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Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2014
Bike
First ever sneaky lunchtime bike ride. Whoop whoop! It was a sizzling change from work clothes to cycling duds.....and my super quick apparel change wasn't the only thing that was sizzling - the temps were ridiculous, and the black asphalt only added insult to char-broiled injury on this ride. I was actually shocked - I naively thought just because I'd be pedaling, thus creating my own wind, I'd be comfy cool. No. Such. Luck.
Ah, but the ride was good. I worked on keeping my cadence up, body relaxed...and I must admit I was watching my speed...hoping I'd find some. But I'm still horribly slow. I only had a tight window to get this done (an hour or less), so it was a short ride. Time in the saddle....just trying to get some good time in the saddle.
Actual bike: 16.49 miles in 59:22 for an average speed of 16.7 mph with an average cadence of 85 rpm
Swim
After last Saturday's mediocre performance in the pool after a 19 mile bike ride earlier in the day, I was a bit concerned how this session would go since I had cycled in stifling heat just 6 hours previous....but it turned out pretty okay.
1,000 yards easy
12 x 40 yards kick, w/10 sec rest
120 yards easy
2 x (2 x 400 on 6 min, 1 x 200 w/target of 2:40)
400 yards easy
Highlights and this 'n that:
Kick - this is the first time since last year that I've used the kick board (mainly due to hip flexor injury) :eek: so I really didn't know what to expect.....but it was sort of like riding a bike, you don't forget. All in between 38 - 43 seconds.
First set of 2 x 400, 1 x 200 - This felt pretty good...and I knew the 200 was the important element of this set so I kept the 400s a good distance from the dreaded point-of-no-return while still working it. It's funny how a 200 seems such a short and "manageable" distance after doing 400s. 5:40, 5:35, 2:36.
Second set of 2 x 400, 1 x 200 - I won't lie, this whole set took a bit more effort, but it wasn't necessarily in the deep muck of the red zone as I was able to keep the effort up the entire 1,000 yards. I made this about the upper body....and I tried something I've never tried before based on something I read recently about distance swimming and the stroke - I tried to relax the arms during their recovery. (Keep in mind, I only know sprinting.....I am learning distance.) I tried to have the forward motion of the recovery use as little of my energy as possible by making the movement as much about momentum as I could. I think it worked. ?? Interested, if you're out there somewhere, is this bunk...or has it any merit?? But bottom line, this was a solid set that I am happy with....but it was work. 5:35, 5:33, 2:35.
Actual swim: 4,000 zippity pippity yards0 -
Tuesday, June 17th, 2014
Bike
First ever sneaky lunchtime bike ride. Whoop whoop! It was a sizzling change from work clothes to cycling duds.....and my super quick apparel change wasn't the only thing that was sizzling - the temps were ridiculous, and the black asphalt only added insult to char-broiled injury on this ride. I was actually shocked - I naively thought just because I'd be pedaling, thus creating my own wind, I'd be comfy cool. No. Such. Luck.
Ah, but the ride was good. I worked on keeping my cadence up, body relaxed...and I must admit I was watching my speed...hoping I'd find some. But I'm still horribly slow. I only had a tight window to get this done (an hour or less), so it was a short ride. Time in the saddle....just trying to get some good time in the saddle.
Actual bike: 16.49 miles in 59:22 for an average speed of 16.7 mph with an average cadence of 85 rpm
Swim
After last Saturday's mediocre performance in the pool after a 19 mile bike ride earlier in the day, I was a bit concerned how this session would go since I had cycled in stifling heat just 6 hours previous....but it turned out pretty okay.
1,000 yards easy
12 x 40 yards kick, w/10 sec rest
120 yards easy
2 x (2 x 400 on 6 min, 1 x 200 w/target of 2:40)
400 yards easy
Highlights and this 'n that:
Kick - this is the first time since last year that I've used the kick board (mainly due to hip flexor injury) :eek: so I really didn't know what to expect.....but it was sort of like riding a bike, you don't forget. All in between 38 - 43 seconds.
