Week 4

Week 4: February 11-17th
Swim: 0 hours...again
Bike: 4 hours
Run: 2 hours
Crossfit: 2 hours

Total time: 8 hours

Since week 3 went so poorly I decided to call it my "recovery" week and try to train normally this week (week 4).  Swimming still was the biggest failure since I didn't haul myself to the pool once.  I'm trying a new strategy for week 5 which is going to the pool straight from work and swimming before crossfit.  This should accomplish me being really warmed up, if not completely pooped before crossfit, but I need the pool time, and 5:00am swims just aren't happening when they are on my own.  I may need to consider driving out to masters swimming once a week.  Luckily in April I'll be able to get Friday morning masters swims in since I'm off of work.

I was able to get my mid week spin in and my long ride this week which felt great.  I was pretty tired on Thursday and my legs didn't feel great, but I still pushed through the whole workout and felt good.  I went for a 3 hour bike ride on Sunday and got in just over 52 miles.  My biggest concern right now is that I need to start running off the bike.  Because of the situation with not being able to have a key during spin classes, I can't go for a run, and then Sunday, I just didn't.  This is something I need to start practicing again.

My running is steadily improving.  I'm not able to do an entire run completely pain free, but it's completely manageable, and I don't have lingering soreness which, to me, is pretty key for consistent training.  I got in a mid week easy run instead of speed work since, at that time, my leg was a little sore, and running easy seemed smarter than the alternative.  I ran 6 strong miles before going to Crossfit Endurance on Saturday, which was another 2 miles of hilly, hard running.  I've got to start upping the frequency in the next couple of weeks, but I'm glad that my leg is at least allowing me to get started.

Crossfit is going well and I'm feeling more comfortable with the movements and workouts.  I can tell I'm gaining a little strength, and most of all it's helping me mentally.  I'm a little concerned about the heavy focus on the quads, as doing so many squats etc seems to contribute to my legs not feeling as fresh for the bike.  It will either make me a beast, or I'll have to cut back so I don't burn out.

Week 3

Week 3: February 4-February 10:

Swim: 0 - OMG

Bike: 1

Run: 3

Crossfit: 3

Total training: 7 hours

Another really hard week for training.  It was an absolute murderers row at work this week, and my only opportunity to swim is at 5:00am before work, so I couldn't bring myself to miss the extra sleep.  I'm going to have to figure something else out so that my swimming doesn't suffer this often.  Another horrible weather day rained out my long bike, which is getting really old, really fast.  I couldn't bring myself to sit on a trainer for 3 hours, so that's why the biking was so terrible.

Crossfit has started in earnest this week and I've had a lot of fun going to the box regularly to work out.  I've found such friendly, encouraging people there, I love it.  I think it's also worth noting that the outright prejudice that most triathletes have against crossfit doesn't go both ways for the most part.  A large portion of the people I've met at crossfit either are triathletes themselves, or enjoy endurance sports of some other kind.  If you talk to "pure" triathletes, they rant and rave about how awful crossfit is.  I've found it really liberating to do what feels good for my body.  Crossfit isn't a substitute for my tri training, it's now part of it, and I love the combination thus far.

One last note about CF and the benefit I feel from it.  Aside from helping me become physically stronger, I'm loving the mental benefit I get from it.  I've become quite "confident in my competence" in regards to triathlon.  OF COURSE I can be faster, more efficient, and all around better at all of the disciplines of triathlon, but I know that I'm capable of doing pretty much all aspects of triathlon, with relative comfort and competence.  I told my CF coach last night that I feel like a baby giraffe when it comes to doing a lot of the CF movements and workouts. It's frustrating as hell, and I like it.  I need to be stretched mentally, maybe even more than physically, and believe you me, it does both.

I'm really dedicated to making this week a good one.  It may be a bit of a lower volume week by design, but I really want to hit every scheduled workout.

