My external hard drive failed today, or at least I found out about it today. This hard drive contained all of the photos that we have ever taken of the kids, so having it not boot up was a major bummer. Fortunately I was able to borrow Jags old computer, rip the IDE out of the external HD harness, and boot it up as an internal drive. Windoze didn't even complain! I bought 20GB worth of photo storage from Google for $5/year, and I'm uploading everything I've got to that central location.
Of course Lopa is disturbed and confused because there isn't an ISO 9000 plan of execution on how we are storing, organizing, and accessing the photographs. Either that or she didn't get any input into the solution -- it's a control thing for sure :)
But I seriously should have done this a while back, and regulated access to it. Right now I've got three different copies of picasa with three different sets of pictures, and those sets have some overlap.
The other bummer is that I've got to give her full access to the photo stuff so that she can edit. Which means she's got full access to my email, blogs, etc. Oh well, I guess it's good I don't have a secret girlfriend or that I'm not in the CIA.
But this whole incident got me thinking about the state of my personal electronic Idaho. It's pretty bad, with 10s of thousands of emails in my inbox, photos all over the place, half baked documents, etc. I started to feel overwhelmed by the whole thing, and then had a brilliant idea. What if I just deleted all of my old emails, mod the last 50 or so that I care about. I did just that, moving the ones I care about into 'keepers', and nuking the rest. While I've never been a huge fan of 'inbox management', it makes sense for personal use, because I don't have to keep those emails around as an electronic trail like I do at work. And I really hate the amount of clutter overwhelming my inbox.
From now on I'm going to delete 90% of incoming mail, and keep the last 10% well organized. Or so I believe at this point :)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Training Summary 9/13 - 9/19
Still in the Base phase of either a 5k or 10k race plan. This involves running relatively short distances (~5-6 mi), mixing up some hill sprints, and lifting weights 2x/week. I'm also mixing in swimming, because I'm just getting to a place where my form is decent and don't want to lose that feeling of 'speed' (and that, as is everything, is relative) in the water.
I'm in San Fran this week till Friday, so I'm going to try and get in 3 runs while I'm here. Actually I was supposed to leave 20 minutes ago, but I'm still trapped on the toilet. Ah, well. 5 miles wont take too long.
I forgot my Garmin at home. Damn. So I'm going to estimate my mileage based on perceived pace, i.e. 9:30 mile pace x 5 means around 5 miles in around 48 minutes. Wednesday calls for hill sprints, and I always do a good 7 mile run from the Financial District out to Crissy Field, so I'll mix up the hill sprints on the way.
Monday
Swim:
~1500 yards
started with a 25-250 progression (by 25 yards), but (a) there was some guy taking swim lessons in my lane who had some navigation issues (couldn't swim straight) and (b) I head on-ed with a lady who decided that we were swimming circles, so (c) this threw me off a little bit, to the point where I realized my form was deteriorating. So around 200 yards I stopped, moved to a lane that had just opened up, and did a 25-100 progression, followed by a couple of 50s where I realized that I hadn't been rolling fully side to side for most of the swim. I got that back, made sure it felt good, and called it a day.
Between sets it was really instructive to look at the Mercer Island girls swim team. I saw plenty of stick armed adolescent girls move through the water like they had a propeller bolted on their feet. Once again, form > strength.
Tuesday
5 mile base pace run. Approximated this w/45 min out and back from my hotel, the overly ornate Westin St Francis. Running without the GPS is different, different in that I'm always running faster than I should be. The only reason I know this is remembering effort with the GPS and comparing it to today.
The Westin is about a mile up from where I usually start. This has created the following conundrum: do I run all the way to the entrance of the Presidio, or do I keep it somewhat shorter and just run the Fort Mason hill as sprints? I'm leaning that way, because it will probably be 7 - 8 miles round trip with the extra 2 miles built in.
Of course, I'm writing this while still at work. Arrgh. It's always super hard core when I get down to San Fran. Almost 8 and the office is still half full! Still no dinner yet, either.
Wednesday
6-7 miles, with 6 hill sprints up Ft Mason hill.
I took it easy on the way out, running 8:30-9:30 miles. It felt good, and I had to restrain myself a little. I'm still getting used to the concept of 'base' pace.
The sprints were, in a word or more, fucking brutal. The first two were fine, the next two sucked, and the last two I was distracted from sprinting because I was trying not to puke. Hill sprints are hard. 30 seconds is a long time.
