Nothing out of the ordinary to see here.
Mon: 3km at swim squad. Felt a bit flat in the water tonight, c'est la vie.
Tue: up early for a run which is difficult after a late night due to swim squad. Still, I managed a 30min run; the first time I have run 30mins in almost 11 months! Crazy to think that its been so long. The foot had no complaints; the lungs & HR were a different story.(##k)
Wed: strength + core session before work
Thu: a brick after work consisting of 10min run / 30min bike (incl 6 x 2min). A good session; the pace of the run was (of course) slow but running is starting to feel more comfortable again
Fri: rest
Sat: 1:56 ride (45.75km) in the morning. I almost talked myself out of it but I'm glad I didn't. Although the first 30mins were a struggle, I felt reasonably strong for most of the ride. Paying attention to my cadence & technique seem to be paying off. Average cadence was 91 & aver. speed was 23.5k/h which I think is the highest average speed I have recorded yet (yes, I also ride slow).
Sun: rest. Was supposed to run but a slightly funky hamstring, the need to work on my assignment for my Certificate III & a lack of sleep due to the combination of watching the TdF & playing driver for Team Mango / Kel at the M7 Marathon put an end to that.
MTD:
Swim: 7.5k
Bike: 142.5k
Run: 14.8k
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Another week, another candle burning at both ends...
A recovery week. From what I'm not sure. My lifestyle (lack of sleep due to work / TdF / studying / wedding planning etc) rather than any actual training load I suspect..
Mon: 1.2k swim at lunch.
Tues: easy 10min walk & 20mins run before work. Did 7.5mins on the grass before finishing on the road. 2.97k
Wed: strength + core before work.
Thu: 1.1k swim before work. Felt really good in the water; strong & my 'catch' seems to be coming along.
Fri: rest (& a decision made about the wedding invitations)
Sat: 90min ride along the Northern Ride, the first time with a cadence sensor (thanks R!). Just focused on spinning the legs. 34.94km - 22.9k/h - aver. 88C. Then it was off for bridesmaid dress shopping....
Sun: work (again) but otherwise rest. I've worked 6 days per week for the last 4 weeks; glad its over. For now.
MTD:
Bike: 84.04k
Run: 8.98k
Swim: 4.5k
Mon: 1.2k swim at lunch.
Tues: easy 10min walk & 20mins run before work. Did 7.5mins on the grass before finishing on the road. 2.97k
Wed: strength + core before work.
Thu: 1.1k swim before work. Felt really good in the water; strong & my 'catch' seems to be coming along.
Fri: rest (& a decision made about the wedding invitations)
Sat: 90min ride along the Northern Ride, the first time with a cadence sensor (thanks R!). Just focused on spinning the legs. 34.94km - 22.9k/h - aver. 88C. Then it was off for bridesmaid dress shopping....
Sun: work (again) but otherwise rest. I've worked 6 days per week for the last 4 weeks; glad its over. For now.
MTD:
Bike: 84.04k
Run: 8.98k
Swim: 4.5k
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Blah...
A bit blah-ish at the moment; I have spread myself too thin in recent weeks (months) & have now decided to take a few goals off the table for the coming season - what's new. I'm so sick of having to do that...
Mon: James' swim squad again & another strength & endurance session. About 2.2k in total
Tue: rest. Was supposed to run but felt like I was fighting off a cold so I took the sensible course of action
Wed: another strength + core session before work. Focused on legs together given the pounding my shoulders took on Monday night.
Thur: more rest. I was supposed to do another reverse brick today but had to change that plan in lieu of some different 'cross-training'; testing samples of wedding cake :-)
Fri: 30mins ride on the trainer after work (including 10mins at AT).
Sat: 20mins run after work. It's a good thing that my heart rate monitor has died. Otherwise I would have had to crawl rather than simply plod (3.3k)
Sun: even more rest. Was supposed to ride but I rolled over & went back to sleep after the alarm went off.
MTD:
Bike: 49.1k
Run: 6.01k
Swim: 2.2k
Mon: James' swim squad again & another strength & endurance session. About 2.2k in total
Tue: rest. Was supposed to run but felt like I was fighting off a cold so I took the sensible course of action
Wed: another strength + core session before work. Focused on legs together given the pounding my shoulders took on Monday night.
Thur: more rest. I was supposed to do another reverse brick today but had to change that plan in lieu of some different 'cross-training'; testing samples of wedding cake :-)
Fri: 30mins ride on the trainer after work (including 10mins at AT).
Sat: 20mins run after work. It's a good thing that my heart rate monitor has died. Otherwise I would have had to crawl rather than simply plod (3.3k)
Sun: even more rest. Was supposed to ride but I rolled over & went back to sleep after the alarm went off.
MTD:
Bike: 49.1k
Run: 6.01k
Swim: 2.2k
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Allez, allez, allez!
This is my favourite time of year - Tour time :-)
Another good week of training. Very tired but the end of the weekend but that's life I guess.
Mon: James' swim squad again. Remind me never to eat dinner for one of his sessions. A strength & endurance session was on the cards; it included (for me) 16 x 50m sprints, 16 x 50m breathing every 5th stroke & over 1k using hand paddles. I left with tired shoulders & arms, a nasty chaff on my neck from my cozzie & about 3.1k in the bank. Far. Out.
Tue: got up early for my run which was hard after a late & tiring night; 25mins run - my longest in 9 months (!) - including about 20min on the grass oval & then 5mins run on the road home. This was the first time I've ventured onto hard surfaces in my come back; so far, so good. It is, however, a good reminder in specificity. My HR monitor has died so I was working on perceived effort; it was very hard to keep my HR down so the pace was not much more than a crawl (3.5k). Still it was a nice way to round out the month. It will be nice next month (fingers crossed) to be able to record the distances I run in kilometres, not minutes!
Total for July
Swim: 11.65km
Run: 154.5 mins
Bike: 8hrs 33min (132kms +)
Time spent with florists: too many !
Wed: a slightly shorter strength session this morning (45mins) to spend a bit more time on core & stretching.
Thur: 1.4k swim (in a ladder) at lunch - so nice not only to have a lane to myself but the whole pool :-)
Fri: rest
Sat: after the high winds in Sydney on Friday, I had visions of needing to do this session on the trainer (boring). But I was blessed to wake on Saturday morning to a clear, still morning :-) I headed out on my lonesome for my 2hr ride, again on the Greendale loop via Wallacia (ie same direction as last week). While my speed doesn't seem to be picking up (grrrrr), I am feeling (somewhat) stronger on the hills. Oh, and I managed what I like to refer to as a 'lying dismount', but otherwise it was a good ride. 49.1km - 2:06 - 23.3k/h
Sun: worked until 2pm, came home & slept for an hour then dragged myself out for my session; 10mins w/u walk then a 20min run (12min on grass then 8min on road) (2.98km) followed by a 30min walk - 60mins in total.
