Swimming - 2 a days

I am down 5 pounds year to date: 13resolutions

I did get that trainer bike ride Time Trial in last night. Not the best workout but I am glad I did it. I warmed up for 3 miles (a little less than 10 minutes) and then did a 5 mile time trial. I tried to maintain my heart rate between 160 and 165 beats per minute. This is challenging but not too hard. I was dripping sweat by the time that I finished. I wrapped up with a 2 mile cool down. Nothing ground breaking but it was completed.

I had a 1 hour swimming session scheduled for today. An hour in the pool is difficult for me to complete. Not the the actually swimming but just the block of time. I was not successful in climbing out of bed early enough to get the hour swim. However, I am please that I decided to get up and do what I could. I put in 1500 yards this morning - 250 warm up, 10 x 100 work set and 250 cool down.

To complete the hour I got back in the pool at lunch. I just did 6 x 250 yards (with 30 seconds rest). I'm not fast but I am making progress. The times are noted below.

1. 4:15
2. 4:21
3. 4:19
4. 4:23
5. 4:23
6. 4:21

I also did strength training. ** Note to self - bench press after swimming is not the best idea. ** I'll be smarter next week. The training plan for tonight calls for an easy 45 minute bike.

COLD OWS swimming - maybe...

Jim gave me a call Friday night and said that the local FFN (Hudson's) had wetsuits. I asked if they were triathlon specific and of course they were not. But the price was right. Headed over to FFN Saturday afternoon to have a look around. I walked and walked around the store but could not find anything that resembled wetsuits. They had the all usual 'stuff' - coffee makers, books, cheap clothes and now even fishing poles. I asked several people working there and finally I found the wetsuit rack. They had my size. For $50 this might get me out into the lake a couple of months sooner and allow me to stay out a couple of months longer.

I tried the suit on when I got home and it fit like a glove (body glove, no doubt). I wore it for about 5 minutes and this suit is hot. It really traps the heat in!

So I have been riding the trainer quite a bit in the mornings before work. Every ride is a race or time trial. I am going to have to schedule some base mile rides or recovery rides, but right now I am enjoying setting my benchmarks.

I ran on the treadmill at lunch on Monday and did not fare as well as I would have liked. I tried to maintain my projected fantasy 1/2 marathon pace ( 13.1 miles @ 6:53 pace ). Cardio wise I was feeling pretty good even though my heart rate was starting to creep above 170 beats per minute. The legs were heavy. I would like to run the majority of the 1/2 marathon in the high 160's ( like right at 168 ). I finished the run at 30 minutes for 4.25 miles. Not what I wanted. Having to take a huge break from running has really set me back. The cycling is doing well but I have the Gulf Coast 1/2 marathon the Saturday after next ( November 29 ). This is going to prove to be a challenging race - both physically and mentally. Chad and Vic worked me over with a vengeance with the medicine ball - I think they were trying to break me on the ab bench. I really felt my core today!

Hit the trainer this morning for a 10 mile time trial - dead flat course. I kept my heart rate below 165 and was able to clock a 27:30 for an average of 21.82 MPH. Yes, this is on a trainer and indoors but the exertion and times seem very realistic.

Tuesdays and Thursdays have become lap swim days. At lunch I got a good 1500 yards. Chris is feeling ill and Laura had to prepare for a meeting. I generally prefer a group swim to keep me motivated - it can be really tough for me to put in the time swimming laps. The swim felt good and I was strong throughout. Not a bad day in the pool. I did not miss the 50 or 100 yard intervals.

Ballroom dance class tonight - this will be the first class for Jodie and I. It is class 3 of 5 so we will have some catch-up to do.

Running ragged

Have really stepped the running up this week in preparation of the half marathon at the end of next month. Rode the bike in Monday morning. It was brisk and although I did not time the ride I feel that it was rather fast. I have made this mistake before - time trialing every ride. There is no recovery for the wicked. I had to stop timing the rides - I always tried to beat the last one. Not doing that anymore, but the ride was fast!

Decided to increase the time on the "alpine trail" treadmill run for Monday. Max 8.5 MPH with an incline of 12 units (units because I really do not know what it measures but 15 is the highest) for 40 minutes. This comes out to a very challenging 4.5 miles in 40 minutes at near constant incline. There is no decline on the treadmill just less incline. After the first hill the flat section at 8.5 MPH gets you going.

Ran home from work in the afternoon (6 miles). It was a steady pace and felt good. Saw Lance out on the trace on his bike. We slowed and we chewed the fat a bit. He rehashed and relived the recent Heritage Triathlon. I was jealous of his war stories - I missed this race. It is always hard to talk to someone on a bike when you are running. At even the slowest pace on a bike you are trying to keep up on foot. We talked for maybe a mile and I was wearing down.

