What a week! Weather tried to get crazy and derail it all at the end. I've added in weights to my "swim focus" now... and my body is letting me know that I'm adding new and different stresses to it! I'm not getting enough sleep either - trying to do too much, and work is crazy - sometimes my mind won't shut off and let me sleep.
I did get my 4 swim sessions in for the week - barely... I managed only 3 quality sessions, and one "I don't want to be here / I'm stopping" session. Why "practice struggling"? So, only 6700yards for the week total. The quality of the 3 sessions had plenty of solid 50s in at 37/38 seconds each, and good longer sets of 400-700yds at threshold pace - which for me is 1:30/100y.
Work and holiday "stuff" and general fatigue from adding weight lifting and not getting enough sleep caused me to take Friday and Saturday as rest days. I hadn't had a rest day in 2 weeks - so I was due!
The highlight of the week was my 16mi run Sunday afternoon. I was lucky that the precipitation falling changed to snow. Some of my teammates braved the cold (35F) and ran in pouring rain and wind. I had the Oberlin group swim in the morning, and then the run in the afternoon.
My 16mi run wasn't perfect, but it was solid. Right at 8:00/mi average. It was approximately "even split". I negative split most of the second half, but the last two miles, I did slow down a bit. I didn't bring any gels or anything, and I think the morning's swim left me a little less than full when I started the run... plus the snow was blowing, and there were a lot of cars and no sidewalks the last 3 miles - which made dodging traffic and not turning an ankle a very big challenge.
Good news is that my running paces are about 0:15-0:30/mi faster now than this time last year. I'm using VDOT 54 now: (was VDOT 52 last January)
8:01/mi = Easy / Long
6:24/mi = Threshold
5:52/mi = Interval
5:20/mi = Rep
I just picked up Jack Daniels' Running Formula from the library to re-read again this winter. It is an AWESOME resource for understanding the science behind endurance running trianing.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
"Practice Suffering" - SnakeBite Racing's Spin workout for 12/14/10 at Ride+Workout
Tonight was our largest group yet. THANK YOU to everyone who came out tonight!
This workout was designed to be "nasty" - with just enough rest between hard efforts to survive. As I mentioned during the workout tonight - it is important to "practice suffering"... having one or two physically and mentally tough workouts each month helps to train the mind to deal with all the signals and bad feelings during the crucial stages of a race. Tonight was definitely a chance to practice that suffering!
The intensity was high and everyone gave it their all. It's pretty cool sitting on the leader's bike and looking out at the sea of athletes pushing themselves to the edge in training... focused... determined... and possibly going to puke!
While I wasn't totally satisfied with the flow of the playlist I put together for tonight's workout - I did have a lot of people tell me afterwards they liked it. But "Technologic" was either loved or hated - nothing in between! It's hard to bring new music each week, and have music "everyone loves"... they won't all be hits! The bottom line is the music brings energy, and I try to get the right kind of cadence/bpm to fit the particular part of the workout.
Warm up
3.00 3 minute Warm up / New Divide - Linkin Park
0.50 seated spin up - light tension
1.00 1 minutes easy spin / Evacuate the Dancefloor - Cascada
0.50 seated spin up - light tension
3.50 easy spin
Sprint intervals
0.75 30 / 15 hard effort #1 / Busy Child - Chemical Brothers
0.50 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 30 / 15 hard effort #2
0.50 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 30 / 15 hard effort #3
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 30 / 15 hard effort #4
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 30 / 30 hard effort #5 / Stronger - Kanye West
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #6
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #7
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #8 / Blue Orchid - White Stripes
2.00 Recovery - easy spin (till song ends)
Power intervals
3.00 60-75 rpm… high tension - seated / What do I - Stabbing Westward
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
3.00 60-75 rpm… high tension - seated / Do you call my name - Ra
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
3.00 60-75 rpm… super high tension - seated / standing
1.00 Recovery - easy spin / Last Resort - Papa Roach
3.00 60-75 rpm… super high tension - seated / standing
1.50 Easy recovery / Move Aside - Soul Coffing
0.75 Seated Sprint #1 / Collapse - Rise Against
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 Seated Sprint #2
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 Seated Sprint #3 / N.W.O. - Ministry
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 Seated Sprint #4
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 Seated Sprint #5
2.00 Recovery - easy spin
5.00 Threshold - 4a HR zone (80% max) / Technologic - Daft Punk
1.00 Easy recovery
5.00 Threshold - 4a HR zone (80% max) / I kissed a girl - Katy Parry
1.00 Easy recovery / Block Rockin' - Chemical Brothers
5.00 Threshold - 4a HR zone (80% max) / United States of Eurasia - Muse
1.50 Easy recovery
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #1 / Got the life - Korn
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #2
1.00 Recovery - easy spin / Given Up - Linkin Park
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #3
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #4
4.00 cool down / Hella Good - No Doubt
This workout was designed to be "nasty" - with just enough rest between hard efforts to survive. As I mentioned during the workout tonight - it is important to "practice suffering"... having one or two physically and mentally tough workouts each month helps to train the mind to deal with all the signals and bad feelings during the crucial stages of a race. Tonight was definitely a chance to practice that suffering!
