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January 22, 2009
8xArgonne
This week saw the return of some hard efforts to my rides and runs. Wow. Haven't done that for a while. Since...um...like last October? But, I have to admit, it's my favorite part of training. As I would expect it is for most. Who likes to do boring base miles anyway? I guess they aren't that bad but a good hard effort that has you begging for mercy? That's where the action is at!
So on Tuesday I had a hard bike workout. Not so bad. Actually I think I'm only saying that because I'm several days removed from it and I already forget how badly it hurt. I do remember getting off the bike and thinking that my stink from all the sweat was absolutely disgusting. I think I even saw Roxy holding her nose...
Also on Tuesday a run later in the evening. I had the treat of O joining me and for the first time in probably about 5 years I didn't time the run correctly. It was to be 65 minutes but somehow we turned up at home at 70 minutes. YIKES! Of course it's no big deal but I absolutely pride myself on timing runs down to the seconds. You need to run 43:38? I can get you back home in exactly that. It's like a gift. Just like if you tell me to run a 82.6 quarter on the track I can do exactly that. Of course this doesn't seem to translate to the pool...
Regardless, Wednesday brought some more moderate training - a 2 hour trainer session (where the stink was present again...I'm starting to worry our house smells like it but we don't notice because we are always here...), a swim and some time in the weight room.
This morning I went to masters and really enjoyed my workout. I think I have found the absolute best training partner. We see to be so evenly matched in the pool so I always try to find a lane next to her and keep up. I have a little more raw speed but her endurance and consistency is amazing. So today we did a set of descending 100s on 1:30 and finished up strong with a 1:10. I was happy with that. Swimming is coming along well. I don't know if I'm faster solely from the fact that I'm getting much better at flip turns (which are obviously faster than my old open turns), or if I really am getting stronger. Hard to tell but I'll take speed any way I can get it.
And then this evening after work - 8xArgonne Hill.
Oh dear Lord.
Let me back up a few steps. The schedule really called for a track workout. But of course that just got a big laugh because our track is covered in about a foot of snow with a couple inches of ice underneath. I might not see that thing again until my 2nd "A" race of the year. :) And as I've blabbed on this blog before, I don't do treadmills. So that left me with two options - run my intervals for "time" on the roads instead of "distance" on the track or...HILLS!!
I jumped at the opportunity to do a good old hill workout (at which point I was later kicking myself for). Hill workouts remind me of high school where we did them ALL the time. And boy did we have some big hills to run up in good old Greensburg, PA. After almost every hill workout in high school we would do what my high school coach called a gutbuster. This essentially was an all out 400 on the track AFTER the hill workout, to replicate that feeling of having a sprint as hard as you could at the end of a cross country race when you were just dead tired. In races coach would actually yell "GUTBUSTER!" and we could recall those memories of running all out on the track... It was a brilliant scheme I tell you.
Anyway, back to today. No gutbusters on the track but I'm pretty sure I left part of my gut out there on Argonne Rd.
When I knew I wasn't going to get to actually do the workout on the track and coach okayed the hill workout instead, I asked O what hill he thought I should tackle. We have plenty to choose from in our area. Short steep ones. Long gradual ones. Long steep ones. Big bad wicked ones. Regardless, O suggested Argonne. Little did I know how sinister this suggestion was...
We actually drove out to the hill so I could scope it out. I've run up it before but never hard and I wanted to measure out about 1/4 of a mile (the hill is probably 2 miles long total so I knew I didn't want to run the whole thing hard - that would kind of defeat the purpose).
Of course I would like to now take the time to point out the fact that a hill is NEVER EVER NOT EVEN CLOSE as bad in the car as it is when you actually have to run up it with your own two legs. It's ever so easy to push the gas pedal in the car a little more and whammo (!) you are at the top! Not so easy when you are running...
So I got home from work kind of late and it was already dark but WARM - 30 degrees and I was so thankful. 30 degrees feels like a heat wave right now so I made sure not to dress too warmly.
I get to the hill, do some strides and jog to the bottom. Dang, this looks a little more steep than when we drove it the other day!
Holy. Cats.
I won't bore you with the details of each repeat but suffice it to say that was one hard workout. Ouch. Ouch. And more ouch. My whole body was in revolt. This is what happens when you aren't in great shape and start asking your body to do things like run 6 minute pace up a huge freaking hill.
But I was absolutely determined to run each repeat faster than the last. On the final and eighth repeat I seriously thought I was going to keel over. I was breathing so hard I was certain the family (who I could see eating dinner in their nice cozy home) in the house across the street was going to call 911 for me. But it was my fastest. Once again I confirm in my head that our bodies always have a little something more to give.
Up and down Argonne in the pitch black winter night when everyone else is relaxing at home. I'll remember this workout for sure.
Especially tomorrow morning when I won't be able to move... :)
Good night everyone!
Posted by beth at January 22, 2009 10:02 PM
Comments
That is so funny seeing that family eating and worrying about them worrying about you. They were probably thinking, "That girl is so motivated and fit. Where can we get some of that motivation?"
Posted by: Danielle "Pedergraham" at January 23, 2009 9:46 AM
Great job Beth! THESE are the workouts that you remember come race day - way to go! Oh - and running hard and seeing people doing normal things on the inside of their houses is always surreal. But these moments are the ones who define you - way to go go go!
Posted by: marit c-l at January 23, 2009 12:18 PM
Two comments:
1. I don't notice any stink in the house. Is this bad?
2. You WERE still breathing hard when you got home after the 400's even though you did a 15 minute or so cool-down. That's a good day's work!
Posted by: O at January 23, 2009 12:24 PM
thanks. you so totally rock! )
Posted by: chrissyt at January 23, 2009 7:07 PM
It sounds like your training is really getting tough. Good work!
Posted by: maija at January 23, 2009 7:51 PM
you are getting some good work done! i am totally like you with the run vs. swim pacing! i can pace a mile to within a second but i can be out by 10 seconds on a 100 in the pool!!
Posted by: kerrie at January 26, 2009 1:24 AM