The Sun Rises
It is dark when I get up
It is dark while I swim
Why did I paint my toes
Such a cheerless shade of mauve?
Food Joy
'Twas late one night
post-vegetarian dinner, you see
I tossed and turned;
Peeked at the clock (it was three)
When finally I fell
into a deep, deep sleep
I dreamed
(most regrettably, it seems)
That
I
Ate
A Meatloaf
'Twas wrapped in Bacon,
with a capital B; then sprinkled liberally with parsley
(Why? That I could already eat)
There was a nice fluffy dish
of mashed potatoes beside.
But then I woke up,
drooling and lonely.
No more! The chains of the veggie lifestyle
have been cast aside
Now I eat what I want to
and set the guilt aside
for later.
Lousy Day
I want not
to work out
Today.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
YSL: Day 51
Yesterday was a great day all around. I got up at 5, had some coffee and a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, answered some e-mail, and went off to the pool in some insane crazy snowstorm. My camera does not have a phone, so I couldn't take a photo to show you the sideways-blowing stuff. Too bad.
'Twas a fairly long workout, again--an hour and twenty minutes in the pool--but I managed to get it all in with the exception of two 50-yard intervals of drills. (The time seems to be improving. We'll see.)
Then it was a short bicycle back, in the still-sideways wind and snow and salt and road grit, and then, one egg-and-cheese sandwich and four hours of work later, collapsed on the couch for a 45-minute nap.
I rode 1/2 an hour at decent cadence on my trainer and then showered and worked some more, made myself some cabbage and noodles, and then I jogged to the CARA event, where I was talked into four miles that ended up being closer to 4 and a half, and then, with my added distance to the event, 5.2 miles. In retrospect, it wasn't a smart thing (the weekly group runs are unscheduled ones), given the stuff that's on my plate for Day 52, but then I realized...hey! I have the power the change stuff around! Alright!!
Today is packed. I have a massive editing job to do and some other garbage on my plate that's stressing me out, and it just makes absolute sense that I can't sleep. It's nearly 2 now and I have to get to bed somehow. And yet, I find myself eating a massive peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and washing it down with a glass of apple juice. My reserves must be depleted or something.
The week has started with a bang. It's listed as a 16-hour training week and I've already logged two and a half of those hours...just 13.5 left to go. Ha! Ha! Ha!
Here's the map for tonight. Did I mention that we ding-dong ditched Jim on our run? Only the best way ever to start off a run. Heh.
'Twas a fairly long workout, again--an hour and twenty minutes in the pool--but I managed to get it all in with the exception of two 50-yard intervals of drills. (The time seems to be improving. We'll see.)
Then it was a short bicycle back, in the still-sideways wind and snow and salt and road grit, and then, one egg-and-cheese sandwich and four hours of work later, collapsed on the couch for a 45-minute nap.
I rode 1/2 an hour at decent cadence on my trainer and then showered and worked some more, made myself some cabbage and noodles, and then I jogged to the CARA event, where I was talked into four miles that ended up being closer to 4 and a half, and then, with my added distance to the event, 5.2 miles. In retrospect, it wasn't a smart thing (the weekly group runs are unscheduled ones), given the stuff that's on my plate for Day 52, but then I realized...hey! I have the power the change stuff around! Alright!!
Today is packed. I have a massive editing job to do and some other garbage on my plate that's stressing me out, and it just makes absolute sense that I can't sleep. It's nearly 2 now and I have to get to bed somehow. And yet, I find myself eating a massive peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and washing it down with a glass of apple juice. My reserves must be depleted or something.
The week has started with a bang. It's listed as a 16-hour training week and I've already logged two and a half of those hours...just 13.5 left to go. Ha! Ha! Ha!
Here's the map for tonight. Did I mention that we ding-dong ditched Jim on our run? Only the best way ever to start off a run. Heh.
Monday, February 25, 2008
PB: Week 7
No training this week. Completely lost my motivation to get up early. It's cold, dark and lonely - there's nothing fun about it. I was feeling pretty down about it most of the week, but now I've come to terms with the fact that I may not enjoy training until spring comes around.
YSL: Days 48, 49, 50
Today is Day 50. It's a rest day, and I'm inordinately pleased.
This week was very strange. I swapped workouts one day; did part of one on a day that was supposed to be a swim test day but ended up being a possible rest day--I opted not to rest--and skipped a day entirely. So, to this date, I still have not completed a full week of the preparation period. It's only been 2 weeks, but it's disheartening to realize how bad I am at completing this stuff.
