STRENGTH: ~50 mins of PlyoX
RUN: 49 mins and 5.2 miles
COMMUTE: 6 miles on Puppy
I thought the plyos would hurt my poor abdominal muscle, but I only had to rest out one exercise. And actually the muscle is feeling pretty good today, wonder what I'll get tomorrow?
But that's OK, I have a pain to replace it already. I keep curling my toes up for some reason (maybe because it hurts?) and I've aggravated a tendon or connection under my left big toe.
Right after the plyos, I did the track work. It was a test to see if I could make the P90X/track schedule work on a Tuesday. Success!
I set out to do 2 1-mile intervals at a high tempo pace. Not sprinting, but not 10K pace. Maybe 5K pace. The first one was 8:0? and the second was 7:55. Not great, but not bad either considering I was post plyo, first time out, and pre brekkie!
FINALLY got outside on a bike. Goddamn it felt good. The smell of flowers. The low roar of a diesel engine over the tracks. The wind in my face, the heartbeat, the feeling of fast freedom. Goddamn. It felt good.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Ouch in the Abs
STRENGTH: 45 mins of the Chest & Back, skipped the Abs
SWIM: about 25 mins and 1000y as a 1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1 lap ladder
After taking yesterday completely off, I though I'd be more charged about today. The goals were strength training and swimming early in the morning, still getting to work on time.
I'm happy to say that at least at the minimum, all goals accomplished. Stress on the minimum.
And it's for that reason that although I checked everything off the list, I still don't feel good about it. I don't have that satisfied high.
Let's start at the beginning. Up at 4-freakin-am with the dog, then a little after 5 upstairs for C&B. To my surprise, a lower left ab muscle was sharply pained. I didn't notice that yesterday?! Regardless, it was there and ruining my pushups. I did what I could, but ended up mostly on my knees to keep from contracting it. An anatomy chart seems to say it's a lower rectus abdominus? Between my left hip and belly button, low on the abs, kinda angles with the hip bone. OUCH! Only hurts when being used, sitting here is fine, walking is fine, but anything that engages the abs hurts.
I usually love feeling my muscles flex as I move, it's a reminder of how everything is connected, how I'm using various muscles at all times, and how body parts leverage against and with each other in movement. After a tough session, like Friday's Legs & Back, it's a joy.
After an injury, it's a bitch.
Off to swimming. I almost didn't go. I pushed me and DH to commit to a weekly schedule of "your day at the gym" and "my day at the gym" so we could avoid those dreaded WasGonnas. Today was my day to head out early to the gym while DH took care of the doggie. I finished the P90X, wandered unmotivatedly downstairs to visit with him, and almost just showered at home! Thankfully DH kinda pushed me out the door. Off to the pool, actually smiling happy that I was really going to do this.
I wondered if I'd see LC or D at the pool, but didn't. In the shower I decided on the ladder, with the goal of focusing on problems and extending my swim length intervals. I did OK up to the middle of the 1st 200. My abs muscle was getting distracting, so I took the pull buoy. It helped, but the workout continued to degrade. I'd feel great after a rest on the wall, but the good feeling would diminish by 35y into the lap. I'm setting the bar for improvement pretty low here. Imagine me, who last year swam 100+ miles for 2 140.6 races, struggling to finish a 100 and having to encourage myself to finish "just 3 more laps, that's it, just 3 more".
Wow.
SWIM: about 25 mins and 1000y as a 1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1 lap ladder
After taking yesterday completely off, I though I'd be more charged about today. The goals were strength training and swimming early in the morning, still getting to work on time.
I'm happy to say that at least at the minimum, all goals accomplished. Stress on the minimum.
And it's for that reason that although I checked everything off the list, I still don't feel good about it. I don't have that satisfied high.
Let's start at the beginning. Up at 4-freakin-am with the dog, then a little after 5 upstairs for C&B. To my surprise, a lower left ab muscle was sharply pained. I didn't notice that yesterday?! Regardless, it was there and ruining my pushups. I did what I could, but ended up mostly on my knees to keep from contracting it. An anatomy chart seems to say it's a lower rectus abdominus? Between my left hip and belly button, low on the abs, kinda angles with the hip bone. OUCH! Only hurts when being used, sitting here is fine, walking is fine, but anything that engages the abs hurts.
I usually love feeling my muscles flex as I move, it's a reminder of how everything is connected, how I'm using various muscles at all times, and how body parts leverage against and with each other in movement. After a tough session, like Friday's Legs & Back, it's a joy.
