Mid Season Break

A few weeks back, I raced in MA at the Patriot Half Ironman.  This was one of two big races on my calendar for this season.  I went into the season with the goal of getting faster at 'shorter' distances.  I had a great buildup until May, then a host of small issues started eating away at me.  My power meter started acting up and it really took a toll on my confidence and training. I wasn't sure what was wrong with it, but after a trip to the bike shop and some reading up on the manual, I was able to sort it out. A few weeks before my race, I was able to get accurate training data again.

Unfortunately I rolled into my race a little under the weather.  I had some sinus issue that plagued me a few days before the race and it left me tired and fatigued which isn't ideal heading into the one race you plan your whole winter/spring around.  But I got to the starting line and gave it the best I could that day.  My training partner-in-crime Christa was also competing at the same race. My goal was to stay in her zip code during the race.  We were fortunate enough to start in the same wave. 

I highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a half iron distance. This race company knocks it out of the park.  They keep the race small (including the entry fee).  The bike course is one of the most beautiful I've ever ridden.  I will definitely go back and do this race again.

As far as my race execution goes, I met my goal time ranges for the swim and bike.  But, typical me, my run fell short.  Part of it was being under the weather, but most of it was mental.  I really need to work on this aspect of my racing.  I could tell during the run that I was losing focus and was letting my mind wander a bit. When that happens, all hell can break lose.  My mind is like a small child, you need to keep it under control, otherwise it will run amok.

I managed to hold it together and finish 2nd in my division, but I was no where near the 1st place woman.  Even on a great day, there was no way I could have come close.  I did get a PR by nearly 3 minutes, but it wasn't what I was hoping for when I was planning this race earlier in the year.  After the race I sat in my hotel room analyzing my race and figuring out what do I need to do to improve myself.  Let me tell you, that was major soul searching going on that night.

Once I returned to LI from the race, I took 2 weeks off of any structured training. I basically took myself off the grid from my coach (with her blessing) and her group just to find myself again.  My training consisted of "what do I want to do today?"  Some days it was biking, others was running and occasionally swimming. I even had days of not doing anything. And that was OK.  I really needed time away from it all to recover mentally.

One thing I did notice leading up to my race was that I missed riding my bike.  On my way to work, I would see people on their road bikes riding.  I missed my road bike.  After Patriot I put the tri bike away and only got on my road bike.  I found pure joy in just getting out and riding my bike.  I could care less about how many miles I rode or how many watts I was producing.  I just rode.  I let the road and my mood dictate my route for the day. I took some roads that I haven't been on in years. And I loved it.  Wingman dusted off his bike and we took a few rides together.  It was nice to not worry about a workout.

I took some time to catch up on some reading as well.  I stumbled upon an article about racing and pain.  Not the pain from injury that makes you stop running, but the pain you feel when you are going all out and your body is screaming to ease up.  I was thinking back to my racing and training this year and realized that I was backing off at times when the pain was creeping up.  I vowed to change that going into the 2nd half of this season.  Last weekend I competed in the Run Around the Lake in Ronkonkoma.  It's a 4 mile hilly run that I haven't done in a few years.  I was excited to get back to it.  It was my first run since the Patriot Half.  The weather was nearly perfect for the race, overcast with mild humidity.  My goal was to run this race hard and not back off at mile 3 when you begin the climb heading back to the lake.  I did slow up a bit at this point, but that was more an issue with my race fitness (lack of intensity training) and not a mental block.  I fared well (4th in my AG) despite my lack of speed work in weeks.  I missed a PR by ~20 seconds.

This past weekend I ran a 5K in Oakdale (super flat course) and my goal was to see how long I could run when it really started to hurt.  When the gun went off, I went out a little too fast (seems to be my signature move these days) but was able to settle into a hard pace.  I knew I'd be passed by people, but I wanted to pass a few as well.  The course was super flat which meant I didn't have to worry about a hill to slow me down.  I would eye someone ahead of me and try to reel them in.  When I got alongside someone, I would think "Can they possibly handle as much pain as I can?" and then I'd complete the pass.  Completing a pass doesn't mean letting up. You have to keep going and put some distance between and not give them a chance to come back.  I did this with each runner I approached.  I lost track of how many people I passed, but my thought was the same each time.  I actually felt strong with each foot strike as I ran.  It was almost effortless at times.

