Sunday, July 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
June 17 - This Long Run Was Fast? The 60/30/10 Rule
AM KEY WORKOUT: 20 Mile Run
Course: Greenbelt White Trail
Time: 3 hours, 36 minutes
Weather: 75F, P. Cloudy, Humid
OK, now for the details of this run. I talked with another ultramarathoner who has done several of these 100 mile races. He has a system that he uses that makes a lot of sense. He basically goes by something called the 60/30/10 rule for 100 mile races. The first 60 miles is supposed to be as easy and as comfortable as possible. In the first 60 miles, I make sure I'm adequately hydrated and sated, make sure that my running is as balanced as possible, never force any sort of pace, and keep moving as much as possible.
At 60 miles, if everything is right, this is where the race begins. A great deal of this section is night time running. I will be exhausted, lacking energy, maybe hallucinating, etc. I need to make sure I keep moving and try to get to the 90 mile mark. It's a psychological advantage to make 90 miles the goal instead of the finish at 100 so that I can limit this section to 30 miles.
At 90, no matter what condition I'm in, whether I'm on my feet or no my knees, I can thank the fact that I only have 10 miles left in my trip and could walk it in if it all comes down to that.
And that is the 60/30/10 rule.
But first, I need to practice the "60" part. That is, how to run very, very easy.
I left my watch at home this morning. Without that influence, I can then allow my body to dictate the pace. I started off on a real easy road mile to the beginning of the white trail. Once on the white trail, I shuffled up the various hills, and glided through the downhill sections. The Parks Department did clear away some of the deadfall from this spring's wind storm, but there were still sections where I had to climb over some serious obstacles. Nevertheless, when I got to the halfway point at Crookes Point at Great Kills Park, I felt great.
Coming back I still felt great. I got back after running 20 miles and saw the clock.
It read 3 hours 36 minutes.
That would mean an 18 hour prediction for the 100 miler. This is way too fast a pace; a goal of 24 hours. To put this pace into perspective, a true 24 hour pace for 100 miles would have me cover 20 miles at 4 hours, 48 minute.
That's over an hour slower than my pace!
Now granted, I haven't factored in aid stops and the more extreme hills that the Vermont 100 course contains, but a 72 minute difference is very significant. It means I can still go slower and still have a lot of time left to walk, eat and drink at aid stations, etc. If I can make this 20 mile run slower by 30 minutes, I'm pretty sure I can really extend my strength through the first 60 miles of the ultra.
The trick is, can I slow it down that much?
I might do this same run tomorrow. If so, I'll really try to slow it down and see how I feel at the end of the 20 miler. It should be an interesting outcome.
Course: Greenbelt White Trail
Time: 3 hours, 36 minutes
Weather: 75F, P. Cloudy, Humid
OK, now for the details of this run. I talked with another ultramarathoner who has done several of these 100 mile races. He has a system that he uses that makes a lot of sense. He basically goes by something called the 60/30/10 rule for 100 mile races. The first 60 miles is supposed to be as easy and as comfortable as possible. In the first 60 miles, I make sure I'm adequately hydrated and sated, make sure that my running is as balanced as possible, never force any sort of pace, and keep moving as much as possible.
At 60 miles, if everything is right, this is where the race begins. A great deal of this section is night time running. I will be exhausted, lacking energy, maybe hallucinating, etc. I need to make sure I keep moving and try to get to the 90 mile mark. It's a psychological advantage to make 90 miles the goal instead of the finish at 100 so that I can limit this section to 30 miles.
At 90, no matter what condition I'm in, whether I'm on my feet or no my knees, I can thank the fact that I only have 10 miles left in my trip and could walk it in if it all comes down to that.
And that is the 60/30/10 rule.
But first, I need to practice the "60" part. That is, how to run very, very easy.
I left my watch at home this morning. Without that influence, I can then allow my body to dictate the pace. I started off on a real easy road mile to the beginning of the white trail. Once on the white trail, I shuffled up the various hills, and glided through the downhill sections. The Parks Department did clear away some of the deadfall from this spring's wind storm, but there were still sections where I had to climb over some serious obstacles. Nevertheless, when I got to the halfway point at Crookes Point at Great Kills Park, I felt great.
Coming back I still felt great. I got back after running 20 miles and saw the clock.
It read 3 hours 36 minutes.
That would mean an 18 hour prediction for the 100 miler. This is way too fast a pace; a goal of 24 hours. To put this pace into perspective, a true 24 hour pace for 100 miles would have me cover 20 miles at 4 hours, 48 minute.
That's over an hour slower than my pace!
Now granted, I haven't factored in aid stops and the more extreme hills that the Vermont 100 course contains, but a 72 minute difference is very significant. It means I can still go slower and still have a lot of time left to walk, eat and drink at aid stations, etc. If I can make this 20 mile run slower by 30 minutes, I'm pretty sure I can really extend my strength through the first 60 miles of the ultra.
The trick is, can I slow it down that much?
I might do this same run tomorrow. If so, I'll really try to slow it down and see how I feel at the end of the 20 miler. It should be an interesting outcome.
June 16 - Light Bike Today, Long Run Tomorrow
PM Workout: 15 Mile Bike
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 47:45
Weather 76F, Light Winds
The last of the light days, the real week starts tomorrow with a long run of about 20 miles. I adjusted my cleats on the bike shoes to maximize the power translation to the pedals.
Tomorrow starts one of the long runs. The goal is to run as easy as possible, getting through 20 miles with as little stiffness and soreness as possible. I will elaborate how it went tomorrow.
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 47:45
Weather 76F, Light Winds
The last of the light days, the real week starts tomorrow with a long run of about 20 miles. I adjusted my cleats on the bike shoes to maximize the power translation to the pedals.
Tomorrow starts one of the long runs. The goal is to run as easy as possible, getting through 20 miles with as little stiffness and soreness as possible. I will elaborate how it went tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
June 15 - Another small run at Great Kills...
and putting off a long run today due to business today. Stay tuned...
AM Workout: 5 Mile Run
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 43:10 (8:38 min/mile pace)
Weather: 73F, Less Humid, Light Winds
Not a bad run. Wanted to do more today, a LOT more, but I'm pretty much "on call" with an athlete today and need to make myself available in the morning. A long run tomorrow would be equally as tough but I'm hoping on fitting one in by Thursday at the latest. I have another long run scheduled for the weekend as well.
So I continue to bide my time with shorter workouts. If the afternoon is free I will do a small bike ride today.
AM Workout: 5 Mile Run
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 43:10 (8:38 min/mile pace)
Weather: 73F, Less Humid, Light Winds
Not a bad run. Wanted to do more today, a LOT more, but I'm pretty much "on call" with an athlete today and need to make myself available in the morning. A long run tomorrow would be equally as tough but I'm hoping on fitting one in by Thursday at the latest. I have another long run scheduled for the weekend as well.
So I continue to bide my time with shorter workouts. If the afternoon is free I will do a small bike ride today.
June 14, Late Night Summer Swimming...
...at the YMCA can be a bit crowded.
PM Workout: 2000 Meters of Swimming
1x500 WU,
4x200 fly, back, breast, free kicks with swims, untimed
2x200 kickboard with fins, untimed
6x50 freestyle drills with paddles, untimed
------
2000 meters total
Nothing hard here, but was a nice time to loosen up the legs a little. I still wish to do a couple of small triathlons after my 100 mile run next month, so I might as well swim a bit to keep some sort of competitive level of swimming.
One thing that summer attracts to the pool is the fair weather crowd. There were a couple of rowdy teens at the pool today throwing a ball around. I told myself that if I got hit with the ball, I would probably have had one of those yoyos in a headlock within 5 seconds. Luckily nothing happened.
PM Workout: 2000 Meters of Swimming
1x500 WU,
4x200 fly, back, breast, free kicks with swims, untimed
2x200 kickboard with fins, untimed
6x50 freestyle drills with paddles, untimed
------
2000 meters total
Nothing hard here, but was a nice time to loosen up the legs a little. I still wish to do a couple of small triathlons after my 100 mile run next month, so I might as well swim a bit to keep some sort of competitive level of swimming.
One thing that summer attracts to the pool is the fair weather crowd. There were a couple of rowdy teens at the pool today throwing a ball around. I told myself that if I got hit with the ball, I would probably have had one of those yoyos in a headlock within 5 seconds. Luckily nothing happened.
Monday, June 14, 2010
June 14 - (8 Mile Run) The Hills are Alive...
...with the sound of quick running footsteps.
AM Workout: 8 Mile Run
Course: East Victory Blvd. (moderately hilly)
Time: 1:10:59 (8:53 min/mile pace)
Weather: 66F, Humid, Light Winds
With all the trail running that I've been doing, I figured it was time to tackle the road hills of Victory Blvd. a little. What is funny about ultramarathon training is that "tackling the hills" is different than in training for shorter races. Unlike trying to power up hills, the ultramarathoner "manages" himself up the mountain with as little effort as possible. That means cutting down on the stride and maintaining cadence up the hill. If the hill is steep enough, well, there is something called the Duck Walk, or, my favorite, the Crab Walk, where one runs sideways up a steep hill. Both involve moving the front of the foot to a sideways position to keep pressure off the toes as one climbs the hill.
Yeah, these are not the fastest ways up, but if I am not breathing hard at the top of the hill, then I've climbed the hill right.
I've yet to decide on a light swim or light bike this PM. I guess it all depends on if I can take care of other things today. I am quite busy today to try to get things done and I hope to finish them all by early this afternoon to get a ride in. Otherwise, I'll swim at 9AM tonight.
AM Workout: 8 Mile Run
Course: East Victory Blvd. (moderately hilly)
Time: 1:10:59 (8:53 min/mile pace)
Weather: 66F, Humid, Light Winds
With all the trail running that I've been doing, I figured it was time to tackle the road hills of Victory Blvd. a little. What is funny about ultramarathon training is that "tackling the hills" is different than in training for shorter races. Unlike trying to power up hills, the ultramarathoner "manages" himself up the mountain with as little effort as possible. That means cutting down on the stride and maintaining cadence up the hill. If the hill is steep enough, well, there is something called the Duck Walk, or, my favorite, the Crab Walk, where one runs sideways up a steep hill. Both involve moving the front of the foot to a sideways position to keep pressure off the toes as one climbs the hill.
Yeah, these are not the fastest ways up, but if I am not breathing hard at the top of the hill, then I've climbed the hill right.
I've yet to decide on a light swim or light bike this PM. I guess it all depends on if I can take care of other things today. I am quite busy today to try to get things done and I hope to finish them all by early this afternoon to get a ride in. Otherwise, I'll swim at 9AM tonight.
Last Week Review (June 7-June 13)
Last week wasn't posted here. Sorry about that, but it seems like life tends to intrude into the blogs a lot of the time. I did manage to ride 110 miles last week and swim 10,000 meters. I was forced, although, to cut the running down to 40 miles last week, due to a longer than expected recovery from the Train Run as well as making sure a tightness behind my right knee (a small strain in the popliteal muscle) didn't turn serious. One of the wonders of Triathlon training is that one of the other disciplines can pick up the slack if there are hiccups in the running program. That was the case last week.
This week, I'll be back to running. There seems to be no more tightness behind the knee and I'm pretty much recovered from the Train Run. I have a couple of long runs planned, but will develop a flexible schedule since I will be pretty busy with other things this week. On any given day I'll pop in a long run. And I'll try to do my best in posting here.
This week, I'll be back to running. There seems to be no more tightness behind the knee and I'm pretty much recovered from the Train Run. I have a couple of long runs planned, but will develop a flexible schedule since I will be pretty busy with other things this week. On any given day I'll pop in a long run. And I'll try to do my best in posting here.
Monday, June 7, 2010
June 7 - 2000 Meters Swimming, Little Tough Workout
AM Workout: 2000 Meters Swimming
1x500 Warmup
4x200 Intense Aerobic Swims with 30 Seconds Rest (Times of 2:58, 2:32, 2:28, 2:26)
6x100 Easy Paddles - Untimed
1x100 Warmdown
--------
2000 Meters Total
Two days after the Towpath Long Run, this was a nice little intense gem of a workout. Eager to not neglect my swim and bike during the ultra training, I decided to do a miniature tough workout to stoke my shoulders, if just for a little bit.
And the 200 meter swims were great. It certainly would be nice to do 8-10 reps of these, but 4 is good to keep my stroke strong for the time being while saving my energy for my running.
1x500 Warmup
4x200 Intense Aerobic Swims with 30 Seconds Rest (Times of 2:58, 2:32, 2:28, 2:26)
6x100 Easy Paddles - Untimed
1x100 Warmdown
--------
2000 Meters Total
Two days after the Towpath Long Run, this was a nice little intense gem of a workout. Eager to not neglect my swim and bike during the ultra training, I decided to do a miniature tough workout to stoke my shoulders, if just for a little bit.
And the 200 meter swims were great. It certainly would be nice to do 8-10 reps of these, but 4 is good to keep my stroke strong for the time being while saving my energy for my running.
Week of June 7 - June 13 - Preparation for High Mileage Weeks
This week will be more of a multisport based week than an ultra week. It is designed to give my legs a little bit of rest before the next 2 weeks, which will see A LOT of running involved. There is a long run of about 30 or so miles that I will be doing at the end of the week, probably in the Staten Island Greenbelt White Trail on Saturday or Sunday.
This will be a great set-up week; a high volume treat that brings both the swim and bike involved to lessen the overall impact for the week.
This will be a great set-up week; a high volume treat that brings both the swim and bike involved to lessen the overall impact for the week.
June 6 - 2000 Meter Swim, Post Towpath Ultra Run
AM Workout: 2000 Meter Swim
1x500 Warmup
5x200 Easy Kicks with KickBoard and Fins
1x500 Warmdown
------
2000 Meters Total
This was more like a 2000 meter "bob" than a 2000 meter swim. This was just designed to help the legs recover from yesterday's long run. There is a tightness in the popliteal area behind the right knee that I need to take note of. It's probably just a minor strain and should be OK for the next week.
Overall a good week. Confidence is still growing for the Vermont 100. Second week starts Monday June 7.
1x500 Warmup
5x200 Easy Kicks with KickBoard and Fins
1x500 Warmdown
------
2000 Meters Total
This was more like a 2000 meter "bob" than a 2000 meter swim. This was just designed to help the legs recover from yesterday's long run. There is a tightness in the popliteal area behind the right knee that I need to take note of. It's probably just a minor strain and should be OK for the next week.
Overall a good week. Confidence is still growing for the Vermont 100. Second week starts Monday June 7.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
June 5 - 44.7 mile overnight "Train Run"
OK, this might be a bit winded, but here goes...
The intro to the Raritan Valley Road Runners and their event, and my strategy are listed here. Please read so that you can understand this blog entry.
Sensing a very humid night, I had to stash some extra water at stops along the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath. As a result, I started this run a bit late. I had my largest Camelbak backpack on during the run, with about 10-15 pounds of food and water that was essential for my run. I also had to park my car about 1.8 miles away from the beginning of the towpath.
Once on the Towpath, I turned on my headlamp and started the long run toward Trenton. The Towpath was recently flooded, and the state of NJ has replaced part of the surface with gravel, a very tough surface to run on. I took a very leisurely pace to conserve energy. As a result, I made it to Rocky Hill, about 22 miles into my run (20 miles on the Towpath) without a hitch. I started to feel a little more tired on the way past Princeton as the perceived withing hour of 2AM approached. I've always found that at around 2-4:00 in the morning, my body demands sleep. By refusing its sleep my body starts to exact its revenge by playing with my head; its favorite weapon of choice is the hallucination.
And I had an hallucination that scared the bejeebers out of me...at around Route 1, near a golf course, I glanced at what I thought were two legs of a dead body lying at the side of the Towpath. As a result, I nearly jumped out of my shoes. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be a fallen tree lying halfway across the path. I could have sworn that my heart was fluttering a good 5 minutes after the sight.
Due to the humidity, I had to run a bit slower. As a result, I got to the Carnegie intersection (about 31.6 miles) at around 5:15PM. As a result, I had a choice to make. Either make it to the end in Trenton and get picked up by the people dropping off the main group of 15 runners by 6:00AM and call it a day, or turn back and run a bit longer and make the first stop by 7:15 at Alexander Road. I decided on the latter and turned back.
I made it back to Alexander Road with about 30 minutes to spare. I met JG who was manning that particular stop and agreed to take me back to the start after the main group passes.
At 7:15AM, the group of runners appeared right on time. I cheered them on as they stopped to hydrate. One of the runners and good friend LS did her first 50 k race about 2 months ago and decided to do the entire 34.1 mile distance. She seems very interested in the ultra distance; I feel that she will attempt her first 50 mile race within the next 2 years. She recalled my previous message that I will run the last 2.3 miles from Demott. I said yes. She then said that "you will be my inspiration to get to Demott so that I can run with you to the finish".
Sounds so eloquent, doesn't it. Basically, she just made that last run mandatory for me. Leave it to a pretty woman to put me on the hook. And I wouldn't want it any other way. :-)
Getting back to the park, I started to run-walk the 1.8 miles back to my car at Highland Park to retrieve it. After I parked the car nearby I managed a brief 20 minute power nap before changing my clothes and shoes. I changed over to my "running sandals", a secret weapon of sorts that relieves all sorts of pressure spots on my feet, and feels oh so good to run in after all of those miles.
At about 45 minutes before the runners were scheduled to hit the last stop at Demott 2.3 miles from the finish, I started to run toward Demott to meet with the group. I got there about 10 minutes before the main group arrived, cheered on the runners. I was looking for LS and was asking if she was still running, but most runners shrugged. After most of the peopleleft for the finished, I decided to run back toward the finish, hoping that she was still running behind me. My legs started to feel real good, and I caught a fantastic second wind that saw me to the finish really strong. We finished as one group a little after 11:00AM.
I was really encouraged by the overnight run. I had a bit of chafing, and my right calf was a knot in the latter portion of the run, but these were only minor issues.
