Ultramarathon Video and weekly update

I can relate to that video - I can get so bonky sometimes.  More funny here.

I have said it before – “I love this time of year!” This is the time of year where everyone is getting back into the groove full force. I have cycling buddies who are hitting it hard on the group ride. I have running buddies that are hitting hard with the intervals. This has been a lot of fun.

However, the only commonality between the groups is that I have been doing both – and HARD. What this means is that I have been barely hanging on the bike and barely hanging on the run. I have thrown the training plan out the window and I have just been having fun. Well, this came to a head about a week and a half ago. Something had to give. I was doing my hardest sessions on the same days – Tuesdays and Thursdays. My body rejected this idea. I can’t do a HARD effort bike in the morning and then a HARD effort on the run three hours later.

What happened was everything started to suffer. I logically know that every workout session cannot be hard but it is so much fun. So, last week I got smart again and dialed back the HARD efforts.

This week has seen some impressive accomplishments. First, I have refocused my cycling interval sessions. These are very structured on the trainer. They are short and BITTER. Tough stuff but I will see gains. Second, I have moved the hard efforts to separate days. The running has picked up. The intervals have gotten harder and I am maintaining (this is double bonus time with the heat and humidity taking it to another level). I have determined that I can still do two-a-days but I need the HARD (breakthrough) sessions separated. Third, the swimming is getting some quality time and the times are coming down. I still need more time in the pool. And last, I had a breakthrough on the reps for the pump and run competition. The reps are moving in the right direction!

I need not forget – the training is only the stimulus – the gains come from recovery!