In the end, I missed a PR by 21 seconds.  At first I was a little upset, but then again I realized that I haven't done any specific speed work in weeks (except for the 4 mile race the prior weekend) so I really couldn't be too upset.  But I am trying to develop more mental skill for racing and this race gave me a great starting point.

My being 'off the grid' ends today.  I start training for the 2nd half of my season this week.  I'm looking forward to training again.  The next few months we are mixing things up and trying some different workouts to get me ready for Augusta 70.3 at the end of September.  I'm tired of racing near the 'back of the pack'.  I want to start moving up to the 'middle of the pack' and feel like I belong with the group .  I want to compete, not 'participate', in the next few races.  I know I won't be winning any races and that's OK.  I'm not built for that.  But I will be putting all the pieces in place to help bridge that gap to the 'middle' group. 

Let the pain & suffering begin

Working the plan........

This weekend I was in NJ for the Bassman International Triathlon

.6 mile swim, 31.1 mile bike, 5.1 mile run

This winter my training was based around some goals I set for my 'A' race in June.  But the winter stretched out a little too long.  I was stuck indoors for far too long and it was giving me a bad case of cabin fever.  I was unable to continue training to the levels I was doing weeks earlier due to burnout.  I was in need of a race. Badly in need.  Danielle and I talked things over and figured Bassman would be a good training race for me. For me, a training race just means a super hard effort at set paces, etc without worry of the outcome.  If I crash and burn during the race, I learn what went wrong and how to not repeat it next time. Or I can just bury myself and see how I perform.  This was basically the plan for today.  I shared a quote I found with Danielle:  "The race is only a vehicle to bring out what is there already." Bassman would show me what fitness I had.

Before the race I got a message from Danielle and she gave me one thought to focus on for the race.  No time goals, no power goals, just a thought.

On Friday I snuck in a quick open water swim to get used to the cold water temps and my wetsuit.  It was a good swim and I had Danielle accompany me on her paddleboard in case I ran into trouble.

Knowing I had this swim under my belt, I wasn't worried about the lake temperature in NJ.  I got an email from the race director saying it was 60 degrees in the lake.  I knew I would be OK as my swim Friday was in temps just under 60.  Except on race morning the dreaded announcement came out that the lake temp had dipped a little to 52 degrees.  52?!?!?  Oh boy, that'll be a cold one.  I grabbed a second swim cap so I could wear two of them to keep my head warm. I had my full sleeved wetsuit for this race. The asked us to get into the lake to 'warm up' and get used to the water.  The worst part of it for me is when the cold water goes through the zipper and hits my back.  Takes my breath away.  I splashed some water on my face and swam a little.  I was doing everything I could to prevent myself from hyperventilating once the gun went off.

When the race finally started, I was swimming comfortably.  Well, as comfortably as one can when they are shivering and teeth are chattering. I was keeping my eye on the swimmers around me.  I was anticipating people stopping or breast stroking and interrupting my rhythm. I wanted to be done with the swim as soon as possible. I did get caught in a few packs which made it hard to move around, but I kept going. The swim was a quick one (compared to last season) and I made my way up to transition to get ready for the bike.  I felt great coming out of the water so I didn't lose much energy there. 

I quickly changed and headed out on the bike.  I've had some trouble lately hitting my power numbers in my workouts, so I was hoping that this race would give me a little boost/jump start to bring my numbers back up. I tried to get going right out of the gate, but I knew that was a mistake.  My feet and legs were a little cold from the swim. I needed 1-2 miles to get my cycling legs under me. Once I got my rhythm, I pushed the effort.  The bike was a two loop course with the 2nd loop being longer than the first. The course was flat which is good and bad.  It's good for me because I am terrible at climbing hills.  It's bad because you don't get any chance to use the downhills to recover. This meant I was going to be pedaling nonstop for 31.1 miles.  I had no downhills for relief.  I had to bury myself.  The entire time I kept repeating Danielle's words in my head - I could hear her voice asking the same question over and over. And my response was to keep pounding the pedals and turning over my legs.