Here is the breakdown of the mileage:
1.6 miles to the Towpath (1.8 calculated by Gmaps; 0.2 had to be
subtracted because 0.2 miles of the calculation based on the Train Run
flyer includes the 0.2 miles to Grove 5 from the entrance)
31.2 miles to Carnegie Road
5.5 miles back to Alexander Road to be picked up
1.8 miles back to retrieve car in Highland Park
2.3 miles to Demott to meet the runners coming back
2.3 miles back to Johnson Park
44.7 miles total, 41.3 miles officially logged on Towpath. Not bad for a
sleep deprived run.
The intro to the Raritan Valley Road Runners and their event, and my strategy are listed here. Please read so that you can understand this blog entry.
Sensing a very humid night, I had to stash some extra water at stops along the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath. As a result, I started this run a bit late. I had my largest Camelbak backpack on during the run, with about 10-15 pounds of food and water that was essential for my run. I also had to park my car about 1.8 miles away from the beginning of the towpath.
Once on the Towpath, I turned on my headlamp and started the long run toward Trenton. The Towpath was recently flooded, and the state of NJ has replaced part of the surface with gravel, a very tough surface to run on. I took a very leisurely pace to conserve energy. As a result, I made it to Rocky Hill, about 22 miles into my run (20 miles on the Towpath) without a hitch. I started to feel a little more tired on the way past Princeton as the perceived withing hour of 2AM approached. I've always found that at around 2-4:00 in the morning, my body demands sleep. By refusing its sleep my body starts to exact its revenge by playing with my head; its favorite weapon of choice is the hallucination.
And I had an hallucination that scared the bejeebers out of me...at around Route 1, near a golf course, I glanced at what I thought were two legs of a dead body lying at the side of the Towpath. As a result, I nearly jumped out of my shoes. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be a fallen tree lying halfway across the path. I could have sworn that my heart was fluttering a good 5 minutes after the sight.
Due to the humidity, I had to run a bit slower. As a result, I got to the Carnegie intersection (about 31.6 miles) at around 5:15PM. As a result, I had a choice to make. Either make it to the end in Trenton and get picked up by the people dropping off the main group of 15 runners by 6:00AM and call it a day, or turn back and run a bit longer and make the first stop by 7:15 at Alexander Road. I decided on the latter and turned back.
I made it back to Alexander Road with about 30 minutes to spare. I met JG who was manning that particular stop and agreed to take me back to the start after the main group passes.
At 7:15AM, the group of runners appeared right on time. I cheered them on as they stopped to hydrate. One of the runners and good friend LS did her first 50 k race about 2 months ago and decided to do the entire 34.1 mile distance. She seems very interested in the ultra distance; I feel that she will attempt her first 50 mile race within the next 2 years. She recalled my previous message that I will run the last 2.3 miles from Demott. I said yes. She then said that "you will be my inspiration to get to Demott so that I can run with you to the finish".
Sounds so eloquent, doesn't it. Basically, she just made that last run mandatory for me. Leave it to a pretty woman to put me on the hook. And I wouldn't want it any other way. :-)
Getting back to the park, I started to run-walk the 1.8 miles back to my car at Highland Park to retrieve it. After I parked the car nearby I managed a brief 20 minute power nap before changing my clothes and shoes. I changed over to my "running sandals", a secret weapon of sorts that relieves all sorts of pressure spots on my feet, and feels oh so good to run in after all of those miles.
At about 45 minutes before the runners were scheduled to hit the last stop at Demott 2.3 miles from the finish, I started to run toward Demott to meet with the group. I got there about 10 minutes before the main group arrived, cheered on the runners. I was looking for LS and was asking if she was still running, but most runners shrugged. After most of the peopleleft for the finished, I decided to run back toward the finish, hoping that she was still running behind me. My legs started to feel real good, and I caught a fantastic second wind that saw me to the finish really strong. We finished as one group a little after 11:00AM.
I was really encouraged by the overnight run. I had a bit of chafing, and my right calf was a knot in the latter portion of the run, but these were only minor issues.
Here is the breakdown of the mileage:
1.6 miles to the Towpath (1.8 calculated by Gmaps; 0.2 had to be
subtracted because 0.2 miles of the calculation based on the Train Run
flyer includes the 0.2 miles to Grove 5 from the entrance)
31.2 miles to Carnegie Road
5.5 miles back to Alexander Road to be picked up
1.8 miles back to retrieve car in Highland Park
2.3 miles to Demott to meet the runners coming back
2.3 miles back to Johnson Park
44.7 miles total, 41.3 miles officially logged on Towpath. Not bad for a
sleep deprived run.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Towpath Run Logistics - Will Run at Night
Before I delve into the details of the Train Run itself, I'd like to get a little bit into the organization of it first. The course for the Train Run is on the main part of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath (Park Map and Mileage Table). a beautiful path through Central New Jersey that goes from Trenton to outside New Brunswick, NJ. The main section is 33.9 miles in length. Another 0.2 miles at the end would end up in Johnson Park where the finish is for a total of 34.1 miles (55k).
The Raritan Valley Road Runners who put on the event have each aid station timed at an 8:30 min/mile pace so that runners who start at 6:00AM in Trenton finish 5 hours later at 11:00AM.
This poses to be a bit of a problem for me. Although I am quite capable of going 8:30 min/mile pace, I do not want to push myself that hard because it can mean a very long recovery time and time lost for training for the Vermont 100 Miler.
I've also ran with a friend last week who has finished 100 mile ultramarathons. He told me that I needed to get 3-4 overnight runs in to get used to the sleep deprivation and lack of light.
Lastly I want to get a run of at least 40 miles in this weekend. 34.1 miles is a nice distance, but I need to get some runs longer than that in. The 40+ miles during the Mayapple Ultras were nice and a second run that long would be perfect at this time.
One easy solution that solves all these problems: run the other way (that is, to Trenton) the night before, get to the start an hour before the group starts, then have the group overtake me on the way back to the park. At some point I will get at least 40 miles in and can tag along with the crew helping out the other runners during the event. At about 2 miles to go in the event, I'll hop back in and complete the course with the rest of the runners. I get my night running in, go at my own pace, and finish at least 40 miles of running. Also, the event organizers don't have to go out of their way to accommodate me and would probably welcome another helper when I'm done with my run.
I'll be wearing a Camelback and will also stash some supplies in 3 key places along the Towpath to replenish my food and drink. I'm figuring about a 9:30PM to 10:00PM start tomorrow night. My car will be parked outside Johnson Park to prevent from being towed.
That;s about it! Oh, one other thing. It might be humid on Saturday, so heat will be a factor. To all those who are doing the run, seriously take that into account when preparing for your run.
June 3 - Preamble to the Towpath Run - 3500 Meter Swim and 5 Mile Run
First AM Workout: 3500 meters of swimming
800 Meters Warmup
3x500 Meter Swims - Low Intensity (8:04, 8:06, 8:10)
5x100 Meters Freestyle w/ Paddles - Untimed, Easy
1x200 Individual Medley (3:28)
5x100 Warmdown
--------
3500 Meters Total
Nothing big here. With the ultra coming up, all swims and bikes will be low intensity. I didn't push the 500s or the IM to save up energy for where I'll need it, the long run on Saturday.
------------------------
Second AM Workout: 5 Mile Run
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 44:10 (8:50 min/mile pace)
Weather: 76F, Light Winds, Very Humid
The run was easy...the only thing to note about this run was the weather. It didn't affect my run much, but I was well aware of the humid conditions. Made it a little uncomfortable. Otherwise no problem. This was my last run before the long run on the Towpath
800 Meters Warmup
3x500 Meter Swims - Low Intensity (8:04, 8:06, 8:10)
5x100 Meters Freestyle w/ Paddles - Untimed, Easy
1x200 Individual Medley (3:28)
5x100 Warmdown
--------
3500 Meters Total
Nothing big here. With the ultra coming up, all swims and bikes will be low intensity. I didn't push the 500s or the IM to save up energy for where I'll need it, the long run on Saturday.
------------------------
Second AM Workout: 5 Mile Run
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 44:10 (8:50 min/mile pace)
Weather: 76F, Light Winds, Very Humid
The run was easy...the only thing to note about this run was the weather. It didn't affect my run much, but I was well aware of the humid conditions. Made it a little uncomfortable. Otherwise no problem. This was my last run before the long run on the Towpath
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
June 2 - 30 mile bike - Crappy Wake Up, Better Workout
AM Workout: 30 Mile Bike
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 1:35:17
Weather: 74F, Clear, Less Humid
Ever had one of those days where you just wake up wrong? Well, I woke up with a crimp in my neck and a slight headache. I also overslept a little, missing my opportunity to go to the pool in the morning, so I decided to focus on the bike today. It turned out not to be as bad as I thought it would be, considering how I felt. I had a lot of company with me during the ride, so it was easier to for the miles to "fly by" faster.
Either a small run or light swim tonight. I haven't decided which yet.
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 1:35:17
Weather: 74F, Clear, Less Humid
Ever had one of those days where you just wake up wrong? Well, I woke up with a crimp in my neck and a slight headache. I also overslept a little, missing my opportunity to go to the pool in the morning, so I decided to focus on the bike today. It turned out not to be as bad as I thought it would be, considering how I felt. I had a lot of company with me during the ride, so it was easier to for the miles to "fly by" faster.
Either a small run or light swim tonight. I haven't decided which yet.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
June 1 - 2000 Meters of Easy, Cool Swimming
PM Workout: 2000 Meters Swimming
1x500 Meters Warmup
3x400 Specialty Strokes with fins and paddles
1x300 Warmdown
Just a quick mention as I need to get some sleep. This was an easy workout today designed to loosen the arms and legs for tomorrow's workouts, most likely a more involved swim session and a bike session. Everything is on par for Saturday's long run.
1x500 Meters Warmup
3x400 Specialty Strokes with fins and paddles
1x300 Warmdown
Just a quick mention as I need to get some sleep. This was an easy workout today designed to loosen the arms and legs for tomorrow's workouts, most likely a more involved swim session and a bike session. Everything is on par for Saturday's long run.
June 1 - 10 Mile Run - White Greenbelt Trail
AM Workout: 10 Mile Run
Course: Greenbelt White Trail, starting at north end
Time: 1:37:03
Temps: 75F, Clear, High Humidity
I originally had a 5 mile run yesterday and a 5 mile run today planned. I decided early this morning to "double up" and do a nice 10 mile run.
This was a real good looking run, especially in the humidity. Right now these 10 mile runs feel like 4 mile runs due to the longer runs I've been doing. So there is a good psychological effect at doing "just 10 miles" nowadays.
Course: Greenbelt White Trail, starting at north end
Time: 1:37:03
Temps: 75F, Clear, High Humidity
I originally had a 5 mile run yesterday and a 5 mile run today planned. I decided early this morning to "double up" and do a nice 10 mile run.
This was a real good looking run, especially in the humidity. Right now these 10 mile runs feel like 4 mile runs due to the longer runs I've been doing. So there is a good psychological effect at doing "just 10 miles" nowadays.
May 31 - Memorial Day 30 Mile Bike
AM Workout: 30 mile bike
Course: Great Kills Park, Early AM
Temp - 72F, Clear, Light Winds
Time for 30 miler: 1:32:06 (19.5 MPH)
It's funny starting a 100 mile ultramarathon peaking cycle with a bike. But with the long mileage on Saturday, this does free up some days for other things other than running. I just have to make sure I do these other things at an easy pace.
Even though the bike and swim will be largely diminished during this peak cycle, they will fill in some gaps, like this one, on weeks where I will be running long. Both the swim and bike are excellent ways to exercise the body without the impact to the legs, so they will still be necessary in this peak cycle.
I'm supposed to do a short run this afternoon, but I also have to be with my family for the annual barbecue this afternoon.
Course: Great Kills Park, Early AM
Temp - 72F, Clear, Light Winds
Time for 30 miler: 1:32:06 (19.5 MPH)
It's funny starting a 100 mile ultramarathon peaking cycle with a bike. But with the long mileage on Saturday, this does free up some days for other things other than running. I just have to make sure I do these other things at an easy pace.
Even though the bike and swim will be largely diminished during this peak cycle, they will fill in some gaps, like this one, on weeks where I will be running long. Both the swim and bike are excellent ways to exercise the body without the impact to the legs, so they will still be necessary in this peak cycle.
I'm supposed to do a short run this afternoon, but I also have to be with my family for the annual barbecue this afternoon.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Final 7 Weeks of Training - Learning the Art of Running Long
Starting on May 31, I will be posting every bit of training in the final 7 weeks before Vermont. I will also be posting possible race strategies that will help get me through the 100 mile ultramarathon.
This is possibly the most aggressive peak cycle that I have ever designed for a big race, including all of the Ironman races that I did.
How it plays out I don't know, but I have basically shut down everything else in my life to train heavy these next 7 weeks. I will be very interested to see what the outcome of this training can do.
One last thing. All the long runs that I'll be doing is actually more a mental exercise than a physical exercise. My weakness is to train my mind to be patient on these long runs so that I can stay patient in Vermont. It is there that I believe is my greatest weakness and it is there I will need to train.
I hope you can follow me these last 7 weeks and see whether this results in a success or failure.
The week starting May 31 starts it off. A very long run is scheduled for Saturday on the D & R Canal Towpath...
This is possibly the most aggressive peak cycle that I have ever designed for a big race, including all of the Ironman races that I did.
How it plays out I don't know, but I have basically shut down everything else in my life to train heavy these next 7 weeks. I will be very interested to see what the outcome of this training can do.
One last thing. All the long runs that I'll be doing is actually more a mental exercise than a physical exercise. My weakness is to train my mind to be patient on these long runs so that I can stay patient in Vermont. It is there that I believe is my greatest weakness and it is there I will need to train.
I hope you can follow me these last 7 weeks and see whether this results in a success or failure.
The week starting May 31 starts it off. A very long run is scheduled for Saturday on the D & R Canal Towpath...
Monday, May 17, 2010
Week of May 17 - May 23 - Taper Time
This is the 4th week of the mesocycle. As this is supposed to be a normal rest cycle, this will be modified to a taper week with a 100k (Mayapple Ultras) on Saturday. No Key Workouts are scheduled for this week. After the huge mileage of the spring, this is going to feel like a vacation.
The goals of the week are:
4000 meters of swimming
40 miles of cycling
100 miles of running (38 miles during the week plus 62 miles, or 100k of running on Saturday
I will try to note how I will prepare for this race this weekend, from looking at the course to checking the weather to trying to use my mobile phone to keep updated on the web during the race. Stay tuned.
The goals of the week are:
4000 meters of swimming
40 miles of cycling
100 miles of running (38 miles during the week plus 62 miles, or 100k of running on Saturday
I will try to note how I will prepare for this race this weekend, from looking at the course to checking the weather to trying to use my mobile phone to keep updated on the web during the race. Stay tuned.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sun May 9 - 8 Mi Mother's Day Run - Extremely Tired
AM Workout: 8 Mile Run
Course: Victory Blvd East
Time: 1:09:56
Weather: 45F, Cloudy, Heavy Winds
An unusually cold day for May. I woke up extremely tired from the lack of sleep and the 14 hours at a North Face Endurance Challenge aid station yesterday. I somehow got into my shoes and ran at an easy pace for 8 miles. This run was tough for several reasons...lack of sleep and lack of a decent meal yesterday (pizza was served at the aid station, but it's not a good source of sustenance for performance).
On top of that today is Mother's Day (wishing all mother's a happy Mother's Day out there). Meaning my afternoon will be spent in a restaurant with the family celebrating my mother. Sooooo, the day is focused on planning for the next week and to get the sleep needed to get into balance again to be ready for that next week.
My bike ride and swim were cancelled today for that matter.
Oh well, I give the week a B overall. There were some really great workouts done this week, but I didn't quite make the mileage that I wanted to. I have my 100k Fat Ass run in 2 weeks and will decide how to tackle the next week. Should I taper a little or should I put in a longish (30 mile) run next weekend? I'll decide on that soon.
Course: Victory Blvd East
Time: 1:09:56
Weather: 45F, Cloudy, Heavy Winds
An unusually cold day for May. I woke up extremely tired from the lack of sleep and the 14 hours at a North Face Endurance Challenge aid station yesterday. I somehow got into my shoes and ran at an easy pace for 8 miles. This run was tough for several reasons...lack of sleep and lack of a decent meal yesterday (pizza was served at the aid station, but it's not a good source of sustenance for performance).
On top of that today is Mother's Day (wishing all mother's a happy Mother's Day out there). Meaning my afternoon will be spent in a restaurant with the family celebrating my mother. Sooooo, the day is focused on planning for the next week and to get the sleep needed to get into balance again to be ready for that next week.
My bike ride and swim were cancelled today for that matter.
Oh well, I give the week a B overall. There were some really great workouts done this week, but I didn't quite make the mileage that I wanted to. I have my 100k Fat Ass run in 2 weeks and will decide how to tackle the next week. Should I taper a little or should I put in a longish (30 mile) run next weekend? I'll decide on that soon.
Sat May 8 - Volunteer Work and Impromptu 3 Mile Run
PM Workout: About a 3 Mile Run
Course: Fawn Trail near Bear Mountain
Time: N/A
Weather: 65F, P.Cloudy, Heavy Winds
Note: Full details of my volunteer work at the North Face Endurance Challenge at Bear Mountain will be published on my other blog here in a couple of days.
I was working the Anthony Wayne Aid Station at the North Face Endurance Challenge at Bear Mountain when this run happened.
This wasn't a planned run, but one that I will put in my log due to the difficult course I traversed. I had to check up on a couple of runners and the course markings on the way from the aid station that I worked on due to several concerns the runners had. So, from my place at the Anthony Wayne Aid Station I traversed the course markings and helped guide a runner to where the Appalachian Trail where the course turned. Fawn Trail is extremely technical with rocks strewn all over the place. On top of that, there are a couple of short, steep hills that are encountered from the aid station to the Appalachian Trail.