The intensity was high and everyone gave it their all. It's pretty cool sitting on the leader's bike and looking out at the sea of athletes pushing themselves to the edge in training... focused... determined... and possibly going to puke!
While I wasn't totally satisfied with the flow of the playlist I put together for tonight's workout - I did have a lot of people tell me afterwards they liked it. But "Technologic" was either loved or hated - nothing in between! It's hard to bring new music each week, and have music "everyone loves"... they won't all be hits! The bottom line is the music brings energy, and I try to get the right kind of cadence/bpm to fit the particular part of the workout.
Warm up
3.00 3 minute Warm up / New Divide - Linkin Park
0.50 seated spin up - light tension
1.00 1 minutes easy spin / Evacuate the Dancefloor - Cascada
0.50 seated spin up - light tension
3.50 easy spin
Sprint intervals
0.75 30 / 15 hard effort #1 / Busy Child - Chemical Brothers
0.50 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 30 / 15 hard effort #2
0.50 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 30 / 15 hard effort #3
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 30 / 15 hard effort #4
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 30 / 30 hard effort #5 / Stronger - Kanye West
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #6
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #7
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #8 / Blue Orchid - White Stripes
2.00 Recovery - easy spin (till song ends)
Power intervals
3.00 60-75 rpm… high tension - seated / What do I - Stabbing Westward
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
3.00 60-75 rpm… high tension - seated / Do you call my name - Ra
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
3.00 60-75 rpm… super high tension - seated / standing
1.00 Recovery - easy spin / Last Resort - Papa Roach
3.00 60-75 rpm… super high tension - seated / standing
1.50 Easy recovery / Move Aside - Soul Coffing
0.75 Seated Sprint #1 / Collapse - Rise Against
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 Seated Sprint #2
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 Seated Sprint #3 / N.W.O. - Ministry
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 Seated Sprint #4
0.75 Recovery - easy spin
0.75 Seated Sprint #5
2.00 Recovery - easy spin
5.00 Threshold - 4a HR zone (80% max) / Technologic - Daft Punk
1.00 Easy recovery
5.00 Threshold - 4a HR zone (80% max) / I kissed a girl - Katy Parry
1.00 Easy recovery / Block Rockin' - Chemical Brothers
5.00 Threshold - 4a HR zone (80% max) / United States of Eurasia - Muse
1.50 Easy recovery
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #1 / Got the life - Korn
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #2
1.00 Recovery - easy spin / Given Up - Linkin Park
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #3
1.00 Recovery - easy spin
1.00 30 / 30 hard effort #4
4.00 cool down / Hella Good - No Doubt
Monday, December 6, 2010
Training and swimming update - 12/5/10 week
This past week was the best training since I completed the Rev3 Full Ironman Triathlon in September.
I challenged myself to give a weekly update on my swimming progress this winter, be it good, bad or ugly... so I'll start with that. My total yards for the week aren't off the charts at about 8200y... done in 4 sessions. This week was about speed. Lots of 50s (36-37 seconds) and Sunday's 20 minute threshold time trial (1325y = 1:30/100y). This compares well to past winters (and even this summer, for the matter). I have a lot more improvement needed to hit my goal (22:00 Olympic Tri swim in 2011 - down from the 25:30s, I've been doing). With just a month of focused swim training, I'm already getting faster - and that is a good thing!
This week's cycling was only two sessions - a 45 minute AT test administered by Coach Gregg Brekke which showed a 35 watt power increase at the same HR compared to last December!!! And the Tuesday SnakeBite cycling session, of course.
The running is going well also. 30 quality miles... a 13.3 mile run in the cold/wind (7:56/mi pace - negative split 8:09 1st half, 7:45 2nd half)... solid track workout (100y, 400y reps) and two 10k recovery runs in the park.
At the end of the week, I still felt great!
I challenged myself to give a weekly update on my swimming progress this winter, be it good, bad or ugly... so I'll start with that. My total yards for the week aren't off the charts at about 8200y... done in 4 sessions. This week was about speed. Lots of 50s (36-37 seconds) and Sunday's 20 minute threshold time trial (1325y = 1:30/100y). This compares well to past winters (and even this summer, for the matter). I have a lot more improvement needed to hit my goal (22:00 Olympic Tri swim in 2011 - down from the 25:30s, I've been doing). With just a month of focused swim training, I'm already getting faster - and that is a good thing!
This week's cycling was only two sessions - a 45 minute AT test administered by Coach Gregg Brekke which showed a 35 watt power increase at the same HR compared to last December!!! And the Tuesday SnakeBite cycling session, of course.
The running is going well also. 30 quality miles... a 13.3 mile run in the cold/wind (7:56/mi pace - negative split 8:09 1st half, 7:45 2nd half)... solid track workout (100y, 400y reps) and two 10k recovery runs in the park.
At the end of the week, I still felt great!
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