After an injury, it's a bitch.
Off to swimming. I almost didn't go. I pushed me and DH to commit to a weekly schedule of "your day at the gym" and "my day at the gym" so we could avoid those dreaded WasGonnas. Today was my day to head out early to the gym while DH took care of the doggie. I finished the P90X, wandered unmotivatedly downstairs to visit with him, and almost just showered at home! Thankfully DH kinda pushed me out the door. Off to the pool, actually smiling happy that I was really going to do this.
I wondered if I'd see LC or D at the pool, but didn't. In the shower I decided on the ladder, with the goal of focusing on problems and extending my swim length intervals. I did OK up to the middle of the 1st 200. My abs muscle was getting distracting, so I took the pull buoy. It helped, but the workout continued to degrade. I'd feel great after a rest on the wall, but the good feeling would diminish by 35y into the lap. I'm setting the bar for improvement pretty low here. Imagine me, who last year swam 100+ miles for 2 140.6 races, struggling to finish a 100 and having to encourage myself to finish "just 3 more laps, that's it, just 3 more".
Wow.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Legs & Back, then a lazy weekend
Friday: Legs & Back, Abs
Saturday: Kenpo, swim 1200 y in ~40 mins, 1hr easy spin on trainer
Sunday: sore, tired, not feeling great
The L&B DVD took a toll on me, and I didn't realize how much until Saturday morning. Sure, it hurt while I was doing the workout, but that didn't really set in until the next day. It hurt to sit, walk, climb stairs, and as I found out--running! The entire set of butt, hammie, and inner thigh muscles were too pained to do much of anything! My quads didn't hurt, but I don't know if that was because they got their share of workouts with trail running or if because they weren't targeting in the L&B workout.
And while I thought a 3rd round of Abs in just 5 days would be a killer, my abs aren't bothering me that much.
I woke up Saturday with my big plans for a bike ride (outdoors!) dashed by steady rain. I planned then to run, but once the day got rolling I lost all momentum after a too heavy brekkie and a somewhat forced Kenpo. For once I put the swim ahead of the run and talked myself into going to the pool. I really had to talk myself into it!
And once I got there, it wasn't so bad. I watched the last few minutes of a young girl's swim lesson, saw RM, chatted lack of swim training with him a few minutes (he at least has a race to train for...jealous), then did 6x200 sets. My swim form was shot by 1000y, but I did learn a few things I need to work on: my pull, my breath control, and my focus. Patience! And practice!
The bike was a pure guilty-feeling, energy-burn, sit-and-spin late in the evening. I had fully intended an outdoor ride followed by a run if my legs improved the next morning.
They didn't. And adding to the song of soreness was my back. It wasn't even comfortable to stand up straight. Or sit. Or lean. Or anything. It was like I could feel every muscle, connection, and bone moving against each other and wanting to sag.
The whole day seemed a loss. I moved, thought, and made it ever so slowly through the day. I again got sick feeling after brekkie (again think I ate too much, or maybe too fast) and this lingered the entire day! I felt almost as if I would be sick, almost like a pre-flu feeling without the fevers. To make it worse, I drank too much tea late in the afternoon and started burping up a little.
Ugh. Why was I so tired!? I'm three weeks out from the race, I have a lot of disconnect regarding this. It feels like it has been MONTHS. So I need to be patient with myself. Yet it's discouraging to realize that such a hard race can knock be back so hard. What does that mean for plans later this year and early the next, when I want to stack long races into the year?
And I need to be nice to my body as it adapts to P90X! I'm dismayed with my mental summary of 1200y swimming, 6.6 miles running, and 31 miles biking. But I'm not remembering the 5 HOURS of NEW STRENGTH training I'm putting on myself!! Duh! I had to look at trainingpeaks to figure that out--8:15 of training last week, the majority of it a new activity!
So give it some time, don't get frustrated, and get off your duff in the morning to keep the momentum up.
Saturday: Kenpo, swim 1200 y in ~40 mins, 1hr easy spin on trainer
Sunday: sore, tired, not feeling great
The L&B DVD took a toll on me, and I didn't realize how much until Saturday morning. Sure, it hurt while I was doing the workout, but that didn't really set in until the next day. It hurt to sit, walk, climb stairs, and as I found out--running! The entire set of butt, hammie, and inner thigh muscles were too pained to do much of anything! My quads didn't hurt, but I don't know if that was because they got their share of workouts with trail running or if because they weren't targeting in the L&B workout.
