Good morning.
What a nice warm summer so far. This really is making up for last years very cool summer. Enjoyable! Might as well embrace the heat and humidity because soon, before you know it, the colder months will arrive.
Yesterday the humidity was around 95% with temps in the low 80'S. Anytime you add the humidity and temp together and the total is above 150 you need to be more careful in your activities.
This made for an interestin 11 mile run. I have to admit it was tougher than normal. It became a battle to just finish. But, I did and I was glad that I extended the run the extra 1/4 mile to hit 11 miles. This was my long run for the week. The remaining runs will focus on fast twitch.
Today is a swim and maybe a bike on trainer day.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:50 0:08:49 1 0 7 8:50 8:49 7:08 113 127 0 80
2 0:08:23 0:08:23 1 13 0 8:24 8:23 6:16 131 136 0 96
3 0:08:11 0:08:04 1 0 0 8:11 8:04 5:06 132 137 0 91
4 0:08:23 0:08:15 1 0 17 8:23 8:15 3:45 136 139 0 96
5 0:08:22 0:08:22 1 0 0 8:22 8:22 7:25 141 146 0 98
6 0:08:18 0:08:08 1 8 0 8:18 8:08 6:57 141 146 0 95
7 0:08:26 0:08:25 1 9 0 8:26 8:25 6:44 143 150 0 96
8 0:08:32 0:08:33 1 0 0 8:32 8:33 6:44 146 151 0 104
9 0:08:44 0:08:44 1 0 0 8:44 8:44 6:19 146 152 0 101
10 0:08:54 0:08:54 1 0 5 8:54 8:54 6:53 150 155 0 112
11 0:08:55 0:08:56 1 9 8 8:55 8:56 7:31 155 157 0 116
12 0:00:01 0:00:01 0 0 0 7:49 5:19 8:09 -- -- 0 0
Summary 1:34:05 1:33:34 11 39 37 8:33 8:30 3:45 139 157 0 1,085
Looking at the data and considering the heat and humidity which added fluidity my heart rate was pretty good.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Triathlon Week Prep
Good morning.
Back to reality for just a little while before we return to Glen Lake for our summer vacation.
The weather was great, as was the training and golf.
Golf was better than expected: 71, 80, 76. Not bad for not playing. To date, I have played 4 times this season.
I said that Friday was an off day. After 27 holes of golf at Crystal Downs we came home and there was still plenty of time for a longer bike ride so I decided to scrap the day off idea.
This ride would be around both Big and Little Glen Lakes. This route has some awesome hills and was really a big test. These are the kind of hills that you are in your easiest gear and pedaling as hard as you can and only going 8 mph for an extended period of time. Sometimes you wonder if you will make it all the way to the top as your heart is beating through your chest. Then comes the downhill sections where you go to your big gear and reach 35 mph.
Well, this ride was 20.6 miles and my one thought was, "can you imagine if you had to do that three more times in a 1/2 Ironman?" You'de be fried. But, I am sure there are many tri courses that tough and it will be good to have this training under my belt.
Saturday ended up being the day off from training.
Sunday I was able to get in another open water swim before we drove home. Basically the same 1.2 miles that I swam a couple days ago. This swim took 34 minutes which was 3 1/2 minutes slower than my previous Glen Lake swim. Not sure why. I thought the effort was definitely there as my lats were sore after. Whatever. Thirty four minutes is still a decent time.
When we got home yesterday I decided to get back on the bike on the trainer and spin 20 miles while watching the US Open.
Interestingly, I have not run since Wednesday's 8 miles. So, my running legs should be nice and recovered from the 1/2 marathon race 8 days ago.
Today I will run and I am looking forward to it.
This is the week leading up to my first Olympic triathlon, Bigfoot. The race is next Sunday and I will be preparing and getting organized. I will get my tri bag organized with all sorts of tri thingy's that one may need on tri day.