I seized the moment to run some of the course, I cannot lie to you. Working that aid station for 10 hours straight, I started to get a little stir crazy. When the opportunity presented itself, I went for it. The runners were thanking me for helping them out, but I explained to them my ulterior motive that I wanted to run a little. They chuckled at this, but still thanked me anyway. Coming back to the aid station was nice; with the legs already loose I glided over the rocks nicely. As soon as I saw the aid station in the distance I felt a little regret that it ended.
Anyway, I stole a run in today. Oh yeah.
Course: Fawn Trail near Bear Mountain
Time: N/A
Weather: 65F, P.Cloudy, Heavy Winds
Note: Full details of my volunteer work at the North Face Endurance Challenge at Bear Mountain will be published on my other blog here in a couple of days.
I was working the Anthony Wayne Aid Station at the North Face Endurance Challenge at Bear Mountain when this run happened.
This wasn't a planned run, but one that I will put in my log due to the difficult course I traversed. I had to check up on a couple of runners and the course markings on the way from the aid station that I worked on due to several concerns the runners had. So, from my place at the Anthony Wayne Aid Station I traversed the course markings and helped guide a runner to where the Appalachian Trail where the course turned. Fawn Trail is extremely technical with rocks strewn all over the place. On top of that, there are a couple of short, steep hills that are encountered from the aid station to the Appalachian Trail.
I seized the moment to run some of the course, I cannot lie to you. Working that aid station for 10 hours straight, I started to get a little stir crazy. When the opportunity presented itself, I went for it. The runners were thanking me for helping them out, but I explained to them my ulterior motive that I wanted to run a little. They chuckled at this, but still thanked me anyway. Coming back to the aid station was nice; with the legs already loose I glided over the rocks nicely. As soon as I saw the aid station in the distance I felt a little regret that it ended.
Anyway, I stole a run in today. Oh yeah.
Friday, May 7, 2010
May 7 - Easy 20 Mile Bike - Post Long Run
PM Workout: 20 Mile Bike
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 1:05:20
Weather: 74F, Partly Cloudy, Moderate Winds
Not a bad ride, especially after the 16 mile run this morning. I was careful not to try to push it today, instead going for the nice and easy ride.
Tomorrow is the volunteer work at The North Face. It's unclear whether I get a small run in or not. It depends on how tired I am after a long 12 hour day.
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 1:05:20
Weather: 74F, Partly Cloudy, Moderate Winds
Not a bad ride, especially after the 16 mile run this morning. I was careful not to try to push it today, instead going for the nice and easy ride.
Tomorrow is the volunteer work at The North Face. It's unclear whether I get a small run in or not. It depends on how tired I am after a long 12 hour day.
May 7 - Sweet Sixteen! A Good Looking Run on the Boardwalk
I had a GREAT sleep last night, and woke up quite well for this.
KEY AM WORKOUT: 16.2 Mile Run, Ultra Style (8 minute run/2 min walk intervals).
Course: 4 laps of Fr. Capodanno Ave/Boardwalk.
Time: 2:28:35 with rest, 9:10 min/mile pace; 2:13:35 estimated with rest subtracted out, 8:15 min/mile pace.
Weather 62F, Clear, Light Winds.
I'm a Mack Truck! From the get go, the pace was pretty fast. The legs were totally loose, and felt great. The 10 minute intervals a couple of months ago usually covered about a mile of running, so I was expecting 16 intervals for this session. Instead I needed only 15 to complete the run; my pace was fast.
Except for a temporary tightening of the calves afterward, I am not sore at all from the long run, implying that the training I did this spring is working great!
Let's hope this Mack Truck is capable of going 100 miles in 24 hours.
(Key Workout 3 of 4 done this week)
KEY AM WORKOUT: 16.2 Mile Run, Ultra Style (8 minute run/2 min walk intervals).
Course: 4 laps of Fr. Capodanno Ave/Boardwalk.
Time: 2:28:35 with rest, 9:10 min/mile pace; 2:13:35 estimated with rest subtracted out, 8:15 min/mile pace.
Weather 62F, Clear, Light Winds.
I'm a Mack Truck! From the get go, the pace was pretty fast. The legs were totally loose, and felt great. The 10 minute intervals a couple of months ago usually covered about a mile of running, so I was expecting 16 intervals for this session. Instead I needed only 15 to complete the run; my pace was fast.
Except for a temporary tightening of the calves afterward, I am not sore at all from the long run, implying that the training I did this spring is working great!
Let's hope this Mack Truck is capable of going 100 miles in 24 hours.
(Key Workout 3 of 4 done this week)
May 6 - 15 Mile Bike - A Second Easy Day
I woke up a little more worn down than usual today, and with some heavy work today, I decided to keep it easy another day.
PM Workout: 15 Mile Bike (19.22MPH)
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 46:49
Weather: 76F, Clear, Very Windy
The wind was a major factor today, but was bearable at an easy pace. I managed to get in a couple of good laps in before the winds really whipped it up.
This will be the only workout today, as tomorrow, I have a long run scheduled.
PM Workout: 15 Mile Bike (19.22MPH)
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 46:49
Weather: 76F, Clear, Very Windy
The wind was a major factor today, but was bearable at an easy pace. I managed to get in a couple of good laps in before the winds really whipped it up.
This will be the only workout today, as tomorrow, I have a long run scheduled.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
May 5 - Easy Paced 6 Mile Run - Capping an Easy Day
PM Workout: 6 Mile Run - Easy Pace
Course: Mall Run
Time: 55:34
Weather: 75F, Clear, Light Winds
Capping off an easy day with an easy run. And yes, a 2000 meter swim, a 25 mile bike, and a 6 mile run DOES constitute an easy day ONLY if they are taken REAL EASY. That means never pushing the pace. Even if you're only doing a marathon or Ironman, where speed is significant, the performance is gained the most on a significant base.
I didn't record it here, but I did a 3 Mile Fun Run this past Saturday by the Staten Island Athletic Club and finished the race at 20:59, breaking a 7 minute mile pace. I've never even approached training at this speed before. The speed comes from actually building a fantastic base this spring, a base built by easy paced runs such as this one.
A good base is extremely critical for optimal performance. That is the bottom line.
Course: Mall Run
Time: 55:34
Weather: 75F, Clear, Light Winds
Capping off an easy day with an easy run. And yes, a 2000 meter swim, a 25 mile bike, and a 6 mile run DOES constitute an easy day ONLY if they are taken REAL EASY. That means never pushing the pace. Even if you're only doing a marathon or Ironman, where speed is significant, the performance is gained the most on a significant base.
I didn't record it here, but I did a 3 Mile Fun Run this past Saturday by the Staten Island Athletic Club and finished the race at 20:59, breaking a 7 minute mile pace. I've never even approached training at this speed before. The speed comes from actually building a fantastic base this spring, a base built by easy paced runs such as this one.
A good base is extremely critical for optimal performance. That is the bottom line.
May 5 - 25 miles of cycling - A Nice Easy Alternative to a 25 Mile Run
Well, I did manage to travel over 20 miles today:
AM Workout#2 - 25 Mile Bike - Easy Pace
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 1:16:50
Weather: 60F, Clear, Light Winds
Not bad. The day was a nice one, so there were at least 8 other cyclists out there in the park. I asked a group of cyclists if they wanted to do a small loop to Albany and back, but they wimped out. Oh well, I guess some people don't have a 400 mile bike ride in them. So I settled for a measly 25 miles.
(Seriously, this was an easy paced ride on an easy paced day. The bike itself needs more repairs, as the derailleur cable is splitting its housing, leaving me with only 4 speeds on the bike. I ordered some stuff from Performance, including a set of tires, that should address all the worn out parts on my bike).
AM Workout#2 - 25 Mile Bike - Easy Pace
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 1:16:50
Weather: 60F, Clear, Light Winds
Not bad. The day was a nice one, so there were at least 8 other cyclists out there in the park. I asked a group of cyclists if they wanted to do a small loop to Albany and back, but they wimped out. Oh well, I guess some people don't have a 400 mile bike ride in them. So I settled for a measly 25 miles.
(Seriously, this was an easy paced ride on an easy paced day. The bike itself needs more repairs, as the derailleur cable is splitting its housing, leaving me with only 4 speeds on the bike. I ordered some stuff from Performance, including a set of tires, that should address all the worn out parts on my bike).
May 5 - 2000 Meters of Swimming
Well, this is different! I woke up anticipating a 80 mile run today. Looked in my log and found that I had to do a 2000 meter swim. What a letdown!
AM Workout: 2000 Meters of Swimming
5x100 Warmup
3x200 Individual Medleys on 4:15 (3:42, 3:45, 3:45)
3x150 freestyle drills with fins (one arm, bilateral, etc.)
3x150 freestyle drills with (one arm, bilateral, etc.)
-----------
2000 meters total
This workout only took about 40 minutes to do. Bummer man, I have 23 hours of free time left. I'll force myself not to try to swim to Martha's Vineyard from Staten Island today by doing some work, although it's going to be hard to resist.
The swim this morning utilizes drills for stroke symmetry as well as a concentration on specialty strokes like butterfly. Because who knows, maybe I might need to butterfly the whole Ironman swim one day.
AM Workout: 2000 Meters of Swimming
5x100 Warmup
3x200 Individual Medleys on 4:15 (3:42, 3:45, 3:45)
3x150 freestyle drills with fins (one arm, bilateral, etc.)
3x150 freestyle drills with (one arm, bilateral, etc.)
-----------
2000 meters total
This workout only took about 40 minutes to do. Bummer man, I have 23 hours of free time left. I'll force myself not to try to swim to Martha's Vineyard from Staten Island today by doing some work, although it's going to be hard to resist.
The swim this morning utilizes drills for stroke symmetry as well as a concentration on specialty strokes like butterfly. Because who knows, maybe I might need to butterfly the whole Ironman swim one day.
May 4 - 2000 Meter Swim - Lemme Love Loose Legs
PM Workout: 2000 Meter Swim
5x100 Warmup
10x100 easy freestyle w/ paddles - alternate breathing left side, right side
5x100 easy freestyle w/ fins
-------
2000 meters total
The main goal here is not any swimming technique, but as a therapeutic session for my legs. It's just like an easy massage; easy swimming allows the legs to be kept loose and supple, hastening recovery. I felt good and ready to go after the workout, so I achieved my goal here.
5x100 Warmup
10x100 easy freestyle w/ paddles - alternate breathing left side, right side
5x100 easy freestyle w/ fins
-------
2000 meters total
The main goal here is not any swimming technique, but as a therapeutic session for my legs. It's just like an easy massage; easy swimming allows the legs to be kept loose and supple, hastening recovery. I felt good and ready to go after the workout, so I achieved my goal here.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
May 4 - 20 Mile Trail Run - "That's What Soap & Water Is For"
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT: 20 Mile Trail Run
Time: 3 hours 31 minutes
Course: Greenbelt White Trail
Weather: 75F, Partly Cloudy
I went for 10 miles today, felt good, did 20.
This was also an eventful little run, as the White Trail on the Southern end of Staten Island was littered with deadfall, mud pits, hungry tigers, and poisonous snakes. Well, OK, there were no tigers and snakes, but the obstacles were aplenty.
After the first mile I dart onto the White Trail in Willowbrook Park, with nice white socks, nice red shorts, nice white singlet, and a smile on my face. By the time I emerged out onto Great Kills Park at the southern end (10 miles into the run), I had wet brown shoes, heavy brown socks, brown shorts, brown singlet, scratches all over my legs, and an even bigger smile on my face. What happened in between was a large section of continuous deadfall that I had to crawl under, jump over, and squeeze past in order to continue on the trail. The section actually reminded me of the Barkley Marathons, in which the course is so tough that there are normally no finishers of the 100 mile race. Of course, I could have ventured out onto the road and skip all that deadfall, but why would I want to do that? That would ruin the total trail running experience! Plus, it gives the trail some rugged character. I'm sure the trail's volunteers will eventually come in with chainsaws and clear it away, but in the meantime, it's time to have fun with it.
Some key instances on the way back to the finish. At the Crookes Point turnaround, a man with a dog noticed my muddy attire and asked, "been to the Greenbelt, have you?". I looked at the mud on my singlet, then looked at the guy and joked, "why yeah, how'd you notice?" He stated that he was there yesterday and noted the mud and deadfall that littered the path.
A second instance came at the Amudsen Circle (where the trail crosses Amboy Road at Clarke Ave). I was waiting for the light to change so that I crossed the street. A woman who was waiting for the bus looked at me and muttered, "ew". I turned to the woman, shrugged, and said, "That's what soap and water is for", smiled, then resumed my running. Apparently, the woman hasn't obviously gotten dirty before and liked it. Oh well, she doesn't know what she's missing.
I finished the run strong. My muscles still feel loose, and I feel like I'm ready to run again tomorrow. It's great being in this kind of shape; I feel I can do anything now, including finishing 100 miles in July.
(Key Workout 2 of 4 done this week)
KEY WORKOUT: 20 Mile Trail Run
Time: 3 hours 31 minutes
Course: Greenbelt White Trail
Weather: 75F, Partly Cloudy
I went for 10 miles today, felt good, did 20.
This was also an eventful little run, as the White Trail on the Southern end of Staten Island was littered with deadfall, mud pits, hungry tigers, and poisonous snakes. Well, OK, there were no tigers and snakes, but the obstacles were aplenty.
After the first mile I dart onto the White Trail in Willowbrook Park, with nice white socks, nice red shorts, nice white singlet, and a smile on my face. By the time I emerged out onto Great Kills Park at the southern end (10 miles into the run), I had wet brown shoes, heavy brown socks, brown shorts, brown singlet, scratches all over my legs, and an even bigger smile on my face. What happened in between was a large section of continuous deadfall that I had to crawl under, jump over, and squeeze past in order to continue on the trail. The section actually reminded me of the Barkley Marathons, in which the course is so tough that there are normally no finishers of the 100 mile race. Of course, I could have ventured out onto the road and skip all that deadfall, but why would I want to do that? That would ruin the total trail running experience! Plus, it gives the trail some rugged character. I'm sure the trail's volunteers will eventually come in with chainsaws and clear it away, but in the meantime, it's time to have fun with it.
Some key instances on the way back to the finish. At the Crookes Point turnaround, a man with a dog noticed my muddy attire and asked, "been to the Greenbelt, have you?". I looked at the mud on my singlet, then looked at the guy and joked, "why yeah, how'd you notice?" He stated that he was there yesterday and noted the mud and deadfall that littered the path.
A second instance came at the Amudsen Circle (where the trail crosses Amboy Road at Clarke Ave). I was waiting for the light to change so that I crossed the street. A woman who was waiting for the bus looked at me and muttered, "ew". I turned to the woman, shrugged, and said, "That's what soap and water is for", smiled, then resumed my running. Apparently, the woman hasn't obviously gotten dirty before and liked it. Oh well, she doesn't know what she's missing.
I finished the run strong. My muscles still feel loose, and I feel like I'm ready to run again tomorrow. It's great being in this kind of shape; I feel I can do anything now, including finishing 100 miles in July.
(Key Workout 2 of 4 done this week)
Monday, May 3, 2010
May 3 - 4000 meter swim - Fantastic!
I actually just might sign on to the Nav-e-Sink or Swim event on May 30. My swimming was surprisingly strong today, after all the running I did the past 2 weeks. I was in "Seek and Destroy" mode, this morning, mowing down this normally difficult workout and coming back for seconds.
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT #1: 4000 total meters of swimming
4x200 Meters Warmup
4x500 Meters Freestyle with 1 minute rest (Times: 8:17, 8:20, 8:20, 8:19)
5x100 snorkel drills
5x100 Meters Individual Medleys on 2:00 (Times: 1:35, 1:36, 1:36, 1:37, 1:36)
2x100 Warmdown
-------
4000 meters total
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT #1: 4000 total meters of swimming
4x200 Meters Warmup
4x500 Meters Freestyle with 1 minute rest (Times: 8:17, 8:20, 8:20, 8:19)
5x100 snorkel drills
5x100 Meters Individual Medleys on 2:00 (Times: 1:35, 1:36, 1:36, 1:37, 1:36)
2x100 Warmdown
-------
4000 meters total
Monday, April 26, 2010
April 26 to May 23 - Third and Last Build Cycle
This is going to be an eventful mesocycle. Here are the charts with the mileage I wish to do:
Some events I will most likely do...
May 8: Long Island Greenbelt 50k
May 22: South Mountain 100k
I might also plan a trip to Virginia on May 15 to volunteer for the Massanutten 100 Ultra and to scout the course for possible interest in doing this race next year.
So this is the first mesocycle where I have to plan around races. The first week is a normal training week with 60 miles of running as well as some cycling and swimming. The second week has the Long Island Greenbelt 50k, so the mileage will also be high on all disciplines (no taper here, this will be a "B" race).
The third week and 4th week will need some explaining. With each 4 week mesocycle I need to get in a recovery week. With the 100k residing on the Saturday of the 4th week, I am forced to start the recovery week from Friday May 14 to Friday May 21. I usually start all weeks on a Monday and the charts reflect that, so that is why it looks like I didn't place a rest week into this mesocycle.
Let's race!
Some events I will most likely do...
May 8: Long Island Greenbelt 50k
May 22: South Mountain 100k
I might also plan a trip to Virginia on May 15 to volunteer for the Massanutten 100 Ultra and to scout the course for possible interest in doing this race next year.
So this is the first mesocycle where I have to plan around races. The first week is a normal training week with 60 miles of running as well as some cycling and swimming. The second week has the Long Island Greenbelt 50k, so the mileage will also be high on all disciplines (no taper here, this will be a "B" race).