And while I thought a 3rd round of Abs in just 5 days would be a killer, my abs aren't bothering me that much.
I woke up Saturday with my big plans for a bike ride (outdoors!) dashed by steady rain. I planned then to run, but once the day got rolling I lost all momentum after a too heavy brekkie and a somewhat forced Kenpo. For once I put the swim ahead of the run and talked myself into going to the pool. I really had to talk myself into it!
And once I got there, it wasn't so bad. I watched the last few minutes of a young girl's swim lesson, saw RM, chatted lack of swim training with him a few minutes (he at least has a race to train for...jealous), then did 6x200 sets. My swim form was shot by 1000y, but I did learn a few things I need to work on: my pull, my breath control, and my focus. Patience! And practice!
The bike was a pure guilty-feeling, energy-burn, sit-and-spin late in the evening. I had fully intended an outdoor ride followed by a run if my legs improved the next morning.
They didn't. And adding to the song of soreness was my back. It wasn't even comfortable to stand up straight. Or sit. Or lean. Or anything. It was like I could feel every muscle, connection, and bone moving against each other and wanting to sag.
The whole day seemed a loss. I moved, thought, and made it ever so slowly through the day. I again got sick feeling after brekkie (again think I ate too much, or maybe too fast) and this lingered the entire day! I felt almost as if I would be sick, almost like a pre-flu feeling without the fevers. To make it worse, I drank too much tea late in the afternoon and started burping up a little.
Ugh. Why was I so tired!? I'm three weeks out from the race, I have a lot of disconnect regarding this. It feels like it has been MONTHS. So I need to be patient with myself. Yet it's discouraging to realize that such a hard race can knock be back so hard. What does that mean for plans later this year and early the next, when I want to stack long races into the year?
And I need to be nice to my body as it adapts to P90X! I'm dismayed with my mental summary of 1200y swimming, 6.6 miles running, and 31 miles biking. But I'm not remembering the 5 HOURS of NEW STRENGTH training I'm putting on myself!! Duh! I had to look at trainingpeaks to figure that out--8:15 of training last week, the majority of it a new activity!
So give it some time, don't get frustrated, and get off your duff in the morning to keep the momentum up.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Another WasGonna Swim
P90X Legs & Back, Abs
Swim: ZERO
Did the L&B for the first time, and the Abs for the 3rd time. I'm realizing that my leg flexibility is imbalanced. I'm great on one stretch but lousy on the next. I'm strong for one move, but wobbly as the reps increase.
Wall sits, lunges, lotsa lunges, it felt so good!
And to my surprise, the abs felt good too, even though it's the 3rd round in just 5 days.
Wall sits, lunges, lotsa lunges, it felt so good!
And to my surprise, the abs felt good too, even though it's the 3rd round in just 5 days.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Oh I feel it, coming back again...
RUN: 55:38 and 6.6 miles, 8:30 something pace
YogaX: 15 mins then boredom...
Heard that song this morning after the run, and it's a good summary of how I felt. After running with the group, I could feel the excitement for the summer and triathlon coming back to me. It was transient, but I felt it. And liked it.
The run felt high heart rate, but strong. I'm not as weak or slow as I think I am. I just need to push it.
YogaX: 15 mins then boredom...
Heard that song this morning after the run, and it's a good summary of how I felt. After running with the group, I could feel the excitement for the summer and triathlon coming back to me. It was transient, but I felt it. And liked it.
The run felt high heart rate, but strong. I'm not as weak or slow as I think I am. I just need to push it.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
P90X continues...
STRENGTH: ~1hr of Shoulders & Arms along with Abs
I realized why this P90X attracts me--because I'm not successful with it yet! There are exercises that are easy, then some that just blow me away. Like today's shoulder fly's. I have NO strength in that move! I gotta get me some!
The Abs DVD is also a wonderful challenge on Monday (the first round) I suffered with bad form. TodIay I repeated the workout but let myself slow the moves down to focus on good form instead of just the number of reps. Some of the moves were downright painful with Monday's damage still unhealed. But that will improve over time.
I love a good challenge, and this qualifies.
My only concern is that this strength training will take the place of tri training, swimming in particular. But one thing I noted on Sunday's swim is that I have little to no arm strength for swimming. So I tell myself that I need to do these workouts.
Or is that just an excuse?
I realized why this P90X attracts me--because I'm not successful with it yet! There are exercises that are easy, then some that just blow me away. Like today's shoulder fly's. I have NO strength in that move! I gotta get me some!