I need to buy more bike wheel tubes and change each tire. The valves on each bike tire are in need of repair and I don't want the valves to break on race day. Changing these tubes will also be excellent practice for changing a flat tire, if that should ever happen during the race.
So, in a way, this week will be a tiny taper week. I am still going to be swimming, biking and running to stay fresh but will focus more on quality and not quantity.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Back to reality for just a little while before we return to Glen Lake for our summer vacation.
The weather was great, as was the training and golf.
Golf was better than expected: 71, 80, 76. Not bad for not playing. To date, I have played 4 times this season.
I said that Friday was an off day. After 27 holes of golf at Crystal Downs we came home and there was still plenty of time for a longer bike ride so I decided to scrap the day off idea.
This ride would be around both Big and Little Glen Lakes. This route has some awesome hills and was really a big test. These are the kind of hills that you are in your easiest gear and pedaling as hard as you can and only going 8 mph for an extended period of time. Sometimes you wonder if you will make it all the way to the top as your heart is beating through your chest. Then comes the downhill sections where you go to your big gear and reach 35 mph.
Well, this ride was 20.6 miles and my one thought was, "can you imagine if you had to do that three more times in a 1/2 Ironman?" You'de be fried. But, I am sure there are many tri courses that tough and it will be good to have this training under my belt.
Saturday ended up being the day off from training.
Sunday I was able to get in another open water swim before we drove home. Basically the same 1.2 miles that I swam a couple days ago. This swim took 34 minutes which was 3 1/2 minutes slower than my previous Glen Lake swim. Not sure why. I thought the effort was definitely there as my lats were sore after. Whatever. Thirty four minutes is still a decent time.
When we got home yesterday I decided to get back on the bike on the trainer and spin 20 miles while watching the US Open.
Interestingly, I have not run since Wednesday's 8 miles. So, my running legs should be nice and recovered from the 1/2 marathon race 8 days ago.
Today I will run and I am looking forward to it.
This is the week leading up to my first Olympic triathlon, Bigfoot. The race is next Sunday and I will be preparing and getting organized. I will get my tri bag organized with all sorts of tri thingy's that one may need on tri day.
I need to buy more bike wheel tubes and change each tire. The valves on each bike tire are in need of repair and I don't want the valves to break on race day. Changing these tubes will also be excellent practice for changing a flat tire, if that should ever happen during the race.
So, in a way, this week will be a tiny taper week. I am still going to be swimming, biking and running to stay fresh but will focus more on quality and not quantity.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Friday, June 18, 2010
Moving Ahead
Good morning.
Tuesday
1000 yard swim.
Wednesday
8 mile aerobic run at 8:20 pace.
Thursday
1.2 mile open water swim in Glen Lake. Time was 30:35. After the swim hurried up and then got on the bike for a good ride around Glen Lake. The ride was only 13 miles but it has some very tough hills to climb. At times I was only going 8-9mph up a long hill. Coming down was 35mph.
After that it was golf at Crystal Downs. Shot 71.
Today is a day off from workouts and more golf at Crystal.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Tuesday
1000 yard swim.
Wednesday
8 mile aerobic run at 8:20 pace.
Thursday
1.2 mile open water swim in Glen Lake. Time was 30:35. After the swim hurried up and then got on the bike for a good ride around Glen Lake. The ride was only 13 miles but it has some very tough hills to climb. At times I was only going 8-9mph up a long hill. Coming down was 35mph.
After that it was golf at Crystal Downs. Shot 71.
Today is a day off from workouts and more golf at Crystal.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Same Fun Different Day
Good morning.
What a clear, clean air day in Chicago. We call those, "Green Days." Should be a great day to run under the sun. Temps will be around 80 with low humidity. Can't get any better than that. These are the days I dream about during the cold, grey winter.
After Sunday's 1/2 marathon I did do a recovery bike ride. I only pedaled 5 miles on the trainer to get the blood moving around. I do workouts like this after significant races. Even after the Chicago and Boston Marathons I do not hesitate to hop on the elliptical on race day to circulate the blood.
