Wk 4 - Sprint Triathlon Training

Monday - Endurance Swim &  Group Ride

Lunch Swim (35 min): Warm Up: 4 x 50 w/ 15" rest; 6 x 100 on 2:20 pace, 200 (alternating 50 kick / 50 pull), 2 x fast 50 w/ 60" rest; Cool Down: 200. This was a solid swim and the 100s were pretty even with just a 3 second difference between all of them (2:01, 2:01, 2:02, 1:59, 2:00).

Evening Group Ride (90 min): What a difference a week makes! Last week was a struggle and I averaged 13.1 mph and 142 average heart rate. This week felt so much easier and yet I averaged 13.8 mph and 134 average heart rate. The only thing I did different was really focus on keeping a high cadence throughout the ride and well, it paid off! I just hope it isn't a fluke.



Tuesday - Hill Repeats (30 min)

Started off with a 10 minute warm up jog the did 6 x 45 strides up a 3% grade hill then jogged down as recovery. The hill repeats were at 8:12, 8:20, 8:21, 7:47, 7:24, and 7:22 pace but they only lasted 30 seconds and my recoveries were between 1½ to 2 minutes long. At the half way point, I did stop and grabbed some water which is probably why the last 3 were much faster. The last one I gave it everything I had. Then did a 10 minute warm down jog.

 

Wednesday - Rest Day

Left for Myrtle Beach right after work.

 

Thursday - Easy Run (15 mins)

I don't know what it is but I simply do not run well while I'm on vacation. My legs felt heavy and after 15 minutes, I already had enough!

 

Friday - Easy Bike (30 mins)

About 30 minutes on the very cheap Walmart bike but at least there are no hills!

 

Saturday - Bike/Run Brick. Par 3 Golf (2 hours)

My husband and I played 18 rounds on a par 3 golf course. I'm not much of a golfer as I only play on vacation so that is maybe twice a year so I do good just to hit the ball straight...if at all!

 

Sunday - Rest Day - Interval Run (36 mins)

A strong cold front came through Friday night and temps dropped 15-20 degrees so I woke up to low 50s...great weather for a HIIT (high intensity interval training) run! 10 minute warm up then 4 x 90 sec "fast" intervals at 8:28, 7:48, 7:53, and 7:34 pace with full recovery (3-4 mins). 10 minute cool down.

Wk 3 - Sprint Triathlon Training

Monday - Endurance Swim & Group Ride
Lunch Swim (35 min) - Warm Up: 4 x 50 with 15 second rest. Main Set #1: 4 x 100 on 2:15 pace. Main Set #2: 400 steady. Cool Down: 4 x 50. The 100s were tough and the last two I barely had 5 seconds to rest. By the time I got to the second main set, I was tired and hungry and didn't have much energy left.

Group Ride (1 hr, 45 min) - This ride was really hard. My quads fatigued early on just 6 miles in and I can only guess it had to do something with walking up 500+ steps at Chimney Rock on Saturday. Still, I somehow managed to push through the remaining 17 miles but every hill took every ounce of energy I had.



Tuesday - Interval Run (45 min)
10 min warm up then 6 x 2 minutes at moderate effort with 3 minute recovery plus cool down. I had two things going against me. One, it was in the low 80s and while I'm not complaining about the warmer temps, I simply forgot how much more energy it takes to run when it's warmer, and two, my legs were fatigued from yesterday's group ride so they felt heavy the entire run. I ended the run completely exhausted and will more than likely end up taking a rest day tomorrow.

Wednesday - Lunch Bike. Rest Day
My body is telling me I need a rest so rest it is!

Thursday - Easy Run
What a difference a rest day makes! Legs felt great and kept the pace nice and easy.

Friday - Lunch Swim Rest Day
Well technically I didn't really rest. Ended up cleaning the house instead which can be a workout!

Saturday - SDS Cross Country 5K
This was my "birthday" race and since I needed to get in an easy 3-4 mile run, I decided, why not try a cross country 5K for charity. No time goal, no expectations, just have fun and absolutely under no circumstance treat this as a race. I've done so many 5Ks that I no longer have race day adrenaline for these low-key charity runs and they often feel more like group runs to me now. I can start off at any easy pace for the first half of the race then turn it up slightly for the second half. Still I had no idea how tough running on grass would be or where the hills were so the last mile was a bit of a struggle. I definitely need to start adding hill repeats to my training schedule! But at least now I know the course for future races there.

Sunday - Rest Day

Wk 2 - Sprint Triathlon Training

Monday - Evening Group Ride - Rest Day
I went home for lunch to check on my dog and he just wasn't doing good. He wouldn't eat, he would barely move, and his tail was tucked between his legs so it was obvious he didn't feel good and something wasn't right. (For those that don't know, he has heart disease and a possible brain tumor.)  We thought for sure this was it and went on to take him to the vet. After about 3 hours later, we learned that his symptoms were probably due to his seizure medication as all his blood work results came back normal. Needless to say, my nerves were a mess and I just wasn't in the mood to go for a bike ride, especially since the winds had picked up.

