Week 31 - starting Monday 16 April 2007
Scheduled hours: 8hrs 15mins
Actual hours: 8hrs 38mins
This week felt incredibly easy and I even had 2 days off. A semi-recovery week I think to get me in line for the weeks leading up to our practice weekend up at Lake Placid (I am really excited about that!) at the end of May.
All of my bike rides were done outside and with some big contrasts. Early in the week I was all wrapped up for the cold and rain whilst the later ones were shorts and T-shirts and 70 degrees!
During the week I had a couple of breakthrough runs scheduled. I got to the second one which was supposed to be some time in zones 4-5a criss-crossing them. The theory was good but it just didn't happen. First 10mins of this run I felt really weak and stiff but thought hopefully it was just a question of warming up. The whole time it felt a lot harder than my HR was telling me. After 20mins I tried to get to z4 but it really felt SO HARD to get even up to z3. At that point I decided that I would just try for an easy run and hope to get home without stopping. I was even grateful for the excuse of a “doggy enforced” stop which usually I find a bit annoying. I ended up in z2 most of way home and only after about 45 minutes did I get into a rhythm. This felt worse than it does after my long runs (which actually most of the time feel good!).
I have no idea where this came from. I had an easy bike ride earlier and felt fine, it was a lower volume week and it was just, well, completely unexpected. The only thing I could think of was that it may have been a nutrition thing. After discussing it with Mary later, it sounds like I did the right thing and just kept going at low intensity.
I’m OK with it, just one of those things I guess. Just took me a bit by surprise - I guess up to now, barring illness or scheduling commitments I have been able to do everything on my plan. The bike ride the next day felt really good so no long lasting effects.
My one swim of the week felt good. A couple of 200 IM’s which I was very pleased to survive. I had been watching Ian Thorpe on “You Tube” again and that always inspires me to feel good in the water.
Next week the volume goes back up a bit and I can’t wait. I guess that means these recovery weeks have served their purpose.
13 WEEKS TO GO
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
marian, April 21st, 2007
Today was the first long ride outside. I was supposed to ride 3:30 but I read next weeks training calendar instead of this weeks and thought I had to ride 4;00 hours instead, so that's what i did. I rode 4:05:51. Rolando was in Spencerport so i did not want to go too far. since it was the first ride outside i didn't want to have a problem and be 30 miles from home. So, I took my 15 mile loop that I usually do when I ride one hour and rode it 4 times. I like this loop, it has a lot of rollers and I'm never more than five miles from home. It also has a nice big pothole-free shoulder.
I decided to change up my nutrition. Last year, I trained and raced only with carbo powder in endurance gatorade. I both biked and ran usoing it. It worked great on short races and for training. But, come Musselman, after getting of the bike I was so sick of drinking it I could not get it down during the run. So, today i brought GU, water and carbo powder mixed with Endurance gatorade but not as concentrated. That way it didn't feel as thick which makes it harder to go down after about three hours. When i finished i felt great. my stomach felt really good and I never bonked. I try to switch it up next week and so on to see what the best combo is.
I decided to change up my nutrition. Last year, I trained and raced only with carbo powder in endurance gatorade. I both biked and ran usoing it. It worked great on short races and for training. But, come Musselman, after getting of the bike I was so sick of drinking it I could not get it down during the run. So, today i brought GU, water and carbo powder mixed with Endurance gatorade but not as concentrated. That way it didn't feel as thick which makes it harder to go down after about three hours. When i finished i felt great. my stomach felt really good and I never bonked. I try to switch it up next week and so on to see what the best combo is.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Jackie D - Week 30
Week 30 - starting Monday 9 April 2007
Scheduled hours: 4hrs 45mins
Actual hours: 4hrs 48mins
A quick update on the end of last week: On Friday before flying off to UK I had a bike workout planned….and there was snow on the ground. But the thought of getting the indoor trainer out again when I have just put it away….. I just couldn't do it!...so I dusted off a very old, very cheap (wheels go around and that's about it) mountain "style" bike, bundled up and rode outside for an hour. It was fun - it is so nice to be able to go along a snowy path with bumps on it and not worry about sliding or flatting etc etc. I must put a decent mountain bike on my wish list. Despite the cold I really enjoyed it. Probably only went about 2 miles though! And the pedals without clips (or cages) weren't as bad as I thought, in fact reasonably grippy.
