Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Trainer Workout Madness!

I had a request for some more trainer rides. Here are a few of my very favorites!
(Did the first one this morning)

1:00
Warm up 10 min
do 5 x (5 minute zone 3- third minute climbing out of saddle)
3 minutes zone 3 between each interval
5 minutes high cadence
5 minute cool down

1:00
Warm up 10 minutes
20 minutes zone 3 stready aero, low cadence
5 minute zone 1-2 spin
20 minutes high cadence zone 3
5 minute cool down

1:15
Warm Up 15 min
Do 8 x 1 min - Standing Climbing ou of the saddle Zone 3
Big Chain Ring 12-13 on the back- Low rpms 55-65
Take 2 min off easy spin in btwn each
Finish ride steady aero position

2:30

Warm Up 20 min Zone 1-2
Do 10 min – Big Chain Ring 15 on the back
Take 2 min off easy spin
8 min – Big Chain Ring 14 on the back
Take 2 min off easy spin
6 min –Big Chain Ring 13 on the back
Take 2 min off easy spin
4 min- Big Chain Ring 12 on the back
Take 2 min off easy spin
Last 1:15 hour stay aero /stay steady- Zone 2

1:00
Warm Up 15 min/Zone 1
Do 8 x 30 sec Single Leg Drills/Zone 2
30 sec RT Leg/ 1 min off spin
30 sec Left Leg/ 1 min off spin
Do 5 min - Zone 3
The finish Ride steady effort/Zone 2

2:30
Bike 2:30 hours
Warm Up 30 min-Zone 1-2
Do 4 x 5 min Pushes- Zone 3
Big Chain Ring 12-15 on the back
Take 5 min off - spin Zone 2
Do 6 x 2 min(1min standing climbing 1 min seated aero)
Big Chain Rin 12-15 on the back
Take 3 min off easy spin- Zone 1(smal chain ring)
Finish Ride steady

Monday, October 29, 2007

Ugh

It's testing week and I'm already tired of studying! But the good thing about testing week is a lot of time for training- I can even swim!

Hit the pool today and I had the honor of being "that girl" who grabs a kickboard in the middle of a hard pull set. So embarrassing. Well, I guess that is the price you pay for going out and swimming 4100 yards with zero swim training in the past 6 weeks.

I get to enjoy a full day of practical "tests" (ungraded) where I have to go interview fake patients with fake problems and sit and write fake notes on them tomorrow. It's actually pretty fun, but I'm kind of wishing I had a lot more time to study for the exam on Friday and I doubt this activity is going flood my brain with useful pearls of knowledge. At least we get free lunch!

Oh- this just in- Steelhead registration opens on Thursday. Should I just be bold and register right away? I think it is wise, given the speed with which Eagleman filled this year.

Update on career decisions----------

I'm thinking of a new career path. Interventional radiology. Sounds pretty awesome to me. I wonder how many times I will change my mind in the next year?...

Ok, it's 8:45, which signals my bedtime. 4:45am wake up call in the morning because I have a 1-hour intense appointment with Mike Honcho on the trainer. Hard intervals are on tap, I believe...

And I'll leave you with my favorite quote from mom (yes, totally random):

It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you look when you play

Saturday, October 27, 2007

T.M.F.

I think that I have only reached true T.M.F a couple times in my life. You have to either really, really work at it, or you have to be superbly out of shape. Either way, T.M.F. gives you a weird sense of overwhelming satisfaction. Surprisingly, I didn't reach T.M.F during my Ironman, or really any race I've ever done. But this morning, doing 4100 yards in less than 85 minutes broken up into hard, negative split sets, with me having not been in the water in 6 weeks I did it. I reached Total Muscle Fatigue. And it was everything I thought it could be.

500 swim
250 kick
25-50-75-100 swim (250)
500 pull
10 x 50 (25 stroke/25 free) on :60
8 x 50 on :55 negative split
50 easy
6 x 100 with 5 sec rest (negative split) ... I start reaching meltdown
50 easy
4 x 150 negative split (middle 50 breast)...can hardly move my shoulders
50 easy Does easy exist anymore?
200- just try to survive
150 cool down... T.M.F.

When it was all said and done I could barely wash my hair my shoulders and back were so toast. And now I'm ready for a nap. And then maybe a ride on the trainer...