That gave me 10.5 miles for the day. Not too bad. Since I left the bike at work I knew - and was prepared - to run back into work in the morning.

Another brisk morning so I wore some light gloves and a log sleeve technical shirt under a cycling jersey. I was dressed just about right. For fun I pushed the pace when I encountered the dots. Not a fast pace but I did pick it up a bit.

Saw a guest lecturer at lunch so no workout. Still have to run or ride home - have not made my mind up yet but I have nearly 30 miles in 3 days. I like to push it when I feel it but sometimes I need to temper myself.

Christmas in October

Monday I decided to run into work and follow the good vibes from Sunday. (Jodie had taken a supply of clothes to her lab to help facilitate this.) Why not another fast paced run near LT. I put on my headphones and headed out the door. I did the 6 miles in a not near record pace (43:3x - record is about 42:0x - a pretty big difference) but acceptable considering the lack of recent purposeful training. I have been maintaining fitness but not actively improving.

At lunch, still getting back to the plan, I hit the treadmill for hard forced intervals. I had planned on a 1 mile warm up followed by 3 miles of 1/4 mile intervals @ 6 min / mile pace (1/4 REST @ 8 min / mile pace) and then a 1 mile cool down.

I ended up doing only 3/4 mile warm up and no cool down. The intervals went fine. I can run these faster but not willing to push the pace at this point in the training. The Gulf Coast 1/2 mary that I am now officially signed up for is just 6 weeks away. That will give 5 week of concentrated training. I have not really picked a plan yet (I have been looking at the end of a challenging full mary plan) but I know the routine. I hope to do well in this 1/2 mary because I will use the pace to develop the training plans for the rest of the year.

I rode the bike into work this morning. With all of the travel and late nights at work, etc. I have not ridden the bike much. I also push the bike too hard in the commute - these should be easy miles but they are not. From house to campus, stowing the bike and getting clothes and making my way to the locker room in just under 30 minutes. The bike is still the fastest way to work and considering the construction around town that now includes taking a shower.

Tuesdays are the 'Dot Race' and as always they are exciting. Vic has been on a roll and continues to drop big blocks of time for his handicap. He started just a few weeks ago with a 8:30 minute mile and today clocked a 6:55. Huge gains in time. Chad has come down to a 6:30 minute mile and has plateaued a bit - he has been nursing a strained quad. I was able to better pace myself this week and watched the quarter mile markers and was able to keep my heart rate under control. Challenging but not out of control I clicked off 1:30 1/4 mile splits and was then able to push it to a 1:24 for the final leg of the mile. I passed Chad in this segment but Vic was too fast today. With the new handicaps next week Vic will have to continue to put up big numbers.

I decided to run a bit further and hooked up with Ryan. We ran about 3 more miles in and around campus at 8 min / mile pace. Total running miles today was 6.

Pent up and full of energy I surged repeatedly on the bike commute home. I would slow down for Jodie but we have always agreed to not race home. To better expend this tension I rode a good portion of the ride standing on the cranks in the largest gear.

Still wound up I decided to drop the backpack off and do a early evening time trial. I was not sure if I was going to do the 11.85 mile (home to Epley) or the 20 mile (home to Sumrall) time trial out and backs. My heart rate monitor was not registering and I probably pushed the pace a little hard so I decided to do the shorter of the two. Funny enough I finished in exactly the same time as my PR for this course (achieved on 07/31/08). 32:10 @ 22.10 MPH - however, I have not been riding much the past few weeks and this ride has brought on the 'Santa Claus Syndrome'.

Mind and body better I called it a night.

50 Time Trial

Slept in today - I was not able to organize a group swim, bike, run so just did my thing. Jumped on the bike a little before 9AM. Set a good pace for a 50 mile ride. It just so happens that 50 miles is exactly from my house to Bassfield and back.

I took a bottle of water and a diluted bottle of sports drink. I also grabbed some sports drink powder for the return trip. I made good time(2:26 or just over 20 MPH.) This include the one stop (about 4 minutes) to refill the water bottles.

I immediately followed up the ride with a BRICK. I always have visions while on the bike of nailing the run. I think that I'm feeling pretty good and maybe I will run 10 - 12 miles. Try to do my own 1/2 iron dualthlon. This never happens. I even tried to pace myself. I always just try to do a mile and I know that my pace will pick up. After the first mile today I was just out of gas. First mile in 8 minutes (not too fast) and then I walked a minute and ran back to the house. A total of 2 miles in about 17:30. I've had better BRICK sessions - I'll keep working on this!

Prior to the ride I had adjusted my saddle up about 2mm and forward maybe 4mm. I'm still looking for that sweet spot - the spot that was the most comfort and power. Right now I am just guessing. I need to do a better evaluation, maybe put the bike on a trainer with a power meter or some other type of quantitative measure.

Going to try to swim in the morning but there is a chance of thunderstorms.