I was doing so well...

at keeping this blog updated; alas, it has been over a week since my last post. Crazy busy though with tons of travelling and not much training unfortunately.

Back at it hard today. Swam this am as:

500 swim mixed
400 pull
300 kick all as warm up.

then

2 times 3 by 100 meters descending each 100 down to GRP on 1:45 r1 = 1:00
2 times 3 by 100 meters ascending from GRP on 1:45 r1 = 1:00

300 warm down

Then out for a good three and a half hour ride with some training partners. Really good fast pace, and I hung in. Had nothing to do with my EVERTI EAGLE TT bike. Nothing. That thing doesn't make me any faster: ok of course it does. It is only the fastest bike on the planet.

Tomorrow I have first open water swim of the year, then school then out for another 3.5 hour ride, with lots of hill repeats thrown in.

Friday is am swim and 4 hour mountain bike ride.

Oh, and by the way: OILERS are going to the Cup Finals. I'm a wee bit excited.

New Week

Ok. Tuesday was a right off. But Monday was ok. Rode for 1:45 yesterday on the trainer doing some really good intensity, legs were tired today.

Wednesday will be swim 4000 meters.
Study for Thursday exam.
Wednesday night race = 1 hour ride to race site, 1 hour really intense criterium style road race, 1 hour warm down home.
Thursday will be 4 hour ride attack the hills. Then watch game four of Edmonton/Anaheim series where hopefully my Oilers will win the series in four games.
Friday is another long ride, 3-4 hours on the mountain bike. But not before an AM swim.

Christine's brother is getting married on Saturday, so I will take my bike over to the mainland a go for a ride with Rob on Sunday afternoon. And hopefully Monday too.

Man are the legs done (like dinner)

Hard week; did I say hard?

Yesterday really capped 'er off.

Am swim as:
400 swim
400 drill
4 by 100 kick all warm up

Main set:
400m continuous at 1:25/100m pace 30 sec rest.
300m pull/paddles
400m same as above
300m swim easy focus on distance per stroke
400m same as above
300m as pull/paddles
400m same as above
300m warm down mixed strokes
total = 4000 meters

Then it was onto the mountain bike. My legs have been done for days. Went for a really hard road ride on Thursday with my training partner Dawn. She 'dropped me like its hot' on EVERY hill; if I felt wind on my forehead I knew I was going backwards in a hurry. So I pretty much killed myself to stay with her.

Friday's mountain bike effort is always hard. There is really no such thing as an easy day on a mountain bike because the hills are just that much steeper. So with spent legs from four days of riding previously, I just managed to suffer through yesterday's 4 hour ride. I imagine that this will seem rather easy when compared to those seven days in August; man I'm looking forward to them.

Anyway, Saturday is an active recovery day for me this week, mostly out of necessity. Sunday will be an am run (most likely 12-14k) followed by a swim, most likely 2500 meters, volume down and intensity up for about 6-800 meters.

Sunday evening is Game Two of the Oilers/Ducks series. I will have to bbq up some serious red meat to replenish my iron and protein stores after this week's serious training. Back on the bike Monday.

I haven't written much about how I am feeling in my training given my February surgery. Really my expectations haven't been too high. Apart from going out and getting punished by Dawn on Thursday, I haven't felt too bad. Friday morning I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach overnight; its amazing how much we use our ab muscles on the bike. But given that I am a ok today, I'd say its a good thing and I am healing well.

Food wise things are going pretty good. I have kept a bit of a journal of intake and how its made me feel. I don't have any clear patterns; sometimes I feel like crap after good food, sometimes I feel great after junk. IBS is funny in how my guts react to fat, protein, sugar and raw foods. I have been experimenting with different energy bars and drinks, trying to figure out what I am going to use on the eight hour rides at TransRockies. I think I have found something that works for me, I will write about that product in another entry.

Base period over; let the fun (pain) begin

Ok, base phase done. No more 'easy' riding from here on in.

Today is 10K run, couple of repeats thrown in: 2k warm up, 1k hard, 1k easy, 1k hard, 1k easy, 1k hard, 1k easy, 1k hard, 1k warm down. Rob you can substitute weights for run.

Then, 2 hour bike: high cadence on the flats and downhills and then hard efforts UP every hill, push a higher than normal gear for reduced cadence and increased resistance. Heart rate should be 90% of max plus uphill, 70% max on flats etc.

