The weather this week has been pretty much par for the course: cold, wet, and generally crappy. The 40MPH winds the past couple of days just upped the ante. The forecast for this weekend has it sunny and in the 70s, though. Perfect timing: we finally get good training weather in D.C. and it's a week before we head to Florida. Preliminary race day forecast: mid-80s and sunny. A tad too warm for my tastes, but I'll take it after the winter we've had. My wave will be the very last to start at 9:15 AM, so we'll still be on the run course close to noon and the hot sun could make it rough.
The temps for our last group workout on Saturday may still be in the low 50s in the morning. It's a practice triathlon. Coaches will be setting up a transition area and we'll run through the abbreviated stages: in our wetsuits (dry, but probably cold!), transition to an easy 30-40 minute bike, transition to a short run. It should warm up for the picnic afterwards. We'll be getting our race info including plane tickets (so help me if they are flying us out of Dulles instead of National ...) and our TNT logo triathlon jerseys.
Sunday a few of us are running a local 5K in Alexandria. I'm waffling between actually running the race to beat my previous best from St. Paddy's and just going out for a short easy run. I'll probably choose the latter; we have another 5K two weeks after the race that I won't hesitate to go all out on. No sense in risking an injury trying to push it this close to my first race.
10 more days!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Things are starting to taper
We are beginning to taper for the race starting next week meaning that the workout intensity will be gradually dropping off to almost nothing in the days leading up to the race. It's a time for the body to rest up and store energy for 3 hours of continual racing.
The training is not the only thing that's seeing a reduction. I've lost over 25 pounds since we started this almost 6 months ago. Counting my highest weight from early last fall I'm down almost 30. Looking back I can hardly believe it!
This past week was frustrating. I got called to attend a meeting for work in Seattle on Wednesday which meant a flight out on Tuesday night and then a red eye back on Wednesday night. I was able to get in the swim practice and long run on Tuesday but missed both the bike and run on Wednesday/Thursday. We did go swimming last night. The workout this week was some descending long sets: 20'/15'/10'/5'/2.5' . During each set we were supposed to work on something different: getting a good long glide for the 20', practicing sighting for the 15', etc. I lost track on one of them but in the end I swam a little over 3000 yards. That's by far the longest workout I've done in the water. I'm thinking the swim may end up being my best leg after having struggled so much in the early going!
The weather continues to be a real pain in the ass. Tomorrow we have our last long ride in Prince William Forest down by Quantico. It's supposed to be a really nice route but with more hills than we've seen before. At least it is supposed to be above freezing. We skipped out on last week's Saturday brick because it was frigid and there was snow. Snow! In April! Screw that. We signed up for a spin class at the gym and did about 50 minutes on the bike before class for about 1:40 total. That's short of the goal, but that spin class was hard! We ran the treadmill for 30' to complete the brick. I actually felt really good and was able to push some faster paces, but my hamstring ached the next day and it's still a little tight. I don't think the plane ride helped.
16 days to race day!
The training is not the only thing that's seeing a reduction. I've lost over 25 pounds since we started this almost 6 months ago. Counting my highest weight from early last fall I'm down almost 30. Looking back I can hardly believe it!
This past week was frustrating. I got called to attend a meeting for work in Seattle on Wednesday which meant a flight out on Tuesday night and then a red eye back on Wednesday night. I was able to get in the swim practice and long run on Tuesday but missed both the bike and run on Wednesday/Thursday. We did go swimming last night. The workout this week was some descending long sets: 20'/15'/10'/5'/2.5' . During each set we were supposed to work on something different: getting a good long glide for the 20', practicing sighting for the 15', etc. I lost track on one of them but in the end I swam a little over 3000 yards. That's by far the longest workout I've done in the water. I'm thinking the swim may end up being my best leg after having struggled so much in the early going!
The weather continues to be a real pain in the ass. Tomorrow we have our last long ride in Prince William Forest down by Quantico. It's supposed to be a really nice route but with more hills than we've seen before. At least it is supposed to be above freezing. We skipped out on last week's Saturday brick because it was frigid and there was snow. Snow! In April! Screw that. We signed up for a spin class at the gym and did about 50 minutes on the bike before class for about 1:40 total. That's short of the goal, but that spin class was hard! We ran the treadmill for 30' to complete the brick. I actually felt really good and was able to push some faster paces, but my hamstring ached the next day and it's still a little tight. I don't think the plane ride helped.
