Swim/Ride

I ended up missing my long ride yesterday. It was storming all morning and then we met some friends for lunch and it stopped. I thought awesome, I will ride when I get home. By the time I got home, the storms were back and there was no chance of riding outside. I also realized, there isn't a chance in hell I am riding on my trainer when it isn't winter.

Today, I got in a 1500 yard swim this morning. My main set was 16x50 and it was a little slower than Saturday's 10x50. But my speeds were still in the 1:35 range and it went pretty well overall.

When I got home tonight, I took my bike out for a 33 mile ride with an average speed of 20.4 mph (my average moving speed was 21 mph). This was my first ride over an hour at over 20 mph. This also wasn't the easiest ride as I hit almost every big hill in Lees Summit and got in 1800 feet of climbing. The last time I rode this, was last week and I averaged 20 mph with an average moving speed of 20.1 mph.

Thursday/Friday/Saturday

On Thurdsay, I swam 1500 yards in the morning. The main set was 8x100. That night, I ran 4.75 miles in 40 minutes. The day went pretty well overall.

On Friday, I was supposed to ride 20 miles but there were some crazy storms in the area on Friday night so that was pretty well out of the question and I didn't want to jump on the trainer. Another rest day during recovery week couldn't hurt so I gladly took it.

Today, I got in a 10.25 mile run over 90 minutes. It took me about 3 miles to really settle in and put everything into cruise control. I was shooting for between 8:45 and 9:00 pace and I actually got that today. A couple hours after lunch, I went over to the pool to get my swim in. I got my choice of 1000 yard workouts. I swam a main set of 10x50 yards. I had some sweet intervals under 1:30 pace but mostly between 1:30-1:35.

Tomorrow, I need to ride around 50 miles but the weather isn't looking too good. If I absolutely have to, I will ride on the trainer, but I am hoping the storms miss us and I can get outside in the morning.

Birthday Brick

I ended up just taking the day off from schedule workouts yesterday and just ended up playing softball last night. We won both games and it was probably the most fun I have had in a long time.

Today I got in a ride/run brick. For those of you that don't know what a brick is, it is a training session that involves 2 workouts back to back. This is my first one of the season and it went well overall considering how hot it was. I am also still running on low energy levels from last week as I probably still haven't restored my glycogen stores from last week so that probably makes everything a little harder/slower.

I rode 33 miles at 20 mph. I rode almost the entire time in the aero bars and really felt comfortable there. I could tell a significant reduction in wind resistance and I am happy to have them. I totally work less when I use them. I took one of my normal "Gu" packs at about the 20 mile mark. I ran out of water/gatorade around mile 27 but I was sucking that stuff back quick today due to heat. Overall, I felt like I had almost the perfect nutrition levels on the bike.

Then I transitioned to my run. I came in my house and put on my running shoes, drank some water and put on my running belt. I had 32 ounces of water/gatorade in the 4 water bottles on that and I thought that would be enough. I also ate a clif bar and took a different "Gu" pack. I got this one for free this past weekend and it is made from a company called Vega Sport. It is a plant based energy pack and tasted like crap. I also didn't feel like it didn't anything in comparison to my normal Gu packs. The 90 degree heat was bearing down on me from the start and I slowing starting running out of energy and felt like I was overheating. I didn't pick a course that was very well shaded and that showed. After mile 3, I had to start walking a couple times once I got to the shade. My miles times definitely slowed quite a bit but I was determined to finish the 6 miles I started out to do. I ended up running 6 miles at a 9:22 pace, but every mile was slower than the previous and it was significantly noticeable during mile 5 and 6 as I had to stop and walk a little longer for both of those.

In all today was really good though. I don't think I will try different energy packs again as I already know which ones work. I also realized I should have taken 3 of them over the course of the workout. It's amazing how different I can feel if I don't properly fuel while I am out there. I also really need to get a visor for running to keep the sweat out of my eyes as well as provide a little protection from the sun.

First day of recovery week

I started off this morning with a 1000 yard swim. I wasn't trying to go super fast or anything today, just really working on form and technique. That is how a lot of this week will go.

