Filed under: training update | Tags: brief halt to training, Kaiser Permanente scheduling sucks
Yesterday I had a “planned” small surgical procedure. “Planned” in the sense that I requested it a long time ago, but “planned” also in that &*$%# Kaiser Permanente’s scheduling is absolutely horrible. 6mos to get into a doctor’s schedule?!? Even if it’s only the cost of my copay, that’s ridiculous!! Needless to say, I’m switching this year when the re-enrollment comes up at work.
So, I’m laying around with an icepack and a dose of oxycodone, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I’m off the bike and no running for 7 days. And I can return to the pool once my stitches are all sealed up, minimum 4 days.
Given that I just started my 20 week training plan, I’m all anxious to be working out and establishing my training rhythm. I did my scheduled workouts this week (up to yesterday) so I’m trying to establish normalcy on both sides of this speedbump. I will take it easy next week as I roll back into it. I think I might repeat this week (week 2) during week 3 and then pick up my regular schedule (recovery week 4, base week 5, etc). I don’t want to spike back into too much intensity, especially since I’m still likely to be a little tender.
Soon…soon…soon!
This week was all about just doing it. Just getting up at 5am. Just running at lunch despite competing deadlines. Just remembering to take shoes to work to run at lunch and then having to wait until evening to upset family time to do my run. Just taking it easy on my runs and not driving my HR over the moon. Just going to bed early. Just eating as much as I need and no more.
And, it worked. I’m a little tired and a little stiff, but not to a point that I can’t get over quickly. I won a bet off my wife yesterday and managed to get a leg massage out of it! That’s the way to end the week!
My long swim this morning had me a little freaked out, not for today’s distance but for the Sunday swims much deeper into my training program (Sundays are drawn up to do time trials or just long continuous swims). That’s the sort of place my mind goes to when I’ve got time to linger on it. I much prefer the broken up sets, even if they’re higher intensity. On the positive side, I feel like I’ve incorporated the flip turn into my swimming for good. I still have an occasional awkward turn, but the flip turns are not ruining my HR as I swim.
My first real outdoor bike ride yesterday felt good (35 miles). I kept a decent pace and enjoyed the ride. I need to do more outdoor rides to get used to holding my aero-position for the duration. It’s clear I cheat a lot on my trainer rides indoors since the back of my neck is stiffer than normal. I’d like to ride with friends if I can. Last Spring’s bike rides really helped my riding, and I’d like to do them again.
My basic training week is 3 biking days (T, Th, Sa) and 3 swim/run days (W, F, Su). For whatever reason, these days are not synched with my tri club. I’m contemplating swapping the days so that I can train with others. It would be a little wonky, though, as my training plan seems to be set up to alternate bricks into those weekend times. I need to review the whole thing to see if it can work.
Right now, I’m looking forward to linking right into week 2…!
Filed under: stuff you see during workouts, training update | Tags: lunar eclipse, stuff you see while training
After forgetting to take my running shoes to work for my noon-time run, I had to run after I got home. Little did I know there was to be a lunar eclipse tonight, and it was best seen from the Pacific NW. I’ve never seen one before, and tonight was unseasonably clear. Starting around 6:30 (right at the end of my run today) you could see the moon starting to change. It looks dramatically lit, like a 3-dimensional object up there because it’s sort of lit from the side. Usually the moon just looks like a flat disc, tonight it’s a little spherical rock floating up there. As I write, I’m waiting for it to pass out of the shadow. Very cool stuff! I feel very lucky to have seen it happen.
Sorry, no pictures!
Filed under: training update
I’ve been pretty loose with the winter workouts, sometimes putting in nice weeks, sometimes not so much.
This week is the first week of my first-ever half ironman training plan, and I’m excited to get into it. It alternately seems like no problem and way over my head.
Today we went sledding. The weather was gorgeous, and we had a blast! The snow was a lot lumpier than last time, but the sunshine made up for that, and there were lots of folks out on the mountain to watch sledding and laugh at.
I’m not sure the family realizes this was sort of a last weekend family event for a while. I’ve already started negotiating time for next weekend.
Now there’s nothing to it, but to do it!!
On other notes, I went ahead and repurchased the RS200 and hope that it helps me stay on track. And, my job situation has settled and resolved, not as I had best hoped, but it’s at least stable and doable…
21+ weeks to go
Last week was a very successful week. I hit all my workouts!
Nevertheless, I don’t feel like I’ve done enough base running this winter, and yet my training plan begins in another week and a half . My running feels labored and not at all prepared to deal with the rigors of bricks. My first one is scheduled for this weekend, so it’s time to practice!
I’m seriously considering quitting my job to work for myself and the prospects of it are exciting but scary…nothing like a little anxiety to keep you owl-eyes all night instead of sleeping, especially when you can hear the breathing of your innocent family in the quiet of the night.
My headset totally froze up this weekend. It’s been a long time coming. I did a two hour trainer ride on Saturday, and my bike sat until Monday morning to go in to work. I pulled it away from the wall, and it wouldn’t turn left. I figured I’d take the bus instead of only turning right to get into work. $75 and two days later, it’s back and working just fine. (My LBS gave me the evil eye for allowing their bike to get dirty.)
I bagged swimming and running today because of anxiety over work and lack of sleep. I didn’t ride yesterday because of the repair. I will be back on it tomorrow morning to complete the week as I should.
I need to get an HRM. My Nike strap is broken and hangs two sizes too big. The HR accuracy has always been a little suspect to me too. I would end up with spikes like 213 or so. I bought a Polar RS200, but was frustrated with the interval timer functions. I ended up returning it. I liked the HR chest strap and felt very confident in the HR readings (no spikes or odd readings). I may go back and purchase that Polar and suck it up and learn to live with a different timing paradigm. I’m too picky sometimes; here I sit without a reliable HRM because the interval timer is not as flexible as my Nike. And I have to admit the RS200 had other valuable features I liked.
More later…