The third week and 4th week will need some explaining. With each 4 week mesocycle I need to get in a recovery week. With the 100k residing on the Saturday of the 4th week, I am forced to start the recovery week from Friday May 14 to Friday May 21. I usually start all weeks on a Monday and the charts reflect that, so that is why it looks like I didn't place a rest week into this mesocycle.
Let's race!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
April 15 - The Aftermath of the 45 Mile Running Gauntlet, Not Bad At All! - 2000 Meter Swim
Note: Before I get into the swim workout this morning, I'm pretty pleased to report that my legs feel OK. Yes, they are a little stiff and do feel worked. But they are not sore, which means I didn't overtrain. Yes, my legs are a bit tired, but it's good to know that I should be almost fully recovered by Sunday for the 20 mile run.
Now on to the swim this morning:
AM Workout: 2000 Meters of Swimming
1x500 Warmup
4x150 kicking drills with kickboard
4x100 kicking drills without kickboard
5x100 catch-up freestyle drills
-------
2000 meters total
This workout was mostly to help my legs recover. I did mostly some easy kicking drills today to keep my legs supple. Nothing too bad here; it's great to get into the pool sometimes and just enjoy some easy swimming. Especially after a rewarding finish to some hard training the past 3 days. :-)
Weekly totals so far:
Swim: 2000 meters
Bike: 0 miles (will start tomorrow, only doing 40 miles this week)
Run: 45 miles
Now on to the swim this morning:
AM Workout: 2000 Meters of Swimming
1x500 Warmup
4x150 kicking drills with kickboard
4x100 kicking drills without kickboard
5x100 catch-up freestyle drills
-------
2000 meters total
This workout was mostly to help my legs recover. I did mostly some easy kicking drills today to keep my legs supple. Nothing too bad here; it's great to get into the pool sometimes and just enjoy some easy swimming. Especially after a rewarding finish to some hard training the past 3 days. :-)
Weekly totals so far:
Swim: 2000 meters
Bike: 0 miles (will start tomorrow, only doing 40 miles this week)
Run: 45 miles
April 14 - KEY WORKOUT: Finishing The Trifecta
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT: 15 Mile Run (Ultra Style: intervals of 8 minutes running/2 minutes walking)
Course: Mall Run (partial route here)
Total Time, including walking: 2:17:44
Projected Time, as if entire course was run: 2:03:44
Weather: 43F, Clear, Light Winds
This was the coldest run of the three, and had to put on a light jacket to keep warm. The run felt OK, although there were times when I felt a little "punch drunk". The pace was consistent with the previous 2 runs.
Overall, this series was successful! I couldn't have asked for better results. As for the rest of the week, I'll have about 3 days of relatively low mileage running along with some swimming and cycling and will be planning for Sunday's 20 mile mountain run in Bear Mountain State Park. I already have the trail map in front of me. :-)
(Key Workout 1 of 3 completed, all parts)
KEY WORKOUT: 15 Mile Run (Ultra Style: intervals of 8 minutes running/2 minutes walking)
Course: Mall Run (partial route here)
Total Time, including walking: 2:17:44
Projected Time, as if entire course was run: 2:03:44
Weather: 43F, Clear, Light Winds
This was the coldest run of the three, and had to put on a light jacket to keep warm. The run felt OK, although there were times when I felt a little "punch drunk". The pace was consistent with the previous 2 runs.
Overall, this series was successful! I couldn't have asked for better results. As for the rest of the week, I'll have about 3 days of relatively low mileage running along with some swimming and cycling and will be planning for Sunday's 20 mile mountain run in Bear Mountain State Park. I already have the trail map in front of me. :-)
(Key Workout 1 of 3 completed, all parts)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
April 13 - Key Workout: 2nd 15 Mile Run of Series Done
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT: 15 Mile Run (Ultra Style: Intervals of 8 minutes running, 2 minutes walking)
Course: Bayonne Run (partial route displayed here)
Total Time, including the 2 minute walking intervals: 2:17:39 (9:11 min/mile pace)
Projected Time without walking intervals: 2:03:39 (8:15 min/mile pace)
Weather: Cloudy, 53F, Light Winds
Another strong run. Another strong finish. No lasting soreness on my legs. I was expecting a little soreness in my legs at this time, but am genuinely surprised that my legs still feel loose after the second run. The third 15 miler tomorrow is looking awfully good at this point. :-)
One thing to note. On the Gmaps route link above, I found a little anomaly on the elevation chart, and I guess it has to do with the elevation where the Bayonne Bridge is. Apparently, the elevations take into account the natural topographic terrain instead of the elevations of the roadway. This means that, according to the elevation chart, I was below sea level at that point. LOL. The true height is about 160 feet above sea level at the top of the roadway. This is easily found on the internet because the bridge seems to be too low for some ships to pass under; there are ongoing discussions on what to do with this bridge to alleviate this problem.
As for Gmaps, well, I'll place a little reminder with them about this anomaly between natural topography and the topography of man-made structures. I'm sure in time they will correct this. Not that I'm complaining or anything. :-)
(Key Workout #1: Part 2 of 3 done)
KEY WORKOUT: 15 Mile Run (Ultra Style: Intervals of 8 minutes running, 2 minutes walking)
Course: Bayonne Run (partial route displayed here)
Total Time, including the 2 minute walking intervals: 2:17:39 (9:11 min/mile pace)
Projected Time without walking intervals: 2:03:39 (8:15 min/mile pace)
Weather: Cloudy, 53F, Light Winds
Another strong run. Another strong finish. No lasting soreness on my legs. I was expecting a little soreness in my legs at this time, but am genuinely surprised that my legs still feel loose after the second run. The third 15 miler tomorrow is looking awfully good at this point. :-)
One thing to note. On the Gmaps route link above, I found a little anomaly on the elevation chart, and I guess it has to do with the elevation where the Bayonne Bridge is. Apparently, the elevations take into account the natural topographic terrain instead of the elevations of the roadway. This means that, according to the elevation chart, I was below sea level at that point. LOL. The true height is about 160 feet above sea level at the top of the roadway. This is easily found on the internet because the bridge seems to be too low for some ships to pass under; there are ongoing discussions on what to do with this bridge to alleviate this problem.
As for Gmaps, well, I'll place a little reminder with them about this anomaly between natural topography and the topography of man-made structures. I'm sure in time they will correct this. Not that I'm complaining or anything. :-)
(Key Workout #1: Part 2 of 3 done)
Monday, April 12, 2010
April 12 - KEY WORKOUT #1a - 15 Mile Run
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT
Three consecutive days of 15 mile runs - Day 1 of 3
Day 1 - 15 mile run (ultra style: 8 minutes running, 2 minutes walking in intervals)
Course: Service Road to Father Capodanno Road (most of route shown here)
(moderately hilly)
Total Time (with active 2 minute walking periods - 2:17:08 (9:08 min/mile pace)
Projected Time (if done without walking periods) - 2:03:08 (8:13 min/mile pace)
Great run! Legs are very loose and felt so good after this run that I know that I am ready for tomorrow's 15 miler. The projected time is an estimated time that I think would have been done without the walking periods. If I had done that in reality, yes, it would have been a great run, but I would have been a lot more tired and sore than I am now. In this case, it took me an extra 14 minutes to complete the run. Those 14 minutes is the key difference between very sore legs and very loose legs. An in a 100 mile ultramarathon, those 14 minutes lost every 15 miles is nothing compared to the number of minutes that can be lost by destroying my legs and walking the last 25 miles of the race. The total number of minutes lost when walking a little every 10 minutes would probably amount to 2 hours. The total number of minutes lost walking the last 25 miles of the race can go up to 5-10 hours.
This is a no-brainer. Always build in some walking periods in the beginning of the ultra and you'll be richly rewarded with a great time in the end. :-)
(Key Workout #1 - 1 part down, 2 parts to go in series)
KEY WORKOUT
Three consecutive days of 15 mile runs - Day 1 of 3
Day 1 - 15 mile run (ultra style: 8 minutes running, 2 minutes walking in intervals)
Course: Service Road to Father Capodanno Road (most of route shown here)
(moderately hilly)
Total Time (with active 2 minute walking periods - 2:17:08 (9:08 min/mile pace)
Projected Time (if done without walking periods) - 2:03:08 (8:13 min/mile pace)
Great run! Legs are very loose and felt so good after this run that I know that I am ready for tomorrow's 15 miler. The projected time is an estimated time that I think would have been done without the walking periods. If I had done that in reality, yes, it would have been a great run, but I would have been a lot more tired and sore than I am now. In this case, it took me an extra 14 minutes to complete the run. Those 14 minutes is the key difference between very sore legs and very loose legs. An in a 100 mile ultramarathon, those 14 minutes lost every 15 miles is nothing compared to the number of minutes that can be lost by destroying my legs and walking the last 25 miles of the race. The total number of minutes lost when walking a little every 10 minutes would probably amount to 2 hours. The total number of minutes lost walking the last 25 miles of the race can go up to 5-10 hours.
This is a no-brainer. Always build in some walking periods in the beginning of the ultra and you'll be richly rewarded with a great time in the end. :-)
(Key Workout #1 - 1 part down, 2 parts to go in series)
April 12 - April 18 - CRITICAL WEEK!!!
This week is one of the most critical weeks of the year for me. It's a test whether I can now go ahead on some ultra-long distances in training in the coming weeks. For example, I will not go ahead with a 30 mile training run unless my body has been adequately trained for it.
I put together a very challenging schedule this week to test whether I am trained enough to go ahead. Here are the Key Workouts listed for this week. Notice that there are some radical differences from the previous weeks. I'll explain below:
Key Workout "Series" #1 - 3 x 15 mile runs on 3 consecutive days. "ultra style" (8 minute intervals followed by 2 minute rest).
Key Workout #2 - 20 mile mountainous trail run at Bear Mountain State Park. Yes, I'll be at the top of Bear Mountain next Sunday.
Key Workout #3 - Swim/Bike Brick - 2000 meter swim followed by 15 mile bike.
The third Key Workout will be optional. I would like to do an uptempo ride and swim this week to keep me fit in those areas, but if I'm worn down from the 3 consecutive 15 mile run days, I'll postpone it until next week to allow for a recovery.
This is the first departure from a triathlon-type workout to a ultra-running workout. All endurance coaches and athletes, pay attention! There are more and more triathletes out there trying these ultra races; you as the athlete or you as the coach need to sit with your athlete and decide where their priorities lie. If they have an ultra and a triathlon planned, they need to set their priorities RIGHT HERE AND NOW and decide which race they want to peak in. It is very possible to do well in both types of races in one season, but in most cases you or your athlete can only choose one race to have the "competitive edge" in. If you or your athlete chooses the triathlon, keep with the triathlon-type workouts that I've been doing up to this point. If, however you or your athlete chooses the ultra, then you need to start transitioning to a run-heavy type of program that I'm doing now. The two sports are alike in many areas when it comes to endurance, but they differ widely in some aspects. As you gradually go from generalized training to specific training , these differences become more important to address. As a result, you or your athlete need to have your training become more specific to address these differences.
Since my A race is the Vermont 100 Mile Run and want to do very well in it (perhaps get under 24 hours), then I need to shift to an ultra-based program.
Anyway, the 3 consecutive 15 mile run days start immediately. Wish me luck!!!
I put together a very challenging schedule this week to test whether I am trained enough to go ahead. Here are the Key Workouts listed for this week. Notice that there are some radical differences from the previous weeks. I'll explain below:
Key Workout "Series" #1 - 3 x 15 mile runs on 3 consecutive days. "ultra style" (8 minute intervals followed by 2 minute rest).
Key Workout #2 - 20 mile mountainous trail run at Bear Mountain State Park. Yes, I'll be at the top of Bear Mountain next Sunday.
Key Workout #3 - Swim/Bike Brick - 2000 meter swim followed by 15 mile bike.
The third Key Workout will be optional. I would like to do an uptempo ride and swim this week to keep me fit in those areas, but if I'm worn down from the 3 consecutive 15 mile run days, I'll postpone it until next week to allow for a recovery.
This is the first departure from a triathlon-type workout to a ultra-running workout. All endurance coaches and athletes, pay attention! There are more and more triathletes out there trying these ultra races; you as the athlete or you as the coach need to sit with your athlete and decide where their priorities lie. If they have an ultra and a triathlon planned, they need to set their priorities RIGHT HERE AND NOW and decide which race they want to peak in. It is very possible to do well in both types of races in one season, but in most cases you or your athlete can only choose one race to have the "competitive edge" in. If you or your athlete chooses the triathlon, keep with the triathlon-type workouts that I've been doing up to this point. If, however you or your athlete chooses the ultra, then you need to start transitioning to a run-heavy type of program that I'm doing now. The two sports are alike in many areas when it comes to endurance, but they differ widely in some aspects. As you gradually go from generalized training to specific training , these differences become more important to address. As a result, you or your athlete need to have your training become more specific to address these differences.
Since my A race is the Vermont 100 Mile Run and want to do very well in it (perhaps get under 24 hours), then I need to shift to an ultra-based program.
Anyway, the 3 consecutive 15 mile run days start immediately. Wish me luck!!!
April 9-11: Some catching up to do
With little time on the internet (lots of training and coaching to do), here is the "bare bones" account for last week.
I completed the swim of 10,000 meters with a 4000 meter swim on Friday.
I finished 84 miles of cycling (out of 100 planned) with rides in Johnson Park and Great Kills Park (Saturday and Sunday).
I finished 30 miles of running (out of 40 planned) with runs in NJ and the Boardwalk.
Overall, the week was a B grade. The migraine killed me on Thursday and left me weak on Friday. I did the best that I can, and feel that I can go forward with a very important week coming up. 80 miles of running next week is very important!
I will post next week's details soon!
I completed the swim of 10,000 meters with a 4000 meter swim on Friday.
I finished 84 miles of cycling (out of 100 planned) with rides in Johnson Park and Great Kills Park (Saturday and Sunday).
I finished 30 miles of running (out of 40 planned) with runs in NJ and the Boardwalk.
Overall, the week was a B grade. The migraine killed me on Thursday and left me weak on Friday. I did the best that I can, and feel that I can go forward with a very important week coming up. 80 miles of running next week is very important!
I will post next week's details soon!
Friday, April 9, 2010
April 8 - Bike Cut to 15 Miles - Crippling Migraine
Note: In remembrance to my younger brother Anthony, who was killed by a wreckless drunk driver 2 years ago today. We will always love you very much.
AM Workout: Bike - 15 Miles
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 48:40
Weather - 80F, Sunny, Moderately Windy
I started out well, but had to cut it short when I felt a migraine coming on. I don't usually get migraines (happens probably once per year or so) but when I do, I am felled by the intensity of the pain. I felt the onset of the migraine while on the bike and decided to hightail it home before the "blast wave" hit. Folks, consider yourself fortunate if you've never encountered a migraine before, because it can be hell on earth. I basically spent the rest of the day basically curled up in a ball trying to will the pain away. It finally subsided somewhat in the afternoon although I was pretty much left in a very weakened state.
Since I'm not really in a writing mood right now, I'll spare you the details of this day until I feel better.
AM Workout: Bike - 15 Miles
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 48:40
Weather - 80F, Sunny, Moderately Windy
I started out well, but had to cut it short when I felt a migraine coming on. I don't usually get migraines (happens probably once per year or so) but when I do, I am felled by the intensity of the pain. I felt the onset of the migraine while on the bike and decided to hightail it home before the "blast wave" hit. Folks, consider yourself fortunate if you've never encountered a migraine before, because it can be hell on earth. I basically spent the rest of the day basically curled up in a ball trying to will the pain away. It finally subsided somewhat in the afternoon although I was pretty much left in a very weakened state.
Since I'm not really in a writing mood right now, I'll spare you the details of this day until I feel better.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
April 7 - 21 Mile Bike and 6 Mile Run
PM Workout #1: 21 Miles Cycling
Course: Great Kills Park (6 loops)
Time: 1:08:03 (18.5 MPH)
Weather: 85F, Sunny, Moderately Heavy Winds
Interesting. It looks like another year where we went from winter straight into summer without any spring. Cool; I need the heat training anyway.
I met a couple of cool women on the course today. One of them has done Ironman and ultramarathons before and was recovering from a marathon that she did last weekend. She missed Boston by seconds but that means she's just going out to do another marathon this year. I like her spirit. She will be doing the North Face 50k in Bear Mountain next month, one of the toughest courses in the nation. I wish her well with it. I might be volunteering for that race to get that mandatory requirement in for my Vermont 100.
As for the bike ride, it was a bit windy going in one direction. Nevertheless, this was an easy paced ride and was enjoyable. The best part is that I'm in that kind of shape where I feel comfortable in all three disciplines now, which has only happened back when I was in my prime. And that is a good omen!
---------------
PM Workout #2: 6 Miles Running
Course: South Avenue
Time: 55:39 (9:16 min/mile pace)
Weather: 75F, Clear, Light Winds
This was a run done at dusk, a nice little adventure on the road through the swamp. South Avenue cuts through a pretty wild sounding environment with all sorts of wildlife emanating from the swamps on the side of the road. When the cars aren't driving by, it really sounds like I entered a wild jungle of a sort; all that was missing was a roar of a lion. Anyway, the run was easy paced and quite fun.
Weekly totals so far:
6000 meters swimming
42 miles cycling
6 miles running
Course: Great Kills Park (6 loops)
Time: 1:08:03 (18.5 MPH)
Weather: 85F, Sunny, Moderately Heavy Winds
Interesting. It looks like another year where we went from winter straight into summer without any spring. Cool; I need the heat training anyway.
I met a couple of cool women on the course today. One of them has done Ironman and ultramarathons before and was recovering from a marathon that she did last weekend. She missed Boston by seconds but that means she's just going out to do another marathon this year. I like her spirit. She will be doing the North Face 50k in Bear Mountain next month, one of the toughest courses in the nation. I wish her well with it. I might be volunteering for that race to get that mandatory requirement in for my Vermont 100.