As I finished the 1st loop I grabbed a water bottle from an aid station and took a long drink.  It was time to put my head down and bury myself for the 2nd and longer loop. My legs burned with each pedal stroke, but I couldn't let up. Not now. I kept pushing and pushing.  Occasionally I looked down at my garmin to see what my effort was. The power numbers were not what I was hoping for, but the speed was faster than I anticipated. We lucked out with no wind on the ride but again, there is good and bad.  No tailwind to assist and take some pressure off, but no headwind to slow me down.  This bike outcome was going to be all me - no excuses.  The last 10 miles of the bike I was flip flopping positions with one guy.  I would ride up into the 'draft zone' and have to commit to making a pass.  After a while, he would pass me.  this went on for the last few miles.  It was good for me as I wanted to keep up with him and also to hold him off from passing me to early.  On his last pass he said "come on, we're almost there."  One last time I heard Danielle's  words and buried myself.   My legs were in fire by this point.

Over the last two miles of the bike I started to think a little about the run. I was hoping my legs would hold up for the run.  But I dropped the thought and figured I'd worry about it when I put my running shoes on. 

By now I was in transition and getting ready to run.  The Wingman was there cheering me on.  When I came out to run, he told me where he thought I was in the standings. I told him 'no way, I think I'm in the back of the pack'.  My legs did not want to turn over as I talked with him.  He ran alongside me for a few yards to try and convince me that I might be in a better position than I figured.  What if he was right?  Crap, that meant burying myself again.  Could I attempt to chase anyone down and improve my standing?  Or do I have to run hard to hold off any challengers?  Again, Danielle's words echoed in my ear.  It was time to move.

The run surface was pavement and packed trails.  I'm not used to running on the trails so I knew I would be a little slower. I tried to keep my pace up, or at least the effort levels.  I had no clue where I was in the standings, but I certainly didn't want to lose a chance at doing something great. Once again, I had to turn myself inside out and give it everything I had. I was incredibly uncomfortable and was keeping an eye out for the mile markers.  I knew as the run went on, I was getting hotter and my pace slowed down.  But I had to try and make a go of it.

I was never happier to see the marker for mile 4.  Only 1.1 miles to go then I could sit down!!  I just had to keep pushing. I felt miserable out there, but that is what I had to do. I was fading and my pace was slowing.

The last 1/4 mile flew by and I was in the finishing shoot and thrilled to be done.  After I crossed the finish line, the Wingman was there to great me.  I was desperate for some water.  I grabbed a bottle and found my results.  I saw that I finished 1st in my age group.  I was stunned.  I actually asked the timing guy to explain to me if the results were correct.  There was no way I could be 1st.  He said as far as he knew they were correct.

In my wildest dreams, I never thought this was possible. It was a good test to see where I am at right now.  I still have a lot of work to do to improve my bike before my big race in June.  Plus it was nice to have a quick race to break up my training.  I left everything out there today on the bike and run course.

I've earned my rest day tomorrow, but it's right back at it Tuesday.  Not much rest for the weary.

Veni, Vidi, Vici....... sort of.......

I flew down to Chapel Hill, NC this weekend for the Tar Heel 10 Miler.

I think 10 miles is my favorite distance to race.  It's long enough to work you over, but short enough that it doesn't leave you completely wrecked at the end.

I was looking for an early season race to help test and gauge my fitness. I picked this race because it fit into my schedule nicely (or so I thought).  I had hoped to run outside more this winter, but mother nature had other plans. I had a few runs over the last month outside, but not the consistency I was hoping for. And the weather between NY and NC were vastly different.  We only got 'warm' weather this last week, while NC is quite warm, almost hot.