I've started keeping a food log. I was shocked and a little horrified to realize that my net amounts were almost all in the negatives over five days, and by the multiple hundreds of calories...As much as I try, I just couldn't seem to choke down enough calories in the day. I'd get halfway through a bowl of noodles and feel completely full and then not have another chance to eat until four hours later.
I went back to eating meat on Saturday night, when I collapsed on the couch after work at the bookstore and fell asleep sitting up. I spent the afternoon feeling nauseated and totally weak, and actively lamenting the fact that I just could not get up the mojo for even the short tempo run and ride that was prescribed me.
Sunday I talked to Coach Mike and rehashed the training and swim problems. He noted that I just needed to get as close as possible to what was on the schedule, and that I ought to give myself more leeway and switching things around. So I'm doing away with feeling badly about that, and looking forward to the coming week.
Yesterday's workout, a "long" run in the slip-slidey treacherous ice and two hours and five minutes on the trainer, was excruciating. I cried at the end of it (I know, how sorry am *I*?), laid flat on my back to stretch, and ate a pizza with sausage on it. Okay, not one whole pizza, but still.
Lara noted that she can't tell whether or not I'm really enjoying this process. I am. I really, really am. It's fascinating to discover certain things about oneself, and since the rest of my life is such a non-scheduled (outside of appointments) mishmash, it's great to have this structure.
More importantly, it's really, really nice, after a hiatus of several years, to feel as if I'm getting stronger again. It was interfering with parts of my life: having to THINK about whether or not I can do five, six miles with friends is stupid and annoying, when compared to being flexible enough--and strong enough--to just up and do it.
This week was very strange. I swapped workouts one day; did part of one on a day that was supposed to be a swim test day but ended up being a possible rest day--I opted not to rest--and skipped a day entirely. So, to this date, I still have not completed a full week of the preparation period. It's only been 2 weeks, but it's disheartening to realize how bad I am at completing this stuff.
I've started keeping a food log. I was shocked and a little horrified to realize that my net amounts were almost all in the negatives over five days, and by the multiple hundreds of calories...As much as I try, I just couldn't seem to choke down enough calories in the day. I'd get halfway through a bowl of noodles and feel completely full and then not have another chance to eat until four hours later.
I went back to eating meat on Saturday night, when I collapsed on the couch after work at the bookstore and fell asleep sitting up. I spent the afternoon feeling nauseated and totally weak, and actively lamenting the fact that I just could not get up the mojo for even the short tempo run and ride that was prescribed me.
Sunday I talked to Coach Mike and rehashed the training and swim problems. He noted that I just needed to get as close as possible to what was on the schedule, and that I ought to give myself more leeway and switching things around. So I'm doing away with feeling badly about that, and looking forward to the coming week.
Yesterday's workout, a "long" run in the slip-slidey treacherous ice and two hours and five minutes on the trainer, was excruciating. I cried at the end of it (I know, how sorry am *I*?), laid flat on my back to stretch, and ate a pizza with sausage on it. Okay, not one whole pizza, but still.
Lara noted that she can't tell whether or not I'm really enjoying this process. I am. I really, really am. It's fascinating to discover certain things about oneself, and since the rest of my life is such a non-scheduled (outside of appointments) mishmash, it's great to have this structure.
More importantly, it's really, really nice, after a hiatus of several years, to feel as if I'm getting stronger again. It was interfering with parts of my life: having to THINK about whether or not I can do five, six miles with friends is stupid and annoying, when compared to being flexible enough--and strong enough--to just up and do it.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
LT: Week 7
F: 30 min run @ base endurance. Pulse through the roof while barely achieving walking pace. Felt much worse over the day. Obviously not ready. Ditched Sunday cyclo-sportive and all other weekend workouts. Gah.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
YSL: Day 47, redux
Hi everyone--
Just a recap on yesterday's run.
I'm really, really sick of this weather. I actually really like cold temperatures, but what's making things really hard is the terrain here: the weather fluctuations have made for snow, then water all over as the snow melts, then a quick-freeze makes it so that the water goes to ice; then another fine dusting of snow makes the ice virtually impossible to see. This has been going on for days. It's uber-treacherous and quite dangerous.
Here's yesterday's gimpy transition run after a 75-minute session on my trainer. (I had a choice between a half-hour run or a 20-minute run. I went for 20 minutes because--you guessed it, I didn't want to risk breaking my neck for a stupid three-mile jog.)
