The Countdown: 7 Weeks to CDA
I'm thinking of kicking off another thread for the RR planning and reporting to keep it separate fro mthe regular weekly stuff. I think that is best. Anyone else have a better idea?
Monday started off great for me. Wife let me sleep in past 8 which is huge. Headed off to the gym for the swim. Speed session. I think I like the Endurance work a little better. Was relegated to the 18m pool because all the lanes were taken. Actually I'm a bit pissed about this. There was an open lane as I approached but some guy jumped out of the hot tub then threw his stuff into the open lane then jumped in. So childish. Didn't look like anyone was capable of sharing a lane so to the short pool I go. And it's warm too. Used by the kiddies. 86-7 degrees. Was nice and toasty but got some good work in there. My arms, shoulders are certainly feeling it now.
Back home and picked up my daughter from the wife and off to the garden center we go for mulch. Mulched a few flower beds, fed the little one and then off on our run. Given my mulching duties, (wife doesn't believe in SAUs), didn't have much time so instead of 3 x 1mi @ TP did 1 x 2mi @ ;TP. Legs were screaming at me the whole run. Slightly slower for my target for the first mile but that's because it's uphill, into the wind, etc. Nailed the second mile.
Good luck all this week.
Comments
I'm still plugging away and trying to get myself in race shape.... Was able to do a 1:30 minute run last week and then did a 2.4 mile open water swim that was a practice session for the upcoming Jerseyman 1/2. Happy with a 1:12:50, but conditions were pretty good and certainly no Ironman traffic. Was then able to ride 60 miles after the swim....so coming back from the hammy injury. Just need to keep slowly building the miles in the next 5-6 weeks. Getting fired up to head out to Idaho.
All The Best this week with your training..... J.T.
As far as this week goes, I have started out tired. I am hoping to get ramped back up...I DID get the work done today, but, I was dragging for sure.
Thanks for asking!
Since my schedule gets really busy Wednesday through Friday, I attempted the long run last night. I made it 5 miles at my T-pace (10:00) before my knees started stabbing. I started walking and then was able to run for awhile at a 12:00 pace but every time I when back to a 10:00 pace my knees started stabbing again. I think for the next long run I may try to start out at a 12:00 pace and see if I can make it past 5 miles without my knees going bad. I was hoping losing some weight (down from 211 to 196 since January) would reduce the stress on my knees.
I'm gaining confidence in the swim and bike but the run is definitely my biggest obstacle in getting my knees ready for the marathon distance. For now, it's a lot of stretching, foam roller, icing after workouts, and trying to find the right pace to keep my knees from straining. Other suggestions are welcome.
@Allen- when it comes to injuries and running, pace is everything. Pushing just a little bit harder can be the difference between finishing the run and hobbling back. If 12:00/mile gets the run done then do 12:00/miles. Right now as we get closer to race day it's better to get healthy and get "some" running done then to go too fast and continue hurting yourself. And don't wait until the last couple weeks to ease up on the running and then hope it gets better, ease up now and ensure you get better.
@Stephen- good to hear the floods haven't got to you. Hope that trend continues.
Monday I got the swim in right at the prescribed paces and then went out for the run. I am still recovering from the Half Marathon from May 1, so I was still a bit stiff. Held my pace (7:15) for the first interval but it slipped by for the other two intervals. Think I was closer to 7:45 for the last two mile sets. But I wasn't expecting to be back to 100% this week. Today I did the swim, that was more difficult to maintain then I had anticipated. T-pace + 3 is a tough thing when you consider you're swimming 3000 yards. I made it through the 300'sand one the 400's but then started to slip a bit for the remainder of the sets. The 500 was closer to 7:35/100yd. Had to take more of a rest between the 400's and the 500 as well.
@Steve - Thanks for the advice. I agree and learned that the hard way during my hockey career so I've been backing off each time I hit the wall with my knees and walking/jogging the rest of the workout. Yesterday was a test to see if my knees would make it farther than the last long run but in both cases the wall was about at about 5-6 miles at T-pace. So I think you're right that the next test will be to see if I can go past 5-6 miles at a 12:00 pace. If that pace gets me more distance without having to walk, I'll reset my T-Pace and go with it. This is my first Ironman (and triathlon) so my only goal is to finish by midnight so you're right that it's better to pace for a finish and not go too fast and kill my knees halfway through.