I thought I had a good handle on the course layout/elevation.  I thought it was fairly flat until mile 8.5 when the monster hill comes into play. This hill is ~1 mile long and ~200 feet of vertical elevation over that mile. I knew it would be brutal so my plan was to run a solid, hard effort for the first ~8 miles, then whatever happens over the last two is what it is. I knew this race wouldn't be a PR race, but I wanted to really give the first 8 miles a run for it.

I lined up at the start and waited for the horn to go off. Hats off to UNC for a great start.  We were waiting in front of the Bell Tower and it chimed as the race began. I knew the first mile would be congested so I tried to take it easy.  It was hard to move around and pass people. Clearly many runners didn't pay attention to the pace signs before the start.  I spent a good deal of energy looking for holes to run though and then making a move to pass people.  I also noticed that the course was rolling right from the start!  There weren't many flat sections along the way.

I tried to keep my pace in check and not burn out too quickly. But with all the rollers, I could feel the effort taking it's toll. The heat/humidity didn't help either. I noticed it took me a little longer to recover after each time I crested an incline. When I reached mile 5, I felt like I had been running much longer than I was. But my mind always changes when I hit the half way, it's all 'downhill' from there.  Except not in this case!!

Mile 6 we are rewarded with a nice long downhill. I took advantage of it knowing what was lurking ahead. My splits were pretty steady and I wasn't falling off.......yet.  My legs were getting tired and my arms were fatiguing and I still haven't made it to the big climb yet.

At mile 8, I heard a few volunteers warning letting us know the hill was near. I turned a corner and there it was. It humbled me very quickly.  This hill was a BEAST. I made my way up very slowly. There were a couple of sections of false flats, but otherwise it was up, up, up.  I had asked Danielle Thursday night how big the hill might be and her response was "oh, you're going to feel it."  Clearly that was an understatement. I was beaten down by this hill.  And once the nightmare was over, I was spent.  I still had a little more than half mile to go.

When I finally crossed the finish line, I was thrilled to be done.  The only way to describe how I felt would be to take a baseball bat and beat each leg about 57 times...... each. Wow, that was one serious race course.  While my overall time was not near my best times, I had a great 8 mile run like I was hoping for with a 2 mile slug-fest at the end.

I wasn't worried about the overall time as this was not truly a race for me.  The purpose was to get a hard workout in.  Had I been home, I might not have run this hard.  It's nice to pick a race and just go in with the mentality of 'let 'er rip' and see what comes out the other end.

What came out today was a great effort for me to build on.  During the race I kept thinking "my fitness stinks......I'm no where near where I was hoping to be.......my winter was a waste........"  But stepping back to look at my splits for the first 8 miles and how difficult I found it to run in the heat/humidity and with the rollers, my thinking during the race was wrong.

But now it's back to NY to continue my prep for the rest of my season.........

Freedom to Fail

The last few weeks have been challenging.  The weather makes it almost impossible to get out and workout. I've been able to get a few outside runs in, but cycling is a no-go.  I've been doing all my workouts on the trainer and was starting to get major burn out.  Yeah, I whined quite a bit about it (ok, ok, a hell of a lot) because I perceived the quality of my workouts as going downhill. I was having trouble with hitting my goals for the workout. I kept putting pressure on myself because I so desperately want to be better than I am right now. I was hearing people around me stating how much better they were getting, but I just didn't see that in myself. I was hitting what I perceived to be a ceiling in my workouts. No matter what Danielle tried to tell me, I just couldn't hear it.

This week was a recovery week and it gave me a chance to step back and look at the last few weeks. I was still doing all workouts as written (except one because I revolted that day and refused to do anything) and hitting the prescribed power/speed ranges.  With the recovery time, I get more time to read and research. I loaned one of my books to a US Marine patient and we talked at length during his treatment about it. We talked about failure and what does that mean. We look at failure as a bad thing, something we want to avoid. Success is what we are all striving for and what is rewarded.  For me, it is improving as a PT and an athlete. But we have to get somewhat comfortable with the idea of failure.