Saturday luckily was a day off. Luckily because although we got to our destination (eventually, via a different airport than expected and an unexpected train journey!) our luggage did not - and so my workout gear did not. It was delivered the next day and so I could do my final workouts for the week - a run and a bike. I thought I would be borrowing a mountain bike from one of my parent’s neighbours but a wonderful surprise was that the lady across the road (who I have known practically all my life) allowed me to borrow her husbands racing bike. He died a few years ago but was a cycling fanatic and despite the bike being a little “old fashioned” (gear levers on cross tubes etc - just like my bike til last year!) it was a real pleasure to ride. I took my old clipless pedals and shoes and they fitted the bike so it didn’t feel like I was “making do” at all. I have actually thought up to now that a bike is a bike is a bike, with a few gadgets and weight differences but this just felt easy, quiet, responsive - it was a little weird feeling like this about a bike!
The terrain around my parents house can only be described as hilly! It is very scenic though, coastal views and cliffs and rolling hills.
My final run for the week was cruise intervals. Some of them felt like I was going to die as you just can't get away from hills around there. My timing was horrendous on one - I had just finished it and was faced with steep uphill for the first part of my "recovery". All good stuff right?!
So, onto the real week beginning 9 April. Wow, what an easy recovery week. A few outside rides, a few runs, a bit of home strength work and a couple of swims….and beautiful weather. Completely unlike England in April but it was shorts and T shirts weather all week. The kids even played in the sea for a bit (which, briefly, made me wonder whether I should have brought my wetsuit - brrrrr!).
Swimming was a pleasant surprise. Last time I swam at this pool they were not very geared up for lane swimmers and I remember only being one or two lanes and them insisting I could not wear my watch as no jewelery allowed in the pool because it may injure others (despite me being the only one in the lane and despite the fact that they had no timing clock working). Somewhere between then and now, which is only a couple of years, customer service has been at work. Now there were friendly staff, lanes marked for various speeds, equipment free to borrow including paddles, pull buoys, kick boards and different programmes to choose from for different levels. I just swam whatever I felt like on the first occasion but chose one of their programmes to follow the second time and it made the time go much faster.
Riding around the countryside near my parents was really nice, despite there being narrower roads and more traffic than I was used to. On one easy bike, with the wind behind me it felt like the bike just wanted to fly and I was holding it back, saying easy now, easy. It reminded me very much of when I owned my own horse who, when he set foot on a nice grassy field just wanted to gallop and I had to hold him back whilst he danced around, eager to go. May sound odd but that is really how it felt. Hopefully somewhere deeper, this means that the recovery week was doing it’s job and I am itching to get back to more.
On my final ride of the week I purposely planned a route that took me up a steep hill which I used to have to ride up daily (or walk) on my way home from school. I could still cycle up it but have to say it felt just as hard as I remembered! Still, it is nice to think that I am still as fit as I was as a teenager.
Sunday was travel day back to upstate NY. Luckily all planned training completed for the week as a big storm hit the east coast resulting in my Newark- Rochester flight cancelled and our journey ending up a lot longer than anticipated. We wangled our way to Toronto and darling hubby rescued us from there. Having heard the news on Monday morning with100s flights cancelled, I am just grateful we got home - even though it is a bit of a shock to arrive to snow! Where is Spring?
14 WEEKS TO GO
Scheduled hours: 4hrs 45mins
Actual hours: 4hrs 48mins
A quick update on the end of last week: On Friday before flying off to UK I had a bike workout planned….and there was snow on the ground. But the thought of getting the indoor trainer out again when I have just put it away….. I just couldn't do it!...so I dusted off a very old, very cheap (wheels go around and that's about it) mountain "style" bike, bundled up and rode outside for an hour. It was fun - it is so nice to be able to go along a snowy path with bumps on it and not worry about sliding or flatting etc etc. I must put a decent mountain bike on my wish list. Despite the cold I really enjoyed it. Probably only went about 2 miles though! And the pedals without clips (or cages) weren't as bad as I thought, in fact reasonably grippy.