Just a recap on yesterday's run.
I'm really, really sick of this weather. I actually really like cold temperatures, but what's making things really hard is the terrain here: the weather fluctuations have made for snow, then water all over as the snow melts, then a quick-freeze makes it so that the water goes to ice; then another fine dusting of snow makes the ice virtually impossible to see. This has been going on for days. It's uber-treacherous and quite dangerous.
Here's yesterday's gimpy transition run after a 75-minute session on my trainer. (I had a choice between a half-hour run or a 20-minute run. I went for 20 minutes because--you guessed it, I didn't want to risk breaking my neck for a stupid three-mile jog.)
Friday, February 22, 2008
YSL: Days 45, 46, 47 (Poetry Friday)
45: Totally exhausted from Day 44. Did endurance bike workout at a snail's pace and forgot the hill repeats.
46: Swam in the morning. Coach Mike has down an hour but he says that if I want to I can adjust certain parts of the workout to fit the thing into an hour, so I opted out of 200 yards of drills and 200 yards of kick strokes. That cut me down to around 1:10. Did not do transition workout base (hour bike; 1/2 hour run) due to scheduling snafu and deadline hell; pushed it to Friday (today).
47: supposed to do a swim test; Coach Mike says to do a recovery swim instead, but it looks like it's going to be the TWB i missed from yesterday.
I've gone out every single fricken night this week, either for work or otherwise. I'm exhausted and laying low. Somewhere in my head I remember Mike telling me I was going to have to rejigger my priorities. Is this what he meant?
Poetry Friday
Slip, splash, zipping here and there.
Frenzied kicking, water frothy,
Muscles tight and tamed.
But in Lane One
--that's the Floater Lane--
serenity reigns.
Their swimsuits are loose;
their skin is loose, too, and crepey.
Bellies balloon outwards; skin is white and pasty.
They bob slowly
to and fro
enjoying the feel of the water
Not hurrying; not counting--
An outrageous idea, this smling while swimming;
What happiness in Lane One!
46: Swam in the morning. Coach Mike has down an hour but he says that if I want to I can adjust certain parts of the workout to fit the thing into an hour, so I opted out of 200 yards of drills and 200 yards of kick strokes. That cut me down to around 1:10. Did not do transition workout base (hour bike; 1/2 hour run) due to scheduling snafu and deadline hell; pushed it to Friday (today).
47: supposed to do a swim test; Coach Mike says to do a recovery swim instead, but it looks like it's going to be the TWB i missed from yesterday.
I've gone out every single fricken night this week, either for work or otherwise. I'm exhausted and laying low. Somewhere in my head I remember Mike telling me I was going to have to rejigger my priorities. Is this what he meant?
Poetry Friday
Slip, splash, zipping here and there.
Frenzied kicking, water frothy,
Muscles tight and tamed.
But in Lane One
--that's the Floater Lane--
serenity reigns.
Their swimsuits are loose;
their skin is loose, too, and crepey.
Bellies balloon outwards; skin is white and pasty.
They bob slowly
to and fro
enjoying the feel of the water
Not hurrying; not counting--
An outrageous idea, this smling while swimming;
What happiness in Lane One!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
YSL: Day 44
Swam an hour and a half in the morning; then ran with the Chicago Area Runner's Association at around 6:30 PM. This map says that I logged roughly 5.7 miles, but I don't know for sure. I know that I ran for a little over 57 minutes and that it felt faster than 10-minute miles. I guess it doesn't really matter: I'm beat, and I didn't even get to relax afterwards. I changed and dashed right out to dinner again. Sigh.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
YSL: Day 43
Things I do badly:
(1) Swim. Coach Mike seems to think it's going to take me an hour to swim 2,475 yards. If he weren't so darned healthy, I'd say he was smokin' somethin', because it took me an hour and 27 minutes. Rough workout today. Fartleks; lactate threshold intervals; the works.
(2) Eat. As of 7PM yesterday I'd consumed 1100 calories, and 600 of that was either cookie or toffee bar. Smarrrrrt.
(3) Drink. (Not to be confused with the verb "to boozehound.") Yesterday's total liquid consumption: two cups coffee; one cup tea; one glass water. So smart!
Sigh.
(1) Swim. Coach Mike seems to think it's going to take me an hour to swim 2,475 yards. If he weren't so darned healthy, I'd say he was smokin' somethin', because it took me an hour and 27 minutes. Rough workout today. Fartleks; lactate threshold intervals; the works.
