GODZone...

New week, new determination. Only... boy do I ache! DOMs D DOM DOM DOMs
Everything hurts but the really special hurt is chest, triceps, gluts, hams and lower back. From just 40 mins exercise :eek: Circuits rock. I did a serious amount of circuits and callisthenics back in college but I was in the gym 3 times a week doing strength work then too. I haven't "worked out" in years. The simple variety of muscle aches is testament to the workout that it is. So, once the penance ****e is done, this will become a weekly thing. I have a plan oh yes I do For now, I can barely pick little miss shotgun up and sit down without shaking.

Swim today, back to the Arena. Got lots of "welcome stranger" and "getting any sleep?". Apart from that 4 months absence means nothing. People expect you to slot back in where were last. I avoided the shark lane like the plague and settled into the middle of the next lane down. I had about 5 in front of me but I always leave 5 secs off the wall. Sometimes I sprint the first 50m to catch the feet quickly. Today I did my own thing, focusing on catching the water and levering past. I generally caught the feet within a couple of lengths anyway.

So my first "session" in months was simple:
200m warm up
2*400m
2*300m
2*200m

Since 400s were on the menu I decided to post a time for November and left over 10 secs go before I left the wall, much to the annoyance of those behind me. I didn't tear off. 1:36 first 100, then steady 1:40 pace to reel in the guy up ahead. 6:36, that will do for now. I had no idea what the lane was swimming off so I just went with the flow. The pace was about 1:40-1:42 with plenty of rest after reps and I felt good. We were pulled up short of finishing the last 200m by the coach as the sharks had long since finished, had a stretch, a chat and were getting bored :rolleyes:

I was in the water less than 40 mins but happy enough with it. My plan is simple. Get fit enough to move up and lead the lane. Then get fitter and faster to drop the lane during a set, then graduate to the back of the fast lane. It will require 3 swims a week though and that is the current difficulty...


Sport|Time|Kcals|Dist
Total this week|0:31:47|442 kcals|1.9km
Swimming|0:31:47|442 kcals|1,900m
Rowing|0:00:00|0 kcals|0m
Biking|0:00:00|0 kcals|0km
Running|0:00:00|0 kcals|0km
Callisthenics|0:00:00|0 kcals|

Swim Lesson: I must admit I was sceptical signing up for these. Figured they would consist of drills with long speeches between. The coach was in nappies. Judgement. First up I found out that there is a channel relay swimmer in the group. Next up I simply found the lesson tough. It was mainly focused on backstroke an breaststroke.

I was down early so put in a solid 400m to benchmark a time in a short pool. 6:14. Not too bad. Splits 1:32, 1:36, 1:39, 1:27. Uneven but I basically started fresh, settled into a steady comfortable rhythm and pushed the last few lengths hard.

The fun started then. Backstroke kicks drills, backstroke pull, backstroke with butterfly kick, breast stroke. Got a couple of tips. My backstroke kick is too deep, need to bring up to a flutter. My left leg crosses on the breaststroke, need to get more power from left hip. Applied both and felt a difference. Conscious competence, needs work. Lessons worth the money so far. Lots of water up the nose...

An hour Z1 turbo earlier. 212w and 132hr. Just spinning my aching legs. It helped. Worst DOMs today = triceps. Ouch!


Sport|Time|Kcals|Dist
Total this week|1:58:47|1,495 kcals|32.6km
Swimming|0:58:47|799 kcals|3,200m
Rowing|0:00:00|0 kcals|0m
Biking|1:00:00|796 kcals|29.4km
Running|0:00:00|0 kcals|0km
Callisthenics|0:00:00|0 kcals|

@AKW - Living? More like the walking dead! Home from work, make dinner, bathe little miss shotgun in the bathroom sink, spend 4 hours settling her... train.

Out for a run today. Finally! Laboured lunchtime trot around town. Lazy cadence but I had to slow right down on anything resembling a hill, and I still couldn't keep the hr under the Z2 ceiling. Oh well, base training until Christmas. I was just happy to not walk any of it. The numbers are all rubbish and rather meaningless at this point
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/632955053


Sport|Time|Kcals|Dist
Total this week|4:44:49|4,315 kcals|75.01km
Swimming|0:58:47|799 kcals|3,200m
Rowing|1:56:34|1,816 kcals|28,000m
Biking|1:15:00|1,079 kcals|37.64km
Running|0:41:58|623 kcals|8.17km
Callisthenics|0:00:00|0 kcals|

Late night Row 16,000m in 65:40. 4x3k Z2, 1k Steady State (Z3). 187w, 144hrm rate 21
Laboured effort after a full week of nothing. Need to kick this body into action again now. I've 3 months to get in shape