After work, I was thinking I would ride the Martin City group ride but Shari surprised me by showing up at work for a meeting this afternoon and telling me she was coming over tonight. So, I decided to hit Longview and get my ride in a little earlier. This ended up working to my favor as my left quad started acting up just above my knee. I have had this happen before and it usually just goes away the next day. I ended up cutting the ride in half from 20 miles to 10 miles at a nice easy pace.

So far, so good but tomorrow morning, I have a 2000 yard swim and then softball after work.

Another Half Marathon, Another PR

Today was a big day. I got up at 5am and started preparing for the Kansas Half Marathon. We got to Lawrence around 6:30 and when we got out of the car, I realized how cold and windy it was. It was about 50 degrees with a 15-20 mph wind. We were starting in the shade as well so I am sure it felt even cooler. I left my long sleeve shirt on until I started and then I threw it to Shari when we started.

I didn't have any idea how I would fair in the race today. I had ridden 60 miles yesterday and ran a pretty tough race last weekend. I decided that I would just run at a comfortable pace whatever that would be (although I had absolutely no intention of walking at any point). During mile 1, I pretty quickly realized that I was going to run faster than last week but not at a 1:40 pace. We hit our first big hill from mile 4 to 5. It was followed by a big downhill which resulted in my fasted mile time from 5 to 6 at 7:13. From here through about 9.5, it was fairly flat and just an out and back route. It was fun to see the winner 2.5 to 3 miles ahead of me as he came back from the route. At mile 9.5, I ran into the biggest test. I turned north and hit a nice 20 mph wind in my face as well as a fairly sharp uphill run. It covered nearly 150 feet over that mile and resulted in my slowest mile time at 8:27. After that hill, it was pretty much downhill and flat the rest of the way. I cruised into the finish and even had enough to sprint at the end.

My total time today was 1:42:57, which is another PR. This is my second half marathon and second PR in 8 days.

This caps off the longest training week in my training plan. I covered 163.18 miles over 12 hours, 20 minutes and 57 seconds. Next week is a recovery week as well as my first brick. I am going to ride/run on Wednesday afternoon.

My next half marathon is on May 12th. By contrast, that race has a total elevation gain of 150 feet vs today's race with an elevation gain of 853 feet. I think that sounds like an excellent course to shoot for 1:40.

15 and 60 mile rides

Last night, after packet pickup for the Kansas Half Marathon, I went to the downtown airport to ride a quick 15-20 miles before the sun went down. I needed a time trial run for the Kansas City Corporate Challenge as I won't be able to make the official Cerner time trial. My legs were a little tight and I wasn't able to go as fast as I wanted to last night so that was a little unfortunate. The wind was also blowing the opposite direction that it normally blows, that wasn't a factor at all but just a little odd. I ended up going just over 15 miles. I hope my time is fast enough to qualify as I think that would be really fun. Today, I had to do my longest ride in the training plan. I rode 60.10 miles. I rode all the miles at the airport as well. Today, my main goal was to learn how to ride in my aero bars and use my aero drink holder, so I chose the flattest course I could think of for that. I spent at least half of the ride on the aero bars. I rode the first 20 miles with Joe from work and we averaged 17.8 mph over that time. When he was done, I stopped and talked to him for a couple minutes before jumping back on the bike to cover another 40 miles. At about mile 39, my Gatorade reservoir ran out so I stopped at my car to refill it and my water (even though the water reservoir was no where close to empty). I ended up average the first 20 miles at 18.2 mph, the second 20 miles at 22.3 mph and the last 20 miles at 21.8 mph for a total average of 20.5 mph. I learned how to ride on my aero bars and use my drink reservoirs successfully as well, so I will take that as a win. I have a few adjustments to make but I feel confident on them and will take them out to Longview Lake on Wednesday for my Ride/Run brick. There will be no swimming today unfortunately. The pool at work is closed today. I am staying up at Shari's tonight and there really isn't another alternative. I think it will be ok though. Now, I can switch my focus to the Kansas Half Marathon I am running the morning. 2 half marathons in 8 days? Hooray!