On the way back, I ran like a wounded, tired hippo. I think someone on crutches could have passed me for the first mile. I slowly started to get back into a more reasonable (quicker) pace toward the end. This was a hard, hard run, which is strange, considering that only 3 minutes of it were actually 'hard'.
At work today I felt the beginning of a chest cold. Crud in the lungs for sure. Not sure if I'm going to run tomorrow, or just skip it and do pilates/calisthenics inside.
Thursday
Rest. Still not feeling 100 percent, more like 70. This whole travel thing is hard to do while staying healthy. Anyways, I needed to roll out a little early b/c I was checking out of the hotel, so I skipped any kind of workout and relaxed. Worked all day and got on the plane at 5:40. Was riding Main Cabin Select, which means free Drink and Food, so I had some mini bottles and some snacks and watched "KickAss". Depending on the weather, I'll either run or swim tomorrow.
Friday
ran 4.93 miles @ base pace. The route was hilly, so the pace suffered a little bit. But considering how I felt, I was happy to get the miles in. Definitely did not feel up to fartlek. Mile 3, where I climbed 400 feet, was the slowest at 10:13. I wasn't killing myself to get up it fast, I just wanted to get some miles in.
Saturday
TRX.
did the usual, w/o the dumbell squats:
2x15 single leg split squats
2x15 single leg front squats
2x15 single leg tuck behind squats
2x10 dead lifts
2x10 pullups
Still feeling a little sick, so the resistance exercises were the only exercise I really got.
Sunday
Run
7.82 miles @base pace ~9:30/mile with 6 30 second 'relaxed sprints' thrown in.
1:14 total.
1433 ft altitude.
Felt good for the first time since Tuesday, I think the slight cold is behind me. Sprints were 'relaxed', I think the fastest I went was a 4:17/mi, and the slowest was 7:00/mi up a steep hill. Route was fairly hilly, which was why the pace was relatively slow.
Total: ~24 miles Run, 1500 yds swim, 1 TRX session
I'm in San Fran this week till Friday, so I'm going to try and get in 3 runs while I'm here. Actually I was supposed to leave 20 minutes ago, but I'm still trapped on the toilet. Ah, well. 5 miles wont take too long.
I forgot my Garmin at home. Damn. So I'm going to estimate my mileage based on perceived pace, i.e. 9:30 mile pace x 5 means around 5 miles in around 48 minutes. Wednesday calls for hill sprints, and I always do a good 7 mile run from the Financial District out to Crissy Field, so I'll mix up the hill sprints on the way.
Monday
Swim:
~1500 yards
started with a 25-250 progression (by 25 yards), but (a) there was some guy taking swim lessons in my lane who had some navigation issues (couldn't swim straight) and (b) I head on-ed with a lady who decided that we were swimming circles, so (c) this threw me off a little bit, to the point where I realized my form was deteriorating. So around 200 yards I stopped, moved to a lane that had just opened up, and did a 25-100 progression, followed by a couple of 50s where I realized that I hadn't been rolling fully side to side for most of the swim. I got that back, made sure it felt good, and called it a day.
Between sets it was really instructive to look at the Mercer Island girls swim team. I saw plenty of stick armed adolescent girls move through the water like they had a propeller bolted on their feet. Once again, form > strength.
Tuesday
5 mile base pace run. Approximated this w/45 min out and back from my hotel, the overly ornate Westin St Francis. Running without the GPS is different, different in that I'm always running faster than I should be. The only reason I know this is remembering effort with the GPS and comparing it to today.
The Westin is about a mile up from where I usually start. This has created the following conundrum: do I run all the way to the entrance of the Presidio, or do I keep it somewhat shorter and just run the Fort Mason hill as sprints? I'm leaning that way, because it will probably be 7 - 8 miles round trip with the extra 2 miles built in.
Of course, I'm writing this while still at work. Arrgh. It's always super hard core when I get down to San Fran. Almost 8 and the office is still half full! Still no dinner yet, either.
Wednesday
6-7 miles, with 6 hill sprints up Ft Mason hill.
I took it easy on the way out, running 8:30-9:30 miles. It felt good, and I had to restrain myself a little. I'm still getting used to the concept of 'base' pace.
The sprints were, in a word or more, fucking brutal. The first two were fine, the next two sucked, and the last two I was distracted from sprinting because I was trying not to puke. Hill sprints are hard. 30 seconds is a long time.
On the way back, I ran like a wounded, tired hippo. I think someone on crutches could have passed me for the first mile. I slowly started to get back into a more reasonable (quicker) pace toward the end. This was a hard, hard run, which is strange, considering that only 3 minutes of it were actually 'hard'.