The Abs DVD is also a wonderful challenge on Monday (the first round) I suffered with bad form. TodIay I repeated the workout but let myself slow the moves down to focus on good form instead of just the number of reps. Some of the moves were downright painful with Monday's damage still unhealed. But that will improve over time.
I love a good challenge, and this qualifies.
My only concern is that this strength training will take the place of tri training, swimming in particular. But one thing I noted on Sunday's swim is that I have little to no arm strength for swimming. So I tell myself that I need to do these workouts.
Or is that just an excuse?
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
More P90X and more conclusive thinking on 2013
BIKE 15 miles in 50 mins, 3x10 mins z3-z4 (3min)
P90X Plyos 45-50 mins
The bike intervals were supposed to be z4-z5, but I'm not sure I really hit those numbers. Soon. But maybe not on the first round. I'm settling in to the HIM training plan, instead of the IM one. I just don't think MiTi can happen for me this year.
A few things I didn't cover in yesterday's rambling, wishful thinking post.
1) My arms are sore from swimming Sunday, and after a round of P90X Chest & Back they are even more so. C&B was basically push-ups then pull-ups, repeated. I found I'm strong on some push-ups and weak on others. I don't have a proper pull-up bar, so for now I'm using the resistance bands. Not as good of a workout, but good enough for now.
2) My strength is relatively low right now, so this is a great idea to start doing this. I'm enjoying it! The discomfort of sore and tight muscles reminds me of what muscles moves what--reaching for a book or turning to get something reminds me of what back, core, and arm muscles are being used. I love it, even though I'm sore and tired and lazy because of it, it makes me feel alive and active again. My pectorals, biceps, deltoids, abs, and a few back muscles are all feeling it :)
3) My left knee has been bothering me since Sunday's 10 mile run. It's the outside (lateral) part of the knee. It's tight, not quite painful, but painfully tight. Does that make sense? And it's a very specific feeling. It only bothers me when bending my knee while walking. Stairs, sitting, standing are all OK. I'm pretty sure it's a muscle weakness/imbalance that needs to be addressed. It bothered me in the 50-miler too, maybe it's a little of residual injury instead?
OK now back to today. No lab meeting, so I took advantage of the extra time. Slept in a little (sooooo tired yesterday, by the time 8pm rolled around I was dead) to aid recovery, rode the bike, then did nearly an hour of the PlyoX workout. Hooboy did I love that!! I was worried that another tough workout on the P90X would just add to my already stiff body, but instead it seemed to shake out the cobwebs and freshen things up. Or maybe really I do get off on the pain...
P90X Plyos 45-50 mins
The bike intervals were supposed to be z4-z5, but I'm not sure I really hit those numbers. Soon. But maybe not on the first round. I'm settling in to the HIM training plan, instead of the IM one. I just don't think MiTi can happen for me this year.
A few things I didn't cover in yesterday's rambling, wishful thinking post.
1) My arms are sore from swimming Sunday, and after a round of P90X Chest & Back they are even more so. C&B was basically push-ups then pull-ups, repeated. I found I'm strong on some push-ups and weak on others. I don't have a proper pull-up bar, so for now I'm using the resistance bands. Not as good of a workout, but good enough for now.
2) My strength is relatively low right now, so this is a great idea to start doing this. I'm enjoying it! The discomfort of sore and tight muscles reminds me of what muscles moves what--reaching for a book or turning to get something reminds me of what back, core, and arm muscles are being used. I love it, even though I'm sore and tired and lazy because of it, it makes me feel alive and active again. My pectorals, biceps, deltoids, abs, and a few back muscles are all feeling it :)
3) My left knee has been bothering me since Sunday's 10 mile run. It's the outside (lateral) part of the knee. It's tight, not quite painful, but painfully tight. Does that make sense? And it's a very specific feeling. It only bothers me when bending my knee while walking. Stairs, sitting, standing are all OK. I'm pretty sure it's a muscle weakness/imbalance that needs to be addressed. It bothered me in the 50-miler too, maybe it's a little of residual injury instead?
OK now back to today. No lab meeting, so I took advantage of the extra time. Slept in a little (sooooo tired yesterday, by the time 8pm rolled around I was dead) to aid recovery, rode the bike, then did nearly an hour of the PlyoX workout. Hooboy did I love that!! I was worried that another tough workout on the P90X would just add to my already stiff body, but instead it seemed to shake out the cobwebs and freshen things up. Or maybe really I do get off on the pain...
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