Run/Swim

I didn't swim this morning because I was a little tired when I woke up so I opted to swim tonight and sleep in an extra hour. It was totally worth it. I ended up running on the treadmill at the gym so I could control my pace better. I ran almost as slow as I could while still feeling like I was running just so my legs wouldn't complain too much. I ended up with a 50 minute running covering just over 5 miles. Then I changed into my swim suit and started swimming. I swam 1250 yards instead of the 1750 yard the training plan wanted today. I didn't do the kick intervals 1. because I don't care for them and 2. I just finished running so no thanks. I swam all 5 of my 100 yard intervals in sub 1:40 times though, so that was good to see again for the first time since being sick. Then I came home, ate some food and pretty much fell asleep until now. I was pretty tired and still am so I should be going to sleep for real soon :) Tomorrow is supposed to be a 20 mile ride. I haven't decided if I want to do it/have the time to. I am thinking tomorrow would be a good day off before my 60 mile ride on Saturday and Half Marathon on Sunday. I also need to go pick up my race packet after work so that doesn't leave me with a ton of time to get in an hour long ride.

40 mile ride after work

Tonight was awesome. I got over to Longview Lake by 5:30 and was able to get my ride started at 5:34. I rode 40 miles at 19.5 mph. This was an extremely long ride for a week night. My legs were still a little sore, left over from this weekend. I couldn't/didn't want to ride super hard because of that. I think if I had felt 100% I could have done better than 20 or 21 mph but everything was a little more brutal tonight. Flatland wasn't as easy and hills were definitely harder. I think this kind of training is really good for me though because it sets me in the mindset that I can keep going even when things are a little sore. It also helps me build my endurance even further. I am considering taking Friday off but I will wait and see how things go tomorrow and how I feel when I wake up on Friday morning but I don't anticipate that there will be much soreness remaining.

Swim/Run/Softball

I got up and swam 2500 yards this morning. There was a lot of pulls and stroke drills followed by a 10x100 interval set. This was my longest swim on record to date. By the time I got to the interval training, I was already fairly tired and my times were definitely slower. The stroke drills should help with my overall technique as well. Then, I ran for 60 minutes over lunch. I ran at an "easy" pace while getting in almost 6.5 miles. I am trying to run slow this week so I can have my legs ready for my next half marathon on Sunday. Tonight, we played softball. We got absolutely killed tonight but we still had fun.

AM Swim/PM Ride

Legs are fairly sore today but thats nothing a nice swim and ride wont fix!

I swam 1500 yards this morning. My main set was 4x200 intervals. I felt better and better each interval but I think I might still have a week or so before I get my rhythm back.

Tonight I rode just over 20 miles at the Martin City Brewing Company ride. I really only wanted to ride like 17-18 mph tonight but then I started off really hard and that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the night. I settled things down after mile 6 or so but then tried to catch back up to the group around mile 10 while pulling for Franz, Capi and Virgil. It was fun overall though.

Long Ride/Recovery Run

I was supposed to ride 55 miles today. At first I didn't even think I was going to be able to ride outside, but then the rain never hit so I lucked out there. Then we were under a wind advisory with gusts up to 35-40 mph. It was pretty crazy but I cut it short down to just over 36 miles. I rode out to Longview Lake and met Aaron for 2 loops around the lake and then I came home. I wasn't intending on going too crazy today anyways just so I have a little time to recover.

After I got home, I told Shari it was time for her to go for a run. I got to tag along with her for a 1.33 mile run. I was pretty happy that she ran the whole time and her breathing was well under control. Then we walked another mile home.

My legs were definitely sore today and I can tell that the last week that I pretty much "took off" hurt me a little bit. I anticipate that this won't be very much of a set back at all though so I am not worried. My mileage for the week was way down around 70 miles. I am going to stretch a bunch before bed and use my foam roller. Tomorrow starts a new week and I should be back on track.

Rock the Parkway Half Marathon

Went out hoping for 1:40 even though I knew this last weekend was really rough. 1:45 was a secondary goal. Little did I know how bad today would be. Miles 1-6 went as I was hoping for but then stomach cramps really started to kick in and I could tell I was still mildly dehydrated. The crazy humidity this morning didn't help me keep water in either. At mile 8, I had to stop and use the portapotty or else risk turning my running shorts into a diaper. As I got out of the portapotty, I saw the 1:45 pacers running by and I knew things were not going to end well. I couldn't keep up with them and at that point my sole goal became to finish without walking.