Monday was supposed to be a swimming day but the pool at XSport was closed due to a chemical imbalance.
Instead of swimming I did a bike training session on the indoor trainer. Man, my legs and aerobic capacity felt the strongest ever. This may have been my strongest bike session on the trainer. My cadence was high on most gears. I usually do 20 miles on the trainer. But, when I hit that mark I just kept going and ended up with 25 solid miles. There is a rule of thumb that the distance done on the trainer is equivelent to 1.5 times outside.
Tuesday was a complete lower body rest day, meaning no biking or running. Instead, I went and did a 1000 yard recovery swim. Easy stuff. Later in the day I did my weekly all body weight workout of mainly high reps. I love the straight legged dead lifts with dumbells. They stretch out the entire back of the leg and also strengthen your backside.
Today I am looking forward to a nice long run.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
What a clear, clean air day in Chicago. We call those, "Green Days." Should be a great day to run under the sun. Temps will be around 80 with low humidity. Can't get any better than that. These are the days I dream about during the cold, grey winter.
After Sunday's 1/2 marathon I did do a recovery bike ride. I only pedaled 5 miles on the trainer to get the blood moving around. I do workouts like this after significant races. Even after the Chicago and Boston Marathons I do not hesitate to hop on the elliptical on race day to circulate the blood.
Monday was supposed to be a swimming day but the pool at XSport was closed due to a chemical imbalance.
Instead of swimming I did a bike training session on the indoor trainer. Man, my legs and aerobic capacity felt the strongest ever. This may have been my strongest bike session on the trainer. My cadence was high on most gears. I usually do 20 miles on the trainer. But, when I hit that mark I just kept going and ended up with 25 solid miles. There is a rule of thumb that the distance done on the trainer is equivelent to 1.5 times outside.
Tuesday was a complete lower body rest day, meaning no biking or running. Instead, I went and did a 1000 yard recovery swim. Easy stuff. Later in the day I did my weekly all body weight workout of mainly high reps. I love the straight legged dead lifts with dumbells. They stretch out the entire back of the leg and also strengthen your backside.
Today I am looking forward to a nice long run.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tri-Umphant Weekend
Good morning.
I hope a great weekend was had by all.
Me? I had a terrific weekend. Of course, part of the time was spent triathlon training and racing. It is an interesting merging of training plans. While I am triathlon training I am also training for the Chicago Marathon in October.
On Saturday I headed to Ohio Street Beach for my open water swim. The water was wavy, choppy, unsettled. Kind of like my first OWS. But, I must practice in various different conditions. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I headed north into the teeth of the current. Up and down and bobbing all around. I was timing this swim with my Garmin under my swim cap. I wanted to see how far that one bouy is, the bouy that I swim around to simulate sighting and turning in a race.
Staying horizontal in the water makes you cut through the chop much easier. Relaxing also helps. Just stay relaxed and make purposeful stokes. As I swam, looking down into the green I let my mind wonder. Kind of how you can become lost in thought while running. You can do the same with swimming. The swimming groove.
I could not sight like I usually do because the waves were too high. I had to slow down and breast stroke until a view of the bouy became available. Hey, there it is. I swam around it and headed back.
Going back was easier but I had to fight more to stay on track because the waves and current might push me into the concrete wall. No problem. I also had to sight more and make sure not to run into other swimmers. At one point I had two other tri-swimmers coming at me. They were not sighting. They were more concerned with fighting the churn as they swam north. Who could blame them.
I felt good the whole way. My effort was a 6-7 on a scale of 1-10. The distance swum was 1.5 miles in 46:12. I averaged 2 MPH. No bad for the effort level.
Sunday
This was my 13.1 Half Marathon race day. I felt good. I had not run since Wednesday so my legs were fresh. I had a tiny hip issue but decided to run with it. I also was not sure if I was going to run this 13.1 or race it. I would take a wait and see approach.
