Going Long.
The long weekend was all about going long.
Saturday we had the "long slow run." Nine easy miles were ticked off at an 11:11 pace. I felt pretty good afterwards and didn't really want to stop. I was able to push myself hard on the last 2 miles as well...which always helps me to feel accomplished. It's funny how these mid-distance runs come so easily to me now. I actually look forward to doing them. Hopefully by the time the marathon rolls around I'll still have this mentality and feel super comfortable the first 15-16 miles.
We moved Friday's swim to Sunday since we were planning on doing our long brick workout on Monday. The swim called for 3600 meters including 6x400 as the main set. In case you're wondering, 3600 meters is 3937 yards...also known as 2.2 miles (for the record, the half iron swim is 2112 yards/1.2 miles) . It's strange to think I am now capable of swimming more than 2 miles. Before I could barely crank out 1200 yards without feeling exhausted!
I'm really proud of how the 6x400 went down though...remember, these are meters, not yards (and meters are longer for those of you who are conversion-challenged)...take a look...
1 - 9:13, nice and easy start
2 - 9:17, still staying in the comfort zone
3 - 8:56, decided to push it a little bit during the next two
4 - 8:49, still feelin' good
5 - 8:55, backed off for this one knowing that I was going to push myself hard on the last set
6 - 8:22 ...yeah. I decided to really go for it and see how it would play out going comfortably strong while pushing the pace. I focused on really driving my hips as well as early entry and throwing my elbows in the stroke. I was shocked when I came up to find an 8:22...and it felt awesome (this is about a 1:55/100 yd pace...which after 3000 meters of swimming was brilliant, at least for me). Mike did comment that during my last set I was kicking too much. So...some form was sacrificed. He also questioned whether or not I covered the distance. But trust me...I did.
I will say, though...swimming 2.2 miles really does make your shoulder hurt....a lot. I've been popping Tylenol and ibuprofen cream like it's going outta style.
With Sunday came our long brick. A planned 60 mile ride with a 45 minute run at 10k race pace.
...and this is where my weekend started to crumble.
Within the past 2-3 rides, I've noticed that the angle of my saddle has been gradually tilting down more and more (not the seat post, but the angle itself). It used to be just a hair below level. When I actually looked at it on Monday morning, the damn thing had dropped to about 3.5 inches below level. ...!!!???!!
In an effort to save time, we decided that we'd adjust my saddle once we got to Barrington for our ride. No problem! We go and picked up fellow BTer 'mr2Tony' for the day and head out to find some hills.
Great plan...until we get there and realize that all of us forgot our tools.
Brilliant.
So I figure I'll suck it up and do it anyway...and just make adjustments as needed. We all breeze through the first 25 mile loop. The first 15 miles go by fairly quickly...we're talking and enjoying oruselves...I managed to get lost and ended up in a place called Cuba, IL. About halfway through the first loop my back is KILLING ME. I make adjustments when I can...try to stretch out my lower back...ride on the back end of my saddle...and it just progressively gets more and more painful.
I try not to complain about it too much since we're riding with a new person and we're all pretty much sticking together at this point.
So after we finish the first loop (which, for the record, had about 2500 feet of climbing...HUZZAH!), I know there is no way humanly possible I'm going to be able to make the full 25 mile loop again. I resign to the fact I'm going to have to cut it short.
So I elect to do a out and back stretch that's about 13 miles. It starts off pretty good and then I just started getting really hard on myself...you know, when those training demons come out and haunt you remind you about how terrible you are and how much your riding sucks and you've got no business on a bike and blah blah blah. Somewhere within the last 5 miles I pretty much swore off of any potential IM distance race within the next year. How am I supposed to go 112 miles when I can barely do 40?! How the hell am I going to make the bike cutoff for the Kansas 70.3 in 2 weeks!? I hate my bike. I hate my saddle. I hate riding. I hate the sun and warm weather (first warm/hot day of the year, by the way). And by now, the sun is beaming down strong and I can tell that I'm getting some unwanted color in the form of a heinous farmer's tan. Damnit...why did I forget sunscreen!?
As much as I want to love my bike...I'm just not in that place that I love it for anything over 35 miles. By the end of the ride, not only was I in pain, but in a generally super foul mood.
