Boy, life as a tri-wannabe is just full of firsts. Who knew?
Swim this morning was in a quiet pool of overheated water at FOMC. Gack. I felt slow. I was going to do 2K, but hauled out at 1K, and did some core work. Then I felt a bit guilty at walking by an empty lane so I popped in for some quick intervals to remind myself that I can in fact swim faster. Well, a little bit faster.
1K 19:39
15 min core
4 x 50 m on 1:15. First was 40 seconds, then 44, and the last 2 at 45 seconds. It's surprisingly hard to look at a watch rather than a pace clock for the times.
Let's be charitable and call it 40 minutes.
And the first? Today is the first day ever I've actually run with someone, and, and, chatted. It's fun. The lucky participant in such a momentous event? Why, IG himself. The idea was to see if there's something weird or perverted with how I'm running, or anything that needs fixing before I build bad habits. Amazing enough, there doesn't seem to be. Just to continue on with what I'm doing.
We did a 5 K loop in north Glenmore park in 35 min, then a bit more just for fun to bring it up to a little over 40 minutes. We started off nice and easy for me, upper zone 2, then pushed a bit harder to see how upper zone 3 feels. Used to be a minute at 140 bpm was enough to make me stop. I spent quite a bit of time mid 130's still mostly able to talk. I'm still not light on my feet, not by any stretch of the imagination. Picture a somewhat tired elephant trying to break into a trot on nice flat ground. But much better than when I started, when the word picture was " Picture a very tired elephant trying to break into a trot in swamp and you've got about the right idea."
Ironman Canada - DONE! What next?
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Solid Sunday spin workout
It snowed here last night. Maybe 4 or 5 cm. IG and I had planned to get together at noon to run, but what with work issues for him, and it snowing when we talked, we decided to put it off.
10 min warmup
10 min 1 leg drill (30 sec R, 30 sec both, 30 sec L, 30 sec both, repeat 5 times.)
10 x 6.3/3.5 min upper and lower zone 2. Five sets hill climbing, 5 spin at +90 rpm. Just to mix things up did the first part of the hill sets standing up, and the first part of the fast sets by spinning at 120. Both of these went till my heart hit the top of zone 2, then I settled in for the rest of the workout.
2:40 transition
2 K easy run, 16:12, heart rate mostly in the low 120's. Just a little splashy, but not as bad as I thought it would be.
Overall a great workout. I felt strong and comfy on the bike, and could have gone on much longer. As the sets continued, I found I could work in higher gears, or higher rpm, at the same heart rate. It seems I can now spin at 120 or so, for about 20 seconds, without bouncing. That's a major improvement for me. Used to be about 110 and my butt was all over the seat like a jackhammer.
Weekly totals
Swim 2.16 hr
Bike 4.75 hr
Run 1.25 hr
Total 8.16
10 min warmup
10 min 1 leg drill (30 sec R, 30 sec both, 30 sec L, 30 sec both, repeat 5 times.)
10 x 6.3/3.5 min upper and lower zone 2. Five sets hill climbing, 5 spin at +90 rpm. Just to mix things up did the first part of the hill sets standing up, and the first part of the fast sets by spinning at 120. Both of these went till my heart hit the top of zone 2, then I settled in for the rest of the workout.
2:40 transition
2 K easy run, 16:12, heart rate mostly in the low 120's. Just a little splashy, but not as bad as I thought it would be.
Overall a great workout. I felt strong and comfy on the bike, and could have gone on much longer. As the sets continued, I found I could work in higher gears, or higher rpm, at the same heart rate. It seems I can now spin at 120 or so, for about 20 seconds, without bouncing. That's a major improvement for me. Used to be about 110 and my butt was all over the seat like a jackhammer.
Weekly totals
Swim 2.16 hr
Bike 4.75 hr
Run 1.25 hr
Total 8.16
Friday, March 28, 2008
Light'n fast spin
Only an hour! A mere 60 minutes was all the IGP™ called for. It called for it last night, it's true, but then if we all did exactly what IG said, and never any different, he'd have no reason to read our blogs and would pine away from boredom. Poor IG. So really, we're doing him a favour, aren't we?
10 min warmup
20 min at +90 rpm, easy gear, mid zone 2.
3 min easy pedal
9 x 1 min +100 rpm smooth, 1 min easy pedal 75-80 rpm. Essentially this oscillated my heart rate from the bottom to top of zone 2 for me.
9 min cooldown
And then, the dreaded planking. I tried the Susi trick of watching the stopwatch. Sorry Susi, all I proved was that time can slow down enough to see the bars change on the hundredths place on my watch.
Front 1:10
Each side 45 seconds each.
I'm a long way from the exclusive 3 minute company.
10 min warmup
20 min at +90 rpm, easy gear, mid zone 2.
3 min easy pedal
9 x 1 min +100 rpm smooth, 1 min easy pedal 75-80 rpm. Essentially this oscillated my heart rate from the bottom to top of zone 2 for me.
9 min cooldown
And then, the dreaded planking. I tried the Susi trick of watching the stopwatch. Sorry Susi, all I proved was that time can slow down enough to see the bars change on the hundredths place on my watch.
Front 1:10
Each side 45 seconds each.
I'm a long way from the exclusive 3 minute company.
Swimming toward the re-taste zone
In the pool at 5:30 or so, feeling pretty good. There was an open lane closest to the lap clock so I took it over and made it mine. I was swimming next to M, who is steady as a rock, back and forth, a little slower than me. She swims 4K every day. I like swimming near her because I have to be doing everything right to pass her. If I settle in behind her for 50 m or so, I've got my breath and timing back.