As for the bike ride, it was a bit windy going in one direction. Nevertheless, this was an easy paced ride and was enjoyable. The best part is that I'm in that kind of shape where I feel comfortable in all three disciplines now, which has only happened back when I was in my prime. And that is a good omen!
---------------
PM Workout #2: 6 Miles Running
Course: South Avenue
Time: 55:39 (9:16 min/mile pace)
Weather: 75F, Clear, Light Winds
This was a run done at dusk, a nice little adventure on the road through the swamp. South Avenue cuts through a pretty wild sounding environment with all sorts of wildlife emanating from the swamps on the side of the road. When the cars aren't driving by, it really sounds like I entered a wild jungle of a sort; all that was missing was a roar of a lion. Anyway, the run was easy paced and quite fun.
Weekly totals so far:
6000 meters swimming
42 miles cycling
6 miles running
April 7 - KEY WORKOUT: 4000 Meters of Swimming
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT: 4000 meters of swimming.
4x200 Warmup
5x400 freestyle with 1 minute rest in between reps
8x100 snorkels (easy, untimed drills for stroke symmetry)
2x50 all out sprints on 2:15 with an easy 50 meter swim in between reps
1x200 Warmdown
---------
4000 meters swimming total
This was a very strong workout. The 400s were just exceptional, with times for the 5 sets being 5:47, 5:49, 5:47, 5:45, and 5:44 respectively. The other notable in today's swim were the sprints, with 33 seconds and 34 seconds respectively. I hope to see this when I swim 4000 meters later this week as well.
I was an animal in the water today! Hopefully I'll do it again later this week.
(Key Workout 2 of 4 done this week)
Weekly totals so far:
6000 meters swimming
21 miles cycling
0 miles running
KEY WORKOUT: 4000 meters of swimming.
4x200 Warmup
5x400 freestyle with 1 minute rest in between reps
8x100 snorkels (easy, untimed drills for stroke symmetry)
2x50 all out sprints on 2:15 with an easy 50 meter swim in between reps
1x200 Warmdown
---------
4000 meters swimming total
This was a very strong workout. The 400s were just exceptional, with times for the 5 sets being 5:47, 5:49, 5:47, 5:45, and 5:44 respectively. The other notable in today's swim were the sprints, with 33 seconds and 34 seconds respectively. I hope to see this when I swim 4000 meters later this week as well.
I was an animal in the water today! Hopefully I'll do it again later this week.
(Key Workout 2 of 4 done this week)
Weekly totals so far:
6000 meters swimming
21 miles cycling
0 miles running
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
April 6 - KEY WORKOUT - 21 Miles Cycling
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT - 21 miles cycling
Course: Great Kills Park (6 loops)
Time: 1:01:30 (20.5 MPH)
Weather: Cloudy, 65F, Light Winds
I broke out my racing rims for this one again. The pace was strong and steady throughout and had no problems with fatigue. This is good, because I'm going to be doing this pace over 30 miles later this week.
(Key Workout #1 of 4 done)
KEY WORKOUT - 21 miles cycling
Course: Great Kills Park (6 loops)
Time: 1:01:30 (20.5 MPH)
Weather: Cloudy, 65F, Light Winds
I broke out my racing rims for this one again. The pace was strong and steady throughout and had no problems with fatigue. This is good, because I'm going to be doing this pace over 30 miles later this week.
(Key Workout #1 of 4 done)
April 5 - 2000 meter swim
AM Workout: 2000 meters swimming
1x500 warmup
3x150 one arm swims (paddles; 50m left arm; 50m right arm; 50m bilateral)
3x150 one arm swims (no paddles, same format as above)
3x150 one arm swims (fins, same format as above)
3x50 warmdown
--------
2000 meters total
I need a lot of symmetry work. My left arm is much weaker than my right, and I always go back to these symmetry drills as a way to strengthen up my weak left side.
The run finally takes a rest today. A well deserved rest.
1x500 warmup
3x150 one arm swims (paddles; 50m left arm; 50m right arm; 50m bilateral)
3x150 one arm swims (no paddles, same format as above)
3x150 one arm swims (fins, same format as above)
3x50 warmdown
--------
2000 meters total
I need a lot of symmetry work. My left arm is much weaker than my right, and I always go back to these symmetry drills as a way to strengthen up my weak left side.
The run finally takes a rest today. A well deserved rest.
April 5 - April 11 - Run Recovery, Swim and Bike Focus
With the success of the run last week, it's time to lighten it up a bit this week and go for only 40 miles. It's quite interesting that I actually have to force myself away from running on Monday, because my legs are still in fantastic shape. But a recovery is a recovery, and although I might not feel the fatigue, it still might be needed.
For my swim and bike, I can up the ante a bit this week. Right now these two disciplines are only acting as support for my running during the ultramarathon phase of my season. After the Vermont 100 Ultra is over I do intend to enter into several key triathlons in August and September, so it is important to have a pretty good fitness base on the bike and swim.
Total distances planned are as follows:
10,000 meters of swimming
100 miles of cycling
40 miles of running
The 40 miles of running is much less than the 70 miles last week. And the little reprieve this week serves well in getting ready for a planned 80 miles of running next week.
This week, there will be 4 Key Workouts done. Two are swimming, and two are cycling. The run is all easy pace this week. Here are the 4 Key Workouts:
1) 21 Mile Bike at Intensive Aerobic Pace (Zone 2).
2) 30 Mile Bike at Intensive Aerobic Pace (Zone 2).
3) Swim: 5 x 400 meters of swimming with 1 minute rest in between sets.
4) Swim: 8 x 200 meters on 3:20 (these are going to kick my @$$).
The temperature is going to hit 80F this week, so winter is finally gone. Time to finally enjoy the sunshine. :-)
For my swim and bike, I can up the ante a bit this week. Right now these two disciplines are only acting as support for my running during the ultramarathon phase of my season. After the Vermont 100 Ultra is over I do intend to enter into several key triathlons in August and September, so it is important to have a pretty good fitness base on the bike and swim.
Total distances planned are as follows:
10,000 meters of swimming
100 miles of cycling
40 miles of running
The 40 miles of running is much less than the 70 miles last week. And the little reprieve this week serves well in getting ready for a planned 80 miles of running next week.
This week, there will be 4 Key Workouts done. Two are swimming, and two are cycling. The run is all easy pace this week. Here are the 4 Key Workouts:
1) 21 Mile Bike at Intensive Aerobic Pace (Zone 2).
2) 30 Mile Bike at Intensive Aerobic Pace (Zone 2).
3) Swim: 5 x 400 meters of swimming with 1 minute rest in between sets.
4) Swim: 8 x 200 meters on 3:20 (these are going to kick my @$$).
The temperature is going to hit 80F this week, so winter is finally gone. Time to finally enjoy the sunshine. :-)
Monday, April 5, 2010
April 4 - A Very Happy Easter - 8 Miles of Running and 20 miles of cycling
AM Workout #2 - 8 Miles Running
Course: Mall Run
Time: 1:12:33 (9:04 min/mile pace)
Weather: 55F, Sunny, Light Winds
A nice, easy run to complete 70 miles. Of all things, this was the primary goal of the week, to see if I can handle extremely high volumes at this point of time. Passed, with flying colors!!! My legs really don't feel tired at all, and I punished them running every day, with a 20 mile run in the middle of the week, then recovering without rest to finish a very fast 10 mile run on Saturday. I couldn't have asked for better!!!
I'm taking a nice day off tomorrow since I only have 40 miles of running to do next week as part of an active recovery week.
-------------------
PM Workout: 20 mile bike
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 1:06:34
Weather: 65F, Sunny, Light Winds
This was a nice little "victory lap" of sorts, celebrating a great week. Although I didn't make the 60 miles I wanted on the bike, the bike this week was only secondary to my running goals, in which I achieved. The bike seems to be finally up and running with no glitches now, so I'm expecting no problems next week.
Here is the final tally of the week:
6000 meters swimming (completed)
30 miles cycling (out of 60 planned, 30 miles incomplete)
70 miles running (completed)
As this is Easter, next week's plan will come a little late as I'm a little busy with other things. I'll get it up as soon as possible.
Course: Mall Run
Time: 1:12:33 (9:04 min/mile pace)
Weather: 55F, Sunny, Light Winds
A nice, easy run to complete 70 miles. Of all things, this was the primary goal of the week, to see if I can handle extremely high volumes at this point of time. Passed, with flying colors!!! My legs really don't feel tired at all, and I punished them running every day, with a 20 mile run in the middle of the week, then recovering without rest to finish a very fast 10 mile run on Saturday. I couldn't have asked for better!!!
I'm taking a nice day off tomorrow since I only have 40 miles of running to do next week as part of an active recovery week.
-------------------
PM Workout: 20 mile bike
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 1:06:34
Weather: 65F, Sunny, Light Winds
This was a nice little "victory lap" of sorts, celebrating a great week. Although I didn't make the 60 miles I wanted on the bike, the bike this week was only secondary to my running goals, in which I achieved. The bike seems to be finally up and running with no glitches now, so I'm expecting no problems next week.
Here is the final tally of the week:
6000 meters swimming (completed)
30 miles cycling (out of 60 planned, 30 miles incomplete)
70 miles running (completed)
As this is Easter, next week's plan will come a little late as I'm a little busy with other things. I'll get it up as soon as possible.
April 4 - KEY WORKOUT 3000 meters swimming
AM Workout #1:
KEY WORKOUT - 3000 meters total swim
4x200 meters warmup
2x1000 meters freestyle with 1 minute rest in between reps
1x200 warmdown
--------------
3000 meters total
Times for 1000 meter reps - (15:25, 15:15)
After a week of intense running, this swim felt a little alien to me. It took well into the second 1000 rep that I finally started to get the feel of the water again. The times were decent. Next week, I will be more involved with the swim as the run backs off and recovers from this intensive week.
Total Weekly Mileage So Far:
6000 meters swimming (completed)
10 miles cycling
62 miles running
(Key Workout 4 of 4 done)
KEY WORKOUT - 3000 meters total swim
4x200 meters warmup
2x1000 meters freestyle with 1 minute rest in between reps
1x200 warmdown
--------------
3000 meters total
Times for 1000 meter reps - (15:25, 15:15)
After a week of intense running, this swim felt a little alien to me. It took well into the second 1000 rep that I finally started to get the feel of the water again. The times were decent. Next week, I will be more involved with the swim as the run backs off and recovers from this intensive week.
Total Weekly Mileage So Far:
6000 meters swimming (completed)
10 miles cycling
62 miles running
(Key Workout 4 of 4 done)
April 3 - KEY WORKOUT - 10 Mile Bike/10 Mile Run Brick
AM Workout -
KEY WORKOUT: 10 Mile Bike followed by 10 Mile Run
Course: Johnson Park (Piscataway, NJ) for bike, Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Towpath for run
Time for Bike: 28:35
Time for Run: 1:17:25
Weather: 53F, Clear, Light Winds
A few explanations are in order. First, my bike seems to be in a constant state of disrepair this week; it's been a huge struggle to get it going. This time, the problem is with sidewall damage on the front tire. I was so fed up with this that I broke out my premier racing rims to finally get a ride in.
Secondly, I combined two Key Workouts into one brick. The original Key Workout on the bike was to be 15 miles, but I shortened it to 10 miles because I didn't want to miss the start of the weekly group run provided by the Raritan Valley Road Runners and I was already pressed for time with the tire problems.
The bike was great despite the week away from it. Especially with the sleek rims I had no problem maintining over 20 miles per hour on the course.
The run was even better...so much better I couldn't believe I was holding about a 7:45 pace throughout the run. The towpath is located next to the Raritan River, which tends to flood from time to time. And it flooded twice in the past 3 weeks due to all the storms we had in March. The path was extremely chewed up with deep gouges in some areas. Yet even the numerous obstacles provided by nature couldn't stop me from doing this run at a great pace.
Here are the totals for the week so far. Only 8 easy paced miles of running to get to 70 miles for the week. And the legs aren't sore at all. NICE!!!
Totals for the week:
3000 meters swimming
10 miles cycling
62 miles running
(Key Workouts 2 and 3 of 4 done)
KEY WORKOUT: 10 Mile Bike followed by 10 Mile Run
Course: Johnson Park (Piscataway, NJ) for bike, Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Towpath for run
Time for Bike: 28:35
Time for Run: 1:17:25
Weather: 53F, Clear, Light Winds
A few explanations are in order. First, my bike seems to be in a constant state of disrepair this week; it's been a huge struggle to get it going. This time, the problem is with sidewall damage on the front tire. I was so fed up with this that I broke out my premier racing rims to finally get a ride in.
Secondly, I combined two Key Workouts into one brick. The original Key Workout on the bike was to be 15 miles, but I shortened it to 10 miles because I didn't want to miss the start of the weekly group run provided by the Raritan Valley Road Runners and I was already pressed for time with the tire problems.
The bike was great despite the week away from it. Especially with the sleek rims I had no problem maintining over 20 miles per hour on the course.
The run was even better...so much better I couldn't believe I was holding about a 7:45 pace throughout the run. The towpath is located next to the Raritan River, which tends to flood from time to time. And it flooded twice in the past 3 weeks due to all the storms we had in March. The path was extremely chewed up with deep gouges in some areas. Yet even the numerous obstacles provided by nature couldn't stop me from doing this run at a great pace.
Here are the totals for the week so far. Only 8 easy paced miles of running to get to 70 miles for the week. And the legs aren't sore at all. NICE!!!
Totals for the week:
3000 meters swimming
10 miles cycling
62 miles running
(Key Workouts 2 and 3 of 4 done)
Friday, April 2, 2010
April 2 - 8 Mile Run - College Ave/Todt Hill
AM Workout:
Course: College Avenue/Todt Hill (very hilly)
Time: 1:10:26 (8:48 min/mile pace)
Weather: 48F, Clear, Light Winds
The Todt Hill course I usually reserve for times when I think I can tackle one of the toughest hills on Staten Island; it is definitely not for the faint of heart. The corner of Todt Hill Road and Ocean Terrace is the highest elevation on the eastern seaboard. Nevertheless, even on the steeps I was "one with the road" and really comfortable running. Again, I had no noticeable aftereffects from the 20 mile run 2 days ago, and that is just great!
I'm hoping to get the bike in this afternoon since temps are going to be in the 70s! I can't wait.
Weekly Totals So Far:
Swim: 3000 Meters
Bike: 0 Miles
Run: 52 Miles
Course: College Avenue/Todt Hill (very hilly)
Time: 1:10:26 (8:48 min/mile pace)
Weather: 48F, Clear, Light Winds
The Todt Hill course I usually reserve for times when I think I can tackle one of the toughest hills on Staten Island; it is definitely not for the faint of heart. The corner of Todt Hill Road and Ocean Terrace is the highest elevation on the eastern seaboard. Nevertheless, even on the steeps I was "one with the road" and really comfortable running. Again, I had no noticeable aftereffects from the 20 mile run 2 days ago, and that is just great!
I'm hoping to get the bike in this afternoon since temps are going to be in the 70s! I can't wait.
Weekly Totals So Far:
Swim: 3000 Meters
Bike: 0 Miles
Run: 52 Miles
April 1 - 1000 Meter Swim and 5 Mile Run
The bike is slow to come around this week as I am getting my testy steed roadworthy after being on the Computrainer for the winter. This attempt at riding today was met by two flats on the front tire. Closer examination reveals that the rim tape needs replacing. I'm hoping (crossing my fingers) that I will get the bike in today. It should take about 5 minutes to replace the rim tape. In the meantime, I've been concentrating on the run. 70 miles this week is sure looking a more and more a reality.
AM Workout: 1000 Meters Swimming
500 Meters Warmup
4x100 IMs with 30 seconds in between reps
1x100 WD
---------
1000 Meters Total
The IMs were done steadily at 1:35 each, so everything looks pretty good with the swim in face of all the running I'm doing this week.
--------------------------------
PM Workout: 5 Miles
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 43:24 (8:42 min/mile pace)
Weather: 60F, Light Winds, Sunny
Nice and steady, really comfortable run today, especially after the 20 miler yesterday. This is a great indication that I have set myself perfectly for the tougher, gruelling runs that are ahead. We shall see how this week closes out; I have two 8 milers and a 10 miler to go before all is said and done this week.
Weekly Totals So Far:
3000 Meters Swimming
0 Miles Cycling
44 Miles Running
AM Workout: 1000 Meters Swimming
500 Meters Warmup
4x100 IMs with 30 seconds in between reps
1x100 WD
---------
1000 Meters Total
The IMs were done steadily at 1:35 each, so everything looks pretty good with the swim in face of all the running I'm doing this week.
--------------------------------
PM Workout: 5 Miles
Course: Great Kills Park
Time: 43:24 (8:42 min/mile pace)
Weather: 60F, Light Winds, Sunny
Nice and steady, really comfortable run today, especially after the 20 miler yesterday. This is a great indication that I have set myself perfectly for the tougher, gruelling runs that are ahead. We shall see how this week closes out; I have two 8 milers and a 10 miler to go before all is said and done this week.
Weekly Totals So Far:
3000 Meters Swimming
0 Miles Cycling
44 Miles Running
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
March 31 - KEY WORKOUT - 20 Mile Run on Boardwalk
AM Workout:
Key Workout: 20 mile run, Ultra Style (8 minute run/2 minute walk intervals)
Course: 5 laps on Boardwalk
Time, including walks: 3:15:40 (9:47 pace)
Weather: 45F, Cloudy, Moderately Windy
Oh boy I was just itching, ITCHING to get this run in. Yesterday I was thwarted by being underdressed for the rainy weather. Today, I brought my entire wardrobe with me for the run. After getting the proper gear ready, I finally headed out for the 5 laps needed to pull off the 20 miles.
The Boardwalk course is very nice for long runs because there are water fountains and bathrooms all along its length in case nature calls. In to those lovely perks, I get to run by my car after each lap in case I need Cliff Bars or Gatorade. I needed none of these today, just a little water to keep the skids greased.
