Mad Monday Update 4/27

Started off the week absolutely miserable. It was rainy and cool Monday and I felt AWFUL with a bug that started as a sore throat late last week and ended up being a terrible head cold that was peaking Mon/ Tues. As the weather got better, so did the cold and ended the week feeling pretty good enjoying one of the funnest weekends!

Lots of sunshine, friends, exercise, beers and motorcycle riding! Also I competed in my new fancy FF/ BA uniform at the Hinckley Duathlon. At the start I lined up and took off up the big first hill. First mile came in at 6:30 which was not bad considering the elevation. However as I trudged through the next mile, my stomach started flipping (likely culprit the prior evening's lasagna...can we say no cheese this weekend?). I backed off a little bit and was really having second doubts as to whether I would need to stop in transition.

I came through transition and grabbed the bike and headed out for the 5 loop bike course. My quads were instantly super tight and my legs just did not seem to come around which was sort of frustrating. I was kicking myself for not throwing the clip on aerobars on my bike as it was the first time I have not had them in an event and it just felt unnatural. I just tried to stay in a comfort zone and focus on trying to stay consistent. At the start of the 4th loop I heard a noise which I thought was a leaking front tire. I stopped to check but it seemed fine so I kept going, albeit a bit timid. I did get passed by 3 chicks on the bike. One was either in the biathlon or I passed in transition as I never saw her again. [The bike noise was just some stupid piece of plastic caught up by my brake pads that BA Mike was able to magically fix for me after the race...GENIUS!]

As I headed out on the final run I was happy to be nearing the end. I just tried to run steady and right away I saw a girl ahead of me so I focused on catching up and passed her before mile one. My legs started coming back and my focus was just catching people which made the run feel easier. I passed another girl who had caught me early in the bike course with about 3/4 mile to go and I picked it up for the duration of the course. I felt lucky to place 2nd overall female in the du and I was very happy to see my friend CV, who is also on my team, get 1st in the bi. The weather was gorgeous and it was a wonderful time to catch up with friends and get in my first multisport race of the year!

This week will keep things very light as the final taper week leading to Pittsburgh Sunday. While not 100%, I am feeling much better and crossing my fingers that mother nature is kind.

M 4/20 off, sick, bought a new car
T 4/21 2.5 Miles on treadmill, sick
W 4/22 3.5 miles on treadmill, still sick but getting better; a little core work
R 4/23 10 miles ran(just under 8 min miles)
F 4/24 4 miles ran, core work
S 4/25 9 miles ran (just under 8 min miles), comfortable run out by Hermes 10 miler
S 4/26 7 miles ran, 15 miles biked (1 M w/u, 3 M Run - 15 M Bike - 3 M Run Duathlon)

Totals
Ran - 36
Biked - 15 :-(
Core - 2
Swam - Dont ask

Mad Monday 4/20

M 4.13- 5 Miles Ran easy (8:19)
T 4.14- 5.5 M Ran Speed Workout on treadmill

1 Mile @6.7
6X 800's (1-9.6, 2-9.7, 3-9.8. 4-9.9, 5-10.0, 6-10.1) 0.1 to 0.15 recoveries
1-400 at 10.1
1-200 at 10.5
Short cool-down

All in all, felt good but was running short on time or would have gotten in all 8 on schedule.

W 4.15- Upper Body Plus, Abs (P90X +) While regular pushups are not a big deal anymore and I am getting more accustomed to pullups, L Pullups are not my friend and not happening yet.

R 4.16- 8 Mile PMP Run -ran 7:47 pace for 8...not sure yet what I will actually use for a PMP but that felt comfortable today in the sun, even with the wind and hilly terrain.

F 4.17 - 14.8 Mile run with MW (8:33 pace)

S 4.18 - 21 Miles Mtn Biked at Mohican (gorgeous day)

S 4.19 - 25 Miles Biked, 3.3 Miles Ran

Miles
R - 36.6 Miles
B - 21 (mtn) 25 (road)
S - 0 (Passover still messing my pool time up!)
Core - 1

Not a bad week. Hit the important stuff. Starting Wed or Thurs I felt a little off. Thankfully I was able to exercise through it but as of Monday 4/20, I have a super nasty cold. This thing needs to make its exit pronto! Pittsburgh is under 2 weeks and counting.