Tomorrow we bike 3-4 hours, again with efforts on the hills, adjusted for length of ride down slightly to between 80-85% max efforts. Again recover on flats and downhills without allowing heart rate to descend below 65% of max.

am swim for me too on Wednesday; most likely 4k or so.

Thursday is 14k run, long slow distance. 2 hours recovery spinning on bike. high cadence, easy gears, 65% of heart rate consistency. Then its off to the gym for weights.

Friday is long slow ride day. Again 4-5 hours, hilly route, effort will be consistent throughout. So not taking it too easy anywhere on the route, nor pushing extreme efforts either.

Happy Mom's day

Well Mom, I guess you did pretty good, right?

Who am I kidding, you're the best mom ever.

So in honour of you, I ran this morning while you are at work. Went out with Dawn and ran a good hard 10 kilometers or so. Now my legs are tired, I'm hungry, and I would really just like to hit the couch. Much like you must have felt everyday that I lived with you. But like you taught me: no rest for the wicked. So I am off to the pool to swim 2500 meters.

As:
500 warm up mixed
5 by 100 at GRP on 1:35 (about 10 sec rest/100)
500 pull/paddles
5 by 100 at GRP on 1:35
500 pull/paddles

Then like you mom, just when I think my day isn't going to get any longer, I will be off to work. I'll put in four hours at the group home. Then I will come home and make you dinner, we'll have some gourmet lamb burgers, and corn salsa. And only because you are the best mom ever, we'll watch our beloved Oilers in game five tonight. See you soon.

Big volume day

Swam this am:

1000 meter w.u. as 100pull/100swim times 5

10 by 100 at 1:25/100 pace on 2 minutes

250 at sub 1:25/100 pace

450 pull paddles

then I was shattered.

4 hour bike ride after a rest and meal post swim.

Now I am really tired... so hitting the couch to do some readings, then watching the Oiler game tonight.

Changing plans

It's really important to be flexible when training for big events.

Got together with Rob on Wednesday for a couple of workouts. It was good to finally ride together and get a sense of each other's abilities on a mountain bike. Its gonna be a great race: our abilities are close enough to work together.

Rob worked me over in the gym too. I don't normally do much weight lifting, it's the easiest workout for me to skip I guess. I am ashamed to say that all we did was go through the exercises I should be doing, and not use much weight or do any sets, and my legs were SHATTERED when I rode yesterday. So the exercises are effective, or I have just done alot of bike mileage this week. I am at 10+ hours of riding through four days, so most likeley it is a combination of the two.

Weekend is gonna be busy with work and training. I haven't been in the pool all week so I will do some swims both days. And of course more biking.

There is something surreal about seeing inside one's self...

Had a fairly busy weekend. Not too much training went on unfortunately; sometimes life does in fact get in the way, eh?

Didn't race Sunday morning either, despite nice weather, but looking back on it, racing a 10K would have been pushing myself a bit given that I have been running again for only two weeks.

Had a look inside myself this morning: not metaphysically either. I went for a loopogram and some other test that involves a camera, bright light, lots of water, 5 nurses, a couple of students and a urologist who is training to race a half-ironman in June. I hit a new low this morning too; my blood pressure registered at 60 over 35 at one point during the test - I was sweating, it wasn't feeling too good and the rush to get the oxygen flowing seemed a bit alarming. But really I think this was due to my having watched my insides on TV; I'm just a wee bit squeemish when it comes to my insides.

But looking back on it, its pretty cool that the technology exists to go inside and have a peek, and is relatively painless too. I am coming to a new equilibrium with my body these days; after recent surgery and in an effort to solve some of the IBS issues I'm dealing with, a lot of effort and attention is going in on my part. So I am starting to perceive these tests with a bit more curiosity and a lot less apprehension.

Well, I could write all day, but I had best go tackle the wind on my bike for a couple of hours. Tonight, my Oilers are going to try their best to make it to the next round of the playoffs for the first time in many years. I don't want to miss it.

I start classes again tomorrow, so swim volume will be down this week. Tuesday is 3.5 hour ride, again 70% effort at max. Wednesday is am swim and 4 hour hilly ride. Thursday is run day, up to 10K this week; and weights. Friday is am swim and 3.5 hour hilly mountain bike ride. Saturday is am swim and 4.5 road ride, long and slow, slow, slow. Sunday is group ride in the morning, which tends to turn into a bit of a pissing contest, so it will be more like a tempo ride or race simulation. I hope I'm ready... Rob, you'll just be hammering for three hours ok?