Saturday luckily was a day off. Luckily because although we got to our destination (eventually, via a different airport than expected and an unexpected train journey!) our luggage did not - and so my workout gear did not. It was delivered the next day and so I could do my final workouts for the week - a run and a bike. I thought I would be borrowing a mountain bike from one of my parent’s neighbours but a wonderful surprise was that the lady across the road (who I have known practically all my life) allowed me to borrow her husbands racing bike. He died a few years ago but was a cycling fanatic and despite the bike being a little “old fashioned” (gear levers on cross tubes etc - just like my bike til last year!) it was a real pleasure to ride. I took my old clipless pedals and shoes and they fitted the bike so it didn’t feel like I was “making do” at all. I have actually thought up to now that a bike is a bike is a bike, with a few gadgets and weight differences but this just felt easy, quiet, responsive - it was a little weird feeling like this about a bike!
The terrain around my parents house can only be described as hilly! It is very scenic though, coastal views and cliffs and rolling hills.
My final run for the week was cruise intervals. Some of them felt like I was going to die as you just can't get away from hills around there. My timing was horrendous on one - I had just finished it and was faced with steep uphill for the first part of my "recovery". All good stuff right?!
So, onto the real week beginning 9 April. Wow, what an easy recovery week. A few outside rides, a few runs, a bit of home strength work and a couple of swims….and beautiful weather. Completely unlike England in April but it was shorts and T shirts weather all week. The kids even played in the sea for a bit (which, briefly, made me wonder whether I should have brought my wetsuit - brrrrr!).
Swimming was a pleasant surprise. Last time I swam at this pool they were not very geared up for lane swimmers and I remember only being one or two lanes and them insisting I could not wear my watch as no jewelery allowed in the pool because it may injure others (despite me being the only one in the lane and despite the fact that they had no timing clock working). Somewhere between then and now, which is only a couple of years, customer service has been at work. Now there were friendly staff, lanes marked for various speeds, equipment free to borrow including paddles, pull buoys, kick boards and different programmes to choose from for different levels. I just swam whatever I felt like on the first occasion but chose one of their programmes to follow the second time and it made the time go much faster.
Riding around the countryside near my parents was really nice, despite there being narrower roads and more traffic than I was used to. On one easy bike, with the wind behind me it felt like the bike just wanted to fly and I was holding it back, saying easy now, easy. It reminded me very much of when I owned my own horse who, when he set foot on a nice grassy field just wanted to gallop and I had to hold him back whilst he danced around, eager to go. May sound odd but that is really how it felt. Hopefully somewhere deeper, this means that the recovery week was doing it’s job and I am itching to get back to more.
On my final ride of the week I purposely planned a route that took me up a steep hill which I used to have to ride up daily (or walk) on my way home from school. I could still cycle up it but have to say it felt just as hard as I remembered! Still, it is nice to think that I am still as fit as I was as a teenager.
Sunday was travel day back to upstate NY. Luckily all planned training completed for the week as a big storm hit the east coast resulting in my Newark- Rochester flight cancelled and our journey ending up a lot longer than anticipated. We wangled our way to Toronto and darling hubby rescued us from there. Having heard the news on Monday morning with100s flights cancelled, I am just grateful we got home - even though it is a bit of a shock to arrive to snow! Where is Spring?
14 WEEKS TO GO
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Marian, April 15th, 2007
I ran today in the snow-rain-wind combo we had early afternoon out this way. i figured since it was to be a 2 hour run and the weather was so crappy I would turn it into a true caracter building run. I did not bring my I-Pod and ran alone. The cars driving by kept spraying me but i decided not to let it get to me. Anyway, it turnd to be a pretty good run and I could keep my mind distracted enough not to think a bout the cold an the snow/rain. yesterday I biked 3 hours on the trainer which turned out to be not not that bad. i talked with my sister on the phone during the first hour and then i watched a Woody allen movie during the second and third hour. Hopefully next weekend brings some dry weather, it doesn't even need to be that warm, although it would be nice.
