Wednesday, June 30, 2010

More 'Good' Work

Whoops I'm behind! Good think I'm obsessive about marking off my day planner..otherwise I wouldn't remember what workouts I did!

Wednesday I rode an hour...that was a busy day, but I'm glad I at least got the ride in. I think I was supposed to swim....I'm having a hard time managing school, work and training, and sadly usually training is what has to get manipulated first. Anyways, yeah, rode on Wednesday.

Thursday I swam 2K in the morning, and rode 90 minutes in the evening. That ride was really hard...it was super hot, I was dehydrated (as always) and I couldn't seem to get my legs to 'go'. So I got in the 90 minutes, but not as hard as I'd hoped. They can't all be awesome efforts, I guess..

Friday through Sunday I did nothing! I was on vacation with Travis, and we left the bikes at home. So relaxing!

Monday was back at it. I swam 2.5K right after class--the longest I've swam. It went really well! 600 w/u, then 500/400/300/200/100 as 'cruise/race tempo/fast/painful/all out. Then a good cool down. Good swim! I ran 40 minutes in the evening, and that was rough. It was a mental challenge more than anything else, but I got it done. I didn't feel great, and I struggle a lot with staying positive on the run. When it hurts, it never gets better, and it's hard to keep going. But I did, and I'm happy. Was it a fast run? No. But I'm still learning, and I still got in the time!

Yesterday I rode an hour, out along 66 and then back up Crowson. Good ride--my knee never hurt, but it felt stiff. Which is better than pain! Still, I'll be happy when I get this bike fit figured out, and I can stop worrying about my back/knee. I ran in the evening...was supposed to be half an hour, but 15 minutes into the run I started getting these awful rolling stomach cramps, and I decided that rather than put so much mental effort into running through them for another 15 minutes, I just called it good at 20 minutes. It was supposed to be an easy run anyways, but I still get really frustrated when I can't finish a run. It seems like there's always something keeping me from finishing a run workout--allergies, dehydration, knee pain, etc...and I wonder how much of that is legitimate and how much of it is my own psychosomatic excuses for copping out early. I love to run, but it's hard, and I get frustrated with it so so so easily. I'm not very patient with gaining run fitness...and I want every run to be better than the last. Stupid, I know, but it's a huge aspect of what I struggle with mentally in training.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Solid.

It's going well. I'm thrilled to be back at it, getting my hands dirty.

Friday I ran half an hour. That run hurt. My allergies were horrible, and while my legs felt fine I could barely breathe. It became a balance of wimping out on the run and working extra hard to get in the full half hour....in the end I think I ran 25 minutes or so...and even though my legs never really felt it, I think I did all I could do that day. I hate when that happens.

Saturday I rode for 90 min, and did the orchard loop Trav took me on awhile ago. I love that ride! Though as I get stronger, I'm wishing it was longer...annyways. Rode that loop and felt great the whole time. When I was nearing home I realized my ride was going to be about 1:20, and I was deciding between throwing in an extra few miles with a little hill in it to round out or overshoot my 90 minute goal, or just call it a day. I called it a day. I wasn't very tired, and I really really wanted to keep riding my bike, but I know it's important that I don't gogogogoCRASH like I always do. I'm working really hard on pacing, be it time or speed or whatever. It's paying off, I can tell!

Sunday I took an unplanned day off. I was feeling really funky all morning, like lethargic and mopey and just really down, so I took the day off! Looking back, I think it was the right thing to do. Again, learning not to gogogoCRASH. Learning to PACE myself! :)

Monday I swam a mile in the morning, and that went well. 600 w/u pluss 3x400. I think I swam an extra 50 on the first 400, or else I was just SUPER tired, but the last two went well and I descended my times. I don't know if that means I'm not swimming hard enough at first or what (probably true)...Then in the evening I went on a great run! I hadn't run on the tready in a long time, and I just hopped on and busted out a 40 minute run, speeding up progressively. It was great--I never felt bad, nothing hurt, I felt like I could have run it a little faster but right now that's a good feeling to have after a workout...I definitely felt like I worked, though! 5 miles in 40 minutes, pretty good for where I'm at.

Today I rode an hour in the morning, which was okay. I rode up a slowly descending hill, and at a certain point my left knee started hurting every time I pushed into the pedal with that leg. It wasn't too bad at first but after a few minutes it definitely turned into 'turn around now before you mess something up!' pain. It even hurt while I descended, which I thought was weird, but by the time I got to the main road again it was a little better. Gonna get my bike fit looked at next week! Then it was a half hour run in the afternoon heat. I focused on finding a rhythm that felt comfortable, and sticking with it for the whole run. No worries about time, pace, distance, etc. Just running. And the run turned out great! I didn't overwork in the heat, and I never reached that 'I've blown up' point. I'm feeling really good about where my running's going. Not fast, but long, healthy, steady, strong.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

First Week Back

Training's been going well so far, especially considering how little I did last week.

Monday I swam 1600m..don't remember what the swim was, but I remember it felt pretty good. I ran in the evening, just 3 miles and it was pretty slow. But otherwise it felt fine.

Tuesday I rode with Travis. And hour ride with a short climb in the middle. I was so happy to be back on the bike! I felt horrible at first..really tired and a little woozy (I never drink enough water!) but by the time we got to the dump hill, and especially after, I felt tons better. I was supposed to run in the evening, but this Spanish class is proving to be way more work than I expected, so I spent the evening studying!