Upon returning to the car with just over 40 miles for the day...I got myself all packed up and ready to go. I didn't want to run. I didn't want to ride. I just wanted to go home, shower and go to bed (and scarf down an entire thing of Pringles in the process).
15 minutes later, Tony comes rolling in and manages to sweet talk me into a little mini run. Just a mile or two.
I agree to 1. Reluctantly.
For a while we were running at a pace that was surprisingly comfortable...8:50-9:00. There's something about maintaining a strong cadence on the bike and seeing that same cadence carry over into your run, resulting in a great brick. A half mile into our one mile run I have to stop and walk...partly because of a side stitch...partly because I'm pissed off...and partly because my back is killing me still. In the end, the mile was clipped off in 10:31. Blah.
So yeah...needless to say, I'm disappointed with how Monday went down. And I think my coach would be disappointed in me, too. And to think, the weekend started off so promising.
But at least I did something. I mean...there's people who are going into this race less trained than me. Right?! Hopefully this week I'll be able to ride the full half iron course of 56 miles (or at least 50 miles of it)...so I can at least know I can cover the distance. Because so far, my two longest rides to date are 35.2 miles and 40.31 miles. And frankly...that's not going to hack it.
On a happier note, at least the imprint of the chamois has finally disappeared from my bum...
Hopefully Thursday will get here soon...our Endurance camp starts tonight, but I won't be able to join in on the fun until Friday morning. Mike's already in Kansas City, so I'm left alone with my thoughts...and the beautiful long stem rose that he left me. (Aww...I have a good egg!)
In the meantime, I'm coming up with a game plan for this Iron-Cross thingie. I need to really just go for it and conquer the course so I can have that confidence boost going into the big race.
Saturday we had the "long slow run." Nine easy miles were ticked off at an 11:11 pace. I felt pretty good afterwards and didn't really want to stop. I was able to push myself hard on the last 2 miles as well...which always helps me to feel accomplished. It's funny how these mid-distance runs come so easily to me now. I actually look forward to doing them. Hopefully by the time the marathon rolls around I'll still have this mentality and feel super comfortable the first 15-16 miles.
We moved Friday's swim to Sunday since we were planning on doing our long brick workout on Monday. The swim called for 3600 meters including 6x400 as the main set. In case you're wondering, 3600 meters is 3937 yards...also known as 2.2 miles (for the record, the half iron swim is 2112 yards/1.2 miles) . It's strange to think I am now capable of swimming more than 2 miles. Before I could barely crank out 1200 yards without feeling exhausted!
I'm really proud of how the 6x400 went down though...remember, these are meters, not yards (and meters are longer for those of you who are conversion-challenged)...take a look...
1 - 9:13, nice and easy start
2 - 9:17, still staying in the comfort zone
3 - 8:56, decided to push it a little bit during the next two
4 - 8:49, still feelin' good
5 - 8:55, backed off for this one knowing that I was going to push myself hard on the last set
6 - 8:22 ...yeah. I decided to really go for it and see how it would play out going comfortably strong while pushing the pace. I focused on really driving my hips as well as early entry and throwing my elbows in the stroke. I was shocked when I came up to find an 8:22...and it felt awesome (this is about a 1:55/100 yd pace...which after 3000 meters of swimming was brilliant, at least for me). Mike did comment that during my last set I was kicking too much. So...some form was sacrificed. He also questioned whether or not I covered the distance. But trust me...I did.
I will say, though...swimming 2.2 miles really does make your shoulder hurt....a lot. I've been popping Tylenol and ibuprofen cream like it's going outta style.
With Sunday came our long brick. A planned 60 mile ride with a 45 minute run at 10k race pace.
...and this is where my weekend started to crumble.
Within the past 2-3 rides, I've noticed that the angle of my saddle has been gradually tilting down more and more (not the seat post, but the angle itself). It used to be just a hair below level. When I actually looked at it on Monday morning, the damn thing had dropped to about 3.5 inches below level. ...!!!???!!
In an effort to save time, we decided that we'd adjust my saddle once we got to Barrington for our ride. No problem! We go and picked up fellow BTer 'mr2Tony' for the day and head out to find some hills.
Great plan...until we get there and realize that all of us forgot our tools.
Brilliant.