Week 2

Week 2: January 28-February 3
Swim: 2 hours
Bike: 1 hour
Run: 3 hours
Crossfit: 1 hour

Total Training: 7 hours

This was quite an off week for me. I didn't get in my hard spin day or my long bike ride due to a funeral and bad weather, but Saturday was a bright spot.  I did 3 workouts back to back to back.  A long run, a CFE session, and a crossfit wod.  Really pushed hard and my body responded well.  My leg injury is progressing and, though not totally gone, feeling a lot better.  Next week will definitely be better.

One down, 15 to go

January 21-27:
Training hours: 13
Swim: 2 hrs
Bike: 7 hrs
Run: 3 hrs
Crossfit: 1 hr

All in all week one has been a great week.  The numbers above are a little skewed because most of the running I did was through Crossfit Endurance, which is really more of a crossfit workout than it is a straight run.  Lots of intervals, hard efforts, and even a few sprints.  My run one Tuesday provided the drama for the week because I woke up Wednesday morning feeling like I had basically taken my injury back to square one.  Luckily it loosened up nicely throughout the day and didn't prevent me from any other workouts the rest of the week.

Pleasant surprises:
First, I took a total of 3 spin classes at my gym this week and was really impressed, both by the classes and by how good of a workout they were.  Since I teach a tri specific spin class myself, I really appreciated the different approach and different methods that the spin instructors used that I really never do. I even incorporated a few of their techniques into my class this week and it was very succesful.  Spinning on a spin bike is quite different than spinning on my own bike on a trainer, and I enjoyed it.  You're able to really hammer the spin bike where I treat my own bike a little more gingerly.

Second, I was pleasantly surprised with my ability to run a little this week.  Like I said Tuesday provided some drama, because I definitely pushed too hard on a leg that hasn't been 100% since September, but again, I was pleasantly surprised that it recovered.  I'm still a bit sorer than I would like, but it's manageable.

Looking ahead:
I really need to spend some pool time.  I got in all of my swims on schedule this week, but they were difficult.  I was also swimming on my own instead of with my masters coach this week, and it's a lot harder.  I need to go back and swim with Greg whenever possible to gauge my progress and get in some good solid sets.  I have found some good resources for swimming sets on the Crossfit Endurance philosophy and I'm building into them.

No surprise, I've got to get the running figured out.  It's clear I'm not ready to run with the intensity that CFE requires, so I'm going to have to work with Roman to figure out some sort of hybrid plan.  I'm able to run as part of the CF wods, I just cant do stand alone sprints and super hard starts.  My second MRI this week also showed no abnormalities, so it's clear that this is still a muscle imbalance/spasm/weakness thing, so I have to just keep working.

Training Schedule 1/21-1/27

I've got my schedule worked out for this week and I thought I'd share:

Monday - 2 hrs of hard bike intervals (did this with back to back spin classes, and the second was a doozy!)
Tuesday - AM: Swim workout, high intensity
                 PM: Crossfit Endurance
Wednesday - PM: Crossfit followed by 1 hour of hard bike intervals
Thursday - AM: Swim workout, high intensity
                  PM: 1 hour hard bike intervals, 2 mile run
Friday - Rest Day
Saturday - AM: Crossfit Endurance followed by a regular crossfit workout
Sunday - 50 mile bike ride, 2 mile run

Since my crossfit gym isn't totally finished yet there are a couple less crossfit workouts than a typical week will have.  Usually there will be one on Monday night too.  Looks like a tough week, looking forward to it.

What a weekend

This weekend was my "official start" to Ironman training.  It started off awesome with my first Crossfit Endurance (CFE) class on Saturday morning.  As I've mentioned, I'm planning on CFE comprising the bulk of my run training, at least for the first 8 weeks, so I was really anxious to see what it was going to be like.  I'm also still dealing with the hamstring/glut/leg injury thing that I've had since September.  Physical therapy is helping but there's still a persistent problem.  Luckily I'm able to run short distances without much discomfort, which, for now, is better than nothing. Saturday was a beautiful, cool morning and we spent some good time stretching, warming up, doing drills and going over proper running form before starting the workout of the day (wod).