Tuesday - Run: Intervals (45 min)
Spring has finally arrived and I got to run in shorts and a tank top! Started off with a 10 minute warm up walk/jog. Then did five two-minute intervals at moderate effort (70-80%) with one minute recovery jog and two minutes of brisk walking. I felt pretty good during the intervals although the last two were a bit tough going slightly up hill and into the wind.

Wednesday - Easy Bike - Rest Day
When I got home from work it was overcast, cloudy and too chilly for a ride and I didn't feel like spending 15 minutes setting up my bike on the trainer in the garage (yes it takes me that long) so I skipped today's bike workout. Already developing bad habits, ugh!

Thursday - Easy Run - NTC Workout (30 min)
Not sure where spring went! On Tuesday it was in the high 60s, today in the high 30s and rainy! But since the gym is really crowded in the evenings and I don't have a treadmill at home, I decided to just do a 30 minute Nike Training Club workout instead. Going to be feeling this workout tomorrow!

Friday - Intensity Swim - Indoor Bike (40 min)
I just wasn't in the mood to swim so I did the spin bike at the YMCA instead. They actually have this new spin bike in the cardio area with a display that tells you want to do (seated flat, seated climb, standing climb, high intensity, easy, etc) which is pretty cool. It's like having a virtual spin instructor and you can select what type of workout you want to do; endurance, strength (hills), or intervals. Then based on your workout, it has levels on where to keep your heart rate and cadence. Goes to red if you are over or under and reminds you to adjust tension in order to stay where you need to be.

Saturday - Chimney Rock State Park (2 hours)
My husband and I went to Chimney Rock for our postponed anniversary weekend. We started off with shopping at the stores and walking along the River Walk but decided we wanted to get more of a workout so we went into Chimney Rock State Park. There are two options on getting to the "Chimney" from the parking lot, take the elevator or climb the stairs on the Outcroppings Trail (it's 26 stories, 491 stairs) and we chose the stairs! What a great workout! Once we hung out on the "Chimney" for a few minutes, we decided to do some more stair climbing on the Skyline Trail which took you up Exclamation Point (the highest point you can go).

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Sunday - Easy Run (30 min)
I wanted to start running based on heart rate but my Garmin Forerunner 10 doesn't have heart rate so I went out and bought a Polar RS300x. Well, I had problems with it within the first 5 minutes when the chest strap kept loosing signal with the watch. Not to mention the user's manual isn't even included (just a useless Quick Start Guide) so I had to go on Polar's website to find in-depth instructors how to operate it and it still it didn't work as expected (and I'm pretty good with technology). In the end, I realized just how much I love Garmin watches and will end up returning the Polar and continuing to train based on effort rather than heart rate. Anyway, I still managed a 30 min easy run but quickly realized just how much I hate running without knowing how far or how long I've been running. Pace I can do without, but distance/duration, I just have to have.

Update on our dog
We decided to stop feeding him dog food as we noticed his symptoms got worse when he ate the dog food but subsided when we fed him a home cooked meal. After 4 days, he's doing so much better on the home cooked meals which is basically a mixture of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and carrots. Seriously, what's not to love! Of course nothing is seasoned and it's pretty bland but he gobbles it up like it's a gourmet meal and happy dog = happy pet parents.

Wk 1 - Sprint Triathlon Training

Monday - Endurance Swim - 40:00
Warm Up: 4 x 50 with 30" rest; Main Sets: 400 TT (8:19 / 2:05 pace); 100 Kick; 4 x 100 at TT pace + 20" rest (2:25). Cool Down: 200 bilateral breathing. Felt really good throughout my swim and couldn't believe how fast the workout went. The bilateral breathing is getting easier as well. Still struggling with flip turns though and often I'm too far from the wall and can't get a descent push off.

 

Tuesday - Progression Run - 35:00
Warm Up: 5 min walk/easy jog. 10 minutes at easy effort. 10 minutes at easy to moderate effort and the last 10 minutes at moderate to hard effort. This run was hard mainly because of the strong wind gusts that just about stopped me in my tracks. I started out up hill and into the wind so I thought at least on the way back I would be with the wind...wrong! It was one of those swirling winds where it was blowing in every direction.

 

Wednesday - Easy Bike - 45:00
It was still a bit chilly, high 50s but with the wind, it felt even colder so I opted for the indoor bike trainer instead. Started off with a 10 minute warm up before doing 30 minutes with a few 30" sprints mixed in.

 

Thursday - Easy Run - 4 miles
Tough run! It's been a long week at work so I was tired before I even started but I was hoping it was mostly mental fatigued and not physical fatigued. I was wrong. A mile into my run, my legs started to feel like bricks and it was all I could do just to put one leg into the other. The downhills and flat sections were okay but I had to walk up every hill.

