triathlon training log week 11 - 5/10 - 5/15

Monday 5/10 - Rest
No rest for the anxiety-ridden.  What was I thinking?  I can't do a triathlon.

Tuesday 5/11 Swim - Run 9/1, 21 mins
Just a wee (see what I did there?) bit intimidating walking into the pool wearing tri-shorts instead of my regular swimsuit.  I think the padding for the cycling helped in a certain capacity.  Alternatively, it's more likely that no one either noticed or cared.  Swim went well.  Did my usual 250 then 100 then another 250.  Concentrated on exhaling underwater (new pro tip) and swimming at a sustainable pace.  When I finished this time though, I hopped right out of the pool without drying off to "practice" my anticipated T1 routine - socks onto wet feet and a light shirt.  Then off to my run.  Felt great on the run - nice easy pace and hit about two miles.  Good confidence builder.

Wednesday 5/12 - Bike 12 miles
After several back and forth emails with Sharon where I tried to justify skipping a wetsuit for what would most would consider cold conditions, finally said screw it and rented one after work.  The $35 is worth the peace of mind -  and warmth truth be told.  The notion of cold water and the subsequent freezing bike/run was weighing on me.  Another first for me - asking a man to "zip me up."  Got home late and despite threatening skies went for a ride outside.  New route around some backroads and then back onto one of my usual routes.  Finished in the dark but a fun ride.

Thursday 5/13 - Swim
With the rental of a swimsuit, I thought it might be a good idea to go for at least one swim with it on - both to see what it was like swimming and to practice taking it off.  Fairly awkward finding a non-naked stranger and asking him to zip me up.  Felt like holding a sign the entire time reading "I'm in my first triathlon this weekend, have never worn a wetsuit and thought one practice session might be a good idea."  More awkwardness following trying to find a lane as quickly as possible and slipping in - again holding up the mental sign.  Slid into the pool and then popped back up like a cork.  Wow, they weren't kidding about the extra buoyancy.  I push off the wall and start to swim - I feel like i'm jet powered.  Everything is so much easier.  This is what real swimmers must feel like - just gliding through the water.  My plan (for the tri) had been to alternate freestyle with breast stroke but I found that while the wetsuit is helping my freestyle, the added buoyancy is actually hindering my breast stroke.  Have to figure out what to do with that information as even with the wetsuit advantage I don't think I'll be able to do the whole distance freestyle.  Ended up doing 2x250 plus another 100 or so.  Sharon had advised me to practice getting the wetsuit off (which can sometimes be tricky) but it slipped right off.  Feeling much better about the swim.

Friday 5/14 - Rest
Anxiety level rising.

Saturday 5/15 - Run 9/2/1 15 mins
Few last minute errands for Gu, Gatorade, speed laces and a new shirt.  More "new" race day items than I might have liked but I don't think it should be too big a deal.  Nice easy run - though I was hyper-aware of every creak and sore spot, i.e., will this be a problem tomorrow?  Nice dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, packed up, and then to bed around 9:30.  Anxiety level was reasonable and I think I finally fell asleep around 11.

triathlon training log week 10 - 5/3 - 5/9

Monday 5/3 - Rest


Tuesday 5/4 - Swim, Run 9/8/15 30 mins
Swim starts very slowly.  Finally got into my groove and did my 2x250 plus a few hundred after that.  Really wish I could string more freestyle laps together but it just isn't going to happen.  I wonder if I had been as religious about time/distance for swimming early as I was for running if I would be in a different place now.  Probably not.  I don't remember those early workouts as being remotely easy.  Run goes really well.  I haven't been using an iPod for my runs as it didn't seem "realistic" - which is to say that I wasn't going to get that music groove in the race.  What. A. Stupid. Idea.  Running would probably have sucked an order of magnitude less.  I got so into this run I forgot to set the time on my final interval and didn't even notice.

Wednesday 5/5 - Bike 15 miles
Got home from work late and pissed - cranked this out in an hour which is good time with winds and traffic stops.

Thursday 5/6 - Swim
Shared the lane with a guy who was training for an Olympic length in the Fall.  I hope I never looked that bad swimming but probably did.  Possibly still do.  Though, pretty impressive.  I'm afraid of a sprint (with a short swim at that) and this guy is tackling a "real" one.

