It's been another busy week. At work, I'm transitioning to a new job focus. For 10+ of my 15 years at ERI, I've managed the day-to-day operations of inside sales. Now I'm passing off a lot of my daily tasks to someone else, and taking over outside sales. I'll be traveling more, re-negotiating and re-writing the contracts with our distributors and content producers, and growing that part of the business. We're also rolling out another online training option, which involves a lot of learning on my part; then I'll need to train the sales staff on the new options and manage the product launch. All of this thinking and learning has worn me out.
I also had a rehearsal and concert two evenings this week. As the first gig approached, I wondered why I was stupid/crazy/optimistic enough to even sign up for these a few weeks ago, knowing I'd have 12+ hours of workouts to fit in. But the material was low-key (Carnival of the Animals and Peter & the Wolf) and I really enjoyed myself. It was a welcome change from work and exercise. Plus, the money will buy me a new set of running shoes. Winning!
The easiest parts of my week were my workouts - which went well. No major breakthroughs this week, but I put good work in, which I'm sure will give rewards down the road.
Wednesday's long run (10.75) was thorougly enjoyable. Cardio-wise, I feel I could go forever. I'm not even tired after my long runs anymore, since I'm forcing myself to stay in Zone 2. (I remember the days of doing long runs on Saturday mornings, then coming home and sleeping the afternoon away because I was so worn out.) The usual aches and discomforts of long runs aren't setting in until mile 10 or so, whereas they used to show up at mile 6 or 7. And my Zone 2 pace is slowly getting a bit faster. More good news: I haven't had any knee pain during a workout in about two weeks.
I've been fighting a little head cold this week. Just a few years ago, a cold would make me miserable for a week or more, then turn into sinusitis and bronchitis; now, it's just an inconvenience for a few days. Here's to being healthier! I don't have a runny nose, just some head congestion. The weirdest effect of it has been in the pool. When I flip-turn, I hear a little squeak from my sinuses. For the first 10 minutes of Thursday's swim, I couldn't figure out where this squeaking noise was coming from! First I thought it was my watch, then I thought it might be a clock buzzer, or maybe even a lifeguard whistle. But then I noticed it was happening only when I flipped. It was coming from inside my head! Weird.
Since it's raining again today, and I don't want to spend 3+ hours on the trainer, I've decided to ride tomorrow morning. I haven't ridden outdoors in 2 weeks. Last I heard, Ironman Texas is not an indoor race; so I'm flip-flopping my workouts for the weekend so I can ride outside. Why do I feel like I'm doing something wrong when I move workouts around? Tomorrow's scheduled run is just a recovery run to recuperate from the long ride; Monday is a rest day, so I will still have time to recover before starting next week's workouts. I guess it's just a mental adjustment. In the end, everything will get done and have the desired effect.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Week 11
Week. 11 presented some challenges: another swim workout was added to the weekly schedule, a brick run was added after Saturday's long ride, and JC was out of town. I wasn't sure I'd be able to get all the workouts in, but somehow, I did it. Hooray!
I owe this week's success to several things:
#1: My Mom. Mom picked up Sophie several afternoons, and kept her overnight Thursday night and all day Friday (school was out for a mini winter break). And she always asks me if I need her help so I can get my weekend workouts done. Thanks, Mom!
#2: My Job. I am very, very fortunate to have a job that does not require to me arrive at a certain time. I'm also able to take a long lunch every so often to go swim. I don't know how people with a strict work schedule are able to fit in all their weekday training. I guess they get up earlier than I do. I'm also not sure how people manage to wear real clothes to work every day. If I don't have meetings, I'm in running shorts. Period.
#3: My Penchant for Planning. When there are so many things to fit into one day, half of them won't get done unless I plan ahead. Swim and bike on Thursday? Which one before work, which one after? Is there something to heat up easily for supper? Pack your bag Wednesday night. Remember to bring something to eat/drink right after your swim for recovery. Bring first and second lunch to work, and a snack. Blah blah blah... And what if there is a snafu, such as the Y's pool being closed during my planned swim time, as it was Thursday? Always have a back-up plan.
So, somehow, it all got done.
Friday night, I finally accepted that the weather Saturday was going to be too crappy (read: unsafe) to do my long ride outdoors. I was going to have to ride 2 hours 45 minutes on the trainer. I've never liked watching movies while on the trainer, but I didn't see any other way to get through it, so I pulled up Netflix and chose "Raising Arizona." (Can you believe I had never seen it?) It passed the time and even got a few laughs out of me. Then I watched the pilot for "Once Upon a Time" (not terrible) and an episode of "South Park" (always a pleasure).
The other trick to getting through a long trainer ride is to have a workout planned. To just hop on and ride in Zone 2 for almost three hours is NOT going to happen. So I pulled some gems from Workouts in a Binder for Indoor Cycling and wrote out my plan:
Trust me. Having a plan makes the time on the trainer go by much faster.
