Tour of Hermann Lap 4

BIKE 53 miles in about 4.75 hours, on the Puppy!

I almost didn't do this! It's a long drive to Hermann (80 miles) and it just seemed an awful long way to drive. And I'd miss out on spending the day with DH. I think that if I wasn't pre-registered, this would not have happened for me. It was cloudy and cool, with the promise to warm up to a whopping 55-60F. So not that warm. That was the other factor making me doubt this.

But the real doubt was coming from self doubt. I honestly didn't think I could do this! I had all the excuses: my hands will hurt, my butt will hurt, my feet will hurt, I'm not used to this bike, I'm not used to these shoes, I haven't ridden outdoors much this year, I haven't ridden this far much at all so far this year....blah blah blah. The self doubt was LOUD in my head on the drive out.

But then there I was in the parking lot, a small lot with a small field of riders prepping. I found my group, learned how hard yesterday was (I did good by delaying a day!), learned that there would be no gas stations on the route (I'm sure my question provoked an eye-roll to the guy gearing up in the next car over), and realized I might be under-prepared with only 3 water bottles. Why didn't I brink the Cbak?

I was also realizing that I was probably going to be over-dressed, but didn't care. I've been too cold too long to complain about being too warm!

We started off and were soon enough on a wonderfully soft, pleasant, shaded, protected trail. TH informed me (another eye-roll moment, lol) that it was the Katy! Heh, duh. So the first 18 miles were perfectly flat and talkable. I was having fun, and being mindful over changing positions on the bike. At the first stop, I started on my new rice fuel -- a squished wad of rice in a sammie bag. Another ride showed me her jelly/fruit-filled rice wad, I might try that next time. Can't be any worse or flavorless than what I had.

Off to the hills! The other rice rider pointed out two major hills on the map, one coming right up. It wasn't bad, but it was just the beginning. TH had better gears than I did for this, but her bike was heavier so we had a mix of advantages and disadvantages. Another advantage for me was that I've been doing lots more cardio this year while she's been healing. So if this was tough for me, it was waaaay tougher for her!

To my surprise my hands, butt, and feet did NOT hurt all that much in the end! I'm not sure why that was - is Puppy fit better? Was my position changing a factor there? I know that my first few rides on Frea aren't this comfy...so it'd be nice to figure this out.

The rice kinda worked, needs more ... something. And I'm not sure it will work for a harder intensity. Certainly not for racing or running.

I loved it, it was like ultra running on a bike! Off in the midst of nowhere, no hurry or pace, casual, just-finish-it goals -- oh, I'm so glad I came out! My season opener! But it's an eye-opener too, a great gauge of early season non-fitness and lack of climbing strength.

20-miler #3

RUN 20 miles in 3:14
BIKE 12 miles in 45 mins, indoors

I had a last minute schedule switch, I decided to do Tour of Hermann Sunday and run instead today. The run is the higher priority workout, and Sunday is the day TH is riding ToH too, so win + bonus.

I didn't put a lot of time into mapping it. I wasn't all that excited about running it either. Knew I could and would do it, sort of felt routine I guess? I overate a bit at brekkie (wow, nothing new there...) and took off from the house with a rough plan of heading towards South City as use the Y as a stop/break point.

So I wandered out the door...headed to TGP, around the MOBot, then off to the Y getting there at 1hr. For the last mile or so, I had this "urge to go" and once I took care of that I was feeling better :)

Off towards BRR, wandering a bit and taking in new side streets. I ended up in a new park where I saw a 110 lb Basset!! Only weighs a few pounds less than me!? Then off to the RDP Greenway -- newly paved and widened -- then back towards BRR. The day started out cool and warmed up but I didn't strip off the extra layers until mile 15. Not coincidentally, that's when my energy started to flag. When you're distracted enough to want to stop like that -- yup, energy flagging. Not physical energy, rather the mental kind.

I came home feeling good, but with pain in my right hip - on the outside where that bone sticks out. No gracilis pain today, or any other pains.

