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Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf
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The Fireworks Hangover
Plan: 2 mile warmup, 14 x 1 min on/off (target pace 6:15 - 6:25), 2 mile cool down
I planned on doing this over lunch as I had an engagement in the evening. I also planned on doing this on the flat track, but due to the uncivilized heat we are experiencing and the resulting broiling I'd be receiving from the black asphalt of the track with no shade, I adjusted my plan and did this in my grassy and uneven field with patches of shady relief.
I chose a nice shaded area to stash my cache of water and Gatorade, and decided I'd do these 1 minute intervals in one section of the field that had the most strategically positioned trees for that time of the day, high noon, that included a right hand turn on the odd numbered sprints, and a left hand turn on the even numbered sprints. I tried best I could to keep moving/walking in shaded areas on the rest intervals, and stopped completely a few times to take in fluids (but always keeping to the designated 1 minute). Overall and everything considering, I'm happy with this set. As soon as the 14th "on" was in the books, I hoofed it back inside to do the 2 mile cool down on the treamill in the wonderfully comfortable air conditioning. Glad this session is done.
1 min on paces:
5:53, 6:15, 5:53, 6:15, 5:53, 6:15, 6:15
6:15, 5:33, 6:15, 6:15, 6:15, 5:53, 6:15
Actual: 7.16 miles in the field, sprinting and sweating under the full sun0 -
Saturday, July 6, 2013
I hooked up with a few local triathletes again to do a swim and bike session at the lake. I'm really enjoying this group training thing for the camaraderie - it really is a nice change-up to break-up the monotony that can sometimes sneak into training.
Swim
The lake water felt absolutely wonderful - the temperature is perfect at the moment and I am hoping it holds out for race day. There were 5 of us for the swim, again varying degrees of ability, and again my young fella who I have taken under my wing was present and accounted for....but this time he was sporting a nose clip (per my suggestion since he was having such trouble with water getting up his nose causing him to stop swimming), and this time he did SO much better. Hoorah!!
I managed to get a bit more quality swim time today....swimming steady distances at an even pace and practicing my sighting. Boy howdy is swimming open water much different than swimming in a pool. I think we take for granted how much rest a flip turn affords you, but oh how we are reminded of that when we are in an open body of water plugging away stroke after stroke. Felt good, but I really need more practice in this aquatic environment before race day.
Actual: ~1,500 meter lake swim
Bike
A quick change from lake mermaid to road bike demon, and my 3 mates (we dropped one after the swim) and I were off. I wasn't too worried about killing this ride and had decided to stay with my girlfriend to encourage her along as she's not a particularly strong rider. But, soon enough it was obvious that my swimming charge was raring to go, and obvious that the other fella was struggling....so I made the decision that I would stay with my charge and the other fella would stay with my girlfriend. Worked a treat. My charge and I worked well together....trading lead....and keeping eachother company. He's really such a nice guy - very polite constantly saying "yes ma'm...no ma'm....thank you ma'm...." He's got great potential, and I think in time will be quite a good triathlete if he can get his swim down and learns how to clip in. (listen to me!!!
)
Actual bike: 17.4 miles in 1:01:xx - other details would require me to get off my arse and go out to the garage and look at the computer, but I'm having none of that at 10pm~~~~~~~
And this evening, later than usual.....
Run plan: easy
Did this easy run in the field a bit later than usual, but what a nice difference waiting a few hours for the sun to go down makes in the heat department. It was lovely. I had the entire field all to myself other than for a bunny rabbit who kept thinking I was chasing it each time I passed by (I swear I wasn't!), and for two swarms of bugs I kept passing through that made me wonder if there wasn't something disgusting or decaying that had attracted them to their particular spots (gross!). Nice run...kept it really easy....and relaxed the entire way.
Actual: ~4.2 miles in the field with bugs bunny 0 -
Are you going to take the bows off the bike for race day or just going to throw caution to the wind and keep em on ?
Sounds like training is going well. Safe lake swimming is a rare threat here - it sounds idyllic - its the perfect middle ground between the pool and the sea so all should be well come race day.
Enjoy.0 -
interested wrote: »Are you going to take the bows off the bike for race day or just going to throw caution to the wind and keep em on ?
Sounds like training is going well. Safe lake swimming is a rare threat here - it sounds idyllic - its the perfect middle ground between the pool and the sea so all should be well come race day.
Enjoy.
Regarding the bows.....do you mean the pink bike tassels my brother got for me to put on the ends of the handle bars last year? If so, not sure. They look so aweslomely cool and super hero fast that I might be too concerned for the safety of my bike while I'm not around. Could put the Mad One in jeopardy of being abducted...then there'd be a ransom to pay....plus my pain and suffering to consider. It may just be too much for me to handle.
Regarding the lake....perfect weather here for you tonight as a wicked storm has come over head. A group of us are supposed to go swimming this evening, but the thunder, lightning and sheets of rain may do that idea in.0 -
Sunday, July 7th, 2013
Run plan: easy
Just another simple field run mid-morning. It was waaaayy too hot to do this easy run on the pavement, plus, I had calculated how many miles I needed to hit my target mileage for this week, and low and behold it worked too perfectly with the mathematics of my field. Nine times around, and I was done. Whoop whoop!