16 days to race day!
Monday, April 02, 2007
Four more weeks to the other Opening Day
The Nats Opening Day at RFK is today (the first actual Opening Day in D.C. since they moved here). As of yesterday just 4 more weeks until the other Opening Day: the race. That's starting to sink in.
Last week was the last of our EZ weeks. Due to a bad schedule I missed both of the bike rides in the middle of the week but was able to get the rest of the workouts in. Tuesday's swim was a number of easy drills and then some more open water simulations. Thursday we did 1950 for an "easy" workout. Those were our hard workouts only a month or so ago. I'm really feeling strong in the water. Yesterday I was able to go for 1800 yards in 30 minutes (that last 50 was an all out sprint, though). Too bad the swim is the shortest event! Saturday's bike was 60' and would have been really easy if we hadn't taken a wrong turn and gone up a big climb by the Mormon Tabernacle. That hurt. Luckily we won't get hills like those in Florida, but I probably will in the other races this summer. Might as well get used to it.
This week is roughly the same intensity as two weeks ago, and then we start to taper:
Monday: 50' bike, 3 x 7' AT (finally got out in the morning and did 3 loops around Haines Point for the intervals)
Tuesday: swim (2600 yards), run 45' with a bunch of intervals
Wednesday: Bike 70'
Thursday: swim (2600 yards again), long run 70'
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Brick - bike 120', run 30', swim
Sunday: 30' swim
I will probably swap out the Tues/Thurs runs since we get done swimming so much earlier on Tuesdays and it's easier to get the run in before work. Short day at work today then off to RFK. I'm going to try and follow Liz's lead and go on the wagon for the next 4 weeks after a beer at the game. Oh, and maybe except for the wine happy hour that Teen is holding tonight. And the bourbon tasting on Friday. Seriously, I should be good after that!
Last week was the last of our EZ weeks. Due to a bad schedule I missed both of the bike rides in the middle of the week but was able to get the rest of the workouts in. Tuesday's swim was a number of easy drills and then some more open water simulations. Thursday we did 1950 for an "easy" workout. Those were our hard workouts only a month or so ago. I'm really feeling strong in the water. Yesterday I was able to go for 1800 yards in 30 minutes (that last 50 was an all out sprint, though). Too bad the swim is the shortest event! Saturday's bike was 60' and would have been really easy if we hadn't taken a wrong turn and gone up a big climb by the Mormon Tabernacle. That hurt. Luckily we won't get hills like those in Florida, but I probably will in the other races this summer. Might as well get used to it.
This week is roughly the same intensity as two weeks ago, and then we start to taper:
Monday: 50' bike, 3 x 7' AT (finally got out in the morning and did 3 loops around Haines Point for the intervals)
Tuesday: swim (2600 yards), run 45' with a bunch of intervals
Wednesday: Bike 70'
Thursday: swim (2600 yards again), long run 70'
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Brick - bike 120', run 30', swim
Sunday: 30' swim
I will probably swap out the Tues/Thurs runs since we get done swimming so much earlier on Tuesdays and it's easier to get the run in before work. Short day at work today then off to RFK. I'm going to try and follow Liz's lead and go on the wagon for the next 4 weeks after a beer at the game. Oh, and maybe except for the wine happy hour that Teen is holding tonight. And the bourbon tasting on Friday. Seriously, I should be good after that!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
What's that I glimpse on the horizon?
A finish line, perhaps? We're getting mighty close. We leave for Florida in 5 weeks, and this week is the very peak of our training schedule. I already feel beat down and it's only Thurssday! Tuesday morning we did 2 x 20' continuous swims to get us used to sustaining long distances at pace in the water. We've been doing 30' every Sunday for quite a while now, so it wasn't bad. I definitely welcomed the change from the hard intervals of the past two weeks. I'd been having a real problem keeping a good pace since most of our practices are shorter intervals with rest. I tend to go out too hard for the ones where we are supposed to be doing "race pace". This past Sunday was the first swim where I didn't feel the need to do a recovery stroke for a length during the long swim. I just hope my muscle memory can remember that pace in the excitement of race day.