The 'freedom to fail' is quite a liberating concept. We learn most about ourselves and/or our processes when we fail - provided you actually sit down and analyze it.  Why did you fail? What did you miss? What could have been done better? The other BIG component is - why are you afraid to fail?  So what if you do? The sun will still rise the next morning and set the next evening. Learn from what went wrong and push forward.  Success isn't a perfect linear progression. There will be setbacks. It's what you do or how you react during that setback that will define your success. Take the time to learn from it and move forward.

I decided I can't get hung up on seeing things as a failure. If I don't get a diagnosis 100% right, I can follow up at the next visit and adjust. If I miss my training goal for a workout, I can look at why it happened and correct it if I can. Sometimes fatigue happens or it's just not my day. I need to move on from it and not get caught in an endless loop of worry.

As long as I can learn from it, I can't be afraid to fail anymore.  It's not just about getting 

to the top of the mountain, it's what did you bring with you on the way down. It's the
lessons you learn along the way and how you use those lessons to be better.

Focus

When I sat down at the end of my 2014 race season, I wrote down some specific goals I wanted to achieve this year. For 2014, it was about getting through the season and building my fitness. This year, it's about getting faster and competing more in my races.

Danielle and I sat down and talked things over last fall. She said she had a good plan for implementing my training to take my performance up a notch or two. She went to work hatching a plan for me.  She said the winter season would include some weeks of swim, bike, or run focus which would allow me to work on certain weaknesses and allow me to improve.  It means taking a step back from one discipline and ramping up another. 

Prior to my Disney races, I had a run focus week.  This past week I had a swim focus week. I swam quite a bit and worked on a few things that we felt were holding me back. It also allowed me to do some more volume as well. The week turned out better than I thought.  I was faced with some challenging swims and they really took me out of my comfort zone.  I completed each workout and feel that it's something I can draw on in races when the going gets tough.

This coming week is a bike focus week. I've been working on improving my power output the last few months and I performed a benchmark workout last week. My power output showed that the numbers are going up. This week should really test my legs and help build some more power.

I also had the opportunity to view my training metrics that she maintains for me in WKO+. This software allows her to monitor how my body is responding to all the workouts she assigns.  Without going into too much boring detail, she can see how I recover from workouts, how deep into a hole I am digging with my workouts, when I need a rest, when I'm ready to handle more volume/intensity, etc. We looked back over the last year and I was able to see how I went up/down throughout my heavy training loads. I have complete trust in her that she is looking at the big picture for me so I can just focus on my day to day without worry................

Taking a giant leap........

My trip to Disney is already a week old. I survived running back to back races. I turned myself inside out for the 10k PR. The next day was the half marathon. I knew walking to the starting line that another hard effort or PR was not in play. My legs felt some serious fatigue, especially from running down the overpasses.

When the gun went off, I took it easy and decided to use the first 3 miles to warm up and get a rhythm going. I opted to not look at my watch for splits. I used the clocks at every mile to do some quick math and get a rough idea what my pace was. By the time mile 4 rolled around, I felt a little more comfortable running. I was zipping along until mile 10. Then my legs started getting tighter from the effort the day before. I had to walk a couple of times so I could stretch my legs.  Starting to run after a break was excruciating. Each time I swore I would stop taking the stretch breaks.

By the time mile 12 rolled around, I told myself that this was it. The last mile of running and all I had to do was to keep one foot moving in front of the other.  I could see the finish in the distance. When I finally crossed the line, I was so happy that the running was done. My quads were like rocks. I collected my medals and put on some warmer clothes.  I walked back to my hotel to shower and change. It was nice to achieve this task of a back to back run and pull off a hard 10k the day before.

On my flight home, I realized something had changed. I was now able to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Yes, that sounds weird. But if I wanted to achieve bigger goals, I needed to race on that edge. I had to be uncomfortable when racing and not let up.  I was texting back and forth with Sinead after my races and she commented:

"Getting stronger every time you dig deep"

I gave those words some serious thought on my flight home. I have to continue embracing being uncomfortable if I want to get better, faster, stronger..........

