Except for an uptempo 800 meters in the water, this day is mostly recovery for tomorrows long ride on the Computrainer.
AM Workout: 2200 meter swim
1x500 Warmup
1x800 Uptempo aerobic Freestyle Swim
4x200 Freestyle Swim with Fins - easy and untimed
1x100 Warmdown
The 800 meter set was done in 12:08, which is a 3:02 pace per 200 or 1:31 pace per 100. Good set. The 200s were focused on slipstreaming through the water. In essence, the fins enable any swimmer to go faster, magnifying any drag that happens as a result of flaws in ones stroke. The enhanced drag will be noticeable to the swimmer and will give the swimmer a better chance to identify his/her flaws and will try to correct them. Fins are one of the more important swim toys I use to correct my stroke.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
February 2 - 8 Mile Run and 15 Mile Bike
AM Workout: 8 Mile Intensive Aerobic Zone 2 Run
Course - Victory Blvd. Easy (moderately hilly)
Temperature - 27F (-3C) with light winds.
Clothing - 3 layers on top, 2 layers on bottom.
Shoes - XC Flats
Total Time - 1:09:31 (8:41 min/mile pace)
Not bad for a cold, hilly uptempo run, especially when bundled up. Now that the hard workout is out of the way, an easy bike should ensure a nice recovery.
------------------
PM: Workout: 15 Mile Easy Computrainer Bike
Course: First 15 miles of Ironman Canada (Moderately Hilly)
Total Time: 1:00:39
MPH: 14.8
Watts: 159
A nice easy ride again to keep legs supple and loose.
-------------
Scheduled for tomorrow are distance swim sets, 2200 meters overall. An easy run is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
Course - Victory Blvd. Easy (moderately hilly)
Temperature - 27F (-3C) with light winds.
Clothing - 3 layers on top, 2 layers on bottom.
Shoes - XC Flats
Total Time - 1:09:31 (8:41 min/mile pace)
Not bad for a cold, hilly uptempo run, especially when bundled up. Now that the hard workout is out of the way, an easy bike should ensure a nice recovery.
------------------
PM: Workout: 15 Mile Easy Computrainer Bike
Course: First 15 miles of Ironman Canada (Moderately Hilly)
Total Time: 1:00:39
MPH: 14.8
Watts: 159
A nice easy ride again to keep legs supple and loose.
-------------
Scheduled for tomorrow are distance swim sets, 2200 meters overall. An easy run is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
Monday, February 1, 2010
February 1 - 20 Mile Bike and 1700 Meter Swim
AM Workout: 20 Miles of Cycling, Computrainer, Ironman Germany (first 20 Miles)
Total Time - 1:09:41
MPH - 17.2
Avg Watts - 159
Nice, easy workout to loosen up the legs for the rest of the week. Felt refreshed afterwards.
---------
PM Workout: 1700 Meters of Swimming
500 Meters Warmup
4x100 Bilateral Freestyle Drills
4x100 Kicking With Fins (Kickboard)
4x25 Sprints on 1:30 with easy 25 swim in between reps.
2x100 Warmdown
The sprints were quite strong - 14 seconds for all 4 sprints.
----------
Not a bad start to the week. Now it gets a little tougher.
Total Time - 1:09:41
MPH - 17.2
Avg Watts - 159
Nice, easy workout to loosen up the legs for the rest of the week. Felt refreshed afterwards.
---------
PM Workout: 1700 Meters of Swimming
500 Meters Warmup
4x100 Bilateral Freestyle Drills
4x100 Kicking With Fins (Kickboard)
4x25 Sprints on 1:30 with easy 25 swim in between reps.
2x100 Warmdown
The sprints were quite strong - 14 seconds for all 4 sprints.
----------
Not a bad start to the week. Now it gets a little tougher.
Week of 2/1 - 2/7 - Concentration on Volume
I basically gave January a B-. Some workouts missed due to lack of organization. I will be concentrating a lot more on February.
One of my basic tenets in my life is to break free of my self-imposed limits, to transcend the bounds that both society and I impose on myself. Doing extraordinary races like 100 mile ultras is an expression of of yearning to break free.
I'll often talk about this transcendence in the near future.
As for my training, I love to train and race, but there are some days that I find my motivation lacking. This is where I need to embrace my fitness the most, to get out there and have fun, no matter what life throws at me.
For the mileage this week, I hope to do 6000 meters of swimming, 80 miles of cycling, and 40 miles of running. Most of the workouts are low intensity, but there are 5 key workouts; 2 in the swim, 1 on the bike, and 2 on the run; that will be higher intensity.
Wish me luck.
One of my basic tenets in my life is to break free of my self-imposed limits, to transcend the bounds that both society and I impose on myself. Doing extraordinary races like 100 mile ultras is an expression of of yearning to break free.
I'll often talk about this transcendence in the near future.
As for my training, I love to train and race, but there are some days that I find my motivation lacking. This is where I need to embrace my fitness the most, to get out there and have fun, no matter what life throws at me.