First set of 2 x 400, 1 x 200 - This felt pretty good...and I knew the 200 was the important element of this set so I kept the 400s a good distance from the dreaded point-of-no-return while still working it. It's funny how a 200 seems such a short and "manageable" distance after doing 400s. 5:40, 5:35, 2:36.
Second set of 2 x 400, 1 x 200 - I won't lie, this whole set took a bit more effort, but it wasn't necessarily in the deep muck of the red zone as I was able to keep the effort up the entire 1,000 yards. I made this about the upper body....and I tried something I've never tried before based on something I read recently about distance swimming and the stroke - I tried to relax the arms during their recovery. (Keep in mind, I only know sprinting.....I am learning distance.) I tried to have the forward motion of the recovery use as little of my energy as possible by making the movement as much about momentum as I could. I think it worked. ?? Interested, if you're out there somewhere, is this bunk...or has it any merit?? But bottom line, this was a solid set that I am happy with....but it was work. 5:35, 5:33, 2:35.
Actual swim: 4,000 zippity pippity yards
Great to hear your back biking, short regular spins with some longer weekend work ? sounds like a reasonable plan to keep you moving forward.
In truth anything that enables you to 'relax' during a long swim is beneficial ... it's kinda like nutrition ... what works for one may or may not work for another swimmer but its worth testing it out.
I always find with swimming, the more relaxed I can make my mind, then Im not forcing the stroke and everything seems to .. pun intended .. flow better. Strokes like butterfly and breastroke over 100m are dictated by timing, controlled power and imho an ability to relax and let it flow. That said the 3rd 50 of a 200 fly is often around the time where 'Im really too old for this sh*t' takes over in the head.
The average ~ 5.35 for 400's on 6 and 2.35 for the 200's shows real progress in such a short time and is more than likely a testament to the endless pool work you've been doing. Holding 2.40/2.45 for 200 after 200 over longer distances should already be possible.
Training consistently with small increments in one or two variables .... for swimming and other disciplines seems to suit you. Im really glad the hip was ok during the kick ....0 -
Wednesday, June 18th, 2014
Swim
Sneaky lunchtime recovery swim. Arms, shoulders, and back knew it had done a bit of work last night. Lovely little swim in the sun.
Actual swim: 2,000 sunshiny, midday yards
Run plan: 10 miles very easy
Venue: grassy field in need of cutting
Time of day: 6pm-ish
Weather: too frickin' hot :eek:
Refreshments available: 1 bottle of Fierce Grape Gatorade, 3 bottles of water
Refreshments consumed:: 1 bottle of Fierce Grape Gatorade, 1 bottle of water
Apparel worn: not much
Wildlife encountered: 1 black snake, 1 deer with her itty bitty spotted fawn, 3 skunks :eek::eek::eek:, a handful of rabbits
There are not many runs that I average a 9:53 min/mile pace and am happy with how it went, but this is one of those runs that I'm actually pleased with. (Target pace for very easy runs is 9:30, but that's under "normal" conditions) It was hot out there....and really humid. I just ran this to feel (didn't have the Garmin display my pace), keeping "very easy" in mind....and I didn't fight the heat and humidity, but rather I ran within it. I stopped twice to take on fluids and douse my head with water....and as the sun started to set and the heat started to ease on the final two miles, my pace naturally picked up, and I finished feeling strong with mile 10 being my best mile. Happy camper.
9:23, 9:28, 9:57, 9:53, 10:17
10:06, 10:33, 10:12, 10:01, 9:03
Actual run: 10.2 easy peasy, loosey goosey, hot and humid field miles in 1:40:48 for an average pace of 9:53 min/mile0 -
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Thursday, June 19th, 2014
Bike
Sneaky lunchtime cycle. Same route as Tuesday, but my legs were pooped from last night's 10 mile s-l-o-w field run, so I just kept things on the easy side. I was even a little lazy about shifting.
But, it was a nice short ride that included some yucky road paving (that made me very glad I wasn't on The Black Cat) and a dead rattlesnake in the middle of the road that was being feasted on by a big old turkey vulture! Lunch!!!