Actual: ~6.3 miles in my field with 2 bunnies and no bugs~~~~~~~
Well, I was supposed to hook up with some friends this evening for another lake swim and bike ride, but Mother Nature released her wrath and fury on us and squashed all possibility of getting this session done as planned. Pity, because just recently I had read somewhere...."when going lake swimming in lightning storms, stuff popcorn kernels into your wetsuit. Should lightning strike and you happen to survive, you can head to the nearest cinema and bypass the expensive concession stalls." Brilliant! But for some reason I can't help but wonder how Kurt's pool temperature is holding - if it's above 25 degrees yet.
So, with no possibility of a lake swim, I waited for the storm to pass and did a steady 2,000 yard pool swim to finish the weekend off in the style that relaxes me best.
Actual: 2,000 yard pool swim~~~~~~~
Target run mileage for the week: 45 miles
Actual run mileage for the week: 45.06 miles
Actual swim yardage for the week: 9,750 yards
Actual bike mileage for the week: 34.8 miles0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »That's terrible advice; the exploded popcorn would make your chest area too buoyant, meaning sinking legs for the swim back in. The heatwave over here is causing brains to melt, and my pool temperature to gradually rise towards the dreaded 25˚C. It ain't gonna be pretty...
Has marathon training begun in earnest? I see you have some Tri's in between, are you working from a specific Tri/marathon plan?
Hmmm....chest area too buoyant? Not touching that. But now that is good news about the rising temps.
I am once again under Luke's watchful eye regarding marathon training....and am into week 7 or 8 of his plan; however, the guts of the plan specific for the marathon probably won't start for another few weeks - I'm guessing with 12 weeks to go is when it will get very specific and tighten down.
Regarding the tri training...just sort of fitting what I can in between the running - so no specific plan there. Hoping that what I'm doing will be good enough on the day. 0 -
Monday, July 8th, 2013
Plan: 2 mile warm up, 4 x (10 min @ MP, 3 min recovery), 2 mile cool down
I was sort of dreading this run due to the heat, but thank heaven the humidity played ball and wasn't too bad tonight. Not really knowing where I am at the moment marathon pace-wise, I decided an acceptable range would be 7:30 to 8:00 min/mile (8 min/mile is more or less my pb MP) and I'd just see how I felt as the minutes/miles ticked by.
I did a blend of road miles and Greenway miles - my theory was to do the hilly road miles first to get them out of the way, then "pamper" myself with some flat miles because I anticipated I'd be wilting in the heat after about the halfway point - and it worked out pretty well. The first 2 x 10 min @ MP were ups and downs, and the second 2 x 10 min @ MP were nice and flat. I was quite surprised how fatigued my thighs were - no doubt due to the recent time spent on the bike - but the effort was manageable and I did my best to keep it even, including while going up and down hills.....and I stayed very disciplined in my opinion. Good session. Glad it's in the books.
4 x 10 min @ MP paces:
7:35, 7:38, 7:28, 7:28
Actual: 10.6 miles in 1:26:32 for an average pace of 8:10 min/mile0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »Exaggerating just a little alright! Even converting to Napolean units, that's some speed to be calling slow!:D
Shouldn't you be in bed asleep!!??
(Thank you.) 0 -
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Wednesday, July 10th, 2013
Run plan: easy
Yet another sneaky lunchtime field run (luvin' the sneaky lunchtime field run because it frees up my evening to do other things, like swim) under dark, cloudy skies and in spitting rain. Two days of a bit of sunshiny relief, and it's been nice. 9 times around and I was done. Whoop whoop!
Actual: ~6.3 miles in my field while sporting a new Lululemon top~~~~~~~
Swim
Just a simple, steady and straight 2,000 yard swim to end the day a bit earlier than I am used to. Was nice. Got a few extra things done around the house and had the good fortune to catch up with a dear friend who I don't get to chat with often enough. What a really nice evening.
Actual: 2,000 yard swim0 -
Oh!! I almost forgot!! Happy birthday, interested!!! You don't have your own log (that I am aware of), so I'm lending you a little real estate on my log today (July 11th) to show you some respect. I wish you a fantabulous day filled with water bottle launching, a fierce game of Twister (by Milton Bradley!), and an incredible dinner with a few dear friends. Best to you on this special day. 0
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Kurt Godel wrote: »I was going to send round a Strip-O-gram, but I'll use this real estate to house my good wishes instead.
Happy 40th Birthday interested, from all your chums in Tinahely!
Strip-O-gram???? What the heck is a Strip-O-gram?? And more importantly, which tri studs will be participating in it?? (note to self - make sure Kurt knows when my birthday is.