I had two bike workouts scheduled after my short recovery from the races. For my workout Saturday, Danielle gave me a choice of two bike workouts based on how I felt. I felt a little cocky and opted for the harder one. I looked up my power numbers from the last time I attempted it and decided to try and put out higher numbers. The workout was called "9 Hammers" and that's exactly how you feel during and after the workout. I turned myself inside-out and outside-in while riding. I worked so hard during the VO2 sections that the Threshold seemed 'easy'.  When the workout was done, I was in a sweaty, crumpled heap sitting next to the bike trying to take my shoes off.  When I stood up, my legs felt like jell-o and my arms were rubbery too. The workout was a success. Or was it? I uploaded my power numbers from the workout and compared them to the prior workout.  All 9 Hammers were higher than the previous 9. Yes, it was a success!!  The fatigue in my legs was totally worth the effort.  Once again, I was able to stay in the 'uncomfortable' zone and not back off.  These are definitely things to build on!

First Race of 2015

And it was a doozy.  Last spring I signed up for the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon weekend and picking the 'Rebel Challenge' for my race.  The challenge consists of a 10k Saturday and a half marathon Sunday.  I spent the last two and half months getting ready for this race.  I had a goal in mind of a PR for the 10k race.  Realistically, I knew a half marathon PR would take too much out of me this early in the season. But the 10k is manageable this time of year.

I arrived in California Thursday and picked up all my race numbers/shirts. Last night we went to a hockey game in Anaheim to help pass the time. We left the game early (end of the 2nd period) as I had to get up pretty early this morning for my race.

My race clothes were already laid out. I just had to get dressed and walk out the door.  The Wingman accompanied me to the starting corrals, then he bid me good luck and farewell. I was fortunate enough that I was starting in the first wave, which meant I would have to deal with less traffic running in front of me. Disney did a nice job for the racers waiting around. There were clips from the Star Wars movies to watch. Before I knew it, it was time to run.

I knew I had to go out and run hard from the beginning. The hardest part was running in the dark. The course was lit by street lamps, but it was still fairly dark out. I really had a hard time perceiving my pace so I knew this was going to be a hard effort.

What today was all about

The first mile had 3 overpasses we had to climb up which means I get to use the downhills to make up time.  We were out on the streets for the 1st mile, then tucked back into the park. I am not that familiar with the Disneyland grounds so between the darkness and all the turns, I was quickly disoriented. I think it was around 1.25 miles in when I thought "Crap, I have a ways to go still." It was a hard effort and I knew I had to keep it up. Danielle and I reviewed my goals for the race and I knew I had to go for it, otherwise I would regret it.  Around the 5k mark, I just stopped thinking for a while. My brain just couldn't function while my legs were screaming.

 The Truth

I followed the course and was fortunate that there weren't too many runners ahead of me. That makes it easy to get through the aid stations. Only once did I give someone a light shove on his back when he crossed right in front of me without looking. I didn't want anyone getting in my way. I was on a PR mission.

I could feel my Garmin vibrating at every mile, but it was too dark to catch a look. I didn't want to mess with the backlight button. With my luck, I would probably stop the watch and mess up my run. 

I saw the marker for mile 5 and the race clock. I realized I was making great time and then said "If you go all in now, you can shave off more time that you originally thought." I knew I had 1.2 miles left to hang on, so I dug in deep and asked my legs for just a little bit more effort. Thank goodness they complied and didn't revolt. 

Before I knew it, I was coming around the final stretch. I could see the finish line and knew I had to make a run for it. I had 30 seconds to get to the line so I dug just a little deeper. I just had to hurt for another few seconds.  When I crossed the line, I knew I had a great race. I shaved almost 2 minutes off my previous 10k PR.

I laid it all out there this morning. Looking back, I can't imagine where I could have run any faster. Sure, maybe if it was light out and I could have seen the course better I might have shaved a couple more seconds, but it would not have been anything dramatic. I ran as hard as I could today.  Over the last few months I have gotten much better at being uncomfortable when running or biking hard. That's the key. If you want to get faster, you need to learn to not back off when the effort is hard. 

