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April 3, 2007
Absolute Insanity!
Our weather is crazy nice right now. Crazy nice I tell you! It was 80 degrees and sunny today. SUNNY. SUNNY IN PITTSBURGH! Anyone that's ever lived in Pittsburgh just knows - it's not sunny here very often. I love it. I can't get enough! And the fact that it's supposed to snow on Thursday isn't even making me that sad because I know the warm weather is almost here to stay. Love it!
AM swim workout:
3200 yds total @YMCA
wu: 300 easy, 6x75 w/20 sec rest (50 easy/25 fast)
ms: 400 w/1 min rest (5:30), 3x100 w/10 sec rest (1:19, 1:20, 1:20), 300 w/45 sec rest (4:03), 3x100 w/10 sec rest (1:19, 1:20, 1:19), 600 w/1:30 rest (8:08), 3x100 w/10 sec rest (1:19, 1:19, 1:20), 4x50 kick w/20 sec rest (:44, :43, :43, :44)
cd: 50 easy
Sneaking the 600 in there in the midst of the workout was a dirty trick. I did a double take when I saw that one! I spent most of that 600 trying to figure out if I had written my workout down incorrectly because I kept adding up my yardage and it kept equaling more than the 3000 yds it was supposed to be. Problem was, every time I added it up I came up with a different number leading me to believe that I should never attempt to do any sort of math without a calculator and I should especially avoid any kind of math while swimming hard. In the end I came home and looked at the workout and I had written it down correctly, it just happened to add up to 3200 yds. I think I lost a few brain cells though the whole ordeal... ;)
I went to work and wanted very badly to be outside the whole time instead of inside with all the sick people. I ate my lunch outside, hurried up and finished the rest of my work and then took off to home where O had my bike waiting for me with it's new computer! He was nice enough to take it to the bike shop (he has the whole week off work for spring break) and get the new computer on it along with some other items. New computer rocks. It's a big upgrade from my old computer and (most notably) includes cadence.
There's always so much talk about cadence in training articles, amongst coaches, etc... I always wonder what mine is. I have a sneaking suspicion that mine is much lower than it should be because I have a tendency to try to push really big gears instead of spinning in easier ones. Not smart. But I can't help myself sometimes. Anyway, my ride today confirmed that yes, I like to push big gears in lower cadences but I do quite the opposite when I'm trying to ride hard (which I supposed is a good thing because that's what will happen in races). Anyway, I'm babbling. That's nothing new.
PM bike workout:
15 minutes warmup, 4x15 sec pickups w/10 sec rest, 2 min easy, 4x6 minutes w/2:30 rest, 4x1 min w/15 sec rest, ~16 min cooldown
It was about 25 miles, took me a little under 1:15. I really am enjoying these bike workouts. I have never really done anything like them before because last year my speedwork consisted of doing the crits and that's it. Oh, and did I mention I love my new bike? That thing flys. I mean geez! The only bad part of the workout was crosswinds that nearly had me in the ditch along side the road several times. I hate to say it but I think I would choose a headwind over a crosswind. The crosswind makes me fear for my life and really challenges my non-existent bike handling skills. It doesn't help that me and my bike together weigh about 130 lbs.
Alas, after the bike I still had a run to enjoy in the wonderful weather! O joined me on this one but we didn't take the pooch because we worried it would be too hot for her. It was over 80 degrees and she does have a black fur coat on afterall. We ran 65 minutes, very easy. I had a hard time getting my HR to behave, most likely because of the heat, the fact that I just did a hard ride and I was likely dehydrated. Either way, it was great to get a run in with the sun shining down!
So that was that. Now I'm going to diligently read the little book that came with my bike computer so I actually know how to use it instead of randomly pushing buttons and hoping it does what I want. What I really want is for O to figure out how to use it and then teach me but he appears busy doing work. Geez...how rude! :)
Posted by beth at April 3, 2007 8:40 PM
Comments
Oh my gosh, I SO agree with you about preferring a headwind versus a crosswind! How about when there are cars and the wind is pushing you INTO the cars? And the lighter you and your bike are, the more dramatic the wind is! I feel for ya girl! More reason to eat Dairy Queen perhaps? :)
Posted by: Meghan at April 4, 2007 10:58 AM
...before the days of computers, to calculate cadence you counted the pedal revolutions in your head for a minute, or for fifteen seconds if you knew your extended 4x tables, of for thirty seconds if you could only multiply by 2.
It is still a worthwhile exercise to do because it is similiar to learning something by heart: if you get to know it well, you could even randomize excerpts and/or recite it backwards. To the extent you find out just how much/what you can do with something you know deeply well.
Optimal cadence is likely a function of your natural frequency. It's hard to define, but we all have one. Everything does. It is usually found by banging an object (under research) against something hard enough so it vibrates. And measuring it with appropriate apparatus.
But I suppose cycling in tri-training is a reasonable substitute :-)
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at April 4, 2007 3:33 PM
I went thru 3 bicycle-o-meters from Nashbar before I said screw it. :) From then on, I biked by time, then go back & do the route on favoriterun.com. It's not as convenient, but I got tired of returning & waiting....
I'm going to go to the bike shop right down the road this week - I AM TOO EXCITED! They had all the fantabulous bikes out in the window when I ran by the other day. Excuse me while I wipe up my drool.
Posted by: Bridgette at April 4, 2007 4:12 PM