I was in the B Wave, second off. We started and I was passed by most of the B runners. No problem, I was sure I would be passing many of them later. It did not take long for me to decide to race. Something just kicks on in my head and I start slowly picking up the pace. I felt good both physically and aerobically. My breathing felt great.
After the second mile I started to pick up the pace. Soon I was running mile splits under 7:20 and still felt good. i just kept going. Running, breathing, form. Cadence, cadence cadence. Passing the runners who previously passed me at the start was enjoyable.
As the run progressed I was maintaining a pace for a longer amount of time that I had never done before. How long can I keep this up? Another mile would go by, another fast one. Getting under 1:40:00 was important to me so I could possibly get a guaranteed spot in the 2011 New York City Marathon. My previous personal best in a 1/2 marathon was 1:43 something.
I just kept up the pace and felt relaxed with my breathing which helped. I thought, one more mile like that and you can coast in and get under 1:40:00. But, the other side of me said, why? Just keep going. It just so happened that my last mile was my fastest. Talk about competitive juices kicking in.
Well, I did it. A new PR for me of 1:36:59 and hopefully a guaranteed entry to New York in 2011. I placed 8th in my 50-54 age group. I need to get down to 1:33:00 or less to really be more competitive in my age group. I think my mile splits are really good, for me.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Steps Calories
1 0:08:15 0:08:09 1 10 0 8:15 8:09 7:21 0 130
2 0:07:46 0:07:46 1 9 15 7:46 7:46 6:29 0 134
3 0:07:37 0:07:38 1 0 2 7:37 7:38 6:34 0 133
4 0:07:27 0:07:27 1 0 6 7:27 7:27 6:26 0 134
5 0:07:17 0:07:18 1 0 0 7:18 7:18 6:52 0 133
6 0:07:15 0:07:16 1 12 0 7:15 7:16 6:52 0 132
7 0:07:17 0:07:17 1 17 25 7:17 7:17 6:35 0 133
8 0:07:06 0:07:06 1 0 0 7:06 7:06 6:32 0 132
9 0:07:10 0:07:11 1 10 7 7:10 7:11 6:13 0 133
10 0:07:11 0:07:11 1 0 6 7:11 7:11 6:23 0 132
11 0:07:07 0:07:08 1 0 0 7:07 7:08 6:37 0 132
12 0:07:11 0:07:11 1 8 11 7:11 7:11 6:34 0 132
13 0:07:03 0:07:03 1 20 15 7:03 7:03 6:07 0 132
14 0:01:12 0:01:13 0.17 0 0 7:01 7:04 6:26 0 23
Summary 1:37:00 1:36:54 13.17 86 87 7:21 7:21 6:07 0 1,745
Edited by Silentrunner 6/14/2010 6:28 AM
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
I hope a great weekend was had by all.
Me? I had a terrific weekend. Of course, part of the time was spent triathlon training and racing. It is an interesting merging of training plans. While I am triathlon training I am also training for the Chicago Marathon in October.
On Saturday I headed to Ohio Street Beach for my open water swim. The water was wavy, choppy, unsettled. Kind of like my first OWS. But, I must practice in various different conditions. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I headed north into the teeth of the current. Up and down and bobbing all around. I was timing this swim with my Garmin under my swim cap. I wanted to see how far that one bouy is, the bouy that I swim around to simulate sighting and turning in a race.
Staying horizontal in the water makes you cut through the chop much easier. Relaxing also helps. Just stay relaxed and make purposeful stokes. As I swam, looking down into the green I let my mind wonder. Kind of how you can become lost in thought while running. You can do the same with swimming. The swimming groove.
I could not sight like I usually do because the waves were too high. I had to slow down and breast stroke until a view of the bouy became available. Hey, there it is. I swam around it and headed back.
Going back was easier but I had to fight more to stay on track because the waves and current might push me into the concrete wall. No problem. I also had to sight more and make sure not to run into other swimmers. At one point I had two other tri-swimmers coming at me. They were not sighting. They were more concerned with fighting the churn as they swam north. Who could blame them.
