scratched.

I decided against racing Sunday. This past week I've been laying low due to an unrelenting stomach bug. I didn't run until Thursday and felt unusually sore afterwards with cramps in my hamstrings that made me think my electrolytes are off-balance.  I rowed today and felt clammy. I'll try an easy 5k tomorrow and see how that feels. I ordered a replacement Gymboss interval timer. I lost my timer in the first minutes of the Rotterdam marathon. My coach had recommended using it for walk-run intervals. I'm looking forward to having one again. They're so useful for so many things.

Recovery Week #3 26 Apr 2010

Monday 26 Apr 10:  rest day. Works well after a busy weekend.

"What distinguishes those of us at the starting line from those of us on the couch is that we learn through running to take what the day gives us, what our body will allow us, and what our will can tolerate."

John Bingham, runner

Tues 27 Apr 10

Swim: completed 1000m swim test.

Coach has my time. I felt slow, nervous, dis-organised, out of breath. I calmed myself. Relaxed in the water. Tried to remember TI stroke tips.  I am proud of myself for completing the test. 40 laps - longer than I've ever swum continuously before.

I swam the whole distance continuously. Mostly freestyle. Some breaststroke. No backstroke or sidestroke (which is an improvement from where I was years ago, and would use these to rest while moving). My coach recorded the time. I don't know what it is yet, but it doesn't matter. It's more a bench mark against future swims. I was a lot slower than the other tri-team swimmers, but so what. I have nothing but a recreational swimming background. Which is plenty. I am really pleased I could swim the whole distance. I have good mental skills to deal with negative self-talk and calming myself when I can't seem to catch my breath. I think I will improve a lot over the next 21 weeks. Nothing but fun ahead.

It's tough to swim so late at night. I was wakeful until past 1:00 a.m.  Plus it's a balance to find the right dinner, early enough so I don't have a stomach ache during the swim.
Soreness: some delayed soreness from cycling on Sunday
Mental Focus: Productive and focused during the day.

Wed 28 Apr 10 - Nathaniel turns 11!  Take the day off from work.
6 hrs sleep


Easy recovery Run
4,81 km


Avg HR: 135 bpm


Moving Time: 0:41:26


Avg Moving 08:37 min.km

Core Performance: Done


Thursday 29 April
A little tired today. Did Core body work following the Endurance program. Will need to find substitutes for strength training moves requiring a machine, like the cable rows and stuff.  And I need heavier dumbbells.

Skipped rope for cardio. Will do a little more on the dog walk tonight.
Glad to have a three-day weekend. Long live the Queen.
Tomorrow: time to put the planning pieces together for the next 20 weeks.

Saturday
second run: tempo
6.8k (1 warm up & cool down, 5k on pace - between 7:09 and 7:20. walked the last k at 9 to rest my hip flexor.

core workout

The end of suffering

In my household, I handle most of the financial paperwork. Non-resident US citizens get to file in June. I tried to get my return put together today. But realised that I had deleted inadvertently last year's return, which has information I need. And managed to delete it before getting the current back up routine established.  And I get statements on-line, which means I need to remember the log-ins and passwords once a year. And the sun was glaring on the computer, and the battery was dead on the control for the sun shade. and and and...

I spent more than three hours today trying to get started. The level of dis-organisation made it more difficult. I'm taking notes how to improve the process for next year.

I ended up feeling a little guilty for being so reliable with  my training and nutrition  - that maybe I'm neglecting my financial health. I was thinking about this at New Years too. But I can't view it as either or. I can use my self-care skills to improve my attention to my finances.  I made a list of ideas to make next year's return easier. And I gave  myself a break when I kept running into walls.  I went out for a five k run  with lots of walking warm-up and cool down and 200 m intervals at a fast pace - 4:30 - 5:00/km. with 200m Rest intervals.

I felt better when I came back. My hip muscles didn't start bothering me until 25 minutes into the run, at which point I stopped running the intervals. This was supposed to be an easy recovery run. It was, but I spiced it up a little, listening carefully to how it felt.

I felt so upset at my lack of progress this afternoon on my paperwork.  Some of the semi-chaos relates to working too many hours at work, and not paying close enough attention to stuff that runs on auto-pilot for most of the year. I thought about how my own attitudes and habits really contribute to this.

I could have (as in the past) hunkered down and used this as an excuse not to exercise. I am proud of choosing to out for a run instead.

I was unable to resist the caramel ice cream on a stick that Nathaniel handed me however. He had taken a bite and decided he didn't like it. You eat it, he says. I happen to like caramel a lot. So I obliged him.  The price of being the mom, I suppose.

Post-Marathon Recovery Week #2

Monday: rest. Really. Nothing. I was going to do the core routine, but went to sleep instead. A good choice.

Tuesday: 30 minute walk home from work. One hour swimming laps. I felt really tired this evening and wanted to skip. But I didn't. I am glad.

I decided April would be focus on swim, add some bike. Easy run. I'm working my way through Kearns' Breakthrough Triathlon Training. Essentially, don't be a butt-head and burn out.

I'm back into wondering what to eat. I want someone to plan, shop and cook for me. That would be easier. Oh, let me qualify that - cook food that I like. Otherwise, it's like being 10 again and getting told, that's what's for dinner.  (However, I do like liver and onions now.)