1K 19:30, easy, relaxed, working on stroke mechanics, rolling a bit, going for long and smooth.
8 x 100 m all between 100 and 105 seconds, on a 2:30 start. End of the 8th was getting sloppy, and I could read the warning signs for the retaste zone. I started 9 anyway, but at about 35 m my arms fell off, and I started getting a cramp in hams and in arch of my foot, and the fine print on the warning sign was getting easy to read. After a few stretches and getting my heart and breathing under control again, I did 200 m of junk swimming to cool down. A bit of one arm, backstroke and slow front crawl.
20 minutes core and flexibility in the dive tank.
Total 1 hour.
Overall pretty good. Going to try to spin tonight, if I can gnaw free of the desk chains in good time....
Oh, and that number is 235.
1K 19:30, easy, relaxed, working on stroke mechanics, rolling a bit, going for long and smooth.
8 x 100 m all between 100 and 105 seconds, on a 2:30 start. End of the 8th was getting sloppy, and I could read the warning signs for the retaste zone. I started 9 anyway, but at about 35 m my arms fell off, and I started getting a cramp in hams and in arch of my foot, and the fine print on the warning sign was getting easy to read. After a few stretches and getting my heart and breathing under control again, I did 200 m of junk swimming to cool down. A bit of one arm, backstroke and slow front crawl.
20 minutes core and flexibility in the dive tank.
Total 1 hour.
Overall pretty good. Going to try to spin tonight, if I can gnaw free of the desk chains in good time....
Oh, and that number is 235.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thursday surprise
Zoom, that's what the day did today. From the minute I got into work after my run, till we all bailed out for a going away party, it was zoom. Even over lunch I didn't get time to update my blog. Now it's 8:45, and those who know my workout sched will be expecting me to post about a run this am and a spin this evening. Surprise!
Run was 60 min R8/W2, with heart rate about 120. The average heart rate over the run was 117, peak 129, min 95, 868 calories. The run was pretty good, smooth at the beginning, and a little clunckier at the end as I was getting tired. Map my ride says 7.4 Km. Parked at the zoo for the first time, but probably won't do that again.
After work I got where I was meeting my wife after her Pilates class, and was early enough to have a nap. For a while. Work called, and I ended up driving back to the office, and trying to Fedex stuff out to Vancouver. After that was all over we went for dinner at our favourite restaurant, then home. Ugggg. My bag is packed for the morning swim and I can hear bed calling me.
Susi put me in contact with someone organizing a swim evaluation, and I sent them a nice email. Thanks Susi!. Though I suspect I know what the evaluation will say. Mostly a nice stroke, weak kick, slow as a toad, but don't get in his way. I will try to channel the shark during the evaluation, and let you all know how it turns out.
Run was 60 min R8/W2, with heart rate about 120. The average heart rate over the run was 117, peak 129, min 95, 868 calories. The run was pretty good, smooth at the beginning, and a little clunckier at the end as I was getting tired. Map my ride says 7.4 Km. Parked at the zoo for the first time, but probably won't do that again.
After work I got where I was meeting my wife after her Pilates class, and was early enough to have a nap. For a while. Work called, and I ended up driving back to the office, and trying to Fedex stuff out to Vancouver. After that was all over we went for dinner at our favourite restaurant, then home. Ugggg. My bag is packed for the morning swim and I can hear bed calling me.
Susi put me in contact with someone organizing a swim evaluation, and I sent them a nice email. Thanks Susi!. Though I suspect I know what the evaluation will say. Mostly a nice stroke, weak kick, slow as a toad, but don't get in his way. I will try to channel the shark during the evaluation, and let you all know how it turns out.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
ordinary swim
Was tired going into swim this am. Didn't really get into it till about lap 15, when it came together for a a few lengths of nice stroke. Otherwise, sloppy, splashy, and slow. Not that I intended to be fast, but it's nice. No channeling the shark today. Sorry.
1000 m 19:32.
10 min core and flexibility workout. Wanted to do more but had lots waiting for me at work, and that turned out to be worse than expected. must run.....
1000 m 19:32.
10 min core and flexibility workout. Wanted to do more but had lots waiting for me at work, and that turned out to be worse than expected. must run.....
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Tues spin session
Long warm up. One leg drill. 2 x 25 min mixed set. Kind of fun actually. I think I've got it right.
1 min build
2 min at over 100 rpm (We are assured this is the only downhill in coachland.)
3 min hill climb
4 min 15 @90 15@120
5 min time trial
4 min 15 @90 15@120
3 min hill climb
2 min at over 100 rpm
1 min big finish.
5 minute easy, then do it all over again.
For me, 1.75 hr.
After more than 2.5 hours on the bike on the weekend, my butt didn't hurt at all, but tonight about the 1:20 minute or so, I stopped being comfortable on the bike.
1 min build
2 min at over 100 rpm (We are assured this is the only downhill in coachland.)
3 min hill climb
4 min 15 @90 15@120
5 min time trial
4 min 15 @90 15@120
3 min hill climb
2 min at over 100 rpm
1 min big finish.
5 minute easy, then do it all over again.
For me, 1.75 hr.
After more than 2.5 hours on the bike on the weekend, my butt didn't hurt at all, but tonight about the 1:20 minute or so, I stopped being comfortable on the bike.
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