Something worth posting about....

February 23rd was my last post?!?!?!? Wow. I guess I was lucky to get that posted. So now it's March 4th. How about a recap since I last posted?

I started this blog for logging my triathlon training. I know I don't post much about it but I just don't seem to be a numbers guy like Bolder or want to bore anyone about riding two hours in the basement. Yet there are times when a recap of the training and what I have learned from it just might benefit others.

So going back to the 23rd of February, a Saturday, brick day. Ride 1:45 followed by a 30 minute run. I will say this, Coach Angela puts together good brick workouts that offer variety and help the time pass. This one had 8 minute intervals spinning 90-100 RPM, 7 minute easy spins, 3 times. Then 6 intervals with 2 minute standing climbs. Legs were a little heavy after the 1:45 ride. Hitting the road afterwards was quite rewarding. 4 miles in 29:50. I have been pushing the final half mile to really feel the effects of running AND finishing on tired legs....final half mile was in 2:50. Oh yeah.....I was moving. Felt great at the end to be doubled over sucking wind and then have your heart rate drop 40 beats in 60 seconds. Fitness level is good.

Sunday was a 1:30 run. Legs were tired going into this run but a nice steady pace kept my HR where it should be. I finished 10.6 miles in 1:25, 8 minute pace. Again great way to finish the weekend.

Monday I did hill repeats. I moved up the hill run because bad weather would be coming in for Tuesday, a lot of snow. Really glad I did because my legs still responded well to the training. Six repeats followed by 25 minutes of high Zone 2 - low zone 3 running.

Tuesday, learning day. Schedule called for a swim workout in the morning. I had actually switched the hill repeats and swim. I hit the pool uncertain how it would go. Three solid days of training under the belt and I was starting to feel the effects. I did my 600 warm up. Still didn't feel ready for the main set but I had another 600 of pulling that should get me ready for the main set......6x200 negative split and 6x100 race pace.

After the 600 with the pull buoy I was toast. There was no way I was going to have a quality workout. My form would have fallen apart, my times would have been slower and that would have affected my mood seeing how slow I was. I put the pull buoy away and hit the showers.

Driving to work I left Coach a voice mail telling her I was taking the remainder of the day AND Wednesday as rest. I think the most important lesson I want to share here is having the ability to listen. Listen to your body and most importantly pay attention when the body is getting tired and over trained. Once that wall is hit it's time to get some rest. Pushing through the workout and furthering the level of exhaustion can only lead to injury, illness, bad form and frustration.

Taking that extra day rest would prepare me for the following weekend of training.

Picking it up again on Thursday I had a double, Swim (morning) and bike (evening). I bailed on the swim again and did the bike in the morning. I needed the bike more and I was able to spend time with my daughter that evening making some awesome pannini sandwiches for dinner.

Friday I got home from work not feeling too motivated. I was driving in rain most of the way home and it had been a long day. The run scheduled was 45 minutes at a steady pace. By the time I got home the rain was gone and I was more encouraged to hit the pavement. I backed it down to 40 minutes and did a 20 out, 20 back route. Talk about steady. I had perfect splits of 20 minutes. Total mileage was 5. Exactly what I wanted to do.

Don't fade on me yet. The weekend was just starting and there is another lesson to be learned. Have faith. But then again I wouldn't blame you if you were bored by now. Go HERE if you want something different. Please come back.

Saturday offered a new brick. This had two hours on the trainer and a 30 minute run. Still great variety on the trainer, went through two bottles of Gatorade/CarboPro while sweating my ass off. The run was a solid 4 miles in 30:50. Nice little sub 8 pace while most importantly staying in Zone 2....high zone 2 but still where I wanted to be. I finished around 1PM.

Sunday. Oh Sunday. Time for the Catch a Leprechaun 5/15/30k. I always do the 15k. This is a great early season, see where you're at, training race. I needed this one to stoke the competitive fires. Coach and I agreed to break it up in 3 parts, 3 miles each, and just increase effort during each stage. The start is always the hardest during a training race. Everyone is going out fast to get settled into a pace. I made sure I held back because the first 3 miles were supposed to be a warm up. I kept my HR in Zone 2 and if felt comfortable. I got passed by some other runners but I didn't let it get to me. I had my own plan and I wanted to make sure I could follow it.

At mile three I increased the effort and had a PowerGel around mile 5. At mile six I was still following the plan and increased my effort accordingly. I did pull in one runner ahead of me and almost caught another one who finished 3 seconds ahead, and he won my age group. I wasn't there for the win anyways. I had a training race to run and a plan to follow. It tested my fitness and showed me that I am on track for the Columbus Distance Classic in April. My final for 15k, 9.3 miles, was 1:06:21....a 7:08 pace. I want to be sub 6:40 for Columbus.

Lesson number two, The Giveaway Race. The Fall 2007 issue of Triathlon Life magazine had a great article by Shane Alton Eversfield about The Giveaway Race. This type of race is supposed to be low key. A training day with other athletes that you may or may not know. A time when you can encourage others to pass you by and cheer them onto a great finish. Where the metals, oops...medals, are nice to have but you feel joy for anyone else who receives them. A day to experiment with race tactics, nutrition, pace anything that is hard to try under normal training conditions. With this attitude of giving away we also shed our anxiety, fears and feelings of low self esteem that sometimes is part of the competitive package. I would encourage everyone to hop over to Shane Eversfield's website and see what he's talking about. I have not read his book yet but I'm all over the mental aspect of triathlon.

Thanks for sticking it out and reading. I felt it was important to share my most recent training experiences with you. Hopefully you got something out of it.

Game On.