At work today I felt the beginning of a chest cold. Crud in the lungs for sure. Not sure if I'm going to run tomorrow, or just skip it and do pilates/calisthenics inside.
Thursday
Rest. Still not feeling 100 percent, more like 70. This whole travel thing is hard to do while staying healthy. Anyways, I needed to roll out a little early b/c I was checking out of the hotel, so I skipped any kind of workout and relaxed. Worked all day and got on the plane at 5:40. Was riding Main Cabin Select, which means free Drink and Food, so I had some mini bottles and some snacks and watched "KickAss". Depending on the weather, I'll either run or swim tomorrow.
Friday
ran 4.93 miles @ base pace. The route was hilly, so the pace suffered a little bit. But considering how I felt, I was happy to get the miles in. Definitely did not feel up to fartlek. Mile 3, where I climbed 400 feet, was the slowest at 10:13. I wasn't killing myself to get up it fast, I just wanted to get some miles in.
Saturday
TRX.
did the usual, w/o the dumbell squats:
2x15 single leg split squats
2x15 single leg front squats
2x15 single leg tuck behind squats
2x10 dead lifts
2x10 pullups
Still feeling a little sick, so the resistance exercises were the only exercise I really got.
Sunday
Run
7.82 miles @base pace ~9:30/mile with 6 30 second 'relaxed sprints' thrown in.
1:14 total.
1433 ft altitude.
Felt good for the first time since Tuesday, I think the slight cold is behind me. Sprints were 'relaxed', I think the fastest I went was a 4:17/mi, and the slowest was 7:00/mi up a steep hill. Route was fairly hilly, which was why the pace was relatively slow.
Total: ~24 miles Run, 1500 yds swim, 1 TRX session
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Random Thoughts from San Francisco
I just found this really great band, m83. They're like Air, but spookier. Check out Skin of the Night. I can't get this song out of my head. It totally suits my mood right now. Early fall, the sun is setting earlier, everything is .... dying. Like it should, because it's that time of year.
The run this AM was a gloomy, foggy run, again, set to this soundtrack. Sometimes, when I run past street people, talking to themselves or their imaginary friends, I wonder how different we really are. For all I know I'm making all of this up as I go along...the job, Lopa, the kids, Seattle, San Francisco. I might be some homeless bum, stinking of piss, shivering in my sleep. Even if I'm not, this life feels fairly hallucinatory at times...but I'll take it.
Working down here is kind of surreal because it feels like the reality of being a dad/husband has been suspended. All I do is work/work out. And, for 3 days at a time, that isn't too bad!
Last night I was walking outside of my hotel and I encountered a salsa band playing in the square. Apparently I love salsa music, and had forgotten about that love. Actually, to be more specific, I did love the music, but I also loved watching people dance. There were all kinds out there, old, young, skinny, fat, whatever, it didn't matter. They were all moving very gracefully. The beautiful women looked even more amazing when they were doing salsa. The fat old guys didn't look so bad either -- I think I might have stumbled on the fountain of youth for fat old guys :) Everyone was completely caught up in the music, enjoying themselves. I think I'm going to get Lopa to take salsa lessons with me for our 14th wedding anniversary, because it's a whole different way of relating that we could use in the middle of raising 2 kids, paying the bills, dealing with life, etc.
I love my job, at least the parts where I lose myself for a couple of hours while working on a hard problem. I feel like I'm finally getting disciplined about seeking simplicity. I had a fairly complicated solution to a problem today, and it felt wrong, so I chucked it and came up with a much simpler solution that was much easier to implement. That feels good.
The run this AM was a gloomy, foggy run, again, set to this soundtrack. Sometimes, when I run past street people, talking to themselves or their imaginary friends, I wonder how different we really are. For all I know I'm making all of this up as I go along...the job, Lopa, the kids, Seattle, San Francisco. I might be some homeless bum, stinking of piss, shivering in my sleep. Even if I'm not, this life feels fairly hallucinatory at times...but I'll take it.
Working down here is kind of surreal because it feels like the reality of being a dad/husband has been suspended. All I do is work/work out. And, for 3 days at a time, that isn't too bad!
