Workout Wednesday – 249 Days to Go

March – the month of much more momentum- marches on, and I with it. I’m trying not to freak out that there are less than 250 days left until this IRONMAN happens. In the meantime, here are this week’s workouts:

 

3/10/16

Bike speedwork

I now have a heart rate monitor, so one more number to obsess about (and one more electronic to forget to charge.)

I went out too hard, then the wind picked up toward the end and I was hurting.

This ride was oddly uncomfortable – my wrists hurt, my tailbone hurt and by the end of the second loop it was clear that I had missed a couple spots with the aquaphor (I told my coach that if my heart rate seemed high during my break it was because it was my first attempt at discreetly applying aquaphor in public.)

I’m really having issues with cramping. I had to slow way down near the end of this ride because my feet, calves, and quads were cramping and I was coasting to try to work it out.

3/11/16

Sweet merciful day off!

3/12/16

Long walk

Sometimes I’m slower than expected and I don’t know why.  Today I know exactly why.  First of all, I’ve been struggling with sleep (I have insomnia sometimes and it’s been kicking my ass this week) I laid down at 10pm last night so I could get 8 hours of sleep but only got about two to three hours total sleep.  I was also in pain the entire way – usually I have pain/tightness in the side of my calves that goes away after the first mile but even though I kept stopping and stretching it just stayed the whole time and then lower back pain kicked in so every stride would have two sharp pains attached.  It was delightful. Every time I would try to push faster everything would tighten up and I would have to slow down. In the last two miles I actually felt like I might fall asleep standing up.  It sucked, but I finished it.

3/13/16

Bike speedwork

I felt like this went pretty well, the wind wasn’t as bad as last week until it kicked up a bit at the end. I replaced my leaking hydration backpack and got properly hydrated so I didn’t have the cramping issues that I’ve been having.

Open water class – postponed again, stupid water quality rating.

3/14/16

Swimming Long Sets

These went fine, speed is still good, this went by really fast, itchiness is still annoying but the special lotion makes it a bit better during the swim and the vitamin C rinse makes it all better immediately after. Still looking forward to open water.  Another swim in the training bank.

3/15/16

I was supposed to focus on drinking every 10 minutes and eating every 30 on this ride. I did hydrate every 10 minutes which meant that I didn’t have any cramping which was a relief. The eating didn’t go so well.  The first chew didn’t settle, the subsequent peanut butter and rice ball made it worse.  I threw up at the first turnaround and did the rest on water only (or as my cyclist friend said “Pan y agua senza pan”).  I felt tired from the beginning and the wind shifted so that I went out with a head wind and finished with a headwind which should be illegal.

3/16/16

Strength Work

I love strength workouts so much I want to marry them and have their tiny strength workout babies.

Speedwalk Speedwork

This went pretty well. Focus continues to be an issue – I’ll realize that my mind wandered and that I slowed down.  This was the fastest I’ve been – maybe ever – but at least in the last few months. I remembered something from dance that helped me.  My knees hyper-extend naturally and so I have a tendency to keep them straight (which feels bent to me because they aren’t hyper-extended.)  My dance coach noticed that when I didn’t have my knees bent enough I had less power because I was using smaller muscles as the primary movers and because I wasn’t able to properly use my core.  I started to wonder if I was having that same issue with my speedwalking and so tonight I focused on keeping my knees bent and it definitely helped, though it felt super weird which indicates to me that it’s been an issue for a while.

I feel like I may have made this “discovery” in the past and forgotten.  I need to keep this top of mind because it makes a massive difference.  There was definitely something going wrong with my Garmin.  The miles weren’t correct – the first was short and the third was long  (I know because this is the loop I usually do)  Also, on mile one there was a period when the Garmin said that I was doing 4 minute miles which, let’s be honest, I couldn’t do if I had a rocket pack strapped to my ass. Still, I’m happy with this workout and with March, the month of much more momentum!

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