Actual bike: 16.5 miles in 1:00:02 for and average speed of 16.5 mph and an average cadence of 79 rpm
Swim
Done post-work and pre-storm.
400 yards desc 1-4 finishing at 80% perceived effort
16 x 200 yards w/pull buoy on 3 minutes as follows:
- 1st 4 targeting 2:50/2:55
- 2nd 4 targeting 2:50
- 3rd 4 targeting 2:45/2:50
- 4th 4 targeting sub 2:45
400 yards easy
Hightlights:
- 1st 4...done nice and easy. No complaints. 2:55, 2:50, 2:50, 2:50
- 2nd 4...done nice and easy, but with a smidge more effort while keeping in mind these are descending sets. These were just a hair faster than prescribed. 2:45, 2:48, 2:47, 2:45
- 3rd 4...and I started to work it a bit. Upper body was doing its thing, breathing was every 3, and because I knew I only had this set and one other set of 4 x 200s to do, this was psychologically quite manageable. 2:45, 2:45, 2:45, 2:45
- 4th 4...knowing I only had these 4 x 200s meant that I could with some confidence bring this entire session home in one piece. Controlled and business-like was the order of the moment. All good. 2:43, 2:43, 2:42, 2:40
Actual swim: 4,000 upper-body-working yards0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »Are you slower with the pull bouy? Whats the benefit/difference between the above set and one done without PB?? Do you position the PB high or low on the legs???
whats next ... where do babies come from ??
alas its Friday
Id imagine the pull buoy work is based on the 10mile run recently ?
Im going to go out on a limb here and say ... Most swimmers are slower with the pull buoy but this is a triathlon forum so ..
Pull buoy's go between the quads ... using a kick board as a substitute or putting one lower below knees can trigger groin strains imho0 -
interested wrote: »whats next ... where do babies come from ?? alas its Friday
Id imagine the pull buoy work is based on the 10mile run recently ?
Im going to go out on a limb here and say ... Most swimmers are slower with the pull buoy but this is a triathlon forum so ..
Pull buoy's go between the quads ... using a kick board as a substitute or putting one lower below knees can trigger groin strains imho
Next question was going to be "where are my keys", but then we're back in to innuendo territory and as you say its a hot and sticky Friday;)
So, PB is used (in this instance) to compensate for tired legs- the session would be more useful with fresh legs and no PB, but needs must?
Reason I ask is I can see the benefit in PB for specific catch or upper body work, but I'm wondering if using PB for fast 100's or 200's sets will make you faster in general, as you're taking legs out of the scenario; or will ensuing loss of form using the PB with speed be counterproductive? And where do babies come from?0 -
Kurt Godel wrote: »Are you slower with the pull bouy? Whats the benefit/difference between the above set and one done without PB?? Do you position the PB high or low on the legs???
Hi Kurt.
I'll answer your first two questions sort of as one....am I slower w/PB, and what's the diff between that set w/ and w/o PB?
I am faster without the pull buoy, for sure....but as distance increases in swimming, the contribution of the kick naturally decreases due to the slowed beat. Because I am focusing on distance/endurance swimming right now, this was not really a session about how well/fast I can do a 200, but rather this was about learning how to pace using 200s as my marker. In other words, I approached this session as if I was swimming a 3,200......which I was. The pull buoy allowed me to focus on my stroke to strengthen it and ensure proper/complete form repetitively - it put all the pressure on the element I'll be relying on most in a race of that length. Additionally, and to my surprise, I am finding the use of a pull buoy in these type of sessions is also teaching me/reinforcing (by forcing the legs out of the picture) how the body should feel swimming such distances, which is totally different than how the body feels while swimming the shorter stuff. And, the use of the pull buoy last night did indeed give my legs a nice break after the 10 mile field run I did the night before.
Where do I position the PB??
High up on the legs, directly under my crotch. 0 -
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Babies come from mummy's tummy.
Your keys are on the worktop.
The meaning of life is 42.