Last night I was walking outside of my hotel and I encountered a salsa band playing in the square. Apparently I love salsa music, and had forgotten about that love. Actually, to be more specific, I did love the music, but I also loved watching people dance. There were all kinds out there, old, young, skinny, fat, whatever, it didn't matter. They were all moving very gracefully. The beautiful women looked even more amazing when they were doing salsa. The fat old guys didn't look so bad either -- I think I might have stumbled on the fountain of youth for fat old guys :) Everyone was completely caught up in the music, enjoying themselves. I think I'm going to get Lopa to take salsa lessons with me for our 14th wedding anniversary, because it's a whole different way of relating that we could use in the middle of raising 2 kids, paying the bills, dealing with life, etc.
I love my job, at least the parts where I lose myself for a couple of hours while working on a hard problem. I feel like I'm finally getting disciplined about seeking simplicity. I had a fairly complicated solution to a problem today, and it felt wrong, so I chucked it and came up with a much simpler solution that was much easier to implement. That feels good.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Training Summary 9/6 - 9/12
Using the new Target Pace Level approach, I'm running primarily at my TPL based on my 1 mile time of ~6:40. Note that there is no mention of heart rate here. So that's quite a shift for me.
I havent decided between a 5k plan and a 10k plan, the 10k plan is (obviously) harder, but right now they're both the same mileage, so I'll make a decision at week 3.
I'll be measuring the effectiveness of pace based training via some home grown analytics software, but for now:
I have a TPL of 37, and that means the following:
Recovery Pace = 10:57 - 9:42
Base Pace = 9:43 - 8:47
Marathon Pace = 8:15
1/2 Marathon Pace = 7:57
10k Pace = 7:34
5k Pace =7:18
3k Pace = 7:04
1 Mile pace = 6:41
Monday
4 miles, 2 drills of 'hoop arm running', 2 drills of 'single leg hopping', I averaged 9:38/mi, Avg HR 141, right at the edge of base pace, but I climbed 500 feet during the run, so the hills have got to count for something!
Lower body resistance exercises.
2x 20 dumbbell squats (65 lbs total)
2x 15 single leg split squats with TRX
2x 15 single leg straight ahead squats with TRX
2x 15 single leg tuck behind squats with TRX
1X 10 inverted V core raises with TRX
My knee hurt on the run. Left knee, I think the IT band is tightening up. I did manage to get some leg extensions in, and some work on the foam roller. I'll try to hit the stick at work a little bit.
Tuesday
Big plans for a swim, but I couldn't get motivated, I think the darkness makes it hard to spring out of bed like I was a month ago. Instead I did some upper body TRX exercises.
1x30 Atomic pushups
2x20 V back extensions
2x20 swimmer pull throughs
2x10 pullups
2x10 inverted V core raises.
Wednesday
It was rainy, dark, and generally crappy, and I overslept. Still managed to stick to the plan, running 5 miles, 2.5 miles warmup, 2 30 second hill sprints, 2.3 miles warmdown. All good.
Thursday
Swim
big plans derailed by lack of ability to get my ass out of bed by 5:30AM. This is becoming a problem...anyways, here is what I did.
4x250 25-50-75-100 working on bilateral breathing and form. I'm really trying to maintain tension from my core out through my fingertips. It feels like I'm spreading the load of pulling back from my shoulders to my lats and core and forearms, which can only be good for my shoulders. Bilateral breathing is _almost_ second nature to me, it still gets hard when I get tired. I'm becoming aware that my left and right strokes are different. I tend to pull almost across the centerline with my right arm, and more conventionally with my left. Always something to work on with swimming....
Saturday
Run
5 miles at base pace, i.e. 9:50->8:40, with two 30 seconds @ 6:40 pace 'sprinkled in' (his words, not mine).
leg resistance w/TRX
2 sets x 15 single leg split squats
2 sets x 15 single leg tuck behind squats
2 sets x 15 single leg out in front squates
2 sets x 20 dumbell squats, 65 lbs.
1 set x 10 pike ups in trx.
averaged 9:15, with a 10:25 slow start, an 8:04 mile 4.
Sunday
Sun
4 miles at base, legs felt sore, but good base pace (~9:15) run.
I havent decided between a 5k plan and a 10k plan, the 10k plan is (obviously) harder, but right now they're both the same mileage, so I'll make a decision at week 3.
I'll be measuring the effectiveness of pace based training via some home grown analytics software, but for now:
I have a TPL of 37, and that means the following:
Recovery Pace = 10:57 - 9:42
Base Pace = 9:43 - 8:47
Marathon Pace = 8:15
1/2 Marathon Pace = 7:57
10k Pace = 7:34
5k Pace =7:18
3k Pace = 7:04
1 Mile pace = 6:41
Monday
4 miles, 2 drills of 'hoop arm running', 2 drills of 'single leg hopping', I averaged 9:38/mi, Avg HR 141, right at the edge of base pace, but I climbed 500 feet during the run, so the hills have got to count for something!