 

Friday - Intensity Swim - 40:00
Warm Up: 200 easy. Main Sets: 8 x 50 fast w/ 20" rest; 400 (25 fast / 75 easy). Cool Down: 200 easy.

 

Saturday - Morning Bike + Evening Run
Rest day.

 

Sunday - Easter
I actually did run 2 miles with my parent's puppy. She was full of energy and had two speeds...sprint and sniff!

Recovery Week #2

Second "off" week so I pretty much did whatever I felt like it on whatever day I felt like it. No structure workouts, no goals, just have fun with whatever I was doing.

 

Monday - Nothing

Well, I was going to swim at lunch but got super busy at work.

 

Tuesday - Group Ride

This was my first group ride of the season. It was slow paced so my heart rate never got out of zone 1 except for the occasional hill. Rode for 18 miles and averaged around a 12.5 mph pace so not a bad way to start the cycling season.

 

Wednesday - Nothing

Another day of doing nothing.

 

Thursday - Nothing

Daytime sleep attacks! I hate when they get so bad I have to leave work early. It just becomes impossible to work through them so I headed home at 2:30 pm. I put on my pajamas and took a nap from 3 pm - 4:30 pm. I felt so much better when I woke up but still ended up skipping my evening run and going to bed at 9:30 pm.

 

Friday - Lunch Swim

Just a fun lunch time swim. I did mostly 50s and 100s and a lot of 3 and 5-stroke breathing to practice breathing on both my left and right side. Finally starting to feel less awkward.

 

Saturday - Nothing

Rainy and cold. Didn't do anything.

 

Sunday - Strength

The weather was still cold and rainy so I opted for a very short 15 min strength workout.

 

Triathlon training officially kicks off tomorrow. I will be my own coach so we'll see how it goes.

 

Recovery Week #1

Monday - Lunch Swim

Active recovery from the half marathon. Did two sets of 8 x 50 with 15 seconds of rest between the 50s and 1 minute rest in between the two sets. Focused on technique instead of speed. Then spent 10 minutes in the other (warmer) pool stretching and 5 minutes in the hot tub which felt really good.

 

Tuesday - Walk/Run - 2 miles

Legs still felt fatigued so I just walked 2 miles with a few 30-60 second jogs thrown in.

 

Wednesday - Rest Day

Rest day.

 

Thursday - Group Run

I had planned on only running 3 miles but we ended up running 4.25 miles. The last mile was a bit tough and probably was a bit too much. At least it was on the flat rail trail.

 

Friday - Lunch Swim

My daytime sleep attacks were in full force today so instead of swimming, I ended up going home and taking a much needed nap.

 

Saturday - Rest Day

Woke up with extremely painful neck and shoulder pain. I have no idea what caused it considering this was an easy training week. Alternated between ice and heat but it seems if I stay idle, it hurts more than if I move around.

 

Sunday - Bike Ride + Run

Shoulder still hurt but because it hurt less if I moved around, I decided to go for my first bike ride of the season. Rode for about 45 minutes (9.6 miles) and felt pretty good. Shoulder never gave me any issues. Even came back and went out for a 25 minute (2.24 miles) run afterwards. Didn't plan on a brick workout but with the weather absolutely beautiful (77° and sunny) and my body feeling better when it's in motion, it sort of just happened.

 

Week 12: Half Marathon Training

It's race week!

Monday - Easy Run

Just an easy 3 mile run in the neighborhood. My "easy" pace is getting faster and even the hills are getting easier! Very enjoyable run.

 

Tuesday - Rest Day

Rest day.

 

Wednesday - Stretch / Yoga

Staying loose. Did some stretches and yoga.

 

Thursday - Easy Run

Just an easy 2 mile out & back run. This run was a bit tougher than I thought it would be but then again I was tired from a long day from work. So ready for the half marathon on Saturday though!

 

Friday - Rest Day

Rest Day. Just some light stretching.

 

Saturday - Swamp Rabbit Half Marathon!

Woohoo! Finished my first half marathon! - Race Report

 

Sunday - Rest Day

Woke up really sore but quickly learned that I felt better if I stayed moving so I cleaned the house, did laundry and cleaned out my closets. Used the foam roller about 4 times today!

 

Week 11: Half Marathon Training

Monday - Rest Day

Rest day. Still mourning the loss of my dog, Kelsey.

 

Tuesday - Easy Run Rest Day

Zero motivation today and with it being cold, overcast, and windy, I decided to put my run off until tomorrow when it will be warmer and sunny.

 

Wednesday - Lunch Swim Easy Run

I was going to hit the rail trail at lunch but it was still a bit chilly for shorts and a t-shirt which is all I had packed, so I hit the treadmill and the indoor track instead. Ran 2 miles on the treadmill at an easy pace while adjusting the incline throughout to simulate hills. Then hit the indoor track for 1 mile of very light speed work, increasing the pace every quarter mile (4 laps).

