After a really good day off on Saturday I was back at it today for my long run. Essentially I ran the same route as last week only I went a little longer today but my run today was a lot better than last week.
A week ago I ran this route in a 8:13 pace running 6.1 miles in 50 minutes. Today I was able to cover just over seven miles in almost 56 minutes which came in at a 7:56 pace. I started off this run a little faster with a 7:31 pace in the first mile but after that I rally got into a groove where I ran at a 7:50ish pace over the next four miles. I slowed down a little bit in the sixth mile with an 8:16 pace but finished around an 8:05 pace.
This was a really good run for me and even though this was a mostly downhill race at the beginning I still got some hill work that I was able to get through pretty easily. I didn't come close to stopping at any point which is good because last week I had to make a stop around the 40 minute mark.
I am still getting stronger and being able to run the race distance in about 48 minutes made me feel pretty good. I know that I didn't swim or bike before it but with about two months left until the race I am pretty confident I will be able to run a pretty good pace if I am right around where I want to be now. Also I was doing this run after a night of drinking. That counts for something, right?
Least ideal part of the run today was that five minutes into it the rain started to come down. It came down hard for a minute and then level off but for much of the run I was dancing around raindrops. Not fun.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Friday, June 6, 2014
OT Training 6.6.14
Today was a rough day. I thought after a good run yesterday and my legs feeling pretty good that I would have a better day today with my long swim and long bike ride, but boy was I wrong. My first few laps in the pool were met with the feeling of my legs being really tired and I knew it was going to be a long morning.
At the beginning the swim wasn't all that good. I was barely able to get through my three 100 freestyles and had a tough time getting my legs going with my first three 50 freestyles. I think I kind of got into a groove as my other three sets of 50's (kick, pull, swim) weren't too bad and I was getting through them in pretty good time. Since I wanted to add 100 yards on to the end of this from Wednesday I did two more each of the kicks, pulls and swim to give me an even 1,200 yards for the day. A good stepping stone but it was a really tough pool workout.
My bike ride was much the same. I was supposed to go around 107 minutes today but I actually ended up riding 115 minutes and coming just short of two hours. The legs didn't feel overly great on the steady uphill climb from Freeport towards Butler and after I turned around I expected it to be pretty easy since it would mostly be downhill. It wasn't. I was pretty tired around mile 20 and that would have been alright if I was only biking 20 miles. I actually was doing just over 28 miles so that made things a little longer than I had anticipated.
I am glad I went a little longer on each and got them done but it was not a fun workout day. I will say that I am taking full advantage of my off day tomorrow and tonight I am going to be relaxing by going to the Pirates game with some friends. That is a good reward for the hard work this week. After my long run on Sunday I will have nearly trained for 12 hours and 100 miles on the week. There is still a long way to go but I am on the right path. I think.
At the beginning the swim wasn't all that good. I was barely able to get through my three 100 freestyles and had a tough time getting my legs going with my first three 50 freestyles. I think I kind of got into a groove as my other three sets of 50's (kick, pull, swim) weren't too bad and I was getting through them in pretty good time. Since I wanted to add 100 yards on to the end of this from Wednesday I did two more each of the kicks, pulls and swim to give me an even 1,200 yards for the day. A good stepping stone but it was a really tough pool workout.
My bike ride was much the same. I was supposed to go around 107 minutes today but I actually ended up riding 115 minutes and coming just short of two hours. The legs didn't feel overly great on the steady uphill climb from Freeport towards Butler and after I turned around I expected it to be pretty easy since it would mostly be downhill. It wasn't. I was pretty tired around mile 20 and that would have been alright if I was only biking 20 miles. I actually was doing just over 28 miles so that made things a little longer than I had anticipated.
I am glad I went a little longer on each and got them done but it was not a fun workout day. I will say that I am taking full advantage of my off day tomorrow and tonight I am going to be relaxing by going to the Pirates game with some friends. That is a good reward for the hard work this week. After my long run on Sunday I will have nearly trained for 12 hours and 100 miles on the week. There is still a long way to go but I am on the right path. I think.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
OT Training 6.5.14
Today was a really good day for me workout wise. Yesterday I felt pretty good in the pool but when I got to the bike ride I was pretty sluggish. I still finished with one of my better bike rides and cut some significant time off my 25 mile time but I just didn't feel it. Today was totally different. I am not sure if it was just because I had to do only a run with a weight workout but my legs felt really good and carried me through a really strong run.