Lower body resistance exercises.
2x 20 dumbbell squats (65 lbs total)
2x 15 single leg split squats with TRX
2x 15 single leg straight ahead squats with TRX
2x 15 single leg tuck behind squats with TRX
1X 10 inverted V core raises with TRX
My knee hurt on the run. Left knee, I think the IT band is tightening up. I did manage to get some leg extensions in, and some work on the foam roller. I'll try to hit the stick at work a little bit.
Tuesday
Big plans for a swim, but I couldn't get motivated, I think the darkness makes it hard to spring out of bed like I was a month ago. Instead I did some upper body TRX exercises.
1x30 Atomic pushups
2x20 V back extensions
2x20 swimmer pull throughs
2x10 pullups
2x10 inverted V core raises.
Wednesday
It was rainy, dark, and generally crappy, and I overslept. Still managed to stick to the plan, running 5 miles, 2.5 miles warmup, 2 30 second hill sprints, 2.3 miles warmdown. All good.
Thursday
Swim
big plans derailed by lack of ability to get my ass out of bed by 5:30AM. This is becoming a problem...anyways, here is what I did.
4x250 25-50-75-100 working on bilateral breathing and form. I'm really trying to maintain tension from my core out through my fingertips. It feels like I'm spreading the load of pulling back from my shoulders to my lats and core and forearms, which can only be good for my shoulders. Bilateral breathing is _almost_ second nature to me, it still gets hard when I get tired. I'm becoming aware that my left and right strokes are different. I tend to pull almost across the centerline with my right arm, and more conventionally with my left. Always something to work on with swimming....
Saturday
Run
5 miles at base pace, i.e. 9:50->8:40, with two 30 seconds @ 6:40 pace 'sprinkled in' (his words, not mine).
leg resistance w/TRX
2 sets x 15 single leg split squats
2 sets x 15 single leg tuck behind squats
2 sets x 15 single leg out in front squates
2 sets x 20 dumbell squats, 65 lbs.
1 set x 10 pike ups in trx.
averaged 9:15, with a 10:25 slow start, an 8:04 mile 4.
Sunday
Sun
4 miles at base, legs felt sore, but good base pace (~9:15) run.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Next Steps
First a quick look back:
- Last year at this time (roughly) I did my first ever sprint triathlon, the Kirkland Carillon Point event. I was hooked.
- Shortly after that, I switched jobs, into a much more time intensive and mentally challenging (and fun!) role that involved some travel as well as 4-5 nights a week of late night efforts.
- This year I struggled to get some fitness back, but signed up for the Issaquah Sprint Tri as a 'motivator'.
- I then did the Seafair Sprint Tri.
- Then the Lake Meridian Olympic.
- Then the Mercer Island Aquathon.
Now some takeaways:
- I really like being fit. I feel better than I did when I was 30, and that makes me a much better father, husband, co-worker, etc. I think there is a huge net benefit to training for tris because it's almost daily, and provides regular stress relief.
- My attitude towards swimming has improved dramatically. I've gotten comfortable enough in the water to look forward to 2000 yard workouts. That's not a ton of distance, but it's a huge milestone for me.
- My overall running speed has increased, I'm now running a 6:40 mile, and intend to get that much lower.
- While my cycling has probably not gotten all that much better, it is the place where I make up the most time. Which bodes well for:
- Longer events. I think I'm much better suited to olys, and maybe 70.3s, than I am sprints. I manage to keep the same pace as I do during a sprint, I just tend to feel much better with more distance.
- My kids are getting older. This is good (they're more independent!) and bad (they're more independent!), but time is not stopping and I need to continue to be there for them now in less of a 'caretaker' role and more of a 'activity leader' role.
- My job is hard, but it's not immediately leading me in the direction I want my career to move in. A 'reprioritization exercise' at work means that I'm not going to have as much opportunity to learn about machine learning at work. So I need to start doing that kind of work on my own, in my own time. This will require some rebudgeting of time -- not so many late nights on work projects, more on my own projects -- but I think that I can use the vast amount of data I collect running and cycling as inputs, so I'm marrying two passions (triathlon/endurance training and machine learning). Still, time is time.