Before I go any further I need to say a little something about how I feel about "proper" running technique.  Since I'm coming to this all from a running background (so to speak) I'm simultaneously hopeful and reluctant about altering my running form.  It's something I've tried to do in the past, slowly, gradually, and "properly" and it's never worked out.  I've tried just jumping into it full force, I've tried new shoes that "encourage" proper running form, etc.  In my humble opinion, you will naturally run the way God intended you to run.  I fully acknowledge that if I was running barefoot I would run differently than I do when I wear running shoes, but I'm not running barefoot, and I have to run in a way that keeps me comfortable and moving for all the training up to and including the 26.2 miles of a marathon at the end of my Ironman.  There's also no doubt in my mind that a forefoot strike and proper propulsion is more efficient and faster, but after running a total of a mile and a half yesterday on my forefoot  my calves are screaming today.  I realize that it takes time, but I gave it about 3 months a year or so ago, and felt this same way every day for 60 days.  I will be aware of my form and try and maximize efficiency, but I'm running the way my body feels like in needs to run.

The endurance wod was 5 rounds for time of 500m row, 400m run.  I did this workout in 24:07 and was pushing as hard as I could the whole time.  CFE's main precept is that you go as hard as you can the whole time and train your body to go harder, longer.  It flies in the face of what some people deeply believe is the way to build endurance, and I still don't fully understand it, but I'm learning.  I can also say that what I realize is that "as hard as you can the whole time" isn't the same as "sprint the whole time."  I have to complete the full workout so there's a certain amount of pacing that I have to do in order to give maximum sustained effort.  Just like I COULD go out at the beginning of the run section of a triathlon and run the first mile at 6:30 pace, but I'd be walking the other 25.  I had to measure the maximum effort I can give for the whole workout and push myself to hold it.  The result isn't the feeling of a blow out, throwing up at every step, gut busting effort, but a sustained push that carried through the entire workout.  It helped me see that continuing to do this type of workout could be beneficial to my endurance, even long endurance.  We finished up with 7 minutes of core work, you would have thought it was 7 hours from all the moaning and groaning we were doing.  It was a really tough, satisfying workout that left me feeling tired, and excited.  I know in the future that my endurance wod's will be followed almost immediately by a regular crossfit wod, now that's going to be something.

Some pretty dense fog spoiled my ride this morning, but I'm really hoping to get one in tomorrow morning since I'm off for MLK Jr. day.  I'll be posting my training schedule for the week shortly.  It's going to look totally different from any other week I've had before.  I'm really excited about what's to come, stay tuned!

It's good to be back

When I opened this blog and saw the last post was in 2011, I was surprised it had been so long.  In that year and a half so much has happened, some great, some not so great.  Here I stand 21 weeks from Ironman Coeur D'Alene and my outlook is very, very different.  First of all, I am starting my training with an injury that has been plaguing me for 4 months.  I have been to massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors and have made some good progress, however the injury still remains.  I actually have an MRI today to try and get some more information on what's going on.  Regardless, training has begun!

So, what's different?  Almost everything.  Going into Ironman training the first time I was in good shape, my weight was where I wanted it, and I started to ramp it up from a good place.  This time I'm coming from a place of decreased fitness due to my injury.  I haven't run any distance to speak of since September, so I'm definitely out of shape.  I've cycled a good bit, and have swam a little, but my fitness has a long way to go.  I'm also heavier than I've been since I ran my first marathon back in 2010.  Luckily that's already on the decline (down 12 pounds) and by having been back Paleo for the last 6 weeks, I feel that my nutrition plan is more solid than it's ever been.

What's also very different is where it goes from here.  I'm training in a completely different way this time.  First because I can't pound out the long miles on the road, and then because I'm anxious to see the results, I'm more or less limiting my run training to Crossfit Endurance (meaning shorter, more intense running), regular Crossfit, and then my standard cycling and swimming (with an increased focus on intensity).  I frankly am a newborn to most of the concepts, but luckily one thing I learned from Robb Wolf is that you don't have to understand the concepts for them to work.  I plan to fully educate myself and come to understand it, but I don't have to before I get started.

I don't know how this will all go, but here goes nothing.  Can't wait to see where this journey takes me, other than Idaho that is!