A funny story I will share that this reminds me of ... I dont recall too much detail but I do remember asking and being happy with the answer.
As a kid ... about 4 ... I lay staring beside my mother before she was due to pop with my kid brother ... I stared ... my mother who was attempting to snooze was a little startled and asked me if I was ok ....
'Does it come out your mouth ?'
'No Mark' - tears of laughter and minutes passed before I got my answer.
Keep the questions coming Kurt ... for we all know boards.ie brings forth true answers every time Its D'internet ? it has to be true if its on D'internet 0 -
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Friday, June 20th, 2014
Morning....
Run plan: 5 x 1 mile @ MP (current prescribed MP is 8 min/mile) w/2 min recovery
Based on today's work dynamics and heat, I snuck out to get this session done after surgeries were completed this morning....and because this was the first session I've done on hard surface since Boston, I decided to seek out the safety and comfort of the track.
The session was okay - I've lost speed, but I'm just thankful I'm running again. I did these a bit faster than prescribed (now there's a surprise! :rolleyes:), but these were certainly not any sizzlers. I practically had the entire track to myself - there was an older fella kicking around a soccer ball in the field, and two older gentleman walking the track who kept asking me questions each time I passed them. Nice fellas, but I have to admit I was glad when they were finished and gone.
7:49, 7:42, 7:44, 7:39, 7:40
Actual run: 6 miles in 49:40.52 for an average pace of 8:17 min/mile
Noon....
Sneaky lunchtime yoga and foam rolling.....plus, a new addition! The "Bring Sally up, Bring Sally down" Moby squat challenge!! Whoop whoop! Thank you ecoli! I am now to do this squat thingy 2 to 3 times per week to strengthen my glutes and get me all bootylicious. I am easing into this thing....
Night....
Swim
Just a very late evening recovery swim to shake out the week and prepare myself for the weekend. My pool....therapy for my soul.
Actual swim: 2,000 loverly yards0 -
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FWIW there are always going to be lurkers like myself, a newbie wannabe triathlete, who doesn't even know what a pull buoy looks like and feels too self-conscious to ask the questions everyone else takes for granted. So keep the questions coming and I'll keep learning. It also gives me a nice break from being humbled by DD's activities.
Here's what my pull buoy looks like:
http://www.speedousa.com/pull-buoy.shtml
The bigger end goes behind the legs, so the smaller end is facing forward (or, facing the bottom of the pool when you are swimming freestyle).
And never feel too self-conscious on my log!! We've all had to google terms/toys/ideas/etc that we've read on various threads but had no earthly idea what that person was talking about. How boring it would be if we all knew everything. 0 -
Saturday, June 21st, 2014
Bike plan: 3 hours
Rain all last night....rain called for off and on all day....clouds and overcast. Ugh. And this was a 3 hour spin. And I really wanted some company on it, but I couldn't even buy a date today. So...off I went on my own with snacks and refreshments and a vague plan of what I wanted to do.
Basically I did the up, down, and S curves of Rileyville Loop and crossed many, many railroad tracks and got chased by 3 dogs, 1 of which meant business (HATE that!!! I mean....I reallyreallyreally hate being chased by dogs showing teeth...and I'm never quite sure what to do - stop or up the speed???)....then up, up, up to Rocky Branch....and then up, up, up to Shenk Hollow...then Rocky Branch again...and then Shenk Hollow again. Hills. In a word, I did hills today. Or, at least hills by my standards...not sure what constitutes hills by others' standards. ??
I worked on my cadence, and I worked on shifting appropriately. I also tried to "engage my core", hoping that by doing so my lower back would hold up better than it did....and by the time I had put in 2.5 hours, my derriere was more than happy to see the storm ushering wind blowing me to and fro, thus giving me a legitimate reason to start wrapping this ride up. My butt had had enough. But, good ride overall...even if the average speed is low, but I did do some hills, ya know.:)
Garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/page/activity/activity.faces?activityId=525518674&actionMethod=page%2Factivity%2Factivity.xhtml%3AuserSwitcher.switchSystem&cid=2817995
Actual bike: 46.22 miles in 2:57:13 for an average pace of 15.6 mph, average cadence of 80, and elevation gain of 2,576 feet
I had intended on going for a swim this evening, but I got busy doing other things. Whoop whoop.0 -
Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
Swim
Plucked 3 baby frogs out of the scuppers today - 2 very dead, 1 bloated but very alive....so I released him into the garden and wished him well.