Marian, April 15th, 2007
I ran today in the snow-rain-wind combo we had early afternoon out this way. i figured since it was to be a 2 hour run and the weather was so crappy I would turn it into a true caracter building run. I did not bring my I-Pod and ran alone. The cars driving by kept spraying me but i decided not to let it get to me. Anyway, it turnd to be a pretty good run and I could keep my mind distracted enough not to think a bout the cold an the snow/rain. yesterday I biked 3 hours on the trainer which turned out to be not not that bad. i talked with my sister on the phone during the first hour and then i watched a Woody allen movie during the second and third hour. Hopefully next weekend brings some dry weather, it doesn't even need to be that warm, although it would be nice.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Jackie D - Week 29
Week 29 - starting Monday 2 April 2007
Scheduled hours: 13hrs 30mins
Actual hours: don’t know yet - but hopefully on track
I am writing this early this week as I am off with the kids to visit my mum and dad in UK for Spring break. Mary has kindly scheduled me a recovery week and it looks incredibly easy. She assures me that is all I need to do - but more on that next week.
An extra bike workout crept into my schedule this week and it is amazing how much more busy that makes it feel. I was in my routine of 2 swims, 2 strength, 3 bikes, 3 runs and it was almost habit and it now feels weird to try and fit an extra bike in - that’ll teach me to do an extra workout last week! I am sure it is just a question of getting used to it and it will all become routine again in a few weeks time.
Had to keep an eye on the weather this week. From our sunny mild temperatures in 50s, freezing temperatures and snow predicted from mid week onwards, so, I decided to do my long bike on Tuesday while the weather held (couldn’t quite face it on Monday after the previous hard Sunday). I planned an out and back route towards Honoeye Lake which took me into new territory. It was beautiful! I certainly found some real, rolling hills and with some of the fenced cow pastures as well it reminded me very much of the part of England that I come from. I tried some different brand gels on this ride - Power gels as that is what they will be supplying on the Ironman course this year. So far so good, the flavours I have tried all seem to be a little runnier and sweeter than the gu but that makes them a little easier to eat. The sachets are a little bigger which I did notice when stuffing them into my fuel belt for my long run later in the week. Anyway, back to the bike - a few weeks ago at our Ironman meeting, Mary was explaining the bike course and as she went along she explained good places to take in nutrition. Well of course I was listening but really was wondering why that was important as you’d just take in nutrition as you needed it, right? Well the ride this week showed me how important planning will be. Up and down those rollers I just couldn’t find a break long enough to stuff a gel down. In the end I used a downhill to eat and then didn’t have the help up the other side.
Only about an hour in I decided I desperately needed the bathroom but of course as soon as I started looking for a discreet tree/ bush with no houses etc, houses pop up everywhere. In the end I just had to hop of the bike and hope no cars came along (they didn’t but I hope the farmer wasn’t looking out his window!).
I am getting much better at clipping into my new pedals now - only takes a brief glance downwards. Clipping out is still dodgy- well the clipping out bit is OK but for some reason when I stop I am starting to lean the wrong way and - well so far so lucky.
I was waiting to go out on my bike one morning this week whilst waiting with my son to get on the school bus. He is so sweet and asks how long I am going for and how does that compare with what I will have to do at the Ironman. I know he has it mentally checked off like I do (cos he verbalises it) - swim OK she can do that, bike - nearly half way there in miles, run - getting there. He is going to be my number one fan and takes more interest than my hubby who has an annoying habit when I come in from a workout of saying “Did you go fast?”
I ummed and aahed about when to do my long run this week. After several conversations with my training schedule (which is conveniently at eye level stuck to the fridge) I decided to do it on the day assigned which was Thursday. Originally I was thinking of keeping it for Sunday to justify some of the English chocolate which I am bound to gorge on, not to mention the chocolate cake my mum is making. However, whilst conversing, darling hubby comes up and tells me I will be too jet lagged on Sunday and to just get on and do it!
