June 2015 Get Faster Thread
So I'm starting the GF plan this week (jumping in at week 4) and will be here for the month. Anyone else out there? Looking at the plan, I'm already a little scared!
0
So I'm starting the GF plan this week (jumping in at week 4) and will be here for the month. Anyone else out there? Looking at the plan, I'm already a little scared!
Comments
I love Mondays 'cause I get to swim. I will add a run cause I need the run endurance (I really suck at running).
I'm not sure how I'm gonna get the Wed workouts done. Swimming has to be done in the morning (my pool is a zoo in the afternoon) and That 1 hours swim and run speed workout together would probably kill me. But doing the run in the evening and following up with the bike the next day doesn't sound too groovy either!
Yesterday was the swim and then my added run. It was 104 degrees yesterday so the swim was a welcome relief, but the run was brutal. I could have used a little more water on the run, but feel fine today. Bike run today with hill repeats. Good news is it is only supposed 94 today so much cooler than yesterday. I will do the workout in the evening again so the sun is not beating down on me and it should help with the heat too.
Got the bike done today. It started out pretty rough and my legs felt heavy and dead, but I managed to rally myself to get the intervals done. So glad tomorrow is a swim day!
Tomorrow I'll head over to a local low-key Time Trial to essentially get in the 2x15 part of the ride, and then I'll just keep riding to finish up the rest of the workout. NOT looking forward to the 1:30/1:30s, that VO2 stuff always kills me!
I'm behind this week with posts so here's a quick recap:
Tues VO2 bike done as hill repeats but missed the targets as I didn't have my computer set right and couldn't see watts. Duh. Then did the hill bounding. Who the heck put those on the same day?? I'm guessing they aren't supposed to be back to back but that's the best I could do.
Wed. 2 x 1 and 2 x 1/2 mi run intervals went better than expected. I feel like I haven't had a good, structured, on target run wko in a while so that was good.
Hills repeats again as 8 x 1-2' intervals. Got in a little extra VO2 time. No problem with these at all.. All over 120% except one where I ran out of hill....
Doing a short lake swim tonight w the wife to get her used to her wetsuit and open water. Her first sprint tri is in July and she bailed on it last year cuz of open water fear....
Rob- If you plan on doing most of your riding during the GF plan on the turbo trainer, then do the test on the trainer. Otherwise I'd say given the weather is not likely to get a whole lot cooler over the next 4-8 weeks, you might as well suck it up and do the test outside. Will it suck? Yes. But it will be a better number to work with for the next few weeks than one you get on the trainer.
I nailed the bike and run workouts this weekend- really happy about that. It was hot and humid- but I got the "work" stuff done early enough that I didn't suffer too badly. My reward yesterday afternoon was a beautiful ocean swim! The water was just perfect for swimming, clear, not too hot or too cold, and no jellies. I just love days like that!
Today I ditched the pool swim workout to do an OWS with a friend in the Sound. Water was calm but really warm and I nearly overheated in just a bathing suit! Dang that happened fast! Anyway, she's a super fast swimmer so to even things out she swims with a dragster thing. We got in 1.6 miles of strait swimming. I know it's not really "get fast" work, but I've got a 2.4 mile OWS race on the calendar in a few weeks and really need to work on swim endurance. Plus- it's way more fun than 4x400 and whatever else was on today's schedule!!!
Launch Sufferfest (cause it's just more entertaining that way and Revolver is a good substitute) and remember, oh yeah, I gotta pair the new HRM I bought with this trainer again cause I haven't been on the trainer in over a month.
OK, done. Next I see "new version available, do you want to install?" 
NO! I JUST WANT TO GET MY DAMN WORKOUT DONE! Almost through the warmup and for some reason the sound just completely goes out! 
Are you kidding me!? I abandon Sufferfest, pull out my ipod, and carry on. OK, FINALLY have the bike done.
Sigh, At least it's one of those damn English Sparrows that have been harassing the Purple Martins. I get the hearse and transport the corpse out to the trash (thankfully, it's trash day), and FINALLY get out to do my hill repeats on a hellishly hot day.
Head upstairs to get my towel to put in the outside shower (for after the run) where I am greeted by a present that one of the cats left lovingly on the bathroom floor.
Some days it takes more effort than others! There were at least 4 different times I thought "F this- I'm bagging the whole dang thing today- it's just not working" but somehow I kept going. Hopefully that's the kind of perseverance I call call upon on race day when the shit hits the fan!
For me it was an easy day yesterdaywith just the swim. Tired after the long run and ride this weekend. Today is bike and hill repeats and hopefully no drama.
GOt in my 7 x 1.5' VO2 intervals as hill repeats. Fun! Doing a 5k tonight. eewww Hoping vdot is about the same. Not much hope for better....
I did a 5k tonight and was very pleased with my effort as it was a lot of rolling hills. Time was OK but I thought for the elevation it was great for me. Until I looked at the data. The elevation gain was not as much as I thought and not as much as a 5k in March and a minute slower. Wat? Although this one felt like more constant up and down vs the other one had more of a gradual longer gain. My avg HR was 171 vs. 165 in March. I was def working hard so I guess it's all good. (Or losing fitness??) My longer run pace hasn't gotten much slower and in terms of IM that's what is more important at this time. (OK, I'm trying to find ways to cheer myself up about getting slower LOL) But I haven't been putting in nearly the effort or mileage on the run that I have on the bike so as they say, you reap what you sew. (sp?)
Just looked at the results and I was 3rd in my AG out of 16. That's def more a function of a slower AG (obviously!) since I was 96 out of 152 overall but I'll take it! (Never even thoughts about placing in a running race so I left before the awards. DOH!)
Robert- room to grow is always a good thing :-)
It was T-storming this morning and I just did not have the mental power to do another trainer ride. So no bike for me today (unless I somehow convince myself to hop on that trainer tonight- but with a Yoga class with my hubby on the schedule, I think I know which one I'll pick).