Today's Workout
Wednesday 8/23
Phase: Base Building
Run (aerobic): 5 miles : 42:34
Splits: 07:28.5 08:59.9 09:14.0 08:22.2 08:29.9
Average Heart Rate: 147
Start time: 6:00 a.m.
Weather: 80° and 76% humidity with a heat index of 84.
Notes: Da Boys didn't wake me up again this morning. I still got up pretty early though and was out the door before sunrise. The first glitch in the day came when my HRM alarm didn't sound. As I ran a split of 8:02 yesterday, I was hoping for a 7:58 @ 136 HR. I got a 7:28 but it was at a 147 HR since the alarm didn't sound. I needed to start including some runs in the aerobic zone anyway so it's a good thing. The legs felt sluggish and since I lost a pound or two I think I didn't eat enough yesterday.
Post run swim: 2000 yards, pull/paddle
40:00
Notes: I got to the pool after the run and had the whole thing to myself. I swam a couple of laps and stopped to tighten my goggles. As I was enjoying the serene morning, the calm water, the pink and blue sunrise, I felt coarse hair and scratching at my chest. I look down to find a six-inch rat trying to find something to cling to. Ahhhhhhhhhh! I grabbed a paddle and scooped him to the pool deck. Off he ran through the grass and towards the fence. Needless to say, the entire swim I was a little freaked everytime something like a wave brushed my leg or foot.
The Carbon Fork Has Arrived!
I was just about to email the guy last night to check to see where my carbon fork was that I won in the auction. I walked up to the front door to a triangular USPS package and knew right then it was the carbon fork. I took the older one off and what a difference carbon makes. The new one is so much lighter.
A Tough 50
It looked like a couple of times last week that I wasn't going to reach my goal of 50 running miles per week. Wednesday my SUV was hit from the rear by a Dodge Ram 1500 on the freeway and was totaled. I was ok, although a little sore in my front neck muscles. I continued to run the next morning. I then spent three hours in the dentist's chair getting some work done. Ouch! Quit it! Ouch! I took some pain pills, took a nap, and all was good. I made my 12-mile run on Sunday to complete the 50-mile threshold. It was not a lot measured by many, but it was a lot for me, combined with cycling and three swimming days. One of the swimming days took me to new yardage with 3,000 yards.
As I patted myself on the back for getting through last week, I read on CNN that Sam Thompson was getting ready to complete 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states. OMG! Great story, great cause.
So this week will be a mirror of last week. Fifty miles of running plus 4+ miles of swimming and then 30-50 of cycling. After next week, I have two sprint triathlons which will chew up the schedule with tapering. The middle of September will start the running season. I think I'll still cycle and swim throughout the running season as it's great cross-training, plus I'm really starting to enjoy the swimming miles more.
A Great Weekend
What a great weekend it's been. It started Friday evening with a trip to
Jack and Adam's Cycle/Triathlon Shop. I stopped in to get a tire and tube for the new front wheel. The guys were great and put it on for me and I was riding on it in another fifteen minutes. I think it's going to improve the speed quite a bit. Saturday morning continued the good juju with another eBay auction won . This one was for a aerodynamic carbon fork. Again it was won while I was off on a morning run/swim. I wasn't going to give up the cool morning to stay and babysit the auction and as before, I tend to win the ones where I don't micromanage the thing.
Saturday, I added a long swim to the schedule. Since this was the first one, I just added 500 meters to my 1500-meter regular swim. I'll build up the length over time. It felt great after the run. Later in the day I got a chance to do some open water swimming at Hamilton's Pool Preserve. It was a little crowded but the spring-fed cool water was very refreshing on a 100+° day.
I ended the week with some baking and my long run. As I got up late to make the cinnamon rolls, I didn't get to the trail until after 8:30 and it was already a little warm. By the end of the two hours and twenty-two minutes it was toasty. The long run put me over 44 running miles for the week. As I've kept my calory intake up all week I didn't have any issues so I'll add a few more miles to get closer to 50 next week. I added a long swim on Saturdays so that'll pump up the swimming weekly mileage. The only thing left is to find a place for the long bike ride.
Coaches Schwag
Somehow the run this morning seemed effortless. I ran through mile six and seven like no energy was being expended. Totally effortless. Even the first mile was down in the 08:xx.x minutes per mile area. A first there too since adopting the new program. I don't know if the coaches seminar last night, listening to
Paul Carrozza, President and CEO of
Runtex and a member of the
President's Council on Fitness, go through all the bio-mechanics of the foot and leg and how running happens. Or is supposed to happen. Maybe that sunk in really hard while I slept and I woke to perfect form. Hahahahahaha. Maybe a little. I know I didn't run on my heels at all today.
One thing that didn't work today was my BodyGlide. It didn't work because I haven't been able to find it in over a week. So with the 89% humidity and the seven-mile run this morning my legs rubbed a little and I paid dearly in the shower with the hot water hitting that area. It was annoying all day as well.
There's anopther benefit to becoming a coach. New Balance and Brooks are sponsoring the program so we get an outfit from one of the sponsors. New Balance has always fit me well and that's the sponsor I'm tied to for new shoes, shorts, tech shirt and hat. Sweet!
Not much on the carbon fiber fork for the bike. The last three auctions have been a little pricey. The next one to come up is two days out from closing.
Tomorrow is my tri-day in the schedule. A morning run of six miles followed by a 1500-meter swim and then a 15-mile spin on the trainer at noon.
Hey, if you get some time, show Iron Wil some support and love. She's having a rough week, Hell Week actually, in training for her first Ironman come September 10.
Milestone Passed
Hit a milestone Sunday with the long run. I finally passed 40 miles per week running. That's not a lot by any standard, but it seemed like a lot of running. It's probably the minimum I should've been doing to get ready for the marathon last year but was on the wrong training plan. Oh well, the
one I'm on now feels right.
This morning's 6-mile run felt great and came in faster than any of the 6M runs last week, even though the temperature and heat index were elevated. What started as 12 and 13-minute miles, staying at a 136 heart rate, a couple months ago has now come down to nine and ten-minute miles at the same heart rate. It's going to be interesting to see how low I can get the minutes/mile average once the volume gets to fifty miles per week. Then sixty.
I ran the sixth mile to the neighborhood pool, carrying my swim gear with me. The water's always nice the next day after it's cleaning.
Today's going to be a busy day as I'm watching several carbon fork auctions. A couple of aero carbon forks are scheduled to end in the next few hours. Just enough time to go get some spinning miles in at the gym. Then tonight I have my first coaches session with Runtex. I've been tapped to be a coach for newbie runners where I work. They're getting ready for a running event in November. Runtex asked us to wear running clothes so hopefully it won't be a long run after doing a sprint tri's worth of miles today.
BTW, didn't need the alarms this morning. I woke up at 1:08! Needless to say I didn't get any additional deep sleep and then I saw 4:00 when I got out of bed. But it was the first time my mind and body were ready for the early... no, freakin early morning workout. I just stumbled across Lana's blog who seems to be battling the alarm clock lately. Also, here's an article on bike design from Core77. Great stuff on wheels, speed and aerodynamic position.