So I did! And it was cold and snowy and did I mention cold. I chose a flat route (for a nice change) along the canal towpath which is mostly a nice soft surface and took the dog (she’s fit!). Back to thermal wear and hat today. I took 3 gels and could barely open the third one as my hands were numb with cold (yes I did have gloves on but clearly not thick enough). A heartstopping moment on my run was when I looked down at my watch and saw that it wasn’t ticking away the seconds! I had forgotten to press the button again after a doggy break stop and I had no idea how long I had run for. Eek! Luckily I was doing an out and back route and so I chose a turnaround point and timed myself on the way back and doubled it. So, I did 2hr 40 instead of 2hr 30 but that was OK and not a bad guess.
I still have a few more workouts to complete yet this week (Thursday now) but so far so good.
15 WEEKS TO GO
Scheduled hours: 13hrs 30mins
Actual hours: don’t know yet - but hopefully on track
I am writing this early this week as I am off with the kids to visit my mum and dad in UK for Spring break. Mary has kindly scheduled me a recovery week and it looks incredibly easy. She assures me that is all I need to do - but more on that next week.
An extra bike workout crept into my schedule this week and it is amazing how much more busy that makes it feel. I was in my routine of 2 swims, 2 strength, 3 bikes, 3 runs and it was almost habit and it now feels weird to try and fit an extra bike in - that’ll teach me to do an extra workout last week! I am sure it is just a question of getting used to it and it will all become routine again in a few weeks time.
Had to keep an eye on the weather this week. From our sunny mild temperatures in 50s, freezing temperatures and snow predicted from mid week onwards, so, I decided to do my long bike on Tuesday while the weather held (couldn’t quite face it on Monday after the previous hard Sunday). I planned an out and back route towards Honoeye Lake which took me into new territory. It was beautiful! I certainly found some real, rolling hills and with some of the fenced cow pastures as well it reminded me very much of the part of England that I come from. I tried some different brand gels on this ride - Power gels as that is what they will be supplying on the Ironman course this year. So far so good, the flavours I have tried all seem to be a little runnier and sweeter than the gu but that makes them a little easier to eat. The sachets are a little bigger which I did notice when stuffing them into my fuel belt for my long run later in the week. Anyway, back to the bike - a few weeks ago at our Ironman meeting, Mary was explaining the bike course and as she went along she explained good places to take in nutrition. Well of course I was listening but really was wondering why that was important as you’d just take in nutrition as you needed it, right? Well the ride this week showed me how important planning will be. Up and down those rollers I just couldn’t find a break long enough to stuff a gel down. In the end I used a downhill to eat and then didn’t have the help up the other side.
Only about an hour in I decided I desperately needed the bathroom but of course as soon as I started looking for a discreet tree/ bush with no houses etc, houses pop up everywhere. In the end I just had to hop of the bike and hope no cars came along (they didn’t but I hope the farmer wasn’t looking out his window!).
I am getting much better at clipping into my new pedals now - only takes a brief glance downwards. Clipping out is still dodgy- well the clipping out bit is OK but for some reason when I stop I am starting to lean the wrong way and - well so far so lucky.
I was waiting to go out on my bike one morning this week whilst waiting with my son to get on the school bus. He is so sweet and asks how long I am going for and how does that compare with what I will have to do at the Ironman. I know he has it mentally checked off like I do (cos he verbalises it) - swim OK she can do that, bike - nearly half way there in miles, run - getting there. He is going to be my number one fan and takes more interest than my hubby who has an annoying habit when I come in from a workout of saying “Did you go fast?”
I ummed and aahed about when to do my long run this week. After several conversations with my training schedule (which is conveniently at eye level stuck to the fridge) I decided to do it on the day assigned which was Thursday. Originally I was thinking of keeping it for Sunday to justify some of the English chocolate which I am bound to gorge on, not to mention the chocolate cake my mum is making. However, whilst conversing, darling hubby comes up and tells me I will be too jet lagged on Sunday and to just get on and do it!