Hopped on the trainer after some food and did a terribly bored aerobic spin. Weird how this helps so much after a long run! I'd ride outside, but sometimes I just want to be close to home and not be riding when I'm so damned exhausted. Lazy!

Evolve Make-Up Swim: I DID IT!!

SWIM 70 mins and 2800y

WU of 400easy, 4x50 polo drill, 4x50 eyes-up drill, 200 ez ( I fin'd), 2x100 stroke progression;
then MS of 2x [12x50 as 1-4 25easy/25build; 5-8 25fast/25easy; 9-12 50 fast]
then CD

My options for today were the above session I missed with the group on Monday, or the training plan session of 1000 and 800 loco. Locos are my favorite swim sets, they go by so fast! But I had the missed session on my to-do list, I had made a point of asking for the set so I could get it done, and well, 12x50 sounds so easy-peasy!

After missing Monday's swim, my TAD on Weds, and another miss on Thursday I was determined to get a swim in today. I'm sort of less determined about getting in yet another swim this weekend, with the Tour of Hermann one day and a long run (20 miles?) on the other. It sounds like a good idea, but I don't know if it's going to happen. A balancing act between priority and spousal harmony and getting other things done on the weekend.

ETA: this was the swim at which I thought I saw my MIA pull buoy a few lanes over. Looked like mine, but lacked the bike chain marks and stains.

Why does a set of 2x 12x50 sound so much easier than a 1000+800? Probably because the 50's are broken up into smaller bits, and because let's be honest here a down-n-back is really so short and it doesn't take a lot of convincing to make it just happen.

But the real reason it sounded better is because after the bad afternoon swim on Weds I needed a set in which I could just stop and focus on form. So at every wall rest I stopped and focused. Also this swim had the drills and specifics that I need to be more worried about. Quantity can come later. Quality first!

In the WU I felt the long and strong feeling I'd experienced in the Weds morning swim. It faded after about 1000y, but it was there. By the time I hit the 'fast' sections, it was gone for the most part. Another reason the shorter sets benefit me here -- my arms just need a bit of rest.

There was a 6x50 and 300EZ CD after the 50's. But during the last 200 easy (in which I was kicking) my right calf CRAMPED up, I stopped, stood up, massaged it, felt like an apple in my leg! and at the point just decided to call it done. I was lazily finning away anyway. I had a feeling it was going to cramp, just had that anticipatory tingle to it all morning.

So I'm super happy I did this swim, and happy that that long and strong and efficient feeling might become more frequent!

This weekend is still unplanned. ToH Saturday or Sunday? Long run first or second?
ToH Saturday is 30 mile loops, Sunday is 50 mile loops. I'm not sure I'm up for 50 or 60 miles yet outdoors, so the 30 mile loops sound like the smarter idea. But to drive all that way (80 miles each way!) to ride only 30 miles?! And shouldn't the run take priority? If so, the run should be first on Saturday. Ugh. Undecided!

First run in a week. Resting can do a body good.

RUN 6 miles in 57 mins
SWIM rained out again

As the clock ticked by towards the Thursday group run, I didn't hear from anyone about whether or not they were running. But tornado sirens were sounding and it was nasty outside! In the end, this was a good thing because in all honesty I wanted to run the treadmill to test my leg out. If I was in the park, I'd either have to walk home or just finish the loop in a non-pressured peer pressure thing.

So after some delay, off to the gym. Too bad I couldn't run outdoors later, it was humid and warm!

Speaking of warm, ugh, the treadmill was hot! I like it warm, how often am I complaining about the cold, but oof this was a sweaty run! I ran in front of the pool (closed for the weather) so there wasn't much else to think about, except seeing this morning's storm damage on the tellie.

My training plan called for a track session of 1 lap, 2 lap, 3, 4, etc so once I knew the leg was OK I went for it. I didn't go the normal track speeds, I kept it around 8:20 and no faster than 8:00. I had to talk myself through this one, I was counting the distance and although my body really didn't want to stop it was still a fight to keep going. My mind was just bored.

No pain at all in the run, OK maybe some glut and hip discomfort, but nothing from the gracilis. And I dedicated 5 mins of stretching afterwards! I usually skip that.