All those workouts Danielle wrote to build my speed worked. I pushed hard hoping for a good result and I got it today. My running has gotten better over the last few months. Early to Mid 2014 it was all about keeping me healthy. Then late 2014 was about getting faster. And the 'getting faster' part isn't over yet.

But for now, I am focusing on recovery for the rest of the day. I have a half marathon to run tomorrow.

First race of 2015, coming up!!

In less than two weeks, I will be toeing the line in California for the Star Wars race series.

I am signed up for the "Rebel Challenge" which consists of a 10k on Saturday the 17th and a Half Marathon on Sunday the 18th.  It's been a few years since I've done a back-to-back race.  The distances aren't too long for me, but it's the effort level that I'll be putting out for the races that will be challenging.  I didn't sign up to 'coast' through these races.  I plan on hitting the 10k hard and then hoping to still have some good legs for the Sunday race.

Over the last month, I've been doing some back-to-back longer runs to see how my legs hold up.  So far, it looks promising that I can pull off two good races.  My only concern is the temperature difference.  I am used to running in 20-30 deg temps the last few weeks.  The temperature in Anaheim is lows in the upper 40s and highs of low 70s.  The highs don't bother me as the race starts at 5:30am.  It will be on the cooler side for the start, but slightly warmer than I am used to.

Words of wisdom for the race

Once this race is over, I am looking forward to some shorter runs for a few months before I ramp up for my races this summer. I've been working hard on the trainer for my bike workouts since the weather hasn't been too cooperative for outdoor riding.  I've gotten a huge boost from the Sufferfest videos.  Danielle has been assigning me some workouts based on the videos.  They really are a good tool to help break up the monotony of traditional trainer workouts.  

I'm not a fan of watching movies on the trainer (if you are watching movies on the trainer, chances are you are spending too much time on the trainer and not enough focusing on your workout).  My longest workout on the trainer to date is 1:40 and it was full of threshold and VO2 work. I love reviewing my data at the end to see if I hit my power goals for each segment. And of course if I repeat a video every week or two, I like to compare my numbers to see if I had a better outcome. It should be interesting to see my progression as we get closer to spring.

Recovery week

This week was my first recovery week since I started back up again with my training. I could feel some fatigue in my legs at the end of my last build phase, but I was still hitting my workout targets. It was weird to have such a light week, but I know to take advantage of the down time as they will be few and far between. I had two rest days and other than working, that is what I did!!

This week I met up with Danielle for some one on one swim lessons, specifically flip turns.  I understand the concept, but have trouble with the execution.  After some fine tuning and lots of practice I am on pace for nailing it shortly. She also coaches a weekly ass kicking, I mean, swim workout, that never fails to leave me in a trembling, cramping ball of exhaustion at the end. This week was no different. I am playing with a tempo trainer that helps me improve my swim stroke rate. I use it for short swim efforts and it certainly has made a little bit of a difference. My 100/yd times are coming down a little.  Obviously I cannot race with it, but I will train with it and try to improve my stroke turnover.  And after the holidays I will hopefully meet up with Danielle for one last swim stroke to master - the butterfly.

My running seems to be getting better as the weather gets cooler. I hate running in the heat of the summer and count the days for it to cool off so I can run. This week I had two short runs at an easy pace to do.  The paces are coming down and getting quicker, even at an easy effort.  Finally!! I'm not fast by any stretch, but I am not super slow anymore.

I only had two bike workouts this week and it threw me for a loop. I feel I don't ride well with only two rides per week (unless I am totally exhausted). For future weeks, there will be at least 3 rides at varying paces. Today I ventured out with Christa for a short ride. It was a bit chilly out at first, but it warmed up in no time. As usual, we had a blast riding today and I baked some chocolate chip cookie bars for Christa to enjoy post ride as a thank you for coming out to ride the last few weeks.

With the holidays coming up, Christa is traveling and I will be alone to get my swim and bike workouts in.  The Thursday night Iron Fit swims will be on hold after this week until the new year. But between now and then, I will keep my foot on the throttle with no letup. There's too much work to do before my first races of 2015.

My sweet new thermal beanie