I felt good the whole way. My effort was a 6-7 on a scale of 1-10. The distance swum was 1.5 miles in 46:12. I averaged 2 MPH. No bad for the effort level.
Sunday
This was my 13.1 Half Marathon race day. I felt good. I had not run since Wednesday so my legs were fresh. I had a tiny hip issue but decided to run with it. I also was not sure if I was going to run this 13.1 or race it. I would take a wait and see approach.
I was in the B Wave, second off. We started and I was passed by most of the B runners. No problem, I was sure I would be passing many of them later. It did not take long for me to decide to race. Something just kicks on in my head and I start slowly picking up the pace. I felt good both physically and aerobically. My breathing felt great.
After the second mile I started to pick up the pace. Soon I was running mile splits under 7:20 and still felt good. i just kept going. Running, breathing, form. Cadence, cadence cadence. Passing the runners who previously passed me at the start was enjoyable.
As the run progressed I was maintaining a pace for a longer amount of time that I had never done before. How long can I keep this up? Another mile would go by, another fast one. Getting under 1:40:00 was important to me so I could possibly get a guaranteed spot in the 2011 New York City Marathon. My previous personal best in a 1/2 marathon was 1:43 something.
I just kept up the pace and felt relaxed with my breathing which helped. I thought, one more mile like that and you can coast in and get under 1:40:00. But, the other side of me said, why? Just keep going. It just so happened that my last mile was my fastest. Talk about competitive juices kicking in.
Well, I did it. A new PR for me of 1:36:59 and hopefully a guaranteed entry to New York in 2011. I placed 8th in my 50-54 age group. I need to get down to 1:33:00 or less to really be more competitive in my age group. I think my mile splits are really good, for me.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Steps Calories
1 0:08:15 0:08:09 1 10 0 8:15 8:09 7:21 0 130
2 0:07:46 0:07:46 1 9 15 7:46 7:46 6:29 0 134
3 0:07:37 0:07:38 1 0 2 7:37 7:38 6:34 0 133
4 0:07:27 0:07:27 1 0 6 7:27 7:27 6:26 0 134
5 0:07:17 0:07:18 1 0 0 7:18 7:18 6:52 0 133
6 0:07:15 0:07:16 1 12 0 7:15 7:16 6:52 0 132
7 0:07:17 0:07:17 1 17 25 7:17 7:17 6:35 0 133
8 0:07:06 0:07:06 1 0 0 7:06 7:06 6:32 0 132
9 0:07:10 0:07:11 1 10 7 7:10 7:11 6:13 0 133
10 0:07:11 0:07:11 1 0 6 7:11 7:11 6:23 0 132
11 0:07:07 0:07:08 1 0 0 7:07 7:08 6:37 0 132
12 0:07:11 0:07:11 1 8 11 7:11 7:11 6:34 0 132
13 0:07:03 0:07:03 1 20 15 7:03 7:03 6:07 0 132
14 0:01:12 0:01:13 0.17 0 0 7:01 7:04 6:26 0 23
Summary 1:37:00 1:36:54 13.17 86 87 7:21 7:21 6:07 0 1,745
Edited by Silentrunner 6/14/2010 6:28 AM
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Swimingly Wonderful....Fore
Good Morning.
Hey, what's up? Not much how bout you. It's been such a long time and I really do miss your smile.
Just felt like writing that. I've got that song in my mind. Do you have any idea what song those lyrics are from?
Let's see. Thursday was a day off from biking and running. I did a quick 1000 yard swim instead. Then it was time to play my first round of golf this summer with a good friend, my wife's uncle. My golf has taken a backseat to tri training lately.
We went to the Glen Club in Glenview, IL. I actually played pretty darn good for the first time out shooting a 77. I bogeyed two of the par 5's which is a major no no. I could have easily shot 75. Not complaining though.