4 months today until the wedding. We now have a florist so its time to organise the cake; it's tough work but.... ;-)
MTD:
Bike: 49.1k
Run: 2.98km
Another good week of training. Very tired but the end of the weekend but that's life I guess.
Mon: James' swim squad again. Remind me never to eat dinner for one of his sessions. A strength & endurance session was on the cards; it included (for me) 16 x 50m sprints, 16 x 50m breathing every 5th stroke & over 1k using hand paddles. I left with tired shoulders & arms, a nasty chaff on my neck from my cozzie & about 3.1k in the bank. Far. Out.
Tue: got up early for my run which was hard after a late & tiring night; 25mins run - my longest in 9 months (!) - including about 20min on the grass oval & then 5mins run on the road home. This was the first time I've ventured onto hard surfaces in my come back; so far, so good. It is, however, a good reminder in specificity. My HR monitor has died so I was working on perceived effort; it was very hard to keep my HR down so the pace was not much more than a crawl (3.5k). Still it was a nice way to round out the month. It will be nice next month (fingers crossed) to be able to record the distances I run in kilometres, not minutes!
Total for July
Swim: 11.65km
Run: 154.5 mins
Bike: 8hrs 33min (132kms +)
Time spent with florists: too many !
Wed: a slightly shorter strength session this morning (45mins) to spend a bit more time on core & stretching.
Thur: 1.4k swim (in a ladder) at lunch - so nice not only to have a lane to myself but the whole pool :-)
Fri: rest
Sat: after the high winds in Sydney on Friday, I had visions of needing to do this session on the trainer (boring). But I was blessed to wake on Saturday morning to a clear, still morning :-) I headed out on my lonesome for my 2hr ride, again on the Greendale loop via Wallacia (ie same direction as last week). While my speed doesn't seem to be picking up (grrrrr), I am feeling (somewhat) stronger on the hills. Oh, and I managed what I like to refer to as a 'lying dismount', but otherwise it was a good ride. 49.1km - 2:06 - 23.3k/h
Sun: worked until 2pm, came home & slept for an hour then dragged myself out for my session; 10mins w/u walk then a 20min run (12min on grass then 8min on road) (2.98km) followed by a 30min walk - 60mins in total.
4 months today until the wedding. We now have a florist so its time to organise the cake; it's tough work but.... ;-)
MTD:
Bike: 49.1k
Run: 2.98km
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Position vacant: 28 hour days required
A weird week. I'm working 6 days p/week for the next 4 weeks which is going to make life interesting; TA & I have worked together to try & get a program for July that will balance everything...(fingers crossed!)
Mon: headed to the gym at lunch for a short core + stretch session. It may have been short but I still managed to completely & utterly fry my lower abs :-) Then after work, I headed to my first swim squad since I learnt to swim as a kid; this one was conducted by James (B+ on CR) who is also club coach for Panthers. I thought it would have been very ironic had I drowned as an adult in the pool that I learnt to swim in as a kid - but fortunately I didn't :-) Lots of (much needed) drills were on the menu. I have to admit that I wasn't really in the mood to go after feeling rather tired throughout the day but I'm glad I did. I have no idea about the distance; I lost count but I'll guess & say 2km
Tue: was supposed to be a 20mins run but for a variety of reasons, I had to cut it short to 10mins with 5min walk either side.
Wed: (unplanned) rest day
Thu: another reverse brick; 10mins followed by 20mins bike (including 3 x 3min efforts). Good fun!
Fri: dragged myself to the gym after work for a short, sharp & hard strength + core session.
Sat: I worked til 2pm then headed to Ripples for another 'reverse aquathon'; my first 20mins run in 9 months (yippee!!) followed by a 1.45k swim. A good session although doing my strength session on Friday night wasn't such a good idea; I paid for every one of my 40 pushups on my toes (and 40 x lat pulldowns & 40 x deadlifts & 40 x bent over rows &....). It was a very slow swim but I tried to focus on putting everything I had learnt on Monday into effect
Sun: another 2hr 'hell ride' (aka Greendale Rd loop through Wallacia), this time in the reverse direction. This direction seems to have a lot more long, grinding hills & then the drag back up the Northern Rd at the end is testing. Still it was good; I felt stronger on the hills than I have previously - not to mention the fact that the chocolate indulgence cake I had this afternoon was worth every hard hill :-) 2:08 / 48.44km / 22.7k/hr
MTD:
Swim: 8.55km
Run: 129.5mins
Bike: 8hrs 33min (132kms +)
Time spent with florists: 3.5hrs !
Mon: headed to the gym at lunch for a short core + stretch session. It may have been short but I still managed to completely & utterly fry my lower abs :-) Then after work, I headed to my first swim squad since I learnt to swim as a kid; this one was conducted by James (B+ on CR) who is also club coach for Panthers. I thought it would have been very ironic had I drowned as an adult in the pool that I learnt to swim in as a kid - but fortunately I didn't :-) Lots of (much needed) drills were on the menu. I have to admit that I wasn't really in the mood to go after feeling rather tired throughout the day but I'm glad I did. I have no idea about the distance; I lost count but I'll guess & say 2km
Tue: was supposed to be a 20mins run but for a variety of reasons, I had to cut it short to 10mins with 5min walk either side.
Wed: (unplanned) rest day
Thu: another reverse brick; 10mins followed by 20mins bike (including 3 x 3min efforts). Good fun!
Fri: dragged myself to the gym after work for a short, sharp & hard strength + core session.
Sat: I worked til 2pm then headed to Ripples for another 'reverse aquathon'; my first 20mins run in 9 months (yippee!!) followed by a 1.45k swim. A good session although doing my strength session on Friday night wasn't such a good idea; I paid for every one of my 40 pushups on my toes (and 40 x lat pulldowns & 40 x deadlifts & 40 x bent over rows &....). It was a very slow swim but I tried to focus on putting everything I had learnt on Monday into effect
Sun: another 2hr 'hell ride' (aka Greendale Rd loop through Wallacia), this time in the reverse direction. This direction seems to have a lot more long, grinding hills & then the drag back up the Northern Rd at the end is testing. Still it was good; I felt stronger on the hills than I have previously - not to mention the fact that the chocolate indulgence cake I had this afternoon was worth every hard hill :-) 2:08 / 48.44km / 22.7k/hr
MTD:
Swim: 8.55km
Run: 129.5mins
Bike: 8hrs 33min (132kms +)
Time spent with florists: 3.5hrs !
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Climb every mountain...
The title is only partially a reference to my passion. It's also a reference to the Sound of Music soundtrack which I have been listening to my family sing (loudly) in the car this morning. Yikes....
Anyhoo, t'was a recovery week :-)
Mon: rest. Was due to go to swim squad but woke with a badly pinched nerve/muscle in my neck. Very little movement in my neck all day & a tad painful :-(
Tue: back to the treadmill at lunch for another 15min run just to prove the first one on Saturday wasn't a fluke. Not only was it not a fluke, I managed to go a tad faster :-)
Wed: another solid strength + core session before work.