Nothing for me today. Those hard intervals in the pool did something to my left shoulder. Hurts to lift it now. Decided to give it a couple days off and jump back in. Got some more yardwork done to make the wife happy this way when I'm gone 7ish hours this weekend at least she can't say I didn't do anything all week. And what a glorious day out today as well. So nice.
@Allen, good advice here from Steve and Art.
way to go, guys. great advice and solid decision making regarding sore parts.
i finally was able to swim 2 x 500yards at sub 8:00min (7:59 and 7:54)! i hope this continues.
wishing everyone a solid week of training.
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@ Allen - Good advice from the Team about your knees. As a long time runner with occasional knee problems, I'd only stress the importance of icing the knees after every run and bike if you have time. Keeping the inflamation under control is really important. I'd also add that building up running fitness is about consistency over long periods of time. It is much better to go slower, even run/walk, than to breakdown by going too fast too often too soon. While EN training plans have lots of high intensity intervals, the run training is the place you have to be very, very careful, especially since you are just building up running. Think tortoise, not hare at this point in your running fitness program. Also keep dropping the pounds slowly if possible. Hope this helps.
Checked out the pool for a potential morning swim. Possibly 15 meters, at best. Plus it doesn't open until 6am, and I have to be back at the clients at 7am. So maybe a treadmill run in the morning?
I hate this new project already! I have to find a way to control it otherwise it is going to kill any chance of me finishing CdA. I can't be working 15 hour days, with no access to equipment, and expect to be successful.
Hope everyone has/had a better day than me!
Good couple of days of training. Did the swim yesterday and waited until today to do the mile repeats. Thought the long swim set today would leave me a bit sluggish, but was able to hit my marks at 6:58, 6:59, 6:57 with a stable HR and enough juice left in the tank to get home. Total 7.33 miles in 59 minutes. Also, hit 189 lbs, which puts me about 4lbs away from where I want to be on race day. Down a total of 17lbs from the beginning of the OS with a decent body fat drop as well. Things are coming together nicely!
Tonight I did tomorrow's brick. The bike felt great and I did a 15 minute run at the 12:00 pace while focusing on higher cadence. No knee pain but I thought I would stop halfway just to give my knees more time to rest. I think I'll take it easy on the running until the RR on Saturday and then see how an hour feels at a 12:00 pace.
@Michael - Congrats on your progress toward your race weight. That's pretty close to my numbers (16 lbs since the Jan OS and I'm about 5 lbs away from my goal race weight). At the rate we're going, we'll definitely make race weight by the IMCDA. Also, I'm still thinking about the shoes but I did raise my seat a 1/4 inch before today's workout and noticed it was a little easier to pedal. I'm going to video tape myself on the trainer and then compare it to the EN bike fit guide.
Then we bricked it. Pushed her for a nice negative split run.
Training side of day was great, the rest not so much. Wife drove to work with keys to both cars. Not good. Then I was switching pedals between bikes and gashed my finger on the crank. What a dope I was.
Gotta find some inner mojo to leave work and get in the mood to make it happen...and it will probably have to be in a warm rain shower the way the day looks. Oh well! Happy long running to everyone today!
@ Stephen - You can turn a perceived negative into a positive: since we'll be running in the race between 4 and 6 PM, this is the PERFECT time to be doing your long run.
Me, I hate running in the morning; I've been doing my long runs starting at 2 PM for at least 8 years now. I tell myself it's OK, 'cause I'm training for the way I'll be racing, in the afternoon sun.
My long run this week will be Sunday, when I 'll race the Capital City Half Marathon in Olympia. 2 miles warm up, HM, then 3 miles "cool down" makes for about 2.5 hours. No RR for me, as I'm actually just finishing the OS this week!
Thanks Al