The swim set was as follows:
1,000 yards easy
6 x 20 yards hypoxic, all out...w/45 sec rest
120 yards easy
4 x 400 yards on 5:40
400 yards easy
200 yards tt
200 yards easy
Tid bits.....
The hypoxic - Lovely....really, really lovely. Was so nice, actually, to do a bit of speed as I had nearly forgotten what it feels like to swim with basically everything north of my rib cage nearly out of the water and my kick going full blast. <sigh> All in ~10 seconds.
4 x 400s - The first two were not too bad, but I started to feel the pinch on the third one. Breathing frequently certainly helps me when doing any sort of distance, and I channelled my inner pull buoy technique to keep the legs from doing too much work. By the time I made it to fourth 400, I was wasted and I honestly wanted to get off this crazy train, but I kept plugging along...I kept pulling myself along, breathing every 2nd stroke...and 300 yards into this, I had honestly convinced myself that this 400 would be the slowest of the four, so with only 100 yards remaining, I said screw it and decided to try and salvage a little something by upping my effort. This 400 turned out to be the fastest of the set.
Total shock. 5:35, 5:35, 5:35, 5:30
400 easy - I think I gave new meaning to the word "easy" on this one.
200 tt - "Sizzled" the first 100 yards, then upped the kick, and then drove it home. This felt good. 2:31
Actual swim: 3,640 Sunday evening yards0 -
Monday, June 23rd, 2014
Started the work day with a brief "Bring Sally Up..." squat challenge - and I recruited one of my co-workers to do this with me. We'll be increasing the squats slowly.....
Run plan: 4 miles easy, 5 miles easy
Did the 4 miles sneaky lunchtime style in the field under a cloudy sky....and did the 5 miles after work field-style in a sunshiny and gorgeously mild evening. Didn't bother with the Garmin as it distracts me and prevents me from being honest about going easy. And even though I am still way behind in my running fitness (not sure I'll even get that back this year), my body is feeling good at the moment. Yay. !!
Actual run: 4.2 noon-time field miles.....and 5.6 evening field miles
Swim
Did a quick change from fledgling running to seasoned swimmer and put in some easy yards to round out the day. I love these easy runs and swims (I probably love them too much) because they allow me some quality time to work on form and to think about what I am doing.
Actual swim: 2,000 nice and easy sunset yards0 -
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Tuesday, June 24th, 2014
Once again, I started the workday nice and early with a Bring Sally Down squat session with my best co-worker gal, Nikki.
Bike
Sneaky lunchtime bike ride that was washed in sunshine and some wind. This felt pretty slow at the start of the ride, but I must've picked up the pace as the ride went on because my average speed was pretty normal for the route I took. No complaints - felt good and never pushed this.
Actual bike: 16.5 miles in 59:53 for an average speed of 16.5 mph
Swim
400 yards easy, descending 1-4 easy to 80%
20 x 200 yards w/pull buoy on 3:00, target in on 2:55
400 yards easy
Simple, with a focus on endurance and steady pace.
Highlights.....
All 200s in on 2:48-2:50, except the final 200 was in on 2:46.
Why did I go slightly faster than I was supposed to? Two reasons: 1) 10 seconds is so much better than 5 seconds to wipe the fog from your goggles and adjust your swim cap...and, 2) because after coming in bang on 2:50 for the very first 200, I felt I could sustain that even pace for a full 4,000 yards....and I did.
Not often can I say I feel I nailed a session, but I feel I nailed this one. It was no problem....and if I do the math, I'm tickled pink.