 

Thursday - Group Run

Easy 4 miles on the rail trail. We kept the pace easy which was good since the only purpose of this run was to stay injury free. Feeling really good about the 10K this Saturday although the weather forecast isn't looking too good. Mid to upper 30s with a 40% chance of snow or rain. I just hope it isn't significant enough to cancel or postpone the race.  As long as it's nice and sunny next Saturday for the half marathon, mother nature can bring whatever she wants this weekend!

Weather: Cloudy 50°, winds 5-8 mph N. Feels like 48°.

 

Friday - Rest Day - Race Prep

Laid out everything for my race in the morning.

 

Saturday - Reedy River 10K

Treated it as any other long run. Read the race report.

 

Sunday - Rest Day

Scheduled rest day. Just 6 days until my first half marathon! Yikes!

 

Week 10: Half Marathon Training

Monday - Rest Day

After yesterday's 10 mile run, this rest day is well deserved!

 

Tuesday - Run Intervals

10 min warm up then 5 x 3 minutes at moderate effort with 2 minute recovery. Basically the same workout as last week although a little slower since this time around since it's been only 2 days after my 10 mile run. My interval paces were; 10:32, 10:33, 10:37, 12:14, and 10:36. A bit more even paced despite the hills but still based my effort on the "talk test". I was also able to walk less and jog more during the recovery period.

 

Wednesday - Lunch Spin Class Lunch Swim

Easy 20 minute swim (850 yards). My legs just were not up for spin class today.

 

Thursday - Easy Run  Tempo Run

Was super stressed out because my dog Kelsey was sick with diabetes and I had to take her to the animal hospital. So to de-stress, I tend to like running hard so instead of 3-4 miles at easy effort I went for a 2 mile run at moderate effort. The run was tough but I felt so much better once I finished. Mile 1 was 10:15 (slightly uphill) and mile 2 was 9:37 (slightly downhill) which meant I was able to average a 9:55 pace for 2 miles which I was really happy about.

 

Friday - Strength - Rest Day

Went to go visit Kelsey at the animal hospital. She is not doing very well. I have this huge feeling that this is the end.

 

Saturday - Rest Day

Rest day.

 

Sunday - Long Run - 5 miles

We lost our dog Kelsey Friday night. We took her to the animal hospital on Thursday where we learned she was sick from diabetes. But with her autoimmune disorder and liver disease, it was just too much for her to take. It's been a very rough and emotional last few days and as much as I need this run, it was extremely tough.

Maybe I never noticed before just how many people have dogs, but every time I would pass someone walking or running with their dogs, I really had to fight back the tears. Near the end of my run, I just completely broke down emotionally and couldn't fight the tears anymore so I just broke off in a full sprint for as long as I could hold it as if I needed to match my emotional pain with physical pain and push myself to the point of exhaustion.

 

Week 9: Half Marathon Training

Monday - Run Intervals

10 min warm up then 5 x 3 minutes at moderate effort with 2 minute recovery. I decided to stop worrying about my pace as it was becoming increasingly stressful to aim to run x minutes for x pace especially with all the hills in my neighborhood. I'm now using the "talk test" to determine my effort level. If I can recite the Pledge of Alliance without pausing, I need to speed up, if I can only get one word out at a time, I need to slow down. If I can say 3-4 words at a time, I'm on target! I did this "talk test" about every 30 seconds and it worked out great. My interval paces ended up being 10:17, 9:44, 9:29, 11:35 and 9:24 so as you can see my pace varied whether I was going down or up hill yet my effort level stayed consistent. Recoveries averaged between a 14-15 min pace so I definitely need to work on jogging more and walking less during these.

Weather: 54°, 4 mph N winds, 50% humidity.

 

Tuesday - Strength

Did the stairs (6 flights) twice at work on my afternoon break. Then an upper body workout in the evening using the medicine ball and free weights.

 

Wednesday - Lunch Spin Express

I'm only planning to continue this class through February 27 (the week before the half marathon). I was already hungry (forgot my banana this morning) and tired so I just didn't have the energy to give it my best effort. I took it easy and did my own thing. Then with 15 mins left until class ended, the instructor took everyone in the fitness room for an ab workout. I'm sorry but I go to spin class to spin and if I wanted an ab/fitness workout, I would take a fitness class, so I chose to stay in the spin room and just continue on my own.

 

Thursday - Group Run

[caption id="attachment_1723" align="alignright" width="210"] Wofford College Campus[/caption]

We decided to change it up and run a different route than our usual hilly Converse Heights route so we did 3½ miles in downtown from the YMCA to Wofford College and back. The downside though was a lot of intersections and traffic lights so you had to be extra mindful that drivers could see you. Overall it was a good run even though I started getting tired towards the end.

Weather: 54°, 6 mph SW winds, 47% humidity.

 

Friday - Lunch Swim or Strength

My dog Kelsey had to go to the vet for a tooth extraction. It was originally scheduled for next Monday but they had a last minute cancellation and she was able to get it done today. With just a 20 minute notice, I pretty much had to rush getting ready and forgot my gym bag so I ended up doing the stairs at work twice (6 flights) on my afternoon break and an upper body workout in the evening.