- Lopa is going back to work. She'll be working as a substitute teacher, but wants to leave the education field behind and get back into a better paying, hopefully part-time role. I've had a great, great run as the sole income provider, getting free meals, relying on Lopa to do the bulk of the child care during the day, etc. The kids are older (see above), but the scale is going to tilt back towards a more equitable distribution of work and effort, which will definitely impact my ability to train.
Finally, my immediate goals for the next 4-6 months:
- Become a faster runner. Nothing beats speed. If I can go faster on the run, it can only help.
- Become a faster swimmer. I'd like to be able to swim with the same effort, but at a much faster pace. I think at this point, given my (slow) speed, this is mostly a matter of efficiency, gained through drills and reinforced through intelligent application of distance.
- Increase leg and core strength. I really think that my lack of leg strength is a key limiter to both running speed and cycling power.
And how I'm currently planning to get there:
Running Speed: I'm going to start with the level 2 5k training plan from Brain Training For Runners. I'm going to modify it to do 4-5 days of running /week + 2 resistance training sessions. A lot of workload, but not a lot of miles, which is good right now. I'm going to use the base and build approach to recalibrate my leg strength and leg speed. This is a 16 week program, which should keep me going through the late fall.
Swimming Speed: I'm going to try and get into the pool 2x/week, and build on my current swim fitness/form in an orderly progression, trying to get up to 3000 yards comfortably. My approach with swimming right now is 'form = function', and I'm going to continue to take the Total Immersion tack towards more speed/greater enjoyment.
Right now this plan contains no 'off' days, which means that climbing is on hold. I'm not entirely sure about that decision, because lead climbing -- even indoors! -- is pretty important to my mental health during the winter. I'm also not sure about maintaining a super strict regimen right now. I think I'm going to further adapt a plan that will allow for more flexibility while building strength for the next season.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Race Report: Mercer Island Aquathon 9/1/10
This was my last multisport race of the season. I haven't really been training too hard since my last race, and have been losing motivation, partially because I don't want to race another crowded sprint, and I don't have enough Spousal Approval Units left to train for another Oly. It would be really hard to train for an Oly anyways since the daylight is dropping now that it's September. It's gone from being light at 5:30AM to being very murky at 6:45AM, and I usually have to wrap things up by 7:30 at the latest.
This race started at 6:30PM. After a long, stressful day at work, I left a little early and cranked the singlespeed home, threw the wetsuit and running shoes in a bag, and headed down to do the Mercer Island Aquathon at Luther Burbank Park, a mere 5 minutes away.
They were pretty disorganized, and the registration line was huge. I signed up after a 20 minute wait, sprinted to the transition area, slipped into my wetsuit, and jumped in the lake. It was _cold_. Way colder than Lake Meridian. Yikes. At least I wasnt on Mercer Island WaterPolo team. They were swimming the race in their speedos.
2 minutes after I stopped hyperventilating from the cold temp, the race was off. Those waterpolo boys were climbing all over each other, and me. I chilled out and let them thrash their way forward. I was mainly trying to get in a groove, which is hard when some 17 year old amped up on neon green energy drink is crawling up over your back. Ah, youth.
The race had an interesting format. The long course featured 2 500 yard laps in the lake. At the end of the first lap, you got out, sprinted up around a cone, and jumped back in. I don't know why I have such issues running out of the water, but my legs barely work. So I wobbled out of the water, waved to Lopa and Leela, and wobbled back in, right smack into the womens sprint group.
The second lap consisted of me working my way past the slower women sprinters. Fortunately they did not have as much testosterone as the waterpolo boys, and passing them was easier. I felt _much_ better on the second lap, and started pulling harder, even dialed up the kick for the last 200 yards.
Then it was out of the water and into the T-zone. Wetsuit off like a prom dress, and into the shoes. I lined the shoes with Baby Powder, and damn, was that a good idea. I'm going to do that from now on. No sticking to strange parts of the shoe like the last race.
The run course was 3 laps through the park. The first part of the run was a gradual uphill, followed by a short downhill. This was about half a mile. My right hamstring seized up hard, and I had to stop and stretch it out! Damn. I seriously considered dropping out, but the thought of explaining that to my kids got me moving again. I read somewhere that 'there is no impure motivation when you're trying to fight the burn', and I proved it.
The rest of the course was either gradual up or gradual down, and I felt it both ways :) Of the 3 laps, I felt crappy for 1.5 of them. The last 1.5, however, was getting better. My form and pace came around and I started passing people. It was hard to tell who was doing what (sprint or long course) out there, but I just started targeting people and pulling them in. At the end I even managed to sprint and drop someone.
