Sunday, August 15, 2010

Training Summary 8/9 - 8/15 2010

This week is my last week to go hard on consecutive days. Next week I need to shut it down for the race on 8/22, meaning no super hard efforts.

Monday:

Swim
1x250 warmup form 25+50+75+100
10x100 w/~30 sec rest

todays big breakthrough was that when I tried to swim 'slow', I only lost a second or two from when I was swimming 'regular'. And sometimes I would come in at the same time. Pace was around 1:46/100. Compared to last time, when I felt I was working really hard for the same pace.

I was working on gliding a lot more, and doing a lot more bilateral breathing. Another breathing pattern that is working is L-L-R-R. That might be the ticket for when I need to breathe more.

There is no way I'm going to get faster in a week, let alone a month. I think I'm going to keep concentrating on form and keeping my HR down. Maybe a year from now I'll be a freaking fast swimmer, but I think that it's going to take a long time to build that in.

Tuesday:

Yesterday I had some chicken salad. (Note: that's always a bad way to start a training log entry). I proceeded to crap my brains out, along with a lot of liquid. So this AM I felt pretty spent. I'm going to chillax today and see what tomorrow brings.

Wednesday:

Biking:
2 laps of MI, 27 mi, 1:21. A smokin time, I could tell this was going to be a good ride because I did the entire first climb in the big ring. Cranks and pedals were creaking, which was irritating, but that motivated me to press on even harder, and focus on applying power through as much of the stroke as I could. I avg'd 20.4 mph the first lap, 16 mph on the up and over hill, and 20.4 mph on the second lap. Not bad. I think the combination of the day off (yesterday) and increased weight training is helping the biking.

Thursday:

Running: 7.51 mi total
Today was a track day: 80%TT followed by a 1 mile all out. 80% TT was done averaging 7:44, the last time I did this I averaged 7:32. It might have been b/c I was a little tired from yesterday's bike. Who knows. Then I ran 6:40 for the all out mile, compared to 6:42 the last time. I'm going to do a 80% TT next week, fresh, to see if that makes a difference.

Friday:

Nothing:
all the good intentions in the world were foiled by a (fun!) night out with the guys from work. 5 stiff drinks and a wobbly bike ride home left me in a somewhat unsleepy state, and when I finally did fall asleep, it was really hard to get back out of bed one hour later (5AM).

Saturday:

Run: 4mi total
easy, in new shoes. I spent a lot of the run adjusting the fit of the shoes, playing with the tension of the yankz. Just wanted to get things settled. Lt Knee and back felt stiff, I think I did something to the back last Saturday lifting the mower, and the knee is a new ache. Hopefully old shoe related.

Sunday:

Brick:
Bike: 24.5 mi, 1:24,avg HR = 138. Run 3.15 mi, avg hr = 149
It was hot, like 90 degrees hot, which at sea level feels like being in a sauna. Started out the bike slow, then eventually woke up, then turned into a N head wind. But kept the pace high enough. I felt fine when I was finishing up.

A brief change of clothes and a chance to let Shadow pee, and I was out on the road for a run. By this time it was fucking super hot, way hotter than it was on the bike, or at least it felt that way on the run. I had planned 6 mi, but cut it in half after looking at my HR and my pace (and extrapolating about how I would feel if I did the whole 6). It's a really good thing I turned back, b/c I started to shut down in the heat. Not a good feeling. But I think it's heat related, not fitness related. We haven't had this kind of heat all summer, and I'm acclimatized to training in mid 50 degree weather.

This is the last 'hard' effort before the 8/22 race. I'm going to do a running 80%TT on Wednesday, and continue to swim for efficiency, but no more sustained efforts until the day of race. The kids and Lopa have left to go camping w/Anita and family, I couldn't get free from work, so I'm at home. They come back on Thursday, so I've got a couple of free days to do what I want...which ironically happens to be hang out with them :< But they'll be back soon enough.

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