Speaking of long Sunday swims this week we decided to do an 8K St Paddy's Day race as a little warmup! It had been on our calendar for a couple months before I had realized that it was in the middle of our hardest week. Weekends have been cursed so far and it was no different on Sunday. 70s on Wednesday and Thursday, below freezing on Saturday and Sunday. It was about 31 when we lined up at 9:00 for the race. I worked on my pace and didn't push it very hard even at the end. I was looking for some consistency. However, I missed every mile marker on the course so I have no idea what my splits looked like. Finish time was 45:20, good for just over a 9:00/mile pace. I would be thrilled with that pace during the final 10K of the triathlon. Not likely coming off the bike, but my under 60:00 goal should be attainable.
After the long run on Sunday I felt justified to skip one of the Tues/Thurs runs this week. I ran home from swim practice on Tuesday morning, and we are going swimming tonight so I probably won't get another in. I don't feel too guilty about that ...
Saturday is another long brick with a swim thrown in at the end! Of course it will be 70s today and tomorrow then high of like 53 on Saturday. It can't continue like this for much longer. I hope.
Speaking of long Sunday swims this week we decided to do an 8K St Paddy's Day race as a little warmup! It had been on our calendar for a couple months before I had realized that it was in the middle of our hardest week. Weekends have been cursed so far and it was no different on Sunday. 70s on Wednesday and Thursday, below freezing on Saturday and Sunday. It was about 31 when we lined up at 9:00 for the race. I worked on my pace and didn't push it very hard even at the end. I was looking for some consistency. However, I missed every mile marker on the course so I have no idea what my splits looked like. Finish time was 45:20, good for just over a 9:00/mile pace. I would be thrilled with that pace during the final 10K of the triathlon. Not likely coming off the bike, but my under 60:00 goal should be attainable.
After the long run on Sunday I felt justified to skip one of the Tues/Thurs runs this week. I ran home from swim practice on Tuesday morning, and we are going swimming tonight so I probably won't get another in. I don't feel too guilty about that ...
Saturday is another long brick with a swim thrown in at the end! Of course it will be 70s today and tomorrow then high of like 53 on Saturday. It can't continue like this for much longer. I hope.
Friday, March 16, 2007
What happened to Spring??
Just as I was getting used to training in more hospitable weather ... we get today. Yesterday I'm running on a 60 degree morning, now it's near freezing and raining with the possibility for some snow tonight. That doesn't help the training! We're scheduled for a 2 hour ride/30 minute run brick tomorrow, but I'm thinking it's not going to happen. It'll be the trainer for us. I wish the tournament games started at 8:00 in the morning so there would be something good to watch on TV ...
This week has been good, the current weather notwithstanding. Tuesday we received our triathlon wetsuits at swim practice. I chose the sleeveless version just because I wanted the range of motion. It's amazing how much smoother it makes you feel in the water. I can see how it could help cut a minute or so off of your swim time. Here's hoping! During a couple test laps (they're far too insulating to wear in a warm pool for long) I was able to take one less stroke per length. They just seem to glide better through the water, mostly because they really help to keep your legs from sinking and causing drag. We won't get to use them again until a short open water training swim the day before the race in Florida, but I don't see adjusting to it being a problem. Getting it off of my body during transition maybe another story.
After the 5K last weekend and with an 8K looming this Sunday I wasn't sure how to approach the runs this week. One of the coaches said not to worry about it as long as I wasn't "racing" the races but just using them as extra tempo runs. We're out of the pool and back home around 7:20 on Tuesdays normally which is a lot earlier than the average 8:15 or so after Thursday morning swims. I decided to swap the runs on those days and do the longer 75' run on Tuesday. I concentrated on slowing myself down and really keeping in an easy zone for the entire run. I went a little over 7 miles, and it felt good. Thursday's 40' run included two 6' speed intervals. Even after those extended efforts I was able to keep jogging and recover my heart rate fairly quickly. That is something I really struggled with earlier in the training; I really felt the need to walk after any harder effort. Running continues to improve and I hope there is more to come before the race!