Race conclusions:
This race started at 6:30PM. After a long, stressful day at work, I left a little early and cranked the singlespeed home, threw the wetsuit and running shoes in a bag, and headed down to do the Mercer Island Aquathon at Luther Burbank Park, a mere 5 minutes away.
They were pretty disorganized, and the registration line was huge. I signed up after a 20 minute wait, sprinted to the transition area, slipped into my wetsuit, and jumped in the lake. It was _cold_. Way colder than Lake Meridian. Yikes. At least I wasnt on Mercer Island WaterPolo team. They were swimming the race in their speedos.
2 minutes after I stopped hyperventilating from the cold temp, the race was off. Those waterpolo boys were climbing all over each other, and me. I chilled out and let them thrash their way forward. I was mainly trying to get in a groove, which is hard when some 17 year old amped up on neon green energy drink is crawling up over your back. Ah, youth.
The race had an interesting format. The long course featured 2 500 yard laps in the lake. At the end of the first lap, you got out, sprinted up around a cone, and jumped back in. I don't know why I have such issues running out of the water, but my legs barely work. So I wobbled out of the water, waved to Lopa and Leela, and wobbled back in, right smack into the womens sprint group.
The second lap consisted of me working my way past the slower women sprinters. Fortunately they did not have as much testosterone as the waterpolo boys, and passing them was easier. I felt _much_ better on the second lap, and started pulling harder, even dialed up the kick for the last 200 yards.
Then it was out of the water and into the T-zone. Wetsuit off like a prom dress, and into the shoes. I lined the shoes with Baby Powder, and damn, was that a good idea. I'm going to do that from now on. No sticking to strange parts of the shoe like the last race.
The run course was 3 laps through the park. The first part of the run was a gradual uphill, followed by a short downhill. This was about half a mile. My right hamstring seized up hard, and I had to stop and stretch it out! Damn. I seriously considered dropping out, but the thought of explaining that to my kids got me moving again. I read somewhere that 'there is no impure motivation when you're trying to fight the burn', and I proved it.
The rest of the course was either gradual up or gradual down, and I felt it both ways :) Of the 3 laps, I felt crappy for 1.5 of them. The last 1.5, however, was getting better. My form and pace came around and I started passing people. It was hard to tell who was doing what (sprint or long course) out there, but I just started targeting people and pulling them in. At the end I even managed to sprint and drop someone.
Race conclusions:
- Swimming 1000 yards? not a problem. I think I could have maintained the same speed for another 500 yards. My open water racing needs help, but for now I'm going to concentrate on form and hope that speed follows.
- Running is Pain. I don't think it is ever not going to be painful to run fast. I've just got to get over it and try to increase my ability to cope. I definitely need more power in the legs. Time to hit the weights and keep the speedwork going!
- Multisport races are always interesting. That leg cramp -- what the f**k? I'm glad I didn't pack it in right there. It always feels like I learn something new if I stick it out.
- It seems like the longer I go, the better I feel. Maybe Olys and (gasp) 1/2 IMs are where I'd end up doing better because I can't go very fast, but I can maintain my not so fast pace and even pick it up as time goes on.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Training Summary 8/23- 8/30 2010
This is the week after my first oly and before my first duathlon, which is the last multisport race of the year for me (unless inspiration strikes). I'm writing this mid-week. After not doing squat Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday :) I made the mistake of reading the last Harry Potter book Monday night, and that killed me for Tuesday. And I slept in on Wednesday, skipped the swim, and did a short, brutal TRX leg workout. At least it's a known fact that sleep is essential to recovery, I can (sort of) feel good about that.
Wednesday:
TRX / weights
2x split lunges, 15 reps, both legs
2x single leg squats, 10 reps
2x good mornings, 10 reps
2x dumbell squats, 20 reps
2x plyometric push-offs from straddle, 10 reps, no weights
1x core rotation, 20 reps
Thursday:
Swim
did the now standard 25-250 in 25 yard increments, followed by 5x100free+50breast. Total 2125 yds.
I wasn't doing anything for time, but timed one of my 100s @ 1:42. I was more focused on starting to breathe on my left (weak) side. Since I get tired and need to breathe more, I started doing 2 breaths right side, 2 breaths left side.
I noticed that I pull to the left when breathing left side. I then tried to keep my right hand straight during extension. One other thing I noticed was that when I started the movement with my hips, I could still definitely feel the pull in my lats. I would contract my abs, and lats, and the movement would just come.