Actual swim: 4,800 pink pull buoy yards0 -
Wednesday, June 25th, 2014
A sunrise Sally squat session started the day.....
...then....
Swim
....a sneaky lunchtime swim under the scorching sun done long, slow and comfortable.
Actual swim: 2,000 easy yards
Run plan: 11 miles easy
This was done after work in the field under an ominous sky that erupted into a full blown thunderstorm. :eek: But I'm honestly not bothered by storms, so off I went...and off I continued on.....and continued on I did even when my Garmin lost satellite on the third mile. Crap. But I decided to keep the Garmin on so I could keep track of my elapsed time...and because I know the distance of a field lap and because I'm pretty good with math , I knew I could extrapolate an estimated average pace for this session - which was supposed to be around 9 min/mile as told to me by the man behind the curtain.
However, I ran into a little snag in my extrapolation plan when on the 2nd to last lap a deer jumped in front of me, startling us both, but she retreated....and then immediately after her came a skunk, which startled only me, so I retreated, but that then meant the remainder of my run was going to be a guessing game of sorts. Ah...but....remember, I'm pretty good with math and I had glanced at my watch as I passed my start/finish marker at the beginning of that 2nd to last lap, so I had enough information to reasonably estimate everything I needed to estimate.
Lap distance - .7 mile
Time elapsed when last glanced at watch - 1:26:15
Number of laps around the field when last glanced at watch - 14
Average pace when last glanced at watch - 86.15 min / (.7 mile x 14) = 8:48 min/mile
Total elapsed time of run - 1:39:47
Total estimated distance of run assuming remainder of run was at average pace (which it pretty much was based on how it felt) - 99:47 min / 8:48 min/mile = 11.3 miles
Oh, and the run felt okay. I'm still lagging way behind in my running fitness....but I'm plodding along....and I'll keep at it.
Actual run: 11.3 miles in 1:39:47 for an average pace of 8:48 min/mile0 -
Thursday, June 26th, 2014
Bike
It was a sneaky lunchtime bike ride in the sun covering the usual lunchtime route today. Legs knew they had 11 miles in them from the night before, but the ride went well.
Actual bike: 16.5 miles in 58:48 for an average speed of 16.8 mph, and average cadence of 79 rpm, and an elevation gain of 705 feet
Swim
1,000 yards SKPS:
- 40 skill...finger tip drag :rolleyes:
- 40 kick...low intensity
- 40 pull...easy
- 40 swim...focusing on good form
6 x 400 w/pull buoy on 6 min...desc 1-3, 4-6
400 easy
Highlights:
SKPS - I'll leave that to your creative imaginations.
400s, #1-3 - Took the first one very easy, but that bit me in the arse when I had equipment malfunctions (pull buoy popped out from between the legs on a flip turn, and goggles filled with water, all at the same time) thus putting me behind the eight ball on the very first 400. Next two 400s went well and felt fine. 5:58, 5:48, 5:35
400, #4-6 - This set was really nice. Good stroke, comfortable rhythm, smart breathing - all very under control. And on the fifth 400 I decided to target a sub 5:30 for the final 400. No problem. 5:45, 5:38, 5:25
This has been a very good week so far in the pool. Focus has been on endurance and upper body, all the while being very conservative with my hip flexor as to not aggravate it, especially in light of the fact that running and cycling mileage is going up. All is going well....just trying to train smart.
Actual swim: 3,800 yards0 -
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No no, this can be done with a very unslient "I", but with a very slient "M"
Frankly, I think you're taking the soft way out. Yes, the "M" likes to be silent (but deadly)....however, I honestly was not given an "I" to do, just the SKPS....but was told it's pronounced like "skips". What's the "I"?? 0 -
Friday, June 27th, 2014
Sneaky lunchtime yoga, Sally squat session, and foam rolling was the order of the day! Whoop whoop. Felt good....I've been neglecting the yoga and foam rolling, and this was a reminder that they are good for me...good for my body...good for my training.