Friday 5/7 - Rest


Saturday 5/8 - Run 9/8/1 60 mins
It's about time one of these long format runs goes well.  A couple of +1 min breaks and I started to fade a bit toward the end but definitely an effort I was proud of.

Sunday 5/9 - Bike 22 miles
Jennifer was kind enough to take Lauren so I could get a ride in on Mother's Day. EXTREMELY windy.  Rode North, West, East and South.  Wind was in my face the whole time - and it's not because I'm that fast.

triathlon training log week 9 - 4/26 - 5/2

Monday 4/26 - Rest
After yesterday's abysmal effort - probably in the best interest of all.

Tuesday 4/27 - Swim 50/8x50/50, Run 9/8/30 30 mins
Pool is full up so I ran first.  Solid effort - felt good and pleasantly surprised at the distance I covered.  This was the first time I paid attention to distance (heretofore I've only run for time and even when on a track didn't pay attention to laps).  Swim goes really well as I did my double 250 for time workout plus another 250-300 untimed.

Wednesday 4/28 - Bike 15 miles
Week 9, 46 workouts.  Finally missed one due to work.  The real pisser is this is one of my "fun" workouts.  Pissed.

Thursday 4/29 - Swim
I could write down what the plan says but I've sort of given up on that.  Content to alternate freestyle and breast-stroke for 2-3 250m intervals with some laps (number TBD by intervals) I've completed.

Friday 4/30 - Rest


Saturday 5/1 - Run 9/8/1
Pwned again.  Just pwned.  Running at the hottest part of the day did me no favors whatsoever.

Sunday 5/2 - Bike 25 miles
Late day/early evening ride with Jennifer was a lot of fun (though she was pooped due to two soccer games this weekend).  One not so great moment at our turnaround point when she told me to just start cranking to beat a storm coming in and I didn't exactly rocket out of the gate like she thought.  Me not moving + her clipped in with nowhere to go means a rider down.  Hint: it wasn't me. I felt really bad for her - she got pretty banged up.

triathlon training log week 8 - 4/19 - 4/25

Monday 4/19 - Rest


Tuesday 4/20 - MTB (~8 miles)
Bruce suggested getting out for an actual MTB ride and I though it might be a good idea to mix up the training schedule and swap my running and biking days to accomplish this. A lot of fun getting back out on fat tires - though I was surprised at my "lack" of fitness.  Bruce said I was burning up the flats (good) but we both struggled on some of the climbs.  Guess this is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic efforts.  Gonna have to target the latter if I'm going to be at all competitive through my summer MTB races.


Wednesday 4/21 - Swim 50/8x50/50
I've pretty much given up on freestyle for the whole distance.  While this may seem like punting early the degree to which I'm winded after a few laps isn't doing my workout any good.  Or so I would rationalize.  I feel like if the end goal is the ability to link 10 laps than doing 2-3 at a time and then heaving at the wall for a few minutes doesn't get me down the road at all whereas linking laps regardless of stroke is at least moving towards my cardio/swimming goal.  Swim goes OK from there.

Thursday 4/22 - Run 9/8/45 30 mins
From seemingly out of nowhere, this was easy.  Actually no big deal.  I'm as surprised as anyone.

Friday- 4/23 - Swim 50/16x25/50
Fuck it.  I decide that I'm tired of just swimming laps.  I know I'm fast enough on the bike, running is coming along - I need some swim feedback.  So I decided to do 250 for time.  Sharon had suggested 8:00 for my estimated swim time (wicked slow for the record) so I wanted to see where I fit against that.  Shocked to finish (alternating strokes) at 5:30. Not that this is impressive but I was surprised.  Rest for a few minutes then do it again in 5:30.  I guess things are coming along (sorta).

Saturday 4/24 - Bike 25 miles
As I swapped out my running and riding days earlier in the week, I though it was best if I did the same this weekend.  A chilly ride out to Rt. 28 late in the day - somewhere around mile 18 it occurred to me I might be wrecking myself for tomorrow's run.

Sunday- 4/25 - Run 9/7/1 50 mins
Pwnd.  No more need be said.  I could barely lift my wispy little legs. Pro (actually amateur) tip: save yourself for your most challenging workouts.  Just sayin'.