 

Saturday - Long Run - 10 miles. Rest Day

Kelsey was in quite of bit of pain Friday night and Saturday which meant a sleepless night for the both of us. I was going to take a nap and then go do my 10 miler but when I woke up an hour later there was 2 inches of snow on the ground and it was still falling hard.

 

Sunday - Rest Day. Long Run - 10  miles

Around 10 am, it finally started warming up and the snow was melting and the roads became clear, so around 2:30 pm I decided to go out for my 10 mile run, only my 2nd 10 mile run ever! It was only 36° so I was expecting it to be a somewhat miserable cold run but once I got out there, it sure didn't even feel close to 36°! It felt more like 50° with the sun out and not a cloud in the sky. I was glad I left my gloves at home since I didn't even need them but I also wish I had worn capris instead of tights and one long-sleeve tee instead of two. I also tried the Simple Hydration water bottle for the first time and I have to say I really like it.

The first 8 miles, I felt pretty good. I kept the pace nice and easy (10-11 min/mile) and walked when I needed to which were mostly up the hills. The last 2 miles were tough both mentally and physically. I really wanted to end my run after 8 miles but I was determined to make it to the 10 mile mark so I just kept going no matter how slow those last two miles were. This will be my longest run before the half in order to avoid injury from even making it to the starting line which has happened twice before. Just 3 more weeks until my first half marathon and so far, so good.

Weather: 36-42°, 10-12 mph NW winds, 27% humidity. (Somehow it didn't feel that cold).

 

Week 8: Half Marathon Training

Monday - Run Intervals

The plan called for 4 x 1/2 mile intervals at moderate effort with 3 minute recovery but since I was on my lunch break and had limited time, three was all I could fit in. But as always I tend to run the first one way too fast then barely have enough energy for the remaining ones. I must do a better job at pacing as this is my weakness when it comes to running.

 

Tuesday - Rest Day

Rest day.

 

Wednesday - Lunch Spin Express + Evening easy run

Lunch Spin Express - We had a different instructor this week. Lots of hill intervals which meant a lot of standing. I'm not sure how this is going to translate when outdoor rides start up but I'm thinking about just staying seated for most of them from now on and just doing my own thing.

Evening Easy Run - Since Thursday's forecast was calling for a 75% chance of rain I just turned today into a two-a-day and did my easy run tonight. My goal was simple, start out super easy and aim for negative splits. I was able to finish strong and achieve my goal of negative splits and for the first time in months, my run was actually quite enjoyable.

 

Thursday - Group Run. Rest Day

Canceled because of rain. So glad I ran yesterday!

 

Friday - Lunch Swim

Kept it simple and focused solely on technique and drills.

 

Saturday - Long Run - 7 miles

I originally had plans to sign up and run the Foothills Drifter 6K trail race but when I went to register on Tuesday, the price had increased from $30 to $40. I read and re-read the description over and over wondering where the heck I missed reading about the price increase and never did find anything. Angry about the unexpected price increase, I said forget it, I'll just run at Southside Park/Croft instead. I have hiked at Southside but never have done any trail running there so it felt somewhat adventurous. There were some tricky and muddy sections and with the half marathon coming up, the last thing I wanted to do was twist an ankle or faceplant in the mud so I took it slow and easy and just enjoyed the solitude I had out in the woods. Overall it was a great run/hike and the time flew by so fast. I must get out there more!

 

Sunday - Rest Day

Entire body is sore today so this rest day is well deserved!

Week 7: Half Marathon Training

Monday - Rest Day

After Saturday's indoor triathlon and Sunday's 3 mile run, my body needed to rest!

 

Tuesday - Intervals

5 min warm up. 1 mile at 9:30 pace with 4 min recovery then 4 x 1/4 mile at 9:20 pace with 2 minute recovery. 5 min cool down. Hit the 1 mile right at 9:29 pace and the averaged 9:09 pace on the quarter miles.

 

Wednesday - Spin Express Class at the Y. Rest Day

Giving myself this week off from spinning now that the indoor triathlon is over.

 

Thursday - Group Run

Felt pretty good this evening. I now have a goal before daylight savings time...make it all the way up Hollywood Hill. Right now I can only  make it up about half way.

 

Friday - Swim. Rest Day

Giving myself this week off from swimming now that the indoor triathlon is over.

 

Saturday - Rest Day

Wanted to wait for it to warm up but it never did. Missed my window so I ran on Sunday instead.

 

Sunday - Long Run - 9 miles - 6 miles

Plans called for 9 miles today but I only managed 6.25 instead. When I left my house, it was 41 with very little wind so I dressed for low 40s thinking it would warm up. But about midway through my run, the winds really picked up (15+, gusting to 22+) and I started getting colder instead of warmer. I couldn't get my breathing under control and by the 5th mile, I was walking more than running so I cut my run short instead of suffering through another 3 miles. I'm so ready for spring and warmer temps!