(2) Eat. As of 7PM yesterday I'd consumed 1100 calories, and 600 of that was either cookie or toffee bar. Smarrrrrt.
(3) Drink. (Not to be confused with the verb "to boozehound.") Yesterday's total liquid consumption: two cups coffee; one cup tea; one glass water. So smart!
Sigh.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Quote of the Week
Coach Mike: Today's test is going to hurt.
Miss Mid: You're gonna make me cry.
Coach Mike [wryly]: Well...[shrugs] I've made hundreds of female athletes cry.
Nice.
Miss Mid: You're gonna make me cry.
Coach Mike [wryly]: Well...[shrugs] I've made hundreds of female athletes cry.
Nice.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
PB: Week 6
M - Run 41 min on local roads at level2. 4.8 mi. Pace 8:30 min/mi. HR 141.
T - Bike 5x2:00 intervals on the trainer with 2:00 rests. 40 min. HR 122. Then 10 min yoga.
W - Yoga 55 min in the morning. 65 min mixed gym workout in the evening at level3-4 (by feel) - run/lift/bike/lift/stairs/lift/run.
Th - Off. Cancelled planned ride because I was tired from the previous night.
F - Off. Cancelled planned run because why am I doing this again?
S - Run 65 min at level1 on trail with my local club. 7.27 mi. HR 148. Met someone there who might run with me at 5:15am.
Su - Off because of impromtu dinner guests.
Total 4:36
T - Bike 5x2:00 intervals on the trainer with 2:00 rests. 40 min. HR 122. Then 10 min yoga.
W - Yoga 55 min in the morning. 65 min mixed gym workout in the evening at level3-4 (by feel) - run/lift/bike/lift/stairs/lift/run.
Th - Off. Cancelled planned ride because I was tired from the previous night.
F - Off. Cancelled planned run because why am I doing this again?
S - Run 65 min at level1 on trail with my local club. 7.27 mi. HR 148. Met someone there who might run with me at 5:15am.
Su - Off because of impromtu dinner guests.
Total 4:36
Em: Week in Review
Monday : 6.5 Mile Run
Tuesday : 2K erg/weights/500m sw
Wednesday: 15k Bike/2.5K run/stretch
Thursday : 1500 sw
Friday : 4miles
Saturday : 12 mile hike
Sunday : 10.5 mile run
Tuesday : 2K erg/weights/500m sw
Wednesday: 15k Bike/2.5K run/stretch
Thursday : 1500 sw
Friday : 4miles
Saturday : 12 mile hike
Sunday : 10.5 mile run
YSL: Days 40, 41
Coach Mike hates me. He came over yesterday and did some god-awful thing to me that involved strapping me to my bike and making me do intervals at 100%. He called it a "bike test." This is Coach-Speak for ensuring that the latent athlete (this is what he calls me) is nutso enough to want to continue on this training regimine even after he's done the "bike test."
Cool results, though: Check out the chart he built out of my heart rate. The efforts were 8 minutes long, broken up by a 10-minute break and preceded by two three-minute 100% efforts. I think those two were just for his absolute enjoyment.
In the first effort, in blue, I started a little low (target RPM: 95-105), and Coach Mike gave me the split at 2 minutes, so you can see where I ramped it up a bit after I heard I only had two minutes left.
In the second effort, you'll notice a more even effort throughout, until one minute left during the test. I asked Coach Mike to wait until the one-minute marker, which may not have been the best strategy, because then he got all up in my stuff. I thought I had joined the military.
I crashed on the couch after eating a bowl of wheat noodles, and slept for about forty minutes, and then I got up and did my tempo run, with some strides thrown in.
Today sucked balls:
2 hours Endurance Bike miles (heart rate low 140s avg)
50-minute endurance run, cut short at 45 minutes because I HATE THE TREADMILL and my form started to fall apart and I got all disoriented and bubbly headed.
1 hour in the pool, mostly drills and three sets of 200s.
I did this workout all back-to-back.
I hate the treadmill. I hate it, I hate it. I'll do whatever I can now to stay off of it. What an awful machine.
I had a momentary lapse of nutritional weakness today after this very long effort. I dreamt of going out and getting myself a ridiculously large hamburger or a meatloaf wrapped in bacon, or some other equally large hunk of red meat. I called PB, who talked me off the ledge and convinced me to go eat some fish and chips instead. Hooray for veg-head sponsors.
