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March 27, 2007
I Think I've Died and Gone to Heaven
Let me start this entry off by saying that I went to the pool this morning in shorts. SHORTS! What is up with that?! I am soooooo happy for the warmer weather. So happy. So amazingly happy!
AM swim workout:
2500 yds total
wu: 100 easy, 200 kick, 6x100 w/20 sec rest descending by 2s
ms: 5x300 w/30 sec rest w/the last 100 of each being the fastest (4:05, 4:04, 4:00, 3:59, 3:58)
cd: 100 easy
I really focused on long, steady strokes for the first 200 of each 300 and then picking up the pace for the last 100. I didn't worry about the overall time of each interval so much. I think I did pretty well with that. Plus, I didn't want to kill myself this morning in the pool because I looked ahead to tomorrow's workout and let me just say - it ain't pretty. It's long. It's hard. One day at a time.
I got home from the pool, ate some breakfast, tooled around some and then when I couldn't wait any longer I got my bike ready to go for my first speedwork of the year! YIPPEEEEE!!!! I was really looking forward to this workout - first because I would get to ride hard and second because I would get to ride hard OUTSIDE! It was in the mid 60s when I left at 8:50 am!
The workout: 15 min easy warmup, 4x15 sec pickups w/10 sec rest, 2 min easy, 15x1 min hard w/30 sec rest (to be done as 3 sets of 5 with each interval in each set getting progressively harder), 15 min easy cooldown.
Hot dog! I was rearing to go when I set out. Not a lot of traffic because people were already at work by this point (work? who does that anyway? :). The best part of this whole deal was that on speed days there are no HR restrictions. Wonderful. No slowing down today baby!
And the workout did not disappoint. It felt SO GOOD to ride hard. So good. And ride hard I did! I didn't want it to be over. But now that the speedwork has started, I won't have to wait long until I get some more. :)
Since I've started with Mark Allen my training is much different than anything I've ever done before. I always thought I followed the hard/easy approach with running but I never truly did. What I termed "easy" wasn't really - in fact it was probably much beyond my aerobic ability. And I won't lie. This new training has been hard to get used to. I sometimes feel like I'm a slave to my HR monitor and I'm always having to slow myself down. At times I've been very frustrated. Patience is not one of my virtues. But I can't tell you how excited I am for the outcome. Because the "going slow" stuff is going to pay off. First of all, it's allowed me to handle much more volume (without getting injured!) than I would have been able to handle otherwise. And I know I'm much stronger for that. Second, it has forced me to build my aerobic engine so that I can stay aerobic for a lot longer (at faster paces) and not have to dip into my anaerobic resources as early in races. Third, as I start speedwork - I'll be able to make it count that much more - be rested and ready for it and able to really punch it out. I'm a believer and I haven't even raced yet. Who can argue with a 6 time Ironman World Champion anyway? ;)
Nonetheless, I'm babbling! The day is yet young! I am up for a shower and good stretch now, some lunch and then off to the bike store to start my fitting! Then - I still get to run outside later today and enjoy more of this wonderful weather! Just an easy 55 minute run tonight. I do have a dentist appointment but not even that can get me down. (I hate going to the dentist).
Enjoy your day everyone!
Posted by beth at March 27, 2007 10:08 AM
Comments
Hi Beth, biking outside sounds so.. nice. I am glad you already got two workouts in for the day. Glad to hear you are getting used to the heart rate monitor, so hard to really be honest to yourself and run slow sometimes. You are going to have a great tri season. I hope the dentist was ok and your p.m. run was good. Keep up the great work - inspirational!
Posted by: mary at March 27, 2007 4:27 PM
Beth... this is the kind of post you start feeling your toes tingling, butt levitating, as you read,and by the time you glance that closing exclamation mark you're halfway out the door, jaw-dropping major air intake, pushing leg-extended with one foot, power-raising the opposite thigh, driving arms-and-torso, to take one, big, rushing leap into biomechanical-cardiovascular BLISS! ...bookmark man, bookmark... it has to be Spring...
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at March 27, 2007 5:48 PM
I ditto Corrado, 100%. Awesome entry.
Posted by: Meghan at March 27, 2007 10:10 PM