Run plan: 7 mile progression run, with last mile @ MP (for these purposes, I've been instructed to use 8 min/mile as MP)
I had to do this after work, but I waited just a little bit so things could cool down some as I really did not want to melt under the hot sun....and other than the inconvenient and route altering meet-up with a deer and yet another skunk towards the end of my run, delaying my start turned out to be a brilliant idea as by the time I started to pick up the pace, the sun was low enough in the sky that it was quite comfy out there.
This was a very nice run...and controlled, in the grassy field that is in desperate need of cutting. I will confess, however, I let it rip on that final mile. I honestly did not have any idea I was going way too fast until I glanced at my watch about halfway through that mile....and I started to dial it back, but then said feck it. I figured if I felt this good on my final mile in a marathon, then this would be the pace I'd be running on that final mile. ?? Funny, my rationale sounded so much better when it was swirling around in my head while running at 8 mph. Bottom line, I'm clawing back my running fitness. :cool:
9:14, 8:56, 8:47, 8:36, 8:21, 8:11, 7:23
Actual run: 7.18 miles in 1:01:19 for an average pace of 8:32 min/mile
Swim
A quick dip at dusk in a new suit. Lovely little swim to shake out the week.
Actual swim: 1,000 yards0 -
Saturday, June 28th, 2014
Bike
Sunshiny and hot......and plenty of wind was on the menu today. Funny how the swirling wind never seems to be at my back on these rides.
I had company today...which was good and bad. The good was I did a little bit of sneaky drafting, the bad was one of the fellas was a bit slower than I'm used to, so we had to wait on him a few times to catch up. No worries. It all worked out....and we made a pit stop and replenished our water bottles at the slow poke's house at about the 2 hour mark.
We did the Rileyville Loop to Rocky Branch to Shenk Hollow to the triathlon course......S turns, railroad tracks, hills, and lots of very dead road kill. Squirrels, birds, various vermin, and plenty of unidentified flying objects at various stages of decomposition. Heat really speeds up the process....not to mention the number flies/maggots and scavengers can do to a fertile piece of furry real estate. But I digress....
This ride was tough....legs were a bit tired from last night's run, and I honestly thought the thighs were going to explode a few times...but I'm learning how to spin, and I'm starting to see/understand the benefits of spinning from an energy conservation and endurance standpoint. I also took on plenty of nutrition and drank quite often, but I dropped my water bottle once - I think it slipped due to my hand being sweaty plus the condensation that was on the bottle from being in the refrigerator. I'm learning.
http://connect.garmin.com/page/activity/activity.faces?activityId=530362955&actionMethod=page%2Factivity%2Factivity.xhtml%3AuserSwitcher.switchSystem&cid=22057396
(For some strange reason my Garmin Connect data has started displaying in metric. ?? Maybe it's trying to tell me something???)
Actual bike: 51.59 miles in 3:09:53 for an average speed of 16.3 mph, average cadence of 82 rpm, and elevation gain of 2,701 feet
Swim
A late evening swim to help the body recover from the day's bike ride. Water has an amazing effect on me.
Actual swim: 2,000 evening yards0 -
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Sunday, June 29th, 2014
Swim
400 yard warmup
800 on 11:30
400 on 6:15
200 on 3:05
120 on 1:45
200 on 3:00
400 on 6:10
800 on 11:20
400 yards easy swim down
My heart was not into this, plain and simple, and it showed in so many respects....and I approached the first 800 way too lackadaisically and didn't even make the cutoff (I guess doing all open turns on an 800 isn't exactly a good idea). I considered bagging the entire session at that point, but instead decided to see what a 400 with flip turns and a little effort might look like, and it was better at 5:45...so I kept going. The next 200 was 2:45....the 120 was 1:30....then 2:38, 5:35 and 11:10.
I was considering squishing tomorrow's two recovery runs into today because I am off to a tri camp starting Thursday for an extended weekend and wanted to maximize my "planned" training, but honestly I'm tired....so no squishing....instead I think I'll go make myself a sandwich and put the do not disturb sign out and relax by the pool for the rest of the day.
Actual swim:: 3,700 yards that lacked any heart0
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