 

Week 6: Indoor Tri & Half Marathon Training

Indoor Triathlon Race Week!

Monday - Treadmill Run

5 min warm up on stationary bike. 20 minute run on the treadmill at comfortably hard pace. 5 min cool down walk on indoor track.

 

Tuesday - Rest Day

Rest day.

 

Wednesday - Spin Express Class at the Y

Being race week, I decided to take it a little easier than usual today in order to save my legs for Saturday's indoor triathlon.

 

Thursday - Group Run

Cold and windy run. Low 40s with wind chill in the mid 30s. It was only really bad at the beginning, going down hill and against the wind. My body was generating little heat and the wind cut through all 3 layers I had on and my gloves didn't seem to be helping keeping my fingers from getting cold. After we made the turn against the wind and started going up hill, I quickly warmed up and even shed my gloves. It was a good run but I was also happy to get it over with.

 

Friday - Rest Day

The day before the indoor triathlon. Taking it easy, hydrating and clean eating (meaning no fried foods, junk food, or soft drinks).

 

Saturday - Indoor Triathlon!

You can read the race report here.

 

Sunday - Easy Run

Plan called for 4 miles but 3 miles is all I had in my tired and heavy legs.

 

Week 5: Indoor Tri & Half Marathon Training

Monday - Treadmill Run

1/4 mile warm up. 1.5 mile continuous run held at comfortably hard pace. 1/4 mile cool down.

 

Tuesday - Rest Day

Rest day. Did some strength training with the free weights and medicine ball.

 

Wednesday - Spin Express Class at the Y

We had a fill-in instructor who loved hill intervals. This class kicked my butt but instead of getting out of the saddle during every hill interval, I stayed seated during a few of them or chose to do a full out sprint instead. Also learned that this class may get cancelled if we don't average at least 3-4 more people.

 

Thursday - Treadmill Run

Treadmill hill intervals - 3.25 miles. 5 min warm up, then 2 minute hill intervals at  6.3 mph with 3 to 4% incline. Did those until I hit the 3 mile mark. Then 1/4 mile cool down. This was a tough workout but one of the best treadmill workouts I've done. Really got the heart rate up and the hills got tough at the faster speed.

 

Friday - Lunch Swim

50 yard warm up. 10 minute time trial (475 yards). 4 x 100 on 2:15 pace. These were tough but I averaged 2:00 - 2:05 per 100 yards which gave me 10-15 seconds of rest. With the indoor triathlon next week, I'm hoping I can get to 500 yards but we shall see. Then 2 x 25 fast / 25 easy. 50 yard cool down.

 

Saturday - Long Run

8 miles down and finished pain free! I chose to stay on the conservative side and do run 3 minute / walk 2 minute intervals thinking I would average around a 13+ min pace but  I actually averaged 12:26. Not bad considering I walked 33% of the time!

 

Sunday - Rest Day

Much needed rest day!

 

Week 4: Indoor Tri & Half Marathon Training

Monday - Treadmill Run

Started with a 4 lap warm up jog on the indoor track before hitting the treadmill for 20 mins of intervals. Decided to do 7 min at steady pace (5.8 - 6.0 mph) then two 3 minute intervals at a faster pace (6.5 + mph) with 1 minute sprints (7.0+ mph) at the end. 1-2 min recovery in-between intervals. Overall it was a tough but good workout.

 

Tuesday - Lazy River Running Class at the Y

The YMCA now offers a lazy river running class with this description:

"Don't let the name fool you, this class is packed with cardio! Varying levels of intensity combined with water resistance make this class perfect for cross training or just a really great workout. Come run with us!"

So of course I had to try it out. It was somewhat boring and way too easy for me. The only time I enjoyed it was when we were actually running against the current but I could of cared less about the drills with the current as they did absolutely nothing for me. Let's just say I won't be going back to the class.

 

Wednesday - Spin Express Class at the Y

Week 2 of this lunch time spin class and now knowing what to expect, it went much better than last week. I enjoyed it more and was able to get in a better quality workout knowing how to pace myself for the 45 minute workout.

 

Thursday - Rest Day

Had a dentist appointment at 3 pm and I knew I would of felt like running afterwords so scheduled rest day.

 

Friday - Lunch Swim Rest Day

I was suppose to swim today but work sort of got in the way and I missed my window.

 

Saturday - 5K Race + 3 Miles Easy

Today was a two-part long run, first half was the Race for the Grasshopper 5K which for the first 2 miles went exceptionally well. The last 1.1 miles however did not. I thought I would switch from slow continous running to run/walk breaks for the last mile in order to save my legs for a strong finish but that completely back-fired and I ended up struggling the final 1/4th mile. Next time, I'll just stick to what is working.

Second 3 miles was a complete struggle from start to end. My legs were so fatigued that running for more than 2 minutes a time was difficult so I ended up taking lots of walk breaks but at least I got my 6 miles in for the day!

