Race Schedule and Results

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Chugging along

I'm chugging along.  That's kind of how I feel life is going right now.  Nothing new and exciting, but busy as ever.  I guess I shouldn't be disappointed by that should I? :)

I finally decided to break out of the "I'm going to work out every day but just do what I feel like" phase of training.  I can't complain really - January was a slightly slow month for me. February picked up a bit.  But I have a half  marathon in 26 days that I'd like to live through and then right around the corner is the REV3 Knoxville half Ironman (are you doing a REV3 race?  You should...).  Part me of keeps thinking "what the eff was I thinking signing up for a half IM in May" but I'm actually quite excited.  Now if it can just warm up enough to not have to wear 8 trillion layers just to run (and don't mention biking outside... ain't no way) I'd be happy.


I digress...

So I finally pulled out the ole' Ironman training plan (since yeah, that's in 187 days too... which means I'm officially training for that as well).  I'm actually sticking with the plan for once.  We've always followed this plan, but mainly gone by hours and miles, versus drills, heart rate, pace, goals, etc. 

Hum... sticking to a proven plant to be 100% prepared come race day?  Novel idea for a self coached athlete who wants to get better.

Today's swim was awesome:
  • 300 WU
  • 200 Kick
  • 4x50 increasing each 50
  • then something I loved 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, 4/4, 5/5, 5/5, 4/4, 3/3, 2/2, 1/1 meaning that I would swim 1 lap hard, 1 easy, 2 hard, 2 easy, etc. 
  • 6x75 decreasing each 75
If it weren't for the ladies in water shoes waiting to get their groove on with the mardi-gras-masked-high-top-and-bathing-suit-wearing water aerobics instructor, I probably would have kept swimming.  I just felt good. (Those women though... freaking crack me up.  They annoyed me a little today because I wasn't quite done with my workout and they were in the water, in my lane, waiting for me to finish, with water weights (you know, the foam ones) in hand.  I got annoyed because it was only 9:15 and the class didn't start until 9:30 so I should have had to rush, but it made me swim faster so I shouldn't complain.  As soon as I was done with my laps, they swarmed the pool, bobbing up and down likes ducks in a row to warm up.  The swim instructor begged me to stay, probably because I would have been the youngest person in there by about 20 years! And although it looked like an absolute blast, let me tell you, I passed.  Oh to think of the "people of the gym" post I could have written about that.  Maybe someday...)

Came home to sun and warming temps.  This is Ohio right?  We decided to run outside.  First mile was 8:50 and we felt like we were booking it.  I didn't have my Garmin but know where the 1 mile mark is.  When we got home, we had done 5.4 miles (it's a common loop that we do and have garmined a bajillion times so I know the exact distance) in 45:30.  That means that we ended up managing 8:25's for the run.  Miles 1-5.4 were obviously very fast.  I felt great.

I'm liking this plan.  I'm going to get fast.  Or at least not die when my races come.

That's success in my books!

22 comments:

Unknown said...

Sounds like you started training with a BANG!! Awesome!

Derek Hill said...

Great job!

Unknown said...

Nice swim workout - I'll have to try it. I've been needing motivation to get in the pool and I think I need to add more drills instead of just trying to swim 6x200, which I often do...

Christi said...

You are going to rock your races! Next time you should join the class so we can hear all about it.

Aimee said...

I like that swim workout! The 1/1, 2/2, thing sounds like fun actually!

Yay for warmer temps and a great run!! :)

Ironman By Thirty said...

Getting faster is awesome! Not dieing is even better :)

I like the sounds of that swim workout. I may have to try that one out.

adena said...

I like that swim drill 1/1, 2/2. I might have to try that. You are doing a half marathon in 26 days? Mine is 10 weeks away and I wont be ready. You are my hero.

Kim said...

nice start of IM training sister! only onward and upward from here!!

Matty O said...

I love ladder workouts in the pool. Don't know why but they really make me feel like a swimmer.

Loved your water aerobics elderly comments LOL. Don't mess with those ladies though, their depends can leak at any moment and end all swimming activities for days. Walk a thin line there ;)

I can appreciate your Training Plan decisions too. Still going through ours, have it all typed up, fitting in our races now that will require a taper. GOOD LUCK!!!

My Life said...

I'm starting to really sweat a HIM in June... since I haven't ridden outside since October?? You know I'm totally rooting you on!!

Big Daddy Diesel said...

The war between the aqua aerobics and swimmers still go on. Once, they jumped in my lane, just as I passed, scared the crap out of me and more then once, they crowd the wall, not moving when I swim in, sighhhhhhhhh you figure our gym would have a lifeguard to police the pool

Unknown said...

You soooo should have stayed and did the water aerobics ... how cool would it have been when some crazy lap swimmer jumped in the pool? You and your new aerobic friends could have ganged up on them ...that would have been a story!

MissFancyPants said...

so funny, I ALWAYS manage to get the times at the pool screwed up and end up cutting short from the water aerobics or water pilates (apparently another new one..)...I also love seeig other peoples swim workouts!

Jon said...

Nice swim and run! You should have done cannon balls on the swim dancers. Now THAT would have been funny!

Caratunk Girl said...

Sounds like you are rocking it to me. UGH @Matty O's comments!! SO GROSS. Now I am scared to go over to the water aerobics/Depends areas.

Beth said...

Your run was fast! Did you make up your own plan of follow one from a book, etc? I have been reading Iron Fit and I am just not sure about the plans.

KC (my 140 point 6 mile journey) said...

The people of Walmart or the people of the gym. Not sure which are the funniest. Great job on the run; very nice pace. You'll be ready to roll at the 1/2 mary and maybe you'll only have to wear a jogbra and shorts. Imagine that!

Wes said...

nothing like a may half ironman to give you a dose of reality :-) and really? you passed up a session with the silver swimmers? slacker...

Alisa said...

I've never run up against that issue in the pool but I feel like anytime there are people waiting for a lane I speed up to try and finish as quickly as possible.

I despise circle swimming so I'd rather kick it up speedwise than get stuck circle swimming.

I think the start of any new training plan there is a little lag in the kick ass-ness. Glad you're finding your groove. I think I'd cry if I had to do an HIM in May in the NW.

Marci said...

I have the same feeling Colleen... what the eff was I thinking signing up for two marathons within like two months of each other!

KC (my 140 point 6 mile journey) said...

I forgot to answer your question about what time do i go to sleep to wake up at 3:45-4am. Between 8:30 and 9pm. On the weekends, I'm a night owl and i go to sleep around 10!!

Andy said...

Nice start to your training! I have had issues as well with the water aerobics class wanting to start too early OR they try to take up too many lanes with too few people. Plans are good. You are gonna be fast... hella fast :)