Sport|Time|Kcals|Dist
Total this week|1:21:20|1,270 kcals|24.35km
Swimming|0:00:00|0 kcals|0m
Rowing|1:05:40|1,030 kcals|16,000m
Biking|0:15:40|240 kcals|8.35km
Running|0:00:00|0 kcals|0km
Callisthenics|0:00:00|0 kcals|

Another run, woohoo a 2 day streak Short one focusing on an improved cadence. Just 7.79km at 4:44 pace. My average cadence is normally 158 so I wanted to push into the 160s. I worked at it but found it hard to keep the effort down. Hamstrings felt it. Overall average cadence was 164, lower than it felt but then anything outside the comfort zone feels odd. All of the run dynamics were better too as a result, most noticeably the vertical oscillation (bounce). 538 kcals burned thanks to overheating in too many layers.

Stride 1.29m
VOS 9.5cm
GCT 266

Edit: interesting, exact same GCT as Tunneys last run but his cadence and VOS are in proper runner territory :cool:

Row 8,000m Z2 in 32:47, 188w pace 2:02.9/500m. Did this a bit too soon after a half dozen mince pies so it was uncomfortable. My legs were feeling the whopping 2 day run streak and the shock of a second session in a day. Get used to it shotgun!

Sport|Time|Kcals|Dist
Total this week|3:36:10|3,353 kcals|60.79km
Swimming|0:00:00|0 kcals|0m
Rowing|1:38:27|1,550 kcals|24,000m
Biking|0:39:40|630 kcals|20.8km
Running|1:18:03|1,173 kcals|15.99km
Callisthenics|0:00:00|0 kcals|

Run 2 of AKW's #DecemberRunStreak

Brrrr chilly out there today. 8.19km in 37:42 Lunchtime trot around town again pushing the cadence. Once again I could not keep the effort down and even found myself in Z4 on hills. The run dynamics are making me think about my running form which can only be a good thing. The streak of 2 days has woken the legs up but boy do I feel unfit! 634 kcals

Pace 4:36
Cadence 166
Stride 1.31m
VOS 9.1cm
GCT 253


Swim Lesson. I've missed the last 2 weeks literally due to being distracted by Zoe. No sessions in between either so as punishment I figured a December 400TT to warm up! Set off hard but steady. 1:28/1:29/1:29/1:29 for a 5:55. Surprised to go sub6 considering no training But hey, not complaining We did some drills after the real warm up. A front crawl zipper (thumb rolled alongside body to armpit) which was fine.

Then a back stroke drill where you straighten one arm up to the ceiling and single arm stroke with the other. I couldn't do it. My legs sank to the bottom, my face sank under and my brain filled with inhaled pool water, Very very frustrating drill and easily the hardest one I've done. Horrible. 10x50 steady afterwards coming in on 41-44. 1,500m total and I was feeling it. 370 kcals


Sport|Time|Kcals|Dist
Total this week|2:04:29|1,814 kcals|25.46km
Swimming|0:33:55|370 kcals|1,500m
Rowing|0:00:00|0 kcals|0m
Biking|0:18:00|261 kcals|8.3km
Running|1:11:34|1,183 kcals|15.66km
Callisthenics|0:00:00|0 kcals|

Run 3 of AKW's #DecemberRunStreak

Before I get into the run: High 5 chocolate recovery with 1/3 coconut milk, 1/3 soya milk and 1/3 water.... Bloody delicious!

3 down 28 to go...
Had literally 35 mins of a window to get this done. Every minute over would be minus hard earned brownie points. No procrastination, out the door and into it. Ran into a bunch of scumbags, one of whom threw a punch. First time in a long time I wanted to do something about it. And in a past life I'm trained to do so but saw sense and left the taunts behind. Not worth it. It was cold enough to quickly cool off and focus back on cadence cadence cadence. Legs are reeling. From 5 runs in 3 months to 5 runs in 6 days. 7.51km in 35:04 597 Kcals. Run dynamics consistent the last 3 days.

Pace 4:40
Cadence 166
Stride 1.29m
VOS 9.2cm
GCT 256

Edit: In other news Alex progressed to the Shark level of his swim academy. Its the final level and was his goal. I was transfixed with his Butterfly, getting his shoulders clean out of the water, #impressed. Decided I'm not renewing his academy lessons as not much else to gain. Time for a swim club. I wondered if it would be too big a jump until I remembered that I watched him do 50m Butterfly!

Sport|Time|Kcals|Dist
Total this week|2:59:33|2,591 kcals|44.97km
Swimming|0:33:55|370 kcals|1,500m
Rowing|0:00:00|0 kcals|0m
Biking|0:18:00|261 kcals|8.3km
Running|1:47:38|1,770 kcals|23.19km
Callisthenics|0:20:00|180 kcals|