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

Wow - what a difference a month makes!

Today's assignment was to run another "magic mile," which can be used to measure improvements in conditioning and to predict finish times for a race.

Today's splits

400 02:27.9
800 02:41.4
1200 02:49.7
1400 03:05.4

Last month's

400m 2:08.0
800m 2:45.5
1200m 2:50.5
1600m 3:30

Although the times look similar, compared to my first one, I felt great. I didn't have to walk during the last 200 meters. I wasn't breathless. I didn't achieve the inverse split that was ssigned, but I had a lot of fun. I'm tempted to try it again tomorrow with the intention to make every segment faster than the last. Today, however, I just padded along, trying not to try too hard.

Monday, I'll add my HRM chart, which tells the inside story. I feel so proud of myself.

2x800

I have proved once again that planning at the dining room table doesn’t ensure I’ll get it right on the run. Nevertheless, I am pleased by my 2x800. I put it in the middle of a 5k run. My assignment was to run two 800 meter laps in five minutes each.

My walk break between laps was supposed to be three minutes. I took a 1 ½ minute break – mistaking my turn-around time with the length of the whole break!

Odie spoiled one of the last 100m segments by lunging at another dog. Getting his attention and running around the other dog added about 10 seconds. I felt really angry at him at first, and then reconsidered. He's a dog, doing dog things. I can teach him how to run with me and when to ignore other dogs. My anger faded. Oh well, I told myself.

I ran too soon after eating lunch. I ended up feeling like I had been punched in the stomach after I finished the run.

WARM, CLEAR 85 degrees (too hot for how I dressed)

12 minute warm up to the course (1:1)
1 36.0
2 35.9
3 37.4
4 34.6
5 48.1 (includes 30 sec walk break)
6 35.0
7 35.2
8 34.2
800m total 296.4 sec 4:56 min

1:35 walk break between laps

1 36.3
2 36.8
3 37.5
4 32.6
5 52.0 (includes 30 sec walk break)
6 38.1
7 47.4 (includes my dog lunging at another dog)
8 41.8
800m total 322.5 sec 5.:22


Looking at this month in review, I am really pleased overall. I've started running longer distances than I ever thought I could. I've lost nine pounds. I've learned a lot about nutrition and portion sizes. I feel healthy and happy. Everything's right in my corner of the world. I'm wondering though where to buy a face mask for everyone I know.

What's a Magic Mile?

According to Mr Galloway, the "Magic Mile" time trials (MM) are reality checks on your goal. These should be done on the weeks noted on the schedule. The MM has been the best predictor of current potential and helps us set a realistic training pace. With this information, you can decide how hard to run during various situations. (If you have any injuries you should not do the MM)

Warm up for a Magic Mile with about 10 minutes of very easy running with liberal walk breaks
Do 4-6 accelerations. No sprinting, just gradually pick up the pace of each 40 to 50 meter segment to about what you want to run in the MM.

Run around a track if at all possible (or a very accurately measured segment)

Time yourself for 4 laps (1600meters). Start the watch at the beginning, and keep it running until you cross the finish of the 4th lap.

On the first MM, don't run all-out: run at a pace that is only slightly faster than your current pace.

Only one MM is done on each day it is assigned

On each successive MM (usually 3 weeks later), your mission is to beat the previous best time.
Don't ever push so much that you hurt your feet, knees, etc.

Jog slowly for the rest of the distance assigned on that day taking as many walk breaks as you wish.

After you have run 3 of these (not at one time--on different weekends) you'll see progress and will run them hard enough so that you are huffing and puffing during the second half. For prediction purposes, you want to finish, feeling like you couldn't go much further at that pace.

Try walking for about 10-15 seconds after each lap during the MM. Some runners record a faster time when taking short breaks, and some go faster when running continuously. Do what works for you on the MM.