During the run, the pool re-opened. Then it closed again. So no swimmie for me. It rained and stormed all day long, one round after another. This probably was a good thing in the end too, as when I went to shower my energy was drained. It would have been a slopfest of a swim.

I'm dragging in energy this week, I feel like I've been doing hard workouts or long weekend workouts, but I haven't! I'm completely off the build/rest schedule and had to look it up: I'm in week 16 of the IM plan, in a 12.5hr week, with another build week before I rest. The marathon training plan has me doing 20 this weekend, but I need to work it around the Tour of Hermann gravel challenge on Saturday. I want to do it, I can do it, but will I? Why the doubt?

I need to start re-evaluating my current energy levels, goals, and plans for the next few weeks. I have a lot going on right now (training, job, health) and I think that is what's taxing me.

Hahaha! Take that rain! I finished my swim!

SWIM: 37 mins and 1600

In a first-ever event, I went back to the pool in the evening to finish my swim! WHOOP!

It didn't feel too great, I wasn't able to recapture the awesome form from this morning, but this was a victory nonetheless.

I usually don't swim the late afternoons, so I only vaguely know the schedule. There were 2 lap lanes and 3 swimmers in each. Both lanes had a mix of lappers, sort-of-lappers, and people who maybe should have been in the rec area floating around. I asked the lifeguard if another lane might open soon and she said instead that a lane was closing in 30 mins! Then to my luck, one of the lappers finished just then. A few mins later, a sort-of-lapper from the same lane finished (the old asian guy who circle swims the middle of the lane) and WHOOP it all worked out in the end.

I did an 8x50 WU trying to find that form, then restarted the last 12 100's I didn't finish this morning. I started off OK, but quickly enough (at about the 6th one) I started to seriously slow down. I was doing 2:05 ish 100's. So I grabbed the pull buoy, slowed down, and focused on form instead of finish.

Much better Whole30 dinner tonight -- I stopped after dinner with no nomming.

Rained out swim

BIKE 61 mins and 18 miles, aerobic
SWIM 30 mins and 1275y, started the 16x100 but rained out

Well more technically, I was lightning'd out. I knew that could happen but left to swim anyway, figuring my odds of getting a partial swim in the morning was better than getting any swim later in the day.

The plan was a 16x100 for comparisons to recent similar timed sessions. Today I focused on high elbows both above and below water, wide swimming, and holding the forward arm out front until my recovering hand was near my head. When I go this, I could feel a difference -- I felt long in the water, more level, more glide. I should have counted my strokes! But I didn't. I was enjoying this, but only got 4.5 100's done before being pulled from the water.

Normally I'd be frustrated to have had a session cut short like this, it will be hard to make this one up later, but it was feeling so good that I'm happy.

Hopefully I can finish this one!

Hesitant to run, gracilis seems to be the issue

BIKE 26 miles in 90 mins, 2x (18 min, 9 min)
RUN held off...

After consulting Dr Google I think I've injured the gracilis muscle in my right thigh. It's the muscle connecting to a pubis bone, the one that is stretched in a seated butterfly stretch, the one muscle that pops out to the top in that stretch, the one my hand rests on in that stretch...trying to explain this clearly for future reference.

Doesn't hurt to walk, go up or down stairs, or kick in the swim. I'm also having some discomfort in my buttock/glut area, probably all connected. (duh, ya think?)

I've found stretches and strength training exercises for this, and I've re-dedicated to including more strength training and stretching day-to-day. This really is likely due to muscle imbalances and my lack of focus on those aspects of training. The month of March wasn't kind to distraction or spare time.

So I did the bike and skipped the run. The 2nd reason I skipped the run was to get home from work in time to walk the doggie and have a Whole30-esque dinner with DH. A run, even a short 30 min one, would have made me late and I would have missed dinner. Two good reasons to skip, before I add in the needed rest for the leg.

But I slept in until 5:37, 45-60 mins late...and that's the bigger problem!

Dinner went great, expect I kept nomming afterwards! So Stop Nomming!