I didn't have time to do the bike on Wednesday so I'll spin easy tonight for an hour, then get up and do 2 hours (ugh) on the trainer and then out for a run. Hopefully it will have warmed up a bit by then. Sunday is the 8K and it will be cold for the race but hopefully not frigid. Then starts the hardest week on the schedule!! I think we're all really looking forward to a break after that.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Improvements
One of the toughest parts about training is the time horizon for seeing improvements. They come a little at a time, are not always linear, and may take months to actually appear, but when they do it's pretty invigorating. When that improvement comes on a run it's downright exciting for me. ANY improvement on the run is cause for a little celebration. I'm having horrible thoughts of doing really well on the swim and bike and then totally tanking on the run.
My first 5K way back on Thanksgiving clocked in at 32:06, good for a 10:22/mile pace. Now that was on a pretty hilly course with the biggest hill coming in the last mile. Yesterday we ran in the Shamrock 5K up in Baltimore. The course has a long downhill for most of the 1st mile then is basically flat. I knew I was going to be faster, but I went in treating it as a tempo run. I wanted to have something left in the tank after the finish. The result? 26:36. 8:55/mile pace. That's one hell of an improvement over 6 months ago. I picked up the pace for the last 1/4 mile but it wasn't a sprint by any means. Whether I can turn something comparable in during the 3rd hour of a triathlon at twice the distance is a completely different story, but my goal of doing the final 10K in under an hour is looking more and more attainable. By the way that's nothing compared to the gains Liz has made. She knocked 12-13 minutes off of her Turkey Trot time!!
We are smack dab in the middle of the toughest 3 training weeks on the schedule. Last week had us hitting new weekly highs on every workout. All I can say is that I'm glad that it looks like Spring really is here for good. Going to be mostly in the 60s this week, but of course there will be rain. The clock change may actually be detrimental since I've been doing most of my long workouts in the morning. After doing well on the 70' run last week I'm looking forward to tackling 75' this week. That will be the longest run on the schedule from now until the race; it's good to see a peak and know you can get past it.
The brick workout on Saturday was tough, but it felt good. 115' bike ride followed by a 25' run. The running hurt, and I didn't get a good sense of my pace on the trail, but I think I was running < 10:00 pace based on the mile markers. The ride was about 30 miles, but we were riding at an easy pace with some occasional sprints. The wind was a bit of a challenge though. I'm still trying to get used to the aerobars, especially trying to eat and drink while in them. I had to make sure the coast was clear before trying that!
At swim practice tomorrow we get our wetsuits. That should be fun! Here's the week:
Monday: 45' bike
Tuesday: swim (2500 yards), 40' run
Wednesday: bike 65'
Thursday: swim (2500 yards), 75' run
Friday: OFF
Saturday: brick workout, 120' bike, 30' run (Guinness makes an excellent recovery drink ;) )
Sunday: 30' continuous swim and we're running the St. Patrick's 8K here in DC. That may affect how next week's schedule shakes out.
My first 5K way back on Thanksgiving clocked in at 32:06, good for a 10:22/mile pace. Now that was on a pretty hilly course with the biggest hill coming in the last mile. Yesterday we ran in the Shamrock 5K up in Baltimore. The course has a long downhill for most of the 1st mile then is basically flat. I knew I was going to be faster, but I went in treating it as a tempo run. I wanted to have something left in the tank after the finish. The result? 26:36. 8:55/mile pace. That's one hell of an improvement over 6 months ago. I picked up the pace for the last 1/4 mile but it wasn't a sprint by any means. Whether I can turn something comparable in during the 3rd hour of a triathlon at twice the distance is a completely different story, but my goal of doing the final 10K in under an hour is looking more and more attainable. By the way that's nothing compared to the gains Liz has made. She knocked 12-13 minutes off of her Turkey Trot time!!
We are smack dab in the middle of the toughest 3 training weeks on the schedule. Last week had us hitting new weekly highs on every workout. All I can say is that I'm glad that it looks like Spring really is here for good. Going to be mostly in the 60s this week, but of course there will be rain. The clock change may actually be detrimental since I've been doing most of my long workouts in the morning. After doing well on the 70' run last week I'm looking forward to tackling 75' this week. That will be the longest run on the schedule from now until the race; it's good to see a peak and know you can get past it.