Wednesday: gentle run, core & bike ride.  I ran & rode. I slept. No core work. Just sleep.

Thursday: more core. Maybe a row.  Silly one. No core. No row. Sleep.

Friday: swim, run  I went to a party and had fun talking to people. No swim. Yes Bike. No Run.

Sat: cycle  Switched = since I didn't run Friday, I ran Saturday. 10 k plus 1.5km walking
Sun 10 km run; core.  Core & Cycle planned.  Fatigue is the name of this week.  Did the core workout and 45 minute ride. 

Will do:

• Read more of carmichael's 6-hour book. done some of this
• Finish the TI book and watch the rest of the video.  not yet - before Tuesday
• Look for a free-swim pool opportunity to try some of the TI drills. not yet
• Birthday shopping for the soon-to-be 11 y.o. not yet
• Get the Boretti cycle on my calendar. done
• Look into renting a tri-wetsuit for the Amsterdam Oly not yet.  
• Read the Bustinskin instructions not yet

Post-Marathon Recovery Week #1

I have one eye on the calendar of upcoming events. The other looks inward to check on how my body is recovering from the marathon. Running 26.2 was the most physically difficult activity that I've ever done. I'm pretty tired, both mentally and physically.  In my inexperience, I didn't give any thought to how many days/weeks recovering from a marathon would take me.  I'm a little concerned that the Amsterdam Oly will come too soon in my training. I've pretty much decided not to run the Royal 10, since road races probably won't really add anything to my training. I can decide later.

Monday: barely ambulatory. Can't climb stairs normally.  Right adductor? hip flexor hurts. Craving protein and fat, especially red meat.  30 minute walk.
Tuesday: better, but still wobbly on my feet. Core workout; foam roller. 45 minute walk. Skip swimming.
Wednesday: regaining my senses. 4 k easy run.
Thursday: hugely tired.  Went to bed without dinner.
Friday: better. 6 km Bike to work. Legs fatigue easily. Business dinner.
Saturday: 6+10+7  km on the bike. Legs fatigue easily. Work all day. Blech. Business dinner.
Sunday: 9.2 km, of which 6 km are running. Remainder walking.  30/30 walk ratio; I aimed for ~730 pace. First several km were 7:19 - 7:30.  Hip started hurting, so I slowed the pace to 8 & 9 for the remaining two km.  Plus 6 km biking.

Thoughts on Tri-Training. I'm a little anxious about the amount of learning I need to do.  Swimming will be fine. I'm already in a good twice a week routine. I would like to add a day of doing TI drills at a pool where I can stand. I have skipped the last four practices though in order to taper for & then recover from the marathon.

Biking.  Hm.  The Carmichael book is written for the former 20-something hot shot, only twenty years later. It assumes a level of knowledge about bike racing that I don't have. It extols the virtue of a power meter.  I'm going to check in with my bike shop and see what they sell/say about this.  My Garmin really helps my running. So I assume a power meter would probably help me analyse my cycling. But learning curve.  When I feel good about my legs again, I would like to try the tri-training with the club and go for some more group rides.  I have a Sunday club I can ride with if I want more distance.   I can ride in the mornings. It's light enough and the weather is nice(r).


edited 21 Apr to add: I got a little further into the book: Following a lengthy discussion extolling the virtues of power meter training, finally the truth: "power meters are still quite expensive ($1,000 to $3,000), and it's unrealistic to expect all cyclists to invest in  them". Ya' Think?  I'm thinking I bought the wrong book. Maybe the book is still useful. The rest of the truth: "The truth is, in terms of effectiveness,  the difference between training with power  and with heart rate is a matter of degree."   Blah blah blah.  Oh, and I hate abbreviations. Jargon adds so much unnecessary distance between writer and reader.

Running. I would like to run faster. That makes me ask myself why, and whether I am willing to do what it takes. The First program could help me do this, I think. I have the endurance I need, but not the speed. And I'm not quite sure where to find my "entry" level in First - since my paces are hardly on their charts, but I trained well and ran a marathon (and two halfs, and two 16ks in the last year).

Core training: one weakness I have identified is focusing only on running and skipping the gym/lifting.  I'm putting my desire to learn Cross-Fit on hold. Basically, I'm finding it too difficult to teach myself, in addition to the other activities I like. And I'm quitting my gym membership to save money. So no Oly weight-lifting.  To make up for these deficiencies, I'm following the workouts I have in the book Core Performance. I really like them. I can do them at home. And they're oriented for sports/functional fitness. I am confident these workouts will help my tri-sports tremendously.

Nutrition:  get leaner. Be deliberate about planning & packing my meals. No grazing.

Putting it all together. I need to settle on a tri-specific training plan or cobble together my own bits & pieces, and see how it goes.  I have my eye on the number of training weeks remaining. It's okay and recovery is essential.  I don't want the hip thing to turn into an injury that dogs me this year.  The other piece is mental training. Daily sitting or walking meditation and working my way through the exercises in Working Out Working Within.  The pieces from that book that I brought on the marathon really helped me.

Next week's Assigned Run: 10 km.

Next week: Core workouts x3; swimming x2; three key runs; and I'll think about throwing a morning cycle into the route.  The weather's cooperating right now. And I just love to ride my bike.