Thur: back to the gym for 15mins bike (spin) + 10mins run. T'was supposed to be another 'reverse' brick but the treadmills in the gym were occupied when I arrived which meant that I had to switch this session around. Yesterday's strength session left me with serious DOMS in my butt & adductors so I was very glad that it was an easy session.
Fri: due to my plans for the weekend, I had decided to swap my sessions around so headed to the gym at work at lunch for a swim. Unfortunately it was closed for maintenance. Grrr.
Sat: 90min ride along the Northern Road from Penrith in the direction of Camden (34.88km - av. 23.2k/h). My mechanic decided to stay home so thankfully I didn't have another flat ;-) A really enjoyable ride on a rather warm morning.
Sun: rest & recovery from my uncle's 50th birthday party in the Hunter Valley last night :-)
In other news, I have signed up to do my Certificate III & IV in Fitness :-) It has been something I have wanted to do for many years & its taken a few months of planning to come to fruition. I have a lot going on in life at the moment (2 x jobs + training + planning the wedding) so I am not going to put pressure on myself to finish it quickly; I anticipate that I won't finish it until about March next year but its a start :-)
MTD:
Swim: 5.1km
Run: 89.5mins :-)
Ride: 6hr 25mins
Anyhoo, t'was a recovery week :-)
Mon: rest. Was due to go to swim squad but woke with a badly pinched nerve/muscle in my neck. Very little movement in my neck all day & a tad painful :-(
Tue: back to the treadmill at lunch for another 15min run just to prove the first one on Saturday wasn't a fluke. Not only was it not a fluke, I managed to go a tad faster :-)
Wed: another solid strength + core session before work.
Thur: back to the gym for 15mins bike (spin) + 10mins run. T'was supposed to be another 'reverse' brick but the treadmills in the gym were occupied when I arrived which meant that I had to switch this session around. Yesterday's strength session left me with serious DOMS in my butt & adductors so I was very glad that it was an easy session.
Fri: due to my plans for the weekend, I had decided to swap my sessions around so headed to the gym at work at lunch for a swim. Unfortunately it was closed for maintenance. Grrr.
Sat: 90min ride along the Northern Road from Penrith in the direction of Camden (34.88km - av. 23.2k/h). My mechanic decided to stay home so thankfully I didn't have another flat ;-) A really enjoyable ride on a rather warm morning.
Sun: rest & recovery from my uncle's 50th birthday party in the Hunter Valley last night :-)
In other news, I have signed up to do my Certificate III & IV in Fitness :-) It has been something I have wanted to do for many years & its taken a few months of planning to come to fruition. I have a lot going on in life at the moment (2 x jobs + training + planning the wedding) so I am not going to put pressure on myself to finish it quickly; I anticipate that I won't finish it until about March next year but its a start :-)
MTD:
Swim: 5.1km
Run: 89.5mins :-)
Ride: 6hr 25mins
Sunday, June 14, 2009
On a roll...
Another good & busy week. The wedding preparations are now well underway but there is still much to do & only 4.5 months to go!
Mon: you gotta love a public holiday! Does spending 3 hours trying to find a photographer for the wedding count as cross-training? Nah, I didn't think so. Luckily I dragged myself out for a 1.5k swim which actually felt much better than Saturdays effort (thankfully).
Tue: 3 x 5min run intervals (2min walk recovery) on the treadmill at work at lunch (10min walk w/u). All good :-)
Wed: another good strength + core session before work.
Thur: another Thursday, another reverse brick. 7.5min run (yippee!) followed by 20min bike (including 3 x 2min pickups). All good :-)
Fri: rest :-)
Sat: after finishing reading the paper (an essential part of my Saturday ritual), I headed off to the gym for my session - a 15min run (!!!!) followed by 1.4k swim which included 4 x 300m. The first rep sucked terribly; my lats were fatigued & I felt like I was just spinning my wheels in the water & going nowhere. But I gave myself a bit of an uppercut, sucked it up & eventually finished happy with the session.
Later in the afternoon, I took myself off to Fernwood at Penrith to listen to a talk by Emazon of Biggest Loser fame. An women with an amazing background & a particularly interesting take on training (both physically & mentally) -
Sun: headed out for a 2hr ride on the Greendale Rd loop & managed to get a flat tyre after 7mins. Thankfully I had my mechanic in tow ;-) I felt really flat for the first 50mins or so; no doubt dehydrated after drinking bugger all water during the last couple of days. R gave me the (easy) option of just doing an out & back along the Northern Rd but after a GU & some positive thoughts, my bike mysteriously turned off the Northern Rd & onto Greendale all by itself ;-) I find it a very hard loop with some short, sharp hills on an absolutely dead surface which reminds me that lactic acid is my friend.
It didn't kill me so I guess I'm a bit stronger for the experience. Finished in 2:14 (49.68km)
Looking forward to a slightly easier week & then heading up to the Hunter Valley next weekend :-)
MTD:
Swim: 5.1km
Run: 64.5mins :-)
Ride: 4hr 40mins
Mon: you gotta love a public holiday! Does spending 3 hours trying to find a photographer for the wedding count as cross-training? Nah, I didn't think so. Luckily I dragged myself out for a 1.5k swim which actually felt much better than Saturdays effort (thankfully).
Tue: 3 x 5min run intervals (2min walk recovery) on the treadmill at work at lunch (10min walk w/u). All good :-)
Wed: another good strength + core session before work.
Thur: another Thursday, another reverse brick. 7.5min run (yippee!) followed by 20min bike (including 3 x 2min pickups). All good :-)
Fri: rest :-)
Sat: after finishing reading the paper (an essential part of my Saturday ritual), I headed off to the gym for my session - a 15min run (!!!!) followed by 1.4k swim which included 4 x 300m. The first rep sucked terribly; my lats were fatigued & I felt like I was just spinning my wheels in the water & going nowhere. But I gave myself a bit of an uppercut, sucked it up & eventually finished happy with the session.
Later in the afternoon, I took myself off to Fernwood at Penrith to listen to a talk by Emazon of Biggest Loser fame. An women with an amazing background & a particularly interesting take on training (both physically & mentally) -
Sun: headed out for a 2hr ride on the Greendale Rd loop & managed to get a flat tyre after 7mins. Thankfully I had my mechanic in tow ;-) I felt really flat for the first 50mins or so; no doubt dehydrated after drinking bugger all water during the last couple of days. R gave me the (easy) option of just doing an out & back along the Northern Rd but after a GU & some positive thoughts, my bike mysteriously turned off the Northern Rd & onto Greendale all by itself ;-) I find it a very hard loop with some short, sharp hills on an absolutely dead surface which reminds me that lactic acid is my friend.
