Why is Friday always so hard?

My whole week has just been one slower day after another.... each of them getting slower and slower and slower. It is a cruel trick.

Was up this morning for a 7:40 AM appointment with my chiropractor/ART guy. I don't know what he did differently this time, but somehow he made the ankle pain magically disappear. I no longer have to hobble along the first five steps or so every time I get up out of a chair. The real test will be what happens when I get out of bed tomorrow. He also said he would take a look at my bike for me via video analysis because when I ride the left side of my body still doesn't feel right... like, if it were possible to 'limp' on a bicycle i feel like I would be doing it. I shift around trying to make my left side feel comfortable and it just never happens.

I'm going to take a shot at the Peterborough Half Marathon this weekend. I think I will aim for a time of around 1:56:59 (yeah, not to precise). I think it is a bit ambitious, but what the heck. It could quite possibly be very cold and windy, in which case, I will just be happy to finish and get a 21.1 km long run in for the day.

Taxes and coffee...

Decided not to go to yoga class this morning. The class often leaves me stiff and sore well into the weekend and I don't think I want to be running a half marathon with lingering yoga stiffness. You would think that would mean I would sleep in, but no, I was wide awake at 5:15 this morning so I decided what better way to spend my morning than in front of my computer with a cup of coffee and my tax documents. Yippee. But I got my T4 entered and some other documents. Now I just have to wait for the RRSP statement from my plan from work. If you haven't made any charitable donations, now is the time. Mine meant the difference between getting about 25$ back and getting over 100$ back! Looking for someone or somewhere to donate to, you could donate to my Ironman Lake Placid fundraising efforts!

Today is also the start of Lent. I'm not Catholic. I'm not even a lapsed Catholic. But my best friend went to Cathloic school if that counts. But, since the whole idea of mindful sacrifice is kind of an interesting idea, I figured I would give a non-religious go. So I have decided that I will give up take-out beverages (read: coffee). Strangely enough, my friend Jon informed me this morning that was exactly the same thing he was doing! So no Starbucks (not even on laundry day!), no Tim Hortons, no nothing. Although Jon informed me that you can indulge in what yu are giving up on Sundays because Sunday is a feast day. So maybe something to celebrate on Sunday post half-marathon.

So, the only thing between me and the couch right now is a Computrainer ride!

Mystery Flat #2

Well, I bailed on the computrainer ride last night. Got home and remembered that on Sunday Shayne had commented that my rear tire was flat. This is the second flat I have had on the trainer (or, to be more precise AFTER riding the trainer as it never happens while riding). When I have changed them and checked the tube, there is NOTHING wrong with it. So maybe the valve is faulty and it is leaking slowly. Who knows. But I went to the neighbourhood MEC today and picked up a stash of tubes just in case.

Also, when I was in there, the vest that I have been after for a while was on sale, so I picked one up. Of course, this recent bit of warm weather won't be enough for me to wear it, but it might be useful for the half marathon this weekend!

Off to the gym this evening. Despite the warm temperatures, there is still no where suitable for a speedwork so I will hop on a treadmill.

New episodes of Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars to look forward to!

My Week in Review

Not a bad week. No missed workouts, but a few that were a struggle.

11 hours, 51 minutes of training

Monday
Walk to work
18k recovery spin on the computrainer

Tuesday
AM - 1900 yard swim - a tough main set of fast 100s
PM - 9.4 km treadmill run with 5 x 3 minute cruise intervals with 2 minute recoveries

Wednesday
AM - 1500 yard easy swim and 45 minute yoga class
PM - 37 km computrainer ride - 8 km warm up, 24 km zone 3 ride, 5km cool down

Thursday
AM - 2250 yard swim with a main set of 3 x 500 at t-pace which felt tough
PM - 6.74 km easy run

Friday
PM - 6.9 km run home from work. Felt BRUTAL

Saturday
80 km ride on the computrainer - just over three hours

Sunday
12 km taper long run with the final 5k at half marathon pace

Totals
Swim - 5650 yards
Bike - 135 km
Run - 35 km

When I did my long ride on Sunday I listened to a book on my iPod. It actually seemed to help the time go by much more quickly and pleasantly than just music. Sure, I zoned out a few times but I was listening to a non-fiction book so it wasn't such a big deal. I listened to half on that ride, and I can listen to the other half next time.

