Taper Week

I've been in such a funk this week. I took Monday and Tuesday off, not intentionally but it just happened. And Wed I had a really crappy run! This does not bode well for my race on Sunday. But today I feel good, I feel ready to rock and roll. I didn't get to work out today either. I have an early morning bike workout planned for tomorrow. Hopefully that will get my spirits back up there. I might run too, just to make up for that crappy run on Wed. Nice and easy of course with some race pace intervals thrown in. I need to get my confidence back. I hate bad runs. I got two enormous cramps and my ribs hurt so bad I couldn't catch my breath.

Rest of the week...

Thursday Pt 2-Really fun trail run! I felt like a deer leaping over rocks and prickle bushes in my way! Covered in mud by the end, but very happy! 20-30 minutes

Friday-Speed work on the bike/swim
Saturday-spent the day at a bike safety course doing all sorts of fun moves like quick stops and immediate turns. Oh yeah and now I know how to change a tire, not quickly but it can be done! :) And I have the grease covered hands to prove it!
Sunday-Brick 20 min bike/20 minute run

LSD

Long and slow it was, not so much in the distance department though. :) Felt really good though! This is only the second time I've run for this long (well the third if you count the first time I ever ran 3 miles). I only covered about 3 miles this time, but somehow I managed to get my HR up to 90% MHR. It was probably only there for the last 5 minutes or so though, because the rest of the run felt pretty relaxed like it was supposed to be. Marathon chick (as I've dubbed her, because she is running when I get there and still running when I leave, plus she just looks like a distance runner...short and lean with skinny arms and no butt) was there, so I tried to watch her to see what she is doing. She is much faster then I and can keep it up for longer, so figured I could pick up some useful tips. I noticed that she seems to run more on the balls of her feet and doesn't really put her entire foot down. I tried copying and noticed that I could get a faster turnover with a lot less effort. Something to keep in mind. Despite having a bad night with the kiddo, I feel really awake this morning. Had to stop at Dunkin Donuts on the way back home, because it was actually the thought of their cinnamon flavored iced coffee that spurred me out of bed this morning. That and that wonderful high I get from running. Its great to know my planned workout is done with and if there is extra time before work I might even be able to get some beach running in. Provided it doesn't start down pouring. A light drizzle I don't mind, but sideways torrential rain and lightening at the beach is probably just asking for trouble! :)

To Bring Check List:

Speed Sports Bra Top (wear to race site)
Desoto Tri Shorts (wear to race site)

swim-
googles (2 pairs speedo)
swim cap
wet suit
lube
plastic shopping bag ( to get wet suit on with)

Bike-
Towel for transition area
extra bottle with water for feet and small hand towel
camel pack
bike/weight lifting gloves
helmet
Bike
Race Belt
Bike Course Map
Socks/running shoes
GU gel (chocolate)
Heed sports drink
extra t-shirt/long sleeve short (in case of cold weather)
Garbage bag (in case of rain)- to cover transition area
extra hair bands/socks
swim cap

Run-
Running Hat
Run course map
water bottle

Before/After-
sweats
flip flops
t-shirt

Off Day

Well in the absence of a workout to discuss, I figured now is a good time to mention my diet. ( I had a beach run planned today, but then we had some wonderful torrential rain...which was much needed) This is Day 3 of super clean pre-race eating. And so far so good. Despite the fact that hubby brought home loads of unhealthy goodies to tempt with me (not intentionally of course ;), so far I've been strong. Guess I still have some willpower left after all. Tomorrow am will be a 36 min LSD run. Prob on the treadmill as they are predicting more rain. Maybe if it lets up for a bit I can get some beach running in as well. On a completely different note, I wore my tri shorts to swim in yesterday and I happened to notice that when wet they are completely see-through from the behind. Niiice...and here I thought they were wearing well. Guess I'm going to have to buy a new pair soon. I don't really want to have to buy a new pair before this next race, so I'm just going to hope they dry enough by the end of the run to not be see-through. Otherwise the person behind me is going to have a great view throughout the run! :0

Tuesday Bike Work

Long, exhausting day..but I still managed to get a quick workout in before trudging off for an evening at work. Did some speed/hill work on the bike. Glad to see I managed to put my bike back together correctly and nothing fell off on me! :)

Total Time on bike: only 20-25 minutes, but as I keep telling myself quality over quantity. I keep beating myself up because I can't manage to get more then about 3 hours of training in a week (4 if I'm lucky and wake up at the crack ass of dawn everyday...but what with working at the gym till 10:30 every night this doesn't always happen). But then I realized that a lot of my workouts are pretty high intensity ones. So it will all even out in the end. In the off season, when I'm not focusing so much on going fast...my body will be able to cope with more volume!

Monday Evening

Got a swim workout in...finally! I was going to make it an open water swim, but one I didn't have time to drive down the beach and two I hate having to pay for parking. So alas it was off to the pool.
100 yard warm up
Drills with kickboard and those floaty things that go between your ankles.
50 fast
more drills
100 y cool down

I felt really good in the water! I despise pool swimming and always try to make excuses to get out of it. But I'm glad that I made myself go. I feel strong this week. I was getting worried, because the heat has really been getting to me lately. But baby I'm back! :) Time to kick some ass. My goal for this race is to keep it under 1:30 despite the fact that there's an extra .5 mile run on the beach. I also want to be in the top 10 for my age group. Time to make it happen! :)

