Thursday - 10K run
Friday - Up at 6am to hit the 6:30 to 7:30 lane swim before work. Got in a 2.5k swim...the pool was packed.
Saturday - Outdoor ride cut short by the storm. Only got in about 30K.
Sunday - 10K run
Monday - 1 hour indoor ride
From today.....the road to Muskoka is paved with 20 bricks.....What????? It is arguably the hardest part of the sport. The transition from 3+ hours on a bike to running. In the case of Muskoka it will be a 90k bike followed by a half marathon(21.1K) run. After hammering away on the bike for 3 hours and then trying to run...the legs feel rubbery and heavy. They feel like bricks. So to get ready for this, part of the training regimen is to do workouts called bricks. Its basically doing two workouts back to back. For me its a bike followed by a run. So one week a 2 hour bike immediately followed by a 1 hour run. The next week a 1.5 hour bike followed by a 1.5 hour run. These workouts do take a toll so only one brick per week PLEASE. So with 20 weeks left there are 20 bricks to go. I have reminders everywhere...at work...at home....by the treadmill...the countdown continues. The vision of me crossing the finish line is never far from my thoughts. Sometimes when I am on the treadmill for a long run that vision is front and centre and when the run ends sometimes it feels like I just crossed the finish line. Sounds strange....but when you are running on a treadmill for a couple hours staring at an Ironman poster your mind does some strange things.
BW
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Back To The Pool
Monday - 10K run.
Tuesday - 10K run
Wednesday - Back to the pool. I swim at the Courtice Community Centre when they offer lane swimming. One length of the pool is 25 metres. One of the questions I get asked most often is which one of the three disciplines I find is the hardest. For me running takes the most toll on me physically. Simply put running hurts. Anyone who says it doesn't is probably not running...they are jogging. But if you struggle on the run you can always slow down or walk. Same for the bike...you can slow down. BUT if you struggle in the swim.......ohhhh bad....I have seen it end the race for some people. The swim plays on your mind. And the swim is the only contact part of the three. Its like a washing machine of moving arms and legs. You will get punched, kicked and slapped. So expect that. It is very easy to panic in the swim. Your survival instinct kicks in and before you know it you could be calling for the rescue boat. Likely to regret it within the next 5 minutes. I have seen it happen. So the swim offers up the greatest mental challenge.
My swim technique is to breath on every third stroke. So I take a breath on a different side each time. This seems to work well for me. I was a little rusty when I first hit the pool but within 10 minutes everything was working well. In the 55 minute session I did 102 lengths, which works out to 2.55km. It was a non-stop swim and I will try to hit the pool 2 times a week.
Thursday(tonight) will be another 10K run.
BW
Tuesday - 10K run
Wednesday - Back to the pool. I swim at the Courtice Community Centre when they offer lane swimming. One length of the pool is 25 metres. One of the questions I get asked most often is which one of the three disciplines I find is the hardest. For me running takes the most toll on me physically. Simply put running hurts. Anyone who says it doesn't is probably not running...they are jogging. But if you struggle on the run you can always slow down or walk. Same for the bike...you can slow down. BUT if you struggle in the swim.......ohhhh bad....I have seen it end the race for some people. The swim plays on your mind. And the swim is the only contact part of the three. Its like a washing machine of moving arms and legs. You will get punched, kicked and slapped. So expect that. It is very easy to panic in the swim. Your survival instinct kicks in and before you know it you could be calling for the rescue boat. Likely to regret it within the next 5 minutes. I have seen it happen. So the swim offers up the greatest mental challenge.
My swim technique is to breath on every third stroke. So I take a breath on a different side each time. This seems to work well for me. I was a little rusty when I first hit the pool but within 10 minutes everything was working well. In the 55 minute session I did 102 lengths, which works out to 2.55km. It was a non-stop swim and I will try to hit the pool 2 times a week.
Thursday(tonight) will be another 10K run.
BW
Monday, April 20, 2009
Danger & The Dawg Stretch Their Legs
Wednesday night was another indoor spin for a 35K ride.
Thursday was a 10K run on the treadmill. 5 mins 30 sec per km.
Friday was rest.