I'm going to give this vege-quarium thing until August (one full year) before I decide if I want to call it quits or not. I'm not sure I'm any healthier than I was before, but it does make me a better educator about the environment, and that makes it worth it.
Cool results, though: Check out the chart he built out of my heart rate. The efforts were 8 minutes long, broken up by a 10-minute break and preceded by two three-minute 100% efforts. I think those two were just for his absolute enjoyment.
In the first effort, in blue, I started a little low (target RPM: 95-105), and Coach Mike gave me the split at 2 minutes, so you can see where I ramped it up a bit after I heard I only had two minutes left.
In the second effort, you'll notice a more even effort throughout, until one minute left during the test. I asked Coach Mike to wait until the one-minute marker, which may not have been the best strategy, because then he got all up in my stuff. I thought I had joined the military.
I crashed on the couch after eating a bowl of wheat noodles, and slept for about forty minutes, and then I got up and did my tempo run, with some strides thrown in.
Today sucked balls:
2 hours Endurance Bike miles (heart rate low 140s avg)
50-minute endurance run, cut short at 45 minutes because I HATE THE TREADMILL and my form started to fall apart and I got all disoriented and bubbly headed.
1 hour in the pool, mostly drills and three sets of 200s.
I did this workout all back-to-back.
I hate the treadmill. I hate it, I hate it. I'll do whatever I can now to stay off of it. What an awful machine.
I had a momentary lapse of nutritional weakness today after this very long effort. I dreamt of going out and getting myself a ridiculously large hamburger or a meatloaf wrapped in bacon, or some other equally large hunk of red meat. I called PB, who talked me off the ledge and convinced me to go eat some fish and chips instead. Hooray for veg-head sponsors.
I'm going to give this vege-quarium thing until August (one full year) before I decide if I want to call it quits or not. I'm not sure I'm any healthier than I was before, but it does make me a better educator about the environment, and that makes it worth it.
Friday, February 15, 2008
YSL: 39
Poetry Friday
I.
Oh, fourth-lane-over
How I hate you.
Your lane markings
Match not at all
With the lane buoys
This is why
I have a scratch on my thumb
and one on my nose
Practically
II.
I have to pee
I have five millllllion laps left
I have to pee
The Gatorade is all gone
Why did I drink it all?
III.
The stuff on the bottom
is more than flotsam
less than jetsam
One Band-Aid
Two Band-Aids
One more in the gutter
and oh look--a tuft of hair
that probably belongs to the hairy guy in my lane
I finished my "hour-long" workout in one hour and 13 minutes. I did it all and took all of the rest breaks I was supposed to take. Sometime during my last set, though, I stopped feeling like I was being efficient. The world seemed to slow down and I seemed to be just floating in the water, in stasis, even though I was moving my arms and legs like I was swimming.
I got up at 5 this morning so I could eat something and have coffee before I went to the pool, but I forgot the eating part.
I.
Oh, fourth-lane-over
How I hate you.
Your lane markings
Match not at all
With the lane buoys
This is why
I have a scratch on my thumb
and one on my nose
Practically
II.
I have to pee
I have five millllllion laps left
I have to pee
The Gatorade is all gone
Why did I drink it all?
III.
The stuff on the bottom
is more than flotsam
less than jetsam
One Band-Aid
Two Band-Aids
One more in the gutter
and oh look--a tuft of hair
that probably belongs to the hairy guy in my lane
I finished my "hour-long" workout in one hour and 13 minutes. I did it all and took all of the rest breaks I was supposed to take. Sometime during my last set, though, I stopped feeling like I was being efficient. The world seemed to slow down and I seemed to be just floating in the water, in stasis, even though I was moving my arms and legs like I was swimming.
I got up at 5 this morning so I could eat something and have coffee before I went to the pool, but I forgot the eating part.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
YSL: 38
Holy crap,
I don't think I've worked out this many hours in a day since...since...well, I don't know.
I swam an hour, as previously noted, adn then earlier this evening I sat on my trainer for an hour (thank goodness for Scrubs!) and then I went straight out for my jog.
Looks like I logged roughly 10-minute miles. I also did something really annoying to my ankle. I think it has to do with wearing Yaktrax all the time and then bobbling about on lumpy bumpy ice disguised by snow. What a pain. Anyway, I'm icing it.
and stretching a lot.
My legs were tired after the first mile, but I pushed through teh wall and everything felt OK after that. Well, until the whole ankle-thing, anyway. Pleh.