It didn't kill me so I guess I'm a bit stronger for the experience. Finished in 2:14 (49.68km)
Looking forward to a slightly easier week & then heading up to the Hunter Valley next weekend :-)
MTD:
Swim: 5.1km
Run: 64.5mins :-)
Ride: 4hr 40mins
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Reversing
A good week of training :-D
Mon: easy 1km swim (as 2 x 500m) to ease myself back into it after last weekend's disruptions to my training.
Tue: headed to the gym at lunch; 10min bike w/u then 4 x 3min run intervals (60sec walk recovery) on the treadmill. It's a bit sad to think that 3mins is the longest I've run in 8 months now. Still, it's (much) better than nothing at all :-)
Wed: strength + core session before work.
Thur: a great session at lunch; I really enjoyed this 'reverse brick' - 10min walk on treadmill to w/u, then 1 x 5mins run followed by a solid 20min bike with a few one legged drills thrown in for good measure. Nice :-)
Fri: rest :-)
Sat: after work, I headed to Ripples for another 'reverse' session; this time an aquathon! First up was a 10min walk on the treadmill to warm up, then 2 x 5min runs on the treadmill. After a change & quick shower it was into the pool for a 1.2k swim. The swim was a real slog, but gosh I'm really enjoying running again :-)
Sun: it was raining when I woke this morning so rather than go riding in the rain I did a solid 2hr ride on the trainer in the garage while listening to podcasts. The time passed surprisingly quickly.
That's the first time I have run 3 times in a week since I had my fall & stuffed my ankle in September last year. Oh and its less than 5 months to go to the wedding now. Happy, happy days :-)
MTD:
Swim - 2.2km
Run - 27mins :-)
Ride - 2hr 20mins
Mon: easy 1km swim (as 2 x 500m) to ease myself back into it after last weekend's disruptions to my training.
Tue: headed to the gym at lunch; 10min bike w/u then 4 x 3min run intervals (60sec walk recovery) on the treadmill. It's a bit sad to think that 3mins is the longest I've run in 8 months now. Still, it's (much) better than nothing at all :-)
Wed: strength + core session before work.
Thur: a great session at lunch; I really enjoyed this 'reverse brick' - 10min walk on treadmill to w/u, then 1 x 5mins run followed by a solid 20min bike with a few one legged drills thrown in for good measure. Nice :-)
Fri: rest :-)
Sat: after work, I headed to Ripples for another 'reverse' session; this time an aquathon! First up was a 10min walk on the treadmill to warm up, then 2 x 5min runs on the treadmill. After a change & quick shower it was into the pool for a 1.2k swim. The swim was a real slog, but gosh I'm really enjoying running again :-)
Sun: it was raining when I woke this morning so rather than go riding in the rain I did a solid 2hr ride on the trainer in the garage while listening to podcasts. The time passed surprisingly quickly.
That's the first time I have run 3 times in a week since I had my fall & stuffed my ankle in September last year. Oh and its less than 5 months to go to the wedding now. Happy, happy days :-)
MTD:
Swim - 2.2km
Run - 27mins :-)
Ride - 2hr 20mins
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Grooveless
A strange week. My training started off strongly but the lack of sleep in recent weeks has been catching up with me in recent days; I've had one day off work in the last 14 days :-(
Mon: 1.2km swim, as 3 x 400m. The first time since I got back in the pool I felt strong in the water & moving well :-)
Tue: the comeback continues: 10mins walk then 5 x 60sec run (with 90sec walk recovery) in a park by the water at Rhodes. A beautiful clear, warm autumn day. Nice!
Wed: strength + core session in the gym before work.
Thu: lunch today saw a 10mins walk then 5 x 2min run (with 2min walk recovery) on the beautiful Foreshore walk at Concord. So nice to be running again - yippee!
Saturday I was due to do a long ride but rolled over and went back to sleep when the alarm went off at 8am. I've had a 1hr afternoon sleep both days this weekend which is completely unheard of for me; I guess I needed it & that I am finally / slowly learning to listen to my body.
Tomorrow sees the start of a new month & the official start of my 'back to tri's' training program. It's going to be interesting to see how the training fits in my (already hectic) week. Hopefully I can also find my groove along the way.
Mon: 1.2km swim, as 3 x 400m. The first time since I got back in the pool I felt strong in the water & moving well :-)
Tue: the comeback continues: 10mins walk then 5 x 60sec run (with 90sec walk recovery) in a park by the water at Rhodes. A beautiful clear, warm autumn day. Nice!
Wed: strength + core session in the gym before work.
Thu: lunch today saw a 10mins walk then 5 x 2min run (with 2min walk recovery) on the beautiful Foreshore walk at Concord. So nice to be running again - yippee!
Saturday I was due to do a long ride but rolled over and went back to sleep when the alarm went off at 8am. I've had a 1hr afternoon sleep both days this weekend which is completely unheard of for me; I guess I needed it & that I am finally / slowly learning to listen to my body.
Tomorrow sees the start of a new month & the official start of my 'back to tri's' training program. It's going to be interesting to see how the training fits in my (already hectic) week. Hopefully I can also find my groove along the way.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Houston, we have lift-off (again)...
The program said that this would be an 'easier week'. But for the first time in about a month, I managed to do all of my sessions - meaning I've done more exercise this week than in any other recently. So much for that easy week ;-)
Mon: another 1k swim at lunch, this time as 2 x 500m. I feel much more comfortable in the water now though my technique is, I'm sure, pretty ordinary. Time to sort that out.
Tue:
(AM) easy 40min bike session including 3 x 30sec single leg drills which was a rather eye opening experience. There is a serious dead spot at the top of the stroke of my right leg which (also) needs sorting out.
PM: running drills
Wed: strength session before work. Unfortunately I ran out of time to do my core work :-( A good session despite far too much (sensational) gourmet pizza & too little sleep last night.
Thu: rest + running drills + WildEndurance awards night! It was a great night; catching up with team 'Happy Feet' and a few of my favourite CRs and Wild Women. Team 'Happy Feet' was awarded its bag of goodies for our 2nd placing in the 50k relay which we later divied up on the floor of the pub. Yes, we are a classy lot ;-) I was lucky enough to walk away with, amongst other things, a small torch, a $100 gift voucher for LineBreak gear and a $50 voucher for Mountain Equipment gear which is my fav brand for mountaineering stuff. Happy days :-)
Fri: rest
Sat: (AM): Provided I keep my ankle strapped, I am allowed to start running again :-) I was supposed to start on grass (before progressing to the tready and then to the road in future weeks). But all the rain in Sydney this week meant that my walk/run was more likely to turn into a swim. So I headed to the gym & did the session on the tready instead: 5min w/u on the bike, 10min walk then 5 x 30sec run (with a 1min walk recovery). Followed it up by my usual (superset) strength + core session before coming home to ice my foot as per the physio's instructions. There has been no complaints from my ankle so it looks like comeback no. 450,001 has begun ;-)
Sun: While R took himself off to run at SMC, laziness saw me do my 75min long ride on the trainer in the garage. Time passed very quickly as I listed to a podcast interview with Mark Allen on the iPod.