For the mileage this week, I hope to do 6000 meters of swimming, 80 miles of cycling, and 40 miles of running. Most of the workouts are low intensity, but there are 5 key workouts; 2 in the swim, 1 on the bike, and 2 on the run; that will be higher intensity.
Wish me luck.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
I'm Back From Puerto Rico - Part 1
I'm back from Puerto Rico.
This was a strange trip for me. It was mandatory for a couple of reasons that are irrelevant to this blog, but I had some enjoyment down there while I was away from the frigid Northeast.
I'll try to highlight my training while I was down there. I know that there is going to be a whole week's worth of training to catch up on this blog, so bear with me on this.
I was placed in the Hyatt Hacienda Del Mar, located to the west of Dorado, which is 45 minutes west of San Juan. The hotel is located in the middle of "Golf Course Central", accessed by a very narrow road with no shoulder. The hotel has a 2 mile scenic trail which was a paved road that intersected two of the golf courses on the way to the Dorado Public Beach. The hotel also had a 25 meter outdoor pool.
My first run that first day when I arrived was a 4 mile experimental run on the road accessing the hotel. I now call it the "Deathwish Run". It seems like there are more crazy drivers in Puerto Rico than there are in the United States. I almost got sideswiped THREE TIMES while I was running on the road. So the road was definitely out the rest of the week.
I was limited to the Scenic Trail the remainder of the week. It is a nice trail, with very few cars, some small hills in either direction, and was ideal for a week of running. Granted, I would have loved to do different sections of Puerto Rico, but my schedule and the remoteness of the hotel limited me.
The pool was nice. They needed no lifeguard, which meant that we swam at our own risk. Good, at least there are some people in this country that accept personal responsibility; I'm not limited to swim when I want. In New York, you cannot even swim in the beach without a lifeguard without being fined by the authorities.
So Saturday was the 4 mile death run. I'll continue with the rest of the week in the next thread.
This was a strange trip for me. It was mandatory for a couple of reasons that are irrelevant to this blog, but I had some enjoyment down there while I was away from the frigid Northeast.
I'll try to highlight my training while I was down there. I know that there is going to be a whole week's worth of training to catch up on this blog, so bear with me on this.
I was placed in the Hyatt Hacienda Del Mar, located to the west of Dorado, which is 45 minutes west of San Juan. The hotel is located in the middle of "Golf Course Central", accessed by a very narrow road with no shoulder. The hotel has a 2 mile scenic trail which was a paved road that intersected two of the golf courses on the way to the Dorado Public Beach. The hotel also had a 25 meter outdoor pool.
My first run that first day when I arrived was a 4 mile experimental run on the road accessing the hotel. I now call it the "Deathwish Run". It seems like there are more crazy drivers in Puerto Rico than there are in the United States. I almost got sideswiped THREE TIMES while I was running on the road. So the road was definitely out the rest of the week.I was limited to the Scenic Trail the remainder of the week. It is a nice trail, with very few cars, some small hills in either direction, and was ideal for a week of running. Granted, I would have loved to do different sections of Puerto Rico, but my schedule and the remoteness of the hotel limited me.
The pool was nice. They needed no lifeguard, which meant that we swam at our own risk. Good, at least there are some people in this country that accept personal responsibility; I'm not limited to swim when I want. In New York, you cannot even swim in the beach without a lifeguard without being fined by the authorities.
So Saturday was the 4 mile death run. I'll continue with the rest of the week in the next thread.
Friday, January 8, 2010
191 Days to VT Ultra - Finishing the Week's Bike and Swim
Friday January 8, 2010:
I would only recommend this week's training to the most experienced enduarnce athletes. To everyone else, no way.
I managed to cram 100 miles of cycling on the Computrainer, 7000 meters of swimming and 16 miles of running into 5 days. Now this would be normal during the triathlon season, but during the offseason? Again, no way.
But I do have to pat myself on the back here! I mean, it really seems that I am starting to see some of the benefits of constant training again, and it's a great feeling! The running is coming more naturally, the spinning on the bike a little easier, and the swimming stroke looser and a bit faster.
Today, I finished the week of swimming with an easy 1500 meters of swimming. Where I was once very tight, my shoulders feel as loose as when I was in my 20s. I look forward to go to the pool every time now because of that alone.
The run today was only 4 miles on the treadmill, but I really didn't mind it at all. The running motion was a natural as ever. Now hopefully I can see the pace get naturally faster in the near future.
The bike, a huge 30 miles on 1) Prospect Park Course, and 2) the Columbia Maryland Course. I felt pretty strong and loose and never lost ground during the workout.
Despite the heavy week I feel quite well compared to last week. I went low intensity on many of the workouts, and it did wonders. I feel the effort and the increased volume on my body, but I am not worn down like last week.
-----------------------------
TRAVEL TO PUERTO RICO
-----------------------------
I fly out early to Puerto Rico tomorrow. Despite the fact that only 16 miles of running was involved this week, I will definitely make up for it next week as it is probably the only discipline I'll be working on starting tomorrow. I'm not sure if I will have web access, but I will try to keep this blog rolling next week.