This week looks pretty much like last, but with a little less running as I plan on running the half marathon in Peterborough this weekend.

Last Week In Review

12 hours 30 minutes of training

Monday: 18K very easy zone 1 spin on the computrainer

Tuesday:
AM - 2194 meter swim (my log converts from yards) including the first IM pace swim of 1500 meters
PM - 7.5 k easy run with the group I lead

Wednesday:
AM - 914 m swim followed by a 45 minute yoga class
PM - 39 k on the computrainer: 11K warm up, 22k zone 3 ride, 6k cool down

Thursday:
AM - 1920 meter swim
PM - 7k run with the group including taking them for their first hill workout

Friday: 27.5k on the computrainer. An interesting workout:

12:00 in Zone1 @ 90rpm
12:00 in Z3-4 @ 80rpm
8:00 in Z1 @ 90rpm
8:00 in Z3-4 @ 80rpm
4:00 in Z1 @ 90rpm
4:00 in Z3-4 @ 80rpm
2:00 in Z1 @ 90rpm
2:00 in Z3-4 @ 80rpm
5:00 Cd EASY

The heart rate graph for this one looks really cool.

Saturday: 19k long run with the final 7k at half marathon pace. Got to run this one with dgrant. Fun!

Sunday: 70k long ride on the computrainer. was supposed to be followed by a 30 minute run, but I didn't get off until dinner time, so I bailed on that. the only missed workout of the week.

The good news is that on Sunday evening, while I halfheartedly watching Batman: The Beginning, I managed to get the final row of increases done on the ribbing of the body of the sweater I am working on. Now it is just a couple of inches of 4x2 ribbing and the body will be finished!

The need to knit

It has been a busy couple of days. Wednesday I didn't get off the bike until close to 8:00 pm and was beat, and had to get up at 5:15 the next morning, so it was all I could do to stay awake long enough to relax for a bit in front of the teevee. Last night I was grumpy because I didn't want to run in the cold, wind and dark, but was a trooper and met my running group for a hill workout. I got home and this time spent some time napping in front of the teevee. So it has been a rather unproductive week on the knitting front. I'm going home to another hour on the bike tonight, but I hope to spend the balance of the evening getting some work done on the cardigan.

This weekend is looking like it is shaping up to be a busy one. My runningmania.com friend Dave was whining about the cold weather and even looking to do something crazy, like run on a treadmill for three hours. So, I told him I would run one way to the east end, he could meet up with me part way and we could run the rest of the run together, thus forcing him to stay out for the duration of his run. Coffee on me if he manages to brave it. So that is Saturday morning. Then get the groceries done. Sunday morning my parents are coming in to town for breakfast and then I have to get on the bike by about 2:00 PM so I can get a three hour ride in before I collapse on the couch behind a giant plate of nachos.

Stood Up

Well, I managed to get to the pool this morning and in the water by 6:25 AM. My coach usually swims for 30 minutes on Wednesday morning and then goes to a Yoga class at 7:00. So the plan was to possibly meet up there. Well, he was a no show (not that we had firm plans or anything) but I did manage to do an easy 1000 yards and then head up to this yoga class. The instructor said it was a "soft" class, but if that was a soft class, I fear I am not ready for his not-soft-class.

I ran last night for just under an hour with the group that I lead. One of the participants has been wearing an older heart rate monitor of mine and we have been running based on her effort level, trying to build some base mileage at an easy pace. I have to say that it is amazing how quickly improvement happens. We now only take maybe 5 walk breaks to keep the heart rate down, and our pace is decreasing. So that is exciting. It was pretty chilly last night, but we all warmed up pretty quickly, except my fast was cold. I need to dig out the balaclava. I think starting Thursday we will start trying to do some hill work.

