tri-ac :: triathlete


FIRST 5K week 9 (abandoned)
December 29, 2008, 3:09 pm
Filed under: running, training update | Tags: , , ,

KW#1: WU: 1 mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 4×1200 w/ 400 RI. WD: 1mi easy. (abandoned)

KW#2: WU: 1 mi easy. WO: 3 mi @ ST. WD: 1 mi easy. (abandoned; tried 4 miler on treadmill: ended with ITBS knee pain)

KW#3: 7mi @ LT. (3 miler ended with ITBS knee pain)

Snow week. I bussed it to work all week. I didn’t get on the trainer. I didn’t run in the snow. I didn’t want to go to the gym. I’ve been avoiding it, but it became inevitable this week due to the lack of outdoor time.

On the good side: only three days of work (…it’s Christmas, dammit!). We had a great Christmas Eve and Christmas as a family with snow falling and sledding and all! I shoveled snow (and tested my back’s recovery). And one night I walked home from work because the buses were so few and far between. It actually felt good to exercise those few days. It’s amazing how the body misses the work.

I did get to the gym on Saturday just to get in a 4 mile treadmill session. Not having run regularly for the last two weeks; not having been stretching or using the foam roller; not doing any cross training…I’m a little depressed about my  training. It’s not overtraining depression. It’s lack of continuity and lack of focus (no goals other than the 5k program).

I’d forgotten how boring the gym can be. It was not a good outing as I had hoped it would kickstart my psyche back into my swimming routine, and maybe even provoke an interest in lifting some weights or a core class. No excitement generated. But, it’s getting to be time to get back in the pool soon…to get back the lost base.

I ran with my family at the local high school track…my wife ran with me…my son rode his bike. It was good to be outside, but it ended sourly since my knee pain returned.

My goal for this next week is to run 5 days for short runs and then hop back into the FIRST program where I left off. Hopefully this will ameliorate the transition back (I thought I was done with the knee pains!!!).



FIRST 5K week 8
December 29, 2008, 2:52 pm
Filed under: running, training | Tags: , , ,

KW#1: WU: 1 mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 6×800 w/ 1:30 RI. WD: 1mi easy.

KW#2: WU: 1 mi easy. WO: 2 mi @ ST; 1 mi easy; 2 mi @ ST. WD: 1 mi easy.

KW#3: 7mi @ LT.

Due to continuing super icy weather, I missed the track workout(KW#1). I didn’t want to drive to the gym. I bike commuted to work one day out of the five. I didn’t even get up to get on the trainer for my cross training. I felt like a total slug. I was sleeping badly and eating office holiday treats like nobody’s business. So, I resolved to run Friday no matter the weather. Even though it was too icy to commute by bike, it was fine to run at lunch. It was gorgeous out! Cold, but beautiful skies with passing clouds and sun breaks and light flurries! What a great outing!

I’m not a misanthropic hermit, but I realized how peaceful my bike commutes are after riding the bus all week. A pair of shameless recovering druggies on one ride chatted loudly about their counselors, the economy, how Disney compared to Nazi Germany, Portland drivers in bad weather, and other things that none of the other riders cared about. What a treat! It made me wish I owned an Ipod!

KW#3, otherwise known as the long run, was abandoned due to weather. The plan had been to get to the gym, but my wife urged me not to drive as she had just been out and had the windshield freezing up on the outside reducing the visible area to a little hole. ARRGH!



FIRST 5K week 7
December 19, 2008, 4:57 pm
Filed under: running, training | Tags: , , ,

Not a great week, not a terrible week…I got my track workout in and then missed my tempo run due to a ridiculous over-late site visit for work. I made it up Saturday and was set to do my long run Sunday when an arctic storm pummeled the Portland area. My wife got her run in first thing in the morning. She went out in flurries and came back with the ground covered, temps in the 20s, and a blustery wind beating on her. My planned run time was at lunch [we trade so that our son is not left alone] but it was pretty bad by afternoon. So, the long run was abandoned. Unfortunately, this was the peak distance of the long runs. The forecast for the following week was highs in the 20’s with snow/ice/rain. This is VERY unusual Portland weather. Usually, we have overnight lows in the high 30’s with occasional rain.

KW#1: WU: 1 mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 10×400 w/ 1:30 RI. WD: 1mi easy.

KW#2: WU: 1 mi easy. WO: 4 mi @ MT. WD: 1 mi easy.

KW#3: 8mi @ LT. [abandoned :( ]