. My most recent 10K was last October and I did about 8 min/mi there. But that was months ago! So today I just pushed for a hard pace that might have been closer to 5K.

A few examples of lap times: 2:54, 2:53, 2:48, 2:41, 2:46, and the fastest was the last at 2:37.
A few HR's: 155,, 154, 155, 157, 160, and 170 in the last one.

The last lap was run with another runner who was working out at the track, turns out he's an injured runner but is doing triathlons now! Makes sense, he was encouraging and outgoing at the track, most peeps just do their thing quietly. Sounds like I'll see him every Tuesday if I keep this up.

The ride was on the Puppy, in part for fun and in part because it was an in-town ride. With the Puppy, I can maneuver better, pop on and off trails, and hit potholes better. I missed riding the Pup, so today was fun.

Also got to commute home! By the end of the day, I was tired :)

What 12:30 means in terms of pace

Little bit of a surprise here, I calculated out the required swim pace to do 2.4 miles in 90 mins and got 2:07 s/100y!!  That was the pace of today's timed 400m!

I wasn't going hard for that interval, maybe 75-80%?  Could I extend that to 2.4mi? Add in a wetsuit...(carry the two...)

How weird is that?!

Other numbers:
112 mi in 6hrs means 18.7mph
112 mi in 6:15 means 17.9mph
26.2 mi in 4:30 means 10:18min/mi
26.2 in 4:40 means 10:41min/mi

CDA run was a 4:45, so I'm pretty sure that under ideal conditions I could manage that. But a 4:20 means 9:55min/mi. That's maybe out of range for me?

"Gotta keep believing if you wanna know for sure..."

SWIM 55 mins and 2000m. Timed 400m in 9:11 for 2:07s/100y

I almost didn't make it! I slept in until almost 4:30am, I had checked that alarm was set to correct time but not that the alarm was actually ON. Duh. At one point in the kitchen I almost decided to skip out, glad I didn't! I reminded myself of the 1:30 goal and that got me moving.

So now that I've said the goal out load, here in the log (and to CHG this morning) I've got to act on it!

The sets were straightforward--200WU, 400 timed, 4x50 kick, 2x50 count strokes, 2x400. At least that's what I did of it. I was slllooooowwwwww, the only guys slower than me were Mr My First Swim In 50 Years and Mr Dual Hip Replacement (who was wearing Club shorts!). Oof. But I have to start somewhere, and I'm already faster just for going!

In the GTD challenge, I'm at 99.12 miles! Whoop. Nevermind the fact that according to my pace goals I should be at 104.7 miles...

Heard again the Keep On Dreaming song, definitely on the songlist now. Not a new song, but today it really fit:


Some dreams stay with you forever
Drag you around and bring you back to where you were
Some dreams keep on getting better
Gotta keep believing if you wanna know for sure

Oh I can hear 'em playin 
I can hear the ringing of a beat up old guitar
Oh I can hear 'em singing 
Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart 

Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart 

Keep on dreaming,  Don't let it break your heart

First long run...and it felt good! Oh and some Redman goal setting!

RUN: 12.3 in 2hrs. ave pace 9:48, ave HR 137. Temps in the low 90's.

I scheduled this run as a "just see what happens long run", figuring I'd get 6-10 miles but wanting 12. Yahoo! I got the 12 in!

The original plan to run the Chubb trail was out, I had to go to work so I combined the run with that errand. I had the fuel belt with 140 calories of Perform, a gel, some leftover Chomps from IMCDA. I ate all but the gel. Really it was mostly water I wanted!

I wandered to work cutting through Shaw then FoPark (saw RyMu riding by and chatted a bit with him), got my super short work day done in about 15 mins, then wandered back home via Botanical and TGPark. I was doing great, mentally preparing for Redman, thinking about how to schedule workouts and what my goals were, buzzing right along until 9.3 miles--then OOOF---the body stopped wanting to run. So I walked a bit. My last 3-4 miles were more like 10min/miles, a notch slower than the earlier 9:30's.

I started to think negatively, throwing out the "I'm still recovering" excuse, "I'm only 2 weeks from IMCDA", "it's so hot!", blah blah blah. Time to change the script.

I'm out on a sunny day running in the park. My feet feel good, my legs feel long, my clothes aren't chafing, I have water, green trees, fellow runners and cyclists to wave to....how could I be negative?!

This helped, and got me home :)

So yes, I'm 2 weeks out. My original plan was to get 2 weeks of recovery, 8 weeks of training, and 2 weeks of taper in. (Wait...the race is 11 weeks away....) 9 weeks of training!!! My 2 weeks of up, time to buckle down and get serious.

One think I was thinking about on the run are my race goals. For IMCDA I didn't have hard time goals until the days before the race. Really! I scribbled some notes in the Note app on the iPhone and that's it. Of course, those goals went out the window pretty fast that day... But Redman is a new start! Let's see:

IMWI: 13:42 overall, swim 1:40, T1 :15, bike 6:45, T2?, run 4:49
IMCDA: 14:05 overall, swim 1:40, T1 :35, bike 7:00, T2 :05, run 4:45

As much as I'd like to subtract that T1 time off and say I could have done a 13:30 that's just not how life works.