On Saturday Danger and I hit the open road. From my place in Courtice we headed west on Nash Road. Turned north on Green road past Taunton until it joined up with Old Scugog road. Followed that up through Enniskillen and into Blackstock. Turned onto 7A and rode into Port Perry. Turned around on Water Street and headed home. The ride took 3 hours and 5 minutes and covered 80.86 km. Top speed was 59.1 km/h. Average speed 26.1 km/h. My average heart rate for the ride was 154 bpm with a max of 177 bpm. A solid ride. The weather was good for the most part. Rain threatened several times and we did have a few drops but thankfully it never came down hard.
Had a busy Sunday with family stuff and despite good intentions to get a run in.....well Celebrity Apprentice called once again. Rest.
Looking for a good week this week. Heading back to the pool to get swimming again. Will be good to get that thrown into the mix.
BW
Thursday was a 10K run on the treadmill. 5 mins 30 sec per km.
Friday was rest.
On Saturday Danger and I hit the open road. From my place in Courtice we headed west on Nash Road. Turned north on Green road past Taunton until it joined up with Old Scugog road. Followed that up through Enniskillen and into Blackstock. Turned onto 7A and rode into Port Perry. Turned around on Water Street and headed home. The ride took 3 hours and 5 minutes and covered 80.86 km. Top speed was 59.1 km/h. Average speed 26.1 km/h. My average heart rate for the ride was 154 bpm with a max of 177 bpm. A solid ride. The weather was good for the most part. Rain threatened several times and we did have a few drops but thankfully it never came down hard.
Had a busy Sunday with family stuff and despite good intentions to get a run in.....well Celebrity Apprentice called once again. Rest.
Looking for a good week this week. Heading back to the pool to get swimming again. Will be good to get that thrown into the mix.
BW
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Advice From The Captain
A wise Captain once told me to take it easy when you aren't feeling that good and go like hell when you are. Monday night was one of those go like hell nights. The night called for a 60 minute workout on the indoor trainer. Brief warm up and then a high tempo 60 minute hammerfest. Cadence was a ridiculously high 135. Speed averaged 37K. So I covered just over 37K in one hour. Wish I could ride like that on the road. Heart rate average was 161. Spent about 15 minutes stretching afterwards always always always stretch after. Something to do with being old.
Tuesday night was run night. The legs were feeling a little smashed from the night before, so I set the treadmill at a nice 5 minute 40 second per KM pace and covered 10K. A nice recovery run and of course some stretching. Average heart rate.....158.
Back to the bike tonight. Its shaping up to be a nice weekend so I hope to get in a 60ishK ride outside.
BW
Tuesday night was run night. The legs were feeling a little smashed from the night before, so I set the treadmill at a nice 5 minute 40 second per KM pace and covered 10K. A nice recovery run and of course some stretching. Average heart rate.....158.
Back to the bike tonight. Its shaping up to be a nice weekend so I hope to get in a 60ishK ride outside.
BW
Sunday, April 12, 2009
A Tale Of Two Rides
Saturday called for a ride from Courtice to Enneskillen. Just over 41K in total. The wind was blowing down from the north...flags were straight out. The route up is almost all uphill. A few big hills and the rest is a gentle uphill climb. It took me over an hour to get to the half way point. Then with the wind at my back the ride home took 38 minutes.....it really was like two separate rides. Top speed on the way home 61.9kph.......smokin.........
Sunday had a family dinner and did not have time to get in another ride. Have to watch Celebrity Apprentice now so I guess we will make it a rest day.
BW
Sunday had a family dinner and did not have time to get in another ride. Have to watch Celebrity Apprentice now so I guess we will make it a rest day.
BW
Friday, April 10, 2009
Finally The Weather Is Nice
It was about 8C today and the sun was shining. It was nice to get out on the open road. Today was an easy spin......a ride up to Hampton and then back through Bowmanville and home. 41.38K in total........average speed 26.6K.........1770 calories burned. Hope to get out again tomorrow.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Subaru Ironman 70.3 Muskoka - The Countdown Begins
For me the 2009 triathlon season is all about the 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in Muskoka....Sunday September 13, 2009....its a 1.9K swim...a 90K bike...and a 21.1K run. It will be my first triathlon at that distance and my first Ironman event. It will be cool to be racing on the same course as the pros who are there for the prize money. ME.....hell......I am just racing for the finish line.
So its 22 weeks until the event. My weekly training will be chronicled here as well as reports on other events I am doing this year.....and of course some random ramblings.
Crank It!!!!!
BW
So its 22 weeks until the event. My weekly training will be chronicled here as well as reports on other events I am doing this year.....and of course some random ramblings.
Crank It!!!!!
BW
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