The ride went okay. I did hop off after an hour and forty-five minutes to lower the riser for my front wheel. The front end was up too high, which put too much weight on the saddle. You can imagine the discomfort. After the adjustment, I was good to go for the last hour. When I was done, I changed into a dry shirt and my running shoes and headed outside for my first brick of the season.
I only had to run 20 minutes in Zone 1. My feet, calves and shins were pretty tight, but I remembered that they would eventually loosen up if I just kept moving. Sure enough, after fifteen minutes, my legs felt light and springy. I was feeling good when it was time to stop. The rain/sleet/hail that fell while I ran was actually soothing - another one of those "good for the soul" workouts.
Sunday's recovery run was slow and easy, and I finally got to add some strides. Oh Happy Day! When you haven't been allowed to run fast for 10 weeks, 20 seconds fast just feels glorious. The only downside is some shin pain on the right leg. I'll keep an eye on it and get it tended to appropriately if needed. I don't have to run again until Wednesday, so I'm sure the rest time will help.
Sophie said today that once I complete the Ironman, I'll actually be an athlete. Then she warned me again that it's going to be hot. "It's in May, Mom. It's hot in May. And it's in Texas. It's hot in Texas."
It's hard to believe it's only three months away.
I owe this week's success to several things:
#1: My Mom. Mom picked up Sophie several afternoons, and kept her overnight Thursday night and all day Friday (school was out for a mini winter break). And she always asks me if I need her help so I can get my weekend workouts done. Thanks, Mom!
#2: My Job. I am very, very fortunate to have a job that does not require to me arrive at a certain time. I'm also able to take a long lunch every so often to go swim. I don't know how people with a strict work schedule are able to fit in all their weekday training. I guess they get up earlier than I do. I'm also not sure how people manage to wear real clothes to work every day. If I don't have meetings, I'm in running shorts. Period.
#3: My Penchant for Planning. When there are so many things to fit into one day, half of them won't get done unless I plan ahead. Swim and bike on Thursday? Which one before work, which one after? Is there something to heat up easily for supper? Pack your bag Wednesday night. Remember to bring something to eat/drink right after your swim for recovery. Bring first and second lunch to work, and a snack. Blah blah blah... And what if there is a snafu, such as the Y's pool being closed during my planned swim time, as it was Thursday? Always have a back-up plan.
 |
| The madness of my method: planning out the week |
So, somehow, it all got done.
Friday night, I finally accepted that the weather Saturday was going to be too crappy (read: unsafe) to do my long ride outdoors. I was going to have to ride 2 hours 45 minutes on the trainer. I've never liked watching movies while on the trainer, but I didn't see any other way to get through it, so I pulled up Netflix and chose "Raising Arizona." (Can you believe I had never seen it?) It passed the time and even got a few laughs out of me. Then I watched the pilot for "Once Upon a Time" (not terrible) and an episode of "South Park" (always a pleasure).
The other trick to getting through a long trainer ride is to have a workout planned. To just hop on and ride in Zone 2 for almost three hours is NOT going to happen. So I pulled some gems from Workouts in a Binder for Indoor Cycling and wrote out my plan:
The ride went okay. I did hop off after an hour and forty-five minutes to lower the riser for my front wheel. The front end was up too high, which put too much weight on the saddle. You can imagine the discomfort. After the adjustment, I was good to go for the last hour. When I was done, I changed into a dry shirt and my running shoes and headed outside for my first brick of the season.
I only had to run 20 minutes in Zone 1. My feet, calves and shins were pretty tight, but I remembered that they would eventually loosen up if I just kept moving. Sure enough, after fifteen minutes, my legs felt light and springy. I was feeling good when it was time to stop. The rain/sleet/hail that fell while I ran was actually soothing - another one of those "good for the soul" workouts.
Sunday's recovery run was slow and easy, and I finally got to add some strides. Oh Happy Day! When you haven't been allowed to run fast for 10 weeks, 20 seconds fast just feels glorious. The only downside is some shin pain on the right leg. I'll keep an eye on it and get it tended to appropriately if needed. I don't have to run again until Wednesday, so I'm sure the rest time will help.
Sophie said today that once I complete the Ironman, I'll actually be an athlete. Then she warned me again that it's going to be hot. "It's in May, Mom. It's hot in May. And it's in Texas. It's hot in Texas."
It's hard to believe it's only three months away.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Too tired to name this one
I was supposed to swim before work today. Just as I was about to drive to the Y, I saw a post on facebook that the pool was temporarily closed. (Thanks, Lou, for posting that and saving me a long, fruitless drive!) So I surprised my co-workers and went to the office ultra-super-early (or, as some people call it, "on time").
I took a long lunch so I could get my swim done. Today was my monthly swim test, which consists of a good warm-up, then a 1,000 yard time trial. I'm happy to report that I shaved 37 seconds off my total time, which is just under 4 seconds per 100 yards. In the grand scheme of things, that sort of improvement will save me two and a half minutes on the Ironman swim - which is not a whole lot, when you consider I'll be racing for anywhere from 13 to 17 hours. But, improvement is always good - and it beats the hell out of getting slower. Here's to lowering my 100 time another 4 seconds by next month's test!