Yesterday was another swim day. I wanted to get in a real workout in the pool. I decided to simulate an "olympic distance swim." That is approx 1600 yards. I swam very comfortably-semi hard. I easily could have pushed it more. My 1600 yard simulation took 32:30. Not bad. Then I did 400 yards 4X100 of speed.
Later in the day I got on the bike in the basement on the trainer and knocked out 20 miles. I continue to work on a high cadence with an occassional push of slower - bigger gears for hill work.
Today is another swim day. Hey, that's three swim days in a row. This swim will be in Lake Michigan. I will gather my gear, get in the car and head south down Lakeshore Drive. I will look to my left and the shimmering lake will be there with all kinds of runners, walkers and bikers exercising on the lakefront path, you know, my friends. The one's I do not know. I know their faces. The faces of commitment and dedication. It is a pretty sight.
As I continue south, the Drake Hotel will slowly come into view. Then I will curve left around Oak Street Beach and find my parking spot. I will begin my trek to Ohio St Beach and meet up with members of the Chicago Tri Club and other triathletes practicing their open water swim.
No running or biking today. I am letting my legs rest for tomorrows 13.1, half marathon. I have not decided if I am really racing this or just running it. My guess is, my racing juices will kick in.
Edited by Silentrunner 6/12/2010 6:50 AM
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Hey, what's up? Not much how bout you. It's been such a long time and I really do miss your smile.
Just felt like writing that. I've got that song in my mind. Do you have any idea what song those lyrics are from?
Let's see. Thursday was a day off from biking and running. I did a quick 1000 yard swim instead. Then it was time to play my first round of golf this summer with a good friend, my wife's uncle. My golf has taken a backseat to tri training lately.
We went to the Glen Club in Glenview, IL. I actually played pretty darn good for the first time out shooting a 77. I bogeyed two of the par 5's which is a major no no. I could have easily shot 75. Not complaining though.
Yesterday was another swim day. I wanted to get in a real workout in the pool. I decided to simulate an "olympic distance swim." That is approx 1600 yards. I swam very comfortably-semi hard. I easily could have pushed it more. My 1600 yard simulation took 32:30. Not bad. Then I did 400 yards 4X100 of speed.
Later in the day I got on the bike in the basement on the trainer and knocked out 20 miles. I continue to work on a high cadence with an occassional push of slower - bigger gears for hill work.
Today is another swim day. Hey, that's three swim days in a row. This swim will be in Lake Michigan. I will gather my gear, get in the car and head south down Lakeshore Drive. I will look to my left and the shimmering lake will be there with all kinds of runners, walkers and bikers exercising on the lakefront path, you know, my friends. The one's I do not know. I know their faces. The faces of commitment and dedication. It is a pretty sight.
As I continue south, the Drake Hotel will slowly come into view. Then I will curve left around Oak Street Beach and find my parking spot. I will begin my trek to Ohio St Beach and meet up with members of the Chicago Tri Club and other triathletes practicing their open water swim.
No running or biking today. I am letting my legs rest for tomorrows 13.1, half marathon. I have not decided if I am really racing this or just running it. My guess is, my racing juices will kick in.
Edited by Silentrunner 6/12/2010 6:50 AM
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Brick By Brick
Good morning.
How do you build a really solid house? One brick at a time. In between each brick is morter that adheres to the bricks providing added solidarity to the home.
This is the same type of approach to triathlon training. You build your triathlon home with solid training of swimming, biking and running. Combining two workouts back to back is called a, "BRICK."
Brick workouts can be fun. They can also be very tough, both mentally and physically. But, these are the worlouts that prepare you for triathlon day. Afterall, an actual triathlon is basically a two brick adventure. Swimming to biking and biking to running. You must be prepared.
Yesterday, I was not able to swim. I had some scheduling conflicts. That's ok. I just focused on a bike to run brick in the late afternoon.
