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)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
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)
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