I had a one hour recovery spin on the trainer tonight. Something told me to check the resistance dial before I began. It was then that I discovered that someone (I'm not going to name names) fiddled with my dial and turned the resistance up a notch. I recall this person playing with it several days ago, before Tuesday's trainer ride. So, now I know why my legs felt heavy and slow Tuesday! It wasn't my legs, it was the resistance! Obviously, my little helper is just trying to make me stronger.
I took a long lunch so I could get my swim done. Today was my monthly swim test, which consists of a good warm-up, then a 1,000 yard time trial. I'm happy to report that I shaved 37 seconds off my total time, which is just under 4 seconds per 100 yards. In the grand scheme of things, that sort of improvement will save me two and a half minutes on the Ironman swim - which is not a whole lot, when you consider I'll be racing for anywhere from 13 to 17 hours. But, improvement is always good - and it beats the hell out of getting slower. Here's to lowering my 100 time another 4 seconds by next month's test!
I had a one hour recovery spin on the trainer tonight. Something told me to check the resistance dial before I began. It was then that I discovered that someone (I'm not going to name names) fiddled with my dial and turned the resistance up a notch. I recall this person playing with it several days ago, before Tuesday's trainer ride. So, now I know why my legs felt heavy and slow Tuesday! It wasn't my legs, it was the resistance! Obviously, my little helper is just trying to make me stronger.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Adaptation
Week 11 is flying by. JC is out of town for a week, so I'm a working single mom in addition to training. In order to fit all my workouts in, I've had to schedule each day down to the minute.
Today was my weekly long run. Normally I do the long run on Wednesday evening, but I had to switch it up and run before work today. It seemed like a good idea when I planned it:
5:30: Alarm goes off; hit the snooze twice
5:50: Start the coffeemaker; crawl in bed with Sophie to cuddle
6:00: Get Sophie up and started in her routine; get dressed; fix breakfast
6:40: Out the door to the bus stop
6:45: As the bus pulls away, start my run
8:25: Finish run, stretch, eat, hop in shower, get dressed
9:10: Leave for work
However, Sophie's cough woke her up in the middle of the night, which meant I was up with her from 3 to 4am. When that alarm went off at 5:30, I was NOT a happy camper. Unfortunately, I also was not coherent, and I managed to turn off the alarm rather than hit the snooze button. Crikey.
I opened my eyes at 6:08 and uttered some bad words. By some miracle, I got Soph ready and out the door in time to catch the bus, but I hadn't done everything I needed to do before my run (fuel, dress properly for the run, etc). It was about 48 degrees and raining lightly, and it took every ounce of strength I had not to crawl back into bed.
So, at 7:15 (only 30 minute behind schedule!), I started my run. It was only cold for the first few minutes. I kept my jacket sleeve pulled down over C-3P0 so I couldn't see my heartrate or pace. I was supposed to run in Zone 2, so I set my watch to beep at me if my heartrate entered Zone 3. I just ran - no music, no heartrate monitor in my face, no planned route, no timer or pace screen ticking away.
IT. WAS. WONDERFUL.
It felt good. It felt easy. It felt fun. But the best part was, my pace was 45 seconds per mile faster than my previous long runs, and my heartrate was perfect. YIPPEE!!!! All those weeks of base building, all those slooooooooow runs and rides, they're paying off now. My pace is faster, my heartrate is lower (including resting heartrate, down by 7 beats per minute since 4 weeks ago), and I've dropped a little body fat and gained some muscle.
Have I mentioned how much I loved base phase? :)
Oh, one more thing: I did learn something today. Bacon before a 5-mile run is great. Bacon before a 10-mile run is not.
Today was my weekly long run. Normally I do the long run on Wednesday evening, but I had to switch it up and run before work today. It seemed like a good idea when I planned it:
5:30: Alarm goes off; hit the snooze twice
5:50: Start the coffeemaker; crawl in bed with Sophie to cuddle
6:00: Get Sophie up and started in her routine; get dressed; fix breakfast
6:40: Out the door to the bus stop
6:45: As the bus pulls away, start my run
8:25: Finish run, stretch, eat, hop in shower, get dressed
9:10: Leave for work
However, Sophie's cough woke her up in the middle of the night, which meant I was up with her from 3 to 4am. When that alarm went off at 5:30, I was NOT a happy camper. Unfortunately, I also was not coherent, and I managed to turn off the alarm rather than hit the snooze button. Crikey.
I opened my eyes at 6:08 and uttered some bad words. By some miracle, I got Soph ready and out the door in time to catch the bus, but I hadn't done everything I needed to do before my run (fuel, dress properly for the run, etc). It was about 48 degrees and raining lightly, and it took every ounce of strength I had not to crawl back into bed.