Once I land in PR, I'll do a 4 mile run in the PM, followed possibly by a 15 mile run Sunday in the AM. This should put my run mileage for the week at a respectable 35 miles. That would give me quite a successful week of training and lays the foundation for a great week of running next week.
I would only recommend this week's training to the most experienced enduarnce athletes. To everyone else, no way.
I managed to cram 100 miles of cycling on the Computrainer, 7000 meters of swimming and 16 miles of running into 5 days. Now this would be normal during the triathlon season, but during the offseason? Again, no way.
But I do have to pat myself on the back here! I mean, it really seems that I am starting to see some of the benefits of constant training again, and it's a great feeling! The running is coming more naturally, the spinning on the bike a little easier, and the swimming stroke looser and a bit faster.
Today, I finished the week of swimming with an easy 1500 meters of swimming. Where I was once very tight, my shoulders feel as loose as when I was in my 20s. I look forward to go to the pool every time now because of that alone.
The run today was only 4 miles on the treadmill, but I really didn't mind it at all. The running motion was a natural as ever. Now hopefully I can see the pace get naturally faster in the near future.
The bike, a huge 30 miles on 1) Prospect Park Course, and 2) the Columbia Maryland Course. I felt pretty strong and loose and never lost ground during the workout.
Despite the heavy week I feel quite well compared to last week. I went low intensity on many of the workouts, and it did wonders. I feel the effort and the increased volume on my body, but I am not worn down like last week.
-----------------------------
TRAVEL TO PUERTO RICO
-----------------------------
I fly out early to Puerto Rico tomorrow. Despite the fact that only 16 miles of running was involved this week, I will definitely make up for it next week as it is probably the only discipline I'll be working on starting tomorrow. I'm not sure if I will have web access, but I will try to keep this blog rolling next week.
Once I land in PR, I'll do a 4 mile run in the PM, followed possibly by a 15 mile run Sunday in the AM. This should put my run mileage for the week at a respectable 35 miles. That would give me quite a successful week of training and lays the foundation for a great week of running next week.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
192 Days to VT 100 Ultra - How to burn 3000 calories effectively
Thursday January 7, 2010:
So, what did I do today? Actually, what didn't I do today? This is one of those days that I try to tell people to avoid unless there were special circumstances. Well, this whole week is a special circumstance that validates doing 3 workouts in one day.
I'll only briefly summarize each workout toady to keep this blog short.
First up was the swim. Totalling 3100 meters, this was mostly a low intensity affair with paddles and fins. The only timed set to note here was the 100 meter sprint in the end, going 1:12 in the set. Not a bad time.
Secondly was the run on the treadmill. It was only 4 easy miles at a 10 minute mile pace.
Third was the bike on the Computrainer, doing a hilly 8 mile course 2.5 times for a total of 20 miles in length. I only averaged about 14 MPH for the whole thing.
On top of that, I needed to work with my father today involving lifting heavy things for 3 hours in the afternoon. Of all the physical exertions I did today, the heavy lifting part was probably the most intense.
The reason why I'm doing 3 per day is because of the trip to Puerto Rico. I will not bring my bike down there, and I'm not sure if there is the availability of lap swimming down there, so I need to complete a week's worth of swimming and cycling by tomorrow evening.
In Puerto Rico, I will probably only be available to run, so I will definitely pick up the mileage next week.
Lastly, the week's totals... 5500 meters of swimming, 70 miles of cycling, and 12 miles of running. Don't worry about the running; it'll definitely pick up next week. :-)
So, what did I do today? Actually, what didn't I do today? This is one of those days that I try to tell people to avoid unless there were special circumstances. Well, this whole week is a special circumstance that validates doing 3 workouts in one day.
I'll only briefly summarize each workout toady to keep this blog short.
First up was the swim. Totalling 3100 meters, this was mostly a low intensity affair with paddles and fins. The only timed set to note here was the 100 meter sprint in the end, going 1:12 in the set. Not a bad time.
Secondly was the run on the treadmill. It was only 4 easy miles at a 10 minute mile pace.
Third was the bike on the Computrainer, doing a hilly 8 mile course 2.5 times for a total of 20 miles in length. I only averaged about 14 MPH for the whole thing.
On top of that, I needed to work with my father today involving lifting heavy things for 3 hours in the afternoon. Of all the physical exertions I did today, the heavy lifting part was probably the most intense.
The reason why I'm doing 3 per day is because of the trip to Puerto Rico. I will not bring my bike down there, and I'm not sure if there is the availability of lap swimming down there, so I need to complete a week's worth of swimming and cycling by tomorrow evening.
In Puerto Rico, I will probably only be available to run, so I will definitely pick up the mileage next week.
Lastly, the week's totals... 5500 meters of swimming, 70 miles of cycling, and 12 miles of running. Don't worry about the running; it'll definitely pick up next week. :-)
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