I did my weight workout first and it was back and bi day. I didn't necessarily go any heavier with anything but I tried to add a few more reps since I was only around 10-12 reps last week. Usually I am able to bump up weight on the second week of my workout plan (that changes every three weeks) but this week I only took marginal bumps up in weight and made sure that I got good reps in.
I decided to stay in Natrona Height for my run. Typically on my medium day I like to go down to the trail as I can control my time better since I run out and back. Today I just kinda freelanced with my run and it worked out well. Overall it's not going to show that I did a lot of hills but there were a few of them. Typically these hills are something I struggled with because of my pacing problem but today I was able to conquer them fairly easily.
Here is the map of the elevations on my run:
As you can see there are a few peaks and valleys but I was able to maintain a pretty steady pace through them.
I ended up running for 43:04 and went 5.30 miles. That turns out to be an 8:08 pace which was right around where my time was last week for my medium run. The best part about the run was that I still had some left in the tank. I probably could have ran a sub-eight minute pace but this showed me that I am definitely making gains in my running and that is a good sign with a couple months left till race day.
Overall a great day in my mind.
I did my weight workout first and it was back and bi day. I didn't necessarily go any heavier with anything but I tried to add a few more reps since I was only around 10-12 reps last week. Usually I am able to bump up weight on the second week of my workout plan (that changes every three weeks) but this week I only took marginal bumps up in weight and made sure that I got good reps in.
I decided to stay in Natrona Height for my run. Typically on my medium day I like to go down to the trail as I can control my time better since I run out and back. Today I just kinda freelanced with my run and it worked out well. Overall it's not going to show that I did a lot of hills but there were a few of them. Typically these hills are something I struggled with because of my pacing problem but today I was able to conquer them fairly easily.
Here is the map of the elevations on my run:
As you can see there are a few peaks and valleys but I was able to maintain a pretty steady pace through them.
I ended up running for 43:04 and went 5.30 miles. That turns out to be an 8:08 pace which was right around where my time was last week for my medium run. The best part about the run was that I still had some left in the tank. I probably could have ran a sub-eight minute pace but this showed me that I am definitely making gains in my running and that is a good sign with a couple months left till race day.
Overall a great day in my mind.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
OT Training 6.4.14
Today was my medium swimming and bike day and after it is all said and done it was a pretty good workout day. I felt really strong in the pool and despite my legs being tired in the first half of my bike ride I was able to press forward and cut nine minutes off my time from last week.
Got into the pool and did 1,100 yards today which was 100 more than last week. I did the same workout except I added a 100 freestyle at the beginning. I think what I am going to try and do is tack on another 100 before my set work for the next couple of times to try and build up more endurance. At the beginning of last week I was only able to do one 100 at the beginning and today I was able to do three of them so I know I am going in the right direction.
After my 100's I did the same set work with 50's. I started with 50 freestyles and did three of those and then did three kicks, three pulls, and finished with three more freestyles. I ended the workout with another kick, pull, and two more 50's. I went harder today than I did on Monday but I felt really strong, especially in my legs, so that was a really good thing.
The bike was a little harder than I anticipated. I was only going to go about 87 minutes today but I ended up going 1:37:32 and did 24.35 miles. That was pretty good for me seeing that last Friday I did 25.58 miles in 1:48:11 so essentially I cut off about nine minutes on my race distance today and that is always a good thing. I would like to be able to do that in about 1:15 or better but with the race still a few months away I think I am feeling pretty good cutting that time.
Got into the pool and did 1,100 yards today which was 100 more than last week. I did the same workout except I added a 100 freestyle at the beginning. I think what I am going to try and do is tack on another 100 before my set work for the next couple of times to try and build up more endurance. At the beginning of last week I was only able to do one 100 at the beginning and today I was able to do three of them so I know I am going in the right direction.
After my 100's I did the same set work with 50's. I started with 50 freestyles and did three of those and then did three kicks, three pulls, and finished with three more freestyles. I ended the workout with another kick, pull, and two more 50's. I went harder today than I did on Monday but I felt really strong, especially in my legs, so that was a really good thing.
The bike was a little harder than I anticipated. I was only going to go about 87 minutes today but I ended up going 1:37:32 and did 24.35 miles. That was pretty good for me seeing that last Friday I did 25.58 miles in 1:48:11 so essentially I cut off about nine minutes on my race distance today and that is always a good thing. I would like to be able to do that in about 1:15 or better but with the race still a few months away I think I am feeling pretty good cutting that time.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
OT Training 6.3.14
Today was a pretty easy day with a weight workout and a short run.