Tonight I am scheduled to do the Computrainer challenge ride. We are into the 'zone 3 rides' now (which are supposed to be a bit tougher than the earlier rides). We rode the second test ride a few weeks back and my power increased and my HR was down (which means improvement!). But the funny thing is that while the zone 3 rides are supposed to be harder than the earlier set of rides, because my HR went down on the second test, my goal heart rate for the zone 3 rides is now only about 5 beats higher than the previous earlier rides. Kind of strange.

Didn't get any knitting done last night. Since I increased my stitches the other day I just aim to do at least two rows a night. So hopefully I can get at least that in tonight after my ride.

Goal Achieved!

Today was the first of the IM pace swims. Every couple of weeks I get an IM pace swim, that gradually gets longer as my training program progresses, and usually ends in one or two swims of the full IM swim distance of 2.4 miles. So today was 1500 yards. I had hoped to swim each 100 yards in 1:48 seconds, which, if all things were equal, would result in a 1:15 IM swim time. Well, I made it! Every 100 yard split except two were 1:48. The other two were just slightly faster. I felt like I was working, but I was comfortable and my stroke was relaxed. When I got back to swimming after a bit too much time off I thought I would never feel comfortable in the water again, but it seems like it is coming back to me.

I'm still fighting a cold, but I decided to get on the Computrainer last night and do the recovery spin that was on the schedule. It was just an easy 45 minutes. Nothing special. But the light sweat cleared some of my congestion.

While watching Corner Gas last night I saw an ad for a new episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent, one of my favourite shows. I have had to give up watching it because it is on at the same time as Veronica Mars and well, Veronica always wins. But, a new episode was on Monday night. Shayne and I argued because I wanted to watch it, and he wanted to watch Heroes. Well, Shayne found our small second teevee (I thought we had gotten rid of it) and, for the ultimate form of luxury, set it up in the bedroom where I watched Law and Order tucked warmly in my bed. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think teevees have any place in the bedroom. But every once in a while the luxury is just too much to pass up, especially when suffering from a serious head cold.

I managed two more rows of the modified rib pattern on my cardigan. For some reason it just doesn't look like I am doing it right, but I don't think I have enough rows yet to make that decision.

Got a call out to my run group for this evening to see who is going to brave the 60kph winds tonight!

One should never be cocky...

So, last week I was off work for two days sick. I wasn't terrible, horrible, bed ridden sick, but I had a sore throat that was like I was swallowing a tennis ball that was coated in glass. So, I stayed home hoping that a) I wouldn't spread it to my co-workers and b) if I rested early I would ward it off. Well, Shayne got sick at the same time and he got taken down fast - sore throat, stuff nose, general congestion. By Friday I felt well enough to go back to work and I was pretty sure I had the thing beat. But, last night over my Sunday night pizza dinner I started getting the icky stuffy nose. Oh well, nothing some Tylenol Cold won't fix.

So training last week was kind of on hold. I ran on Tuesday night with my running group when I thought I just had a minor sore throat, but then I didn't do anything else until I got on the Computrainer on Saturday. I knew I was still fighting something because my heart rate while riding was higher than it should have been, so I just took it easy. Same thing on my long run on Sunday. Sunday was a real treat, about -17 (-27 with windchill). I bundled up and with the exception of a couple of minutes of cold fingers, I was actually OK. When I got home (despite having shorts over top of my running tights and wind pants on top of it all) my thighs and butt were cold and the skin was red. Hot shower never felt so good.

I ran early on Sunday (out the door by 8 am) as a friend was coming over to ride my Computrainer and I wanted to be there to help set her up. It was kind of wierd to be eating breakfast at 10 am and realizing that I had the whole day ahead of me with NOTHING to do! I got a bit of knitting done. I am working on this Something Red cardigan (which I am doing in a nice dark grey). It is my first top down sweater and I am LOVING it. It is amazing to see a sweater actually appear fully formed as you knit, and, as a short person, really great to get to try the thing on as you go along. Hopefully I can post some pictures soon. When I am done the body I have to pick up the sleeve stitches and knit the sleeves in the round. The last time I had to pick up stitches was for the neck of the Banff sweater and my mom did most of it, so it will take a bit of leanin'.