:-)

Thursday, October 25, 2007

So close...

As of tomorrow you are looking at a girl who is done with her surgery AND internal medicine clerkships!!!!!

WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I am going to celebrate... by studying for the exam.

Anywhoo, training is going great. Weight is the same, but that will go down with time. Oh, and I found the all time awesomist video in the universe:

Sunday, October 21, 2007

What a wonderful evening...


It's just great to be back to training again. I admit, my diet isn't quite back where it should be yet. I'm having a bit of a financial crisis while awaiting a loan to come in, so my diet has consisted of Kashi cereal, peanut butter, Cliff Bars, and the spectacular dinners that my great friends Lanny and Kathy cook for me (I think I need to get a jersey for next year listing them as my official sponsors). But the training has been great. I haven't missed a day and today was my first double. I did a 90 minute spin on my trainer and then sat down to do some work. I was attempting to get about 180 hours of lectures on my ipod so that I could multitask while training this winter. Well, I couldn't figure it out. (If anyone has any ideas- they are quicktime files and I can't get them into my itunes)

While I was frustrated trying to get that done with no luck, Maddie was being a little turd. Every once in awhile she feels the need to let out a whiny bark every 10 minutes or so. Since I am not the Dog Whisperer, I had no freaking idea what she wanted. I had planned to go out for a run by myself. Then I thought- Oh, what the hell, I'll take the little lunatic. So Maddie and I ran out the door on my 20 minute run. She immediately got this, almost uncanny-hallmark digitally enhanced- dogggie smile on her face. It was like she was saying- Thanks mom, THIS is what I wanted! The night couldn't be more perfect. 70 degrees with a warm breeze. Sun setting behind us giving the trees in their autumn splender a pink golden hue so beautiful you wonder if you're in some sort of pixar film. Then when we made the turn West for home we got to watch the sun setting, pink and orange, in a perfectly clear sky.

Sometimes in life I feel like we don't take time to really soak in the beauty of our surroundings. For me, that is what running has always represented. Time where I don't think about work or school. I just look around at all the things I take for granted the rest of the week. I am so overjoyed to be back.

Now I have to go. I think the little turd has broken into my hamper and is eating my underwear again.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Prep

Day 3 of my prep phase

Tuesday: Trainer ride

10 minute warm up
5 minute zone 3
3 minutes off zone 2
5 minute zone 3, third minute zone 4 climbing
3 minutes off zone 2
5 minute zone 3, third minute zone 4 climbing
3 minutes off zone 2
5 minute zone 3, third minute zone 4 climbing
3 minutes off zone 2
5 minutes zone 3, 2nd and 4th minutes climbing zone 4
3 minutes off zone 2
5 minutes zone 3 high cadence
5 minutes cool down

Saweet

Probably a little intense for prep phase, but I'm a tad ADD

So then yesterday I ran 30 whole minutes! With no pain. It was so awesome.

Today, another hour on the trainer, at least 30 minutes zone 3.

So here is my check in, with you all keeping me honest. The goals of prep phase are getting back into shape and cutting this weight I accumulated back during my IM taper. So here it is...

Current weight: 127
Weight to goal: 12 pounds
Weeks to goal: 11 weeks

Current run fitness: Low zone 3 at about 9 minute miles. Yikes!!!!!!

Ok, I will report back with goals once per week. Anyone who wants to join me, send me an email or post a comment

:-)

Monday, October 15, 2007

It's go time

Ok, I'm finally ready.

Last year I would have been shocked to imagine myself taking 3 months almost completely off from training. I thought the post-season rest was un-needed. And then I did an Ironman and it all made sense. I loved training. I missed a total of 1 workout in my 10 month training program. But as much as I loved it, I hit a real low point. I think it happens to everyone. 5 weeks before the race. You have 2 last really hard weeks and you start to unravel emotionally and physically. You have had 9 months of 4:45am wakeup calls. And now you have 2 workouts every day. And they are not short. And they are not easy. You wake up at 4:45 to go swim for 90 minutes straight. In a pool. In your wetsuit. Then you go to work and try your best to rehydrate. Things get crazy and you don't get home until 7pm. You're hungry. You're tired. You just want to crawl into a ball in your closet and cry yourself to sleep. But you don't. You have a 120 minute hard trainer ride that needs to get done. And you know that you can't eat first. You climb on the bike, spin your heart out, and then collapse on your bed. You lift your tired arm just high enough to set the alarm for 4:45. You have a 90 minute run to do in the morning.