So I did! And it was cold and snowy and did I mention cold. I chose a flat route (for a nice change) along the canal towpath which is mostly a nice soft surface and took the dog (she’s fit!). Back to thermal wear and hat today. I took 3 gels and could barely open the third one as my hands were numb with cold (yes I did have gloves on but clearly not thick enough). A heartstopping moment on my run was when I looked down at my watch and saw that it wasn’t ticking away the seconds! I had forgotten to press the button again after a doggy break stop and I had no idea how long I had run for. Eek! Luckily I was doing an out and back route and so I chose a turnaround point and timed myself on the way back and doubled it. So, I did 2hr 40 instead of 2hr 30 but that was OK and not a bad guess.
I still have a few more workouts to complete yet this week (Thursday now) but so far so good.
15 WEEKS TO GO
Monday, April 2, 2007
marian, April 2nd, 2007
Yesterday we ran the Srping Forward at mendon Ponds park. there were a lot from Train This there and other friends that came out to do the race. I realized this morning that my pace was 9:06. I'm very happy with that since I felt really good during the whole thing. i started slow during the first 5 miles and then sped up a little. It helped a ton knowing the course, since we've been running it every weekend for a couple of months now. After I was not too tired and my stomach held up. I had breakfast about one and a half hours before, about 500 calories. during the race at mile 6 I had one packet of GU and water. Nothing bothered me and I did not feel "slushy".
This week is recovery week, which is nice because my sherpa is in texas which means I have to cook for myself now, booh.
This week is recovery week, which is nice because my sherpa is in texas which means I have to cook for myself now, booh.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Jackie D - Week 28
Week 28 - starting Monday 26 March 2007
Scheduled hours: 12hrs 00mins
Actual hours: 13hrs 27mins
What a great week. I actually did all the workouts on the actual days prescribed! I did a quarter of an hour extra on my long bike outside and an extra swim on Saturday which accounts for the actual hours being greater than scheduled.
Hubby was out of town again on business this week (sunny Brazil - lucky him!) so I couldn’t make the evening masters workouts so I swam during the day at open swim. I definitely prefer to swim with my masters group as it is so much more motivating - not to mention the fact that Mary had me doing some longer sets which aren’t my favourite (bit of a shame considering what I am training for really)! I missed swimming with my masters buddy so on Saturday morning I did an extra swim by going to masters. This meant I didn’t actually have a day off this week but I was a good girl and cleared it with my trainer first J!
Long bike was scheduled for 2hr 30min but I had done one around 2hr45 about a month ago so was relaxed about the time. (This isn’t going to be a “longest ride ever” for a while yet as the aqubike part of HIM last year took me well over 3 hours on the bike). It was nice to be outside and have time to actually cycle a bit farther rather than pootling around the roads close to home. I did a quarter of an hour or so extra which was fine. I was playing a little bit with nutrition and although I am fine eating a banana just before a ride, I don’t think I would choose to take one as workout nutrition again. Apart from being fiddly, messy and time consuming I did have a very slight niggly cramp. At around 2hr 15, when I thought I would easily make it home, I began to feel feeble so I had another gel (had one at 1hr and half the banana at 1hr 45) and was amazed at the difference it made. It was a chocolate flavour and I really sucked it down. Made me think that maybe I will try snickers cut up into bite size pieces as solid food next time on the bike. I do like chocolate! I actually stopped to eat the first gel but managed to have the second one whilst riding along - little successes will all add up! Average speed was disappointingly low at 15.0mph but hopefully that will come with practice and it was a rolling hill route - up the hills I was going 7mph which is slower than some people run! Spin, spin, spin.
I am very pleased with my running progress. Another set of cruise intervals this week which went well and it is nice to see my pace quicken for a while. However my Garmin went temporarily on the blink this week and in a run of an hour said I had done 38miles with the map showing that I had made it three quarters of the way across Lake Ontario!