I don't think I've worked out this many hours in a day since...since...well, I don't know.
I swam an hour, as previously noted, adn then earlier this evening I sat on my trainer for an hour (thank goodness for Scrubs!) and then I went straight out for my jog.
Looks like I logged roughly 10-minute miles. I also did something really annoying to my ankle. I think it has to do with wearing Yaktrax all the time and then bobbling about on lumpy bumpy ice disguised by snow. What a pain. Anyway, I'm icing it.
and stretching a lot.
My legs were tired after the first mile, but I pushed through teh wall and everything felt OK after that. Well, until the whole ankle-thing, anyway. Pleh.
YSL: 36, 37
I'm going to have to think up a new way to list these days. I've stopped being able to count, or maybe I just never started being able to count. Maybe the week thing will work for me, too, although I'd probably just forget.
Day 36 was a rest day.
Day 37 was the start of a new stage of working out. I think we're in "Preparation" stage right now. Yes, that's right.
My workouts suddenly look different. Now, instead of nice friendly terminology (bike 1 hour), I have this:
SWIM: SWU3, SDS2, SSF6, SSS3, DPS2, SRS 4
ER2 (FI 6-8)
Agggggh.
Fortunately, there are roughly 150 pages of directions, descriptions, and text to go with this. Lovely.
Yesterday, 37, was disappointing to both me and Coach Mike, I'm sure. I got to the pool later than I wanted to and couldn't do part of the workout. Then it started to snow sideways and I wasn't keen on doing Fartleks (that's what "FI," stands for, by the way) in the snow, which was only barely covering a treacherous layer of dreadful, lumpy bumpy ice. Coach Mike was not pleased that I skipped the run. Get thee to a treadmill, is what he said, pretty much. So I have to find one of those. Maybe I should see if I can freecycle one.
Ur. I did my swim early today (although not early enough, it seems--I cut my recovery times between strokes to about half of what they were supposed to be and still couldn't squeeze in my 600-yard recovery swim at the end), and then, later today, it's a transition workout: an hour bike followed by a half-hour run.
I have to do this in time for Project Runway with KF this evening, and there's a bunch of garbage to get done before then that's not nearly as fun as either Project Runway *or* a TWB ("Transition Workout, Base"). Don't worry, kids. Soon, you, too, will be well versed in the art of Carmichael acronyms...and then you, too, will be hip and cool like me.
Day 36 was a rest day.
Day 37 was the start of a new stage of working out. I think we're in "Preparation" stage right now. Yes, that's right.
My workouts suddenly look different. Now, instead of nice friendly terminology (bike 1 hour), I have this:
SWIM: SWU3, SDS2, SSF6, SSS3, DPS2, SRS 4
ER2 (FI 6-8)
Agggggh.
Fortunately, there are roughly 150 pages of directions, descriptions, and text to go with this. Lovely.
Yesterday, 37, was disappointing to both me and Coach Mike, I'm sure. I got to the pool later than I wanted to and couldn't do part of the workout. Then it started to snow sideways and I wasn't keen on doing Fartleks (that's what "FI," stands for, by the way) in the snow, which was only barely covering a treacherous layer of dreadful, lumpy bumpy ice. Coach Mike was not pleased that I skipped the run. Get thee to a treadmill, is what he said, pretty much. So I have to find one of those. Maybe I should see if I can freecycle one.
Ur. I did my swim early today (although not early enough, it seems--I cut my recovery times between strokes to about half of what they were supposed to be and still couldn't squeeze in my 600-yard recovery swim at the end), and then, later today, it's a transition workout: an hour bike followed by a half-hour run.
I have to do this in time for Project Runway with KF this evening, and there's a bunch of garbage to get done before then that's not nearly as fun as either Project Runway *or* a TWB ("Transition Workout, Base"). Don't worry, kids. Soon, you, too, will be well versed in the art of Carmichael acronyms...and then you, too, will be hip and cool like me.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
PB: Week 5
M - Run 43 min at level1, 4.5 mi. HR 138. Pace 9:35.
T - Run 40 min uphill intervals, 4.4 mi. Warm up, then 5x Harrison St. hill. HR 145. Felt like I couldn't maintain the effort near the top.
W - Circuit strength 25 min. Mountain bike 53 min, 13 mi. HR 124. Unseasonably warm.
Th - Run 40 min at level2, 4.6 mi. HR 150. A new running course over the river that I've thought about for a while but never tried because I thought it was longer.