I ended up running the half in 1:47:36 officially. That is still 1 minute and 30 seconds faster than my previous PR. If you don't include my bathroom stop then it was 1:46:35. I am fairly disappointed with today's efforts but I hope to make it up next weekend at the Kansas Half Marathon in Lawrence.

I came home, reenergized and hit the pool. I ended up swimming 1000 yards. That went pretty well all things considered.

Illness Ensues

I did my best to fight off a GI Virus that hit with full force two Thursday night's ago. I fought it all last weekend and missed all of my workouts until Tuesday night.

I finally got back to testing things on Tuesday night even though I was still suffering. The stomach cramps had dropped a lot but I was still having problems. I got in 30 minute run. I definitely felt dehydrated and had to use the bathroom almost immediately on finishing the run. Then I headed to softball and played for 2 hours. I only had one bowel attack during the games and it was right at the end.

On Wednesday, I got outside on my bike to give me new wheels a spin. I didn't want to go to crazy because things still weren't feeling that great. I rode just under 10 miles. The wheels are definitely faster than my old wheels. I could hold 26-27 mph on flat land with a lot less effort and cruising at almost 20 mph average after being sick was a plus even if it was such a short distance.

On Thursday, I got in my last big workout before this morning's half marathon. I ran a nice and slow for 50 minutes. Everything felt alright and I didn't think I would have any problems running this morning. I followed that up with some light swim, as this was the first day back in the pool in over a week. I got in 1000 yards. My main set was just a straight 500 yard swim and it felt relatively slow, but that is understandable considering the week I had had before hand.

50 minutes of running

There was some light rain in the area yesterday and my hip was really sore for some reason. Rather than ride on my trainer, I decided to take the day off and just stretch a bunch. This seemed to work pretty well as my hip was still sore this morning but not nearly as bad. I did however run into another problem this morning that has been reoccuring as of late. I am continually getting an ear ache in my left ear. I think it is mostly due to swimming because it only hurts the days after swimming. I just ordered some swimmer's ear plugs to help with that and they will be here tomorrow.

Today was not a complete loss though. I got in a really good run. I ran 6.81 miles in about 53 minutes. My first mile was a warmup at about 8:10 and then I progressively picked up my speed as I continued along. This resulted in my first negative split in a while and all miles after the first one were sub 8min/mile.

If my ear ache is gone tomorrow morning, I will get my swim in before work.

Swim/Run/Softball

This morning's swim was one of the craziest so far. I swam 2000 yards total. I had a lot of kick and pull work today. I had a 500 yard swim set in there but that was it as far straight swimming.

I also got in a 60 minute run covering 6.84 miles. This was a treadmill run just to keep an average speed. I started at 6.3 mph and moved to 6.7 at 10 minutes and then 7.1 after another 10 minutes. Then I worked down in the same fashion. It was a relatively good run overall.

Then I had softball tonight. I should wear my garmin sometime I am playing just to see how far I run during that.

Ride and Swim

I got home tonight and did a 24 mile ride. I averaged 20.2 mph and climbed more hills than my 20.6 mph ride last Monday. This is my second 20+ mph ride ever and it felt awesome.

Then I took a little over an hour to rest and eat some fruit and went to the gym to swim. I swam 1250 yards. My main set was 800 yards straight and I averaged 1:47min/100 yards. Comparing this with the last time I did this workout, I did 1:54min/100 yards last time. This was just over a month and a half ago and most of my improvement has shown over the last 2-3 weeks. I am hoping I can continue to make increases like this for the next 2 months and get my swim under 1:40.

Run Saturday/Ride Sunday

I ran on Saturday morning. I waited a little longer than I wanted to in order to start it though and the sun just beat down on me. I got in a 70 minutes, 8.25 mile run overall. It was slower pace but felt harder than it should have. I think working back into the heat is gonna be rough. I am not looking forward to starting my swim at 7:15, biking from 8-11 and running from 11-1 at the half iron man.

Today I got in 35 miles on my bike. I rode out to longview lake, did 2 loops and came back. I had a good average over 19.5 until I had to come back home through town and hit every stop light on the way :(