So I figure I'll suck it up and do it anyway...and just make adjustments as needed. We all breeze through the first 25 mile loop. The first 15 miles go by fairly quickly...we're talking and enjoying oruselves...I managed to get lost and ended up in a place called Cuba, IL. About halfway through the first loop my back is KILLING ME. I make adjustments when I can...try to stretch out my lower back...ride on the back end of my saddle...and it just progressively gets more and more painful.
I try not to complain about it too much since we're riding with a new person and we're all pretty much sticking together at this point.
So after we finish the first loop (which, for the record, had about 2500 feet of climbing...HUZZAH!), I know there is no way humanly possible I'm going to be able to make the full 25 mile loop again. I resign to the fact I'm going to have to cut it short.
So I elect to do a out and back stretch that's about 13 miles. It starts off pretty good and then I just started getting really hard on myself...you know, when those training demons come out and haunt you remind you about how terrible you are and how much your riding sucks and you've got no business on a bike and blah blah blah. Somewhere within the last 5 miles I pretty much swore off of any potential IM distance race within the next year. How am I supposed to go 112 miles when I can barely do 40?! How the hell am I going to make the bike cutoff for the Kansas 70.3 in 2 weeks!? I hate my bike. I hate my saddle. I hate riding. I hate the sun and warm weather (first warm/hot day of the year, by the way). And by now, the sun is beaming down strong and I can tell that I'm getting some unwanted color in the form of a heinous farmer's tan. Damnit...why did I forget sunscreen!?
As much as I want to love my bike...I'm just not in that place that I love it for anything over 35 miles. By the end of the ride, not only was I in pain, but in a generally super foul mood.
Upon returning to the car with just over 40 miles for the day...I got myself all packed up and ready to go. I didn't want to run. I didn't want to ride. I just wanted to go home, shower and go to bed (and scarf down an entire thing of Pringles in the process).
15 minutes later, Tony comes rolling in and manages to sweet talk me into a little mini run. Just a mile or two.
I agree to 1. Reluctantly.
For a while we were running at a pace that was surprisingly comfortable...8:50-9:00. There's something about maintaining a strong cadence on the bike and seeing that same cadence carry over into your run, resulting in a great brick. A half mile into our one mile run I have to stop and walk...partly because of a side stitch...partly because I'm pissed off...and partly because my back is killing me still. In the end, the mile was clipped off in 10:31. Blah.
So yeah...needless to say, I'm disappointed with how Monday went down. And I think my coach would be disappointed in me, too. And to think, the weekend started off so promising.
But at least I did something. I mean...there's people who are going into this race less trained than me. Right?! Hopefully this week I'll be able to ride the full half iron course of 56 miles (or at least 50 miles of it)...so I can at least know I can cover the distance. Because so far, my two longest rides to date are 35.2 miles and 40.31 miles. And frankly...that's not going to hack it.
On a happier note, at least the imprint of the chamois has finally disappeared from my bum...
Hopefully Thursday will get here soon...our Endurance camp starts tonight, but I won't be able to join in on the fun until Friday morning. Mike's already in Kansas City, so I'm left alone with my thoughts...and the beautiful long stem rose that he left me. (Aww...I have a good egg!)
In the meantime, I'm coming up with a game plan for this Iron-Cross thingie. I need to really just go for it and conquer the course so I can have that confidence boost going into the big race.
Labels: Brick, Enduracamp, Half Iron Training
posted by Iron Jayhawk at 9:14 AM
4 Camper Comments:
Barb, you are doing awsome! Keep your focus, and think good positive thoughts, block out the negative self talk. You've got this thing.
Barb, you are doing it, sister. I am so proud of you. Please tell me how much it will cost to get you to come to MI and coach me to my first Tri.
As for the ibuprofen cream, is that some sort of pharmaceutical frozen dessert treat?
NICE SWIMMING lady. I can really tell you've been working your a$$ off in the pool and it's showing! I really don't think you have anything to worry about. You WILL make the bike cutoff, I can't believe you'd even think you won't! Is that a sentence? I don't know, its early and i've only had 3 drinks of my coffee. Ok, T-2 weeks-ish until the raaaaaaaaace!!! oh snap...
holy shit girl, you swim sub 2:00/100yd!!?!
ummmmm... you'll be outta the water WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY before me! hopefully i can catch you on the bike and we can dominate the back of the course!
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