The weight workout was chest and triceps and went about as well as I thought. I have been trying to keep higher reps since that is going to help me in my training more than going heavier weight with lower reps. That is what I usually do but I want to make sure to keep my reps between 12-15 and not overdoing it since I am training so much.
The run was pretty simple. I went and ran in Natrona Heights by the Anytime Fitness I go to. Overall I went 3.91 miles in 32:30 and I kept things pretty simple. My splits (every mile) were in the mid-8:00 mark and at the end of the run I know I still had some juice left. With this being an easy day and my legs still being pretty sore from the weekend I thought it was better to keep a slower pace and keep things easy.
I think overall I would like to have an eight minute pace for the run portion of my race so for almost four miles keeping an 8:18 pace today and still feeling good I think I am on the right path. The adrenaline will kick in with other racers around me on race day and that will give me a little extra push so I feel pretty good about where my running is right now.
The weight workout was chest and triceps and went about as well as I thought. I have been trying to keep higher reps since that is going to help me in my training more than going heavier weight with lower reps. That is what I usually do but I want to make sure to keep my reps between 12-15 and not overdoing it since I am training so much.
The run was pretty simple. I went and ran in Natrona Heights by the Anytime Fitness I go to. Overall I went 3.91 miles in 32:30 and I kept things pretty simple. My splits (every mile) were in the mid-8:00 mark and at the end of the run I know I still had some juice left. With this being an easy day and my legs still being pretty sore from the weekend I thought it was better to keep a slower pace and keep things easy.
I think overall I would like to have an eight minute pace for the run portion of my race so for almost four miles keeping an 8:18 pace today and still feeling good I think I am on the right path. The adrenaline will kick in with other racers around me on race day and that will give me a little extra push so I feel pretty good about where my running is right now.
Monday, June 2, 2014
OT Training 6.2.14
After missing my easy swimming and biking day last week I was back at it again today. I should be able to get in a full week of workouts this week which would be something I haven't been overly able to do recently. Before I went out today I made sure that I was sticking to the plan I had and it turns out that I was a week off. The distances I was supposed to do this week I actually did last week. So, in turn I think I am going to repeat my workout from last week and get myself back on schedule. I guess that gave me some extra work but who knows if it really meant anything.
I started with swimming today and ended up doing 1,000 yards in the pool. It took me a little over a half hour to do which was a little slower than how long it took me to do the same distance on Friday. That wasn't really a concern for me as I focused a little more today on my technique. In talking with some people that have watched me swim at the pool they have said I am using too much upper body when I swim and that I am not using enough legs. This is getting me more tired on my laps and not letting me get enough out of my swim.
Anyways, I worked on closing my finger on my hand and keeping my upper half quiet and pulling more when my stroke comes through the water. I have been really "punching" the water and with my fingers spread apart it is not helping me pull my body, therefore making me use a lot more energy than I need.
I was able to focus on that a little more and use my legs to generate some more power and I think it went pretty well. I kept my same schedule as I had on Friday with a little variance. I started with a pair of 200 freestyles followed by my regular rounds of 4x3 sets of 50's with swimming, kicking, pulling, and swimming. I then finished with a 50 of kicking and pulling and a pair of 50 freestyles.
I went down to the trail for my bike ride. It went pretty well as my average speed was as fast as it has been in some time. I ended up going 16.3 miles in 1:06:13 which averaged 14.8 mph. Pretty much the same story as every time I am on the trail, the first half of the ride was a gradual uphill where I averaged about 13.5 mph but on the way back, which was more downhill, I was averaging around 16.5 mph.
Solid workout today. My legs were pretty sore from my run yesterday but as I have said before a lot of this is mental as well as physical so it is good to power through these when I don't feel like exercising.
I started with swimming today and ended up doing 1,000 yards in the pool. It took me a little over a half hour to do which was a little slower than how long it took me to do the same distance on Friday. That wasn't really a concern for me as I focused a little more today on my technique. In talking with some people that have watched me swim at the pool they have said I am using too much upper body when I swim and that I am not using enough legs. This is getting me more tired on my laps and not letting me get enough out of my swim.