I got on the bike on the trainer and pedaled my butt off with high cadence spinning. I went 20 miles. This took about 1:15:00 and then I immediately changed into my running shoes and headed out the door for a 6 mile run.
Legs....heavy as usual after biking. This goes away, for the most part after the first mile. The thought did cross my mind that I have to run 6 miles as I went. This was my "mental" exercise. "Yes, you do have to run 6 miles and you will do it well. You can do this."
So, I kept my focus and just took what my body wanted to give me. It's interesting, my legs, heart and body seems to like the 7:30-7:40 mile pace. Even when I think I slow down, I do not slow down much. Even if my legs feel heavy, they do not seem to slow down much. That's a good thing.
So, I chugged along and when the run was over I was, well, I felt like I just had one hell of a workout. I breathed hard and deep. Whew!!
My tri-house is coming together, one brick at a time.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:06 0:08:54 1 0 7 9:06 8:54 7:32 124 137 0 95
2 0:08:11 0:08:01 1 14 0 8:11 8:01 6:09 136 146 0 92
3 0:07:43 0:07:43 1 0 0 7:43 7:43 6:27 146 150 0 96
4 0:07:35 0:07:35 1 0 0 7:35 7:35 6:21 151 154 0 96
5 0:07:47 0:07:47 1 0 5 7:47 7:47 6:07 152 156 0 100
6 0:07:36 0:07:35 1 0 7 7:36 7:35 6:39 155 161 0 98
7 0:00:02 0:00:02 0.01 0 0 6:15 5:56 6:59 160 160 0 0
Summary 0:48:02 0:47:37 6.01 14 19 7:59 7:55 6:07 143 161 0 577
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
How do you build a really solid house? One brick at a time. In between each brick is morter that adheres to the bricks providing added solidarity to the home.
This is the same type of approach to triathlon training. You build your triathlon home with solid training of swimming, biking and running. Combining two workouts back to back is called a, "BRICK."
Brick workouts can be fun. They can also be very tough, both mentally and physically. But, these are the worlouts that prepare you for triathlon day. Afterall, an actual triathlon is basically a two brick adventure. Swimming to biking and biking to running. You must be prepared.
Yesterday, I was not able to swim. I had some scheduling conflicts. That's ok. I just focused on a bike to run brick in the late afternoon.
I got on the bike on the trainer and pedaled my butt off with high cadence spinning. I went 20 miles. This took about 1:15:00 and then I immediately changed into my running shoes and headed out the door for a 6 mile run.
Legs....heavy as usual after biking. This goes away, for the most part after the first mile. The thought did cross my mind that I have to run 6 miles as I went. This was my "mental" exercise. "Yes, you do have to run 6 miles and you will do it well. You can do this."
So, I kept my focus and just took what my body wanted to give me. It's interesting, my legs, heart and body seems to like the 7:30-7:40 mile pace. Even when I think I slow down, I do not slow down much. Even if my legs feel heavy, they do not seem to slow down much. That's a good thing.
So, I chugged along and when the run was over I was, well, I felt like I just had one hell of a workout. I breathed hard and deep. Whew!!
My tri-house is coming together, one brick at a time.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:06 0:08:54 1 0 7 9:06 8:54 7:32 124 137 0 95
2 0:08:11 0:08:01 1 14 0 8:11 8:01 6:09 136 146 0 92
3 0:07:43 0:07:43 1 0 0 7:43 7:43 6:27 146 150 0 96
4 0:07:35 0:07:35 1 0 0 7:35 7:35 6:21 151 154 0 96
5 0:07:47 0:07:47 1 0 5 7:47 7:47 6:07 152 156 0 100
6 0:07:36 0:07:35 1 0 7 7:36 7:35 6:39 155 161 0 98
7 0:00:02 0:00:02 0.01 0 0 6:15 5:56 6:59 160 160 0 0
Summary 0:48:02 0:47:37 6.01 14 19 7:59 7:55 6:07 143 161 0 577
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
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