So, at 7:15 (only 30 minute behind schedule!), I started my run. It was only cold for the first few minutes. I kept my jacket sleeve pulled down over C-3P0 so I couldn't see my heartrate or pace. I was supposed to run in Zone 2, so I set my watch to beep at me if my heartrate entered Zone 3. I just ran - no music, no heartrate monitor in my face, no planned route, no timer or pace screen ticking away.
IT. WAS. WONDERFUL.
It felt good. It felt easy. It felt fun. But the best part was, my pace was 45 seconds per mile faster than my previous long runs, and my heartrate was perfect. YIPPEE!!!! All those weeks of base building, all those slooooooooow runs and rides, they're paying off now. My pace is faster, my heartrate is lower (including resting heartrate, down by 7 beats per minute since 4 weeks ago), and I've dropped a little body fat and gained some muscle.
Have I mentioned how much I loved base phase? :)
Oh, one more thing: I did learn something today. Bacon before a 5-mile run is great. Bacon before a 10-mile run is not.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Base Phase is DONE
Base phase is over!!!! Hallelujah!!! Ten long weeks of slow miles are in the books!
I know I got a lot out of the base phase, and this is by far the best I've ever done at executing base training properly. But I am excited to graduate to the next phase and add some speedwork.
As predicted, I didn't have time to do the run heartrate zone test Friday, so instead, I warmed up then ran 2 miles as fast as I could. The first mile was at 8:11 and the second mile was at 7:55. Seeing as I haven't done any running faster than 10 minute pace since October, I was happy to hit these numbers. All my base runs have been 10:30 to 11:20 pace, with one particular zone 1 run at slower than 12. It felt WONDERFUL to get the legs moving again. I'm really looking forward to working on speed later in the season.
Today marked the end of recovery week. I did a 2 hour solo ride and finally explored Devil's Backbone Road. When I showed Sophie this picture, she said, "You rode there? Mom, don't ride there. It's dangerous. Look at the name!"
IT. WAS. AWESOME. I love riding through the country and the farmlands. I actually stopped to take a couple of pictures. This friendly dog greeted me at (appropriately enough) Dog Leg Road.
There were horses, cows, goats, dogs, cats, frogs, birds, and lots of quaint farmhouses. I really liked this one:
Of course, I saw about a dozen roads that just need to be explored, but they'll have to wait for another day.
Today was my first outdoor ride since my bike fitting. The bike felt great. My saddle felt much more comfortable today, and my hips felt like they had so much room - the flexors weren't all crunched up. And no knee pain!
My main goal today was to keep my heartrate low, so I made myself go incredibly slowly up the 13 thousand hills I encountered. At one point I had to laugh when my speedometer read "6.7mph." How slowly can one go without falling over (when not on a track bike)?
I felt fantastic when I finished. The combination of a 50% reduction in distance from the past two weeks, the new bike fit, and the very easy ride made my legs feel downright springy when I finished. I actually wanted to go for a run afterward. (But I didn't - the time for that is coming!)
Next week brings two new additions: a third weekly swim (Thursday) and a run after my long ride (a.k.a. a brick workout). I'm feeling good and am looking forward to the challenge. What will make this week difficult, though, is that JC will be out of town for a week. I'll have to stick to a tight schedule if I'm going to fit everything in. But, really, how hard could it be?
I know I got a lot out of the base phase, and this is by far the best I've ever done at executing base training properly. But I am excited to graduate to the next phase and add some speedwork.
As predicted, I didn't have time to do the run heartrate zone test Friday, so instead, I warmed up then ran 2 miles as fast as I could. The first mile was at 8:11 and the second mile was at 7:55. Seeing as I haven't done any running faster than 10 minute pace since October, I was happy to hit these numbers. All my base runs have been 10:30 to 11:20 pace, with one particular zone 1 run at slower than 12. It felt WONDERFUL to get the legs moving again. I'm really looking forward to working on speed later in the season.
Today marked the end of recovery week. I did a 2 hour solo ride and finally explored Devil's Backbone Road. When I showed Sophie this picture, she said, "You rode there? Mom, don't ride there. It's dangerous. Look at the name!"
IT. WAS. AWESOME. I love riding through the country and the farmlands. I actually stopped to take a couple of pictures. This friendly dog greeted me at (appropriately enough) Dog Leg Road.
Of course, I saw about a dozen roads that just need to be explored, but they'll have to wait for another day.
Today was my first outdoor ride since my bike fitting. The bike felt great. My saddle felt much more comfortable today, and my hips felt like they had so much room - the flexors weren't all crunched up. And no knee pain!
My main goal today was to keep my heartrate low, so I made myself go incredibly slowly up the 13 thousand hills I encountered. At one point I had to laugh when my speedometer read "6.7mph." How slowly can one go without falling over (when not on a track bike)?
I felt fantastic when I finished. The combination of a 50% reduction in distance from the past two weeks, the new bike fit, and the very easy ride made my legs feel downright springy when I finished. I actually wanted to go for a run afterward. (But I didn't - the time for that is coming!)