Anyways, I worked on closing my finger on my hand and keeping my upper half quiet and pulling more when my stroke comes through the water. I have been really "punching" the water and with my fingers spread apart it is not helping me pull my body, therefore making me use a lot more energy than I need.
I was able to focus on that a little more and use my legs to generate some more power and I think it went pretty well. I kept my same schedule as I had on Friday with a little variance. I started with a pair of 200 freestyles followed by my regular rounds of 4x3 sets of 50's with swimming, kicking, pulling, and swimming. I then finished with a 50 of kicking and pulling and a pair of 50 freestyles.
I went down to the trail for my bike ride. It went pretty well as my average speed was as fast as it has been in some time. I ended up going 16.3 miles in 1:06:13 which averaged 14.8 mph. Pretty much the same story as every time I am on the trail, the first half of the ride was a gradual uphill where I averaged about 13.5 mph but on the way back, which was more downhill, I was averaging around 16.5 mph.
Solid workout today. My legs were pretty sore from my run yesterday but as I have said before a lot of this is mental as well as physical so it is good to power through these when I don't feel like exercising.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
OT Training 6.1.14
First workout of June. It is weird, it feels like May just started and here we are already through 31 days. May went crazy fast. Well, Saturday was my off day and what I decided to do on my off day was drink a lot of alcohol. I am not a guy that gets hungover so that wasn't really the problem but I was super tired today. I typically like to get my run done earlier in the day but today my run didn't happen until about 3 p.m. That really wasn't a big deal, but today it was hot.
The heat wasn't overly terrible but when you are dehydrated from a night of drinking it doesn't make things any easier. It also didn't help that I didn't really drink any water before I ran and I forgot to take water with me. I ran into town and had my car dropped off there so it's not as if I could drink water when I got finished. I had no quarters in my car and the best I was able to do was get an empty bottle I had in the back seat and ask a gas station to fill it up with water. Meh, whatever. I drank 32 ounces of water in approximately 10 seconds.
The run was pretty good overall though. I think I was supposed to go 54 minutes today but with the weather and my blood sugar levels going a little low towards the end of my run (due to my diabetes) I was only able to make it a 50 minute run. Like I said I went from home into town and the run is mainly a downhill run but there is two hills that I wanted to tackle. The first hill is a gradual raise and the second hill is a much more significant one that I haven't been able to finish before.
Like I said I have always had a problem with pacing and by the time I hit that hill I usually couldn't make it the entire way up since I was already spent from running too hard at the beginning. Today I was able to tackle the hill easily so that made me feel pretty good. My pace was still a little too fast for my liking but it wasn't as bad as it has been before.
I would like to get my first two miles around 7:45 or so but I think I can live with this today. I ended up going just over six miles on the run. I think I would have liked to get a little farther but that is part of the process. I have been really slowing down my pace in hopes of being more consistent in my runs so as long as I continue to do that I will be able to build up my milage.
Tomorrow is an easy day with swimming and biking so back at it for another week.
The heat wasn't overly terrible but when you are dehydrated from a night of drinking it doesn't make things any easier. It also didn't help that I didn't really drink any water before I ran and I forgot to take water with me. I ran into town and had my car dropped off there so it's not as if I could drink water when I got finished. I had no quarters in my car and the best I was able to do was get an empty bottle I had in the back seat and ask a gas station to fill it up with water. Meh, whatever. I drank 32 ounces of water in approximately 10 seconds.
The run was pretty good overall though. I think I was supposed to go 54 minutes today but with the weather and my blood sugar levels going a little low towards the end of my run (due to my diabetes) I was only able to make it a 50 minute run. Like I said I went from home into town and the run is mainly a downhill run but there is two hills that I wanted to tackle. The first hill is a gradual raise and the second hill is a much more significant one that I haven't been able to finish before.
Like I said I have always had a problem with pacing and by the time I hit that hill I usually couldn't make it the entire way up since I was already spent from running too hard at the beginning. Today I was able to tackle the hill easily so that made me feel pretty good. My pace was still a little too fast for my liking but it wasn't as bad as it has been before.
I would like to get my first two miles around 7:45 or so but I think I can live with this today. I ended up going just over six miles on the run. I think I would have liked to get a little farther but that is part of the process. I have been really slowing down my pace in hopes of being more consistent in my runs so as long as I continue to do that I will be able to build up my milage.
Tomorrow is an easy day with swimming and biking so back at it for another week.
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