The run was strong throughout. As a matter of fact, as I write this 3 hours after the run, I feel my legs have more to give. I wouldn't be surprised to go out for a nice short run this afternoon. Heh, it'll definitely be posted here when that happens!
Total Mileage this week so far since Monday:
2000 meters swimming
39 miles running
0 miles cycling
(Key Workout 1 of 4 done this week)
Key Workout: 20 mile run, Ultra Style (8 minute run/2 minute walk intervals)
Course: 5 laps on Boardwalk
Time, including walks: 3:15:40 (9:47 pace)
Weather: 45F, Cloudy, Moderately Windy
Oh boy I was just itching, ITCHING to get this run in. Yesterday I was thwarted by being underdressed for the rainy weather. Today, I brought my entire wardrobe with me for the run. After getting the proper gear ready, I finally headed out for the 5 laps needed to pull off the 20 miles.
The Boardwalk course is very nice for long runs because there are water fountains and bathrooms all along its length in case nature calls. In to those lovely perks, I get to run by my car after each lap in case I need Cliff Bars or Gatorade. I needed none of these today, just a little water to keep the skids greased.
The run was strong throughout. As a matter of fact, as I write this 3 hours after the run, I feel my legs have more to give. I wouldn't be surprised to go out for a nice short run this afternoon. Heh, it'll definitely be posted here when that happens!
Total Mileage this week so far since Monday:
2000 meters swimming
39 miles running
0 miles cycling
(Key Workout 1 of 4 done this week)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
March 30 - 6 Mile Run
Note: This was not an easy day to fit a workout in. The morning started with a light rain, so I decided to actually try to do the 20 mile Key Workout in the morning. But when I arrived at the boardwalk, the rain was coming down really heavy and the wind was actually howling. I was woefully underdressed for the run and decided to postpone the workout. With a busy day in other activities, I was happy to get in a 6 mile run in the evening when the weather was a tad better.
This was an eventful March weatherwise. We broke records in precipitation this month and a lot of the area is still flooded. This is on top of the major wind-cane that stormed through the area 2 weeks ago. The area is so bad that the NY Governor has asked the President to declare this area a disaster area.
PM Workout: 6 Mile Run
Course: Travis
Time: 54:26 (9:06 min/mile pace)
Weather: Heavy Rain, Moderate Wind, Flooding
This was a day to get really, REALLY wet. The flooding from the soaking rain today created lake-sized puddles everywhere. I was running through ankle-deep water in some cases. My legs were a little flat but loosened up midway through the run to keep the pace comfortable. After the run, the soaking wet clothes were immediately hung over the shower door to drip dry.
Rain should clear with temps in the 70s toward the end of the week. Good. I would love to see the sun again sometime in my lifetime.
This was an eventful March weatherwise. We broke records in precipitation this month and a lot of the area is still flooded. This is on top of the major wind-cane that stormed through the area 2 weeks ago. The area is so bad that the NY Governor has asked the President to declare this area a disaster area.
PM Workout: 6 Mile Run
Course: Travis
Time: 54:26 (9:06 min/mile pace)
Weather: Heavy Rain, Moderate Wind, Flooding
This was a day to get really, REALLY wet. The flooding from the soaking rain today created lake-sized puddles everywhere. I was running through ankle-deep water in some cases. My legs were a little flat but loosened up midway through the run to keep the pace comfortable. After the run, the soaking wet clothes were immediately hung over the shower door to drip dry.
Rain should clear with temps in the 70s toward the end of the week. Good. I would love to see the sun again sometime in my lifetime.
March 29 - 5 Mile Run & 2000 Meter Swim in PM
PM Workout #1: 5 Mile Run - Easy Pace
Course: South Ave (slightly hilly)
Time: 46:26 (9:17 min/mile pace)
Weather: 53F, Light Rain, Moderate Wind
A nice and easy run designed to gear for tomorrow. 13 total miles of running are done in the first day of the week. Not bad.
----------
PM Workout #2: 2000 Meter Swim
1x500 Warmup
10x100 paddles (right breathing, left breathing, bilateral drills)
5x100 bilateral breathing swims (no paddles)
----------
2000 Meters Total
This was a nice, easy swim designed to improve breathing on both sides and enhance symmetry of my freestyle stroke. The swim this week is pretty easy, so I did put a little effort into the paddles, but not much to tax me significantly. All in all, a good workout.
Course: South Ave (slightly hilly)
Time: 46:26 (9:17 min/mile pace)
Weather: 53F, Light Rain, Moderate Wind
A nice and easy run designed to gear for tomorrow. 13 total miles of running are done in the first day of the week. Not bad.
----------
PM Workout #2: 2000 Meter Swim
1x500 Warmup
10x100 paddles (right breathing, left breathing, bilateral drills)
5x100 bilateral breathing swims (no paddles)
----------
2000 Meters Total
This was a nice, easy swim designed to improve breathing on both sides and enhance symmetry of my freestyle stroke. The swim this week is pretty easy, so I did put a little effort into the paddles, but not much to tax me significantly. All in all, a good workout.
Monday, March 29, 2010
March 29 - 8 Miles Running in Morning
AM Workout: 8 easy miles
Course: Victory Blvd. Easy (moderately hilly)
Time: 1:11:04 (8:53 min/mile pace)
Weather: Cloudy/Light Drizzle - 50F
If there ever was a time to start off the week and the mesocycle right, it has to be on the first day. Somehow that first session seems to set the stage for the rest of the mesocycle.
And this turned out to be a good start. This course used to be problematic 2 months ago with the hills. Now the hills really don't bother me much. It was a very comfortable pace. At the end, I felt that I could have done more. Perfect pace, perfect session!
Course: Victory Blvd. Easy (moderately hilly)
Time: 1:11:04 (8:53 min/mile pace)
Weather: Cloudy/Light Drizzle - 50F
If there ever was a time to start off the week and the mesocycle right, it has to be on the first day. Somehow that first session seems to set the stage for the rest of the mesocycle.
And this turned out to be a good start. This course used to be problematic 2 months ago with the hills. Now the hills really don't bother me much. It was a very comfortable pace. At the end, I felt that I could have done more. Perfect pace, perfect session!
Week of March 29 to April 4 - Lots of Running to Do!
First Week of the Second Build Mesocycle.
70 miles of running slated for this week. Awesome! Will my legs hold up?
The volume itself tells me that the endurance racing season is just around the corner. Time to really kick it into gear now for these mesocycles are the most important in building endurance for the types of races that I do, which is ultras and triathlons.
I feel focused to the task.
The bike and swim are still being done this week, but the volume is reduced significantly to focus on the run. The tallies for all 3 disciplines are thus:
6000 meters of swimming
60 miles of cycling (now outside)
70 miles of running
The Key Workouts are one swim, one bike, and two run. Here they are:
Swim: 2x1000 meter swims with 1 minute rest in between sets (hard endurance akin to a triathlon swim)
Bike: 15 miles at Anaerobic Threshold (Zone 3 - very hard) at Great Kills Park (time to Time Trial, I love these!)
Run: 10 miles Zone 2 Intense Aerobic Run to Bayonne and Back (throwing some hills in, oh baby!)
Run: 20 miles Zone 1 Ultra Format Run (either on Boardwalk or on D & R Canal Towpath, depending on schedule; both are flat courses).
(Ultra Format is roughly 2 minutes of walking after every 8 minutes of running, the ideal way to run ultra distances)
Let the training begin!
70 miles of running slated for this week. Awesome! Will my legs hold up?
The volume itself tells me that the endurance racing season is just around the corner. Time to really kick it into gear now for these mesocycles are the most important in building endurance for the types of races that I do, which is ultras and triathlons.
I feel focused to the task.
The bike and swim are still being done this week, but the volume is reduced significantly to focus on the run. The tallies for all 3 disciplines are thus:
6000 meters of swimming
60 miles of cycling (now outside)
70 miles of running
The Key Workouts are one swim, one bike, and two run. Here they are:
Swim: 2x1000 meter swims with 1 minute rest in between sets (hard endurance akin to a triathlon swim)
Bike: 15 miles at Anaerobic Threshold (Zone 3 - very hard) at Great Kills Park (time to Time Trial, I love these!)
Run: 10 miles Zone 2 Intense Aerobic Run to Bayonne and Back (throwing some hills in, oh baby!)
Run: 20 miles Zone 1 Ultra Format Run (either on Boardwalk or on D & R Canal Towpath, depending on schedule; both are flat courses).
(Ultra Format is roughly 2 minutes of walking after every 8 minutes of running, the ideal way to run ultra distances)
Let the training begin!
March 29 - April 25 - Second Build Mesocycle
Some charts now, explanation below:
Before I go into the second build mesocycle, I want to apologize for not placing my training on this blog for the past 2 weeks. Sometimes I am called away on business which consumes me and the blog suffers for it. I'm still in the experimental stage with this blog, so there will be "glitches" or "gaps" here from time to time. I've recently connected my blog over to my mobile phone in case I get called away again; this way I can "text" over a brief message about my training. The texting will be very brief and basic as compared to the more detailed posts but at least I will have at least public record of it on the blog instead of nothing. Lastly, regarding the 2 weeks I had training, I had done very well on the run, but suffered a little on the bike and on the swim. I couldn't bring my bike on my travels and the only pool that was available was very small and very crowded.
I did very well on the last mesocycle. My running is doing very well, and the bike and swim are supporting it nicely. But now it's time to start focusing on the 100 mile ultramarathon in July.
The next 4 week mesocycle will be the Second Build, and it's designed to hone in on the running. Again, there will be 3 very active weeks and 1 week of recovery at the end. Unlike the First Build, where the each of the 3 active weeks was focused on one discipline of triathlon (1 week for swim, 1 week for bike, 1 week for run), the Second Build will focus two weeks on running, 1 week on both the swim and bike, and 1 week of recovery. In essence, I'm bringing the run to the forefront of my training. The swim and bike will be supporters of the run. In several months I'll focus more on the swim and bike when my 100 mile ultramarathon is done.
The charts take advantage of 70 miles of running on the first week and 80 miles of running in the third week. It's an ambitious challenge and I'll be happy if I can get 90% of the mileage done. If I feel that my body is breaking down too much I will lower the volume to accommodate. I'm hoping that the 2nd week will give me adequate rest to gird for the 80 miles in the 3rd week. Again, I need to state that these are ambitious figures and that there's a good chance that I might not reach my target. It is my philosophy to try to push the envelope in your training to see how much your body can tolerate. And this means either by speed, if you're a sprinter, or volume, if you're an endurance athlete. Yes, there is a chance of a breakdown, but there are always warning signs before that happens.
The 4th week, as always, is a recovery week with mileage in all disciplines down.
So here we go!
Before I go into the second build mesocycle, I want to apologize for not placing my training on this blog for the past 2 weeks. Sometimes I am called away on business which consumes me and the blog suffers for it. I'm still in the experimental stage with this blog, so there will be "glitches" or "gaps" here from time to time. I've recently connected my blog over to my mobile phone in case I get called away again; this way I can "text" over a brief message about my training. The texting will be very brief and basic as compared to the more detailed posts but at least I will have at least public record of it on the blog instead of nothing. Lastly, regarding the 2 weeks I had training, I had done very well on the run, but suffered a little on the bike and on the swim. I couldn't bring my bike on my travels and the only pool that was available was very small and very crowded.
I did very well on the last mesocycle. My running is doing very well, and the bike and swim are supporting it nicely. But now it's time to start focusing on the 100 mile ultramarathon in July.
The next 4 week mesocycle will be the Second Build, and it's designed to hone in on the running. Again, there will be 3 very active weeks and 1 week of recovery at the end. Unlike the First Build, where the each of the 3 active weeks was focused on one discipline of triathlon (1 week for swim, 1 week for bike, 1 week for run), the Second Build will focus two weeks on running, 1 week on both the swim and bike, and 1 week of recovery. In essence, I'm bringing the run to the forefront of my training. The swim and bike will be supporters of the run. In several months I'll focus more on the swim and bike when my 100 mile ultramarathon is done.
The charts take advantage of 70 miles of running on the first week and 80 miles of running in the third week. It's an ambitious challenge and I'll be happy if I can get 90% of the mileage done. If I feel that my body is breaking down too much I will lower the volume to accommodate. I'm hoping that the 2nd week will give me adequate rest to gird for the 80 miles in the 3rd week. Again, I need to state that these are ambitious figures and that there's a good chance that I might not reach my target. It is my philosophy to try to push the envelope in your training to see how much your body can tolerate. And this means either by speed, if you're a sprinter, or volume, if you're an endurance athlete. Yes, there is a chance of a breakdown, but there are always warning signs before that happens.
The 4th week, as always, is a recovery week with mileage in all disciplines down.
So here we go!
Monday, March 22, 2010
March 16 - 10 Mile Run w/ Camelbak
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT: 10 Mile Run
Course: Staten Island to Journal Square (Jersey City PATH Train to NYC, moderately hilly)
Time: 1:18:46 (7:53 min/mile pace)
I had a meeting in NYC today. I mentioned that in a previous post but I had the date wrong. It was today, not yesterday.
With a change of clothes needed I took my Camelbak with me. I was really interested on how fast I can be with the Camelbak on today.
Well, I'm very pleased with the result. I went significantly under 8 minutes per mile and I felt great! The Camelbak never hindered me at all, just like always.
Tomorrow is a travel day. I'm not sure if I have internet access where I'm going, but I'll catch up when I get back.
(Key Workout 1 of 4 done)
KEY WORKOUT: 10 Mile Run
Course: Staten Island to Journal Square (Jersey City PATH Train to NYC, moderately hilly)
Time: 1:18:46 (7:53 min/mile pace)
I had a meeting in NYC today. I mentioned that in a previous post but I had the date wrong. It was today, not yesterday.
With a change of clothes needed I took my Camelbak with me. I was really interested on how fast I can be with the Camelbak on today.
Well, I'm very pleased with the result. I went significantly under 8 minutes per mile and I felt great! The Camelbak never hindered me at all, just like always.
Tomorrow is a travel day. I'm not sure if I have internet access where I'm going, but I'll catch up when I get back.
(Key Workout 1 of 4 done)
March 15 - 3000 Meter Easy Swim
AM Workout: 3000 Meter Swim
4x200 Warmup
10x100 Easier Paced Individual Medleys with 45 seconds rest in between the reps
8x100 fin kicks (butterfly, back, breast, free) - untimed drills
4x100 snorkels
-----------
3000m total
I took off a little speed from the IMs to concentrate on my hand placement on each of the strokes. Most of the sets were done at around 1:40 (the harder IMs done earlier this month were around 1:32)
The fin kicks worked on my kick efficiency. And the snorkels worked on symmetry. I felt good after this workout; I was not tired at all.
4x200 Warmup
10x100 Easier Paced Individual Medleys with 45 seconds rest in between the reps
8x100 fin kicks (butterfly, back, breast, free) - untimed drills
4x100 snorkels
-----------
3000m total
I took off a little speed from the IMs to concentrate on my hand placement on each of the strokes. Most of the sets were done at around 1:40 (the harder IMs done earlier this month were around 1:32)
The fin kicks worked on my kick efficiency. And the snorkels worked on symmetry. I felt good after this workout; I was not tired at all.
Week of March 15-21 - Change of Plan - Need to Travel
Like everything else, life gets in the way. That's OK. My principles of training don't forget about the unexpected things that might be thrown my way. And don't forget that the training volume that I set is what I hopeto do in a week. Sometimes I don't achieve that goal. That's where feedback comes in. If life gets in the way or I start to overtrain, then I scale back the numbers for the next mesocycle.
So here I'm presented with a travel date from Wednesday to Saturday. I can probably only run during those times. Therefore, a modification of my mesocycle needs to take place.
Tomorrow will be a 10 mile run from Staten Island to Journal Square. That was originally on the schedule and will still be there. I plan to keep the other key workout, the 15 mile ultra-style run, on Sunday. The rest of the week will be a short active rest consisting of daily runs within the 4 to 7 mile range. This shorter rest period will be brought forth from the 4th week recovery week the next week. I will do a couple of harder workouts within the 4th week, but will end the week with another rest period before the next Mesocycle begins to get a good recovery.
Sound confusing? Well, to keep it simple, I'm taking a whole week of active rest and splitting them into 2 smaller periods. That should make it clear.
The 2 runs mentioned above are 2 Key Workouts. The last two, a bike and swim, will happen next week.
Here goes...
So here I'm presented with a travel date from Wednesday to Saturday. I can probably only run during those times. Therefore, a modification of my mesocycle needs to take place.
Tomorrow will be a 10 mile run from Staten Island to Journal Square. That was originally on the schedule and will still be there. I plan to keep the other key workout, the 15 mile ultra-style run, on Sunday. The rest of the week will be a short active rest consisting of daily runs within the 4 to 7 mile range. This shorter rest period will be brought forth from the 4th week recovery week the next week. I will do a couple of harder workouts within the 4th week, but will end the week with another rest period before the next Mesocycle begins to get a good recovery.
Sound confusing? Well, to keep it simple, I'm taking a whole week of active rest and splitting them into 2 smaller periods. That should make it clear.
The 2 runs mentioned above are 2 Key Workouts. The last two, a bike and swim, will happen next week.
Here goes...
Monday, March 15, 2010
March 14 - Wild Weather and Work - Holy Crap
Wow, what a heck of a storm. The winds actually roared as if a hurricane came through. I got up as if to run and found it very, very windy out there. So windy that trees are down and 26,000 people had blackouts. One of the large trees in my neighborhood was toppled in this storm. In all, the city is officially stating that the calls to 911 actually topped that of the September 11 attacks. Here are some pictures of the aftermath of the storm. These pictures are courtesy of the Staten Island Advance:
This is one of my running routes in Clove Lakes Park. I ran in the park yesterday morning:
I decided to bag the run due to safety reasons and proceeded to work with my father on a project today. I also intended to get an easy ride in today also, but we wound up working all day. Well, life does intend to intrude on the best of plans. At least I got all of my Key Workouts done. For this week, I finished 7000 meters of swimming, 70 miles of cycling, and 28 miles of running. The running mileage stings a bit, especially when I have to do 60 miles of running this upcoming week.