) 0 -
Thursday, July 11th, 2013
Run plan: 1 hour 40 minutes steady
Okay, so it's been a while since I've had to do a steady run, and because I am still relatively new to this running lark and still get confused at the lingo, I had to review the definition of "steady" to prepare myself for this run. Of course I guess I could have just emailed coach to ask him, but he's already explained it once, and that should have been enough. So, based on my research, steady pace should be 20-30 seconds slower than MP. Higher mathematics were employed and a preliminary target range was determined - 8 - 8:30 min/mile, with my eye on 8 - 8:15 min/mile.
Weather-wise, it was not a bad evening out there - cloudy skies and in the mid 80s. No rain, but it was quite humid. I picked out a route that had hills in the first 7 miles, then fairly flat after that. I'm still a little gun shy about doing gobs and gobs of hills in our summer climate since I know how sick the heat and humidity can make me, so I'm trying to use a bit of compromise to get some hills in without melting into a puddle on the asphalt. Seems to be working so far.
Immediately upon setting sail I felt good. Legs felt strong and I got into a steady, happy rhythm right on mile 1. I've noticed a pattern in my recent training plan - a hard session followed by 2 easy days. I like this. Not sure how long this pattern will last, but it really seems to be agreeing with me at the moment. The other thing I wonder if is agreeing with me is not using my Garmin on the easy runs - instead running by what my body tells me to run. Nothing too remarkable about this run, except I kept the effort honest, steady, and disciplined (for me)...and it seemed quite manageable overall. I did get a nagging stitch in my neck (left side) on mile 9. I briefly considered stopping to try and stretch/work it out, but I kept going (did NOT want to have any stops on this run!!) and by the end of mile 9 it was gone. Happy days. Once I had 12 miles in the bank, I allowed the last partial mile to be a cool down mile - I was pretty done at that point and was ready to ease up. Splits as follows:
8:04, 8:05, 7:58, 8:00, 7:33, 7:45
7:39, 7:39, 7:48, 7:21, 7:19, 7:36
7:12 (8:29) cool down
Okay...as I look at these splits for the very first time as I write this (I did look a my watch while running, but I honestly don't remember seeing 7:21 and 7:19 on my watch for miles 10 and 11!) I now realize I was undisciplined on a few miles. I really should not have gone much faster than 7:50 min/mile, but I'm still pleased with this session.....and I also now understand why mile 12 felt like more effort and why I chose to cool down on partial mile 13.
Actual: 12.8 miles in 1:40:04 for an average pace of 7:49 min/mile0 -
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Saturday, July 13th, 2013
Today was another day of unorganized group tri training....but this time I decided to be selfish and train for me and not linger behind with the stragglers or mentor anyone. Every now and then, you have to take care of you.
Swim
The lake was colder than it has been due to all the rain we've had, but it felt good. There were 7 of us for the swim, but I just made my own paths and swam pretty much on my own to one spot and then to another. I also swam back and forth to the other swimmers to be "sociable" and to check on them. With 5 weeks to go until the tri, I hope to come out to the lake at least once a week to become as proficient as I can be in OW swimming on the day.
Actual: ~1,500 meter lake swim
Bike
There were 6 of us for the bike, and we all ended up splitting into groups of two. I let the fella I was with go ahead of me at the start, but it was obvious I was faster than him based on my gearing and usage of the brake. I didn't want to be impolite, so I decided to sit back and enjoy a few miles while putting some time in the saddle. When we came to an intersection just over halfway through the ride, I offered to lead out and let him ride in my slipstream. He jumped on that like nobody's business. Unfortunately, however, within the first mile I had lost him.
I looked back and could see him....slowed....checked on him again...still was way back there....slowed some more....then said "feck this" and pushed on and got a real workout. The bike is feeling really good at the moment.
Actual: 17.4 miles in 1:01:2x
Run
Today's run plan was to go easy...and that's exactly what I did on this god awful, hilly, make-me-want-to-vomit run course. But it felt good.
And I got stronger as the run went on. Go figure.
Actual: 3.1 miles at a deliberately unknown pace0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »Your last log was great for impressive times and splits and races and tips etc, but if you ask me the average reader has moved on from that boring useful stuff. You need to jazz it up a little. Tie yourself to a rope in your bath and swim for an hour, that's the sort of crap people want to read these days. You have to move with the times man, its all about the Youtube hits. Film yourself holding your breath underwater for 5 minutes, or make a "FAIL" compilation vid of 10 random swimming pensioners getting whacked with water bottles. The world's your oyster- and if you can pepper in a few stroke tips so much the better.
Speaking of videos...eh hem...Kurt, how warm is your pool??:D 0 -
Speaking of videos...eh hem...Kurt, how warm is your pool??:D
Roasting hot, a steady 24.99999˚, been that way for a while now;)
Nice "ommmmm" swim from you yesterday, 4k of good vibrations, and yet another double day, very nice work. Can't wait to see you dancing drunk in Dublin;)0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »Roasting hot, a steady 24.99999˚, been that way for a while now;)
Nice "ommmmm" swim from you yesterday, 4k of good vibrations, and yet another double day, very nice work. Can't wait to see you dancing drunk in Dublin;)
Did you just ask me to dance with you? 0
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