I'd like to get under 13hrs. Ideally time gains could be made in all 3 disciplines.

I think it's reasonable that I could improve the swim 10-15 minutes. My first CDA lap was 43 mins suggesting that I could have done a 1:30 swim that day. It's possible too that in the next 9 weeks if I keep going to Master's I could make it a solid 15 minute gain in the swim.

The bike is my strongest sport, which made the 6:59 bike time in CDA all the more disappointing. What did I think I could do? I really don't know. Just not 7 hours! I don't remember too much about the Redman course other than rain, boredom, red mud, and my rear water rack coming loose. I remember slow short rolling hills, nothing major. The website elevation map has a y-axis of 1050-1300, haha, those are little hills. Somewhat down hill the first 10mi, up to 25 mi, down to 42, up to 47. Turn around, do it again. OK, in 2009 I did a 2:59 ride in crappy conditions for the half. I would be more conservative on the full....putting me maybe around 6-6:15 for the bike. So guesstimate a 45-60 min gain there. Haha, pretty conservative number there! Not!

The run seems to be the wildcard for me. I'm a decent runner until I get to mile 13 and I start to lose control of the nutrition. That will really be a focus the next 9 weeks. The Redman run is 4 laps (ugh...) of a flat path surface. I don't think I'd get much under a 4:30 in the marathon. Maybe a 4:30-4:40? A 10-20 min gain.

That adds up to...15+45+10=1:10 to 15+60+20=1:25 gain. Do I subtract that from 13:42 or from 14:05?
From 13:42 means a 12:17 to 12:32
From 14:05 means a 12:30 to 12:50.
Am I doing this right...? I think so. So...Say about a 12:30 goal? 123!! ??


There's another way to do this: 1:30+6:15+4:30=12:15+ some transition = 12:30. On the best, idealist, optimalist day. 12:30.


Start thinking about what it takes to make this happen:
swim 1:30
bike 6:00-6:15
run 4:30-4:40 


75 days!

Recovery week #2, things are rolling again!

Thursday BIKE 90 mins 24 miles.
Friday RUN 40 mins 4.3 miles, track
Saturday SWIM 2100m 60 mins; BIKE 52? miles in about ~3:10?

The bike was indoors in the evening, it's amazingly hot outside and it was getting dark. Although I've been cautious about getting too hot while I'm recovering, I think I'm ready to get back to normal :)

The run was my first track workout since March--before the ankle injury. I just did 3x800 (200) at a hard but not sprint pace which ended up being 8:10-ish. The sprinklers were on at the track, it helped but wow it's hot. This felt good, I'm thinking about alternating hills and track on Tuesdays.

The swim bike was with LC. She suggested Sat Masters. The water was warm, about that temp that you don't notice it on your skin. Where was some of this at CDA? There were a lot of fins sets that I pulled instead. At some point I need to start rebuilding ankle strength and start finning again!

The bike was also with LC on the MCT. We were just looking for a "chill" ride, it was in every sense except the heat. We did OK in the heat until mile 48 or so when both of us started to crack. This was about 11am and 105F, so we did good all morning. I'm eager to get back to normal, go away heat! (while I'm typing this, I hear THUNDER! And the temps have dropped from 101 to 92 in just the last two hours!).

A few injury/body updates. I noticed the other night after the trainer ride that my medial left ankle was aching, nothing acute, just an ache. This continued Saturday. Both feet started tingling around mile 45-48, this usually doesn't start until mile 70-90. Boo. Poor form, or a continuation of the pain I've felt in my feet the last two weeks? My neck/shoulder is doing good but I could feel it in today's ride. Things are on the upswing, but I need to be careful and just give myself time to return to 100%.

Specifically specific

I've been researching and reading about what changes I need to make for Redman, and came across a fantastic blog by a coach who had this to say (paraphrased): The athlete didn't get specific enough in the preparation or they didn't execute properly on race day. Stomach shutdowns means the athlete didn't prepare in a manner specific to race day.

Sounds kinda like me. I don't think I did enough race-effort training for CDA.

Independence moon

 

Getting back into things--kinda

SWIM: 1200y in 30 mins, 12x100s
RUN: 3 miles in 28 mins, treadmilled

It is still amazingly hot outside! This couldn't have come at a better time--2 weeks of blazing heat to keep me from pushing the training while I should be recovering. Tomorrow's forecast is for 106F!

DH and I went to the CaronY today. I hate that pool for it's bland paint (can't tell wall from floor) and high concrete deck edge (my left hand is missing skin). With 3 rec lanes, a domed 2" filter cover in the wall right were the feet hit/push in a turn, and poor wave suppression design, it's all around bad. Then put me in the edge lane with a big guy doing breastroke...

I planned a 1000, but settled on 1200 as a bonus. As per plan, I did 100's so I could focus on how things feel and my form. My neck and shoulders were still bothering me so my first concern was aggravating that issue or finding more wrong with me once in the pool. I am pleased to report that all is well and it's not bothering me in the swim. But carrying a bag on my shoulder and sitting at a desk are still uncomfortable.