My big achievement for the week was my long run on Sunday. My longest run ever (again) at 2hr 30min. This was actually broken up a little because a bunch of used a local 9.3m race as a tempo part of this long run to test nutrition under stress. So, prior to lining up at the starting line I ran with some other crazy athletes (that includes my trainer J ) for 55minutes, then the race, then another 15 minutes or so afterwards to make the time I needed. The only other running race I have done is a 5k about a year ago so this was a new experience. Having the mile markers there is really motivating, not to mention 320 or so other people! Boy some people can run fast! I really don’t think I could have gone any faster and I was in zone 4/5 the whole way round that course - which is hilly! At 45minutes in I forced myself to have a gel but I wasn’t hungry. Just goes to show that under stress you have to do some things by plan and not by feel!
My pace for the race was 8min 30sec /mile with the overall run being average at just under 9min/ mile and I am absolutely thrilled with both those numbers. I hobbled home, took a nap and then went out for a family walk. Luckily I had the dog to pull me and the husband to push me up the hills.
A great end to a great week of training.
16 WEEKS TO GO
Scheduled hours: 12hrs 00mins
Actual hours: 13hrs 27mins
What a great week. I actually did all the workouts on the actual days prescribed! I did a quarter of an hour extra on my long bike outside and an extra swim on Saturday which accounts for the actual hours being greater than scheduled.
Hubby was out of town again on business this week (sunny Brazil - lucky him!) so I couldn’t make the evening masters workouts so I swam during the day at open swim. I definitely prefer to swim with my masters group as it is so much more motivating - not to mention the fact that Mary had me doing some longer sets which aren’t my favourite (bit of a shame considering what I am training for really)! I missed swimming with my masters buddy so on Saturday morning I did an extra swim by going to masters. This meant I didn’t actually have a day off this week but I was a good girl and cleared it with my trainer first J!
Long bike was scheduled for 2hr 30min but I had done one around 2hr45 about a month ago so was relaxed about the time. (This isn’t going to be a “longest ride ever” for a while yet as the aqubike part of HIM last year took me well over 3 hours on the bike). It was nice to be outside and have time to actually cycle a bit farther rather than pootling around the roads close to home. I did a quarter of an hour or so extra which was fine. I was playing a little bit with nutrition and although I am fine eating a banana just before a ride, I don’t think I would choose to take one as workout nutrition again. Apart from being fiddly, messy and time consuming I did have a very slight niggly cramp. At around 2hr 15, when I thought I would easily make it home, I began to feel feeble so I had another gel (had one at 1hr and half the banana at 1hr 45) and was amazed at the difference it made. It was a chocolate flavour and I really sucked it down. Made me think that maybe I will try snickers cut up into bite size pieces as solid food next time on the bike. I do like chocolate! I actually stopped to eat the first gel but managed to have the second one whilst riding along - little successes will all add up! Average speed was disappointingly low at 15.0mph but hopefully that will come with practice and it was a rolling hill route - up the hills I was going 7mph which is slower than some people run! Spin, spin, spin.
I am very pleased with my running progress. Another set of cruise intervals this week which went well and it is nice to see my pace quicken for a while. However my Garmin went temporarily on the blink this week and in a run of an hour said I had done 38miles with the map showing that I had made it three quarters of the way across Lake Ontario!
My big achievement for the week was my long run on Sunday. My longest run ever (again) at 2hr 30min. This was actually broken up a little because a bunch of used a local 9.3m race as a tempo part of this long run to test nutrition under stress. So, prior to lining up at the starting line I ran with some other crazy athletes (that includes my trainer J ) for 55minutes, then the race, then another 15 minutes or so afterwards to make the time I needed. The only other running race I have done is a 5k about a year ago so this was a new experience. Having the mile markers there is really motivating, not to mention 320 or so other people! Boy some people can run fast! I really don’t think I could have gone any faster and I was in zone 4/5 the whole way round that course - which is hilly! At 45minutes in I forced myself to have a gel but I wasn’t hungry. Just goes to show that under stress you have to do some things by plan and not by feel!
My pace for the race was 8min 30sec /mile with the overall run being average at just under 9min/ mile and I am absolutely thrilled with both those numbers. I hobbled home, took a nap and then went out for a family walk. Luckily I had the dog to pull me and the husband to push me up the hills.
A great end to a great week of training.
16 WEEKS TO GO
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