I hinted last week at a change in focus. I had previously mentioned here that I was intending to do Six Foot next year. But I am just so sick of breaking down & not competing in events that I have set my sights on. So I have decided to take my time, work towards my goal of perfect structural condition & build up to it slowly; a revolutionary idea for me I know ;-) So, as you may have guessed, the focus for the next 18 months or so will be on tris. Rather nervous about it; after my long ride last week, I got off the bike & thought 'my god, how on earth am I ever going to run 10km after that ride!'. But I know I can & will :-) Bring it on - do your best TA :-)
MTD:
Swim: 3k
Bike: 97.09k (excl indoor)
Mon: another 1k swim at lunch, this time as 2 x 500m. I feel much more comfortable in the water now though my technique is, I'm sure, pretty ordinary. Time to sort that out.
Tue:
(AM) easy 40min bike session including 3 x 30sec single leg drills which was a rather eye opening experience. There is a serious dead spot at the top of the stroke of my right leg which (also) needs sorting out.
PM: running drills
Wed: strength session before work. Unfortunately I ran out of time to do my core work :-( A good session despite far too much (sensational) gourmet pizza & too little sleep last night.
Thu: rest + running drills + WildEndurance awards night! It was a great night; catching up with team 'Happy Feet' and a few of my favourite CRs and Wild Women. Team 'Happy Feet' was awarded its bag of goodies for our 2nd placing in the 50k relay which we later divied up on the floor of the pub. Yes, we are a classy lot ;-) I was lucky enough to walk away with, amongst other things, a small torch, a $100 gift voucher for LineBreak gear and a $50 voucher for Mountain Equipment gear which is my fav brand for mountaineering stuff. Happy days :-)
Fri: rest
Sat: (AM): Provided I keep my ankle strapped, I am allowed to start running again :-) I was supposed to start on grass (before progressing to the tready and then to the road in future weeks). But all the rain in Sydney this week meant that my walk/run was more likely to turn into a swim. So I headed to the gym & did the session on the tready instead: 5min w/u on the bike, 10min walk then 5 x 30sec run (with a 1min walk recovery). Followed it up by my usual (superset) strength + core session before coming home to ice my foot as per the physio's instructions. There has been no complaints from my ankle so it looks like comeback no. 450,001 has begun ;-)
Sun: While R took himself off to run at SMC, laziness saw me do my 75min long ride on the trainer in the garage. Time passed very quickly as I listed to a podcast interview with Mark Allen on the iPod.
I hinted last week at a change in focus. I had previously mentioned here that I was intending to do Six Foot next year. But I am just so sick of breaking down & not competing in events that I have set my sights on. So I have decided to take my time, work towards my goal of perfect structural condition & build up to it slowly; a revolutionary idea for me I know ;-) So, as you may have guessed, the focus for the next 18 months or so will be on tris. Rather nervous about it; after my long ride last week, I got off the bike & thought 'my god, how on earth am I ever going to run 10km after that ride!'. But I know I can & will :-) Bring it on - do your best TA :-)
MTD:
Swim: 3k
Bike: 97.09k (excl indoor)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Lactic acid is my friend :-)
Getting a bit more consistency in my weeks now - yippee! Still missed a couple of sessions but I'm getting there - slowly.
Mon: 1km swim in about 24min (excl breaks). Interestingly, the improvement in the strength in my foot thanks to my running drills + physio-ordered exercises is very noticeable in the pool. Last week I could really feel the pressure of the water on my dodgy ankle when I was kicking. Not so much this week thankfully. The swim itself wasn't quite as ugly as last week's swim but there is still a long road ahead. Still, it's nice to be on it :-)
Tue: rest + running drills down in beautiful Brays Bay reserve by the water at Rhodes. Nice ;-)
Wed: strength + core session in the (free) gym at work :-)
Thu: rest. Was supposed to do my running drills again but was unable to escape from the office. I ran for the train though - surely that must count? ;-)
Fri: (superset) strength + core session
Sat: rest + running drills
Sun: 2:10 long ride. The plan had been to head along the Northern Road towards Camden but the road was closed at Bringelly due to an accident. So R & I decided to head out along Greendale Rd, which heads through Wallacia & then loops back onto the Northern Road. I was rather nervous about the degree of 'undulations' on this road, having heard about it from my (6 x IM) uncle. The undulations were testing but not nearly as testing as the dead road surface. I've never ridden on such a dead surface before. I thought my teeth were going to fall out at one stage from the vibrations.
On one particular sharp climb, I was reminded of a podcast about lactic acid that I listened to yesterday. It was talking about (new) research suggesting lactic acid is actually an alternate energy source & should be viewed by athletes as their friend, not foe. My quads are not yet convinced. Finished strongly with 48.96k (22.8k/h). This loop will be a great one to do regularly to test the improvements in my fitness & (particularly) strength.
Look forward to more consistency - and the awards night for Wild Endurance - in the coming week. BTW if anyone is handy in doing blog headers, would you mind leaving me a message or sending you an email. My blog needs an overall in light of my new focus... :-)
MTD:
Bike: 97.09k
RIP Jean
Mon: 1km swim in about 24min (excl breaks). Interestingly, the improvement in the strength in my foot thanks to my running drills + physio-ordered exercises is very noticeable in the pool. Last week I could really feel the pressure of the water on my dodgy ankle when I was kicking. Not so much this week thankfully. The swim itself wasn't quite as ugly as last week's swim but there is still a long road ahead. Still, it's nice to be on it :-)
Tue: rest + running drills down in beautiful Brays Bay reserve by the water at Rhodes. Nice ;-)
Wed: strength + core session in the (free) gym at work :-)
Thu: rest. Was supposed to do my running drills again but was unable to escape from the office. I ran for the train though - surely that must count? ;-)
Fri: (superset) strength + core session
Sat: rest + running drills
Sun: 2:10 long ride. The plan had been to head along the Northern Road towards Camden but the road was closed at Bringelly due to an accident. So R & I decided to head out along Greendale Rd, which heads through Wallacia & then loops back onto the Northern Road. I was rather nervous about the degree of 'undulations' on this road, having heard about it from my (6 x IM) uncle. The undulations were testing but not nearly as testing as the dead road surface. I've never ridden on such a dead surface before. I thought my teeth were going to fall out at one stage from the vibrations.
On one particular sharp climb, I was reminded of a podcast about lactic acid that I listened to yesterday. It was talking about (new) research suggesting lactic acid is actually an alternate energy source & should be viewed by athletes as their friend, not foe. My quads are not yet convinced. Finished strongly with 48.96k (22.8k/h). This loop will be a great one to do regularly to test the improvements in my fitness & (particularly) strength.