Am Run

Last week was an easy cardio week, so now I'm back and at 'em! I gave my bike a bath over the weekend, it was shifting really rough. So hopefully that will solve the problem. If not I may just have to make a stop at my LBS this week. I need to pick up another bottle holder and some lube anyway. That and I want to inquire about their Saturday women's ride. It would be nice to have at least one friend that understands my obsession with training. I finally signed up for a bike safety/maintenance course at the community center. I really hate being one of those chicks that doesn't know the first thing about her bike. Hell I can't even change a tire. This weekend was the first time I've attempted to take my bike apart. I guess we'll see later on if I put it back together properly. Hopefully a wheel doesn't fall off when I try to ride it. :) When I first got my bike I really didn't like it. It got me around, but that was about it. I secretly mocked it, because it wasn't the bike I desired. But the more I ride it, the more I like it. It's reliable, it has yet to let me down. Since my husband broke his wrist and can't do the upcoming race, he offered to let me ride his bike. Which is a lot lighter, but I'm not sure I want to. I know my bike. That probably sounds a bit bizarre, but despite the fact that my bike is quite a bit heavier. I'm still not sure I want to switch at this point. Anyways, this blog was supposed to be about running...so I suppose I better get back to that. So my am run, 5:30 to be precise. :)

5 min warm up run
5x1 min hill intervals (2 min easy run in between on flat)
1x2 min hill interval
2 min flat
2x 1 min hill intervals
5 minutes easy run (8:30/9 minute pace)
5 min cool down walk

35 minutes total

Felt really good at the end. 8:30min/mile is actually quite a fast pace for me and it still felt relaxed. I didn't check, but my heart felt somewhere around 75% and 80%. And I actually had to work to get it that high. Usually it gets right up there from the start and I have to struggle to keep it down. Was talking with my personal trainer friend Saturday night, discussing how to increase my VO2 max. And she recommending HIIT. Which is what I've been doing all along. So I guess I'm on the right track. I'm def in the mind frame of quality over quantity training. Anywho, for the next three weeks I'll be keeping a really close eye on my diet. All clean eating and no junk. Well except for Dunkin Donuts Coffee. Not sure I could make it through the day without a little caffeine.

Training Week July 7th-13th

I was feeling really wiped out on Monday. This heat is really getting to me. Also my nutrition was crap last week. I decided to take a few easy days, difficult decision but I would hate to blow all this hard work being stubborn.

Monday-Easy 20 minute walk
Tues-530 am easy 20 minute run

Back in the saddle and feeling good again on Tuesday!!

Wed-530am speed workout on indoor trainer
5 min steady w/up
3 min fast as possible (18-20mph)
2 min recovery
3 min fast
2 min recovery
5 minute fast
3 minute cool down

3 mile walk with jogging stroller(with mom's group)

Thurs-open water swim (first time in ocean) (sighting drills)

*note to self do not watch all three Jaws movies before open water workout, was wigging myself out a bit. I've been really bored in the pool and avoiding my swim workouts, so I decided I needed to change things up a bit. I'm a complete wuss when it comes to cold water though. It was 80 + degrees outside and I still felt the need to wear my wetsuit. No the water wasn't 80 degrees but you'd think it would atleast be refreshing.

Friday-5:30am
20 minutes bike-relatively flat course on indoor trainer
90-100 rpm

36 minute endurance run

HR 80% range almost entire time (did immediately following cadence workout on bike)\

Saturday and Sunday-off (as am working entire weekend)

May try and fit in longer ride outside one evening! :)

A Triathlete's Mini Break

So hubby has a long weekend and I managed to talk my work into giving me the weekend off as well. And....guess what we're doing...hehe drumroll.....going to a race. We got a hotel room and we are driving up Saturday to hang out at the lake and check out the bike course. I'll be playing the role of supportive spouse this weekend, since hubby has done it for me twice before. I think it will be interesting to see it from a different angle, but it also might be difficult to not be out there competing. So yeah...good times! :)

June 30th-July 6th

Planned:
Monday-run (speed workout)
Tuesday-swim (endurance workout) + abs/back/chest weights
Wed-bike workout (speed) + arms
Thursday-run (endurance)
Friday-bike (endurance)
Sat-legs
Sun-off

Actual:
Monday- 5:40a run workout (speed)

• 5 min w/u
• 5 min 10 min mile
• 5 min 8 min mile
• 2 min @ 9 min mile
• 1 min @ 8 min mile
• 1 min @9 min mike
• 1 min @ 10 min mile
• 5 min c/d

Total=30 minutes
stretch before and after

Tuesday-

• headed out to pool to do 4 x 400y (30s r/i), only to find pool is closed for rest of week for maintenance
  

• did abs/back/chest workout before work

superman
body ball pushups
scorpion pushups
back extension
toe touch crunch
dead lift
plank
plank twist

Wed- DH didn't make it home in time for me to get workout in, put me in somewhat foul mood. Felt like a lazy ass.

Thursday-(need to make up Wed workout plus get in endurance run)
planning on finding nice flat course to do some bike speed work and then doing a 33 minute trail run.

Awesome workout! Did a 40 minute bike, with speed work and some hill work at the end (as I had to ride down it to get to the flat area and figured it would just be silly to drive to the flat portion to do the speed work). Then did a 33 minute trail run! Really nice run! :) Felt exhausted, but accomplished!

Friday-First 20+ mile bike!!! Very hilly ride. Legs felt a bit like jello afterwards. I was really glad I had that bag of ice in the freezer! Hmmmm ice baths! :)

Saturday and Sunday- off, had a nice easy swim in the hotel pool with the kiddo. Enjoyed watching hubby compete on Sunday!