 

Sunday - Rest Day

Much needed and appreciated rest day! It was also my neice's birthday party. She turned 3 on Friday.

 

Week 3: Indoor Tri & Half Marathon Training

Monday - Rest Day

Rest day. It was New Year's Eve and we still needed to go grocery shopping so I regretably skipped today's 3 mile easy run.

 

Tuesday - New Year's Day

Rest Day. Would of made up for yesterday's run but it turned out to be a rainy lazy day instead.

 

Wednesday - Spin Express Class at the Y

The Y now offers a lunch time Spin Express class from 12:15 pm - 1:00 pm which I decided to try. It was my first ever spin class so I was somewhat hestiate on what to expect. I knew it would be tough but I didn't know just how tough. The instructor had us get out of our seat more than I'm used to and my quads burned like they never burned before! I just couldn't keep up but even then, I enjoyed it and will try to make it a weekly habit for as long as they offer the class.

 

Thursday - Easy Run

Group Run - 3 miles. Legs were still sore from spin class so I opted to run just 3 instead of our normal 4 miles. It's a good thing I did because I was hurting after 3 miles, especially on the hills.

 

Friday - Lunch Swim

1,200 yards. 4 x 50 warm up, 6 x 100 yd, 4 x 25 fast / 25 easy, 4 x 50 cool down all with 15" rest intervals and 60" between sets. Felt pretty good today.

 

Saturday - Long Run

 7 miles. 4 miles. Because of afternoon obligations, I had to run earlier than usual which meant running in mid 30s and I just wasn't used to the chillier temps. It was a struggle from the start and it only got harder the longer I ran so I called it quits after 4 miles.

 

Sunday - Rest Day

Much needed and appreciated rest day!

 

Week 2: Indoor Tri & Half Marathon Training

Monday - Christmas Eve

Rest day. It's Christmas Eve and my ankle still hurts a little so playing it smart and trying to stay off of it as much as I can.

 

Tuesday - Christmas

Easy Run - 2 miles. I decided to test the ankle with an easy 2 miles. On the flat sections it felt find but the hills reminded me it's still not 100%. So one more rest day and I should be good to go on Thursday.

 

Wednesday

Indoor Brick - Bike 20 mins, run 8 minutes. Rest day.

 

Thursday

Group Run - 4 miles. Indoor Brick - Bike 20 mins, run 8 minutes. Felt really good on the bike and had the resistance level between 6-8 and kept RPMs between 90 -110 and went a tenth of a mile further than last week. Felt really good on the treadmill although still much slower than I would of liked. I'm  not a big fan of the treadmill and definitely can't run as fast on it as I can outside. I like to be in full control and on a treadmill, I'm just scared of falling off the thing.

 

Friday

Lunch Swim - 30 mins. They  did repairs on the lap pool last week and the water was a chilly 72° so I decided not to swim (I hate cold water).

Saturday

Long Run - 7 miles. Impromptu indoor triathlon. This week I went so far off from my training plan mostly due to my ankle injury from last week. It's back to 100% but I just didn't feel like running 7 miles plus I knew I had to make up yesterday's swim session today. So I hit the pool for my first swim workout in nearly 4 months:

Warm Up 4 x 50 on 15" rest warm up
Set 1: 10 min TT, rest 2 mins
Set 2: 4-6 x 75 on 50 yd pace+5 sec
Cool Down: 100-300 easy

And was quite surprise to see that my 10 minute time trial was 462.2 yards. I really didn't expect to go further than 425 yards with all the time off from swimming,  but I felt great. So great that once I rinsed off in the shower and changed into my running clothes, I ended up jumping on the stationary bike for 20 minutes then the treadmill for 15 minutes. I felt great the entire time and once I came home and consumed a gel, I went out and ran another 2 miles. Best 90 minute workout ever and it went by so quickly. I'm so excited for the indoor triathlon now.

Sunday

Rest Day. Arms and shoulders are so sore today from yesterday's swim workout. Officially registered for the Race for the Grasshopper 5K on January 12th and the InYou Indoor Triathlon on January 26. Plus my new workout backpack arrived from Kiefer Swim Shop yesterday so I can't wait to try it out. I've been using the same backpack I had in high school and college and is well over a decade old so it was time for a change and since most gyms have vertical lockers, backpacks over standard gym duffle bags make better sense. I will do a full product review in late January after my indoor triathlon.

 

Week 1: Indoor Tri & Half Marathon Training

Monday - Treadmill Intervals

After last week's successful treadmill run, decided to incorporate intervals once again into my treadmill run. This time I did 2 x 4 minutes and 2 x 2 minutes with 2 minute recovery in between.