I'll get the new week posted as soon as I can. Have patience; I need to catch up on things today. :-)
This is one of my running routes in Clove Lakes Park. I ran in the park yesterday morning:
I decided to bag the run due to safety reasons and proceeded to work with my father on a project today. I also intended to get an easy ride in today also, but we wound up working all day. Well, life does intend to intrude on the best of plans. At least I got all of my Key Workouts done. For this week, I finished 7000 meters of swimming, 70 miles of cycling, and 28 miles of running. The running mileage stings a bit, especially when I have to do 60 miles of running this upcoming week.
I'll get the new week posted as soon as I can. Have patience; I need to catch up on things today. :-)
March 13: Key Workout: 30 Mile Bike on Computrainer
PM Workout:
Key Workout: 30 Mile Bike on Computrainer
Time: 1:33:11
MPH: 19.3
Watts: 210
Not a bad way to end the week, a great workout. Felt powerful throughout the workout. The effects of the run this morning didn't affect my bike today.
The weather is acting pretty wild today, with the winds picking up seriously. I'm not sure if I can get a run in the PM, although I will try.
(Key Workout 4 of 4 done).
Key Workout: 30 Mile Bike on Computrainer
Time: 1:33:11
MPH: 19.3
Watts: 210
Not a bad way to end the week, a great workout. Felt powerful throughout the workout. The effects of the run this morning didn't affect my bike today.
The weather is acting pretty wild today, with the winds picking up seriously. I'm not sure if I can get a run in the PM, although I will try.
(Key Workout 4 of 4 done).
Saturday, March 13, 2010
March 13 - AM: Fun Run at Clove Lakes Park
AM Workout: 1 Mile Warmup, then a 3 mile Fun Run (Staten Island Athletic Club) at Clove Lakes Park.
Time for Fun Run: 22:45 (7:35 min/mile pace)
Weather: Heavy Rain, 42F, Heavy Winds
Why I choose a raw, ugly day like this to go out to Clove Lakes Park and do a Fun Run is a question that I can never answer. But heck, I decided to go despite the high winds and heavy rain that no sane person would venture out into.
But I encountered about 11-12 other "insane" people from the Staten Island Athletic Club and the Richmond Rockets who dared the elements to go out for the Fun Run. And so at 9AM, our intrepid group started the run to see what we can do in this weather.
I didn't have a hard run slated for today, so I decided to run a competitive pace, but well within myself. I didn't want to bust a gut today. I started out at a nice steady pace and started building on it after the first mile. The second mile was right into the teeth of the wind, so the trick is to get tight and cut through the wind with as little effort as possible. Going into the third mile, with the wind at my back, I felt really great. I was quite surprised that I finished at 22:45 because it really didn't feel like I gave that much of an effort. It's all the more to assume that I'm getting more and more fit. Yeah, I like that assessment! :-)
With the warmup I'm recording 4 miles down in the log.
Time for Fun Run: 22:45 (7:35 min/mile pace)
Weather: Heavy Rain, 42F, Heavy Winds
Why I choose a raw, ugly day like this to go out to Clove Lakes Park and do a Fun Run is a question that I can never answer. But heck, I decided to go despite the high winds and heavy rain that no sane person would venture out into.
But I encountered about 11-12 other "insane" people from the Staten Island Athletic Club and the Richmond Rockets who dared the elements to go out for the Fun Run. And so at 9AM, our intrepid group started the run to see what we can do in this weather.
I didn't have a hard run slated for today, so I decided to run a competitive pace, but well within myself. I didn't want to bust a gut today. I started out at a nice steady pace and started building on it after the first mile. The second mile was right into the teeth of the wind, so the trick is to get tight and cut through the wind with as little effort as possible. Going into the third mile, with the wind at my back, I felt really great. I was quite surprised that I finished at 22:45 because it really didn't feel like I gave that much of an effort. It's all the more to assume that I'm getting more and more fit. Yeah, I like that assessment! :-)
With the warmup I'm recording 4 miles down in the log.
Friday, March 12, 2010
March 12 - 8 Mile Intense Boardwalk Run
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT: 8 Mile Zone 2 Intense Aerobic Run
Course: Boardwalk (flat)
Total Time: 1:03:57 (slightly less than 8:00 min/mile)
Weather: Light Rain, 45F, Moderate Winds
If you looked my schedule at the beginning of the week, it mentioned that I was supposed to do a hillier course (Victory East) than what I did today. True, but here's where "it's a long story" comes in.
First, I decided late last night that I wanted to get a trail run in before the government steps in and robs my morning daylight from me this weekend (Daylight Savings Time switch over). OK, fine then. I drive on over to the extremely hilly Greenbelt Blue Trail entrance, park my car, and start running. About 2 minutes into the run, the watch dies on me. I train on trails a different way, I go by time instead of distance, because it is not easy to measure a trail. I use Gmaps Pedometer to measure the roads; that tool doesn't work on trails. Since my "time indicator", my watch, died, there is no way for me to know when to turn around, so I walked back to the car, defeated.
That was when the idea for running on the Boardwalk dawned on me. It was only a 5 minute drive from where I was to the Boardwalk, and I already had the course measured. All I had to do is start the stopwatch on my cell phone, leave the phone in the car, run the 8 miles, then turn it off when I finished.
It worked like a charm. I got my hard 8 miles in, and I'm a happy man once again. And even happier since my pace was under 8 minutes per mile again. The weather was deteriorating as the run progressed, but not much to affect my pacing or my time.
I might or might not do a second run tonight. I'll decide on it when the day progresses.
(Key Workout 3 of 4 done).
KEY WORKOUT: 8 Mile Zone 2 Intense Aerobic Run
Course: Boardwalk (flat)
Total Time: 1:03:57 (slightly less than 8:00 min/mile)
Weather: Light Rain, 45F, Moderate Winds
If you looked my schedule at the beginning of the week, it mentioned that I was supposed to do a hillier course (Victory East) than what I did today. True, but here's where "it's a long story" comes in.
First, I decided late last night that I wanted to get a trail run in before the government steps in and robs my morning daylight from me this weekend (Daylight Savings Time switch over). OK, fine then. I drive on over to the extremely hilly Greenbelt Blue Trail entrance, park my car, and start running. About 2 minutes into the run, the watch dies on me. I train on trails a different way, I go by time instead of distance, because it is not easy to measure a trail. I use Gmaps Pedometer to measure the roads; that tool doesn't work on trails. Since my "time indicator", my watch, died, there is no way for me to know when to turn around, so I walked back to the car, defeated.
That was when the idea for running on the Boardwalk dawned on me. It was only a 5 minute drive from where I was to the Boardwalk, and I already had the course measured. All I had to do is start the stopwatch on my cell phone, leave the phone in the car, run the 8 miles, then turn it off when I finished.
It worked like a charm. I got my hard 8 miles in, and I'm a happy man once again. And even happier since my pace was under 8 minutes per mile again. The weather was deteriorating as the run progressed, but not much to affect my pacing or my time.
I might or might not do a second run tonight. I'll decide on it when the day progresses.
(Key Workout 3 of 4 done).
March 11 - Completing the Triple - 20 Mile Bike and 1900 Meter Swim
PM Workout #1: 20 Mile Bike on Computrainer
Course: First 20 miles of Columbia Course.
Total Time: 1:17:33
MPH 15.5
Watts - 151
After the easy 5 mile run this morning, and some of the other work that had to get done today, I found myself training lightly on Computrainer. This was an easy ride, designed to get ready for the hard 8 mile run tomorrow.
---------------------
PM Workout #2 - 1900 Meter Swim
1x500 warmup
1x100 Easy Paced Freestyle w/ Fins
4x100 snorkels, easy, untimed
--------
1900m swim total
I had to debate whether to do this workout today. Not because I was tired, but whether I wanted to finish my weekly mileage in the swim this early. Three days without swimming (Monday would be the next time I would swim) is a bit of a stretch, but I decided to do it anyway. The ideal time would have been Friday night, but the pool is closed early, and Saturday and Sunday mornings would be tough to put in because it would interfere with my running and cycling. In addition, if I didn't swim, I would have to run instead, and I wanted to save my legs for tomorrow's hard run. So it would be in the best interest to finish the weekly swim distance off tonight.
As stated, this was real easy to do. The theme here was to smoothen out my stroke over a set distance, and that I did easily yesterday in the 1000 meter set.
I did the triple (run in the AM, bike and swim in the PM). For the week, I am done swimming. 7000m worth. Bike and run weekly totals are getting there. Hard run tomorrow, Hard bike either Saturday or Sunday. And a REALLY tough week shaping up for next week.
Course: First 20 miles of Columbia Course.
Total Time: 1:17:33
MPH 15.5
Watts - 151
After the easy 5 mile run this morning, and some of the other work that had to get done today, I found myself training lightly on Computrainer. This was an easy ride, designed to get ready for the hard 8 mile run tomorrow.
---------------------
PM Workout #2 - 1900 Meter Swim
1x500 warmup
1x100 Easy Paced Freestyle w/ Fins
4x100 snorkels, easy, untimed
--------
1900m swim total
I had to debate whether to do this workout today. Not because I was tired, but whether I wanted to finish my weekly mileage in the swim this early. Three days without swimming (Monday would be the next time I would swim) is a bit of a stretch, but I decided to do it anyway. The ideal time would have been Friday night, but the pool is closed early, and Saturday and Sunday mornings would be tough to put in because it would interfere with my running and cycling. In addition, if I didn't swim, I would have to run instead, and I wanted to save my legs for tomorrow's hard run. So it would be in the best interest to finish the weekly swim distance off tonight.
As stated, this was real easy to do. The theme here was to smoothen out my stroke over a set distance, and that I did easily yesterday in the 1000 meter set.
I did the triple (run in the AM, bike and swim in the PM). For the week, I am done swimming. 7000m worth. Bike and run weekly totals are getting there. Hard run tomorrow, Hard bike either Saturday or Sunday. And a REALLY tough week shaping up for next week.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
March 11 - Pleasant 5 Mile Run
AM Workout: 5 Mile Run
Course: South Avenue (slightly hilly)
Time: 46:55 (9:23 min/mile pace)
Weather: Cloudy, 43F, Light Winds
Woke up a bit weak today. Knowing that I did 2 Key Workouts yesterday, today is the day to relax and take it easy. This little run helped a lot. Going at an easy pace, the run served well to energize my day, especially when waking up with the blahs.
Course: South Avenue (slightly hilly)
Time: 46:55 (9:23 min/mile pace)
Weather: Cloudy, 43F, Light Winds
Woke up a bit weak today. Knowing that I did 2 Key Workouts yesterday, today is the day to relax and take it easy. This little run helped a lot. Going at an easy pace, the run served well to energize my day, especially when waking up with the blahs.
March 10 - Two Key Workouts Done Today - 3100 Meter Swim & 20 Mile Bike
The decision to go for two tough sessions today was made on the fly...after the swim I felt I was still strong enough for the hard bike session. The basis for doing 2 Key Workouts today was to get my hard run in on Friday instead of Saturday. Next week's schedule focuses on the run and I want to make sure my legs are well rested for the challenge come Monday.
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT: 3100 meter swim
1x800 warmup
8x200 meter swim set with 30 seconds rest in between each rep.
5x100 easy swims with snorkels
1x100 all out sprint
1x100 warmdown
------------------
3100 total meters
Result of 8x200 - 2:48, 2:48, 2:49, 2:49, 2:48, 2:46, 2:46, 2:45. Good strong set, negative splitting on the last half.
Result of 1x100 - 1:12. Stroke wasn't clicking, probably because I was tired from the 200s. Still, a decent time.
(Key Workout 1 of 4 done)
------------------------------------
PM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT: 20 mile bike
Course: Ironman New Zealand on Computrainer
Time: 58.32
MPH - 20.5
Watts - 216
I'm still seeing the overall power (watts) increase over the past 2 weeks. It shows concrete evidence that my legs are getting ever stronger, both on the bike and the run.
(Key Workout 2 of 4 done)
AM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT: 3100 meter swim
1x800 warmup
8x200 meter swim set with 30 seconds rest in between each rep.
5x100 easy swims with snorkels
1x100 all out sprint
1x100 warmdown
------------------
3100 total meters
Result of 8x200 - 2:48, 2:48, 2:49, 2:49, 2:48, 2:46, 2:46, 2:45. Good strong set, negative splitting on the last half.
Result of 1x100 - 1:12. Stroke wasn't clicking, probably because I was tired from the 200s. Still, a decent time.
(Key Workout 1 of 4 done)
------------------------------------
PM Workout:
KEY WORKOUT: 20 mile bike
Course: Ironman New Zealand on Computrainer
Time: 58.32
MPH - 20.5
Watts - 216
I'm still seeing the overall power (watts) increase over the past 2 weeks. It shows concrete evidence that my legs are getting ever stronger, both on the bike and the run.
(Key Workout 2 of 4 done)
Monday, March 8, 2010
March 8 - 10 Mile Run and 2000 Meter Swim
AM Workout: 2000 Meter Swim
1x500 Warmup
10x100 Paddles Alt Breathing Left, Right
5x100 Bilateral Breathing
--------------
200 Meters Total
This was an easy session designed to promote breathing on both sides. This in turn strengthens symmetry and a stronger stroke.
--------------------------
PM Workout: !0 Mile Run
Course: From Journal Square (Jersey City) to Staten Island (over Bayonne Bridge)
Time: 1:32:42
Weather: 54F, Sunny, Moderate Winds
I decided to put this run in the afternoon, coming home from business done in Manhattan instead of going toward Manhattan in the morning to take advantage of the mild temps in the afternoon and run in shorts. I had stomach problems at the midpoint of the run and had to duck into a bathroom in a nearby park to heed nature's call. All was settled down afterwards and finished nicely.
I'm a bit tired after the run. I haven't decided yet whether to do a key workout tomorrow; it'll depend on how I wake up tomorrow morning.
1x500 Warmup
10x100 Paddles Alt Breathing Left, Right
5x100 Bilateral Breathing
--------------
200 Meters Total
This was an easy session designed to promote breathing on both sides. This in turn strengthens symmetry and a stronger stroke.
--------------------------
PM Workout: !0 Mile Run
Course: From Journal Square (Jersey City) to Staten Island (over Bayonne Bridge)
Time: 1:32:42
Weather: 54F, Sunny, Moderate Winds
I decided to put this run in the afternoon, coming home from business done in Manhattan instead of going toward Manhattan in the morning to take advantage of the mild temps in the afternoon and run in shorts. I had stomach problems at the midpoint of the run and had to duck into a bathroom in a nearby park to heed nature's call. All was settled down afterwards and finished nicely.
I'm a bit tired after the run. I haven't decided yet whether to do a key workout tomorrow; it'll depend on how I wake up tomorrow morning.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Week of March 8-14: Focus is on the Bike
First Week of the First Build is Successful. Let's go for 2!
The focus for this week is the bike, with 100 miles to do. If the weather actually warms up, I might try to venture outside for some real riding. I will be doing some work on the bike to make it road worthy and safe.
The distances for this week is 7000 meters of swimming, 100 miles of cycling, and 40 miles of running.
There will be 2 key workouts on the bike, with 1 on the swim and 1 on the run.
Key Workout #1: Swim Set 8x200 meters with 30 seconds rest in between reps
Key Workout #2: Bike - 30 miles intense aerobic on Computrainer - Ironman New Zealand
Key Workout #3: Bike - 20 miles intense aerobic on Computrainer - Ironman Canada
Key Workout #4: Run - 8 miles intense aerobic - Victory East Course (hilly)
Tomorrow is a unique start. As I have to do some business in Manhattan, I'll be starting off tomorrow with an easy paced 10 mile run through Bayonne to Journal Square (I'll be taking the Path train to NYC). I will be wearing a Camelbak on this run so that I can change into my dry clothes when I arrive in Manhattan.
Week two of the Build starts...
The focus for this week is the bike, with 100 miles to do. If the weather actually warms up, I might try to venture outside for some real riding. I will be doing some work on the bike to make it road worthy and safe.
The distances for this week is 7000 meters of swimming, 100 miles of cycling, and 40 miles of running.
There will be 2 key workouts on the bike, with 1 on the swim and 1 on the run.
Key Workout #1: Swim Set 8x200 meters with 30 seconds rest in between reps
Key Workout #2: Bike - 30 miles intense aerobic on Computrainer - Ironman New Zealand
Key Workout #3: Bike - 20 miles intense aerobic on Computrainer - Ironman Canada
Key Workout #4: Run - 8 miles intense aerobic - Victory East Course (hilly)
Tomorrow is a unique start. As I have to do some business in Manhattan, I'll be starting off tomorrow with an easy paced 10 mile run through Bayonne to Journal Square (I'll be taking the Path train to NYC). I will be wearing a Camelbak on this run so that I can change into my dry clothes when I arrive in Manhattan.
Week two of the Build starts...
March 7 - Completed Week! Summarizing
AM Workout 1: 8 mile run - easy
Course: Mall Run
Time: 1:16:24
Weather: 42F, Clear, Light Winds
Legs were pretty tight on this run. It was very pleasant with few cars out on a Sunday morning. I wish other days were this serene.
--------------
AM Workout 2: 4 mile run - easy
Course: College Ave Run
Time: 35:37
Weather: 50F, Sunny, Light Winds
Spring is in the air. I decided on this route to catch a glimpse of Staten Island's St. Patty Day parade. I could have actually marched in the parade with a group but I decided to take a pass. Finished 50 miles for this week on the run
--------------
PM Workout: 20 mile bike - easy
Course: Wildflower
Time: 1:12:46
MPH - 16.5
Watts - 165
Can't think of a better way of finishing a great week than having very loose legs on the bike. This was a real enjoyable ride on the Computrainer.