The run was shortly after the swim, the goal being to have a 1hr workout overall. I also needed to test my new orthotics and this is my favorite way to do it--I can stop immediately anytime to adjust. For the past week or so my feet have hurt at night. The metatarsal and toes ache and I'm pretty sure it was from a poor orthotic fit in the CdA run. Why only at night? My guess is that's when my feet would be most swollen. So while I'm trying to fall asleep each night I'm instead focused on my feet. Stretching my toes, repositioning, worrying...

For my race shoes I had purchased a new pair of the Adrenaline 12's that had only 20-some miles on them pre-race. The orthotics in these shoes were transferred from the first 12's, which were transferred from my 11's, which might have transferred from a previous shoe. I had such a perfect fit in them that it made sense to keep using them instead of building up new ones. But yesterday I noted that the old orthotics were compressed and had lost some shape--they are only a wool pad--and perhaps that contributed to the tendon/ligament/nerve damage I may have inflicted upon myself.

I need to keep in mind though that I did just run a marathon! So things are gonna hurt it bit!

Getting back to the run, I still don't have the fit right. My 3rd and/or 4th toes hurt after 20 mins. Try again!

Otherwise my IM fatigue injuries are much better. My facial tic is gone, the back spasms faded, the weakness in my legs is also fading. The last concerns are my neck/shoulders and feet.

Problem --> Solution

I woke up this morning to a headache that was coming out of some tight areas in my neck and shoulders. The “ping” in my back from CdA kinda came back after my recent trainer rides. I’m not sure how long to let this linger before I see someone about it? Do I need a bike refit? Anyway, swimming was out—I didn’t want to make it worse.

Sadly though, I’m pretty behind on my GTD goals. Probably up to 5 miles behind now…

Getting specific on what I’m going to do over the next 12 weeks: Problem à Solution

1.       Loss of strength As April began and spring continued, I became aware that I was losing muscular strength. I could feel it and I think I could see it. I was doing little to no real strength training for most of the year. Every now and then I’d get a few minutes, but that was all. à At least twice per week get in 15-20 mins of focused strength training. Also include some stretching as before.

2.       Loss of raw speed in all 3 sports

a.       Swim As I quit Master’s the push to do fast swim work fell off. On one hand the focus on endurance swimming paid off and I didn’t fatigue in CdA. On the other hand, my 100 times fell back to my times from a few years ago. I probably lost form as well, drilling into practice any bad habits I had. à CSP on Mondays for speed, solo on Weds or CSP depending on the schedule, and a looooong endurance swim on Saturday to keep that up. Set a few benchmarks and see if they can be improved on.

b.      Bike There were some speed sessions in the schedule on Tuesdays. I did most of them indoors thinking it would benefit me to have a controlled environment for intervals. I could do better than that, and have benchmarks here as well. The IMWI plan has good interval ideas here.

c.       Run My injury put my run schedule on delay, such that before the injury I had one track session. By the time I returned to normal running, it was getting late for quality work and the risk of re-injury was still high anyway. à Track, intervals, or hills on Tuesdays to build run strength and speed. Not sprint speed, but more like high-end race-pace speed. 

3.       Poor taper and recovery For the entire month of June, I was fatigued. It was so bad I’m surprised I functioned at all. I did a 20 mile run 10 days before IM and a 115 mi ride 14 days before! à This time taper earlier and follow the IMWI schedule.

4.       Poor nutrition under fatigue Running will feature more prominently in this schedule with the trail race coming up. My run nutrition could have been fixed in CdA if I could have just made myself eat. But looking back over my training the past few weeks, the only practice I had was Triple T. No other runs were race-pace or hard enough to simulate the feeling of fatigue I get in-race. àThe speedwork sessions might work good for this, but especially the weekend bricks. I did only 2 weekend bricks for CdA and I think those could be key for practicing my post-ride run nutrition. I don’t need many, just a few key ones to test the system.

Regarding nutrition, I think the InfinIT/Powerbar/Gel plan I had worked OK for me. But I might look into something better for the run? The FE stuff, InfinIT? Something to play with.

All day I’ve used my spare time to start overlaying a run plan with the IMWI plan to come up with a smart, balanced plan that doesn’t kill me. Redman is the A race, not Glacial Trail. Keep that in mind. 

Redman 140.6

Funny thing about this is that months ago I was thinking about doing the Redman full, I even have a tag for it! I should go back and find that post!

BIKE 60 mins 14 miles. An indoor bike ride went OK (it's 105F+ outside and I'm not feeling up to it yet). It brought on some neck/shoulder discomfort last felt on Frea in the race.

RUN 3 miles in 28 mins. An outdoor bike ride Saturday morning in 85F heat went great. I struggled a little in the heat but having identified mental issues as a problem for me in IMCdA I did a quick mental test of whether I could push through this for just 3 miles. And I could.

Registration for Redman opened overnight at 12:01am, July 1st. I set an alarm for 12:03 (123!) got up, thought about it some more....some more....some more...and registered!

I'm signed up for my 3rd iron-distance race!!