Look forward to more consistency - and the awards night for Wild Endurance - in the coming week. BTW if anyone is handy in doing blog headers, would you mind leaving me a message or sending you an email. My blog needs an overall in light of my new focus... :-)
MTD:
Bike: 97.09k
RIP Jean
Sunday, May 10, 2009
An uppercut delivered...
It's been a strange week. I'm slowly settling into a return to full time employment for the first time in about 8 months. I'm actually balancing 2 jobs at the moment; what can I say, I'm in demand ;-) But needless to say, it's taking some getting used to.
I delivered myself a swift uppercut this week for a couple of reasons including that I have been really hard on myself in the last few weeks in relation to the training that I have missed as I adjust to my 'new reality'. I also for some reason - rather stoopidly - was feeling like I had 'missed the boat' regarding my training for the next tri season. Only to realise of course that the off-season has only just started; the season doesn't actually start until September. Duh!
A few sessions missed this week but I did more than last week so at least I'm going in the right direction ;-)
Mon: swam 1km at lunch. My first swim in about 14 months (!). It was slow - about 25mins excluding a few rest stops - and very, very ugly. Let's just say I've got alot of work to do.
Tue / Thu: running drills
Sat: 2:12 long ride with R in Canberra. It turned into a coffee & lunch ride; after 105mins, we stopped to watch one of the Mango nieces play soccer & then had lunch with the extended Mango clan before riding home (48.13k). After a quick shower, I headed out (driving this time) to catch up with CJ, Strewth & Ewan for coffee & afternoon tea - was great to see you all!
Sun: rest + running drills while R was running the Mothers Day Classic in a gorgeous autumn morning in Canberra.
Looking forward to a bit more consistency in my training this week as the off-season continues :-)
I delivered myself a swift uppercut this week for a couple of reasons including that I have been really hard on myself in the last few weeks in relation to the training that I have missed as I adjust to my 'new reality'. I also for some reason - rather stoopidly - was feeling like I had 'missed the boat' regarding my training for the next tri season. Only to realise of course that the off-season has only just started; the season doesn't actually start until September. Duh!
A few sessions missed this week but I did more than last week so at least I'm going in the right direction ;-)
Mon: swam 1km at lunch. My first swim in about 14 months (!). It was slow - about 25mins excluding a few rest stops - and very, very ugly. Let's just say I've got alot of work to do.
Tue / Thu: running drills
Sat: 2:12 long ride with R in Canberra. It turned into a coffee & lunch ride; after 105mins, we stopped to watch one of the Mango nieces play soccer & then had lunch with the extended Mango clan before riding home (48.13k). After a quick shower, I headed out (driving this time) to catch up with CJ, Strewth & Ewan for coffee & afternoon tea - was great to see you all!
Sun: rest + running drills while R was running the Mothers Day Classic in a gorgeous autumn morning in Canberra.
Looking forward to a bit more consistency in my training this week as the off-season continues :-)
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Bling !
What a strange, incredible, stressful, tiring week which ended on such a high!
I actually have done no training in 9 days now. First it was due to my resting HR being a bit high then a crazy week saw me get little sleep & no training. Oh well. The good news for the week is that my foot is definitely improving & the estimate of my return to running has been brought closer :-)
The lack of sleep continued when I got up at 4am on Saturday morning to crew for my team (Happy Feet) in 50km relay at Wild Endurance 100km. We had started out with the goal of the defending the fastest women's team title which team member Helen of Troy won last year. My withdrawal and Rob (vStar) becoming a last minute replacement put an end to that goal. As we had 3 walkers & 3 runners, the goal was simply a sub-24 hour finish. To say that we were shocked with the result was an understatement. It seems we needed to set our goal a tad higher & go for fastest team, not fastest female team.
Our day squad, the daydreamers, did a sensational time of 9 hours for 48ksm, particularly given two members are not runners. Then our evening girls (and runners), the nightingales took off into the night & eventually crossed the line at 2.27am, stopping the clock at an amazing 17.21! Good enough for 2nd relay team home & 3rd place overall (out of 72 teams). We are all still in shock at the result!
Another sensational result was the Wild Women girls defending their win last year in the 100km womens catagory - congratulations ladies!
We bundled the girls into the car & headed for the warmth of the Katoomba YHA to celebrate our fantastic result with (pink) champagne and chocolate mud cake - both of which taste even better at 3am :-) I eventually made it home just before 6am, one tired but happy girl!
I was presented with this sign by the daydreamers to make my place in the team official-
The daydreamers enjoying a cuppa before the start-
The beautiful sunrise in the Megalong valley which quickly warmed the rather chilly mountain air-
The daydreamers ready to go-
Mary, our resident gymnast. I wonder how many teams can do this....
....or this after 50km!
Trailpudd' (L) and Koala1 (R) with Kat - aka Cheetah Girl who was, no doubt, the newest Australian citizen in the race. Cheetah Girl attended her citizenship ceremony in Sydney on Saturday morning before heading up to the race-
Mary with a bunch of the biggest grapes I had ever seen. It's amazing what becomes amusing with a lack of sleep-
Our nightingales crossing the line-
A happy team "Happy Feet"-
I actually have done no training in 9 days now. First it was due to my resting HR being a bit high then a crazy week saw me get little sleep & no training. Oh well. The good news for the week is that my foot is definitely improving & the estimate of my return to running has been brought closer :-)
The lack of sleep continued when I got up at 4am on Saturday morning to crew for my team (Happy Feet) in 50km relay at Wild Endurance 100km. We had started out with the goal of the defending the fastest women's team title which team member Helen of Troy won last year. My withdrawal and Rob (vStar) becoming a last minute replacement put an end to that goal. As we had 3 walkers & 3 runners, the goal was simply a sub-24 hour finish. To say that we were shocked with the result was an understatement. It seems we needed to set our goal a tad higher & go for fastest team, not fastest female team.
Our day squad, the daydreamers, did a sensational time of 9 hours for 48ksm, particularly given two members are not runners. Then our evening girls (and runners), the nightingales took off into the night & eventually crossed the line at 2.27am, stopping the clock at an amazing 17.21! Good enough for 2nd relay team home & 3rd place overall (out of 72 teams). We are all still in shock at the result!
Another sensational result was the Wild Women girls defending their win last year in the 100km womens catagory - congratulations ladies!
We bundled the girls into the car & headed for the warmth of the Katoomba YHA to celebrate our fantastic result with (pink) champagne and chocolate mud cake - both of which taste even better at 3am :-) I eventually made it home just before 6am, one tired but happy girl!
I was presented with this sign by the daydreamers to make my place in the team official-
The daydreamers enjoying a cuppa before the start-
The beautiful sunrise in the Megalong valley which quickly warmed the rather chilly mountain air-
The daydreamers ready to go-
Mary, our resident gymnast. I wonder how many teams can do this....