Next week brings two new additions: a third weekly swim (Thursday) and a run after my long ride (a.k.a. a brick workout). I'm feeling good and am looking forward to the challenge. What will make this week difficult, though, is that JC will be out of town for a week. I'll have to stick to a tight schedule if I'm going to fit everything in. But, really, how hard could it be?
Friday, February 8, 2013
100 Days
Yesterday marked 100 days until the race. Which means, today is 99 days until the race. See how that works? The days are just flying by!
I've had a good recovery week so far. Tuesday's swim was unremarkable, but my trainer ride was fantastic. It was another heartrate zone test, a repeat of the one I did four weeks ago. I expected to see my "threshold" heartrate stay the same or maybe go up a hair, but instead it went down 4-5 beats/minute. Since not all conditions were identical, and there are so many variables that affect heartrate, it's not an exact test.
The part that pleased me was that I went a full 2 mph faster than I did a month ago. It's not a true comparison to road riding, because my trainer is magnetic, which means that resistance increases linearly instead of exponentially as it does on the road; but this is improvement, which is exactly what we want!
Wednesday's long run was only 7.3 miles. I ran around my hilly neighborhood in sunny, 70-degree weather. I've been running on flat terrain for weeks, so this was a welcome change. I was surprised to feel strength in my legs that wasn't there before (or hasn't been since the build-up for Augusta Half Ironman). My legs felt fantastic (it's as if last week never even happened). But the best part was, my pace was 30 seconds faster per mile in heartrate zone 2 than it has been.
So, two workouts this week tell me my body is adapting, and that all this base work is paying off!
I also had a bike fitting on Wednesday. I went up to the shop in Charlotte where I bought it, because I had one free fitting left, and I really trust their bike guy, Francisco. I told him about the leg problems I've been having, and explained that comfort and healthy position are the priorities right now because of the race length. After the Ironman is over, I'll get another fitting to get in a more aero position.
In my head, it felt like my seat needed to come up some; Francisco observed and agreed. He raised it 1/4 inch (which is a mile in bike-fit terms) and what a difference that makes! It let pressure off my knees and hip flexors (I'm not having to pull my thigh up as high now). He also widened the position of my aerobars, so my elbows are beneath my shoulders rather than scrunched inward. That should help keep the traps/shoulders/neck happy over long distances.
Today, I'm dragging. These late-night Philharmonic rehearsals are taking a lot out of me (playing Mahler is a workout!). I'm supposed to swim and then do an hour run (another heartrate zone test). I will at least cut my run back to 30 minutes and skip the heartrate test. Since it's recovery week, I want to make sure I'm getting enough rest and will be fresh for next week, because we'll be adding two more workouts. I've also lost some weight (a little faster than I'd like) and my appetite is down, which is one of those red flags that I need some rest and recovery.
After today, only 2 days left of Base Phase!
I've had a good recovery week so far. Tuesday's swim was unremarkable, but my trainer ride was fantastic. It was another heartrate zone test, a repeat of the one I did four weeks ago. I expected to see my "threshold" heartrate stay the same or maybe go up a hair, but instead it went down 4-5 beats/minute. Since not all conditions were identical, and there are so many variables that affect heartrate, it's not an exact test.
The part that pleased me was that I went a full 2 mph faster than I did a month ago. It's not a true comparison to road riding, because my trainer is magnetic, which means that resistance increases linearly instead of exponentially as it does on the road; but this is improvement, which is exactly what we want!
Wednesday's long run was only 7.3 miles. I ran around my hilly neighborhood in sunny, 70-degree weather. I've been running on flat terrain for weeks, so this was a welcome change. I was surprised to feel strength in my legs that wasn't there before (or hasn't been since the build-up for Augusta Half Ironman). My legs felt fantastic (it's as if last week never even happened). But the best part was, my pace was 30 seconds faster per mile in heartrate zone 2 than it has been.
So, two workouts this week tell me my body is adapting, and that all this base work is paying off!
I also had a bike fitting on Wednesday. I went up to the shop in Charlotte where I bought it, because I had one free fitting left, and I really trust their bike guy, Francisco. I told him about the leg problems I've been having, and explained that comfort and healthy position are the priorities right now because of the race length. After the Ironman is over, I'll get another fitting to get in a more aero position.
In my head, it felt like my seat needed to come up some; Francisco observed and agreed. He raised it 1/4 inch (which is a mile in bike-fit terms) and what a difference that makes! It let pressure off my knees and hip flexors (I'm not having to pull my thigh up as high now). He also widened the position of my aerobars, so my elbows are beneath my shoulders rather than scrunched inward. That should help keep the traps/shoulders/neck happy over long distances.
Today, I'm dragging. These late-night Philharmonic rehearsals are taking a lot out of me (playing Mahler is a workout!). I'm supposed to swim and then do an hour run (another heartrate zone test). I will at least cut my run back to 30 minutes and skip the heartrate test. Since it's recovery week, I want to make sure I'm getting enough rest and will be fresh for next week, because we'll be adding two more workouts. I've also lost some weight (a little faster than I'd like) and my appetite is down, which is one of those red flags that I need some rest and recovery.