TIME	INTERVAL	SPEED (MPH)
0:00 - 5:00	Warm up	3.5 - 4.0
5:01 - 9:00	Run 4 mins	5.9
9:01 - 11:00	Walk 2 mins	3.5
11:01 - 15:00	Run 4 mins	6.0
15:01 - 17:00	Walk 2 mins	3.5
17:01 - 19:00	Run 2 mins	6.2 - 6.3
19:01 - 21:00	Walk 2 mins	3.5
21:01 - 23:00	Run 2 mins	6.3 - 6.4
23:01 - 28:00	Cool Down	5.5 - 2.5

 

Tuesday - Indoor Brick

Stationary bike for 20 minutes followed with a 5 min treadmill run. Felt extremely well on the bike, kept the RPM above 90 most of the time and kept it on level 4-5. Then ran on a treadmill for 5 minutes and manage to go just shy of 1/2 mile.

 

Wednesday - Easy Run

Scheduled rest day. Yoga and stretching. 4 mile easy run. With Thursday evening's forecast calling for an 80% chance of rain and breezy conditions, I decided to just run in my neighborhood tonight instead. I started out way too fast as I usually do when I run alone and with it being dark, it was a bit scary so I'm sure my heart rate was higher than normal. I'm just not a fan of solo night runs but with an 8 am - 5 pm job, evenings are my only option if I want to run longer than 25 minutes. Or hit the treadmill which I may have to do next Thursday since my running buddy won't be there.

 

Thursday - Rest Day (Yoga)

4 mile group run. Rainy, cold and windy = Rest day. Yoga and stretching. Glad I ran yesterday instead!

 

Friday - Strength & Core

Strength and core exercises. 5 sets of 10 pushups and 25 crunches.

 

Saturday - Long Run

6.2 miles. Used run 4 minutes / walk 90 seconds intervals. Felt good until about 5 miles in and then I started noticing a pain in my ankle that would come and go. By the time I was 1/2 mile from home, it got really bad to the point it hurt to run.

 

Sunday - Rest Day

Woke up and my ankle was really sore but after soaked in epsom salt, it helped a lot. I can at least walk without a limp but  going up and down stairs still hurts.

Week of December 10, 2012

Monday

25 minute treadmill run. I find running on the treadmill very boring so I'm always looking for different ways to mix up my workout and make it more interesting. Today I decided to do an inverted pyarmid interval workout and to my surprise I really enjoyed it so I may be doing a variation of this for all my treadmill runs.

TIME	INTERVAL	SPEED (MPH)
0:00 - 5:00	Warm up	3.5 - 4.0
5:01 - 9:00	Run	5.5
9:01 - 10:00	Walk	3.5
10:01 - 13:00	Run	5.6
13:01 - 14:00	Walk	3.5
15:01 - 17:00	Run	5.7
17:01 - 18:00	Walk	3.5
18:01 - 19:00	Run	5.8
19:01 - 20:00	Run	5.9
20:01 - 25:00	Cool Down	3.5 - 2.0

 

Tuesday

25 minute stationary bike. My legs were very sore (achy) so I decided to make it a rest day and stretch and use the foam roller instead.

 

Wednesday

Scheduled rest day. Yoga and stretching.

 

Thursday

4 mile group run. The smaller hills are definetly getting a lot easier but Hollywood hill is still a tough one to get up without having to walk up some of it. I felt really good on this run and I'm pretty sure it had to do with taking Tuesday and Wednesday off and stretching. I also purchased an Amphipod Xinglet Pocket vest which I tried out for the first time tonight, so far I love it and will write a product review in January.

 

Friday

Scheduled rest day. Yoga and stretching.

 

Saturday

6 mile long run. Wow, words can describe this run. I was quite surprised with my pace for this distance especially since I haven't ran 6 miles since April and back then it was over a 12 min/mile pace. I felt great up until halfway through mile 5 and then fatigue settled in big time but I still managed to finish strong even with the last tenth mile being up hill. I used run 3 minute / walk 1 minute intervals. Mile splits = 12:10, 11:51, 11:05, 11:18, 11:13, 10:54.

 

Sunday

Rest day. Much needed.

Week of December 3

Monday

Intervals - 1 mile warm up then 3 x 1/4 miles at a comfortably hard pace (right now that is right around a 10 min pace). These felt tough and I really need to start working in more speed work into my routine. 2.2 miles.

Tuesday

Mini Brick - It was such a gorgeous day outside so I decided to do a mini brick workout to remind myself what it feels like to run after a bike ride. I'm seriously considering the InYou Indoor Triathlon at the YMCA on January 26 which is another reason I need to start doing these "mini" bricks. 20 min bike ride then 5 min run.

Wednesday

Rest Day

Thursday

Group Run - We tried another route in a failed attempt to avoid Hollywood hill but let's face it, if you go down on the way "out", you will be going "up" on the way back no matter which way you choose. 4.4 miles.

Friday

Rest Day

Saturday

Long Run - Goal was 5 miles in under 1 hour (so 12 min pace or faster) and I finished in 58:49! I used run 3 minute / walk 1 minute intervals for the first 4 miles than ran the last mile without any walk breaks for a very strong and fast 10:24 last mile!

Sunday

Optional Swim - Rest Day - Was too busy and just couldn't find time to get to the pool and didn't really do much "resting".