Su - Exercise bike 65 min at level1 at gym. HR 129. Nothing good on tv - watched the Dukes of Hazard movie!
Total 4:26
Once again, I really ran out of motivation by the end of the week, and pushed the long evening workout to the end of the weekend. It was not so long this time because I couldn't get out the door until 8:30 and the gym closes at 10:00. Otherwise, Sunday actually works pretty well for an evening workout because I'm psychologically transitioning into the workweek, whereas on Friday I'm thinking about the weekend and sleep. Maybe I should consider switching my schedule to make Monday my rest morning, and Sunday my permanent overdistance night. Regardless, getting into a motivation funk at the end of the week for two weeks in a row actually makes me feel better, because if this is something that's just going to happen I can plan for it and work around it.
I'm also trying a new tactic, which is to plan out the entire week in advance, rather than just having a vague idea of what I'm going to do on which day that gets solidified the night before or in the morning. Normally I try to avoid this much planning because it feels too rigid, but on reflection I realize I had forgotten an important lesson of GTD: deciding on your actions is not limiting - rather it sets you free to just DO instead of thinking about it. And it could be much easier to motivate myself to get up in the morning when I know exactly what I have to do, and don't have to do any thinking.
T - Run 40 min uphill intervals, 4.4 mi. Warm up, then 5x Harrison St. hill. HR 145. Felt like I couldn't maintain the effort near the top.
W - Circuit strength 25 min. Mountain bike 53 min, 13 mi. HR 124. Unseasonably warm.
Th - Run 40 min at level2, 4.6 mi. HR 150. A new running course over the river that I've thought about for a while but never tried because I thought it was longer.
Su - Exercise bike 65 min at level1 at gym. HR 129. Nothing good on tv - watched the Dukes of Hazard movie!
Total 4:26
Once again, I really ran out of motivation by the end of the week, and pushed the long evening workout to the end of the weekend. It was not so long this time because I couldn't get out the door until 8:30 and the gym closes at 10:00. Otherwise, Sunday actually works pretty well for an evening workout because I'm psychologically transitioning into the workweek, whereas on Friday I'm thinking about the weekend and sleep. Maybe I should consider switching my schedule to make Monday my rest morning, and Sunday my permanent overdistance night. Regardless, getting into a motivation funk at the end of the week for two weeks in a row actually makes me feel better, because if this is something that's just going to happen I can plan for it and work around it.
I'm also trying a new tactic, which is to plan out the entire week in advance, rather than just having a vague idea of what I'm going to do on which day that gets solidified the night before or in the morning. Normally I try to avoid this much planning because it feels too rigid, but on reflection I realize I had forgotten an important lesson of GTD: deciding on your actions is not limiting - rather it sets you free to just DO instead of thinking about it. And it could be much easier to motivate myself to get up in the morning when I know exactly what I have to do, and don't have to do any thinking.
Monday, February 11, 2008
BRRR: chilly photos from the 5-miler
Kirsten and I look like seals. Orp! Orp!
This is what I looked like when I crossed the finish line, shortly before I collapsed against a tree.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
YSL: 33, 34, 35
33: recovering
34: walked all over town, recovering
35: raced. 3rd in age group for the Lake Channahon Frosty Five-Mile: First three miles at 9.5-minute miles, got ass kicked in miles 4 and 5 by insane constant headwind and god-awful hill. I know, I know...in ILLINOIS.
Perspective: 1st in age group only posted 8:37 miles; 2nd was 9:38 miles. Exhausted and discombobulated now, although know must sleep.
Photos later. Ran race with fabulous pal KF, who bested her per-mile time by quite a bit. V. V. happy for her.
For the record: was 4 degrees at race start; -23 windchill. Prost! (Map below.)
34: walked all over town, recovering
35: raced. 3rd in age group for the Lake Channahon Frosty Five-Mile: First three miles at 9.5-minute miles, got ass kicked in miles 4 and 5 by insane constant headwind and god-awful hill. I know, I know...in ILLINOIS.
Perspective: 1st in age group only posted 8:37 miles; 2nd was 9:38 miles. Exhausted and discombobulated now, although know must sleep.
Photos later. Ran race with fabulous pal KF, who bested her per-mile time by quite a bit. V. V. happy for her.
For the record: was 4 degrees at race start; -23 windchill. Prost! (Map below.)
LT: Week 5
8 days off now, and still counting. The cold got much worse and spread to sinuses and chest. No sign of improvement yet, and though I'm champing at the bit, I'm determined to ride this one out.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
PB: Week 4
Not a bad week, in terms of rebuilding the habit. Started out the week very motivated, then the motivation gradually decreased as the week wore on.
