Adventures in Tri - iTRYathlon training, week 2: PFTW

Well. Week 2 of iTRYathlon training is in the books......

Monday - 30 minutes cross training
Tank Top Arms, Core, easy yoga

Tuesday - run, followed by bike
4 mile easy pace run, 4 mile easy pace bike (I think I intended to do 5 miles, but it was getting dark)

Wednesday - swim, 45 min cross training
I hesitate to even call this a "swim", because it was mostly me just trying not to breathe in water, but it was 20 minutes in the pool; followed that with Tank Top Arms, Core, and more yoga

Thursday - 800's (grosssss)
6 miles, with 4x800. Goal was 4:30-4:20, with negative splits. Actual 4:30, 4:28, 4:23, 4:20. Nailed it. 800s are still my least favoritest.

Friday - rest

Saturday - swim. Dun dun DUN.

45 minutes of drills. This isht is HARD. I left the practice completely wrecked. The good news is, I kind of know at least how to effectively move, AND I was not the slowest there (actually, I was one of the fastest, out of the slow group, so I'll take it).

Sunday - long run!
Man, I've missed long runs. 12 miles, broken into three segments.
Part 1: 4 miles from my house to ex-neighbor Will's place. Turns out, this is at an incline the entire way. So, so hard, my legs were DEAD.
Part 2: 4 miles around Will's fancy new neighborhood. Easy run/walk.
Part 3: 4 miles at a slight downhill home - this was The Best EVER!!

There was even a little bit of rain in my last 2 miles....

those are raindrops, on cement, I SWEAR.

 

This is notable only because rain in July here is unheard of, but this was TWO DAYS in a row of drizzle - it rained on us Saturday, too. I'm hopeful that this hints at a cool, mild summer?

 

(I know it's BEEN summer, for, like, a month everywhere else, but our summer really starts in August when the marine layer disppears blah blah blah so hot).

 

Anyway, it was a pretty okay week...
 

Running: 22 miles. I'm happy enough with my run paces - obviously I'm nowhere near as "fast" as I was around CIM time last year, but it's becoming easier, which I guess is the point of training.

 

Swim: 1:05 total swim time, but only 45 minutes of that was really active. This week, I have scheduled some time in a lap pool, so I'm looking forward (haha) to seeing what kind of actual swim fitness I have, and hopefully get a gauge for a reasonable goal for iTRY.
 

Bike: Only got in 1 ride this week, which is lame and not ideal. My training plan called for a second ride, but my work schedule got changed mid-week, and threw off my training a little bit.

BUT, I did invest in this....

Invest is a strong word; it was the cheapest model that I didn't hate. I was actually not really planning on buying a new bike - I use The H's bike, because despite our height differences and my practically-midget status, I have freakishly long legs, so it almost works for me. I didn't really want to invest a lot of money into a thing that I'm 10 days into. BUT, #1 uses the bike also, to get to cross country camp, so it will be convenient having a second bike in the house.


The Tri La Vie group is really helpful for me - normally I'm pretty much a loner in my training. It's hard for me to find someone running my pace, or my distance, and I really don't mind being alone. BUT, the coaches have been incredibly helpful providing an easy introduction to the other two sports.


Plan for this week....
Monday: Easy bike; cross train
Tuesday: 30 min swim, 5-6 mile run
Wednesday: Bike - scheduled for a 10 mile time trial; maybe swim?
Thursday: 6 mile tempo, with a 1 minute time trial thrown in there
Friday: Easy 30 min swim OR rest if I swim Wednesday
Saturday: Group bike/run training
Sunday: Long run, distance TBD depending on Saturday

Run: 25-26 miles? Ish?

****************************************************************

Lessons from the week

• 45 minutes of swimming - even though it was HARD and exhausted all of my body - it felt like it really loosened up the muscles that were kind of tight. I always have shin splint issues, and have been fighting a little bit with my left leg this week, but after swimming, my calf was nice and loose and the shin was way less achy. So.... interesting development.
• Swimming really, really confuses me, and the things I don't get... I don't understand WHY they won't click. For example - during our drills, we were doing some one side freestyle stuff, then switching sides on the way back. This confused me, but I understood WHY - it's harder for me on the left side, and I know that just needs practice. But when we did laps, without fail, about halfway through the return part of the loop (is there a word for that?), I would almost DIE from breathing in the water. Nothing changed, it was totally fine on the way out, but the way back was torture. Every time. I don't understand what part of that I don't get.
• Here's a good article on swimming tips for beginners.
• Four years after moving here, we finally joined the neighborhood association, which has several adult-only lap pools. That are heated. I don't know why this took us so long.
• I have finally discovered one thing I use triceps for: swimming. Every time I do those stupid tricep moves during Barre or Tank Top Arms, I wonder WHY THOSE MUSCLES EVEN EXIST. Turns out, for swimming.
• Last swimming observation: I have a problem keeping my eyes open. I wear goggles, and they're good. But, here's a fun fact for you - I'm blind in my right eye. So using the goggles makes me feel like I'm looking through a telescope, and I keep closing my eye, and I get confused, and then both eyes are closed. I know, this makes zero sense. But...
• I did ride the bike significantly faster than the first week, I'm sure because I figured out how to more efficiently use the gears to my advantage.
• Foam rolling, foam rolling, foam rolling. I thought I was building up my mileage slowly enough that I wouldn't encounter the same stupid shin splint issues, but NOPE. They're the same as always. I spent a few days being really uncomfortable and tight, and then remembered.... I own a foam roller, and I know how to use it. Duh.
• It was a little horrifying how hard the 800's were, considering that not TOO long ago (in December), I ran an entire 10k at just that pace. The loss of fitness is crazy.
• That said, it was nice to run 12 miles, and feel like it was okay. I was a little worried about that.