The brick workout on Saturday was tough, but it felt good. 115' bike ride followed by a 25' run. The running hurt, and I didn't get a good sense of my pace on the trail, but I think I was running < 10:00 pace based on the mile markers. The ride was about 30 miles, but we were riding at an easy pace with some occasional sprints. The wind was a bit of a challenge though. I'm still trying to get used to the aerobars, especially trying to eat and drink while in them. I had to make sure the coast was clear before trying that!
At swim practice tomorrow we get our wetsuits. That should be fun! Here's the week:
Monday: 45' bike
Tuesday: swim (2500 yards), 40' run
Wednesday: bike 65'
Thursday: swim (2500 yards), 75' run
Friday: OFF
Saturday: brick workout, 120' bike, 30' run (Guinness makes an excellent recovery drink ;) )
Sunday: 30' continuous swim and we're running the St. Patrick's 8K here in DC. That may affect how next week's schedule shakes out.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Spring has sprung (if only for a day)
It looked for a minute like the cold weather had finally broken on Saturday for our group workout. It was a 60' ride down at Haines Point to better simulate the conditions in St. Petersburg: flat and potentially windy. The "short" loop at Haines Point is a hair over 3 miles, and on a day like Saturday the wind is coming directly up the Potomac giving a nice headwind in one direction and a tailwind in the other. The temps were in the 40s when rode down to meet the group (finally a workout we can ride to!), and reached the low 50s by the end. This was really the first time I was able to try out my aerobars for any extended period of time. They were actually more comfortable than they are on the trainer, but the handling is really squirrelly until you get used to it. I was all over the road at first and made sure I was by myself before trying them. With the wind it actually made a big difference. On the headwind stretch it was much easier to hold pace, and when I switched to the normal bar position I instantly slowed down even though I felt like I was riding with the same effort. One bad side effect: a really sore neck from having to keep my head up. That's not an issue on the trainer! Overall I was pretty pleased with the 20 mile or so ride.
Afterwards the coaches did another hands on tire changing clinic. In the race you are on your own; you'll get disqualified if you receive any help out on the course, so not being able to change a flat would essentially end your day. They're going to pick a few people at random to practice changing tires at every group ride from now on until everybody's done it at least once. I was one of the lucky first victims. I've changed my MTB tires a number of times, but for some reason those skinny road tires scare me. It was a bit of a struggle to seat the tube correctly, but after a couple tries I got it straightened out and it didn't pinch flat like I was worried it would! Also: CO2 inflation cartridges = awesome.
This week we start building again. Tomorrow's swim workout looks challenging, 2400 yards; depending on who shows up in the Level 3 lane I may get my ass kicked. Forecast is back to gloomy cold and snow potential, so the runs might be tough. 70' on Thursday!! Yikes. Not looking forward to yet another "longest I have ever run" run if it's in the 30s again. More trainer sessions tonight and Wednesday. Brick on Saturday is 115' ride/25' run. I really hope it's at least in the upper 40s for that, and it's out in Sterling again. Ugh. Sunday we're running the St Patrick's Day 5K up in Baltimore which should be fun, 3,000 runners possibly. I wonder how many of them will forget to change their clocks and show up an hour early?
Afterwards the coaches did another hands on tire changing clinic. In the race you are on your own; you'll get disqualified if you receive any help out on the course, so not being able to change a flat would essentially end your day. They're going to pick a few people at random to practice changing tires at every group ride from now on until everybody's done it at least once. I was one of the lucky first victims. I've changed my MTB tires a number of times, but for some reason those skinny road tires scare me. It was a bit of a struggle to seat the tube correctly, but after a couple tries I got it straightened out and it didn't pinch flat like I was worried it would! Also: CO2 inflation cartridges = awesome.
This week we start building again. Tomorrow's swim workout looks challenging, 2400 yards; depending on who shows up in the Level 3 lane I may get my ass kicked. Forecast is back to gloomy cold and snow potential, so the runs might be tough. 70' on Thursday!! Yikes. Not looking forward to yet another "longest I have ever run" run if it's in the 30s again. More trainer sessions tonight and Wednesday. Brick on Saturday is 115' ride/25' run. I really hope it's at least in the upper 40s for that, and it's out in Sterling again. Ugh. Sunday we're running the St Patrick's Day 5K up in Baltimore which should be fun, 3,000 runners possibly. I wonder how many of them will forget to change their clocks and show up an hour early?
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