M - MTB 57 minutes/12.5 miles on a new loop. HR 130.
T - Run 44 minutes at a comfortable pace in Johnson Park . HR monitor malfunctioned.
W - Yoga 25 minutes (DVD)
Th - Bike 40 minutes at a comfortable pace on the trainer. HR 123.
Circuit strength training at the gym after lunch. Sore for days afterwards.
F - Off. Skipped a planned long run because of rain.
S - Run 1:22/8.3 miles at overdistance pace on a new loop. HR 141. Incredible stars.
Su - Yoga 25 minutes (DVD). Forced myself to do it before I went to bed.
Total 4:58
Here is the new bike loop:
And here is the new run loop:
M - MTB 57 minutes/12.5 miles on a new loop. HR 130.
T - Run 44 minutes at a comfortable pace in Johnson Park . HR monitor malfunctioned.
W - Yoga 25 minutes (DVD)
Th - Bike 40 minutes at a comfortable pace on the trainer. HR 123.
Circuit strength training at the gym after lunch. Sore for days afterwards.
F - Off. Skipped a planned long run because of rain.
S - Run 1:22/8.3 miles at overdistance pace on a new loop. HR 141. Incredible stars.
Su - Yoga 25 minutes (DVD). Forced myself to do it before I went to bed.
Total 4:58
Here is the new bike loop:
And here is the new run loop:
Sunday, February 3, 2008
YSL: Days 26, 27, 28
26: Supposed to be bike-and-swim on Friday, but forewent the swim in favor of a nice hour-long, two-mile snowshoe with friend a friend.
Rode for 73 minutes.
27: Swim for scant half-hour. All stroke drills. Right shoulder feels a little pressured from kickboard.
28: Ride on trainer for 45 minutes.
Rode for 73 minutes.
27: Swim for scant half-hour. All stroke drills. Right shoulder feels a little pressured from kickboard.
28: Ride on trainer for 45 minutes.
LT: Week 4
Another slack week, for various reasons. Monday I was tired after the sportive, and couldn't face the 5:15am alarm call that is necessary for a morning workout (any other time is impossible, given that I have to look after Miles all day). Wednesday I felt like I was coming down with something in the morning, and that I was still tired and unmotivated. So I skipped my long run and had another rest day, thinking I'd make up for it at the weekend. However we then made an impromptu trip out of town at the weekend. I intended to cycle part of the route back on Sunday, but after a long run on Saturday felt super-tired and in the light of strong winds and probable rain, decided to skip it. I thought we'd get back in time for a quick session at the gym, but by the time we got back to London I was suffering from a really painful sore throat which explains why my run and recovery felt so difficult and sluggish yesterday, and possibly why I've been feeling sub-par for most of the week. So it's my turn for some light days, although I'll try and keep up some base level training of sorts unless the throat takes a turn for the worse.
M: Rest day
T: 45 min swim
60 min spin with 30 min run to & from gym
W: Rest day
T: 1 h 20 min session with 6x10 min intervals @ tempo, alternating stationary bike & treadmill. Stretch.
40 min swim
F: 1 h run @ base endurance
S: 2 h run @ tempo/base endurance. 12.81 miles with map-reading stops (see map)
Total: 7 hrs 15 mins
M: Rest day
T: 45 min swim
60 min spin with 30 min run to & from gym
W: Rest day
T: 1 h 20 min session with 6x10 min intervals @ tempo, alternating stationary bike & treadmill. Stretch.
40 min swim
F: 1 h run @ base endurance
S: 2 h run @ tempo/base endurance. 12.81 miles with map-reading stops (see map)
Total: 7 hrs 15 mins
Friday, February 1, 2008
YSL: Day 25
Bike-and-jog yesterday.
Spin for 56 minutes; at each commercial break, up two gears, then back down.
Jog with hound through deep, slippy snow. Yaktrax clog up in this type of snow--perfect for snowballs!--and ankles were exhausted after this teeny-tiny route, which took me somewhere on the order of 23 minutes. Sheesh.
Spin for 56 minutes; at each commercial break, up two gears, then back down.
Jog with hound through deep, slippy snow. Yaktrax clog up in this type of snow--perfect for snowballs!--and ankles were exhausted after this teeny-tiny route, which took me somewhere on the order of 23 minutes. Sheesh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)