I think the only way I'm going to go faster is if I can apply more force with the same amount of economy -- in other words, I need to save energy and apply it at the right time. The less thrashing, the better.
Friday:
Swim
1x250 w.u. emphasis breathing.
1x250 w.u. emphasis rolling from the hips.
10x100 not for speed, emphasis stroke, breathing, efficiency.
200 warm down, stroke mechanics x25, breastroke x25
Getting better @ breathing bilaterally. Sometimes I feel like I'm weaving in the lane, I need to work on extending my leading arm out straight instead of over the centerline. Hip rotation feels better to the right, when I breathe to the left I'm still lifting my head and not rotating to the air. Lots to work on!
Saturday:
Run
6.05 mi 51:18, 8:29 avg. 2 mi warmup, then building to a hard pace.
mile 1: 10:43
mile 2: 9:30
mile 3: 7:52
mile 4: 7:48
mile 5: 7:15
mile 6: 7:45
climbed: 800 feet
descended : 1054 feet.
Wednesdays lifting made me sore until...after the run. I focused on fast turnover and 'pre-compressing' my striking leg. cadence/turnover was good, except on steep uphills/downhills, I need to work on keeping it going in both situations.
Sunday:
Run
3 mi easy. kicked back today, was tired from the hard effort yesterday, and going hard isn't going to buy me anything on Wednesday.
Monday:
Swim
super easy, concentrate on form.
4x250 form swims.
4x50 form swims.
I'm really happy with my left (weak) side breathing today. Felt really natural, the most natural so far. I'm inclined to try it in the race.
Was supposed to run tomorrow, but I tore up my big toe chasing after the dog this evening. Hope to heal it up before the race, where it will (a) get wet and (b) get slammed into a shoe. Nicked an artery, so it was bleeding like a mofo. ah well. It's always something :)
Next up: race report.
Wednesday:
TRX / weights
2x split lunges, 15 reps, both legs
2x single leg squats, 10 reps
2x good mornings, 10 reps
2x dumbell squats, 20 reps
2x plyometric push-offs from straddle, 10 reps, no weights
1x core rotation, 20 reps
Thursday:
Swim
did the now standard 25-250 in 25 yard increments, followed by 5x100free+50breast. Total 2125 yds.
I wasn't doing anything for time, but timed one of my 100s @ 1:42. I was more focused on starting to breathe on my left (weak) side. Since I get tired and need to breathe more, I started doing 2 breaths right side, 2 breaths left side.
I noticed that I pull to the left when breathing left side. I then tried to keep my right hand straight during extension. One other thing I noticed was that when I started the movement with my hips, I could still definitely feel the pull in my lats. I would contract my abs, and lats, and the movement would just come.
I think the only way I'm going to go faster is if I can apply more force with the same amount of economy -- in other words, I need to save energy and apply it at the right time. The less thrashing, the better.
Friday:
Swim
1x250 w.u. emphasis breathing.
1x250 w.u. emphasis rolling from the hips.
10x100 not for speed, emphasis stroke, breathing, efficiency.
200 warm down, stroke mechanics x25, breastroke x25
Getting better @ breathing bilaterally. Sometimes I feel like I'm weaving in the lane, I need to work on extending my leading arm out straight instead of over the centerline. Hip rotation feels better to the right, when I breathe to the left I'm still lifting my head and not rotating to the air. Lots to work on!
Saturday:
Run
6.05 mi 51:18, 8:29 avg. 2 mi warmup, then building to a hard pace.
mile 1: 10:43
mile 2: 9:30
mile 3: 7:52
mile 4: 7:48
mile 5: 7:15
mile 6: 7:45
climbed: 800 feet
descended : 1054 feet.
Wednesdays lifting made me sore until...after the run. I focused on fast turnover and 'pre-compressing' my striking leg. cadence/turnover was good, except on steep uphills/downhills, I need to work on keeping it going in both situations.
Sunday:
Run
3 mi easy. kicked back today, was tired from the hard effort yesterday, and going hard isn't going to buy me anything on Wednesday.
Monday:
Swim
super easy, concentrate on form.
4x250 form swims.
4x50 form swims.
I'm really happy with my left (weak) side breathing today. Felt really natural, the most natural so far. I'm inclined to try it in the race.
Was supposed to run tomorrow, but I tore up my big toe chasing after the dog this evening. Hope to heal it up before the race, where it will (a) get wet and (b) get slammed into a shoe. Nicked an artery, so it was bleeding like a mofo. ah well. It's always something :)
Next up: race report.
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