DONE! Total tallies of all disciplines for the week of 3/1 to 3/8 - 10200 meters of swimming, 70 miles of cycling, 50 miles of running. Lost 5 pounds in the process too.
I will be posting next week's schedule shortly.
Course: Mall Run
Time: 1:16:24
Weather: 42F, Clear, Light Winds
Legs were pretty tight on this run. It was very pleasant with few cars out on a Sunday morning. I wish other days were this serene.
--------------
AM Workout 2: 4 mile run - easy
Course: College Ave Run
Time: 35:37
Weather: 50F, Sunny, Light Winds
Spring is in the air. I decided on this route to catch a glimpse of Staten Island's St. Patty Day parade. I could have actually marched in the parade with a group but I decided to take a pass. Finished 50 miles for this week on the run
--------------
PM Workout: 20 mile bike - easy
Course: Wildflower
Time: 1:12:46
MPH - 16.5
Watts - 165
Can't think of a better way of finishing a great week than having very loose legs on the bike. This was a real enjoyable ride on the Computrainer.
DONE! Total tallies of all disciplines for the week of 3/1 to 3/8 - 10200 meters of swimming, 70 miles of cycling, 50 miles of running. Lost 5 pounds in the process too.
I will be posting next week's schedule shortly.
March 6 - Easy 6 Mile Run - Catching Up
PM Workout: 6 Mile Run
Course: South Avenue
Total Time: 59:30 (9:55 min/mile pace)
Weather: 49F, Clear, Light Winds
I took this run very easy knowing that I needed to do two runs tomorrow totalling 12 miles to complete the week. Legs a bit tight, but that didn't stop me. :-)
Tomorrow is going to be a strange day. Two runs and a bike. All easy.
Course: South Avenue
Total Time: 59:30 (9:55 min/mile pace)
Weather: 49F, Clear, Light Winds
I took this run very easy knowing that I needed to do two runs tomorrow totalling 12 miles to complete the week. Legs a bit tight, but that didn't stop me. :-)
Tomorrow is going to be a strange day. Two runs and a bike. All easy.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
March 6 - Swim Distance Set Destroyed! 3200 Meters in 50:40!
AM Workout:
Key Workout: 4100 meters total
4x200 Warmup Set
1x3200 Meters Distance Set - Nonstop
1x100 Warmdown
-------------
4100 Meters Total
3200 Meter Distance Set Done in 50:40.
I half-expected this to be around 53-55 minutes. Yes, I counted the laps right; I almost never miss counting laps when it comes to the long distances. But with an uneasy sleep, some stiff legs from yesterday's runs, and, when getting to the pool, having the shoulders feel very tight from the get-go, I felt I was the lamb getting led to slaughter when warming up today.
When finally this set started, I made sure I took it easy, because my shoulders were just very tight. After about 500 meters, I gradually realized that my shoulders were finally starting to loosen up and that I could swim better. It wasn't until the second half of the distance set that I finally have my swimming arms back and was swimming comfortably in the water. I started picking up the pace at that moment.
I finished really strong. Upon seeing my time, I was very pleasantly surprised; my swim is now considered competitive again! If I swam at this pace for 2.4 miles (the distance in the Ironman swim), I would have theoretically finished at 1:00:48! It's still a bit slower than my all time record of 52:03, but at least I can now swim with the big boys again!
I'm ready to do some local triathlons now, where is the race schedule? :-)
(Key Workout 4 of 4 done this week)
Key Workout: 4100 meters total
4x200 Warmup Set
1x3200 Meters Distance Set - Nonstop
1x100 Warmdown
-------------
4100 Meters Total
3200 Meter Distance Set Done in 50:40.
I half-expected this to be around 53-55 minutes. Yes, I counted the laps right; I almost never miss counting laps when it comes to the long distances. But with an uneasy sleep, some stiff legs from yesterday's runs, and, when getting to the pool, having the shoulders feel very tight from the get-go, I felt I was the lamb getting led to slaughter when warming up today.
When finally this set started, I made sure I took it easy, because my shoulders were just very tight. After about 500 meters, I gradually realized that my shoulders were finally starting to loosen up and that I could swim better. It wasn't until the second half of the distance set that I finally have my swimming arms back and was swimming comfortably in the water. I started picking up the pace at that moment.
I finished really strong. Upon seeing my time, I was very pleasantly surprised; my swim is now considered competitive again! If I swam at this pace for 2.4 miles (the distance in the Ironman swim), I would have theoretically finished at 1:00:48! It's still a bit slower than my all time record of 52:03, but at least I can now swim with the big boys again!
I'm ready to do some local triathlons now, where is the race schedule? :-)
(Key Workout 4 of 4 done this week)
Friday, March 5, 2010
March 5 - A Second Run - 6 Miles
PM Workout: 6 mile easy paced run
Course: Travis
Time: 54:22 (9:04 min/mile)
Weather: Clear, 42F, Light Winds
After getting some work done I ventured out to do another run in the afternoon. This time, it was an easy paced run. The legs were a bit stiff from the tough 10 mile run in the morning. Still, they loosened up quite nicely and finished refreshed.
Tomorrow is the tough 3200 meter swim distance set (nonstop). I'm sleeping early tonight.
Course: Travis
Time: 54:22 (9:04 min/mile)
Weather: Clear, 42F, Light Winds
After getting some work done I ventured out to do another run in the afternoon. This time, it was an easy paced run. The legs were a bit stiff from the tough 10 mile run in the morning. Still, they loosened up quite nicely and finished refreshed.
Tomorrow is the tough 3200 meter swim distance set (nonstop). I'm sleeping early tonight.
March 5 - Key Workout - 10 Mile Run, Coming Along Nicely
AM Workout:
Key Workout: 10 Mile Distance Run Intense Aerobic (Zone 2)
Course: Mall Run (slightly hilly)
Time: 1:20:19 (8:02 min/mile pace)
Weather: Cloudy, 37F, Light Winds
With the rest day yesterday I decided I was strong enough to tackle the toughest run workout this week. I had some breathing problems in the beginning, due to some congestion in my airways, but things stabilized and felt pretty good in the second half of the run. The 8 minute miles are pretty legitimate now, since I'm now clocking them consistently on these tough runs.
As for the week, with the impromptu day off yesterday, I am just a little behind on finishing everything by Sunday. I should be OK though because the only tough workout left on my list is the swim distance set; that should be done tomorrow morning if everything is OK. I've done 6000 meters of swimming, 50 miles of cycling, and 26 miles of running so far this week. I shouldn't have any reason finishing them all up by Sunday.
(Key Workout #3 of 4 done this week)
Key Workout: 10 Mile Distance Run Intense Aerobic (Zone 2)
Course: Mall Run (slightly hilly)
Time: 1:20:19 (8:02 min/mile pace)
Weather: Cloudy, 37F, Light Winds
With the rest day yesterday I decided I was strong enough to tackle the toughest run workout this week. I had some breathing problems in the beginning, due to some congestion in my airways, but things stabilized and felt pretty good in the second half of the run. The 8 minute miles are pretty legitimate now, since I'm now clocking them consistently on these tough runs.
As for the week, with the impromptu day off yesterday, I am just a little behind on finishing everything by Sunday. I should be OK though because the only tough workout left on my list is the swim distance set; that should be done tomorrow morning if everything is OK. I've done 6000 meters of swimming, 50 miles of cycling, and 26 miles of running so far this week. I shouldn't have any reason finishing them all up by Sunday.
(Key Workout #3 of 4 done this week)
March 3 - 1500 meters easy swimming
PM Workout: 1500 meters swim
1x500 warmup
10x100 snorkels, untimed drills
---------
1500 meters total
This was supposed to be done tomorrow but I'm going to be up to my knees in work tomorrow. who knows if I have the time to train. I was a bit tired from the bike, and a little time in the pool is therapeutic on the stressed muscles, right?
I focused on the snorkels today and my symmetry. I'll be working more on bilateral breathing and breathing out my weak side to further strengthen stroke symmetry.
1x500 warmup
10x100 snorkels, untimed drills
---------
1500 meters total
This was supposed to be done tomorrow but I'm going to be up to my knees in work tomorrow. who knows if I have the time to train. I was a bit tired from the bike, and a little time in the pool is therapeutic on the stressed muscles, right?
I focused on the snorkels today and my symmetry. I'll be working more on bilateral breathing and breathing out my weak side to further strengthen stroke symmetry.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
March 3 - Evidence of Improvement! 30 Mile Bike
AM Workout:
Key Workout - 30 Mile Bike on Computrainer at Zone 2 Intense Aerobic Pace
Course: Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon - first 30 miles
Time: 1:33:35
MPH: 19.2
Watts: 217
Wow, some concrete evidence of improvement! On longer workouts like these I place "spot checks" in my log at certain points of the course to monitor improvement. On February 10, I did 40 miles on this course, in which I hit the 25 mile mark at 1:22:10. Today, I hit that mark at 1:17:43, about 4.5 minutes faster!
This is one thing I have to tell my athletes when I coach them. A lot of athletes tend to get discouraged for the first 4 weeks because they see no noticeable improvement. I preach patience at this time because after 4 weeks, things happen, and they happen quickly! And this is why I post my workouts online now. I trust my training strategies that I am willing to put my money where my mouth is.
The best part is that once the improvement comes, the athlete's motivation reaches the moon! That is when the REAL gains happen. And I'm just about there now. On to the next session!
(Key Workout 2 of 4 done this week)
Key Workout - 30 Mile Bike on Computrainer at Zone 2 Intense Aerobic Pace
Course: Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon - first 30 miles
Time: 1:33:35
MPH: 19.2
Watts: 217
Wow, some concrete evidence of improvement! On longer workouts like these I place "spot checks" in my log at certain points of the course to monitor improvement. On February 10, I did 40 miles on this course, in which I hit the 25 mile mark at 1:22:10. Today, I hit that mark at 1:17:43, about 4.5 minutes faster!
This is one thing I have to tell my athletes when I coach them. A lot of athletes tend to get discouraged for the first 4 weeks because they see no noticeable improvement. I preach patience at this time because after 4 weeks, things happen, and they happen quickly! And this is why I post my workouts online now. I trust my training strategies that I am willing to put my money where my mouth is.
The best part is that once the improvement comes, the athlete's motivation reaches the moon! That is when the REAL gains happen. And I'm just about there now. On to the next session!
(Key Workout 2 of 4 done this week)
March 2 - 20 Mile Easy Bike
PM Workout: 20 mile bike - Computrainer
Course: Ironman Germany
Time: 1:09:16
MPH - 17.3
Watts - 162
The first bike session of the week, his is an easy session for the hard day tomorrow, whether it would be a bike or run. I was leaning toward the run, but the weather outside tomorrow could be a freezing mix.
Anyway, I am ready for a hard session tomorrow.
Course: Ironman Germany
Time: 1:09:16
MPH - 17.3
Watts - 162
The first bike session of the week, his is an easy session for the hard day tomorrow, whether it would be a bike or run. I was leaning toward the run, but the weather outside tomorrow could be a freezing mix.
Anyway, I am ready for a hard session tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
March 2 - 8 Mile Enjoyable Run on Black Ice
AM Workout: 8 Mile Run - Easy/Recovery Pace
Course: Victory Blvd. East
Time: 1:16:18 (9:32 min/mile pace)
Weather: Clear, 30F, Light Winds
This was an enjoyable run, even with the numerous black ice spots out there. The stuff can kill you if you don't run the right way on it. Even with all the black ice around, I suffered no falls and cruised nicely.
It's days like these where I get to enjoy being out there. Working out early in the day is such a rush; and there is no better way to energize the rest of my day. A cup of coffee just doesn't come close. :-)
Course: Victory Blvd. East
Time: 1:16:18 (9:32 min/mile pace)
Weather: Clear, 30F, Light Winds
This was an enjoyable run, even with the numerous black ice spots out there. The stuff can kill you if you don't run the right way on it. Even with all the black ice around, I suffered no falls and cruised nicely.
It's days like these where I get to enjoy being out there. Working out early in the day is such a rush; and there is no better way to energize the rest of my day. A cup of coffee just doesn't come close. :-)
Monday, March 1, 2010
March 1 - Finishing up with an 8 mile run and 1600 meter swim
AM Workout #2 - 8 mile run
Course: Boardwalk
Time: 1:16:49 (9:36 min/mile pace)
Weather: 42F, moderately windy
This was a nice easy run late in the morning after the early morning swim. The snow and puddles made for a pretty sloppy run.I felt pretty refreshed throughout with the easy pace. It was unusual to see plenty of other runners at this time, but it was nice to have their company.
-------------------
PM Workout: 1600 meters of swimming (easy)
1x500 Warmup
1x1000 easy freestyle with fins - bilateral breathing
1x100 warmdown
-------
1600 meters total
I didn't have to do this workout today, but on a whim I decided to go back to the pool tonight and work easily on my stroke. My arms were not that tired from the early morning workout; everything felt fine. Combining the 2 swim sessions, I did 4600 meters of swimming total. Not a bad start to the week!
Course: Boardwalk
Time: 1:16:49 (9:36 min/mile pace)
Weather: 42F, moderately windy
This was a nice easy run late in the morning after the early morning swim. The snow and puddles made for a pretty sloppy run.I felt pretty refreshed throughout with the easy pace. It was unusual to see plenty of other runners at this time, but it was nice to have their company.
-------------------
PM Workout: 1600 meters of swimming (easy)
1x500 Warmup
1x1000 easy freestyle with fins - bilateral breathing
1x100 warmdown
-------
1600 meters total
I didn't have to do this workout today, but on a whim I decided to go back to the pool tonight and work easily on my stroke. My arms were not that tired from the early morning workout; everything felt fine. Combining the 2 swim sessions, I did 4600 meters of swimming total. Not a bad start to the week!
March 1, 2010 - Key Workout - 4x500 meters swimming (1 minute rest) - 3000 meters total
AM Workout: Swimming
1x500 Warmup
4x500 freestyle with 1 minute rest in between reps
2x100 warmdown
------------
3000 meters total
Times for each 500 meter rep: 7:13, 7:22, 7:20, 7:23.
I give this workout a B. Not too bad, but had room for improvement. I was found to be a bit tired since I did swim hard yesterday so my stroke was ever so slightly off.
Still, I'll take the times gratefully. They show a lot of improvement in this discipline over the past month; I love seeing the evidence!
I'll do some nice, easy training the rest of the day and take an active, easy day tomorrow. I am hoping to gear up for the difficult 10 mile run on Wednesday if all goes as planned.
1x500 Warmup
4x500 freestyle with 1 minute rest in between reps
2x100 warmdown
------------
3000 meters total
Times for each 500 meter rep: 7:13, 7:22, 7:20, 7:23.
I give this workout a B. Not too bad, but had room for improvement. I was found to be a bit tired since I did swim hard yesterday so my stroke was ever so slightly off.
Still, I'll take the times gratefully. They show a lot of improvement in this discipline over the past month; I love seeing the evidence!
I'll do some nice, easy training the rest of the day and take an active, easy day tomorrow. I am hoping to gear up for the difficult 10 mile run on Wednesday if all goes as planned.
Week of March 1-7: Focus on the Swim
The first week of the First Build Mesocycle is focused on the swim. I am hoping to do the following for each of the 3 disciplines:
Swim: 10,000 meters
Bike: 70 miles
Run: 50 miles
Unlike the base mesocycle, the overall volume has started to come up. Again the prevailing theme the next 4 weeks is "can I handle the increased volume?"
The 4 Key Workouts for this week is the following (2 for the swim, 1 for the bike, 1 for the run):
Swim 1: 4x500 meters; 1 minute rest in between reps
Swim 2: 1x3200 distance set (nonstop) at intense aerobic pace.
Bike: 30 miles on the Computrainer; course is Buffalo Springs Lake Tri.
Run: 10 miles - Mall Course (slightly hilly)
Here we go. :-)
Swim: 10,000 meters
Bike: 70 miles
Run: 50 miles
Unlike the base mesocycle, the overall volume has started to come up. Again the prevailing theme the next 4 weeks is "can I handle the increased volume?"
The 4 Key Workouts for this week is the following (2 for the swim, 1 for the bike, 1 for the run):
Swim 1: 4x500 meters; 1 minute rest in between reps
Swim 2: 1x3200 distance set (nonstop) at intense aerobic pace.
Bike: 30 miles on the Computrainer; course is Buffalo Springs Lake Tri.
Run: 10 miles - Mall Course (slightly hilly)
Here we go. :-)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
First "Build" Mesocycle - Time to Get Serious! March 1-March 28
The first "Build" 4 week mesocycle is here. The theme is to get to handle the increased volume of all 3 disciplines. If successful, the second build mesocycle in April will bring the run volume up seriously while scaling back the swim and bike portions. This should allow the proper time to rest while getting the necessary mileage needed in the run. Remember that I am focusing on the Vermont 100 mile ultra this July. The move from general training to specific training needs to be done here. Any triathlons that I do during this 3 month build will be secondary to this goal.
But first, lets increase the volume on all 3 disciplines:
The first week is the peak swim. 10k of swimming next week. Here is the bike:
Bike peak is the second week of the mesocycle with 100 miles:
Run peak is 60 miles on the third week of the mesocycle. The 4th week is a relatively easy recovery before moving on to the second "Build" mesocycle. I can never say this enough, but rest needs to be built in to each cycle, no matter what to allow for balance and recovery.
On to next week!
But first, lets increase the volume on all 3 disciplines:
The first week is the peak swim. 10k of swimming next week. Here is the bike:
Bike peak is the second week of the mesocycle with 100 miles:
Run peak is 60 miles on the third week of the mesocycle. The 4th week is a relatively easy recovery before moving on to the second "Build" mesocycle. I can never say this enough, but rest needs to be built in to each cycle, no matter what to allow for balance and recovery.
On to next week!
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