After today, only 2 days left of Base Phase!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Good Riddance, Week 9!
Week 9, you sucked. Don't let my foot hit you in the ass on the way out.
Yesterday's bike ride went well. I didn't have any true pain, just achiness around the knee/ITB, and it didn't start until mile 40 (progress!). We rode 60 miles and I felt pretty good. The highlight of my ride was when I was able to take a bottle out of my rocket launcher (a double bottle cage behind my seat), drink from it, and replace it while riding. I've always stopped to access that bottle holder before, so this was a big step. Celebrate all victories!
After the ride, my awesome, all-knowing friend showed me some great stretches using a bike tube (ingenious!) to provide resistance/pull. These two new stretches give INSTANT relief to my tight ITB/knee area. Another victory! I've been doing the stretches three times a day, and I'm feeling great improvement. Now I just need to find something similar to stretch out the bottoms of my feet, and I'll be golden.
Today's scheduled workout was a one-hour recovery run. In an unprecedented move, I went against my training plan and did a hike/walk/trail run with JC and Sophie instead. The soft trails at Peachtree Rock felt wonderful and I just ran when I felt like it, walked when I felt like it, stopped when I felt like it... I didn't even bring C-3PO with me. The time with my family was just what I needed. My soul is much happier now.
Afterwards, a long, hot soak in the bath with some Dr Teal's epsom salts relaxed and loosened me. One more good stretch after that, and my legs feel fantastic. Not quite normal, but damn close.
So, with that, this hellacious week is O.V.E.R. I'm now officially in a recovery week. YEE-HAW!!! My body and mind are grateful for this reprieve. My long run and long ride will be reduced by about a third this week. In addition to the physical break, I'll have symphony rehearsals most nights to prep for Saturday's concert - so my brain will get a little stimulation while my body rests.
Shameless plug: You MUST come to the South Carolina Philharmonic concert Saturday, Feb. 9th at the Koger Center for the Arts. We're playing Mahler 5 (among other things). You will be glad you did!
And the REALLY exciting news - after this week, BASE PHASE WILL END. I'm giddy with anticipation! I'll get to go fast! FINALLY!!!!
Yesterday's bike ride went well. I didn't have any true pain, just achiness around the knee/ITB, and it didn't start until mile 40 (progress!). We rode 60 miles and I felt pretty good. The highlight of my ride was when I was able to take a bottle out of my rocket launcher (a double bottle cage behind my seat), drink from it, and replace it while riding. I've always stopped to access that bottle holder before, so this was a big step. Celebrate all victories!
After the ride, my awesome, all-knowing friend showed me some great stretches using a bike tube (ingenious!) to provide resistance/pull. These two new stretches give INSTANT relief to my tight ITB/knee area. Another victory! I've been doing the stretches three times a day, and I'm feeling great improvement. Now I just need to find something similar to stretch out the bottoms of my feet, and I'll be golden.
Today's scheduled workout was a one-hour recovery run. In an unprecedented move, I went against my training plan and did a hike/walk/trail run with JC and Sophie instead. The soft trails at Peachtree Rock felt wonderful and I just ran when I felt like it, walked when I felt like it, stopped when I felt like it... I didn't even bring C-3PO with me. The time with my family was just what I needed. My soul is much happier now.
Afterwards, a long, hot soak in the bath with some Dr Teal's epsom salts relaxed and loosened me. One more good stretch after that, and my legs feel fantastic. Not quite normal, but damn close.
So, with that, this hellacious week is O.V.E.R. I'm now officially in a recovery week. YEE-HAW!!! My body and mind are grateful for this reprieve. My long run and long ride will be reduced by about a third this week. In addition to the physical break, I'll have symphony rehearsals most nights to prep for Saturday's concert - so my brain will get a little stimulation while my body rests.
Shameless plug: You MUST come to the South Carolina Philharmonic concert Saturday, Feb. 9th at the Koger Center for the Arts. We're playing Mahler 5 (among other things). You will be glad you did!
And the REALLY exciting news - after this week, BASE PHASE WILL END. I'm giddy with anticipation! I'll get to go fast! FINALLY!!!!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Gotta Get My Head Screwed On Right
I'm about to head out for a 50ish mile ride. I'm leading a small group today, so I've mapped out a route. I wanted to explore Devil's Backbone (how can you resist a road with a name like that?) but I think it would be prudent to make this a two-loop ride today. Various body parts aren't 100% and I will have to stop if things get bad. So Devil's Backbone will have to wait until another day.
I'm scared, nervous, frustrated, and a little depressed, but trying to think positively. Maybe I will have a great ride and all the body parts will feel good. I'm sure the sunshine and fresh air will help (even though that air is only 42 degrees right now).