....or this after 50km!
Trailpudd' (L) and Koala1 (R) with Kat - aka Cheetah Girl who was, no doubt, the newest Australian citizen in the race. Cheetah Girl attended her citizenship ceremony in Sydney on Saturday morning before heading up to the race-
Mary with a bunch of the biggest grapes I had ever seen. It's amazing what becomes amusing with a lack of sleep-
Our nightingales crossing the line-
A happy team "Happy Feet"-
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Different
Thanks to everyone for your comments - much appreciated :-)
I'm a bit indifferent at the moment in relation to my training. I think its probably obvious that I am a goal-orientated person ;-) so being without a goal is not something that I enjoy. I need to find myself a goal other than one day getting the ok to run again ;-)
My training has also been a bit haphazard this week as a result of a week that was nothing short of an emotional roller coaster for numerous reasons. I haven't trained the last few days as my resting HR has been elevated but until then I did strength + core sessions on Tuesday and Thursday as well as a bike session on Wednesday (45mins @ 60% incl 3 x 4mins @ 80%)
I have a recovery/easy week ahead. Not least because I return to full time employment for the first time in almost 8 months (!) but also because WildEndurance is on next weekend. Although I have had to withdraw from team 'Happy Feet' because of the injury, I will still be heading up there next weekend to crew for the team which should be a good, albeit, tiring weekend. They are hoping to finish the 100k (walking) in sub-24 hours. Fingers crossed!
I'm a bit indifferent at the moment in relation to my training. I think its probably obvious that I am a goal-orientated person ;-) so being without a goal is not something that I enjoy. I need to find myself a goal other than one day getting the ok to run again ;-)
My training has also been a bit haphazard this week as a result of a week that was nothing short of an emotional roller coaster for numerous reasons. I haven't trained the last few days as my resting HR has been elevated but until then I did strength + core sessions on Tuesday and Thursday as well as a bike session on Wednesday (45mins @ 60% incl 3 x 4mins @ 80%)
I have a recovery/easy week ahead. Not least because I return to full time employment for the first time in almost 8 months (!) but also because WildEndurance is on next weekend. Although I have had to withdraw from team 'Happy Feet' because of the injury, I will still be heading up there next weekend to crew for the team which should be a good, albeit, tiring weekend. They are hoping to finish the 100k (walking) in sub-24 hours. Fingers crossed!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Be careful what you wish for...
I've held off posting this for a few days because I have been too upset / frustrated / pissed off to mention it. But, briefly, WildEndurance is off as I have peroneal tendinopathy in my right foot as well as a 'hot spot' on the medial side of my right ankle.
My right foot is the one that I badly sprained last year. My physio believes that the tendinopathy is a result of my fall, the insufficient rehab I had before I went o/s and my peroneal working overtime due to the instability in my ankle. The 'hot spot' doesn't look like a stress fracture (which is, of course, good news); rather a bone bruise caused by the impact of my fall. In all, although I can ride, swim, do strength work & walk (only on a flat, even surfaces), I'm not allowed to run for 10-12 weeks. Far. Out.
To say I am disappointed is an understatement. I was really looking forward to focusing on my running once WE was over & really excited about doing C2S for the first time in 4 years. I feel so frustrated right now. Blah, blah, blah.
The moral of the story I guess is this - be careful what you wish for. At the start of the year, another of my goals for the year was to work on my cycling. Looks like I've got my chance now...
My right foot is the one that I badly sprained last year. My physio believes that the tendinopathy is a result of my fall, the insufficient rehab I had before I went o/s and my peroneal working overtime due to the instability in my ankle. The 'hot spot' doesn't look like a stress fracture (which is, of course, good news); rather a bone bruise caused by the impact of my fall. In all, although I can ride, swim, do strength work & walk (only on a flat, even surfaces), I'm not allowed to run for 10-12 weeks. Far. Out.
To say I am disappointed is an understatement. I was really looking forward to focusing on my running once WE was over & really excited about doing C2S for the first time in 4 years. I feel so frustrated right now. Blah, blah, blah.
The moral of the story I guess is this - be careful what you wish for. At the start of the year, another of my goals for the year was to work on my cycling. Looks like I've got my chance now...
Monday, April 20, 2009
Smokin'
Man, I can't believe another week has flown by. Life as a lady of leisure is seriously tough work ;-)
Tue: rest
Wed: 45min ride @ 60% (incl 2 x 6min @ 80%)
Thu: rest
Fri: 50min ride @ 60% (incl 10mins @ 80%)
Sat: strength + core session. A really tough session. Increased the weights on most of my upper body exercises. You know you've done a good weights session when you struggle to lift your arms up to take your t-shirt off :-)
Sun: 2:28 ride with R along the Northern Road from Penrith to Harrington Park (near Narellan) and return (58.94k / av. 23.9k/h / av. 75% MHR). I really enjoyed this ride but really struggled on the outward journey; I just thought that my legs hadn't recovered from Saturday's strength session. Little did I realise how strong the headwind had been until we did a 16min negative split on the return journey! I really focused again on keeping my cadence high; it's becoming more natural so the hard work is starting to pay off :-)
Mon: rest + wedding dress shopping (!) + bone scan today. I'm convinced that I don't have a stressie but will still have the scan done just to be sure...
When my long ride on Monday is thrown into the mix, it's been a huge week for me on the bike. I have never ridden 4 days a week. I'm sure (I hope) it will pay off (eventually).
MTD:
Hike/walk: 38.6k
Bike: 125.5k (long rides only)
Tue: rest
Wed: 45min ride @ 60% (incl 2 x 6min @ 80%)
Thu: rest
Fri: 50min ride @ 60% (incl 10mins @ 80%)
Sat: strength + core session. A really tough session. Increased the weights on most of my upper body exercises. You know you've done a good weights session when you struggle to lift your arms up to take your t-shirt off :-)
Sun: 2:28 ride with R along the Northern Road from Penrith to Harrington Park (near Narellan) and return (58.94k / av. 23.9k/h / av. 75% MHR). I really enjoyed this ride but really struggled on the outward journey; I just thought that my legs hadn't recovered from Saturday's strength session. Little did I realise how strong the headwind had been until we did a 16min negative split on the return journey! I really focused again on keeping my cadence high; it's becoming more natural so the hard work is starting to pay off :-)
Mon: rest + wedding dress shopping (!) + bone scan today. I'm convinced that I don't have a stressie but will still have the scan done just to be sure...
When my long ride on Monday is thrown into the mix, it's been a huge week for me on the bike. I have never ridden 4 days a week. I'm sure (I hope) it will pay off (eventually).
MTD:
Hike/walk: 38.6k
Bike: 125.5k (long rides only)
Monday, April 13, 2009
The vortex
Well it's been an interesting week. I've been limited to the bike & the gym this week due to my foot - no walking or running for me. I've been a bit blah-ish; nothing drastic. Just the usual injury-induced blahs.