Huge congrats to all the Boston peeps!

Mad Monday Update 4/13

3 weeks and counting until Pittsburgh....

Monday 4/6 - OFF
Tuesday 4/7 - 7.25 Miles easy run (am), noon- core and upper body
Wednesday 4/8 - 6.5 M Speed workout, 5 mile easy run at lunch with E
Thursday 4/9 - 15.75 Miles Biked evening
Friday 4/10 - 4 miles ran on treadmill (ladders, 31:00)
Saturday 4/11 - OFF (out at Headwaters Du)
Sunday 4/12 - 19.5 mile run with SERC (first 5 - 7:39 pace, regrouped next 14.5 at ~8:26 pace) All and all, felt pretty good.

Weather seemed cold & rainy and motivation suffered a bit over the week. Pool closing messed the swimming up a bit. All and all, the running felt a little stronger this week.

Totals
Bike - 15.75 Miles :-(
Ran - 42.25 Miles
Core/ Weights - 1 session

Best Speed Workout in a LONG time

Monday was an off-day.

Woke up Tuesday at 5 to drive downtown to meet the morning run group for an easy 7.25 Miles. Lunch workout included lots of pullups, crawling pushups, burpees, dips, some upper body and abs.

Today (wed) I cringed when the alarm went off at 5 again and I crawled out of bed not at all ready to be up yet. Thank goodness I was meeting CV or I would not have drug my butt out of bed. After the drive downtown I hopped on the treadmill. I have not been doing very well with the speed workouts at all. I feel like I just can't hit the paces, have not been mentally dialed in or was just too plain fried to do the workouts. Furthermore for some reason the new treadmills at the gym paces have just felt harder than before which I am not sure why.

Once at the gym, I hopped on the treadmill next to CV and planned to do 6 - 800's at 9.5 (6:19 pace) with 0.1 M walked recoveries. Yet as I felt better than planned I added a few more and upped the speed for some shorter bonus intervals.

Actual
1 Mile Easy
800 -1 (6:19 pace) with 0.1 M walking recovery
800 -2 (6:19 pace) with 0.1 M walking recovery
800 -3 (6:15 pace) with 0.1 M walking recovery
800 -4 (6:11 pace) with 0.1 M walking recovery
800 -5 (6:07 pace) with 0.1 M walking recovery
800- 6 (6:00 pace) with 0.1 M walking recovery
800- 7 (6:00 pace) with 0.1 M walking recovery
400-1 (6:00 pace) with 0.1 M walking recovery
400-2 (5:53 pace) with 0.1 M walking recovery
200-1 (5:43 pace) with 0.05 M walking recovery
200-2 (5:27 pace) with 0.05 M walking recovery
200-3 (5:13 pace)
Short Cooldown

Total Mileage - 6.5 Miles

Mad Monday 4/6

Coming off Sunday's Boston simulation run, legs still feeling tight and cramped. Consciously have been trying to drink more water in case that is the problem.

M 3/30 - 4.25 Miles easy
T 3/31 - AM 6.5 Miles Ran easy, noon 7.5 Miles Ran (8ish pace), evening 20ish miles on road bike (2 climbs, some intervals)
W 4/1 - 8 Miles Ran to Edgewater (9 min/mil pace)
R 4/2- 6.25 Miles Ran (8:40 pace), 23 Miles Rode
F 4/3-1000 M Swam
S 4/4 - 5.25 M Run (w/u and Jog Into Spring 5K)
S 4/5 - 35 M Biked

Totals
Ran - 37.75 Miles
Biked- 78 Miles
Swam - 1000 M

Long story short: Legs still feeling toasted. The 5K was not pretty, not sure what was worse, the tight legs or my asthma. Coughed and had a extremely sore chest the rest of the day. Running miles suffered a bit on account of getting in some more bicycling miles, which will probably be more typical going forward with weekends being one long ride, one long run (not that my run this weekend was long at all, but next weekend!).