I guess this is what's called "a rough patch." I understand that this whole Ironman training journey is really just a big experiment. I'm trying to do everything right and be smart but it's pretty hard sometimes to know what the right answer is.
This all boils down to the reason I signed up to do this race: I want to see what happens, how I react, when I reach those low points. I just always pictured those low points being during the actual race; I didn't realize they would come during training too.
I've trained for other endurance events, had setbacks, feared that injuries would occur and not heal, all those things that everyone experiences. So why is this any different? JC just asked me that question. The sad answer is, I guess there are parts of me that don't think I have what it takes to do this. There. I said it.
I know I'm a determined person. That tenacity gets me through a lot. But it doesn't solve all the problems, doesn't help the body heal and recover, etc.
I guess I have much to learn. ALWAYS WITH THE DAMN LEARNING.
I'm scared, nervous, frustrated, and a little depressed, but trying to think positively. Maybe I will have a great ride and all the body parts will feel good. I'm sure the sunshine and fresh air will help (even though that air is only 42 degrees right now).
I guess this is what's called "a rough patch." I understand that this whole Ironman training journey is really just a big experiment. I'm trying to do everything right and be smart but it's pretty hard sometimes to know what the right answer is.
This all boils down to the reason I signed up to do this race: I want to see what happens, how I react, when I reach those low points. I just always pictured those low points being during the actual race; I didn't realize they would come during training too.
I've trained for other endurance events, had setbacks, feared that injuries would occur and not heal, all those things that everyone experiences. So why is this any different? JC just asked me that question. The sad answer is, I guess there are parts of me that don't think I have what it takes to do this. There. I said it.
I know I'm a determined person. That tenacity gets me through a lot. But it doesn't solve all the problems, doesn't help the body heal and recover, etc.
I guess I have much to learn. ALWAYS WITH THE DAMN LEARNING.
Friday, February 1, 2013
I found my limits.
It has been a difficult week.
You know that saying about only finding your limits by pushing past them? Well, I think I found mine.
It actually started with the end of last week. Sunday, I rode longer than I should have (jumped from 47 miles the previous week to 62 miles last week), and with more intensity at times. If I had done anything else stupid that day, it would've been the Dumb Ass Trifecta. (I'm sure there was something else, I'm just too tired to remember it.) That combo culminated in the worst knee pain yet. This, after the prior week being completely pain-free, really threw me for a loop.
Monday was a rest day. Had it not been, I would've taken the day off from workouts to let the knee rest. I was in a lot of pain, and I started to lose my confidence that I'll be able to complete the training (and thus, the race). All the "what-if" questions filled my head: What if I can't work out this week? What if it gets worse when I try to run or ride again? What if Dr Awesome can't fix this? What if it hurts that badly during the race?
Okay, for that last question, my answer is "HTFU." I don't want to cause injury to my body during training, but when the big day is here, I suppose I will suffer through anything to finish that race, unless it's a life-threatening problem.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm only in Week 9, and I have a long way to go. Half of me is scared I may not even make it to the start line.
Tuesday, my knee began to feel somewhat better, but I began feeling sensations in the soles of my feet, particularly the left one. Sometimes it felt tight, sometimes I felt pins-and-needles, and the most disconcerting of all: sometimes it felt cold. My brilliant, supportive husband suggested that maybe my feet were just... cold. I gave that some consideration, then decided I had a compressed nerve, plantar fasciitis and some sort of weird foot affliction nobody has even heard of yet.
I may have freaked out a little. Yeah, a little. Okay, a lot. I would compare it to Taper Madness in intensity of fear. UGH!
I wasn't sure which of my workouts this week, IF ANY, I would be able to do. So, what do I do when faced with uncertainty? I make a plan. I would try swimming. If it hurt my knee to kick in the pool, I would swim with the pull buoy (a hard styrofoam floaty device you put between your legs to make your lower half float while you swim with just your arms). I'm pleased to report that I had NO pain swimming, so swim workouts were off the chopping block.
Next: Biking. I had an hour-long trainer ride planned for Tuesday evening. I told myself I'd start easy and just see how I felt. I'd increase speed/resistance very slowly, and at the first hint of pain, I would stop and stretch. If it still hurt when I started again, I would quit the workout. One trainer ride does not mean much in the grand scheme of things; I'm not going to risk injury for one ride.
Luckily, the bike ride went much better than I had anticipated. I had no pain, just some slight discomfort. I was aware of my knee, but it didn't hurt. I was able to complete the workout.
Finally: Running. Wednesday is my weekly long run. Despite not having any knee pain at all during the day, I was not optimistic that I'd be able to complete the run pain-free. I had 10.6 miles scheduled, and with bad weather blowing in, I did it on the treadmill. Again, I told myself that if I had any pain, I would stop. I STILL cannot believe that I had NOT ONE IOTA of pain or discomfort in that knee. Sure, other things ached, as you would expect on a two-hour slow run on a treadmill, but otherwise, I felt great. I stopped often to do my Dr Awesome stretches. Sometimes it's frustrating to have to take the time to stretch that often; it makes an hour and forty-five minute run last over two hours. But I'd rather take that time to stretch than be injured and not get to run at all.