And finally, today, I look back on those days and smile. I want that back. I want the passion and dedication. I want the sweat and the tears. I want to be a triathlete again. So it's time to lay it down with a plan and some goals.


October-December. The preparation phase

I made a big mistake last year. I didn't prepare myself for the build. I was a tad bit injured, a tad bit over my optimal training physique. So this year, for 2.5 months I will prepare myself for my base. I will lose weight. 115 pounds by my 29th birthday. Which just so happens to be December 31. I will baby my knee and work up to 10 mile runs with unwavering consistency. My ass will be in and out of my Terry saddle doing some short but intense trainer rides. I will swim when I can (with my schedule that's the most realistic I can get). If I need to get up at 4:45am, I will. I will start to cook again. As much as I'd like to think it's possible, the body can't train optimally on peanut butter sandwiches alone.

Jan-March. Base building

Workouts start getting longer. The goal of this three months is endurance. A little more each week. Training volume ramps up. Some intensity is thrown in. I start to add some speedwork into my runs once per week. I swim more consistently. I beg my CTC girls and my Shaker cycling buddies to join me for indoor trainer marathon sessions. I head out to the towpath on crisp weekend mornings and hit the trails for long runs, listening to snow crunch under my feet.

March-May. Icing

It's time to put it together. Long sessions with extended intervals. Hard workouts. Bricks. Long runs. If all goes well with my schedule, icing will begin with a return to spend 10 days with some of my favorite people back at Smartasscamp. Nothing kick starts your icing phase like a 40 hour training week.

June-November. I race

With no Ironman on the schedule, next year will be for racing. I will have to be a little choosy since there will be some busy months with school. But I want to do a half marathon, a sprint, an oly, and at least 2 halfs. And if all goes well (real well), one of those halfs will be in Clearwater, FL in November. A girl has to dream, right? My goal is to take at least 20 minutes off my half ironman time and qualify for the 70.3 Championships (which used to be easier since the slots rolled down deep, but it is getting harder).

Tentative races:

May- Cleveland Half Marathon
June- Local sprint and a road race
July- Oly somewhere
August- Steelhead 70.3
September- Italy and another Oly
October- Towpath half marathon
November- Clearwater 70.3 Championships

There. I said it. The hard part is done. Now the fun starts.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Wow!




I think I just managed to get my motivation back. What an absolutely amazing athlete. I cried like a baby watching her celebrate the last 2 miles at Kona with the biggest smile I've ever seen. I think we are going to see a lot more of Chrissie Wellington.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Does anyone else really like...

Black and white photos? (you might need to click on them to really see the detail)




Day off thoughts

-I love my days off. Slept in, ate peanut butter toast and coffee, went for a 40 mile bike ride which was wonderful, did some shopping at Performance Bike, watched football, acted like a lazy POS all afternoon. What a perfect day!

-Learning a ton at work lately. One of my patients is a severely delusional homeless paranoid schizophrenic without a legal guardian who has a life threatening MRSA infection but refuses many treatments that we think may be necessary for his recovery. Very tricky situation...

-I am out of shape and feeling chubbier by the minute. Please give me some inspiration to turn this situation around. Just not really motivated lately

-My running parter is back! My absolute saint of a dad came into town, painted my windows and dropped off Maddie. She's laying right next to me right now. The house was so lonely without her.

-Go Indians!

-Went to see Into The Wild last night. Phenomenal movie. Visually stunning and wonderful screenplay. Makes me want to go to the mountains

Speaking of mountains, I said I would post pics of my Colorado trip but then I never did it. So here ya go!

Me, Colleen, and Justine were roommates together for 2 years (I lived with Justine for 3)



Yes, our condo had a hot tub!


Silly wedding photos. I was asking people to make stupid phases and/or do stupid things...

I was the worst. Whenever Justine would ask me to make a face for the camera I would bust out laughing...


These two were good. This is: "Pretend there is pepper in your wine"


Shanna is a saint for doing "Pick your nose and hope no one is looking"


Overly happy face


Show me: "I just got married!"


Another overly happy face moment



And some pics from Estes Park:








Time to study!