Wednesday I got up and swam in the morning before class..1650m, and that swim went really well. I think it was..600m w/u, 3x200 descending, 3x100 descending. Short but good. I was planning on 4x100 but by the 3rd rep I was getting really hungry and a third person was about to get in the lane, so I figured instead of fighting a crowd for 100m I'd call it a morning. In the evening I went on a great run-about 3.75 miles, and I just focused on finding a rhythm and sticking with it the whole time. It's something I struggle with--I tend to run too fast at first, or get to a certain point and realize I'm running 'too slow', or whatever, so sticking with a pace and not worrying about it was a good lesson.

This afternoon I swam 2K after class...that went pretty well. 600m w/u, then 400,300,3x200, 100c/d. I don't really know what to make of my 400 and 300 times, which were, I think, 8 minutes and 6 minutes, but my 200s went well: 3:50, 3:45, 3:40. Just glad to descend. I'm trying not to stress out about speed TOO much..for now..Tonight I rode an hour, and that went well too! Although on the way back I started to get crabby..first off I could have sworn my cleat was coming unscrewed again, but when I checked it was fine. I just wasted a lot of time worrying about it. Then I dropped my chain right when I was getting seriously hungry, like bonky wobbly hungry, so that made me grumpy. But the end of the ride was fine, and I got home and ate a TON. And now I'm happy and resting for the weekend!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Easy Week

It's been such an easy week. I ran half an hour on Wednesday..that's right, no workouts Sunday, Monday OR Tuesday! The run itself was okay..it definitely felt good to run, but also felt like it had been awhile!

I ran again yesterday, another easy half hour. That went way better. I love how after rest each run is faster/easier than the last! Ran the lake loop at 7:25 pace, so I guess I haven't lost too much. Though I'm starting to feel pretty lazy/cushy! :P

Next week it starts again. I can't wait to get going!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Update, Race report

The last few days before the race I didn't do much..I rode a little on Friday evening, and that's it!

The race went well! I approached it as: swim like I'm swimming in class, ride like I'm riding with Travis, run like I'm running a 5K. And for the most part it went well! All of my splits were a little slower than I would've liked, but I'm happy with a 1:23 sprint.
The swim was good: I got a good start and never really got boxed in. A few times I had to stop and look up because I was swimming into a group of people, but I think I got around them well and I spotted fairly well. The bike transition was okay..I just relaxed and it went fine. The bike was great--I probably could have pushed harder (that can be said for the whole thing!) but I'm happy with it. The run hurt..I was hungry and had to pee before the swim started, so by the run I was about to die! And my legs were cramping, but by the last mile I was able to run a 7 or so minute mile.

I'd consider the race a success all around! 16th woman overall, won my age group. It was a small race, and really low-key, but those are still good results! :)

This is going to be an eassssy week. Next week workouts, school and work start again, so the most exercise I've gotten so far has been walking to the grocery store for more ice cream!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Finally, a good workout!

Well I never did fit in a swim yesterday, but the brick went really well. 45 minute ride (lik 25 minutes out, 20 back! It was all downhill at the turnaround) and then a good 18:30 run, which I think came to 2.5 miles. So..7:24 pace? Not bad, considering how very, very little I've been running lately.

I swam this morning instead, the first real swim in nearly a week. It was okay. I know the swim tomorrow will go better!

Tonight I'll run, then like I said a short swim tomorrow and an easy easy spin in the evening.

It's funny--I'm actually more excited for this race to be over so I can get back to training again than I am for the race itself! Pre-race nerves/despondancy I guess. I know I'm going to have tons of fun, and I know a week off of serious training will do me good, and then I can sink my teeth in again! I'm getting stoked for Applegate!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Ugh..

What a rough week! Finals and race week don't mix well. Anyways, where was I..

Thursday I swam in class, a good mile, and ran 4 later. That run actually went really well..I ran around this random farm disctrict while Travis was doing a crit race, so I got to explore a little. And it was raining the perfect kind of rain for running in! So I just cruised around for half an hour and never really felt like I had to work for it. I stopped when my knees started sending off little alarm signals, but it was one of those days where I felt like i could keep running forever!

Friday I swam 2K at the Y, a good swim though I don't remember what it was. Then I rode an hour in the evening..again, don't remember what that ride was!

Saturday I met up with my swim teacher at the lake and we got in the water with our wetsuits and went over swim tactics. It was SO COLD. But now I feel like I'm mentally prepared for the water temp at Blue Lake. I didn't run that day. Yep, this is the day when my workouts started to slip..

Sunday I ran half an hour, easy. It was hot and humid for a change, and the temperature really took it out of me! But I got it done.

Monday I rode a little over an hour. Nothing special. But a fun ride!

Tuesday I didn't do anything. Study/Wrrands/Study/Work.

Today I've got to fit in a brick (60 min. ride plus 2 mile run) and a swim (1 mi. hard if it's crowded, 2K if it's not!) after my final at 5! Busy busy.

What a boring post! I wish I could remember my workouts better, but the days have been bleeding together and I can hardly remember what day it IS nevermind what happened days before! Next week will be easier to log. Just runs! I can't wait!