Tue: 45min bike @ 60% MHR
Wed: strength + core session at the gym
Thu: rest
Fri: 30mins bike @ 60% MHR (including 2 x 5mins @ 80%MHR)
Sat/Sun: rest & far too much food
Mon: redeemed myself (and my waistline) today with a 3hr ride on the M7 bike path (66.56k) with R. I really tried to focus on my cadence. My cadence is (always) low; spinning at a higher cadence is really hard work for me. Oh well, I'm a work-in-progress I guess.
MTD:
Hike/walk: 38.6k
Bike: 66.56k (long rides only)
Tue: 45min bike @ 60% MHR
Wed: strength + core session at the gym
Thu: rest
Fri: 30mins bike @ 60% MHR (including 2 x 5mins @ 80%MHR)
Sat/Sun: rest & far too much food
Mon: redeemed myself (and my waistline) today with a 3hr ride on the M7 bike path (66.56k) with R. I really tried to focus on my cadence. My cadence is (always) low; spinning at a higher cadence is really hard work for me. Oh well, I'm a work-in-progress I guess.
MTD:
Hike/walk: 38.6k
Bike: 66.56k (long rides only)
Monday, April 06, 2009
Get that left side going...
I love recovery weeks. Well it actually kicked off last Saturday but I've been enjoying it :-)
Mon: rest
Tue: strength + core session at the gym
Wed: rest
Thu: 47mins walk / run including 5 x 2mins run (90sec). Yippee! My ankle is fine but it was a good reminder about specificity in training. I can walk fast for long distances, climb mountains but running for 2mins is hard work! (5.57k)
Fri: rest
Sat: Recovery week came to an abrupt end today with a recon of stage 3 of WildEndurance; all 33kms of it! Met the girls at the Queen Vic Hospital just before 7.30am for 5:50 of walking, talking, laughing & eating. That worked out at a smokin' pace of 10:36min/km; I don't walk around the block that quickly, never mind on that course-
Pulled up sore & tight afterwards which (for the most part) I actually think is a good thing. I've been focusing alot recently on core strength & glute activation. And I certainly felt more 'stable' through my mid-section throughout the walk so I think parts of my body that haven't worked so well until now (eg my hammys) are actually starting to pull their weight. But, on the other hand, I now have one sore right foot :-(
Sun: (much needed) rest day
Mon: 50mins bike session (including 4 x 5min intervals) + a visit to the physio. He isn't quite sure what is going with my foot but we haven't entirely ruled out a bone scan :-(
So March ended with 85.9km hike/walking + 46.9k riding. Getting ready for WildEndurance will the focus of the coming month which also sees me get back to running (fingers crossed) twice a week - yippee!
MTD:
Hike/walk: 38.6k
Mon: rest
Tue: strength + core session at the gym
Wed: rest
Thu: 47mins walk / run including 5 x 2mins run (90sec). Yippee! My ankle is fine but it was a good reminder about specificity in training. I can walk fast for long distances, climb mountains but running for 2mins is hard work! (5.57k)
Fri: rest
Sat: Recovery week came to an abrupt end today with a recon of stage 3 of WildEndurance; all 33kms of it! Met the girls at the Queen Vic Hospital just before 7.30am for 5:50 of walking, talking, laughing & eating. That worked out at a smokin' pace of 10:36min/km; I don't walk around the block that quickly, never mind on that course-
Pulled up sore & tight afterwards which (for the most part) I actually think is a good thing. I've been focusing alot recently on core strength & glute activation. And I certainly felt more 'stable' through my mid-section throughout the walk so I think parts of my body that haven't worked so well until now (eg my hammys) are actually starting to pull their weight. But, on the other hand, I now have one sore right foot :-(
Sun: (much needed) rest day
Mon: 50mins bike session (including 4 x 5min intervals) + a visit to the physio. He isn't quite sure what is going with my foot but we haven't entirely ruled out a bone scan :-(
So March ended with 85.9km hike/walking + 46.9k riding. Getting ready for WildEndurance will the focus of the coming month which also sees me get back to running (fingers crossed) twice a week - yippee!
MTD:
Hike/walk: 38.6k
Monday, March 30, 2009
I'm excited...
as the late & large Big Kev would have said! As to what, I am not quite in a position to share that. But its a (huge) scary & very exciting change in direction for me :-)
Anyhoo, after the excitement of actually running last Monday (*she chair dances*) the week continued on quietly. March has been a month of alternate rest days to allow my body to recover after the stresses of the last 6 months. So I did a strength + core session on Tuesday, an interval session on the bike on Friday & a 2hr ride (47km) on the M7 yesterday. I also lost another 0.4kg so I'm only 1.2kg now from my goal weight :-)
In other news, thanks to the GFC we have moved the wedding from the Cook Islands :-( to a beautiful property on the Bells Line of Road :-) so the wedding preparations are now in full swing. Right on, I'm on the search for a photographer and a dress and...and...and....
MTD:
Hike/walk: 85.9k
Bike: 46.9k
Anyhoo, after the excitement of actually running last Monday (*she chair dances*) the week continued on quietly. March has been a month of alternate rest days to allow my body to recover after the stresses of the last 6 months. So I did a strength + core session on Tuesday, an interval session on the bike on Friday & a 2hr ride (47km) on the M7 yesterday. I also lost another 0.4kg so I'm only 1.2kg now from my goal weight :-)
In other news, thanks to the GFC we have moved the wedding from the Cook Islands :-( to a beautiful property on the Bells Line of Road :-) so the wedding preparations are now in full swing. Right on, I'm on the search for a photographer and a dress and...and...and....
MTD:
Hike/walk: 85.9k
Bike: 46.9k
Monday, March 23, 2009
Operation: Six Foot 201x begins!
Today I kicked off my Six Foot 201x campaign today by going for a run :-) My first run since 17 September last year just before I stuffed my ankle - not that I'm counting ;-P
I headed out for a 60mins walk including 8 x 30-60sec runs. No complaints from my ankle thankfully - yippee!
And in other exciting news, I have just signed up to do the 50k team relay through the Blue Mountains in the Wild Endurance event. I'll be walking it with a group of girls in team "Happy Feet" rather than running but it will be the longest distance I have covered yet so I am excited and a wee bit nervous! The race is a fundraiser for the Wilderness Society so you can donate to team 'Happy Feet' here.
I headed out for a 60mins walk including 8 x 30-60sec runs. No complaints from my ankle thankfully - yippee!
And in other exciting news, I have just signed up to do the 50k team relay through the Blue Mountains in the Wild Endurance event. I'll be walking it with a group of girls in team "Happy Feet" rather than running but it will be the longest distance I have covered yet so I am excited and a wee bit nervous! The race is a fundraiser for the Wilderness Society so you can donate to team 'Happy Feet' here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)