Thursday's trainer ride was pain-free, discomfort-free, and downright unremarkable. I started to relax and believe the crazy was over. But then - DUHN DUHN DUHNNNNNN..... I had my Dr Awesome appointment Friday morning.
He worked on the usual gang of suspects (knee/ITB/adductors/hip flexors). Then he spent some time on my feet. Guess what? I got some MORE stretches to do! Yee-haaaw! He agrees that we are ahead of any "injury" right now, but I need to stay on top of it before it turns into plantar fasciitis.
So, that's where I am right now: physically on the edge, and mentally (sometimes) over the edge. I oscillate between relaxed/confident and scared shitless/crazy. I've made a slight amendment to my mantra:
I will stick to the plan but adjust when necessary.
I will do the work.
I will be patient.
The results will come.
You know that saying about only finding your limits by pushing past them? Well, I think I found mine.
It actually started with the end of last week. Sunday, I rode longer than I should have (jumped from 47 miles the previous week to 62 miles last week), and with more intensity at times. If I had done anything else stupid that day, it would've been the Dumb Ass Trifecta. (I'm sure there was something else, I'm just too tired to remember it.) That combo culminated in the worst knee pain yet. This, after the prior week being completely pain-free, really threw me for a loop.
Monday was a rest day. Had it not been, I would've taken the day off from workouts to let the knee rest. I was in a lot of pain, and I started to lose my confidence that I'll be able to complete the training (and thus, the race). All the "what-if" questions filled my head: What if I can't work out this week? What if it gets worse when I try to run or ride again? What if Dr Awesome can't fix this? What if it hurts that badly during the race?
Okay, for that last question, my answer is "HTFU." I don't want to cause injury to my body during training, but when the big day is here, I suppose I will suffer through anything to finish that race, unless it's a life-threatening problem.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm only in Week 9, and I have a long way to go. Half of me is scared I may not even make it to the start line.
Tuesday, my knee began to feel somewhat better, but I began feeling sensations in the soles of my feet, particularly the left one. Sometimes it felt tight, sometimes I felt pins-and-needles, and the most disconcerting of all: sometimes it felt cold. My brilliant, supportive husband suggested that maybe my feet were just... cold. I gave that some consideration, then decided I had a compressed nerve, plantar fasciitis and some sort of weird foot affliction nobody has even heard of yet.
I may have freaked out a little. Yeah, a little. Okay, a lot. I would compare it to Taper Madness in intensity of fear. UGH!
I wasn't sure which of my workouts this week, IF ANY, I would be able to do. So, what do I do when faced with uncertainty? I make a plan. I would try swimming. If it hurt my knee to kick in the pool, I would swim with the pull buoy (a hard styrofoam floaty device you put between your legs to make your lower half float while you swim with just your arms). I'm pleased to report that I had NO pain swimming, so swim workouts were off the chopping block.
Next: Biking. I had an hour-long trainer ride planned for Tuesday evening. I told myself I'd start easy and just see how I felt. I'd increase speed/resistance very slowly, and at the first hint of pain, I would stop and stretch. If it still hurt when I started again, I would quit the workout. One trainer ride does not mean much in the grand scheme of things; I'm not going to risk injury for one ride.
Luckily, the bike ride went much better than I had anticipated. I had no pain, just some slight discomfort. I was aware of my knee, but it didn't hurt. I was able to complete the workout.
Finally: Running. Wednesday is my weekly long run. Despite not having any knee pain at all during the day, I was not optimistic that I'd be able to complete the run pain-free. I had 10.6 miles scheduled, and with bad weather blowing in, I did it on the treadmill. Again, I told myself that if I had any pain, I would stop. I STILL cannot believe that I had NOT ONE IOTA of pain or discomfort in that knee. Sure, other things ached, as you would expect on a two-hour slow run on a treadmill, but otherwise, I felt great. I stopped often to do my Dr Awesome stretches. Sometimes it's frustrating to have to take the time to stretch that often; it makes an hour and forty-five minute run last over two hours. But I'd rather take that time to stretch than be injured and not get to run at all.
Thursday's trainer ride was pain-free, discomfort-free, and downright unremarkable. I started to relax and believe the crazy was over. But then - DUHN DUHN DUHNNNNNN..... I had my Dr Awesome appointment Friday morning.
He worked on the usual gang of suspects (knee/ITB/adductors/hip flexors). Then he spent some time on my feet. Guess what? I got some MORE stretches to do! Yee-haaaw! He agrees that we are ahead of any "injury" right now, but I need to stay on top of it before it turns into plantar fasciitis.
So, that's where I am right now: physically on the edge, and mentally (sometimes) over the edge. I oscillate between relaxed/confident and scared shitless/crazy. I've made a slight amendment to my mantra:
I will stick to the plan but adjust when necessary.
I will do the work.
I will be patient.
The results will come.
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