Week two of my triathlon training plan came and went, taking with it the month of April. Still not quite up to where I'm wanting to be, but I'm getting there. I managed two swims, two rides, including my longest one yet, a sweaty date with Jillian, and one run, which has left me cautiously optimistic that I can start running regularly again!
Monday
other: 50 min strength workout
After trying a new DVD workout last week that wasn't quite up to par, I reunited with Jillian and No More Trouble Zones to have my ass handed to me. I always forget how hard this workout is, but I love how it covers every part of the body, is efficient, and leaves you a little sore. In my case, this soreness lingered a few days : ) Hoping to keep up the strength training as training picks up!
Tuesday
bike: 21 mi, avg 16.3 mph.
Nothing too exciting to report, just another bike ride along the parkway. I went in the late afternoon and decided to forgo my sunglasses...BIG mistake, my face was bombarded with a million bugs that got in my eyes, mouth nose...not fun. I also forgot to bring a water bottle, and much to my disappointment, the water for all of the fountains at my turnaround in Discovery Park were off. Just wasn't my day I guess.
swim: 1,000 yds, 30 min.
- 200 yd warm-up
- ladder: 50, 100, 150, 200, 150, 100, 50 (30s-1min recovery)
Thursday
rest.
Friday
run: 4 mi, 9:05 avg pace.
I had some extra time in the morning before work so I decided to cautiously try a run after a little hiatus. After a disastrous first run post-AR 50, I was a little nervous about getting out there a second time, but thankfully things felt pretty good from the get go. I felt a little more tired than usual, but I kept up a pretty good pace and didn't feel dead after. Hopefully this means I can bring running back into my routine. Win!Saturday
swim: 1,200 yds, 35 min.
- 5x100 yds (20s recovery)
- 100 kick, 100 arms, 100 kick, 100 arms
- 3x100 yds (20s recovery)
Sunday
bike: 30 mi, avg 17.1 mph.
Sunday I set out for my longest ride to date. I decided to do my usual 20 miles route, a 10 mile out-and-back on the bike trail, then add on another 5 mile out-and-back in the opposite direction. Initially I planned to keep things easy, but as I got going I decided to push the pace a bit and see if I could maintain it on the longer ride. I'm starting to notice that it takes me a couple miles to warm-up, but once I do I can hit my faster speeds pretty easily. Thankfully the crazy wind we've been having had died down and I didn't have to deal with much on the ride. It was pleasantly warm and a just a beautiful day to be outside. I also tried something new for this ride - I listened to music. Previously I never did when riding because of safety, which is certainly a concern, but I decided to try it this time, of course only wearing one ear bud and keeping the volume low. I was still able to hear everything going on around me and I have to admit that the music made the ride SO much more enjoyable! I wish I had someone to ride with to pass the time, but until I find a biking buddy I think music will be a great alternative.
I kept my speed up, hitting 17-18mph on most splits and felt pretty good throughout. I made a quick pit stop at Discovery Park, around 11 miles, to get some water and eat some chews, then headed back in the direction I'd came. The last few miles I was definitely a little tired but still kept my speed up. I also notice that my...ummmm...saddle was pretty uncomfortable toward the end of the ride : / I finished feeling good though, and even ended up with my fastest average speed on a ride!
Totals:
swim - 2,200 yards
bike - 51 miles
run - 4 miles
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April
Week Fourteen (ultra)
With April and it's showers behind us it's no longer deniable that spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner! Along with warmer temps and seasonal allergy flare ups, this month also marked the end of my ultra training cycle and the transition into my triathlon training cycle. I finished out my first foray into the world of ultramarathoning with my first 50 miler, the American River Endurance 50 Miler. It was a great day, full of emotions, excitement, struggle, and triumph, and after 11 hours and 29 minutes I finally crossed the finish line. I loved my experience with trail running and I'm proud to call myself an ultramarathoner, but I was ready, both mentally and physically, to change things up a bit after several months of long mileage.
AR 50
After a week of recovery I moved right into my triathlon training plan for my goal race of the season: Vineman 70.3 in July. So far, so good. The first couple weeks are more focused on swimming and cycling as I give my legs a little more time to bounce back after AR 50, but I'm really enjoying the variety in my workouts thus far. Hopefully things continue to go smoothly! And so another month in the books, with big things accomplished and big things to come...
good work. keep it up and you will go far!
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