Jackie D - Weeks 11 & 12

Week 11- starting Monday 27 November 2006


Well my guests have left and whilst it was nice to have them here, scheduling training was rather more hectic, especially with the later nights up playing cribbage.

I started the week with a couple of pretty lazy days, just making sure I fitted my workouts in when I felt like it. I picked up the dog from the kennels on Monday and went for a lovely run around the trails of Mendon Ponds Park. It was T-shirt weather and the thermometer in my car said 62F!

I almost did my bike ride outside that day too but it was after lunch and I get really worried about whether I will make it back for the school bus if I get a flat - so I didn’t. I got on the indoor trainer and did my one-legged drills like a good girl! I tried a different approach to amusing myself on the trainer today and listened to a book on CD and that worked very well. Must remember to get some movies out for some of my indoor rides as well as I am bored with the kids movies and watching TV drives me nuts with all the adverts.

With the thanksgiving break over, most of the unhealthy food has now gone and that is a big relief. I have put on a few pounds and am going to make a big effort to lose those plus a few more. After all most athletes are lean and I want to be one! I just have to keep telling myself that eating this rubbish food is not going to help me in the Ironman. Back onto the Weightwatchers core plan for a week and see if that gets me back under control. Of course having the “diet starts tomorrow syndrome” meant I ate extra badly yesterday. DUH!

I felt like a “real athlete” this week ‘cos on the spur of the moment I decided to book up a Lactate Threshold and VO2 max test. I did these on Thursday and now have all my zones so will be able to take more notice of these instructions in my training plan. So far I have learnt several things

a) I need a new Heart Rate Monitor - mine is not very reliable until I get really sweaty (Father Christmas and Garmin may be able to help here)
b) I need a new Heart Rate Monitor - mine told me on my group run that I started off way over 200 bpm and settled in 170s. Since 175 is top of my zone 5 range then that can’t be possible as I sustained it for the hour and a quarter!
c) allowing for comments above, but taking it more generally I seem to have a tendency to work too hard on the run and not hard enough on the bike.


Week 12 - starting Monday 4 December 2006


Well Week 12 was another recovery week and I think the exercise hormones were playing up as I think I have been kind of grouchy. All I wanted to do was just go out and run but I couldn’t or I would mess my plan up. I kept telling myself I NEED this recovery week.

It was also the week that the Christmas parties seem to start. Food wise I was OK but the late nights really catch up with me…. In fact when it comes down to it I don’t really want late nights or hangovers anymore as I am enjoying my training too much (still!!!!!). However, I was a lazy bum on Sunday and couldn’t drag myself out of bed for the group run. I went later though and I don’t know how they managed as the way I went on the canal path was quite icy - I even turned round at one point and went round on the roads.